First off, I have to take back what I said about this being the last book in my review of book #7 of the series, clearly the Mostly Ghostly series is NOT wrapped up in Don't Close Your Eyes. Clearly Stine means to write more in this series, though I'm a bit worried because Don't Close Your Eyes came out in January 2006 and nothing more since (it's been a year now). We were also unable to find anything on the "official" website about upcoming releases. So I hope we haven't wasted our time on this series that might not come to a resolution for Max, Nicky and Tara.

So...now for the actual review...Don't Close Your Eyes is the 8th book in the Mostly Ghostly Series and is about on par with previous titles, though I do believe that this is the most involved and "dangerous" plot yet...one that the reader felt Max might now be able to get out of. In this book, Max encounters Inkweek, a terrifying spirit that winds up residing in Max and waiting for the opportunity to envelop him in his inky blackness and return to this world in bodily form. Once the initial possession takes place, Nicky and Tara find themselves working frantically to come up with ways to keep Max awake...and by the time it's been 3 days, Max is delirious with exhaustion and the plot becomes more and more outlandish (and horrific at the same time)....This one keeps you guessing right up to the hilarious end! Read and find out if Max is able to say awake! You won't be disappointed in this dangerously exhausting adventure...and Max even gets invited to a party with Tracy Wayne (prettiest girl at school), you'll just die when you find out what happens!

In the end, this book, like all the other before it is done in a campy horror style that has a few genuine thrills and chills...but mostly it's horror that's so over the top it's laughable and my 8 year old daughter just adores this series. As I've said in every previous review, I don't particularly (personally) care for Stine's over the top exaggeration of Max's abusive, bullying brother and uncaring father. I do think it's nice that Max is klutzy, nervous, always messing up and is smart at school but a flop with Tracy. In the end, I recognize that despite my annoyance at Max's family life, such things are often necessary in fiction and that this to distance Max from his family and make the idea of him being the ONLY one to know about or help with all the hilarious, creepy, horrific and strange stuff going on in his life because of Phears, Nicky, Tara and their parents. Here's hoping there will be more in the series, my daughter just loves these! ( )