2 comments about Dr. Jekyll And Mr. Hyde (Scholastic Classics).

1. Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde Scholastic Inc. 194 pp. $3.99 ISBN # 0-439-29575-0
   Robert Louis
   Stevenson
   
   
   Have you ever had a friend that you cared about, good or bad, turn against you? Then your friend might meet a bad person and hop on their boat instead of staying on yours. In this book, Mr. Utterson finds himself trying to solve a mystery about this same situation, with an old friend and a new foe.
   The plot of this book is hard to explain because it's very easy to give this book away. I'll just say that there is a situation between Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde that involves murder, drugs, death(s), and an unexplained ending.
   Mr. Stevenson also did a good job of making the genre difficult to figure out in this book. The book could go under mystery because of the plot, but I say it goes under science fiction because none of the actual drugs in this book have been created yet. Also, this book deals with medicine and in a way evolution.
   The theme of this book is man vs. man because Mr. Hyde and Dr. Jekyll are fighting each other for dear life!
   Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde is a must read that deserves 8/10 stars. I recommend the book for sci-fi, mystery, and horror lovers and ages 10 and up.



2. A astounding collection of classic tales of the macabre. Dr Jekyll and Mr. Hyde takes up about half of the book; the remainder contains storie such as Markhiem, The Bottle Imp, and the Body Snatcher. Written in a fast paced, articulate manner, this book leaves one hanging at the edge of his seat. I hope you don't fall off.

5 comments about Forbidden Secrets: Fear Street Sagas #3.

1. i dont remember too much about this one, other than i couldnt put it down. it's been 10 years since i read it last, so here i am, 24 years old and trying to pay bills like an adult, spending my hard- earned money on a kids book that im sure i will keep around longer than the last time i owned it!



2. This book is one of the more silly books of the Fear Street Sagas. It takes place during the war, and the main character is Savannah Gentry (not Madison, like it says on the back of the book for some reason) who falls in love with Tyler Fier. Her parents are dead and her brother is killed in the war, so she and her sister Victoria go live with Tyler, despite Victoria's insistence that his home is evil, yadda yadda yadda. As soon as they move in the deaths begin (including the token face smashed-in death with bubbling brains) and as usual, not everyone is what they seem.



3. this book is absolutely wonderful and emotionally well described. the story is set in the olden times and revolves around two sisters, savannah and victoria.savannah is described as beautiful and sweet and victoria is the intense and sharp minded one who plactices dark arts. it is not all that hard to guess who the narrator of the story is. the ending is however quite sad and i could not stop thinking about it for quite some time. but i guess that is how r.l.stine wanted it to be. try it . it is worth reading .



4. It was very good- quite unpredictable I think. Tyler Fier seems to be a very handsome & charming guy- and very evil. Savannah is very sweet and trusting- and her sister Victoria is kind of freaky- she practices black magic- but then so did Tyler. I recommend you read it. It's suspenseful and R.L. Stine did a fantastic job of setting the scene and mood.



5. This is a fabulous story about life in the past with a Fier. It is a thrilling taleIt is a thrilling tale about a curse that lives in the liveof someone involved in the horror of the curse.

5 comments about Hit and Run (Point Horror Series).

1. Eddie, Winks, Scott and Cassie are friends. Eddie is fearful of nature and is the target for jokes and pranks, especially from prankster Winks. One day the four friends went on a drive to get practice before Eddie is taking his driving test. They hit a man and he died. Scared they fled the scene. Eddie's cousin works at the morgue and he has stressing news: The body has disappeared. Then they receive threats and accidents start happening. Has their victim returned from the dead? Someone knows what happened that night...
   
   Another great one from Stine. This one is sort of similar to I know what you did last summer. Great ending.



2. This novel is set in a small country town in Australia. Roland Fleming is deeply afraid of his father. He is full of emotion about him. Constable Gordon Sutton becomes aware of this when he sees the twelve-year-old boy, in a rock throwing contest, accidentally smash the back window of his father's Mercedes. Years later, when Roland is sixteen, some apprentice mechanics tease him about being his father's spoilt-little-rich boy. Irrationally
   Roland seals a Ferrari from the garage. Speeding through the sleepy town's streets he hits a pedestrian. Roland doesn't even want to believe he has done it, but he soon flees into the countryside pursued by Constable Sutton.
   
   This is a psychological novel which describes in depth the mental state of the hunted and the hunter. It also explores emerging friendship, responsibility, and maturity as Roland and Sutton are forced to become equals, as they depend upon each other for survival in the wilds of the Australian Bush.
   
   Much of this novel is well written and I indeed found the second and third quarters gripping and fascinating. I have, however, some criticisms. First, the dispute between the apprentices and Roland seems too slight to provide a motivation for the theft of the car, and Roland's mental state at that point remains very understated. Phipson simply writes:
   
   For a moment Roland stood there, and slowly his face grew red. Then he said, "I'll show you." And he swung round and walked towards the Ferrari.
   
   Secondly, in the final pages of the book, I felt that, what must have been the terrible experience of two years in a reform school, was completely glossed over as if it was nothing. Surely Roland had some regrets or at least bad memories about this experience. I know Phipson is trying to emphasis Roland's new responsibility and acceptance of the justice of his punishment, but life is more complicate than that.
   
   I have found it difficult to rate this book as half the story is very well written while the beginning and end (the first and last quarters) are average and even spoiled by the points I have mentioned above. I have finally decided to be tough and only give three stars, though others (particularly the intended teen audience) may enjoy the story more than I did and feel a four is more appropriate.



3. HI,Have you ever read a book by R.L Stine? WELL if you haven't you need to! R.L Stine is an awesome author. The book I am going to talk about is Hit And Run. This book is all about jokes and 4 kids named Eddie,Scott,Winks and Cassie that share a terrible secret because they went on a drive one night. Iloved this book it is awesome.I think every one should read it.



4. Hit and Run by tommy richards
   
   This story is about four kids who go through some horrifying things from dead corpse to just playing pranks on each other.
   When this story begins it tells about the four children. First Cassie Martin who hung out with three boys. Cassis was athletic all her life between sports, swimming, and bike riding and just hanging out. One of the boys is Scott Baldwin which Cassie had a secret crush on. Scott was one of the all around guys. He was the starting fullback for his football team and an all state wrestler. He was also a class reprehensive to the student government. The second boy is Bruce Wrinkleman or Winks for short. Winks love to play jokes on everybody especially Eddie. Now Eddie is the last boy and everybody to play jokes on he gets so scared that everybody started call him scared Katz.
   When the story starts they all meet up at Scott's house to do homework. When you also hear about Winks first prank on Eddie. Winks get a real eye from Eddies Cousin Jerry. When they all get there they all have a driving test in a few weeks. They all talk Scott into taking his parents car while there away. When they take the car out to a deserted highway then they head home before his parents get home. The next day they meet at Eddie's house. While his parents are at a party a few blocks away they take his parents car out when they start home they hit a man out of nowhere. They all freak out. Eddie almost passes out from being scared so bad. They all think there going to jail. They through him in the ditch near by. Then they go home. For a few weeks it eats them up until they call Eddies cousin and he says that the body is missing from the morgue. The next couple day's weird things had been happening. Next Winks get hit and run. Cassie gets a not saying she's next. She starts freaking out. After she takes her driving test she helps Eddie with his test while there out on the deserted highway they get a flat. After Cassie opens the trunk she finds the corpus in the back of Eddie's car. Then he tries to kill her. She thinks she's found out who's been playing this evil prank on them the whole time and tried to kill all of them and run over Winks.



5. Hit and Run
   
   This story is about four kids who go through some horrifying things from dead corpse to just playing pranks on each other.
   When this story begins it tells about the four children. First Cassie Martin who hung out with three boys. Cassis was athletic all her life between sports, swimming, and bike riding and just hanging out. One of the boys is Scott Baldwin which Cassie had a secret crush on. Scott was one of the all around guys. He was the starting fullback for his football team and an all state wrestler. He was also a class reprehensive to the student government. The second boy is Bruce Wrinkleman or Winks for short. Winks love to play jokes on everybody especially Eddie. Now Eddie is the last boy and everybody to play jokes on he gets so scared that everybody started call him scared Katz.
   When the story starts they all meet up at Scott's house to do homework. When you also hear about Winks first prank on Eddie. Winks get a real eye from Eddies Cousin Jerry. When they all get there they all have a driving test in a few weeks. They all talk Scott into taking his parents car while there away. When they take the car out to a deserted highway then they head home before his parents get home. The next day they meet at Eddie's house. While his parents are at a party a few blocks away they take his parents car out when they start home they hit a man out of nowhere. They all freak out. Eddie almost passes out from being scared so bad. They all think there going to jail. They through him in the ditch near by. Then they go home. For a few weeks it eats them up until they call Eddies cousin and he says that the body is missing from the morgue. The next couple day's weird things had been happening. Next Winks get hit and run. Cassie gets a not saying she's next. She starts freaking out. After she takes her driving test she helps Eddie with his test while there out on the deserted highway they get a flat. After Cassie opens the trunk she finds the corpus in the back of Eddie's car. Then he tries to kill her. She thinks she's found out who's been playing this evil prank on them the whole time and tried to kill all of them and run over Winks.

5 comments about Dangerous Girls.

1. It might be just me but...the way he wrote this one made me queezy. I didn't like how Renz was obsessed with "His Laura" I also didn't like how the plot was repeating...Destiny goes and almost dies then livvy does .. then destiny.Boring.



2. This is just my opinion, but I like how suspenceful it is. I like the Characters and how they are different from each other. It was a little confusing. I couldn't figure out why Renz thought that biting twin sisters Destiny and Livvy would bring his girlfriend back. But I love how twins are involved in the book. I want to read it AGAIN. It was gripping and interesting. At times it went slow-paced, and that's okay, but occasionally it went too slow-paced for me. This is the first R.L. stine book that was about vampires that I have read, except for the "Goosbumps" series. Good Job R.L. Stine!



3. I LIKED it, but it didn't have as much vampire things happening in it. Also, the vampire things weren't very detailed. Vague detail. It had some exciting parts that i loved, but it didn't have much to it. It was too breezy.



4. Destiny Weller and her twin sister Livvy came back from Camp Blue Moon with a thirst for blood. Now they're drinking animals blood at night.
   Two of their friends were found dead with their blood drained.
   WIll they find the Restorer to bring them back to normal? Will the Vampire Hunters find them and kill them???
   Very good book I read the whole thing on a four hour plane ride. It was a little bit girly. The ending was kind of sad. I can't wait to read Dangerous Girls 2 The Taste of Night.
   --Scott Schaeffer age 10



5. The novel "Dangerous Girls" is highly recommended for anyone who enjoy the paranormal and fantasy creatures such as, in this case, vampires. The book is cleverly written, and contains good, various bits of suspense, explanatory descriptions, normal life contra fiction.
   One of the very best teenager books of R.L. Stine that I have ever read, and I have read at least 40, I believe.

5 comments about Tales of the Slayer, Volume 2 (Buffy the Vampire Slayer).

1. An improvement on the last book, this set of stories is bookended by two Buffy tales. Here we have a pirate slayer, a samurai slayer, a slayer that encounters both Springheeled Jack and Dracula, and works with a group of friends.
   
   A little bit more of the fun here, as some of the slayers are more successful, especially one that is a union soldier with the support of a general and his armaments.
   
   Tales of the Slayer 2 : 01 All That You Do Comes Back Unto Thee Sunnydale California 2000 - Todd A. McIntosh
   Tales of the Slayer 2 : 02 Lady Shobu Sagami Province Japan 980 - Kara Dalkey
   Tales of the Slayer 2 : 03 Abomination Beauport Brittany France 1320 - Laura J. Burns and Melinda Metz
   Tales of the Slayer 2 : 04 Blood and Brine The Caribbean 1661 - Greg Cox
   Tales of the Slayer 2 : 05 The Ghosts of Slayers Past London England 1843 - Scott Allie
   Tales of the Slayer 2 : 06 The New Watcher Atlanta Georgia 1864 - Kristine Kathryn Rusch
   Tales of the Slayer 2 : 07 House of the Vampire London England 1897 - Michael Reaves
   Tales of the Slayer 2 : 08 The War Between the States New York Ciry New York 1922 - Rebecca Rand Kirshner
   Tales of the Slayer 2 : 09 Stakeout on Rush Street Chicago Illinois 1943 - Max Allan Collins and Matthew V. Clemens
   Tales of the Slayer 2 : 10 Again Sunnydale California 1999 - Jane Esperson
   
   
   Magic boy's mummy mistake.
   
   3.5 out of 5
   
   
   Bored Japanodemonslayer.
   
   3.5 out of 5
   
   
   Domestic decision dooms slayer.
   
   3 out of 5
   
   
   Pirate captain slayer crossdresses, lacks parrot, then hand. Captain Krakenhook?
   
   4 out of 5
   
   
   Snob Watcher.
   
   2.5 out of 5
   
   
   Union general supports his non-regular soldier.
   
   4 out of 5
   
   
   Dracula and Van Helsing leads to Scooby gang shutdown, Springheeled Jack still on the loose.
   
   4 out of 5
   
   
   Sally seeks showbusiness, finds Slayer instead.
   
   3 out of 5
   
   
   Slayer spells it out for Nitti.
   
   3.5 out of 5
   
   
   Scooby gang retro.
   
   2.5 out of 5



2. This is the type of book I get a little sad when I get near the end. Must read!



3. This is 1 of my favorite books ever, 1 f my favorite story lines was Blood and Brine I loved the pirate slayer. My favorite story in this book was the last 1 where Buffy, Willow, and Xander go back in time I loved the fact that Buffy got to see her mom again and that she wasn't stuck with Dawn for once. I think that when the show brought Dawn on the show and killed Buffy's mom is when they ruint Buffy, from the 5th season on the show slowly went downhill. I HIGHLY recommend this book it is definitely the best Buffy book in the series.



4. I've always love BTVS because of the Mythology of the Slayer line and how she's Chosen and all of that, I also love the characters and how they're written so well.....But i've often wondered about Past Slayers, what they were like, and what their life was like because as we've always known, Buffy is just one of many Slayers throughout the Years. I loved this Book and how it told about Different Slayers from Different Era's and how that particular Era effected their Duty as the Slayer.
   I've seen other Reviews where people ask what good a 'Pirate' Slayer would be and if you really think about it, all of the Vampires that Migrate from country too country more than likely use Ships too Travel in because of the Dark Rooms beneath the Surface, she could stop that from happening.
   My Favorite story in this book was probably "Stake out on Rush Street", among a few other's....I also liked the one about the Civil War Slayer and the one about the Slayer who fought Dracula........
   I thought it was a very good book and I recommend it to other fans of Buffy and especially Fans of the Buffy Books.



5. It felt like it took me forever to finish this book. The stories were not as well written as the first book and it wasn't as interesting. The only highslight stories were Again written by Jane Espenson and Abonmination by Laura J. Burns and Melinda Mertz.

5 comments about Blood Brothers (The Unseen, Part 3).

1. I absolutely love paranormal books, especially with a romantic twist! As an adult, I steared away from the teen books for the longest time. However, I can say that I absolutely loved the Unseen series! Matter of fact, I wish it wouldn't have ended!
   
   If you enjoy reading Amelia Atwater-Rhodes, Meg Cabot's Mediator series, or Kelley Armstrong's new teen novel, then the Unseen series is a must read!
   
   
   --- Jessica
   
   
   Jessica Coulter Smith
   Author, Paranormal Romance
   "Whispering Lake" released Nov. 2008



2. Interesting. Keeping in the tradition of what Ive seen from Richie. Keep on writing girl!



3. the whole point of this book is to give you more questions soo you wonder what is going to happen.. and it all leads up to the last book wear most of your questions are answered. i thought this book was as good as any of the other ones. and like the others it only took me a few hours to read it. Sure lucy meets a few more guys she likes.. but that just leads you in the wrong direction.. obsticles .. that is what is in this book.



4. it just happened over and over again. She 1st remembers that the guy she likes dies and she kinda the reason why it happened. But And she trying to figure out how she got her powers and the past on them. But this person or persons is stalking her and trying to kill her. And she starts liking a couple guys and notices that there behind the whole thing. And she feels whenever this "Thing" is around. But one day(shes living with her aunt) her cousin goes missing and finds out shes dead because of her stalker. The last thing you read in the book is " When i walked up i saw this light i walked to it and when i looked down i gaged from the smell. It was my cousin covered in magets"



5. this book just seemed as if it were a rerun of the other books. oh great shes getting chased again. oh no hes stocking her again nothing seemed to change. You kno how when a tape reruns or gets scrathed or something thats how this book was.

5 comments about Haunting Of Alaizabel Cray.

1. If Alice's rabbit hole swallowed London, meshed with Neil Gaiman's Neverwhere, dallied with 18th century sensational fiction in a steampunk blender, and was retold with precise, elegant prose-it might be a little like this:
   Set in an alternate Victorian London, The Haunting of Alaizabel Cray is the story of 17 year old Thaniel Fox-a wych-hunter, son of the greatest hunter of all time. Thaniel is heroic and gentlemanly-a rarity in "modern" fiction, as well as intelligent and resourceful. Wych-kin, a generic term for nightmarish, familiar creatures, are running rampant in the West End of London. Thaniel is hunting one when he is attacked by a crazed girl. He takes her home to his friend and mentor of sorts, Cathaline Bennet (a great character in her own right). Discovering the girl's identity-and its significance, plunges Thaniel and Cathaline into a whirlwind of danger, death, and epic intrigue. Secret societies, vibrant side characters, and constant peril make this one to read far into the night.



2. I love this book so much! It is so incredible, wow! The story is one of the best that I have ever read. This book is truly enchanting. It is thrilling and incredible and magical, and the characters are so interesting, and so easy to fall in love with. The plot is just unbelievable, it is truly a work of genius.
   It is deep and complex, dark, creepy, astoundingly beautiful, heart-racing, pulse-quickening, rich, fantastical, powerful, and the world that is created is so incredibly real. This book is very, very, very good. Please, do yourself a favor and READ THIS BOOK! It is so beautiful!
   The characters are very well developed, and very deep. And so is the story.
   I have read this book three or four times, and it never ceases to amaze me. I shall read it many more times. It is truly an incredible adventure.
   Ah, it is so good! I cant explain how amazing it is, you must read it!



3. I guess the title was picked because it 'sounded cool' which does this book a bit of a disservice. It's really more of a 'possession' than a haunting. One thing I will not fault Wooding for is his imagination. He can create good spooky mood and some pretty freaky monsters.
   
   It took me a while to get into this one, to be honest. Thaniel's crush on Alaizabel seemed entirely forced to me, and he seems remarkably devoid of personality, despite all the backstory lavished upon him. And I got sick of Cathaline, though the mentor, being inept compared to our boy Thaniel.
   
   A few continuity errors: Thaniel is told in one scene after an injury he must avoid bright light. Literally the next chapter, what's he doing? Tossing around light bombs. I'd expected this to, you know, have some consequences--that he'd sacrificed part of his recovery to save other people. Nope. No ill effect. *head slap* And when Cathaline demands a tourniquet on an injured arm but is able to fire a pistol with it two scenes later...I mean maybe in Britain 'tourniquet' doesn't mean the same as it does here in the States, but...I was confused.
   
   And the bad guy's preaching sucked any life or tension out of the climax. Okay, end of the world is nigh, guns pointed in all directions, any minute now the Elder Gods gonna come and eat us, and...let's pause for a lesson on Chris Wooding's metaphysics/anti-Industrial Revolution screed, shall we?
   
   It's worth reading for a good spooky plot, and has a passing acquaintance (but no more than that) and flavor of Lovecraft, and the universe is very well rendered. I wish the characters had had some sort of sincere emotion as well, and their cartoonish lack of dimension demoted this from a 'love it' to a 'pretty good'.



4. My perspective for this review will be the interest this book holds for a dedicated Lovecraftian. I first heard about The Haunting of Alaizabel Cray in a post on a Cthulhu discussion board, where it was described as "mythos related." Funny, it has been around since 2001 as far as I can tell, and somehow I missed it. Maybe the tag `young adult' turned me off. At any rate, my curiosity was roused and I got a used copy for < $5.00, including shipping. Copyright was 2001, and my copy was by Scholastic Point, a decent trade MMPB from 2005. The cover photo depicted an out of focus London skyline, and was by Francosco Hidalgo. No wow factor for me. The interior art, however, had a mystical sigil or medallion that had a very Lovecraftian looking beasty before each major section of the book. Too bad they were all the same! I would have liked more; it was also unclear to me who did it.
   
   I think this was a really good book. In fact I don't think the YA label applies; it has broad appeal to horror fans. Maybe it should be YA so that very young teens and children won't see it. Maybe that's a good thing considering the violence and references to drug use and prostitutes. I read more graphic stuff, however, when I started delving into Howard and Lovecraft etc about age 12-13. Now the question that gets to be more problematic is, is it a `mythos' novel. I guess it is all a matter of semantics and frame of reference. Can anyone really say for certain? We all have our opinions. For me, an obvious Cthulhu mythos novel refers to or depends on in, in some important way to the story, some entity or alien, or occult/eldritch device/tome that has been used or is intended to be included in HPL's Yog Sothothery by the ever widening Lovecraft Circle. Just mentioning a name or two won't cut it for me. Just because A Darkness Inbred mentions the name of Nyarlathotep doesn't make it mythos, not when this entity was in no way important to the story except (in my opinion) as a marketing device. Michael Slade's (a pseudonym I know) Ghoul is about some psychos who were influenced by HPL's books and used some of his names for their band. Not a mythos novel (actually just a schlocky piece of crap). Otherwise we have to include King's Needful Things where one character sees some graffiti `Yog Sothoth Rules' and is very disturbed by it. In this sense, THOAC is not really a Cthulhu mythos novel. On the other hand, it may very well be thought of as Lovecraftian. That is, it uses plot devices and thematic elements near and dear to the Old Gent's heart, without using his critters or any tomes from the Eldritch Library. Perhaps the more literary minded among us would say THOAC was heavily influenced by HPL and his circle. I dunno; did HPL originate the idea of inimical things outside our dimension yearning to break through to ravage the earth, or was he just our favorite exponent of these concepts? Whatever, if you like fiction with a Lovecraftian bent, you should like this book.
   
   The setting of THOAC is London about the time when the ravages of the industrial age were just starting to be felt with pollution and toxic fog, about the time when Jack the Ripper stalked his victims (he doesn't make an appearance here, except in spirit...). I didn't do any web based research so I could be way off base; feel free to correct me. I guess around the time of the 1870 Franco Prussian War, England and Germany got into a dispute, and Germany sent airships, dirigibles, to bomb the city. England was forced to capitulate against the superior might of the Germans, and the center of the city was left a decaying ruin. Around this time London started to be infested by creatures out of nightmare, the wych-kin. Wooding's London is a grim and dirty place; the downtrodden would have been familiar to Dickens. That is, if Dickens' London had roving packs of wolves, blood sucking cradle robbers and ghouls. None of these wych-kin are mythos creatures exactly, although there are the Draug, the Drowned Folk. When the Draug approach all is dark. The air becomes as cold as the depths of the sea and stinks of salt; their steps are wet and sloppy, and sound liked webbed feet. Not a big stretch to compare to the Deep Ones! No one knows how the wych-kin originated, but with painful experience, a profession of sorts has emerged over the years: the wych hunters, people who chase these creatures into the Old Quarter where they lurk. Weapons include pistols, charms, wards, silver and chants. Wych hunters go loaded for bear because no one can tell what charm or ward might be best for a new sort of wych-kin. We meet Thaniel Fox, son of the greatest wych hunter London ever new, and his tutor, now partner, Cathaline Bennett. While stalking a cradle jack, Thaniel comes across and shelters a young woman, Alaizabel Cray. She turns out to have a tattoo she knew nothing about, a grotesque many tentacled thing (hmmm....image sound familiar?) we eventually learn is called the chackh'morg. Alaizabel is possessed by the spirit of an old wych, shades of Asenath Waite. In this setting, however, the wych did not transfer her spirit into Alaizabel, rather, a shadowy conspiracy known as The Fraternity effected the transfer by means of the tattoo and wychcraft. Unexpectedly, Alaizabel has somehow had the strength of character to resist. About the same time, London is being stalked by a serial killer who slices up his victims. He wears a tattered mask and a wig, and is known as Stitch-face. Detective Carver is heading the long standing investigation to track down Stitch-face and notices something. Stitch-face has a home range he never hunts outside of. Now there are even more extravagant murders being perpetrated around London. He is mapping them in his office and a pattern is starting to emerge, that of a many tentacled thing...It turns out, using a copycat technique to Stitch-face (who is not at all appreciative of having his work imitated), the Fraternity is performing some dire wychcraft. They want to open a portal into London. Our intrepid band, and a few others, are unable to prevent the completion of the murderous pattern of the chackh'morg and the first step of this summoning which releases a permanent twilight and a swarm of wych-kin upon a desperate city , but they may be able to forestall the opening of the gate. The latter half of the book details their harrowing attempt to do this. What follows is some more Lovecraftian imagery. In the Old Quarter, concealed somehow by wychcraft for years, the Fraternity has erected a cathedral of sorts, described as "it was part castle, part church, part temple; a thing beyond the power of all but the world's most insane architects to conceive." To me this echoes the geometry of R'lyeh, although the setting is not the South Pacific, and it appears to have been built by men (may I again urgently recommend perhaps the best modern mythos story, Final Draft by Annandale from Dead But Dreaming; my other contender is A Colder War by Stross). The Fraternity is inside; amidst the chaotic destruction in London they are attempting to allow their gods, the Glau Meska, to access our dimensions. It is not clear exactly what their reward is to be. Perhaps like Cthulhu cultists they will be eaten last? What are the Glau Meska is left deliberately nebulous but here is a vision one character has: "...vast loping things a kilometer high or more lumbered half-seen...;things that should not exist rose from the ocean and sent tidal waves to destroy man's cities; babies would be born with gills, their little digits webbed and atrocious." Now that is Lovecraftian imagery! I've put in enough spoilers so I will not mention how the book ends and what is resolved. One more thing, however, to show this is not so much mythos is that the origin of the wych-kin has more to do with Forbidden Planet than with extradimensional shambling.
   
   So is it Cthulhu mythos? I would say not, as there is no mention of any of specific Great Old Ones, and the wych-kin are more or less conventional, like non-Lovecraftian ghouls. Also their origin is distinctly not mythosish. There is no use of the Elder Sign, no consultation of specific eldritch tomes. Just my opinion! But is it Lovecraftian? You bet! This was a corking good read, with living and breathing characters, an fiendishly intricate plot, thrilling suspense and tautly written action scenes. Characterizations are deftly drawn (although the one caricature was the American wych-hunter...figures) I was thoroughly entertained and will seek out more works by Mr. Wooding. I think anyone who reads Lovecraftian fiction would really like this book.



5. 
   
   The Haunting of Alaizabel Cray
   Wooding, Chris
   Summary:
   Thaniel Fox, son of Jedriah Fox, London's great wych hunter, is a seventeen-year-old boy who also is a wych hunter. With his friend and mentor, Cathaline, Thaniel tracks down the horrifying creatures that lurk in the Old Quarter of London. This is where Thaniel, while on the hunt, finds a scared girl his age named Alaizabel Cray.
   Alaizabel is beautiful but an evil spirit that a secret brotherhood wants to free possesses her. Ms. Cray is a magnet that pulls evil to her and if the brotherhood has its way darkness will fall upon the entire world. Cathaline and Thaniel must discover the cause and drive back the foul creatures.
   This book is not for the faint hearted for it is full of dark suspense and a Gothic feel that is set in Victorian England with a chill that will steal away your heart and make you want to read more. It is not a bedtime story.
   Recommendation:
   I think the people who will like this book are mystery and horror lovers as well as teenagers.

5 comments about The Cheater (Fear Street, No. 18).

1. Carter Phillips is under a lot of pressure. She needs to get a 700 in order to get into Princeton. Someone overhears her plea for help and agrees to take the test for her in exchange for a date. Carter agrees and she does get a 700. But Adam wants more. Much more. He blackmails Carter.



2. Carter's dad pressures her into making a 700 on her math exam in order to get into Princeton. Her dad is a judge and a Princeton graduate. Carter knows she can't make that high of a score in math. . . . without cheating. Does she cheat to satisfy her dad? If so, does she get caught? If so, does that put her under more pressure and stress? I will not answer these questions because that will ruin the book for those who haven't read it.
   
   Carter has a boyfriend who is crazy over her. . .
   
   Even though it did have a little bit to do with the plot, it bothered me that a pretty young girl's name was Carter. . . How yuck.
   
   The ending was pretty good. I would recommend this book to a teen but not to an adult (unless they are a die-hard fun-loving adult like me).



3. This is the one of the many books of the Fear Street series, and it's really good. Fear Street is a series about scary and/or supernatural events that happen to teenagers in a ficitional town called Shadyside. In this book, an attractive wealthy girl named Carter is panicked about failing the math portion of her SAT's. Her dad is a judge, and has big plans for her to go to an Ivy League college. Panicked, pressured, and scared, she gets a boy from the bad side of town who happens to be brilliant in math take the exam for her. However, their original agreement isn't enough, and he keeps blackmailing her for more and more. The reader feels for Carter as she slips deeper and deeper with each lie she tells. Will she ever be free of this, and how??This has a pretty good twist ending and gives a good taste of future books in the series.Pulitizer material it's not, but for young teens, or anyone wanting a quick thrilling read, this suits the bill just fine. This is one of my fave books in this series!



4. This book was different, it had like a stalker plot to it. the guy who stalks the girl sort of thing. It follows the R.L. stine fear street thing, her living on fear street and bad things happening so yea the book was pretty good.



5. I have always enjoyed reading novels by R.L. Stine, from his series of Goosebumps to his Fear Street, and this one - "The Cheater," was no exception. This is my second time reading this novel, the overall experience was exhilarating.
   
   In my opinion, the plot was predictable - I knew it was Dan who killed Adam all along. In chapter 14, Dan tells Carter not to give any more money to Adam, but Carter panics and explains giving money is her only way out. Prior to leaving Carter's house, Dan promised, "I'll try to think of something." At the end of this chapter, the police found Adam dead. However, the most surprising part of this thriller is the identity of the man who attempts to kill Carter.

5 comments about Wounded #1 (The Wereling).

1. I have read all three books in the series. At first, Wounded (book #1) started off slow. Eventually, the pace picked up, and then I couldn't put the books down. I wish there was more between Kate and Tom in terms of describing their feelings, but when you have a homocidal maniac after you, there must not be enough time for romance. Overall, the book isn't really that bad if you like werewolves.



2. This book was really great and i think that all young adults should read this at some point in time.



3. Sixteen-year-old Tom Anderson is a typical teen. Ticked off to be spending his summer vacation with his parents and younger brother, Tom storms out of their rented cabin in the Seattle forest, needing some time to himself. Next thing he knows, he's wading in a fast-moving river, with a bear between him and freedom. After being tossed unmercilessly down-river, Tom passes out--and awakes in a strange bed in a strange house.
   
   Tom's now at the mercy of the Folan family--mom Marcie, a former nurse, dad Henry, an author, son Wesley, and strange daughter Kate. The family (minus Kate) informs Tom that he's now on an island, cut off from the mainland, with severe injuries sustained from his trip down the river. In terrible pain and totally weak, Tom spends what he believes is a week in the Folan home, recuperating from his wounds yet somehow feeling stranger as every day goes by.
   
   Then a shocker from the strange but lovely Kate--Tom's been in the Folan home for a month, not a week, and Marcie, Henry, and Wesley aren't normal family members. They're werewolves, and they're doing everything within their power to change Tom into one to act as Kate's mate.
   
   Suddenly, Tom is in fear for his life, and not from the raging river than wounded him. He realizes that Kate Folan may be his only chance for salvation from the beast that now resides within him, and the two set off in the dead of night after a deadly confrontation with Wesley to find a mystery man named Jicaque in New Orleans, who just might be able to cure Tom of the beast he's now living with.
   
   WOUNDED is a great, fast-paced read! Touted as young adult book, probably because the hero is sixteen, this story will appeal to any lovers of the paranormal, especially those who enjoy werewolf stories. I've already ordered the final two books in the series, Prey #2 (The Wereling) and Resurrection #3 (The Wereling), and am looking forward to getting started on them.
   
   Definitely a recommended read!



4. I thought this book was awsome! It had everything a good book needed. you should read this book!



5. here it is. I love werewolf books like 'Blood and Chocolate' by Klause and 'Bitten' by Armstrong and I think you would probably enjoy this one. The book sends you on a journey with Kate and Tom. As they try to run away from what they are they run into many obstacles . . .and I won't say anymore. I really did enjoy this book and I didn't give it 5 stars mostly because I don't want to 'over hype' the book which I believe sometimes happens and then readers are dissappointed. Well, I already purchased the 2nd book to this wereling series and if your willing to take a chance on a book then why not purchase this one.

5 comments about Forbidden Game, Collector's Omnibus Edition.

1. Okay, this is the weirdest review I have ever done, so don't give me a hundred "not helpful votes". I am just trying to be honest.
   
   Okay here is the gist of the book from the author * "Julian--a visitor from a dark world--draws Jenny and her friends into forbidden games. If Julian wins, he gets Jenny - if Jenny and her friends win, they go free."
   
   This was a great trilogy with a unique story line. I think it is a possibility that it is one of the best books I have ever read.
   
   ** Possible Spoiler** However, to do it all over - I would not have read the book!!! The ending broke my heart, literally. I cried so much at the ending that I was dripping tears on the pages. I have never reacted to a book this strongly. I finished reading it at 4am and cried in bed until 6am. The next morning my husband asked me what was wrong and I just started crying all over again and then I had to explain to him I was crying over a "fiction book". He hugged me and asked me to tell him the story and then he let me cry some more. (I have the best husband in the world!!) So...............I know this is a weird review. I wish I had never opened the book because it haunts me.



2. I came across L.J. Smith's name on one of the Twilight forums. Her books were regarded very highly, so I decided to give one of her series a try. My first available book happened to be The Forbidden Game trilogy. A little bit about each of three books.
   
   The Hunter
   In a few words, this is a story about Jenny, an ordinary good girl, and Julian, a "Dark Prince" who is in love with her. To lure Jenny in his world, Julian tricks her and 6 of her friends to play The Game, where all of them have to face their most horrific nightmares. If they win, they are free to go. If they lose, Jenny has to stay with Julian forever.
   
   This is a very well written book, characters are very real and relatable. Like many other reviewers, I found Julian extremely attractive in a dangerous way.
   
   The Chase
   Julian is out and lures Jenny into another Game - "Lambs and Monsters," in which her friends are caught one by one by the Snake and the Wolf. Jenny has to find the Shadow Man's base in order to free her friends and to be released from the promise she has given Julian in the previous game.
   
   I found this book less entertaining than "The Hunter." It took almost half of the book for Julian to appear, the game itself was much weaker, we didn't learn anything new about the Shadow World, and there was too little interaction between Jenny and Julian.
   
   The Kill
   Seriously, what a comeback after a snoozer the second book was!
   
   Jenny, Dee, Michael and Audrey are playing the final game to save their friends. Only this time they have to find an entrance to the Shadow World to be able to play.
   
   This book is everything I expected and more. We find out more about the Shadow World, about Julian and experience emotional growth of all characters.
   
   The book is scary, intense, and romantic at the same time. The ending is sad but you know it couldn't have ended any other way...
   
   Overall, a great YA fantasy series which I would highly recommend.



3. I first read this when i was roughly 15-16. the dates don't matter, just the fact that its forever shaped my reading. it was the second series of L.J. Smith's that i'd read and forever cemented my adoration of this writer. Ever since, every six or seven months, i've pulled out these books and reread them, because as much as i know the series has ended i've forever waited for the possbility of more. this series has been the spark for most all interests i've had, be it demonology, norse mythology, and even ufo's and photography. the characters are amazing. each one finds a place in your heart, even (and sometimes especially) the djin/demon/devil of a bad boy, Julian. if you love any sort of supernatural romance, this will surely find its way in your all time favorites list.



4. This series emerged when I was in middle school, nearly 15 years later, I still love it! Despite the fact that it's very dark and sexy, there's still a whimsical, innocent nature to it that no longer exists in teen novels. The author had a very interesting concept that was decently executed. To tell you the truth, however, I only read this series over and over again because I'm in love with Julian. He's like the Goblin King. (to all you Labyrinth lovers out there) If I were Jenny, I would have made different choices. =) Reading this again makes me wonder why Twilight is such a hit. I guess everything has it's time and place. LOVE THIS SERIES!



5. Book 1: Has anyone ever wondered about the things in the shadows? Has anyone ever guessed that there is a shadow world right next to ours? That's what Jenny Thornton finds out on her boyfriend's birthday. She buys a game to play at his party. Before Jenny and her friends quite realize what is happening, they are in the game, and the game is real! They only have till dawn to get out...otherwise, Julian, the shadow man that brought them there will keep Jenny forever.
   
   In Book 2, Julian is back again. But this time the game is lambs and monsters...
   
   In Book 3 the game continues, but as a treasure hunt.
   
   This is such a great series. One of my favorite parts of the series is seeing the characters grow and become stronger as time passes. It is interesting too, to realize that the strongest is also the weakest, and that there are some things that can quickly change your life forever.