Are you afraid of everything? Well RJ is. Good thing his little sister, Shelly, isn’t scared of anything because the creepy mansion at the end of the cul-de-sac has a few frightening surprises waiting for them, including a cursed coin that puts both of their lives in danger. When the two try to get rid of the coin, RJ realizes its power. The more he holds it, the more he wants to be evil. Will RJ be able to get rid of the coin or will he embrace its power and never be afraid again? The Cursed Coin is just the beginning of the nightmares that await from the haunted mind of Culliver Crantz and his multiple personalities. Welcome to FrightVision. Your nightmare is ready. Let’s begin.
Title: The Cursed Coin | Author: Culliver Crantz | Series: FrightVision #1 | Pub. Date: 2019-April-13 | ASIN: B07QJ4X7LB | Pages: 166 | Language: English | Triggers: Paternal Death (mentioned) | Rating: 3 out of 5 | Source: I received a copy from the author for review consideration
The Cursed Coin Review
The Cursed Coin is the first in a series that aims to follow in the footsteps of R.L. Stine’s Goosebumps. This is obvious not only from the synopsis but also from the cover. The colors, font, and dramatic imagery are all meant to snare the littler spookster’s eyes. It was an interesting experience for me as I somehow missed reading the Goosebumps books growing up, so I had no real nostalgia for the type to fall back upon.
My ten year old started to read the book but found swiftly that it wasn’t the right book for her. She didn’t mind it much but said she didn’t care for the main character and it wasn’t the right kind of spooky for her.
Personally, I found that The Cursed Coin moved quickly, the dialogue was decent, and the storyline was appropriate for the age range. The siblings were a believable pair. Crantz added just enough of a yuck factor with the physical effect that the coin had on those that picked it up.
However, having read some truly good middle-grade spooky novels, I can’t honestly say that The Cursed Coin comes anywhere close to leaving a lasting impression. It’s one that could be read at bedtime with your child, but I can’t see deriving any that particular joy that comes with sharing a truly good book together.
Overall, in terms of general feel, I think Crantz’s Frightvision does a good job from the Goosebumps books I have read. I guess having no nostalgia nor a kid interested in the book left me a bit colder to it than the average reader might be.
If it sounds interesting to you, though, definitely check it out. It’s not badly written. It just didn’t do it for us.
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Lilyn G is the founder of Sci-Fi & Scary, and leader of the Coolthulhu Crew. She does book and film reviews for both genres the site focuses on. Her tastes run towards creature features, hard science fiction, and lots and lots of action. She also has a soft spot for middle-grade fiction that rears its head frequently.
Though no longer involved with Ladies of Horror Fiction due to other responsibilities and a too-full plate, she was one of the original 4 co-founders.
Feel free to chat her up on Twitter as long as you aren’t hitting her up to review your book.
My son and I used to read Stine’s books as fast as they came out. He eventually grew away from them but I continued. LOL
It is interesting when the parent finds a YA book more interesting than the child does. Do you think this one should have been written upward in age category, or downward, or would neither strategy solve the issues you have with it?
I think upward a little bit, but tbh I’m not sure there’s much more that would have solved the issues I had with it. It just lacked the magic some books have.