5 comments about Killing Britney.

1. I saw this book at the library and grabbed it along with a few other books i planned to read. Killing Brittany was a pretty good read! I loved it. I was guess through the entire book and I loved the ending! Definitely read this if you love suspense!



2. This book was awesome. Seriously. I honestly kept guessing until the very last chapter about who was responsible for the murders and who was tormenting Britney. Not only that but once you DO find out there is still another twist to the story. It never stops! This is a mystery in it's truest form.
   
   The writing wasn't the best, but it was good. I believe Sean Olin was 19 when this book was written, so it's even more impressive in that case, but I can't remember where I found that information out at. Visually it was well written as well, with as little description as possible Olin managed to describe everything around the characters, and the things they interacted with.
   
   The characters were also believable, which seems to be something that most books lack. However, this is also the only downfall to the book - not the characters being believable, but the characters themselves. Although they seem believable, I didn't really care about them. Like the murders in the book? I simply read through them, I wasn't shocked by the person being killed, I wasn't saddened by any of the killings. I simply didn't care.
   
   The plot was strong too, Olin did a very good job at leading you on until the very very last second. It was a tiny bit all over the place, switching back and forth between characters and what they were doing. Which leads me to one of my favourite things about the book: the alteration in watching the characters. Olin makes you think at least four or five times throughout the book that you know who is running around causing all the mayhem. Then, suddenly, you're watching that person. And by watching that person, I mean of course, watching them die. Just when you think finally you know who it is, he teases you with the fact that you're wrong. Again.
   
   And boy, was it gory. You wouldn't expect for a book to be that way right? Not to have that ability since it's just words, and gory is more of a `visual' word (at least to me it is), except Killing Britney was every bit as gory as the title suggests. Blood? Yes. Lots of it. Actually I'm quite sure the reason we've not heard anything else from Sean Olin is because he has in fact become a serial killer! This book has everything from murder, to sabotage, bloody killing and bodies crunched up and spewed about. An arm here, and arm there, legs back a mile or so.



3. Killing Brittany is a story about a young teenage girl who transforms herself after her mom dies and becomes the person she always wanted to be. Then people she cares about start dying and she thinks she is next. As more people die, secrets about Brittany's life start spilling out. This was a very interesting, compelling book. It is very well written and keeps you guessing until the end. It captures you once you start reading and doesn't let go until the very last page. The ending leaves you questioning her Brittany's sanity and makes you want more. I give this book five stars just for the way it was put together and how it draws you in.



4. This was not what I expected it to be. This good mystery novel for the teen crowd. I found a few parts a bit lacking in keeping me interested though. The whole aspect of 'Who Dun It?' kept me reading. Good for a quick read.



5. After the death of Britney's mother, she transforms from being a nerd, to a blond haired popular girl when she started dating a hockey jock, Ricky. Then, everything goes wrong. Ricky dies in a hit-and-run, her best friend's brother, and her best friend die, and it didn't end there. This is an intense book full of surprises; although, it is confusing at times. I'm still a little confused by it. This book is really descriptive, but the author, Sean Olin, could have left out some inappropriate parts. Without those parts, I would have liked the book a lot better. This book also has a lot of gory descriptions in it, like when Melissa got ran over by one of those big ice cleaner machines that they use to clean ice skating rinks. The descriptions went a little overboard, and it got pretty disgusting. In a way the gory descriptions made me want to stop reading, but I kept reading to find out who the killer was and why. This book was pretty creative and full of intensity and surprises, but I do not recommend this book for anyone who is under the age of 13. Overall the book was okay. It's not a book I'd just pick up and read again, though.

5 comments about The Last Vampire: Collector's Edition, Vol. 1 (The Last Vampire 1/ The Last Vampire 2: Black Blood/ The Last Vampire 3: Red Dice).

1. I'm really quite flabbergasted by the 5 star reviews on here. And not just one, but the majority! I recently finished reading the 1st and 2nd books in the series and it was incredibly painful. I'm no literary snob and will happily read most things with little expectation - I'm easily entertained!
   
   But even without trying to compare it to other Vampire books I have read and enjoyed infinitely more (Twilight, Vampire Academy), this was one of the worst books I've ever read. And I enjoy Christopher Pike books!
   
   The character of Sita was completely 2 dimensional and I felt the writer assumed too early that I had established an affinity for the heroine when I hardly knew her. It totally skips over any sort of development in Sita and Rays relationship. In fact, I kept wondering if I had missed some critical turn in their relationship when he went from a source of information to the love of her life. All of a sudden Sita was talking about love and I was flipping back pages. As it is in the 1st person from Sita's POV, there needed to be more turmoil in her when she was manipulating Ray to show an internal dilemma that she may have real feelings for him, not just acting. I don't feel that Ray shared this love at all. Same as Seymour. It seems they only met once or twice and were already calling each other best friend etc.
   
   And I cringed at the amateurish and drawn out paragraphs detailing Sita's MacGyver like plans and her cache of weapons etc. It seemed clumsy and lazy to have not woven it more subtly into the storyline so it wasn't a big clump of exposition to hurry me along to the (unfounded) climactic scenes.
   
   I am seriously gobsmacked that no one else has thought this book and subsequent books was worth less than 4 stars!!



2. While not Anne Rice, this series is great. It's geared for a slightly younger audience than Anne Rice's books, and I read it when I was in that target audience. This book impressed me a lot. I enjoyed the fact that these three books were bound together. Originally I had read just the first one, but when I was at the library I found this collector's volume and of course picked it up. The story is believable and engaging, though the method of vampire-making - pressing cut wrists together - didn't work for me because it'd be quite sloppy. Still, overall great book and series!



3. I've read this book many many times throughout my teen years. 10 years later, i'm still in love with it. I decided to read it again after reading the twilight series. Twilight can't even compare to the last vampire stories!!



4. A long-time master of mystery, murder and mayhem, Christopher Pike has been publishing what most people think of as "teen thrillers" since 1985. However, to label Pike's haunting, ingenious stories as "teen thrillers" is to miss what makes his work so unusual, for his stories occupy a strange liminal space between adolescence and adulthood. It is, perhaps, more accurate to say, as Pike himself admits, that he tends to write about teens, not to teens. Either way, he was decades ahead of his time, anticipating the subject matter and themes of today's best-selling young adult writers, albeit with one crucial difference: He is not afraid of copious amounts of blood and gore, and he is not afraid to kill off his creations. Indeed, in Pike's twisted world the only thing rarer than a happy ending in is a middle-age narrator.
   
   Luckily for me, Pike began publishing his famous vampire series when I was in high school in the mid nineties. During that gloomy, pre-Amazon technological Dark Age, I was already an avid Pike fan, weekly checking the local drugstore for my next literary fix. What made me spend my hard-earned waitressing tips on his slim volumes? Pike was unlike any other writer I'd encountered, perhaps because his stories of teens facing down vampires, demons, serial killers, bloodthirsty aliens, and horrific, supernatural creatures touched a deep psychological nerve. I have forgotten many books over the years, but I have never forgotten Pike's exhilarating, fiercely unsettling stories.
   
   This is especially true of his "Last Vampire" series (there are six books in all), which tell the tale of Sita (aka Alisa Perne) who is the last vampire on earth, or so she believes when we first meet her. An extraordinary being with the experience and wisdom of five thousand years, Sita is neither entirely evil nor entirely good, and as such she sometimes recalls the haunted, melancholy Louis (from Rice's 1976 Interview with the Vampire). She also prefigures such creations as Angel (from Buffy The Vampire Slayer), although she has no problem killing innocents when she is threatened, and Buffy, in that she is appears to be a petite, young, gorgeous blond, but is actually a killing machine of enormous strength.
   
   Pike is a terrific storyteller and his "Last Vampire" series is a page-turner full of bloody chases, gruesome killings, big explosions and elaborate fight sequences. People die. A lot of people. I especially like how unpredictable Pike's plot twists are; Sita's tale starts off at a dead run and doesn't let up until the last sentence. Good luck trying to figure out where it's going; I certainly couldn't when I was re-reading it last week.
   
   However, I also like how he often weaves myth, science, and religion into his stories, and "The Last Vampire" is no exception. One of the best parts about this series are Sita's flashbacks as she remembers key moments from her amazingly long life, especially the day she met God, or, as he was known at that time, Krishna. The Hindu beliefs, legends, stories and myths anchor Sita's tale and make a nice contrast with her experiences in the modern world. In addition, they allow Pike to speculate on spiritual matters, such as the nature of good and evil.
   
   As an adult reader, though, I must admit that some aspects of his writing leave much to be desired. It's true that he does do a good job quickly developing protagonists you care about. Sita is a well-rounded, complex character capable of generosity, compassion, and love, but also cruelty, torture and murder. She is, in the words of Pike, "A lover who hates, a saint who sins and an angel who kills." However, sometimes minor characters are incredibly stereotypical and he tends to rely on types: "the school nerd," "the FBI agent," "the donut-eating cop," "the snuff-film, frozen-corpse-loving homicidal maniac," etc.
   
   After a while such stereotypes just get old.
   
   Also, Pike's prose is, well, unsophisticated at best, and, at times, downright bad. (This is the reason I reluctantly gave him four stars instead of five). For example, his series is full of vile descriptions, such as the following sketch of a serial killer from the second vampire book: "But it is his eyes that are the scariest. The green centers look like cheap emeralds that have been dipped in sulfuric acid and left out to dry in a radioactive dust storm."
   
   Um, what?
   
   But there are worse sins a writer can commit then an over-reliance on clichés, mixed metaphors and over-the-top descriptions. In the end, Pike's imagination makes up for his prose, and most of the time I can ignore his flawed writing because I am so caught up in his exciting tales. Certainly, "The Last Vampire" is a wildly original, breathtakingly suspenseful ride that will appeal to sci-fi, fantasy, horror and thriller fans alike.
   
   Last week I was going through an old box of books and I found my carefully preserved Pike stash. Sitting there in the dusty attic I began to re-read Sita's tale and, although it was early in the morning, I found myself reading into the wee hours of the night. I just couldn't put her story down until I had read the last page. If that's not a testament to Pike's power, then I don't know what is.



5. This is a phenomenal series. I have read itat least 3 times. If you have any interest in vampires, as well as thrillers, read this series. You will not be disappointed. It is most certainly for mature readers, as it is very graphic on all accounts. However, Pike's writing style is phenomenal. When I read this series for the first time, I couldn't put it down and I'm looking forward to reading it again soon. The characters are strong, the descriptions are amazing and it is simply fantastic.
   
   Now, if only they would turn it into a movie or television series. It has incredibly high potential to be done very, very well...

5 comments about Out of the Madhouse ( Buffy the Vampire Slayer ).

1. Sunnydale is known to be situated right upon the Hellmouth, so it's not a big surprise when demons of all sorts start piling into the small town. But when a collection of trolls, sea monsters, werewolves, toads, skyquakes, and numerous other strange things - stranger than normal things - begin infiltrating Sunnydale, Buffy knows that something isn't quite right. And with Giles hospitalized over three-thousand miles away, Buffy knows that it's more than one Slayer can handle. Especially when each ugly is coming through an old portal from centuries ago, through time and space. Buffy knows that the hell-hole must be found and corked ASAP, which means that Buffy, Angel, and the rest of the Scooby Gang are headed to Boston to meet up with the Gatekeeper. However, once there, Buffy finds that the supernatural mansion that the Gatekeeper reigns over, is home to thousands of rooms, all of which are entrances to so-called "ghost roads," that could bring Buffy face-to-face with some of the most evil beings on earth. Evil beings who are dying to teach the Slayer a lesson.
   
   As a huge BUFFY fan, and avid reader of all things Slayer-ific, I discovered years ago that Christopher Golden and Nancy Holder are, without a doubt, the best BUFFY writers out there. So when I stumbled across THE GATEKEEPER TRILOGY, I knew that I would adore all three books. While I have only read OUT OF THE MADHOUSE - so far - I can tell you that it is, by far, one of the best BUFFY THE VAMPIRE SLAYER novels to date. The action-packed novel is filled with emotional reunions between the living and the dead upon the ghost roads, as well as the introduction of numerous new creatures looking to wreak havoc on the Slayer, her pals, and the entire world. With a cliff-hanger that will send any reader on a quest for the sequel GHOST ROADS, OUT OF THE MADHOUSE, is, without a doubt, a must read for all BUFFY fans.
   
   Erika Sorocco
   Book Review Columnist for The Community Bugle Newspaper



2. OUT OF THE MADHOUSE
   Book 1 of The Gatekeeper Trilogy
   Christopher Golden & Nancy Holder (1999)
   
   RATING: 4/5 Stakes
   
   SETTING: Season Three
   
   CAST APPEARANCES: Buffy, Xander, Cordelia, Willow, Oz, Angel, Giles, Spike, Joyce, Devon, Sheila Rosenberg, Willow's father, Kendra, Jenny Calendar
   
   MAJOR ORIGINAL CHARACTERS: Il Maestro (sorceror); Micaela Tomasi (traitor Watcher); Roland (Lord of the Hunt); Springheel Jack (monster); Catherine de Medici; Richard Regnier, Jean-Marc Regnier, Antoinette Regnier (Gatekeeper allies); Giacomo Fulcanelli (sorceror); Brother Lupo (Son of Entropy)
   
   BACK-OF-THE-BOOK SUMMARY: "Werewolves. Trolls. Sea Monsters. Rain of toads. Skyquakes. Sunnydale is being besieged by dark forces. But even with Buffy providing her unique style of damage control while Giles is hospitalized out of town, it's more than one Slayer can handle--especially since the abominations are coming from a centuries-old portal through time and space. Somehow, the hell-hole must be found and corked at its source. For Buffy, Angel, and the rest of her gang, that means a road trip to Boston where an ailing Gatekeeper resides over a supernatural mansion that has been, until recently, holding the world's worst monsters at bay. Once there, Buffy discovers the catastrophic truth: the magical structure houses thousands of rooms, all of which are doorways to limbo's `ghost roads,' and all of which may bring her face-to-face with the most nefarious forces in hell and on earth--forces bent on horrific plans far worse than the Slayer ever imagined."
   
   REVIEW
   
   Out of the Madhouse introduces two major settings in the Buffy mythos. The first is the Gatehouse, a huge, labyrinthine, mystical mansion in Boston that prevents all manner of monsters from escaping into the world. The second is the Ghost Roads, an ethereal, limbo-like place where the souls of the dead walk until the time has come to pass onto a higher (or presumably, lower) plane. These two elements are connected in a straightforward way in the first book of the Gatekeeper Trilogy: the Gatehouse is falling apart, allowing creatures to roam free; and only by travelling the Ghost Roads can Buffy, et al. rebuild the mansion's defences. Along the way are ancient 16th Century Italian intrigue, a new cult called the Sons of Entropy, and a plot to murder Watchers.
   
   Giles steals the spotlight in the first part of the book, as we get to see him out of his usual element. In a well-written scene, he attends the American Library Association convention in New York and becomes smitten with a fellow librarian. Unfortunately, poor Giles ends up with the required nasty bump in the noggin & his role diminishes in subsequent chapters. Buffy and gang fight several escaped monsters, end up in Boston at the Gatehouse, and eventually travel through the Ghost Roads. An exciting conclusion foreshadows the end of Season Four & sets up the next book in the trilogy.
   
   Holder & Golden do an excellent job portraying our heroes' dialogue and personalities. Scenes worth special mention include: Buffy & friends angsting over whether they'll separate after high school; rivals Angel & Xander teaming up like the first act in a buddy-cop movie to kill a troll; and Willow & Angel exploring the remnants of the frat house seen in Reptile Boy. The only downside is that some of the historical flashbacks are a bit slow moving and a scene where Angel tortures a human with Willow and Oz watching, seemingly unconcerned, is rather disturbing. On the whole, however, Out of the Madhouse is an excellent first book in the trilogy.
   
   (c) 2005 Jeremy Patrick (jhaeman@hotmail.com)
   
   Jhaeman's Buffy Reviews: http://www.geocities.com/jhaeman



3. One of the things I love most about Buffy as a whole, is character development. This book was so busy with endless action sequences, that the character's personalities were largely ignored.

   When the book stops for emotional moments it's hard to care, because the character's have all become cardboard cut-out's of themselves.

   I'll go ahead & read the next one- I'm hoping that Golden & Holder will let up a bit on the constant barrage of battle- it gets tedious after awhile.

   Proceed with caution.




4. Like I said above, the first book is slow and confusing. However near the end of the book things really REALLY picked up, and I finished it and the other 2 in less than a week and a half!! The series rocks!! Guess what happens to Xander?? ;)



5. I always read fanfiction but shied away from buying these sorts of books. I read so much ..... fanfic to find the gems, but it's free and I really wasn't interested in paying to read something like that. But *everyone* I knew in the Buffy fandom recommended this trilogy as the *best* of the Buffy books. So I immediately splurged on the whole trilogy (figuring once I started, I'd want to read them all).

   Boy was that a waste of money.

   I'm an avid reader of all types of books, and yet this book bored me to tears. The characters were all off. While I could sometimes believe their actions, I never believed their thoughts or their words. Worst of all though, the writing was atrocious. I could have written better than this.

   This book was so terrible that the other two still collect dust on my shelf. They will probably stay there for a long time, because I won't be giving anyone else these books for fear they might read them and blame me. I read almost anything available to me, so for something to turn me off this much, it has got to be pretty horribly written. If this really is the best Buffy novel, it will be my first and my last. I'm now afraid to try any of the others.

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 The Baby-Sitter 3 (Point Horror Series).

1. Synopsis: Jenny Jeffers barely survived her last two babysitting jobs, and this time she decides to work at "The Doughnut Hole" instead, and hang out with her friends Rick and Claire. But Jenny can't seem to get Mr. Hagen out of her nightmares. She even starts screaming when she sees someone holding a baby in the mall, thinking it is Mr. Hagen.
   
   Jenny's mother decides that Jenny should have a change of scenery, and sends her to visit Debra Jeffers, Jenny's cousin. Debra likes calling her secret admirer Terry, even though she already has a boyfriend Mark. Jenny likes spending time with Debra, and decides to give her company while Debra babysits for Mrs. Wagner's baby. Jenny tells Debra about her horrible babysitting experience, and feels she is just getting over them, when the phone calls start again, this time intended for Debra. "I'm alive! I'm back! Company's coming, Babes".
   
   Can Debra figure out why someone would try to hurt her instead of Jenny? It could be anyone, such as:
   
   -Don: Debra's jealous ex-boyfriend who wants to ruin her relationship with Mark
   
   -Mark: who finds out that Debra's been calling Terry behind his back and wants to get back at her
   
   -Terry: did he realize that Debra was his secret caller and decided to have some fun of his own?
   
   -Cal: who isn't really happy with how his relationship went on hold with Jenny; is this his way of payback?
   
   -Maggie: who used to be a housekeeper for Mrs. Wagner, until she was fired for drinking and stealing valuables from the house. Is she calling the babysitters to get back at Mrs. Wagner?
   
   -Mr. Hagen: Is he really alive and back from the dead?
   
   Review: This book wasn't as good as the first two in the series, mainly because the story moves too slowly and there is not much suspense in the book. The book spends too much time with Debra worrying about all her boyfriends when it could have focused more on Jenny in my opinion.
   
   The book actually starts to get really interesting when someone kidnaps the baby at the end of the book. The ending was a complete shock which I did not see coming, which to me was the high point of the book, and the reason I gave it a 4-star rating. The only other part of the book which thrilled me was when Maggie, the drunk, homeless housekeeper comes in and scares Jenny and Debra.
   
   I agree with some of the other reviewers. It is definitely NOT a good idea to read this book before the first two, because they mention the name of the culprits from the first two books in this book.
   
   Overall, this is a good book if you like the series and want to read the next installment, but it is not the best book in the Babysitter series.



2. Book was unnerving.
   Book arrived in a very timely fashion.
   Book arrived in excellent condition.



3. Jenny has had tramatic babysitting experiences in the past. It's time for her to move on with her life; she needs a change of scenery. Her mom lets her spend the summer upstate with her cousin, Debra.
   
   Unfortunately, Debra is also a babysitter. Will that bring back bad memories for Jenny? Maybe if Jenny just stays away from the house where Debra is babysitting . . .
   
   Jenny gets a job at a horse riding camp. Jenny loves riding horses, and this will be a wonderful experience for her. Perhaps get her away from the babysitting world . . .
   
   Meanwhile, Debra begins to get spooky calls while she is babysitting. What is it with the babysitters? Why are people harrassing them? And who is doing it? You will find out.



4. This is the 3rd book in the baby-sitter series. The first two were fantastic, but this one fell somewhat flat. I can see why this book went the way that it did, but because the readers are so invested in Jenny, it makes the ending a big disapointment. It's still an okay read, and the next sequel gets better. If you liked the first 2 books, you have to read this one, but if you haven't, skip this one and buy the first one!!



5. The babysitter 3 by R. L. Stine was a terrific book. It was about this teen named Jenny, she's had troubles in the past while she was babysitting. While she was babysitting the father of the baby tried to kill her. After the incident her mother said that she should get different scenery. So she went to her cousin's house and stayed for the summer. Her cousin is also a babysitter and while Jenny is their, they go babysitting but Jenny is so nervous she freaks out while their there and never wants to go with her again. Debbie her cousin keeps getting these weird calls that her Cousin Jenny used to get from the man that tried to kill Jenny, but the man that tried to kill Jenny was dead. They kept getting notes and calls. I rate this book an A-. I also recommend this book to 13-17 year olds. I cant wait to read all the other babysitter books.

5 comments about Night Games (Fear Street Series #40).

1. Night Games never reached any great heights and I don't think many readers will be satisfied with the weak ending of what was a very predictable novel and not at all the high quality of the majority of Stine's work.
   
   In Night Games a gang of kids run into a former friend they haven't seen for a year. He invites them to accompany him on his night games of vandalism and terrifying locals. Being losers these kids readily agree. They all hate their math teacher Mr Crowell so target him for frequent night games, justifying it as vengeance for the way he treats them. Diane the main narrator of the story starts to question if Cromwell deserves the increasing severity of their tormenting until too late she realises just how deadly serious some of the gang want vengeance.
   
   Read one of Stine's other books instead.



2. I liked this book I can't belive people don't like it! The ending was awsome, GOD PEOPLE ARE CRAZY!
   I RECOOMENED THIS BOOK!



3. The characters are so dull and come off as unsympathetic. The plot of the book is fine. However, it's not one of R.L. Stine's best. I liked "Silent Night 3" or "The Runaway" best.



4. I always find fear street books the best to read, they are always exciting and never boring and so easy to read. This one was kinda dissapointing if you look at the story itself. Nothing really creepy happened (I look at it that way) but the end makes up for all of it. I did kinda expect who was sending the notes and while reading more of the story I kinda figured out why. SO the ending was not a complete shocker but the little part after that was. also I would like to comment on that person below who says hugging people can't kill them. SOrry but 'he' was strangling 'her', that is how she 'died'. If you want an easy read with a good ending, go for this one!



5. The book lies between borderline and unreadable up until theend, which was the twist ending.

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 Silent Night (Fear Street Super Chillers, No. 2).

1. NOTE: This review refers to only the first book "Silent Night" and not the "Collector's Edition" version
   
   Synopsis: There are actually two different stories in this book.
   The first one is about snooty rich girl Reva Dalby. Her father owns Dalby Department Stores, and Reva is bored working behind the cash register in the store. She breaks up with her boyfriend, Hank Davis, because she is interested in Mitch Castelona. Since her father suggests Reva hire some of her friends to work in the department store during Christmas time, Reva takes the opportunity to call Mitch and have him work next to her, even if it means having to hire Mitch's girlfriend Lissa Dewey. She also decides to play a joke on her friend Robb by dressing him up as the store Santa because he is overweight. Finally, she decides not to give her cousin Pam a job at the store because Reva is jealous of Pam's good looks. However, by crossing so many people, Reva soon starts getting horrible presents. Someone puts a needle in her lipstick, and later sends her a perfume bottle filled with blood! Can Reva figure out who is trying to scare her before it goes out of hand?
   
   The second story is about Pam Dalby and her friends Mickey Wakely and Clay Parker. Pam is angry that Reva didn't give her a job at the department store, when Clay suggests that they rob the Dalby Department Store to get back at Reva and her dad (for firing Mickey's father Mr. Wakely just before Christmas). Things go out of hand at the store during the `robbery' when one of the guards is accidentally shot, and someone steals $25,000. Soon, someone starts calling Pam on the phone and tells her that they saw her, and blackmails her for money. Can Pam find out who murdered the guard and save her name?
   
   Review: I thought this book was pretty weak to be included in the Super Chiller list. Although I enjoyed Reva's snarky comments at times, I found her really annoying most of the time, and didn't feel sorry for her at all when all those horrible things were happening to her.
   
   Another reason why I was disappointed with this book was because of how random the two storylines were. If Reva is supposed to be the main character in the book (according to the back cover), why did the author focus half the book on Pam, Mickey and Clay? I was somewhat disappointed with both the stories for different reasons. On one hand, I liked Pam's character, but I thought the whole plot with the robbery was boring. On the other hand, I enjoyed Reva's storyline of someone causing her harm, even though I couldn't stand her character.
   
   I wished they had focused only on Reva's storyline and omitted the whole robbery one with Pam, Mickey and Clay, OR that they had somehow involved Reva in the robbery as well. I also disliked the fact that there were so many culprits behind the various incidents (i.e. the person behind Pam's threats on the phone was not the same person who was sending the gifts to Reva, nor was it the person who shot the guard at the robbery), rather than just being one, as this made the whole story really convoluted to understand.
   
   Overall, I didn't like this book very much, and unless you are a fan of the series, I would avoid it.



2. In this book, the three Silent Night stories are featured in this book. This book is very great because instead of buying all the 3 books, you can buy this book.



3. Reva Dalby is a stuck-up,spoiled,rotten, girl who never cares about other people but herself.Then someone is out to get Reva. They want to give her a holiday season that she will never forget.



4. Book Review
   Jarica
   
   Do you like super chills? Do you like it when goose bumps grow or when your eyeballs pop out of your sockets? If you do "Silent Night" by R.L. Stine is just for you. This book is the ultimate prize. It has everything needed if you like horror books. This is one of the best horror books I ever read. Do you want to know about it?This book is about a girl named Reva.
   Everyone in the world she meets thinks she's a snob , you would too if you played a role in this story. She believes she can have anything and anyone she wants. Her dad owns Dalby's Department Store after all , and Reva's very spoiled because of that , but when her own cousin Pam robs the store with a few of her friends , finds a needle in her liptstick and someone murders Mitch she's ready to give up and shake in her boots. You would too. Murder was gift wrapped to her as a present. This was the best book I've read all year and I think you'll like it too so buy it ASAP!!!!!!!!!



5. I have read a few R.L Stine books and I can say this one is probably my favorite. I suggest reading it in November or December so that it will get you in the holiday mood. It's a very easy read with a good ending. I have also read all of the sequels and I really like this one!

5 comments about The Second Horror (99 Fear Street, No. 2).

1. This was a great story. Very creep y especially those evil rats eeek!!!! I hate rats. Very nice story and The ending to the thisrd one was great I was so happy about the ending. I loved Goosebumnps I have just started Reading the Fear Street Books and so far I think they are great. I believe these books can be for older peopel to. Becuase these books were creepy. how can a 9 year old kid see peopels heads being ripped off in a story I don't see how but they do so great Series I intendo to buy some more of the Fear streets any reccomendations from anyone on here on whats another good fears treet to get.



2. When I read the first part (the first horror) I was really scared. And I don't like to admit those things, so you can believe me. This and the other two books are about a house which better never should have been build. The house was build over a cemetery of the victims of the Fear Family. Insiders knew what sort of people the Fears where and why it's logical that the house is doomed. In 20 years nobody lived there but then the Frasiers (part one) and Cally Frasier has to stay in the house - as a ghost.
   Now there are the new inhabitants - the McCloys. Cally, who becomes cruel, because of the house, starts to threat Brandt (the son of the inhabitants) by her diary on the attic. Brandt has to realize that the house is evil - hunted. And Cally likes Brandt and looks after him. When she knew about his female friends she tries to kill them in the house. Then she gets an idea. She would love to hunt the house together with Brandt, so she wants to kill him, too. Can Brandt escape?
   You can find the answer by reading this exciting book! Have a lot fun, you won't be disappointed.



3. OMG once again R.L. Stine writes another horrible book. I mean when was the last time one of his books was actually good. All his books are so unbelievable and this one was no different. All his book are predictable and so was this one the same things that always happen in his books also happened in this book. In this book the ghost of Cally Frasier is back again and she's feeling lonly so she decides to seek after this boy named Brandt that now lives in her house the she used to live in before she died. So she designs a plot to kill him so that he can stay with her forever. Trust me this book was so lame so save your money and DON'T BUY THIS BOOK! I'M BEGGING YOU I MEAN IT DON'T BUY THIS BOOK!



4. This was a great story. Very creep y especially those evil rats eeek!!!! I hate rats. Very nice story and The ending to the thisrd one was great I was so happy about the ending. I loved Goosebumnps I have just started Reading the Fear Street Books and so far I think they are great. I believe these books can be for older peopel to. Becuase these books were creepy. how can a 9 year old kid see peopels heads being ripped off in a story I don't see how but they do so great Series I intendo to buy some more of the Fear streets any reccomendations from anyone on here on whats another good fears treet to get.



5. More than a year after "The First Horror" ended, 11th-grader Brandt McCloy and his parents are moving into the 99 Fear Street house. Not long after they arrive, strange things start to happen: Brandt's cat is killed by a flying spear (just curious--why do all pets have to die horribly in Stine's books?), someone or something is moving around at night in the attic, and Brandt finds Cally Frasier's diary, which is mysteriously still being written in.

   Apart from the terror at home, Brandt is becoming very popular with the girls at Shadyside High, in particular with Abbie Ayler, Jinny Thompson, and Meg Morris. However, the ghost of Cally Frasier intends to harm everyone Brandt is close to, including the above-mentioned girls. What can Brandt do to protect everybody, including himself, from Cally's pent-up rage? (By the way, since when did Cally get so angry? Maybe it's because she's now part of the evil in the house, but it just seems so out of character. In the first book, she was rather nice.)

   Like the first book in this trilogy, "The Second Horror" is just as bad, and I don't mean "bad" as in "good". The ending is unbearably awful, and the plot is just plain silly. So, unless you're a really loyal R. L. Stine fan, I'd skip this trilogy ("The First Horror", "The Second Horror", and "The Third Horror").

5 comments about Best Friend 2 (Fear Street Series #50).

1. This was not what I expected. The start of it was odd, but when it came to the part that it was actually Honey pretending to be Becka, then it became interesting, but as it went on, it just didnt make sense. It was cool to know the actual story behind Honey and why she went after Becka in the first place.The part about Trish just was abit too bizarre. The ending sucked BADLY!!! R.L. Stine must have either wrote this book in a matter of days or was just having a bad day. Eek.



2. i loved this book. it was kinda funny(me). i think r.l. stine could have done better. you would have to ask the same questions as in the first one "Does Bill live." "What happens to the murderer." i am so hoping for a best friend three. so i know what happens. i am a big fan but he could of done better. i reccomend this book to anyone who has the best friend 1 just to know what happened but you will be disappointed.



3. I thought it was great but the ending was too fast and confusing... I mean like when Becka was telling Bill " I will be a good friend" i didnt know if it was Honey acting like Becka or just Becka saying that. Like it was sad, but I didnt get it. did Bill die? or did he live?? I think it was too fast of an ending so im rating it four stars, and i really really really hope you make a new book called " The Best Friend 3". so i hope you know that it was too fast of an ending. it is the day b4 thanksgiving (11/26/03) and i just read it last night. im only 11 yrs old.



4. The Best Friend 1 is much better than The Best Friend 2. The Best Friend 2 is schocking and creepy. It scared me and I am 20 years old!! This book is entertaining I had to make my self stop reading. I was confused at first. But everything started clicking together. The ending is real dumb. If you hate books with a bad ending then this book is NOT for you.



5. Then I think it's awesome how you had a contest like this one, letting young readers such as myself use their imaginations and actually have a shot at writing a book worthy of being on the same shelf as your other masterpieces! I think this book was good considering you didn't write it! I mean, a lot of people didn't like this book because they were expecting something as original and creative as your first one and like all your other amazing stories. But I, for one, think that this book was good overall. Very different. I love all your books, I've read almost all of them--My mother won't buy me anymore at the moment because she says I have to finish the ones I have first--and they're all excellent! Cheers to you! I recommend this book!