4 comments about Midnight Games (Fear Street Nights #2).

1. It was a decent book good suspense. It started off as a little slow and got faster then went to slow and boring and confusing. It picked up and got to be faster and easier to understand.
   I'm going to show you a little bit of the book to get you a little taste of it.
   There were these friends and they heard about this mansion and the family that had lived in the mansion. The family knew all about magic and witchcraft. The wife named Angelica Fear was knew all about witchcraft and had a blue jewel that gave her immortality. So she used it and came back in a body that wasn't hers... It was Jamie's...
   One day Dana Fear came into the town for the summer to spend with her family and Dana is related to the Fears and Bad things started happening and they all blamed Dana ....so read the rest of the book to find out what happens......it'll blow your mind.



2. The horrors continue for the Night People.Jamie's cousin Dana Fear comes to Shadyside to spend her senior year at shadyside high.Yet the Fear name isn't popular at Shadyside and with good reason for the Fears are consider Evil murderers.This proves true with Dana's arrival for evil things start to happen and people are dying.Yet Dana claims she innocent is she?Has Angelica Fear returned?To find out you'll have to read the book



3. Dana Fear can imagine one hundred other places in the world she'd rather spend the rest of her senior year, but imagining won't change the fate that has come ot her. For Dana Fear is forced to spend the rest of her senior year at Shadyside High, with her cousin Jamie. The Fear name doesn't have a very good reputation in Shadyside, what with all of the evil history told about them, so Dana receives a very strange welcome. People either want to get to know her in an attempt to learn more about the Fear's, or they steer clear of her, treating her like a witch. But then she's invited to join the Night People. Dana realizes now that Shadyside isn't so bad when you're getting a buzz with some of your closest friends at a bar called Nights. That is, until the evil strikes again. Soon, the Night People are being picked off one by one. Dana tries to tell everyone that she's innocent, but all fingers are pointing at her. After all, she is a Fear...
   
   Sequels are rarely better than their predecessors, but in Stine's case, MIDNIGHT GAMES outshines MOONLIGHT SECRETS - if that's even possible. MIDNIGHT GAMES, narrated by Dana Fear, introduces a new character who raises suspicion in every scene she appears in. Her high-fashion good looks, and I-could-care-less personality will make her appealing to readers; while the characters from the last book in the trilogy, MOONLIGHT SECRETS, will make readers feel at home with some old friendly faces. Overall, this is a fabulous sequel to MOONLIGHT SECRETS, that screams of more death, blood, and...evil.
   
   Erika Sorocco
   Book Review Columnist for The Community Bugle Newspaper



4. This was a great book. It was fast paced with lots of action, charecter descriptions, and two deaths. I liked Dana, but I wish Angelica had been revieled in the last book, and the ending was kinda wierd. Overall a good book.

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 Witch.

1. At 25.... i still like 2 think back when i was younger and how u used 2 read C. Pike and R.L. Stine.. Witch was one of the BEST Pike novels... It pulls you in and makes u care about whats happening 2 the characters even with the sad endings i STILL LOVED IT!!!! Also my fav was the Remember Me series.. and of COURSE The Last Vampire.....



2. It is a novel that has a sad ending, but it is GREAT! I read in a day; I couldn't put it down, not even for a second.



3. In this hokey, meandering novel, Julia is a girl gifted with a healing touch and the power to glimpse the future. When she sees a vision of her best friend's boyfriend, Jim, shot and bleeding to death, she does her best to keep him out of danger. But then another friend is shot while witnessing a gas station holdup, and Julia and Jim set out to wreak revenge on the gunman. Meanwhile, Julia's best friend discovers that the gunman just happens to be the deranged former boyfriend of Kary, the recently deceased half-sister Julia never knew. Julia's mother--also a healer--had died in an attempt to save Kary's life. In another part of town, a carload of good witches is hot on Julia's trail, determined to keep her from abusing her powers. Typically, Pike's writing is peppy enough to animate his most tangled plots; here, however, his style becomes choppy and unconvincing--unable to sustain the coincidence-riddled story. In addition, the text is littered with sexist one-liners which, along with a humorless running "joke," are as irritating as they are offensive.



4. Not the best of christopher pike, but compared to other books, a VERY decent book...
   
   It shows the good side and the flawed side of each character, showing that no one person is a saint, and no one can be 100% evil.
   
   In the story Julia tried to escape fate, yet in the end it shows she was unable to...
   
   The second half of the book was breathtaking, the whole time, as each event happened, you keep thinking "Why is he doing that? Doesn't she know what's going to happen if she does this?" But the point is they're not the readers, and their decisions are realistically made.
   
   The ending in a way was happy in an overall way, but as a reader, you just can't hope it ended in a fairy-tale way... and that is magical, because you loved the way it ended, you're happy for Julia, yet you can't help but to feel sorrow in your heart.



5. Christopher Pike was a really good at bringing the character's alive in this book. I really felt drawn to Julia's problems and was rooting for her. Although I wish she wouldn't have went after Jim and let Amy get the man. The ending was very sad and I wished it could've ended differently for all those involved.

5 comments about Wicked Willow I: The Darkening (Buffy the Vampire Slayer).

1. This is a Buffy Elseworlds. Everything is the same right up until the point where Willow battles Giles in the Magic Box. Here, she brings down the roof on Buffy and Giles and leaves.
   
   This leaves Giles paralysed in hospital, and Willow off to set up housekeeping with a couple of pets, one vampire, one werewolf. Add a coven, and a power sucking cat demon thing, and Buffy and friends have a lot of problems.



2. I'm glad there was a series of books written abou Willow. She's been in Buffy's shadow long enough. Even though they were best of friends and Willow never begrudged Buffy the limelight, everyone deserves a little attention, even though it's for the bad things we do. It's Human Nature! I haven't finished part 3 yet and hopefully it will end on a happy note! I love happy endings! But it's just "what if" anyway. Excellent read!



3. I really like this trilogy, because I know that there wasn't much time -t.v episode wise- to really take the episodes leading up to the finale where this book goes. I especially enjoyed the killing off of two annoying characters that aren't on the show, (1 of who was a character) and making this person a personal dummy-pet to Willow. Go Willow!
   
   (If you like this type of change of reality, I would recommend The Lost Slayer series - a view into the future of "what if Giles went bad?")



4. This is BAD rewrite of the Season 6 finale when Willow went bad.
   She sets up a place of her own and hangs out with other witches (who arent really witches) and does nothing. She is supose to be all evil but it's not happening. Tara's ghost starts hanging out with her too, and then Willow send all kinds of stupid monsters to attack the Scoobies.
   Then blah blah blah it drags on and then finally a few months later she is rescued by Xander just like in the Tv series. The whole part in between is a huge waste of money and time.
   Don't buy this book, at least not new. Wait for the newer ones to come out, they might be better.



5. "They say that there are millions of alternate life pathways, that each and every one of us generates a new path and alternate persona with every choice we make." Then why does this book cover the exact same ground covered on the television show?
   
   Others have commented on the lazy editing and sloppy proof reading, so I will not delve into them here again, but they are there and distracting to the overall reading experience.
   
   But these are minor, not because they are unimportant, but rather because the story they are obscuring is barely worth reading.
   
   Killing Tara was a stupid concept and one that the writers of Buffy have been justly ridiculed for (not to mention the 15% drop in ratings after she was killed), this book compounds that sin ten-fold by suggesting that this is the only way it could have occurred; Tara dead, Willow insane and evil, a triple out straight out of the "Celluloid Closet". This book is another bit of kindling on the funeral pyre of the positive portrayals of gays and lesbians in the media.
   
   I feel sorry for the teen or pre-teen lesbian that picks up this book looking for an "alternate life pathway" for Tara and Willow only to see the same death, murder and insanity that faces all gays in the Buffy-universe.
   
   Beyond the issues of clichés (and there are more than just a few in this book) there is issue of story. It always comes back to the story the authors and auteur will claim. Well in that case the story is resoundingly poor. It is a thinly stretched idea from the "wouldn't that be cool" school of thought. Great, if you are Beavis or Butthead, but most readers demand and deserve more. This is thread-bare idea stretched over three books. So I guess quantity is better than quality here. Plot points not ripped off of the TV show (which had no business seeing the light of day in the first place) are simply repeated over and over (Oh! Willow is draining more dark magic! Oh no Buffy tries to reason with her and can't stop her!) In the end I wanted Willow to destroy the world so we could be done with this, but alas all bad news comes in threes and so does this dreck.

5 comments about The Dare (Fear Street, No. 21).

1. This is the one of the many books of the Fear Street series, and it's just okay. Fear Street is a series about scary and/or supernatural events that happen to teenagers in a ficitional town called Shadyside. In this book, a shy unpopular girl becomes friends with the in crowd after they learn that she lives next door to a hated teacher and her mom's rarely home.The dare is simple, she's dared to shoot him. Will she do it? If she doesn't, will they still be her friends? This has a pretty good twist ending and gives a good taste of future books in the series.Pulitizer material it's not, but for young teens, or anyone wanting a quick thrilling read, this suits the bill just fine.



2. I purchased this book for my grandaugter. She loved it. I'm purchasing additional books by this author for her.



3. I thought that in this book that you already know who the killer is but you really don't. It was good, not so bad. I think that if i had to choose between this and "Cat" by R.L. Stine. It would be a tie. But it was great and everything and I liked it. I highly recommend this book to everyone.



4. This book was pretty good. I liket it. But it was pretty scary! It was about a girl who lived next door to her History teacher on Fear Street and her friends dared her to kill him with a gun. Then she lets some of her friends come over and then one of them got shot and didn't die. Then the girl gets the gun and tries to shoot her teacher. Then she heard a loud bang. When the cops came her friends were there and she didn't do it after all. They knew that it was the boy from her class because her teacher had a tape recorder and everything was recorded and they thought that the teacher was dead but he still alive.
   
   WHO WANTS TO PLAY A GAME OF TRUTH OR DARE? I DARE YOU!



5. The dare is kind of like a book that you want to read it. I would rate this book a 5 star because R.L. Stine is my favorite author and he's done a great job writing this book. You've gotta read this book. The Dare is about a girl named Jonnah and she can do anything to go out with the school's most popular boy. so when Dennis asks her out, she can't belive it,and she says "Yes!"
   Now Jonnah can do anything to keep hanging around with her cool boyfriend and her cool friends. So when Dennis dares Jonnah to Kill their teacher, she dosen't say "No!" She says "Yes!" Do you think Jonnah is going to do what her COOL boyfriend and frinds tell her to do? If you want to know what is going to happen just read this book and you will be proud of yourself for reading this book. I recommend this book to all those people who likes mysterys and love stories. This is something you have got to read. R.L. Stine ROCKS!!

3 comments about Oddest of All.

1. Master storyteller Bruce Coville continues to wow readers with his quirky tales in this anthology of nine stories that are magical, frightening, hilarious and touching.
   
   ODDEST OF ALL opens with the thought-provoking "In Our Own Hands," in which Earth is given a mind-boggling choice. It all begins in a time set in the future when Johnny, home from college, is getting ready to dig into his breakfast cereal in front of the television. Suddenly he notices that the newscaster has been replaced by a female with blue scales, green hair and huge eyes. Although Johnny and his mother believe at first that someone is playing a joke when she greets the "people of Earth," they soon realize it's no prank. Of course they are terrified, especially after the aliens demonstrate their power. But they soon discover that Earth's inhabitants are being given an opportunity to decide the planet's future. The story's ending will make readers ponder for a very long time.
   
   Most of the collection's tales are fantasy, but "What's the Worst That Could Happen?" is a realistic "horror" story that any teen can relate to. Murphy Murphy is not exactly rolling in good luck (there's that name, just to start with). Will his life get rosier now that his crush, Tiffany, seems to be noticing him, too? How much is Murphy crazy about Tiffany? After she asks if she can speak to him, he is tempted to say, "Your words would be like nectar flowing into the hungry mouths of my ears..." Thus, when Tiffany asks him to take part in her drama club skit, Murphy readily agrees, ignoring for the moment that he suffers from literally paralyzing stage fright, in a setup for hilarious tragedy.
   
   While "The Ghost Let Go" begins as a typical campfire ghost tale, it takes some unexpected turns with satisfying results (Coville fans will likely recognize the intriguing main characters Nine Tanleven and her buddy, Chris Gurley, from three of his novels). "In the Frog King's Court" deals whimsically with the main character's heritage while touching on environmental issues.
   
   We find out why Margaret hates water in the mysterious and evocative "The Thing in Auntie Alma's Pond." Although it's hard to pinpoint a favorite in a collection this entrancing, this is one tale that is sure to haunt readers while giving them a major case of goosebumps. Geoffroi goes to the ends of the earth for the strangest and most perfect present in "The Hardest, Kindest Gift," and the long-ago mystery of a boy's disappearance is solved in "The Mask of Eamonn Tiyado" (this story is truly creepy and another of my personal favorites).
   
   Even in the afterlife, a dead boy manages to continue his lifelong bad habits as we discover in the sizzling "Herbert Hutchison in the Underworld." The collection ends on the perfect note with the high fantasy "The Boy with Silver Eyes," filled with unicorns, talking trees, goblins and mermaids --- as well as a harp-strumming hero.
   
   I sometimes forget how satisfying a book of truly great short stories can be. There's something fine about savoring complete plots in brief snatches; it's like sampling several delicious dishes instead of sitting down to one huge meal. ODDEST OF ALL is packed full of luscious treats. Readers may be hard-pressed to decide if they will gulp them down in one sitting or pace themselves. Either way, they are sure to be reluctant to reach the end of this pleasurable repast.
   
   --- Reviewed by Terry Miller Shannon



2. This collection of short stories by Bruce Coville has something for any kid who's ever enjoyed fantasy, science fiction, or ghost stories. The tales range in length and genre, as well as in level of seriousness. Some address very serious topics, like the fate of Earth as we know it, while others are more humorous, such as one story that deals specifically with the vagaries of being thirteen. All of the stories are compelling tales told about people the reader can relate to and set in worlds you really want to explore.
   
   Some of the stories in this volume seemed like typical horror/ghost tales; "The Ghost Let Go" and "The Mask of Eammon Tiyado" both fit into this category. "The Thing in Auntie Alma's Pond" was a nice change from this typicality that addressed some of the same issues as the other tales from a different viewpoint.
   
   One of my favorite stories in the book, "In Our Own Hands," focuses on a future in which aliens come to Earth, not to take it over and destroy it, but to take it over so that they can improve it for humans, since we have not been doing our part to take care of this world. However, these aliens do appear to be benevolent in their intentions; they announce that everyone on Earth will have the opportunity to cast a vote and decide the course of action that their planet will take. This story deftly addresses important issues of ecology and human initiative while placing the focus not on the environmental message but in the head of an average college-age boy named Johnny who struggles over his own decision about how to cast his vote.
   
   Other notable tales, in my opinion, were "The Hardest, Kindest Gift" and "Herbert Hutchinson in the Underworld"--the former sprawling and poignant, the latter short and sparkling with satire.
   
   I would recommend this book to anyone who has enjoyed Coville before; there's something in it for fans of all of his different series, though the focus is primarily upon stories of the fantastic or the paranormal.
   
   Reviewed by: Candace Cunard



3. Ages 12 and up will relish this fine gathering of nine magical stories by Bruce Coville, who uses the strange and supernatural in a series of astonishing secrets and oddities. Three have never been published before: the result is a fine gathering of chillers that will prove hard to put down - and perfect for middle school leisure readers.

5 comments about Burning Bones.

1. Jenna Blake, assistant to a Somerset Medical Examiner, has just celebrated her nineteenth birthday, and getting over a recent break-up, while at the same time rekindling an old flame with a certain Somerset Police Officer. On top of all of that, she has a new mystery to solve. Innocent people are being set on fire everyday, yet there is no evidence of arson, and there are no witnesses who can say anything except "They just went up in flames." The only possible conclusion is spontaneous human combustion. But that is conclusion is quickly put out, when an unusual turn of events suddenly presents itself, along with an incredible explanation to the deaths of the innocents.

   I was hesitant in purchasing this book, as I was worried that Golden's usual sense of mystery and horror would not be present, since he was writing with a partner, Rick Hautala. Boy was I wrong. This book was just as good, if not better than the previous books in the BODY OF EVIDENCE series. Golden and Hautala's writing was immensely enjoyable alongside one another, and is a treat for all fans of either author. A must-have.

   Erika Sorocco




2. Three people are mysteriously burned to death, two of whom in front of a multitude of eyewitnesses. "How could something like this happen?" is the question on everyone's mind, especially when a member of the Somerset Police Department's own becomes the fourth victim of the flames. Could spontaneous human combustion, the ability of a person to burst into flames without reason, be the cause of these deaths? Or, could a man named Victor Frost have single-handedly murdered these individuals with the touch of a finger?
   I give this book five stars, because it was an excellent mystery that kept me in suspense. The cause of the murders (pyrokenesis) was fascinating, but even more remarkable was the insight of the main character, Jenna. The authors too, clearly demonstrated a keen knowledge of the events that occurred in the novel, making the plot realistic. I would recommend "Burning Bones" to anyone looking for a good mystery with a surprising twist.



3. Three people are mysteriously burned to death, two of whom in front of a multitude of eyewitnesses. "How could something like this happen?" is the question on everyone's mind, especially when a member of the Somerset Police Department's own becomes the fourth victim of the flames. Could spontaneous human combustion, the ability of a person to burst into flames without reason, be the cause of these deaths? Or, could a man named Victor Frost have single-handedly murdered these individuals with the touch of a finger?
   I give this book five stars, because it was an excellent mystery that kept me in suspense. The cause of the murders (pyrokenesis) was fascinating, but even more remarkable was the insight of the main character, Jenna. The authors too, clearly demonstrated a keen knowledge of the events that occurred in the novel, making the plot realistic. I would recommend "Burning Bones" to anyone looking for a good mystery with a surprising twist.



4. Burning Bones was overall was suspenseful, and certainly not predictable. So far I have followed every book, and I do think this was one of the most trivial cases, but what puzzles me is that it is so far from human belief, where all the other books are more murder/ish cases- I'm not ruling out the whole idea, because I do believe anything is possible, but it seems unlikely in the series. But I suppose that's why they wrote it like this??? Overall, the book is great and almost makes me want to be an ME, or at least the assistant, and if like mysteries but not the same old monotonous mysteries, I recommend this book- or any other Body Of Evidence book!



5. Jenna Blake is back for another round, and this time around, things are gonna get hot! When a man bursts in to flames for no apparent reason, Jenna finds herself wrapped up in yet another mystery. The writers take us on a rollercoaster ride, as we watch things unravel, up until the very end, when a vicious killer attempts to take the life of someone very near and dear to Jenna.

   This book follows in the footsteps of its predecessors, and lives up to the standards set by them. If you are a Jenna Blake fan, you will enjoy this book as well.

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

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



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



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



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



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

5 comments about Silent Night 2 (Fear Street Super Chillers, No. 5).

1. The spoiled brat daughter of the owner a department store chain is kidnapped? R. L. Stine is a good writer: by the time the bad guys get
   her we are halfway hoping they will!
   He raises sympathy for the poor guy and his girl who are broke at
   Christmas. It appears this is the second time things have gone wrong for Reva at Christmas. She tries to steal her cousin Pam's boyfriend Victor
   and at her job at the department store she is rude to customers.
   In short we get to dislike her. Pam gets kidnapped by mistake and makes a deal for her life. Ambushed at Pam's Reva is ironically taken to her Father's store. The brother of the first two kidnappers is
   a real criminal type who breaks Reva's arm and knocks out Pam with a slap.
   After escaping from the store room where they are held, they are chased
   until the FBI gets there following a trace of the call demanding money for Reva. As well written as it is the story is kind of more funny that
   scary? You are kind of left thinking that Reva didn't get
   much more than she deserved...?



2. I dont know if any of you all remember a show on Nickeoleon called "sixteen", but the snob on the show who named was amber, is who I used to think of when it came to the Reva character. They are one of the same persona, looks, and even the red hair.



3. As a way to get money and revenge for being fired at Dalby's Department Store, Paul "Pres" Nichols, his girlfriend (Diane Morris), and older brother (Danny) plan on holding the owner's daughter (Reva Dalby) for ransom--except everything that could go wrong does, like kidnapping the wrong girl: Reva's poor cousin, Pam Dalby, one of the few characters who makes a reappearance from the previous book. Almost all the other characters in here are new. Like in the first "Silent Night," Reva isn't in the forefront of this sequel very much (a lot of time is spent on the kidnappers), though she is still as cruel as ever, apparently not learning her lesson from a year ago.

   If you liked this book, then you'll probably enjoy the other two: "Silent Night" and "Silent Night 3."




4. Reva Dalby is back to her mean self and is going to get what she deserves. I liked this book because it reminded me of real life as a teenager and how kids are desperate for money. It was hard to put the book down because it always left you hanging after each chapter. It was funny to read what Reva was doing to people and how sly she was with getting out of trouble. I would recommend this for tenagers who like thrill and suspence.



5. Reva Dalby hasn't changed at all! She still her snobby self from the last book, and even gets in a little trouble herself in theis one! :) That's the great thing about this book! I have read all Silent Night books and alot of other Fear Street books and I would HIGHLY recommend this one because you dont know whats going to happen. It really is a page-turner! THANX!

5 comments about Spike and Dru: Pretty Maids All in a Row (Buffy the Vampire Slayer).

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