5 comments about Call Waiting (Point Horror Series).

1. Karen suspects that her boyfriend Ethan is losing interest in her, and that he would rather be with Wendy, the most popular girl in school. The suspicion is driving her nuts.
   Then the threatening phone calls begin. Are they jokes or is someone after her? Or is she losing it?
   
   I found this book disappointing. It didn't captivate me.



2. Synopsis: Karen Masters thinks her boyfriend Ethan Parker is cheating on her with Wendy Talbot. Micah Davis, her best friend thinks Karen is overreacting and tells her not to worry about it. Karen's cousin, Adam comes back to town and acts very strangely. Ethan seems reserved and tries to avoid Karen. Ethan's friend Jake doesn't like her either. In a desperate attempt to keep Ethan, Karen pretends to receive threatening phone calls so that Ethan can come to her rescue. However, later Karen really starts getting threatening phone calls from someone who hates her. Can she find out who is putting her life in danger before it's too late?
   
   (I cannot be more specific about the synopsis because the plot keeps changing in the book)
   
   Review: Ugh, where do I begin? This book was atrocious! The main reason I disliked it so much was because of Karen's character. Let's see, this girl stalks her boyfriend, is obsessed with him, has sudden flashes of rage, doesn't even know if she pushed a girl to her death or not, throws temper tantrums at everyone, lies to everyone one minute, gets caught, and wants to go to the dance club the next minute, thinks her cousin is weird for hearing voices but doesn't find it weird when she hears them voices a broken phone, and WE are supposed to root for her? Give me a break!
   
   Even the writing was horrible. I felt the actually story started in the last 50 pages of the book, when Karen actually starts receiving the phone calls. Also, every time someone like Ethan, Micah, Wendy etc. gave her an explanation as to their strange behavior, Karen kept wondering, `are they telling the truth, or lying to me'? This started becoming repetitious and confusing throughout the book, to the point where I felt that I didn't even know what was true anymore.
   
   I don't even know what the point of Adam's character in the book was!
   
   Even though the ending made sense (well at least I think it did; I didn't bother looking back at the story to see if there were any loopholes), I felt frustrated because the one character I remotely liked in the book turned out to be the psycho.
   
   But, there were some parts I enjoyed in the book, such as anytime someone like Chris scared Karen, or when she received threatening phone calls from a broken phone in school. It was fun seeing her actually squirm for awhile.
   
   I really think I would have enjoyed the book better if Stine hadn't written Karen so badly.



3. Call Waiting is a book about a gurl named Karen,and she has a b.f named Eathen. who wants to see other people and she doesn't like that idea. she mysteriously gets therating phone calls from a raspy voice saying there ganna kill her. she tells Eathen then Eathen and her spend a lott of time togather.Karan thinks he likes a gurl named Wendy dose he? or dose he not? this book is packed with drama.Its a good book i guess it keeps you woundering. <33



4. I didn't really like this book. The reason why I don't this book is because I thought that it was stupid and there also was WAY TOO MUCH DRAMA! Also I thought they people were so fake and lame and thats why I didn't like this book. Bye have a nice day =]



5. This book is about a girl named Karen and she likes a boy Ethen as well. She loves him so much she will do anything not to let him go. I liked this book because it shows how much Boyfriends and Girlfriends care about each other.

5 comments about The New Year's Party (Fear Street Super Chillers, No. 9).

1. Reenie and her friends constantly play tricks on one another, trying to scare each other. At Reenie's Christmas party the gang play a trick on P. J., the silent new kid. He dies, and then his body disappears. Then one of them is killed. Who is the murderer?
   
   Overall, a good Stine book, with likable yet realistic characters and a good story line.
   
   The only bad part about this story is that it's kind of obvious. Despite that I had to read on to see how it turned out and I liked the story, so I'd still recommend it.



2. I Love Horror and Suspense Novels. I can honestly say that one of my favorite series is R.L Stine's Fear Street books. With R.L Stine you are never disappointed. "The New Year's Party" is one of the best in the Series!



3. One of R.L. Stine's best!!! The story completely messes with your head and is full of twists and turns! I honestly can't name one flaw.
   
   Of course I would recommend it! I finished this book in approximately 2 days.



4. Why does everyone like this book? Just because what happened in 1965 and the present was related? What I was looking for in this book were the chase scenes and the suspicion of the characters. The supernatural part was overacting for me. The part could never happen.



5. I didn't find the book suspenseful. Actually, when I read it, it wasn't what I had expected. The ending was unrealistic. Human beings that become ghosts and suddenly vanish? Come on, that's not a typical Fear Street ending.

5 comments about Bloodlust (Vampire Beach).

1. The carachters are really cool and these books are filled with vampire action, and drama.



2. This book was alright. I have read better but who hasn't? I think the writing was a little shallow but the overall effect was better than you would expect.



3. What kind of vampire book takes over half the novel to introduce vampires?!? Bloodlust, the first in the Vampire Beach series, by Alex Duval, is a rambling, contrived story of rich kids in Malibu with only a hint of the action and mystery promised on the back of the book. Overall, I found the story relatively boring, difficult to follow, and overly frustrating.
   
   The story focuses around Jason Freeman who has recently moved from Michigan to the super-elite neighborhood of DeVere Heights in Malibu. Jason is quickly accepted into the inner clique of his school because he is cute and a great swimmer. He even makes great friends with the hottest and most powerful girl in school--Sienna. Oddly, Jason also befriends an outsider named Adam, who, in contrast to any high school I have ever heard of, is accepted by the cool kids without a hint of disagreement. (Where's the teenage angst? Where's the Breakfast Club-style clique wars? In short, where's the conflict?) Jason gets invited to raging parties, dragging along his sister (who seems like a total throwaway character, by the way), and flirting with random girls. Eventually a dead girl washes up on the shore with, you guessed it, bite marks. Now Jason and Adam are on the case trying to track down the mysterious vampires in the perfect Malibu community.
   
   To begin my critique, I'd like to start by saying that I am a great fan of YA Lit and I was really looking forward to this book. However, the problems I encountered really drained the life from me (pun intended). First, it takes forever to get to the vampires. I mean, FOREVER! Duval wastes so much time describing the parties that he seems to forget to build the narrative to support his plot. Second, while the backdrop setting is a standard locale for many current YA novels and CW television shows, the author seems to be trying too hard to reference current trends to make connections with most kids. For example, Duval writes that Alex tried to "eye-TIVO" every detail of his new surroundings. Later, one of the girls calls Alex and "Absolut cutie," referencing alcohol ads that were so five years ago. Third, once we finally get to the vampires, Duval does little to build suspense. Caution to the reader, here. What follows may contain mild SPOILERS: The girl who dies is such a bit character, I felt zero empathy for her. It may as well have been an anonymous dummy washing up on the beach. I thought it was going to be Jason's sister or something that would make me care. The same can be said about the various characters who are accused of being vampires. They are not well-constructed early in the book; therefore, there is no reason to really care at the end. Even Jason himself is such a stock character I cared little if he lived or died at the end.
   
   I bought this book as a special edition that included the first two books of the series. I was excited to introduce my students to a book that combined the seductiveness of the OC with the haunting feeling of vampires. I was sorely disappointed. The characters are poorly conceived, the story is boring, and the quality of the writing is contrived and, well, poor. If only a pack of werewolves would pounce on DeVere Heights before people are stuck having to read another adventure in Malibu. Let's hope for a full moon.



4. I like vampire stories. If you've read any of my other reviews, you might already know that. Because of my prejudice, I dove into the first in the series of VAMPIRE BEACH books with high expectations. And I did enjoy it. Yes, it has some problems in execution, but more about that later. First the good stuff.
   
   As BLOODLUST begins, high school senior, Jason Freeman, has just moved into an exclusive Malibu subdivision with his sister and their nouveau rich parents. He experiences the typical teenage angst: the girl he likes is taken, he can't have a good time at parties because he's always watching out for his younger sister, one of his new friends isn't exactly riding the top rung of the social ladder, etc. The usual stuff. But something seems a little odd in Malibu. Then a girl turns up dead, and Jason discovers that the popular crowd at his high school is made up of vampires.
   
   This book put a fun spin on both the traditional vampire story and the "high school popular crowd" story. I stayed up late, turning pages to see what would happen. That's a good sign. When I was done with BLOODLUST, I was grateful that there was another VAMPIRE BEACH book on hand and I tore right into it.
   
   Unfortunately, BLOODLUST did have some problems that detracted from my enjoyment. First, it was too short. There was clearly a lot of stuff going on in Jason's high school, but relatively little of it was explored. When he discovered the vampires and began learning about them, I ended up with more questions than answers. And by the time the real mystery began, the author seemed in a hurry to resolve it. Seemingly, no sooner did Jason realize there was a problem than it was solved. That was a letdown. I wanted more investigation, more conflict, more story.
   
   Another thing that bothered me was the use of slang. The author was eager to portray authentic-sounding teen dialogue, but it seemed forced and, at times, outdated. That is often the problem with trying to write the way modern teens speak. By the time the book is published, the dialogue already sounds like it was written about two centuries ago. And be warned that this one is for older readers. It contains frequent references to alcohol use and some sexual activity.
   
   I found VAMPIRE BEACH: BLOODLUST to be an enjoyable, light read. No deep human truths will be revealed, but there is plenty of good, old-fashioned, escapist fantasy. This slender volume is the perfect companion for your next plane trip. It should keep you entertained all the way from check-in to baggage claim.
   
   Reviewed by: K. Osborn Sullivan



5. Jason Freeman's Family has just moved from Michigan to an exclusive neighborhood in Malibu. Jason is thrilled even if his younger sister has her doubts. Things go well at first as Jason quickly makes friend, makes the swim team, and falls in lust with a beautiful rich girl. But then he notices some odd things. For instance, everyone raves about a party he thought was mediocre. But then after a party on a boat, one of the guest turns up dead on the beach.
   
   The death is tragic enough but one of Jason's new friends shows Jason evidence that he thinks a vampire is involved. And not just one. He suspects there is a whole clan of bloodsuckers in Malibu. Jason does not believe at first until he comes face to face with the truth. There are vampires in the area but they don't kill. Now there is a rogue suffering from bloodlust who cannot keep control. While the rogue is about, no one is safe. Can Jason find out who is the villain and save the day?
   
   This is a fast and fun books. The vampires and stuff do not appear for the first half as Jason acclimates himself to the new life but it really sets things up for how everything works. There is a pretty good-sized cast in this one so you have to pay attention. Although the bad vampire does kill a victim, this is not really a horror story. Jason and most of the characters are quite likeable. I don't know how many books are going to be in this series, but this is a very good start.

5 comments about Go Ask Malice: A Slayer's Diary (Buffy the Vampire Slayer).

1. Go Ask Malice: A Slayer's Diary
   
   Robert Joseph Levy (2006)
   
   RATING: 5/5 Stakes
   
   SETTING: Season Three
   
   T.V. CHARACTER APPEARANCES: Faith, Kakistos
   
   MAJOR ORIGINAL CHARACTERS: Diana Dormer (Watcher); Faith's Mother; George Lehane (Faith's Father); Kenny (psychic & boyfriend); Vanity Collins (social worker); Alex (imaginary friend/Slayer soul?)
   
   BACK-OF-THE-BOOK SUMMARY: "Faith has always been a loner. Growing up in a broken home in South Boston, shuffled from relative to relative, her only companion was an imaginary friend named Alex, who helped her escape into a fantasy world of monsters and the supernatural, far from the real-life horrors of the waking world. Now, taken away from her mother by social services and shipped off to a foster home, Faith learns that some nightmares are all too real, that the inventions of her childhood really do haunt the night, hungry for blood. Enter Diana Dormer, a Harvard professor and representative of the Watchers Council who has come to tell Faith of her destiny, to train her, to prepare her for what is to come: Faith is the Chosen One. She alone will stand against the vampires, the demons, and the forces of darkness. But she's not alone. When Alex, her childhood companion, returns in her dreams, she warns Faith that someone else is coming to her, a force so deadly and unforgiving that it has inspired fear in the underworld for a thousand generations. Its name is Malice. As memory and fantasy begin to merge, Faith's two worlds collide, with cataclysmic results. A violent battle for the Slayer's soul is staged, winner take all. This is her story. . . ."
   
   REVIEW
   
   The stylistic conceit behind Go Ask Malice is that it is the diary of Faith found in an archaeological expedition of Sunnydale after the end of Season Seven (though the last entry takes place just prior to Season Three). The concept works beautifully, as Faith has a strong first-person voice and seeing events from her perspective offers insight in to her character and background that would be much harder to achieve in normal third-person storytelling. The television show hinted that Faith had a troubled upbringing, but this book really fleshes it out as we encounter Faith's frequently-absent mother (who becomes a prostitute), her incarcerated father, her bouncing around foster homes, and more. We're also introduced to Faith's first Watcher, Professor Diana Dormer and learn much more about the backstory of Kakistos, the demon responsible for killing Dormer and driving Faith out of Boston. Kakistos was polished off in a single episode in Buffy (and probably wasn't handled very well), but here the demon has a nice menacing aura and build-up through prophetic dreams that Faith is having. The fact that the reader already knows that Kakistos kills Dormer lends a pall of impending tragedy over the book that works very well because the reader is constantly kept guessing as to how and when it'll happen.
   
   Suffice it to say, Go Ask Malice is a very dark book--something the too-sacharine Buffy novel line desperately needed. If you only like happy endings or can't stand Faith, this isn't the book for you. Otherwise, I highly recommend it (and hope the author can get talked into writing some stories for the Buffy comic).



2. Interesting look into the mind of one of the most complex Buffy characters. She's not all bad. She wants to do the right thing, she just doesn't always know what it is or how to accomplish it.
   
   The whole thing's written diary-style, a la Louise Rennison's Georgia Nichols books (like "Angus, Thongs and Full-Frontal Snogging"). So it's all from Faith's POV.
   
   Definitely worth a read.



3. Curious about the last name of our evil slayer? Then you should definitely read this book. The whole book is all about Faith before she came to Sunnydale. It starts out with learning about her drunk mother, the horrible guys she dated, and how she discovers she is a potential slayer.
   
   I just really enjoyed this book because it gives a lot of insight about Faith. You kind of feel and see why she is the way she is. It's written in her point of view and it actually looks like a journal so you kind of feel what she feels.
   
   In the end, if you want to read about Faith and discover things which were left out on Buffy the Vampire Slayer, then you should read this book. I really enjoyed it and couldn't put it down until I finished it.



4. when i heard of this book, i was a little skeptical. i mean, why would faith write a journal? but anyways once i got into it, i couldnt stop reading. the way faith described her boyfriends, mom and "prof" was totally the way Eliza would do it. i highly recommend this book to anyone, and not just buffy fans.



5. This book was EXCELLENT. It really gave a solid history on Faith and allowed the reader to really understand why she had a dark side. The author really captured her essence. I recommend this book to any Buffy or Angel Fan!

5 comments about All-Night Party (Fear Street, No. 43).

1. On Cindy's birthday her friends throw her a surprise party on Fear Island. It should've been great except that there's a madman loose on the island who crashes the party.
   
   Good as usual from Stine.



2. All Night Party was a really good. The action began as soon as the story started and in my opinion that's a plus. I never got bored reading this book and the ending was totally unexpected. I can usually guess who the killer is but not this time. The characters were okay but not as likeable as some of R.L. Stine's other works.
   
   I definitely would recommend this book. Especially to anyone who likes mysteries. I finished this book in about 2 - 3 hours.



3. This is a teen horror. Some teens are having an all-night party to celebrate a birthday. The book takes place in a night, and it is a very good book. The suspense will keep you reading until you are done.



4. Somehow, my library said this was the first book in the Fear Street series, but it's not...its way down on the list, it's 45 in the series. All-Night Party does fine as a stand alone book, though I do wonder if there isn't more about the location and background (since I believe all the stores are set in and around the town of Shadyside). In this book we have a medium cast of teenagers who set out to jokingly kidnap their friend Cindy to her birthday party out at a deserted cabin on Fear Island. During the botched kidnapping, one of the friends reveals that here is an escaped prison inmate out on the loose, but that doesn't stop our intrepid party goers. All in all, it's a pretty typical set up; kids alone on an island with no phone, a remote cabin, dark and stormy night and tension amongst friends while the spoiled and selfish birthday girl is unaware that she's made her very last birthday wish!
   
   The characters include Hannah Waters, Cindy's oldest best friend; Gretchen Davies, a relatively new girl who's just glad to be accepted by the group but is sometimes put off by Cindy's selfish and vain behavior; Gil Shepherd, Hannah's boyfriend (who used to be Cindy's boyfriend until her parents wouldn't let her see him anymore); Jackson Kane, the kinda intense and creepy guy, a loner; Patrick Munson a friend whom Cindy loves to tease; and Cindy, the spoiled and self-centered birthday girl. They're all pretty typical teenage characters full of angst and melodramatic goings on...Hannah and Cindy vie for Gil's attention; Cindy likes to have whatever Hannah is wants whether she really wants it or not, and so on.
   
   All-Night Party takes all that, throws in the prospect of an escaped killer convict, mixes in a dark and stormy night and you've got an easy set up for a teenage murder-mystery! When Cindy turns up dead, the party goers initially think the maniac is on the island, but it slowly dawns on them that the killer isn't some unknown lunatic...it's one of them. That's when things get interesting...who did it? Read though this quick little mystery and see if you can piece it together before the big "reveal" at the end.
   
   Overall, All-Night Party has good atmosphere and the antagonism between the characters is good, but occasionally grating (a bit overdone), and I enjoyed figuring out who done it (early on unfortunately), but it was still a fun read, kind of the way a B movie is still fun to watch even though you figure out who the killer is halfway through the movie! I give it three stars, a light and entertaining murder-mystery with classic horror elements.



5. 
   This is a great book by R.L. Stine of
   the Fear Street books. As all R.L . Stine books
   this is a mystery. But this is a much different way
   to approaching the genre of mystery.
   
   
   This is about a group of students at Shady Side
   High School. When one girl's birthday approaches, they
   decide to throw a surprise birthday party for her on
   Fear Island which is about two miles away from their houses. Little
   did they know one boy brought a gun. When one girl
   noticed it she asked him about it and then
   he looked down and said that his dad gave him
   the gun for the trip because he told his son
   there was an escaped murder on Fear Island. He said he did not want to ruin the
   party so he never mentioned it. So they go anyway but
   when the party girl is found dead in the kitchen they
   all fear for their lives. Was it one of their friends
   or the escaped murderer?
   
   
   
   I would recommend this book to Sixth, Seventh, and Eight
   graders. This is considered a young adult book. I would
   definately agree with that because even being in seventh
   grade the book actually scared me at parts.

5 comments about Tales of the Slayer, Volume 1 (Buffy the Vampire Slayer).

1. This book is connected to the TV show Buffy the Vampire Slayer. Its tales feature the slayers before Buffy became the vampire slayer. There is 7 stories in the volume, most of which are only okay and not memorable. Pretty much all of the stories were about the last days and battle of the former slayers.
   
   There were 2 stories I enjoyed. First was The White Doe by Christie Golden about a Native American tribe with a slayer know as White Doe. The second was Die Blutgrafin by Yvonne Navarro, in which the big bad is based on a real person, Countess Bathory, said to have bathed in the blood of virgins.



2. Tales of the Slayer, Volume 1
   (2001)
   
   RATING: 4/5 Stakes
   
   SETTING: Before Season 1
   
   T.V. SHOW CHARACTERS: None
   
   MAJOR ORIGINAL CHARACTERS: Greece, 490 B.C.E.: Thessily Tessilonikki (Slayer); Thoas (Watcher); Phidippides (Messenger). London, 1586: Virginia Dare/White Doe (Slayer); John White (colonist); Eleanor Dare (colonist); Manteo (Croatoan Indian); Takes From Eagle (adopted father); Ceremonial Fox (elder conjuror). Hungary, 1609: Idilko Gellert (Slayer); Kurt Rendor (Watcher); Countess Bathory (villian); Jo Ilona (Bathory's servant). France, 1789: Marie-Christine (Slayer); Edmund de Voison (Watcher); L'Hero (Vampire leader); Mathilde (adopted girl). Kentucky, 1886: Mollie Prater (Slayer); Ethan Bentley (Watcher); Harly (lover). Munich, 1923: Britta Kessler (Slayer); Friedrich Lichtermann (Watcher); Erich Sahr (vampire). Florida, 1956: Asha Sayre (Slayer); Laurent (Watcher).
   
   BACK-OF-THE-BOOK SUMMARY: "Into every generation a Slayer is born. One girl in all the world, to find the vampires where they gather, and to stop the spread of their evil and the swell of their numbers. In our time, that girl is Buffy Summers. But Buffy is merely one Slayer in an eternal continuum of warriors for the Powers That Be. We've known of others: The Primal Slayer, who stalked the earth and the forces of darkness in fierce solitude . . . Nikki, the funky hipster whose demise at Spike's hands lent an urban edge to his wardrobe and a bigger bounce to his swagger. Slayers by nature have a limited life expectancy; for each one who falls, another rises to taker her place. Tales of the Slayer, Vol. 1 chronicles Slayers past who have influenced--and are influenced by--the traditional and mythologies of yore. From ancient Greece, to aristocratic Slayers holding court in revolution-era France, to the legend of the Bloody Countess Elizabeth Bathory, to 1920s Munich, each girl has a personal history, a shared moral code, and a commitment to conquer evil, regardless of the cost . . . ."
   
   REVIEW
   
   Tales of the Slayer (Volume 1) is an excellent collection of short stories and adds some much needed tension to the Buffy fiction line of books. The reason is simple: when reading about Buffy, Xander, Willow, etc., the reader knows for sure that they can't be killed off; when reading about these home-brewed Slayers, however, it's far from certain they'll survive the end of the tale. Indeed, all but one of the Slayers chronicled in Volume 1 end up dying--which one survives? Well, that's why you have to read the book . . . Given the high mortality rate, the reader should expect stories more gruesome and tragic (some might even say depressing!) than average episodes of the television show.
   
   As a whole, the various writers do a nice job with placing Slayers and Watchers into different geographical and chronological settings. My favorite would have to be Marie-Christine and Edmund de Voison, Slayer and Watcher in 1789 France--the aristocratic ethos has pervaded even their lives, to the point where they question whether saving the lives of the poor is really worth it. A little more variation in the stories' villains (almost all are vampires) would have been nice, but perhaps that is saved for subsequent books.
   
   After finishing the collection, I was left with the question--did the Slayer matter? If we put Buffy and the Hellmouth to one side (where she saves the world every season), it seems like having one Slayer at a time would be like having only one police officer for the entire world. Sure, that cop will catch his or her share of criminals, but won't have any impact on the crime rate across the world--just like one Slayer couldn't possibly impact the number of vampires in the world.
   
   Anyway, if you can handle stories set in the mythos but not featuring television show characters, Tales From the Slayer vol. 1 is well worth reading.



3. Tales of the Slayer throughout time, and how they lived their short, sharp, dangerous lives. The best two stories are perhaps the first tale, by Greg Rucka. A Slayer in ancient Greece, Thesilly, is on a mission to protect Phidippides on his run, as many Persian vampires are after him. The final tale is about a cajun Slayer and her watcher in a small town. There, the Kln are all vampires, and intend to feed on a Negro prayer meeting, then blow up all the corpses. Asha the Slayer has other plans.
   
   Tales of the Slayer 1 : 01 A Good Run Greece 490 b.c.e. - Greg Rucka
   Tales of the Slayer 1 : 02 The White Doe London 1586 - Christie Golden
   Tales of the Slayer 1 : 03 Die Blutgrafin Hungary 1609 - Yvonne Navarro
   Tales of the Slayer 1 : 04 Unholy Madness France 1789 - Nancy Holder
   Tales of the Slayer 1 : 05 Mornglow Dreaming Kentucky 1886 - Doranna Durgin
   Tales of the Slayer 1 : 06 Silent Screams Germany 1923 - Mel Odom
   Tales of the Slayer 1 : 07 And White Splits the Night Florida 1956 - Yvonne Navarro
   
   
   A slayer protects the Marathon man from vamps.
   
   4 out of 5
   
   
   What really happened at Roanoke = vamps.
   
   4 out of 5
   
   
   Countess Bathory is a bit much for a young slayer.
   
   3.5 out of 5
   
   
   French class warfare. With monsters.
   
   3.5 out of 5
   
   
   Country girl's calling.
   
   2.5 out of 5
   
   
   A Watcher's hellspawn history, with horror movies.
   
   3 out of 5
   
   
   Cajun Kln vamp conflagration.
   
   4 out of 5



4. I like BTVS and was happy when this came out. The one thing is that it goes into more than Buffy which I like but if you want only Buffy do not get this book there are only two stories about her and the gang in this book, but if your into the whole mytho's then this is the book for you!



5. This is an anthology series about previous Vampire Slayers. The stories are written by high profile Buffy the Vampire Slayer authors.
   I normally love anthologies.
   However, this wasn't really one of my favorites.
   Maybe it's because I'm so used to Buffy and her fellow Scoobies. However, I think it's all so because I felt like some of the stories fell short
   Some of them could have continued
   But it's still pretty good none the less.
   I recommend some of Navarro's other series. Such as The Wicked Willow trilogy.

5 comments about The Boy Who Couldn't Die.

1. I've read and loved other works by William Sleator as a kid. I'm now 25 and have recently reread "Singularity," which was significantly better than this book.
   
   On the positive side, the basic plot was interesting. It does a good job of explaining voodoo black magic and exploring what could happen if a teen got involved with it.
   
   Unfortunately, the actions of the characters aren't believable and most of the conversations are strained. It seemed like the author didn't take any time to research how teenagers would have talked or acted in the given situations. The ending was abrupt; I felt like there was one more chapter that didn't get written. Overall, it just felt like there wasn't much effort put into it.
   
   If you'd like to read a book by William Sleator about dark magic, I would suggest you pick up "Blackbriar" rather than "The Boy Who Couldn't Die."



2. Ever wonder how it would feel to anything in the world. To be like a super hero like in the comics and never die when you do something dangerous. Well William Sleater is a guy that writes magnificent science fiction, horrors, mystery and other wonderful books that is so mesmerizing. His books come with so many trills that will make your body shiver.
   
   
   Ken is a kid that lost his best friend (Roger) in a plane accident. Ken then starts to worry about himself dieing in such a horrible accident. That is when he finds a woman (Cheri Buttercup) who says that she can make him invulnerable to pain and death for a very cheap price. But when he finds out what has to happen, then he would have to choose between feeling pain and death or if he wouldn't want to die. Once he decides on what to do, he then tests it out. He tries to get fight and beat up the school bully, he notices that he can't get burned, and when he takes a little vacation he wants to do something even more dangerous and that is to...
   
   
   
   William Sleater writes some of the best young adult books you could ever imagine. It is so detailed and William Sleater describes how the character is feeling really well and what is going through their minds. Here is a quote from the boy who couldn't die. . "I'm lying in some kind of box, and I'm paralyzed, I can't move an arm, a leg, a finger. I have no voice, because my breathing is so shallow it's like I'm hardly aware of breathing at all. I feel very cold. My temperature is so far below normal that if I weren't paralyzed I'd be shivering uncontrollably. I have the digestion sensation that bugs are crawling under my skin, but I can't move to scratch. And then everything goes black when they fit a cover onto the box." This is the things that William Sleater writes, it's amazing.



3. When your best friend dies, life seems to end right then and there. But, Ken doesn't let this happen. He visits a psychic, and for only $50.00, she preformed a "spell" on him that would eventually change his life forever.
   
   I really had a lot of favorite parts in this book. But the best part would have to be when this large guy Toby, tries to beat up Ken after hearing that he is going to take out his ex Kaitlin. But since Ken can't feel pain, to Toby, it feels like punching a brick wall. But soon that night, Ken figures out that his spell in totally not what he expected. And this shows that what you may think is the easy way out, will end up surprising you in the end.
   
   Overall I really liked this book because it shows that everything has its negatives. And either you can chose to handle it or do something about it. Many people, I think, will enjoy this book, especially if you like mystery and thrilling suspense! On a scale from 1-5 stars, I gave I would give this book 4 stars.



4. This book is about a boy who Goes to see a person who says that she can take away his soul and hide it for a mere $50. Ken wants to do this because his best friend Roger recently died in a plane crash, and he dosen't want the same thing to happen to him. Then he goes to St. Calo to test his new invulnerability against a shark. He meets Sabine who soon becomes his girlfriend. When he tells her what he has done and she tells him that the lady that she went to go see actually turned him into a living breathing zombie. If you want to know what happens then you will have to read the book for yourself. This is one of the best books that I have ever read. Even though I have only read one of his books William Sleator is one of my favorite authors. This is a great book!



5. im not the one to usually read books and finish them. but i finished it in two days. it is an amazing book. i never wanted to put it down. with a lot of other books i did read, there would be a good part, and it would just go down hill. thats not what happened here. it started high and just went all the way up. it is an awesome book. read it.

5 comments about Seven Tears into the Sea.

1. I couldn't really get into this book. It seemed so interesting, and I was excited to read it but the plot seemed to drag. The beginning felt so slow and then once things started to progress, I felt it ended abruptly.
   
   The plot, I thought, was original. I had never read a story about a selkie. A selkie, Jesse, falls in love with our main character, Gwen--a normal human girl, when he comes to human form on land. This relationship happens so fast that I never felt a true connection between the two of them. Their love comes so suddenly that I couldn't connect to the emotions the characters felt. There was suppose to be mystery appeal to this book but it didn't give me any sense of suspense and was rather predictable.
   
   I wanted to like this book but I often found myself putting it down in favor of some other activity. In the end, I didn't really care what happened to Gwen and her relationship with her selkie. I'm sure I will have completely forgotten this story in days.



2. This was an incredibly well written novel and I couldn't put the book down!
   If your looking for romance with a twist of magic in it this is it!!



3. I loved this book. Though I wish it would be longer, it was a wonderful read. Take this book on vacation with you! This writer has the gift of writing to engage teens, but not water or dumb it down as so many other young adult writers do. The result: adults will love it too!



4. Today it increasingly seems like practically anyone can write a young adult novel and get it published, even if the contents are...less than good. I picked up this book mostly because I have a horrific addiction to the YA section of the bookstores and bought about eight others with it. Of them all, I have enjoyed this the most. Gwen managed to be a strong, realistic heroine while Jesse had just the right amount of sexy-but-naive. As a romance, it was a great pairing, but that wasn't all that made the book. The setting on the shoreline of California (I'm assuming the Big Sur area, or somewhere close), reminded me of all the drives I've ever taken with my dad down that long windy road and how we'd stop to see the sea lions stretch across the beaches. Farley's descriptive powers amazed me without overwhelming me as some author's are wont to do. Simply put, this was a fantastic, beautiful book.



5. It looks interesting. And I'd read it just because it is by one of my favorite authors but I HATE romance. Maybe I'll read it some day. The cover is cool and I like the name. The Phantom Stallion and Wild Horse Island books are great and also by Terri Farley. I just hope my favoritest author keeps her romance in "Seven Tears into the Sea" and for the most part out of her awesome horse books. As Terri says, Reading Rocks!

5 comments about Blood and Chocolate.

1. Strange, very wild, and definitely nothing to do with the movie!! Slightly depressing, though, but the werewolves really felt like they were half-animal. Oh, and I hate Auden, or Aiden, or What's-his-name... >.<



2. I've read this book before so I knew what it was about. I'm very happy with it. It's a good read. I'll read it numerous times.



3. The book was excellent, but it is an adult book. Not for grades 9-12 at all.



4. Compared to Ms. Klause's other novel, Silver Kiss, this novel is bad ass and heart racing. The story line and characters are familiar and welcoming. The way everything flows together into a scenarios of clashes between pack and family, school and home, and which romance to pursue...it's a non-stop thriller that will keep you guessing. And even if you figure out the end before you get there, you won't want to miss how the story reaches it. This book is the kind that you can't help but read every word in fear of missing something exciting. 5 star worthy, all the way.



5. I was intrigued by the movie. It was not great. But, it had such potential, that I had to read the book. The book was a pleasant surprise. The author did a really fantastic job of characterizing a teenage werewolf. Vivian was not just a beautiful girl who happened to be a werewolf. I loved that Vivian embraced her duality. The author really got across that Vivian was a different species than human. I would recommend this book to teens, and to readers of fantasy fiction or paranormal romance.

5 comments about The Boy Next Door (Fear Street, No. 39).

1. Synopsis: Crystal Thomas and Lynne Palmer are best friends. They are your average teenagers and like talking about fashion, gossip and prospective boyfriends. Crystal lives in Fear Street and gets a new neighbor. His name is Scott Collins and he seems to have a mysterious past. Crystal and Lynne immediately get a crush on him, and decide to play a game on who can become his new girlfriend. Lynne and Crystal try to get Scott's attention by wearing sexy outfits and inviting themselves over to his place. However, Scott seems more interested in Crystal's sister Melinda, who isn't interested in fashion or boys. Crystal notices Scott's interest in Melinda and tries to help her sister out by giving her a makeover.
   
   What they don't know is that Scott is crazy. He doesn't like girls who are materialistic, wear makeup, short clothes and throw themselves at him. In fact, it is because of the same reason that he killed his last girlfriend and made it look like an accident. Can the three girls realize the truth about Scott before he decides to end their lives?
   
   Review: On the upside, I liked how the story was written. Some parts were written from the point of view of the killer, which I thought was interesting, because it was like looking into his mind. I thought Stine did a good job in making Scott really think like a crazy person.
   
   The downside to this book was the story itself. It was a little slow paced compared to other Fear Street books. For the first fifty pages or so, all we read about is Crystal and Lynne pining over Scott. It was only after a certain character's death in this book that the story really started to pick up. Even though the ending was somewhat predictable, it was still intense to find out what happened.
   
   Also, since we already knew who the killer was in the beginning of the story, there was hardly any suspense in the book. If Stine had written the book in such a way that kept us guessing who the killer was, this would have been a great story to read.
   
   Therefore, even though this wasn't a bad book, because it had some shocking parts to it, it was overall a bit boring and predictable compared to the other Fear Street books.



2. When good-looking Scott moves in next to Crystal, she desperately wants to get his attention. And she gets it.
   This one really disappointed me.
   It was so obvious what happened (I won't give anything away here, though) all through the book, leaving no surprises at all. Very unlike Stine.



3. Scott moves to shadyside after his last girlfriend was killed in a accident. Crystal and her friend Lynne are obsessed on their looks to impress scott but the only thing that impressed scott is how he wants them to die. Will Crystal and her friend know the real scott or will they love him to death ?



4. If you like thrillers, here' a real thrill. It's been a while since I've read it and I've read TONS of his books- and trust me, if I ever start selling stuff on here, I promice you they'll be in amazeing condishion, try lookin' new! Anyways, to the book. It takes place in two points of view, both the girl and boys! From what I remember, it has a pretty good ending- but, again, I do low standerds for good endings. He write okay endings and Lurlene McDaniel (my other fave author)has death endings. Still, she's great, you should check her out! So is R.L., just get the book, great adition to your collection!



5. The first time I read it, I didn't like it. The fact I knew who the killer was kinda took all the suspense out of it. But then, when I read it the 2nd time, I ended up actually liking it.
   
   Scott is a weird character. I wear make up and dress up too, and honestly, I would get really freaked out if somebody was trying to kill me because of that.
   
   i liked the characters. I liked how the relationship between Crystal and her sister Melinda is portrayed. And I liked how RL Stine gives us an insight to Scott's twisted mind.
   
   I wouldn't recommend this book if you like suspense, but if you read for the plot and characters, you should definately read it.