Headless Halloween

infobox Book | | name = Headless Halloween
orig title =
translator =


author = R. L. Stine
cover_artist = Tim Jacobus
country = United States
language = English
series =
classification = fiction
genre = Horror fiction, Children's literature
publisher = Scholastic
release_date = October 1998
media_type = Print (Paperback)
pages = 114 p.
isbn = 059076781X
preceded_by = Are You Terrified Yet?
followed_by = Attack of the Graveyard Ghouls

"Headless Halloween" is a young adult horror novel by R.L. Stine. It is the tenth book of the .

toryline

Brandon Plush, a young boy who lives to terrorize the young and innocent, gets a fresh batch of horror served at him on Halloween. The story follows the main character, Brandon, who is hell bent on trashing a mean teacher- Mr. Benson's house on Halloween. When he and his best friend, Cal, decide to wreck it, the last thing they expected were attack dogs. Upon entering the house and trashing it, they are attacked by two vicious dogs. Cal stays in the house and is brought down by the dogs while Brandon runs towards Raven's Ravine. He attempts to jump it, but lands on the "Other-Side". After spending time at a horrific party with bobbing for cockroaches and worm-filled donuts, he goes back to the ravine only to find that his body is sprawled on the rocks below and that he is dead. He is given a quest to go back across and save three terrified people by a mysterious group of children. He does the job but later learns that he cannot be saved and that he is stuck forever on the other side.

Characters

Brandon Plush

A teen who lives and breathes terror. He scares kids for fun. One Halloween night, he dies after creating some mischief at a teacher's house. He is the main character of the book.His favorite quotes are:"Oops...Just Joking!""Make 'em scream!"

Mandy Plush

Brandon's younger sister. Brandon scares her the most, using masks, or by just surprising her.

Mrs. Plush

Brandon and Maya's mother. She mostly sides with Maya on things and is always yelling at Brandon when he scares people. She forces him to take his sister, her friends and Vinnie out trick or treating.

Ray and Jennifer

Two young siblings who Brandon babysits. He scares them one night by telling them a story and then dressing up as a headless ghost. This trick ultimately leads to Brandon's punishment of taking his sister and her friends out trick-or-treating.

Vinnie

Brandon and Maya's younger cousin, who is easily scared.

Mr. Benson

Brandon's science teacher. He calls him "Mountain" due to his large size. On Halloween, Brandon dies after trashing Benson's house and falling down a ravine

Cal

Brandon's best friend, who helps Brandon trash Mr. Benson's house on Halloween.

Norband and his Group

A group of kids lead by Norband, a mysterious, mask-sporting boy Brandon meets on the other side of the ravine. He later learns that Norband is really an anagram for Brandon.

The Pet

A Ghost met in the haunted house when Brandon was trying to rescue Vinnie. His head is split in two and he grunts and howls. He also wears a "long flowing robe".

ettings

Mr Benson's House

This is where the Halloween mischief night takes place for Brandon and Cal. They are met with two dogs but escape them the first time around. Brandon trashes this house by vomiting on a tablecloth while Cal tips over a couch.

Raven's Ravine

Brandon attempts to jump this but lands on the "other side".

The "other side"

This is where Brandon arrives after jumping the ravine. People who die attempting to jump the ravine come here. Brandon meets Norband and is forced to do sickening things at a Halloween "Party" while a crowd chants him on. He must stick his head in a bowl of cockroaches, eat a worm filled donut and play Twister with shapeshifters.

The Haunted House

Vinnie is left here by Cal and Brandon before they go on their Halloween romp. After Brandon is given his tasks, he goes here to rescue Vinnie only to find out that the stories are true and that the house is not only haunted, but alive. It attempts to eat the boys up but Brandon stops it after shining a light on the closing walls and rippling floors.