5 comments about Cheerleaders: The New Evil (Fear Street Super Chillers, No. 7).

1. Because of the weird accidents happening lately, Corky, Kimmy and Debra think the evil is back and is inside Ivy, the new cheerleader. They try to drown the evil inside Ivy by contacting it but has unfortunate results.



2. Corky and her friends think that the evil is back. All kinds of horrible stuff is happening. Like first one of the girls on the cheerleading squad falls and breaks her neck. So then there is an opening for another cheerleader. So they have try-outs and they have narrowed it down to three girls but, while they are discusing it a screw driver falls from the bleachers and hits one of the girls that made the squad so, then they have to pick the second best person and that is Lauren. So the only one that didnt make it is Ivy but, she stays at all the practices because she said that if something happened she could be on the squad. And then Namia almost gets burned to death so then Ivy is on the squad. Then Corky and her friends think that the evil is in Ivy because Ivy wanted on the squad really bad and all thoes girls started getting hurt so she could be on the squad. So Corky and her friends have a big ice skating party and the invite everyone so that Ivy will come and they can try and get the evil out of her. So they get a spell from this spel book that they bought and started chanting. But, then the evil comes out from below the ice and they know that they have messed up and that the evil never was there but, that they had just awaked the evil. Then the evil starts killing people but, they dont know who the evil is in. Then they find out that the evil is in Alex so they drown the evil out of him.



3. It was a great book. I loved it. It the best cheerleaders book. When I read the first two pages I just couldn't believe that book is so interesting. You just got to go and get this book its a wonderful book.



4. I LOVE THIS BOOK!!!!!!! i have read all the cheerleader books and i have to say they are edge of the seat thrillers!!!
   this one just keeps you gueesing till the very end.
   corky and the other cheerleaders are worried that the evil has escaped from its icey prision were corky had put it when she sees a funny mist coming form a hole in the ice so they invite all the cheerleaders and the football team to an iceskating party to figure out just WHO the evil has taken over this time.
   but they end up releasing it themselves.
   more gursome deaths follow with a deadly chase for corky and her friends close to the end. you will never guess who the evil inhabits till the end. it is the most surprising one yet!!
   i think all in all that the cheerleader saga is the best and recomend it to all rl stine fans!!!



5. I have read all of the cheerleaders books but i'm still trying to get all of the 1000 fear street books i liked the cheerleader books because i'm an assistant cheerleader that means that i get to become a cheerleader well i thought that this was a good book but maybe a couple parts could be better! HAVE FUN READING IT!

5 comments about Remember Me 2: The Return.

1. This is my first review, so please excuse me. I have to say approached this book with reserved reservations. Almost every review i read said that it was and ok book, but not the best. I must say i both agree and disagree with them. I think the book is good, really good. But I'm partial to the first book, the original. Remember Me 2 is by no means as good as the first, but I've read worse. Almost half the book is devoted to the story of Jean Rodrigues. Then Shari Cooper comes into play and so the story of her life continues. The rest of the book is devoted to the back and forth story of Shari/Jean and the afterlife of Shari. Overall, I think the book is worth reading. And as long as you are patient, it's very rewarding as well. I hope you read and enjoy it as much as I did.



2. I was really looking forward to this book because of how much I enjoyed the origonal... but quickly learned that this was an unworthy sequel.
   The back description said that the Shari Cooper would return, from death, into a body not her own. These beings are called Wanderers, but she is attacked by creatures that have a special hatred toward Wanderers.
   Shari Cooper did not return into another body until the last 20 pages of the book. In fact, she was barely in the book that was supposed to revolve around her.
   There were no creatures that she falls into conflict with. There was no conflict at all... or a plot for that matter. After reading this painfully boring novel, I thought to myself, "What was the point of this?"
   It was very uneventful... boring if you will, which is shocking for a Pike book because I had never read one I didnt like before "Rememebr Me 2".
   Pike's usually so brilliant but this sequel did not live up to its origonal. It was as if he had no real ideas to put Shari through a second time. I probably wont read the 3rd one, and cant see why anyone would want to after reading this horrible piece of fiction.



3. A good and supernatural book!It makes me wonder what dead is like...Nigel..



4. Like all Christopher Pike books, this is another amazing one added to it. The moment when Jimmy realized that his sister came back to life was amazing, and when Lenny realized who he was before he nearly killed Shari. This book didn't have so much a deep meaning or conclusion, but it's the perfect book LEADING to book three.



5. WARNING: This reveiw tells parts of the end, since it was written for school!
   
   Remember Me 2: The Return by Christopher Pike was an okay book. Wait, I take that back. It was not bad, or anything, but it was not okay. Why don't we settle on unpleasant?
   Jean Rodrigues had just gotten pregnant with her boyfriend's baby. She had just told him when she fell off a balcony and the baby died. She would've died too-except now Shari Cooper is assuming the position of Wanderer in her body.
   Shari's job now is to help the world somehow, in a human's body-particularly Jean's. In this case, it is her job to write books inspiring and helping others.
   And here is where the problem ensues. (In the book itself.) We have the basis, correct. But where is the actual plot? The rest of the book is almost an unorganized, boring journal entry, lacking plot and excitement. It drabs on to say that Jean meets a patient in the hospital (who later dies) for whom she writes a story. Then, ofcourse, the reader wonders what the story is about, so Christopher Pike makes me wish I never asked, by putting in the entire story. Around fifteen pages.
   To make things more complicated, the story is completely weird and a tad psychotic. It is about a writer and how one day she discovers how she has a troll for a muse who likes women, money, and long phone calls. She is then forced to give her muse most of her money until she goes to a local author and gets him to solve her problem by presenting it to him in the way of a story-line. So she seduces the troll-muse (content not suitable for children under the age of thirteen (in other words, not exactly pleasant to read)) and locks him in the closet. The end.
   Then Shari goes on to put to rest the wonders of her friends and family. (Like her house cleaner, for example, (her real mother) who she let know that Shari really loved her as a mother and knew who she was)
   Okay. Analysis time! Put on your seat-belt, because it is time for my trademark rant. The exits are at the top of the page incase you decide to click the "back" button in exhaustion!
   (deep breath)
   Even though this book was at my reading level, written by Christopher Pike, a sequel to an awesome book, and liked by most, I still can't understand why the publisher published it. Maybe because Christoper Pike signed a book-deal?
   Okay. It would appeal to the majority of today's teen population as an okay book. I say that mainly because there were a majority of characters who were buff Hispanic gang members who smoked pot and drunk. And were essentially "good for nothing" as some would put it. However, I think I am the only one (that I know of) to go that far. Most would say Pike accurately depicted the inner-city atomosphere. Which might be true, but I found it as though he was going by some huge stereotype. Another reason most would like it is because it has the whole "go for hope", "there is such thing as a heaven", "if you do well in this life you get to go back and do good for human kind" message. Maybe most teenagers need to believe that, or they do already, and so this book can relate to their beliefs (therefore they like it). Does it make a difference that I don't believe such things? Maybe. Hehe, look at me, as I am ranting on and on here I realized another major reason why I don't like this book:
   Religious content.
   Okay, so Christopher is not (to my knowledge) a die-hard religious freak preaching to others who god is and whatnot. But, he did go a bit over-board with the whole god-afterlife thing. Even though in this book god was... well, not what most people believe, you still had to read about three chapters of Shari asking some super-natural from heaven questions about it. That was a little much for me.
   To go back to the whole plot-thing:
   This book also had so many different plots and chapters dealing with so many people it didn't work, it was too overwhelming. This might have worked if it was some novel where you needed to know everything, otherwise you wouldn't get anything, but not here, where knowing too much could lead your brain to nearly explode and, therefore, take away from the main enjoyment of even reading the book.
   As I am sitting here typing this, I realize that maybe Christopher Pike wanted to kind of do an epilogue on Shari and whatnot. But then his publisher told him it had to be around three hundred pages and be an actual story, resulting in a hodge-podge of an epilogue and Christopher Pike's interpretation of the afterlife and Shari's struggle with it. This will remain a mystery forever to those not Christopher Pike or his editor, and so we can only infer.
   I admit, this book did nicely sum up Shari's life and whatnot. It answered some questions that I had at the end of the first book. But I still would've been better-off if I hadn't read it and left those things to my imagination.
   I think if I don't end this soon it will never end.
   So I will end with these last few sentences:
   All in all, this book didn't really "click" for me. It was a bit lovey-dovey, without a real plot, and dull. An unpleasant read. I wouldn't recommend it to anyone, simply because I didn't like it, but I'm not saying others would hate it. Some people may have loved it, that's just how I felt.
   (whew)

5 comments about Die Softly (reissue).

1. this is a terrificbook! i love amazon! i order many products from them and always had fantastic customer service and results! thank you so much!



2. It began with a surreal western dream full of symbolism and death. Then reality, in the form of a small nothing-happening rural town, came crashing back. The main character, Herb, is a high school geeky male photographer with no self-confidence and a bad memory. The overwhelming majority of the novel is him talking with other characters; the serves to advance and unfold the plot. Action only happens in flashbacks, in the past tense, except for the twist-ending. I won't give the ending away, but I didn't like it.
   
   The actual book is a murder mystery involving the a clique of high school kids the main character belongs to, and their 'archenemies' -- two popular girls on the cheering squad. Cheerleaders, Cocaine, and Time-Lapse Photography play prominent roles.
   
   Pike outdid himself with the number of plot twists re-writing known events. Too bad I never felt into the novel, because all the characters ever do is talk! They talk about what happened, as opposed action shown. What could have been a suspenseful thriller turned into a 'I-top-your-topper-revelation' with my perspective on events. This felt more of an academic exercise than an interesting novel. It would make a good movie or stage play, but I didn't like the book.



3. Synopsis: Herb Trasker would be your average unpopular guy in high school, was he not an exceptional photographer. One day, his friend Sammie gives him the idea of planting a camera in the girl's school shower so that he can photograph the cheerleaders bathing, without them knowing. He thinks it's a good idea and plants the camera on Thursday night and times the camera to take photos of the cheerleaders for Friday afternoon. But a girl dies on Friday afternoon, and Herb realizes he has evidence to her death through his photos. What he doesn't realize is that someone knows he has the evidence and trying to end his life as well. Can he figure out who is trying to get him in time?
   
   
   Review: I thought this book was pretty interesting and suspenseful at times, as it also kept me guessing as to killed Lisa. Even though I liked the details Pike added, in terms of photography in general, and explaining the exact plot of Herb's plan to photograph the cheerleaders in the school shower, I felt that at times, the details dragged on for too long, and Pike could have simplified it. I did like the way Pike wrote this story in a sequence of flashbacks where Herb relates the incidents to Fitzsimmons.
   
   However, it was the ending that gave me the chills. I'm not going to give away the ending, but it was just so unexpected and creepy, that it made me appreciate the book even more. You feel so sorry for some of the characters like Sammie, Roger etc. because of all the horrible things this one person does and even gets away with. I think this is one of the best books by Pike that I have read in terms of a memorable ending.
   
   Overall, because of its exceptional ending, I give this book a 4/5 (otherwise I would have given it only a 3).



4. Herb Trasker places a camera in the girls' shower room, hoping to get some good pictures of naked cheerleaders. He gets more than he bargained for when he catches a murder on film.
   
   An interesting Christopher Pike book that is not about the supernatural, but instead about evil in its most earthly form.
   
   The characters really come to life, but they are extremely disturbed human beings. The book is very sexually-charged, and it also includes perversion and drug abuse. Not for very young readers. I read it when I was 14. It does seem a little mature for young teens but it was written for the young adult audience, so who knows.
   
   I feel weird giving it four stars. That seems awfully high for a teen horror novel. But I'm ranking it in comparison to other books of its kind because obviously it can't compare to classic literature, or even much of modern literature. It's not a terribly original story. But it's a good read.



5. A twisted story of a young high school boy named Herb. All he wants is a nude picture of the cheerleaders showering. Then, one night he thinks up this plan to place a camera in the showers of the girls room and sets it on a timer so it will take a couple of pictures in like 4 minutes apart. So, the camera takes the pictures and then that very same day, a young cheerleader goes missing after her cheerleading practice. Well Herb goes back to get his camera and the film. He develpos them himslef and he realizes that he got a picture of the girl who went missing. He then saw someone sneaking up on her with a baseball bat! He is so shocked to see what he has captured. Then he recives a picture that he took and it says..."We know what you did." So now he MUST watch his back..read and find out what happens.

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.

5 comments about One Last Kiss (Fear Street Sagas #14).

1. Eleanor's mother was killed by vampires. Now, her father has been wanting to kill vampires and Eleanor finds herself running away with her dad. Then, her dad meets Trevor Fier. Eleanor falls in love for Trevor and could it be ill fated love?



2. This book was great, but the ending was not quite what I expected. But in all was a good book to read.



3. I've been an R.L. Stine fan ever since I was little and goosebumps came out. I'm also a little bit obsessed with vampire books. So when this showed up on my recommendations I had to read it!
   When Eleanor's mother is killed by a vampire, she and her father start to run. They spend their lives in hiding but he is tired of it. So they move back to their hometown to face the vampires once and for all.
   When Trevor Frier shows up at her house he give them the journal of Richard Frier, which tells of his transformation into a vampire and how to kill them.
   When her father is killed, Eleanor is persuaded to move into the Frier's home where Trevor can keep her safe. But how safe can you be in a house full of vampires?
   The ending was amazing and out of all of the vampire books I've read this is one of my favorites.



4. Wow...what can I say for this book? I picked it up on a whim at K-Mart and it has gone on to become my favorite book of all time. As another reviewer said, I didn't know it was possible to fall in love with a fictional character...my, my Trevor Fier is quite a character indeed.
   
   Not to be too much of a reviewer, I must say the romance in this book is absolutely and utterly sublime. There is such a fire between Eleanor and Trevor that I had to read scenes again and again, just out of sheer love for the romance of this book. You couldn't ask more for to sweep you off your feet--a dashing vampire with "midnight hair that touched his shoulders." This I honor above all romance. Kudos to you RL for creating such a flawless and passionate romance between two wonderful characters...though the ending is horrid in context, it is none the more appropriate and exquisite.



5. This fear street book is sooooooo romantic! I love the fear street sagas and this particular book One Last Kiss, took me forever to find since it's out of print and I finally got it on ebay. So anyway, this book is about a young girl named Eleanor, her mother was killed by vampires and ever since her father became obessed with killing vampires, and he and Eleanor moved quite a bit to escape from them. Then they moved back to Virginia, and her father get's killed by vampires as well. Eleanor moves in with a man her father knew-Trevor Fier-and his cousin Priscilla Fier. Eleanor and Trevor end up falling in love, but of course cannot marry for Trevor-is a VAMPIRE. Then in the end of the book Eleanor discover's her mother to be Queen of the vampires-and took the name of Priscilla Fier. Read this book it was wonderful!

5 comments about The Heavenward Path.

1. a wonderful book that won't let you stop. should be a timeless classic. great!recommend it to all your friends. only has one flaw, the ending. maybe she's leaving room for a sequel? hope so,a book this good needs an ending to match it.



2. I picked this book up, along with "Little Sister" at the library a few days ago. I could not put eithe of these books down. The story line is compelling; it pulls at you to read more and more. The only thing I did not like about the book is the ending. It wasn't sad, but it left me feeling... well, read the book, and see. I strongly reccomend this book to anyone, even if you know nothing about Japanese culture. I knew nothing of Japanese culture, but after reading the two books, I have a little knowledge that has interested me to find more about it-- and it inspired my imagination in a way no ever book has. This is one of the best fantasy books of today.



3. The Heavenward Path is not only a very interesting book but it also gives its readers a good idea of what it was like in ancient Japan. This book gets you hooked from the beggining. I would recommend this book for everyone. It has romance, adventure, Japanese legends, and many other things in it. After I read this book it became one of my all time favorites!!!!!



4. Kara Dalkey's The Heavenward Path is an excellent sequel to Little Sister; the first novel about the supernatural adventures of Mitsuko and Gorano. Kara Dalkey's ability to capture the flavor of Heian Period Japan while creating a magnificant fantasy-adventure based upon Shinto and Buddhist beliefs is truly unique. With kami and tengu, avenging ghosts and dragons, this novel will keep anyone interested in a good fantasy turning the pages. My teenage daughters especially enjoyed the developing love story between the mortal Mitsuko and the immortal Tengu, Goranu. We are all looking forward to a third novel which will continue their adventure!



5. This book was quite spooky and mysterious, with a lingering of dark magic in the air. Nevertheless, an unforgettable tale that may keep you up at night just thinking about life.

5 comments about Close to the Ground (Angel).

1. Somewhere in Ireland an old mage is getting older faster. He is in danger of dying before he can complete his he plans to resurrect Balor of the Baleful Eye and conquer the world. Naturally, the solution is to move to Los Angeles and make life miserable for Angel. In the meantime Doyle has a flash, and Angel finds himself defending Karinna Willitts, a beautiful young woman who happens to be the daughter of Hollywood's most powerful studio head. Trust Cordy to immediately parlay this fortunate moment into a studio job, while Angel is offered the opportunity to become Karinna's permanent guardian. The young lady has a nose for trouble, and loves to be in it.

   As Mordractus (the mage) begins to weave his plans to turn the unsuspecting vampire into a health food drink there is action on another front entirely. Kate Lockley is hunting a group of bank robbers who make a habit of tunneling into vaults and popping up with the money. Only this last time they popped up the killed three people who happened to be in their way. In other words, business is as usual in the city of stars.

   Jeff Mariotte is a change of pace in this fourth volume in the Angel novel series. For a change, the story stays in the present, and the plot is full of complex twists and turns. Mariotte is good at developing characters through action, which means that those characters who play big roles (Angel, Kate, and Cordelia) develop considerable dimensionality. The walk-on parts (and in this case Doyle doesn't get much of a part to play) are always a bit sketchy, but Mariotte's pace is fast enough that it never really becomes an issue.

   Cordy's adventures in studio land are a characteristic satire of the countless facades of Hollywood life, as Mariotte works to build a cynical view of the industry that, after all, has provided some of cynicism's greatest moments. One has to sympathize with Cordy, who would either like to get paid or become famous, and never seems to manage to accomplish either. Angel, wizards, demons, thieves, Hollywood, and the FBI - who could ask for anything more?




2. Really interesting story. Loved seeing a side of "Angel" that I'm not use to. Recommend to all, especially fans of the show.



3. I just finished reading "Close to the Ground" and I must say that so far, it is my favorite. It started out as a magician named Mortractus tried to bring back Balor, the one-eyed giant, from another dimension. But he was aging with every spell that he performed and was looking for a way to live forever. Which was what brought him to LA. Meanwhile, Angel had troubles of his own: what with having to be a bodyguard to the daughter of a big movie company, whom he thought was spoiled and only helped her because Doyle had a vision. I really liked the book because even though Angel was not around Kate, the writer still had a story for Detective Lockley and her and Angel seldom crossed paths until close to the end. The best part was right after that when the whole story took a quick turn and Angel finally figured out how to save the girl from Doyle's vision. This is a great book and I think that anyone who's an Angel fan should pick this one up.



4. This book matches and surpasses most of the big bestselling mainstream suspense thrillers. It is not just for the fans of the tv show about the vampire detective. If it had been relaesed as a hardcover with a different character's name, it would be a bestselling hardcover. SHAKEDOWN, and HOLLYWOOD NOIR are particularly great other volumes in this series. If you like James Patterson, Tom Savage, Jonathan Kellerman, Jefferson Swycaffer, Joe L. Hensley, Tami Hoag, Wilson Tucker, John Sandford, David Wiltse (or not) add this to your pile to be read.



5. Close to the Ground is now my favorite in the line of Angel books. Mariotte managed to combine true greed with the supernatural in a well-thought out manner. After Angel has accepted the job of bodygaurd over a hot-shot director's daughter, Karinna, weird (as usual) things began to happen. What does an ancient Celtic sorceror want with Angel? How does Karinna mesh with the Celtic man? Angel has to figure out those two questions, as well as save Kate Lockley who has become hostage to a group of nasty bank robbers. Nothing like a good old cops and robbers plot. Especially one which is splendidly done and meshed in with a supernatural tale. I do have one tiny complaint; Mariotte made Angel a bit too sarcastic during his battles with the Celtic sorceror's minions. But other than, Close to the Ground is a very good novel.

5 comments about Spellbound (Sweep, No. 6).

1. Like the song goes, "You ain't seen nothing yet"- the same goes for this series. After the previous volume Morgan has learned what the repercussions are for doing evil magic & that the punishment is far worse than anything that she could have imagined.
   
   As the story progresses we see that someone is making a very rigorous attempt to kill Morgan & Hunter, and that someone is using non-magical means to do so! (Very clever since obviously they'd have detected magical interference.) With Selene still very much on the loose, neither Morgan nor Hunter truly know if it she's behind this or if there's a new evil moving into town.
   
   I really love this series. I know, I know... I sound like a rabid fangirl, but it's true. The characters are realistically flawed & you really end up growing to like them- even the more abrasive ones of the group. The incredibly short length of each book really does work for this series- anything more than 160 pages at a time & I think the magic of the series just wouldn't work as well.



2. This is an interesting series, with some good characters and plots. Suspenseful, too. This is the "Twilight" of witches.



3. Morganand Hunter's relationship start to heat up, but there is also something else happening to. Morgan thinks Cal might be back in town but just dosent know where, untill he sends her a witch massege and comes and talks to her. This book waz pretty awesome with surprizing yet sad ending:( that u have to read to find out.



4. This is without any doubt the BEST book in the series, if you had to choose to buy only one, buy this one. Two thumbs up!!!!



5. ok to start i must laugh in the face of those who insist on commenting on how bad, "curruptive" , and "steering off the right path" these books are. ITS CALLED ENJOYMENT PEOPLE! fiction!!!!! just because a 14 year old like myself picks up one of these books and enjoys it does NOT mean he/she will turn to wicca ways. i am a cristian! my mom has no problem buying these books for me and even she understands why i read them. hello? because reading is good for you. and opening up your mind to things like wicca can help you understand people are differnt and have different views and even help ground you to your own. so if anyone out there insist on bluntly stating how awful these books are please realize.. you can have you own opinions and views.. but no one hear really wants to hear them.
   theres my blunt statement for ya'. have a nice day.

5 comments about The Gatekeeper Trilogy, Book Three: Sons of Entropy (Buffy the Vampire Slayer) (Buffy the Vampire Slayer Gatekeeper Trilogy).

1. SONS OF ENTROPY
   Book 3 of The Gatekeeper Trilogy
   Christopher Golden & Nancy Holder (1999)
   
   RATING: 4/5 Stakes
   
   SETTING: Third Season
   
   CAST APPEARANCES: Buffy, Xander, Willow, Giles, Angel, Oz, Cordelia, Amy, Joyce, Ethan Rayne
   
   MAJOR ORIGINAL CHARACTERS: Jacques Regnier, Jean-Marc Regnier, Antoinette Regnier (Gatekeeper family); Micaela Tomasi (ex-Son); Fulcanelli/Il Maestro (Sons leader); Brother Claude, Brother Lupo (Sons of Entropy); Belphegor (demon); Hadrius (Fulcanelli's teacher)
   
   BACK-OF--THE-BOOK SUMMARY: "Led by the fanatical Il Maestro, the Sons of Entropy are assaulting the supernatural Boston mansion that holds back the realm of monsters, and stealing the life force from the besieged Gatekeeper. In limbo, the Ghost Roads are crumbling, becoming weak and unstable where Hell and the Otherworld have begun seeping in, blurring the passages that lead to the human world. And Xander lies mortally wounded from a failed attempt to free Joyce Summers from the clutches of the zealots who hold her hostage. With the Gatekeeper rapidly weakening, Buffy sends Willow and Cordelia to escort Xander along the Ghost Roads to the Gatehouse, which may hold his only hope of survival. Meanwhile, she, Giles, and an unlikely band of allies take their fight to the very mouth of Hell itself, desperately hoping to save Joyce and repel the evil spawn before Sunnydale becomes a demonic ground zero. Only then can Buffy safeguard the Gatekeeper's eleven-year-old heir, the only one able to prevent the ultimate destruction of humanity."
   
   REVIEW
   
   Sons of Entropy ends the Gatekeeper Trilogy on a strong note. As the novel begins, Xander lays near death, Joyce is kidnapped, and the Gatekeeper is coming closer and closer to defeat at the hands of Il Maestro. Golden & Holder do an excellent job of threading these various storylines together into an enjoyable whole. As a special treat, Ethan Rayne makes one of his characteristic guest appearances, but this time there is a twist: in order to save his own skin, he's forced to serve the forces of Order and the result is quite funny.
   
   Golden & Holder like epic stories with cosmic implications, and Sons of Entropy is no exception. As with most of their work, I find the best parts of Sons of Entropy are those with the more mundane, "believable" aspects than the apocalyptic elements. The dialogue and characterization remain first-rate, and even the villains get interesting, distinct personalities. Joyce and Giles are especially well done. Although a battle against a minotaur in a labyrinth is a bit too cheesy for my taste, scenes of Xander (?) wielding awesome powers are exciting and suspenseful.
   
   The Gatekeeper Trilogy would serve as a nice introduction to the world of Buffy novels for fans interested in the show but wanting a more substantive plot than the stand-alone books. Although not perfect, Sons of Entropy is a solid novel and a worthwhile conclusion to the trilogy.
   
   (c) 2005 Jeremy Patrick (jhaeman@hotmail.com)
   
   Buffy Novel Reviews: http://www.geocities.com/jhaeman



2. You know how many times you get suckered into buying a bunch of paperbacks because it is some giant continued story? Well, trust me, this one is well worth the investment in time and cash. Golden and Holder are far and away the best writers working on Buffy books and in this entire series they get free reign with the characters and their imagination. There is also a respect for Buffy and her friends you do not always get in such books. Let me put it another way: you know how good this series is? I went out and got a hardback edition because this is a keeper (even if you do not have a gate).



3. The Gatekeeper Trilogy is far and away the best of the Buffy books. Christopher Golden and Nancy Holder are far and away the best writers working on the books. Since they are also the main authors of the Watcher Guides they certainly have the requisite knowledge of the characters and the Buffy mythos. In retrospect I ended up feeling about these three books pretty much the way I did about the original Star Wars trilogy where the second one is the best and the finale has a bit of trouble living up to your expectations because what has gone before has been so great. However, put them together and they simply set the bar higher for everyone who comes in their wake.

   Ironically, in this particular book Buffy has less to do that most of the other characters. It was certainly nice to see that Xander have a bright shinning moment as the substitute Gatekeeper. His character has been the comic relief for the Scooby Gang for so long that you forget he brought Buffy back from the dead at the end of season one. They also do a nice job of getting to what Cordelia is thinking behind her tactless remarks, but Oz is back to quipping a bit too much as he was in Book One and Willow is much more of a successful little spellcaster than she has yet to be in the television episodes. Still, I feel they are on the right track with most of these character developments. However, the character who really shines in this volume is Joyce Summers, dealing with being the mother of the Slayer as best she can.

   After including Spike and Drusilla in the previous volume as a minor plot complication (I really was expecting more from them), the authors have Ethan Rayne makes a much more substantive guest appearance in this concluding volume, although he is really just a plot contrivance. The truly tragic figure that emerges from this trilogy is Jacques Regnier, the young boy who has to become the Gatekeeper following the death of his father. His fate is different from that of Buffy as the Slayer, but he is also a Chosen One and there is a certain pathos to his having too grow up too quickly. The creation of the Gatekeeper and the Gatehouse are the best ideas I have come across in the Buffy books so far, and are worthy of being included in the mythos of the television series. I was surprised to see that the historical flashbacks on the story of Giacomo Fulcanelli, Il Maestro, were substantially less than in the previous volumes, although his back story is concluded.

   The resolution to the Gatekeeper storyline in "Sons of Entropy" works pretty well, more so with the Gatekeeper's part of the battle than with Buff's final confrontation with the demon Belphegor. I have never really liked the idea that the Achilles heel of the bad guys is that they all lie to their stupid minions who tend to betray them at the right moment. I would much rather see the good guys rise to the occasion and do so without the old chestnut of figuring out the meaning of the key clue at the last moment. The idea of the Gatekeeper and the Gatehouse merging in a new way was a very credible solution. Again, I know that my expectations were so high that Joss Whedon himself would have problems coming up with a conclusion that would truly top the marvelous set up. If you have read and enjoyed any of the original Buffy novels, you have to treat yourself to the Gatekeeper Trilogy.




4. The Sons of Entropy is the third and final installment in the Gatekeeper Trilogy. Xander is near death. Joyce is kidnapped. Divided the team struggles to save their friends and family, while saving the world from a hellish outbreak of all things evil. The action is non-stop. The peril is real. The danger is heart stopping. As always in the midst of this whirlwind Mr.Golden and Ms. Holder take time to give the reader wonderful moments. For example the gatekeeper granting Angel a magic dream of Buffy so real he can smell her lavender and vanilla fragrance or Joyce proving that she is worthy to be a slayer's mother. I have given copies of the Trilogy to several of my friends and they all love it as I do. I highly recommend this series. It is excellent horror fiction. Please do yourself a favor. Read this book.



5. So often serial novels fall flat with little or no introspection or thought. The characters sound like they are from a tv show, but somehow this triology did get you to thinking and like most dark fantasy we find Buffy's world a metaphor for teenage existence.

   The tv series is wildly popular with the young crowd and the old crowd that is young at heart, Angel being the series for older people with a lot more dark content.

   But the Buffy books written for adults offers a depth and an insight into what teens are going through today. Women have changed at a very basic level in our society. No longer do we see the tough mail hero. We see girls and women filling those roles and trying to keep it all together. In this series we see a reflection of having to grow up too young both in the slayerettes and in Jacques an 11 year old that will spend 100's of years keeping evil out of the world and bad things at bay. Giving up any childhood that older people might have enjoyed.

   The symbolism of this book is deep drugs violence gangs the world is very different. Keep your minds open grown ups and understand that being a child or a kid today is very different than when you were that age that the rules have changed and nobody gave them a rule book and the symbolism will jump out at you.

   The only disappointing thing is Angel and Buffy....Give me a break I feel like after a couple of hundred years one would gain some wisdom. Why doesn't angel display it he makes the same mistakes over and over again. He needs to be the Slayers paramour or else he would be dust

5 comments about Picture Perfect.

1. Many Ian Slaters live within his young body. There's School Ian, who tries to please his principal father and the teachers though he knows he isn't well liked. There's Home Ian, who works hard to please his exacting father and suffers in silence when he does not. There's even an Ian for the times he spends with Teddy Camden, his best friend. Ian doesn't acknowledge 'Luke' who keeps him together through the toughest times.
   
   And those tough times are what this book's about. Teddy's missing and everyone suspects Ian. Daytime, his classmates' accusing eyes follow Ian around. Nights, he dreams of Teddy being alive and needing help while he's locked in the closet.
   
   Ian desperately wants to find Teddy so he can be a hero and please his father. As time wears on, the images of his dreams become more real and the danger to him is much greater. Will he be able to resolve his issues in time to help his friend?
   
   "Picture Perfect" is a very well done young adult novel suitable for grades 9 to 12. I'd probably recommend this to better readers as even I found the appearance of 'Luke' at first confusing.
   
   The author wrote very realistically about child abuse and the dissociation that happens when a child is traumatized as Ian was. This book could very well be an excellent resource for abuse counselors as well as teachers and librarians hoping to reach young audiences.



2. Genre: Fiction Mystery
   
   Short Summary: This story is about two kids that go to get some pictures of some trees out in the forest. The two friends Ian and Teddy were going to meet at the forest his friend didnt showed up he got lost.
   
   What I Liked most about the book: Its kind of like suspense that a kid got lost.
   
   Favorite Character: Ian is favorite character because his kind of smart.
   
   A line on the book that means something to me: A new Idea explodes like a flash going of in my brain. Page # 56
   
   What I Would say about this book to someone else: I would say that it was kind of boring because the author wrote something that didnt make sence like voices in the woods.
   
   One question I have after reading this book: Why was there voices on woods that ian heard.
   
   My strongest reason for recommending this book: You should read it if you like fiction with a little of suspence and mystery.



3. Picture Perfect
   
   Elaine Marie Alphin
   
   4 out of 5
   
   Ian Slater's best friend Teddy is gone. One minute Teddy was there and the next he was gone. Now that nobody knows what happened to Teddy; the people in the small town of Sawville start wondering if Ian is as good a guy as he seems. Ian doesn't know what happened to Teddy either but he is determined to find out. On the path to find his friend he finds out more about his father, his other friends, Teddy, some of the residents of Sawville, and even himself.
   
   I very much enjoyed this book. It was mysterious, realistic, and quite a page turner. The ending wasn't what I had expected and I was shocked to find out what happened to Teddy.
   
   If you are the kind of person who likes stories of other people`s realistic problems and like to read mystery book than this is a book for you.



4. Teddy Camden and Ian Slater are best friends. One day Teddy doesn't come home and no one knows where hre is. Ian thinks Teddy left him a message but doesn't know who to tell, or who to trust because it seems like everyone he trusts is dissappearing. Teddy needs Ian to find him, but Ian doesn't know where to look. Also they think that Ian had something to do with Teddy dissappearing. I liked this book because it left you wondering so you had to read more. The thing I didn't like was that some of it was confusing.



5. This book kept me reading from beginning to end. I loved every minute of it! The mysteries kept from best friends keeps going on and on. Ian's abusive father, Teddy's obssession with finding his father, there are even some things that they don't know about themselves! A great story of determination fear and friendships. I read this for a school book report and I'm glad I came across it. For those of you who have finished this wonderful novel, it kind of makes you think of what's going on in your own head, huh? :-D!