5 comments about Running for Her Life (Sweet Valley University(R)).

1. Elizabeth Wakefield's journalism paper may cost her her life. She wrote up her theory that a young movie star's suicide was actually a murder, and two days later her dorm room is trashed. Somebody doesn't like Elizabeth's theory. Somebody may even be willing to kill her for it.
   
   Jessica Wakefield is minding her own business in the campus coffeehouse when a bullet just misses her head. Suddenly she and her twin sister are running for their lives.
   
   Tom Watts, Elizabeth's boyfriend, is frantic. His girlfriend has narrowly escaped campus with her life. Can he help her catch a murderer before the murderer catches her?



2. I spent nearly a decade of my childhood reading Sweet Valley books, and this used to be one of my favorites. I was impressed at how well-crafted the premise of the story was - until I saw the movie of John Grisham's "The Pelican Brief." From the female student who unknowingly stumbles on a murder, to the confessional evidence hidden in a bank's safe-deposit box, the major ideas in this work are a definite rip-off.



3. I have only read a couple of SVU thrillers but this one I liked the least. I think this one is scary and disgusting the way so many people are murdered for no reason so I think that only people who like murder and gore in books should buy this one. If I would have known what kind of a book this was I never would have bought it but it's your choice so you choose.



4. I have read a lot of the Sweet Valley books and a lot of the thriller editions. This has been the best one ever. The plot was interesting and creative. it kept me hooked. I finished reading it in two hours. I think this book would make a great movie.



5. I loved this book. It was very good and suspenseful. I couldn't put it down. It is one of the best! If you haven't read it, read it! I also recommend Wanted for Murder.

5 comments about Beach House (Point Horror Series).

1. I seresly loved the book and don't know why. I als don't know why I waited this long before writing this review (it's been more than a year). But trust me, this one is HARD TO FORGET! I think this his BEST YET! It revolves around a boy named Buddy (don't be fooled, hes no buddy!). It takes place in the summer of 1956 and now. I can't tell you much without revealing any big stuff! Just read it! There may be murders and be pretty sad but, trust me, if you like his books, get it. And if you think Goosebumps suck and this probably no better, you're wrong. This is the farthest thing from it! Goosbumps if for little kids and I'm pretty mature for 13 and read this when I was late 11 or early 12. All I can say now is, BUY IT, BUY IT, BUY IT!



2. THIS BOOK IS THE BEST BOOK EVA READ. It is an absolute page turner that I read in one day. I couldn't look away. It has a great ending twist and is a great horror better then any I have ever read!!!!!!!!!! It is about kids on a beach and one by one they're killed I do recommened this book --UNLESS YOUR EASILY SCARED!!!!!!!!!



3. This was the first 'scary" book I bought by myself. I wasn't supposed to read scary books so i had to sneak it at night when my mom was asleep. I still remember how scared I was while I read it. It is a book that I will never forget. Because of this book I went on to read almost everything by R. L. Stine and Christopher Pike. Enjoy this book it really is a good one!!!



4. I think that The Beach House by RL Stine is an excellent murder mystery book. It kept me on edge with book in hand, with a surprise at every turn of a page. You can really think about what's going on. In the parts of the book when it is set in the fifties, I read about the "modern" furniture of their day, which would seem really old fashioned to people today. One example of that would be when Lucy and Kip go into the beach house and see the fifties furniture and laugh about how old it is. This made me laugh too, and think about how times and styles have changed over the years. Boys and girls in middle school would deeply enjoy reading it, for the suspense keeps you hooked until the end.



5. R.L. Stine, switches about every 30 pages back and forth from two time periods. This Summer and Summer of 1956.
   In 1956 maria, Amy, Ronnie, and Sturat played a mean joke on a guy named Buddy. He doesn't like it.In fact he hates it so much he could kill...
   In this summer Ashly has a crush on Brad, but she doesn't know he might be a killer...
   I hated this summmer but I sort of liked 1956. So I guss that evens it out to 3 stars.
   
   --Scottie Schaeffer age ten

5 comments about Spellbound.

1. While on vacation, I picked this one up. This is one of his older titles, and I have always wanted to read it.
   
   Karen Holly was killed in the woods of Timber, Wyoming. Her boyfriend at the time (Jason) swears it was a bear, but the town and the local authorities are not completely sure. Could he have killed his own girlfriend?
   
   His new girlfriend, Cindy is taken aback by the gruesome details in the morning's paper, on just how Karen died. She starts to suspect Jason as well, but not before she finds herself attracted to the new exchange student Bala. He is from Africa, and his grandfather is said to be a famous shaman. (magician)
   
   Joni Harper is also new to the school, from England. She is quiet and kind, and Alex, who is Cindy's brother, has fallen in love with her. Is it just Alex's imagination, or are Bala and Joni connected in some way? They come from two different parts of the world, but they seem to know each other somehow.
   
   All of these friends will have a chance to find out what happened to Karen Holly. But, not without some horrible things happening to them.
   
   I have always been drawn to this author's books for the fact that he writes a great story and throws in a bit of magic and the unknown. Though Remember Me, Slumber Party, and the Midnight Club are my favorites, this one was very entertaining as well. You do start to figure out what's going to happen about halfway through, but it doesn't ruin anything for you. Also, it made me go out and get two more from the library.



2. This young adult novel is a strange mix of elements from better established genres for adults. It has the "violent killer on the loose" angle of a lot of modern thrillers, and the romance of a Harlequin (sans steamy sex scenes). It also has the feel of a traditional whodunit, with a limited cast of characters serving as suspects, and a bevy of carefully calculated plot twists and turns.
   
   I won't give away any plot details that others haven't already spoiled, but it's safe to say that it has the feeling of a modern young adult serial tv show, such as "Cold Mountain" or "Smallville." The young adults are heroes, and their triumphs and tribulations are very character-centric and dramatic.
   
   I suppose I would say that this is a light, forgettable book that won't do much to improve your mind. However, it succeeds on the level of light entertainment, and might appeal to someone who hasn't cultivated a love of reading. It doesn't ask much of the reader, and the straightforward writing is clear, easy to follow, and enjoyably paced.
   
   If you are a young reader who was in love with a series like The Babysitter's Club, or The Three Investigators, this might be an ideal stepping stone to more adult reading.



3. I may be only a 12 girl, but i am practically obsessed with Pike's collection of books. I just read this book yesterday, and i absolutley loved it! It was amazing, like all his books. I hope there is a second one....... but then again, thats how I feel about all his books! I encourage everyone to read this book! Pike is an awesome writer and deserves to be recognized as such.
   
   ~Nanci~



4. A Review by Josh

   This is the tale of a young man named Alex. Alex is a normal person until strange things start happening around him after one of his classmates is suspected of brutally murdering his girlfriend. These events build and form into a truly ridiculous climax (for a horror novel).

   �This book had potential.� That�s what I think when I look back upon reading this book. I honestly believe that this book had a semi-interesting story which could have been made MUCH better, had the author not written it like some kind of comic book. The book�s just plain corny! It also doesn�t make much sense and is not written in an easily understandable format. For example, the story keeps fairly believable up until it gets close to the end, where there are waterfalls of blood or something like that, gigantic birds swooping at people, and even African exchange students uncovering their secret African Shaman powers (how lame does it get?). It hardly even follows with the summary given on the back cover, which is why I read the stupid thing in the first place, and is usually the reason that anybody ever reads a book. That�s false advertising! The only recommendation I�m giving on this book is to not bother with it, it�s just not worth it�.




5. Do you like a mystery? Do you like a murder mystery? Do you like an exciting murder mystery? Well if you do, read Spellboud. This is an exciting book with some action. When I read this book there was nothing to do to get me away from reading this book. In the story love is combined with daring acts. When the story begins a young lady has been murdered by a supposed grizzly bear. Was it really a grizzly or was it something else? What kin of spell was cast? This book is a really good book and I recommend that you read it. I really like this book so I know you will.

5 comments about The Journals of Rupert Giles, Vol. 1.

1. TIMING: The story consists of Giles--during Season Five, soon after "Blood Ties"--revisiting Buffy's infamous birthday's via his journal. Each of those Birthdays take place in Season Three, the next Season Four, and the last Season Five.
   
   STORY: The book is pretty much a novelization of three birthday-centric Buffy episodes ("Helpless," "A New Man," and "Blood Times"), however, Nancy Holder creates a new story to put these into context. Giles, some time after the events of all these episodes, summons a demon to ensure that Buffy will not die. The demon forces him to relive her traumatic birthdays, via his Watcher Diaries. When we get into the meat and potatoes of the story--the three novelizations--we don't always see through Giles' point of view, which was interesting. It's pretty much the episode on paper with narrative added. The writing of these episodes was, of course, top-notch because they're from the show, but fans will only be reading this if they want to relive the episodes and see if Holder can make them as entertaining pieces of prose as they were TV episodes. Can she? Eh. She shows us that she isn't a terrible author (which most people rightly thought after her awful Queen of the Slayers book. She does have an understanding of the tone of the show, and she uses Buffy-speak in her description and narrative. Sometimes, it's out of place, but it always makes the book quirky and entertaining. I felt like I was eating junk food while reading this; rots the teeth (brain), but it tastes fairly good. There were some novice errors, though. She constantly uses adverbs, ESPECIALLY when they're not needed. "Xander said feelingly." "Buffy yelled angrily." Come on. But worst of all, is her need to use a verb other than "said" when characters are talking. More than ten times in this novel, she used the word "drawled." Buffy drawls. Spike drawls. Xander drawls. Glory drawls. That could drive any reader--and especially any reader who is also a competent writer--crazy. Also, sometimes the quirky slayer speak doesn't work in prose. Check this out: "Then Dawn bounced up, her backpack hanging normally on her, well, back, fresh from school and ready for hanging out." Okay... how does something hang "normally"? Is there an abnormal way for a backpack to hang, in that Holder would have to specify that it's hanging normally? And if I need to explain why "her, well, back" is annoying, then you might find this book to be a perfect 10/10.
   
   CHARACTERS: It's 100%... because it's a novelization of real episodes of the show. However, I think Holder did a great job in grasping what these characters were going through and portraying it via prose.
   
   CONTINUITY: The problem with the whole "Giles bargains for Buffy's life" issue is that Buffy, indeed, dies at the end of the fifth season. Knowing this, Holder had to resolve this plot in a way that had the demon not vowing the protect her. It felt like a rushed conclusion and made the whole thing come off as hokey, ringing seriously false. I'd say read this novel for the novelizations and skip the overarching story.
   
   COVER: Simple and to the point. Giles looking Watchery.
   
   OVERALL: Overall, it was entertaining, but I did feel significant brain rot by the time I put it down. There's hardly anything new here (and what is new is hokey) so readers should realize that this is simply an adaptation before they buy it. If it's what you want--heck, it's what I wanted--then you'll at least half-way enjoy this book.
   
   5/10



2. Another Buffy book that adapts television episodes, which, it appears, come out to around sixty pages each, give or take.
   
   Here, wrapped up in some entries in Giles' journals, are three stories of Buffy on her birthday. At 18, Giles betrays her to the Watchers' Council, undergoing a hellish test. At nineteen, and old dodgy acquaintance turns Giles hellish, and at twenty, it is a hellgod that is after them.



3. THE JOURNALS OF RUPERT GILES, VOL. 1
   By Nancy Holder, based upon teleplays "Helpless" by David Fury, "A New Man" by Jane Espenson, and "Blood Ties" by Steven S. DeKnight (2002)
   
   RATING: 4/5 Stakes
   
   SETTING: Seasons Three, Four, and Five
   
   CAST APPEARANCES: Buffy, Giles, Willow, Xander, Angel, Oz, Joyce, Cordelia, Anya, Spike, Tara, Dawn, Riley, Ethan Rayne, Quentin Travers, Blair, Hobson, Kralik, Professor Walsh, Glory, Ben, Jinx
   
   MAJOR ORIGINAL CHARACTERS: Krathalal (demon)
   
   BACK-OF-THE-BOOK SUMMARY: "Buffy Summers is hip, modern, and pop culture savvy. Rupert Giles, her Watcher, is a stuffy Brit whose idea of bliss is a good book and a strong cup of tea. Odd as the duo may be, though, they have managed to avert their fair share of apocalypses. Plural. One thing they can't seem to conquer, however, is Buffy's bad birthday luck. At eighteen, Buffy is subjected to a Watcher's Council Cruciamentum, a test of her own non-physical wiles--and of Giles's attitude toward both his charge and his calling, as well. And when the Slayerettes throw a surprise party for Buffy's big 1-9, Giles finds himself feeling useless and out-of-the-loop-y. But it is at the Slayer's twentieth birthday gathering that both Buffy and Giles are forced to re-examine the nature of blood ties and the definition of family--or risk losing a mutual loved one more important to them--and the fate of the word--than either ever imagined. . . ."
   
   REVIEW
   
   Volume One of the Journals of Rupert Giles contains perhaps the cleverest framing sequence of any Buffy novelization to date. On the day of Buffy's twentieth birthday, after Dawn has discovered that she is the Key that Glory is looking for, Giles is heartsick to think about how much pain and suffering his Slayer has endured over the past years. He decides to make a deal with the devil (or at least a demon named Krathalal): in exchange for his own blood, he wants Krathalal to protect Buffy from harm. After limiting the bargain to last only until Buffy's next birthday, the demon decides to test how far Giles is willing to go to protect his ward. Krathalal forces Giles to read to him, from his Watcher's Diary, the events that took place on Buffy's eighteenth, nineteenth, and twentieth birthdays. In other words, Giles is forced to re-live the pain he has, to some degree, caused his own Slayer.
   
   The first episode adapted in the novelization fits the framing sequence perfectly. In "Helpless", Giles reluctantly agrees to take part in an ancient Watcher's Council tradition: he must secretly drug Buffy to render her "normal" and then lock her in a house with a frenzied, insane vampire named Kralik. Of course, things never go as planned: Kralik escapes early and kidnaps Joyce, and Buffy discovers Giles complicity in the whole affair. The episode is one of the best portrayals of Buffy and Giles' relationship, and seeing Buffy glare at Giles for betraying her, the same way she did at Jenny Calendar in Season Two, is both shocking and believable.
   
   "A New Man" was one of the show's periodic light episodes. The irascible Ethan Rayne comes to Sunnydale and manages to turn his friend and rival into a seven-foot tall horned demon. Although played mostly for laughs once the transformation starts, there are some poignant moments at the beginning of the episode where Giles suddenly starts to feel his age at Buffy's birthday party, and later when he and Ethan reflect back upon their lives and what they've done with them.
   
   Season Five episode "Blood Ties" is really more a story about Dawn than it is about Giles. After breaking into the Magick Box and stealing Giles' journal, Dawn discovers that she is the cosmic Key that Glory has been hunting for all of this time. What does it mean to find out you've only really existed for six months? That you're a bundle of energy shaped by monks into the form of a teenage girl? Dawn, not surprisingly, does not deal with the revelation well. One scene in particular from the episode has always stuck in my mind as one of the most stunning (and creepy) moments in Buffy history: Dawn appears in the hallway, holding a knife, blood dripping down from her arms and wrists where she has cut herself. "Is this blood?" she chokes out, "Am I real? Am I anything?" A very strong episode, even if Giles is not central to the plot.
   
   Although it's hard to separate out the actual episodes and the novelizations in my mind, Nancy Holder sticks to the scripts closely and uses good interior thoughts to flesh out the characters' actions; apart from annoying spelling and punctuation errors (though far less noticeable than in the Chosen novelization), this is a strong adapation of two excellent episodes and one good episode. The birthday theme and the framing sequence combine to make this one of the better Buffy novelizations out there.
   
   Jhaeman's Buffy Reviews: http://www.geocities.com/jhaeman
   (c) 2004, Jeremy Patrick-Justice



4. Sort of Giles centered novel that contains novelizations of the Buffy episodes "Helpless," "A New Man," and "Blood Ties." All of these episodes took place on Buffy's birthday. In "Helpless" Buffy is given a test by the watches' council that takes away her slayer strength and forces Giles to betray her. "A New Man" features the return of Ethan Rayne who turns Giles into a demon. "Blood Ties" takes place during the fifth season when Dawn finds out she's the key.

   I was pretty disappointed by this book. Giles is such an interesting character and the best they could come up with was not much more than a script book that is only kind of Giles centered. The first part, "Helpless," wasn't even all that well written. The author managed to make the character's thoughts so shallow and inane that I felt the need to bang my head against the wall repeatedly. "A New Man" was the only truly Giles centered part of the book. The novelization of this episode is the only reason Giles fans should read this book. "Blood Ties" was just kind of there. The concept of this book wouldn't have been so bad if these episodes had been told only from Giles' perspective. That would have supported the plot better since Giles is suppose to be reading these stories from his journal. As it is, this book is basically just a script book with a little bit of the characters' thoughts filled in.




5. I only have a small handful of these novelizations from the Buffy TV series. The primary reason for my lack of interest is simply that it is rarely the case that the short story captures the aura of the show. With the DVD's gradually appearing, it takes less effort to watch the show than it does to read the written version.

   There are some cases where this isn't completely true. Some authors (notably Chris Golden and Nancy Holder) use the opportunity to flesh out the characters and give the reader a deeper sense of the forces in play. Also, there are cases where one wants to know the contents of an important show and doesn't want to wait for the DVD. This latter is the reason for my decision to read 'The Journals..."

   The story in point is "Helpless" where Giles deliberately cancels out Buffy's powers so that she can take a 'Cruciamentum' - a do or die test the Watchers put a Slayer through on her eighteenth birthday. In essence, the Slayer is trapped with a strong vampire and must use her wits to overcome it. Only in this case the vampire, Kralik, manages to get free. After turning one watcher and eating another, Kralik sets out after Buffy's mother. The slayer, betrayed by her own watcher must find a way out.

   Holder does a great job of bringing across the inner characterization. Giles' agonizing and final rebellion against anything that might hurt Buffy redeems him from his betrayal. Surprisingly, Holder also manages to make Quentin, the head slayer, just enough more understandable, which adds to the intensity.

   The other stories are handled equally well. 'A New Man' is set on Buffy's nineteenth birthday, with Giles feeling more than a bit useless. Buffy has a new boyfriend in Riley and someone else to admire in Professor Maggie Walsh. Giles is having a tough time letting go, and the sudden entrance of Ethan Rayne with a less that tasteful gift for Giles that leaves the ex-librarian dependent on Spike, of all people.

   The last story, 'Blood Ties,' is set on Buffy's twentieth birthday, in the middle of Glory's search for the key - Dawn. This is the episode when Dawn discovers that she is not really human and goes through a complete identity crisis even as Glory is tracking her down. Buffy must stage a wild hunt of her own to keep Dawn from being used and erased. Holder does a good job of taking the reader from irritation at Dawn's less attractive personality traits to sympathy will a lonely person who does not know who she really is.

   All three of these stories center on Giles feelings about Buffy during each of three very difficult birthdays. They demonstrate the tender nature of their feelings for each other as they shift from watcher and slayer to slayer and true father/friend. Nancy Holder does this sort of work as well as anyone can, taking a great deal of care to stay within the bounds of the show while deepening the overall experience. As such, this is worthwhile and entertaining reading. If you haven't seen one or more of these tales, this is recommended reading.

5 comments about Final Grade (Fear Street, No. 30).

1. I put I hated it because I never received my product and have to wait to get my refund.



2. All of these books are so similar that after you have read like 5 or six of them you have read them all. This series would have been better if he didn't write so many of them.



3. I recommend to any of u here that's readiing my....well....comment, cuz the ending's very surprising! And the main character, who's Lily, was COOL! Read the book cuz R.L.Stine's SUCH a gr8 author! I can't put my book even to go to pee after I've started to read it!



4. This book was great and it was so full of action that I couldn't put it down. The only problem I had was the intense violence. I mean things like when a certian person is crushed in a printing press was really gross. Still a great read.



5. FINAL GRADE WAS AN AWESOME FEAR STREET BOOK! THE PLOT WAS CREATIVE, BUT YOU COULD KIND OF PREDICT WHO WAS ALL GOING TO GET KILLED. ONE OF THE DEATHS IS PRETTY CREATIVE AND AWESOME! LILY WAS A PRETTY COOL CHARACTER AND THE KILLER IS SURPRISE! I TOTALLY RECOMMENED FINAL GRADE!

5 comments about Spike and Dru: Pretty Maids All in a Row.

1. SPIKE & DRU: PRETTY MAIDS ALL IN A ROW
   
   Christopher Golden (2001)
   
   RATING: 5/5 Stakes
   
   SETTING: Pre-First Season (circa 1940)
   
   CAST APPEARANCES: Spike, Drusilla, Kakistos
   
   MAJOR ORIGINAL CHARACTERS: Sophie Cartensen (Slayer); Yanna (Watcher); Skrymir (frost demon); Marie Christine-Fontaine, Harold Travers, John Travers, Mrs. Giles (Watcher's Council); Eleanor, Ariana de la Croix (Potentials)
   
   BACK-OF-THE-BOOK SUMMARY
   
   "It's 1940, and Europe is ravaged by World War II--an ideal environment for demon paramours Spike and Drusilla. The anniversary of Dru's resurrection as a vamp impends, and Spike wants to celebrate. What better gift than Freya's Strand--a powerful necklace rumored to allow its wearer to shape-shift at will? Spike learns of a demon named Skrymir, who claims to possess the bauble and is willing to trade. Spike's task is to infiltrate the Watcher's Council headquarters and get his hands on the list of young women in training to take over as Slayer should they be called. In exchange for Freya's Strand, Spike must kill the reigning Slayer, a brazen young woman named Sophie, as well as the Slayers-in-Waiting. And if he succeeds, it could mean the end of the Chosen One--all of the Chosen Ones--forever . . ."
   
   REVIEW
   
   By far the best Buffy book I've read yet, Spike & Dru: Pretty Maids All in a Row focuses on the exploits of the pair during the early days of World War II as they try to exterminate the line of Potentials at the behest of a frost demon named Skrymir. The period's Slayer, Sophie Cartensen, stands in their way.
   
   What makes this novel so good? First, Golden obviously researched the time period he was writing in--the detail and history are correct, and set up the right atmosphere for the book. Second, Christopher Golden gives this sword-wielding Danish Slayer great characterization, and the reader can really visualize her personality and fighting style. Her final showdown with Spike & Dru is tragic yet amazingly well-written. Third, he does a great job capturing Spike & Dru's twisted but loving relationship.
   
   The book is explicit, both in terms of sex and violence, but it works beautifully because Spike & Dru don't draw much of a distinction between the two. Most importantly, the book makes you care about the characters involved (Sophie, her watcher, and Spike & Dru) and unlike most Buffy novels, the combat scenes are really pulse-pounding, page-turning affairs. One scene in particular, where Spike & Dru attack Sophie and her watcher on board a train hurtling through the dark of night is wonderfully written and well-paced, and more exciting than many of the television show's fight scenes. Other interesting parts of the book are an early look at Kakistos (the vampire responsible for killing Faith's first Watcher) and more insight into how the Watcher's Council functions.
   
   Obviously, the reader's enjoyment of this book turns upon how much interest they have in Spike & Dru. Readers interested only in Buffy and her sidekicks may not get much out of it, but both as a Buffy novel and a plain adventure/horror novel, this one is definitely worth reading.



2. There's not much I can add here that others haven't already touched on. I'm a big fan of mixing horror with historical settings, so the atmosphere and fresh new characters were something I enjoyed a lot. I'm a big Spike and Dru fan, and their evil ways don't really bother me at all. I've always liked stories where the bad guys win.
   There are two problems here for me. One, the epic last battle in the Watchers' Council while the bombs are falling is way too rushed, and deaths from the perspective of non-evil characters are rolled through too easily.
   Two, Spike's storyline has been set up numerous times in both Buffy and Angel, and it's been said in multiple episodes that Spike killed TWO and only two Slayers in his lifetime- the one from the Boxer Rebellion, and the one who he got his infamous jacket from. But in this book, he kills a third Slayer chronologically in between the original two. I kept waiting for them to find a way for the Slayer to die without him killing her, but no, he kills her easy as pie with no way to tie this in to the main timeline. Therefore, I can't take this book seriously as an addition to the official Buffyverse, which relegates it to being glorified fanfiction that somehow slipped through the cracks and got published.
   Really, it's well-written for what it is, but I can't get around the third Slayer. I'm just an [...] fan like that I guess.



3. I first read this book shortly after it was published in 2001 and I enjoyed it immensely. I had read every Buffy novelization written up until that point, and "Pretty Maids" struck me (in a good way) because it wasn't as formulaic as many other novelizations as it offered a completely new angle of the Buffyverse - the history of Spike and Dru. Considering that the majority of the characters are newly invented by the author, Golden does an excellent job of fleshing them out, giving them distinct personalities and making them sympathetic characters (more sympathetic than many of the potential slayers we are introduced to in season 7!).
   
   My response to some comments by other reviewers:
   
   Some readers felt that the book's violence, particularly the murders of several young girls (potential slayers) was extremely graphic - too graphic. Which is true. Golden depicts some very disturbing scenes of murder, but the graphic nature of the violence rings true to what we know about crimes committed by notorious vampires like Spike and Dru. We hear constantly on the show that Spike, Dru, and Angel have done some really nasty, unforgivable things as vampires, and here at last are examples of some atrocities they may have committed in the past. The murders may be tough to stomach, but you can imagine that Spike and Dru really have done that - and much worse - in their years as soulless, chipless vampires.
   
   In defense of the author regarding the major inconsistency in the identity of the second slayer Spike murdered ... "Pretty Maids" was published before "Fool for Love" aired, the fifth season episode in which Spike reveals the identity of the second slayer. We learn in the second season when Spike and Dru first come to Sunnydale that Spike killed two slayers - the first one in the Boxer rebellion - but the revelation of the murder of the second slayer happens three years later - after publication.
   
   This inconsistency may be a bit of a turn-off, but if you accept this one diversion from what Joss Whedon has established as Buffyverse fact, "Pretty Maids" makes for an entertaining read.



4. If you're picking up this book for a good Spike and Drusilla story, you won't be entirely disappointed. The books starts out almost completely focusing on the pair, but somewhere they get lost and you find the story focusing on the good guys. This wouldn't be a bad thing if the author had more talent, but he sadly doesn't. This piece is poorly written if you take character development, reader sympathy, and description into consideration. countless times I found myself wishing I actually cared about the character, wishing I actually knew what something vaguely described (and that is throwing a bone) actually looked like.
   
   There are exactly two great parts of this book: Spike and Drusilla. Golden portrays them fairly well. Sometimes you'd notice an awkwardness to their dialogue, or get the feeling that the sex scene wasn't as much of a literary description as much as a fan-boy's wetdream.
   
   Once you read this, you might find yourself asking who is who. The only way I could differentiate one potential slayer from another is when he gave their country of origin. Even then, I couldn't remember which ones lived and died, save for the two "main" potentials. The Louisiana girl is the only one I found myself caring about, and that comes from a single tender scene where she warms up to the current Slayer. There's a small romance under story between a potential and a watcher that is just fluff.
   
   The end of this story is a let down and not the sort of result you'd expect from your favorite pair of Vampire Lovers.
   
   Overall, the story is fast-paced and easy to read. If you're not part of the Buffyverse fandom, then you won't enjoy this book unless you're also a young male that falls in love with the section about Drusilla walking, swimming, and killing while nude.



5. I really enjoyed this book right up until the end. I liked the characters very much, i especially like how the author bought alot of little characters from Buffy and incorperated them into the story.i didnt like the ending because it didnt fit in with the show in that spike kills another slayer. I also thought that the last 20 pages were very uneventful and could have simply been left out.
   but i still liked the book and would recommend it to any buffy fan

5 comments about Prime Evil (Buffy the Vampire Slayer).

1. This is the first BtVS book I've read, and I have to confess that I'm a little disappointed. The characters were portrayed brilliantly and the trademark Buffy humor was undeniably present, but the positive attributes of this novel stop there.
   
   Though it remains true to the show, this book suffers from amateur writing and poor editing. The plot focuses on a primal witch from early civilization with great power, but the author strays too often into reverent descriptions of nature that resemble something I would expect to see on the Discovery Channel. Many of the passages detailing the witch's past were self-indulgent and poorly dramatized. BtVS is known for its sympathetic and entertaining villains, but there is none of that to be found here. I found the character of the witch to be rather boring, and the author relies far too heavily on magic events to advance the plot and attempt to explain some of the plot's more bizarre attributes. Without revealing the story, suffice it to say that I was irritated most of the time when reading this novel, and often ended up flipping through the book in a futile attempt to figure out some of the more nonsensical elements of the plot--characters knowing things they shouldn't and saying things that they shouldn't be able to say (as a result of the witch's magic). While these complaints may seem small, they were enough to distract me from enjoying the heart the author managed to put into the characters and quite frankly ruined the experience for me.
   
   On a more petty note, the author seemed intent on making as many deliberate references to Season 3 episodes and past BtVS novels as possible. Rather than add depth to her plot, these asides seemed to come out of left field and had little to no relation to the story. Since they lack any practical purpose, I can only conclude that these references were intended to prove the author's familiarity with BtVS canon which, while effective, did nothing to prove her talent as a writer.



2. That's what I get for choosing a book based on Amazon reviews. I should really know by now that I march to the beat of a different drummer...actually it's not a drum at all, it's a bagpipe. ;P While I didn't hate the book, it wasn't nearly as good as I was led to believe. The whole feel to the book wasn't quite right, it didn't have that Buffyverse atmosphere. Part of that had to do with the overabundance of Crystal/Shugra's point-of-view, which took away from the other characters. While I didn't mind a bit here and there, the flashbacks were unnecessary, often boring and uninteresting; they really added nothing to the book and were more filler than anything. The characterizations were decent but lacked energy and didn't quite hit the mark. I didn't sense much depth and sometimes, I hate to say it, they were rather bland. There wasn't much humor but it managed to get a few smiles out of me. The ending was the best part and definitely had more of the usual Buffyness than the rest of the book.
   
   What I found amusing is the remark about nothing suspicious happening in Cleveland. Since there happens to be a Hellmouth stationed there, I would think there would be plenty of abnormalities. Demonic activity was actually mentioned in the episode 'The Wish' that came out before this book was written, but maybe I can let that pass since the episode was mainly set in an alternate time-line. Although I still don't get why there wouldn't be a Cleveland Hellmouth in both realities. Gosh, I'm such a BuffyGeek. :D
   
   Still, I enjoyed the book and appreciated the author adding in little things sprinkled throughout for the fans.



3. I enjoyed the book as it was like watching a Buffy Episode on TV. However I found that it is not one of my favourites of the series as others have been written better and with more depth. I do prefer the books written by Christopher Golden when it comes to the Buffy Series.
   The book did stick true to the characters and told an interesting tale of an ancient witch with true prime evil magic. Definitely worth a read for any true Buffy fan.



4. This was one of my favorite Buffy books I have read so far. The characters are well defined, and exactly what you would expect from the show. The best part of this story, though, is the interesting plot. It involves all of our favorite characters from the series, as well as some original characters such as Crystal Gordon, the shady new teacher at Sunnydale High. I highly reccomend this book to any Buffy fan, even if this is the your first Buffy novel. Excellent.



5. It's not the best but hardly the worst in the Buffy line of original novels that tie into the TV show. This novel takes place in what most people consider Buffy's prime, namely the third season where she is a senior at Sunnydale high school. The school has an attractive new history teacher named Crystal Gordon who just happens to be the reincarnation of an ancient primal witch. She needs to recruit and essentially use some students in order to regain her full powers. Buffy immediately notices something not right and the two share a strong dislike for each other. While Buffy shares her concern with Giles and the rest of the gang, Crystal is recruiting students to her cause...including Willow. Now the Scoobies have to stop the witch and rescue Willow before she becomes to powerful to stop.
   
   Diana Gallagher has a good feel for the character of the Buffy-verse and the various characters talk and act just as they do on the TV show. Of course part of that is due to the control that Fox puts on the writers of these books. I understand they have pretty tight reins and call for lots of re-writes. The book does bog down a bit in the research phase of things as we learn about Crystals past but all in all it's a good effort and one of the better of the original Buffy novels.

5 comments about The DRIFTER : THE DRIFTER.

1. Here is the description on the back of the book:
   
   "HORROR HOTEL
   Glanton House was Carolyn Baxter's new home, the haunted island retreat her widowed mother was determined to transform into an inn. As if in answer to her prayer, tall raven-haired Joss Whitcomb appeared at their door and offered to be the handyman in return for room and board. But Carolyn was wary. Joss was dark, compelling, dangerous. He was still a stranger, even after he saved her mother from a near-fatal accident. And now they were alone together in the eerie house he seemed to know so well. He knew the legend of a jealous sea captain doomed to kill again and again. But did he hear the ghostly whispers echoing through the halls at night? Did he know the unseen eyes that followed her every move? Who was Joss? Why was he here? How could she trust this devastating drifter when she feared for her life..."
   
   I just finished reading this book, and now I am kicking myself; I almost didn't read it because the cover makes it look stupid! Boy was I wrong! It takes place in an old house up on the edge of a cliff on an island, where Carolyn and her mom have moved after they inherit it from their aunt Hazel. Carolyn's mom plans to turn it into an Inn, but people don't think that will work because of the creepy stories behind it. Then a drifter named Joss comes along, who asks to stay at the big house and earn his keep by fixing up the place. Joss creeps Carolyn out--but at the same time, she can't seem to pull her eyes away from him--and he sure seems to know a lot about the house.



2. this book is such a good book i could barely put it down. i was left wanting it to go on an on. i even ordered other of richies's out of print books online because i knew they would be just as good.



3. Carolyn Baxter's father recently died. Soon after, her mother gets word that her aunt died and her house was left to them. Mrs. Baxter is set on transforming the home -- Glanton House -- into an inn. They need a stronger financial income, so they hire a drifter to fix up the house. This adds to Carolyn's wariness about the house. After all the ghost stories, the creepy housekeeper (Nora), and now the new drifter, what is Carolyn going to do? Joss is tall, dark, and handsome and seems to be there when accidents happen -- rescuing people. Then again, could he be creating them?.....

   "The Drifter" was a pretty good book. I love Richie Tankersley Cusick, but this story is her weakest one so far. It didn't hold my interest at all, and the ghostly scenery didn't intrigue me. While there were a couple thrilling parts, they weren't very shocking or surprising....Cusick just incorporated too many ghost stories, which I didn't like. Overall, especially if you're planning on reading this book, and this book only, you should read it. But, if you're going to read all of Cusick's books, put this one on the bottom of your list!......

   Also recommended:
   a.) "Secret Santa" by D. E. Athkins
   b.) "The Train" by Diane Hoh
   c.) "Slay Bells" by Jo Gibson
   d.) "Starstruck" by Richie Tankersley Cusick
   e.) "Vampire" by Richie Tankersley Cusick
   f.) "Double Date" by Sinclair Smith
   g.) All R. L. Stine young adult thrillers
   h.) All books by Joan Lowery Nixon




4. this was the first book i ever read by RTC and i loved it! You could practically fall in love with the characters. Ever since I read the Drifter i've been collecting all her books and now i have all of them except for El Dia de Los Incents. I really need to get my hands on the new one wich will be comming out soon"the house next door" All RTC's books are great i recommend all of them but especially The Drifter, Summer of Secrets, Trick or Treat, Someone at the Door, and The Lifeguard.



5. The Drifter is a book about a girl named Carolyn. Her dad reecently died and her and her mom are left with only eachother to relie on. They are having Fincanial problems and are basically in a money pit. Suddenly her mother finds out that Carolyn's Aunt Hazel died and that she left her huge masion. This was like a calling for Carlyn's mom, and she jumped on the oprtunity to go and start over there. She had her mind set on making this huge masion a Guest house, and maybe that would bring in some money. The next think Carolyn's knows it, she is sitting in the living room in the old creepy masion. She wasn't very close to her aunt, but she remembers her being a little crazy. The house was old and scary, and had something about that just told her that there was something else happening in the house that she didn't know about just yet. A boy named Nick showed up on her door that day. He was dropping off some groceries from the only grocery store in the whole town and started telling her about what really happened to Aunt Hazel and what's going on in the house. He said that nobody really knows how Aunt Hazel died, but the old, quiet, evil house keeper, Nora, found her by the sea cliffs by the house. The cliffs were practically next to the house and with all the fog from the roaring sea next to the house, the fog made it hard for somone to see where the cliffs are. They believed that Aunt Hazel slipped and lay there for hours and finally gave up. Poor Nora found her there, too. The Nick told her legends of a sea captian leaving his wife to go to sea and she fell in love with someone else while he was gone, becaus eshe thought he would never come back, like he promised. But when he did he got so mad that he murdered the two of them in the Widow's Walk, the balcony on the top of the house. In the next few days she became more and more scared of the frightening house, and wierder and weirder things were happening. One colf foggy day a stranger showed up in the house. He wanted a place to sleep and promise to help around the house to get it ready for the Guest House, Carolyn's mom was so excited she put him up for the night right away, with no hesitation. Joss stayed with them and worked around the house like he said, but there was something about him that made Carolyn a little uptight around him. He had deep, black, slanted eyes that made her throat get a knot in it. Still, strange and horrible things kept happening in the house, and Carolyn was convinced that the legends and stories were true, but nobody would belive her. People around her weree getting hurt, noises were creepoing trhough the house, and things were alwyas showing up and disappearing. She knew something was going on, and she, herself was now on the verge of death, and the truth was unraveling. Who was causing all this and were the stories true???

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

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



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



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



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



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

5 comments about Cold in Summer.

1. Tracy Barrett's Cold in Summer follows the story of Ariadne as she and her family move from Florida to Tennessee, uprooting all Ariadne has known and thrusting her into an unfamiliar, country environment. Expecting to hate it in Tennessee, Ariadne is intrigued when she meets a strange girl named May who seems to slip in and out of her life with ease and is never seen by anyone else. Or is she? Just who is this May, and why do people clam up whenever Ariadne asks about her?
   
   Barrett's story is well done, with just the right touches of creepiness and mystery to keep the pages turning. Ariadne is a typical pre-teen looking to fit in, and her interest in both May and the area builds as the story progresses. Barrett does a good job of pulling the reader in and keeping you intrigued as she carefully reveals May's tragic tale; only at times did I feel some of the scenes inserted seemed unnecessary in advancing the storyline. Being from Tennessee, I was pleased to see Barrett's enclosure of local tales as well as a few myth-busting insertions. This book is fun and just right for pre-teens looking for creepiness that is not overwhelming.



2. Tracy Barrett has created a wonderful, enthralling read for young adults and adults! I always try to pre-read fiction before giving it to my daughter, and found this book incredibly intriguing. Once I started it, I couldn't stop! I read into the night, woke early to read before breakfast, had it in the car in case I got stuck in traffic, and hid it on my desk under my work to finish it. Truly a "can't put it down" book.
   
   The story is realistic and set in modern times, but highlights the deductive reasoning of an intelligent 12 year old girl to solve a mystery over 100 years old. There's no witchcraft or wizardry necessary - just a wonderfully written, imaginative story that draws you in and won't let go until you've finished the book.
   
   I would highly recommend this book to anyone.



3. In this book Tracy Barret has excellent writing that took me into a whole other world where I could see the characters and feel the surroundings. I deffinetly would recommend this book. At first one would think "Oh I already know this. Why read the rest?" I promise it gets good. It tells you May is a ghost but the suspense is thrilling and really rewarding at the end.
   * . * . *
   Ariadne just moved from Florida into a small rural town in Tennessee where everybody knows everybody. Ariadne misses what she calls "home". May who has lived there all her life is "lost" and counts on Ariadne to get her "home". Many people have tried to help her but can Ariadne be the one to do it? I promise you will understand EVERYTHING once you read the book!



4. The book Cold in Summer is about a girl named Ariadne. She moves from Florida,the best place on earth,to Tennesse. The town is so rural and everybody knows everyone. One day when Ariadne feels sad a strange dull-looking girl named May Butler comes to her! May tries to help her,Ariadne wonders if she's the only one that see's her! A few people have but it was nearly 100 of years ago. Ariadne's social studies project helps her find the truth about her strange and mysterious friend. She wil do anything to find out the truth,even a life and death situation/conflict!



5. 
   "Cold in Summer" is a short and fast-moving fiction book set in the small and rural town of Dobbin, Tennessee. It is told from the point-of-view of twelve-year-old Ariadne has just moved with her family from her childhood home in Florida. She's missing where she grew up, her best friend Sara, and the familiarity of her old home.
   One day after swimming in the lake Ariadne encounters an odd, quiet girl who dresses in old-fashioned clothing called May Butler. There is something extraordinary about May, she seems to appear when Ariadne is lonesome and then swiftly disappear. Ariadne feels a more of a connection with May than any of the other girls she has met in Dobbin. Ariadne is curious about this out of the ordinary girl and soon finds out that May is trapped, in a place where it is "cold in summer and warm in winter", and is not able to get home. Ariadne can relate to this emotion of being stuck somewhere you don't desire to be and knows that she has to help May. While doing research for a school assignment, and with some assistance from other's stories, she begins to uncover the truth behind an unsolved mystery of the past.
   The book was cleverly written because it combines the stresses and problems of moving to somewhere new and trying to fit in and also has a dark mystery involving the past. The story was unconvincing in parts because Ariadne was slow to understand things and you know what is to come early in the story. A lot of the character's and details were described in little detail and it was difficult to imagine the story really happening. However, I liked this book because a lot of people, including me, can relate to the way Ariadne feels when her family suddenly decides to move.
   I chose this book to read for my assignment in L.A. mostly because the front cover stood out, there is a girl who is partly transparent looking out from behind the trees, and I wondered who it was and what the title meant, so I checked it out.
   This would be an enjoyable book for someone who likes ghost and mystery stories and wants an easy read.