Every time I think I've overcome the nostalgic pull of childhood in the 1990s, I read another book in the Goosebumps series. Now, I find myself watching tubes of Gak on eBay, kicking myself for not saving a closet full when I was a kid after spotting the minimum $25-per-tub price tag in 2026. Stick around as I unravel the many layers of Book 3 and take a wide-eyed journey down memory lane.

The world is on fire, every week involves a new unprecedented, once-in-a-lifetime event, and another recession is looming. To say the least, millennials are exhausted. And, as a result, we're desperately reaching for anything nostalgic. “Stay Out of the Basement” (Goosebumps #2) by R.L. Stine enters the chat.