5 comments about The Baby-Sitter 3 (Point Horror Series).

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



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



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



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



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

5 comments about The Kill (The Forbidden Game, Vol. 3).

1. Seriously, what a comeback after a snoozer the second book was!
   
   Jenny, Dee, Michael and Audrey are playing the final game to save their friends. Only this time they have to find an entrance to the Shadow World to be able to play.
   
   This book is everything I expected and more. We find out more about the Shadow World, about Julian and experience emotional growth of all characters.
   
   The book is scary, intense, and romantic at the same time. The ending is sad but you know it couldn't have ended any other way...



2. I read this book years ago and I remember absolutely loving it. It's taken me years to find it again (I could never remember the title or author). I'm not sure I've ever read a book that has haunted me and disturbed me as much as this one.
   
   A group of teens face an evil, deserted amusement park with rides and objects intent on doing them harm. Jenny, Dee, Michael and Audrey all set out to find Jenny's boyfriend, Tom and her cousin, Zach. Jenny constantly resists the charming Julian and proves herself as stronger than anyone ever thought her to be. Julian, who was introduced earlier in the series as the demanding and ruthless evil Shadow Man, shows that he has a much more caring and vulnerable side. Jenny and her friends face various obstacles and change along the way- their support, friendship and solidarity strengthening each other. The ending is bittersweet and, in my opinion, a tearjerker.
   
   L.J. Smith should really consider writing a sequel to this series! The ending ends with some hope and really, I find the possibilities of what could be done now to be extremely interesting.
   
   (Spoiler) What do you all think would happen IF Julian's name was carved once again? Would he be the same Julian with the same feelings, would he be as Julian was when he was first born, or would be another being entirely? These questions were never fully answered and I would love to know!



3. I do detest the ending however I don't think I'll spoil it for you but never the less still good story.



4. This entire Trilogy is just amazing. I was given a present of the first book when I was about 7 (10 years ago), and I immediately wanted the next two! I fell in love with Julian there and then, and was never able to understand why Jenny didn't just choose him! I've read these books over 20 times, and they're all falling apart. Everybody in the entire world should read them, because you're missing out if you don't. I highly recommend them. The last book is a nice finish, but it's incredibly sad. I wish it had ended differently! (...)



5. In the trilogy of the Forbidden game i thought that the first and third were the best books I've ever read, and although the second was good it didnt even compare to these. I thought the game was great but if I were jenny I'm afraid I would miss out on it because one look and a few words from Julian and I would run away with him straight away. The books were made to be so real that I'm still searching for my own door, call me sad but you have to admit if Julian wanted you, you wouldn't be able to resist!

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

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



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



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



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



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

5 comments about Whispers from the Past (Charmed).

1. One of my favorite shows is Charmed. I think this books helps in the history of the show. If a person enjoyed the show I think the books give an extra dimension to it.
   
   In this book the girls (Prue, Piper and Phoebe)are pulled into the past to save a relative(named Prudence) in Salem.



2. Hi, how are you all? Well I know this book is wonderful! Acually i never read the book charmed but i did read the book so little time, which is by the same author. That was a very good book. So if that was a good book that she wote then this should be good also. The book is very intersting and tells you alot of information and some good heads up and tips. Kids my age would like the book, i would belive..... I might not be giving alot of information right now but the more information you want is right inside the book. So i would suggest to read the book and i think you will injoy it! I also think Charmed is a good book to read too.!.!.!.!.! Well i hope i at least helped you out a little bit. And i hope you read BOTH books because reading is good for you , and just enjoy them! Thank you for taking your time out to read this.



3. I have a penchant for time-travel stories, as they are striking, interesting, not to mention compelling. This book is inevitably one of them. Phoebe being abducted into past by a time-demon during the times of the Salem Witch Trials was huge (amazing)!! I'm not going to reveal details of the story, but what I don't get is that how on earth could the Charmed Ones use their powers in the past, and how the Law of no coincidences is oblivious to the author.
   
   
   But as this is not the tv show, I suppose authors are able to use their imagination freely. My fave bit of this book is how Piper and Prue was under the evil influence of the root tea Prudence drank, given by Hugh, and they acquired amazing powers, which included being "evil" themselves and coming in handy to rescue their sister. I especially like the fact that Prudence did not succumb to the tainted root tea to nearly kill her own descendant, as the power of good always prevails!!! Also, its nice to involve the Charmed Ones' ancestor to this book, as readers somewhat know more about certain witches from the Warren line. Rosalind Noonan did a good job portraying each sister's characters, and how all their different and unique personalities combined together can pack a huge wallop. True to the series, with dry humour added and the Power of Three situation makes Whispers from the Past all the more enjoyable. And the fact that poor Phoebe, despite "stuck playing cinderella", she was determined to stay focused on the path to solving the problem, is also rather warmth-evoking.
   
   In a nutshell: If you like Charmed, there's no doubt you will like this book. Not as excellent as Soul of the Bride, but close. One of my all-time faves. Well worth it!!!



4. Finally, a Phoebe episode [well book] that any Charmed fan can get behind. It's a time travel piece and a family get-together. Need I say more?



5. Fantastic addition to the Charmed series :) Not as good as 'Soul of the Bride' but up there with the best of the books.
   
   I always love a good time-travel story if it's: 1) Well-Written, 2) Believeable. This book gets it on both counts.
   
   The evil piper/prue angle was kinda amusing *ducks* The new powers they got were awesome too (though Piper's was kind of an extension on her stopping tme power)
   
   This book does have a couple errors (Girls using their powers in the past to get home) but considering these books aren't written as fast as the series is ('least most of them seem that way)... we need to give the author's a break. We can't expect them to keep up with the pace/storylines of the show.
   
   Considering SOME of the storylines 'Charmed' has taken, maybe the creators should look to some of these books for plot ideas.
   
   I hope Miss Noonan puts in another contribution to the Charmed series again sometime.

5 comments about Singularity.

1. This is the first William Sleator book I ever had the pleasure of reading, way back in those good ol' jr. high days. And the concept is one that has stuck with me--what is on the opposite end of a black hole?
   
   Turns out it's the possibilities to tinker with time.
   
   The single character obsession makes this book something of a slow read, but the concept is fascinating and there really is nothing wrong with the occasional character development.



2. This is one of my favorite books. I loved it as a middle schooler (the author was actually recommended to me by our librarian!!!). I then re-read it in high school...and then in college...and will definitely read it again in my lifetime (if I can find who I loaned it to!). A book that can be enjoyed at different ages says a lot. The characters are very strong and the story very original. I'm kind of surprised no one tried to make a movie based on this unless it would be hard to do logistically. I thought the brothers' reactions toward each other were very realistic and throwing in the mix the girl character of Lucy made it even better. Highly recommended to people (even if you don't like science)!



3. Every book has something good about it;however,this book has three good things about it. First of all, the charachters act like real people. You can identify with them. Secondly, it is extremely suspenseful. Sleator puts a master stroke with the "mouth", putting an exiting aimosphere in this story. Lastly, I enjoyed reading it. It was fun to read! Obviously, these three things make this book worth reading.
   
   Lulu in CA



4. Everything is faster inside than outside the playhouse! Mrs. Krasner gets a letter telling her that her Uncle Ambrose died and he left everything to her. She and her husband has planned a vacation so they sent their sixteen year old twin sons, Harry and Barry, to go check the place out. When the boys get there, they find a playhouse behind the house. They try to open it and find it's locked. A girl named Lucy, that's about their age, comes over and tells them some stuff about their great uncle. They go inside and Barry finds a key that has PLAY written on it, but when they try that one in the lock to the playhouse, it doesn't work either. Barry ends up finding a key that has HOUSE written on it, but that key doesn't work either. Then, Barry tries using both key (by putting one in after another) and it works. The playhouse is full of spider webs and the floor is coated in dead insects. When they go back outside, Fred, Harry and Barry's dog, is still in the exact same place as he was when they went into the playhouse a few minutes before. They don't really think anything of this and go inside the house. The next day, Harry and Barry decide to clean out the playhouse. After cleaning for a while, Harry goes outside to get the trash bags and the door shuts behind him. When he opens it up a second later, he finds Barry asleep on the bed that's inside the playhouse and the playhouse completely clean. Barry wakes up and yells at Barry for leaving him in there al night, but Harry had only been outside a few seconds. Harry later figures out that the playhouse is a singularity, or a black hole, and that for every second outside the playhouse, a hour goes by inside the playhouse. Barry keeps making Harry mad, so Harry decides that he wants to be the one in command and the only way to do that would be to be older than Barry. Harry figures out that two and a half hours outside the play house equals a year inside it. Harry stays in the playhouse for two and half hours (in Barry's time) while Barry is asleep. This makes him a year older than Barry. When Barry wakes up, he finds that Harry is different. Harry tells him what he did and Barry freaked out. Then, the thing that they have been waiting for to come through the singularity finally comes through. It ends up eating itself. After this, Barry, Harry, and Lucy go inside the playhouse and find a broken stone on the floor. They look outside and find that everything is moving as normal the time zone is no longer there. Lucy leaves and Harry and Barry try to figure out how they are going to tell their parents that Harry is now seventeen. This book has a lot of adventure type stuff, weird stuff, and suspense in it.
   
   Harry has most of the adventure, but some other people do to. Barry and Harry get to go check out their great uncle's house. Their parents go to California. Barry, Harry, and Lucy discover what the playhouse can do. Harry stays in the playhouse for a year.
   
   There are many weird things in this book. The playhouse is weird and that it has a different time zone inside of it. It's also weird because it can transport items from a different universe. It was kind of weird that Harry decide to age himself.
   
   This book is crazy with suspense. It was suspenseful when they were trying to figure out what was going on with the playhouse. The different things to come through the singularity was suspenseful. It was suspenseful while Harry was waiting a year inside the playhouse.
   
   With all of the adventuristic stuff, weird stuff, and suspense, this book was jam packed. It was really good and different from anything I've ever read. I really liked the Sci-Fi stuff, even thought it was a little weirder than I'm used to. I would recommend this book to anyone who like really cool Sci-Fi books.



5. Singularity was my favorite book in middle school. I just read it again for a class in college and I still really enjoy it! Below is a review that I wrote for my class about Singularity that may be helpful. **Just a warning - it gives away the ending!
   William Sleator writes of Harry and Barry Krasner, twin brothers who could not be more opposite. Harry, the narrator of the story, is the scientific, mathematical, timid brother, while Barry is athletic, out-going, and domineering. When the two are sent to their late great uncle Ambrose's farm to house-sit, they come across a very strange playhouse in the backyard. The brothers find out from Lucy, an attractive female neighbor, that the Krasner's Uncle Ambrose was a very creepy man who could make his neighbor's cows dry up and grow feeble over night.
   As a team, Harry, Barry, and Lucy find the keys for the playhouse and being exploring. They soon find that time goes faster within the house, and that there is a portal to another universe that they can see reflected in water in the playhouse's sink. From the portal, strange things arrive such as a small blinking device that Harry realizes must be a clock for another life form. Other things also arrive like a green hairball and a purple furry fruit peel, but the three truly begin to worry when they see a large set of jaws coming through the portal. However, by now, they realize that it will take many days for it to arrive in their world.
   In the meantime, Harry and Barry's relationship grows increasingly competitive, and Harry begins to worry that Barry will go into the playhouse at night and stay in there until he ages enough that they are no longer twins. Harry, who's character by now is getting a little annoying because he is so whiny and insecure, does something startling to both the reader, himself, and, later, Barry: Harry goes into the playhouse. He spends a year in "playhouse time" within the confines of the little shed, but in real time it is only a few hours. During this time, Harry develops a regimented schedule to keep himself from going crazy. This part is more interesting than one would expect. Through journal entries, Harry shares his deepest concerns and theories about his brother, the monster coming through the portal, and about life in general. As Harry ages, he truly becomes more wise and confident in himself, and this mini bildungs roman is exciting to view, as a reader, in such a short time.
   When the playhouse year is finally over, Harry confronts his brother, which is actually only the next morning. Barry's reaction is satisfying for both Harry and the reader. Unlike many readers might expect, however, the brothers actually get along better when Harry is a year older. Sleator does a good job of emphasizing that Barry's new behavior is not just because Harry is now the older brother, but also because Harry has more confidence in himself and is more controlled in his reactions toward his brother.
   That same morning, the monster arrives. As soon as Harry opens the door to the playhouse, the monster violently jumps out, destroying the playhouse and the portal, and consumes itself. Harry explains to Barry and Lucy that it was probably a robot sent to destroy the portal on purpose because it was a danger or an annoyance to have an exposed portal to another universe. Older readers may connect the end of the playhouse's power to the end of Harry's childhood, however, even if they do not fully understand the deeper intentions of this story, it is still an exciting sci-fi journey for readers ages 12 and up.

5 comments about Fear Hall: The Beginning (Fear Street, No. 46) (Part 1).

1. Fear Hall: The Beginning was great. Hope Mathis and her friends stay near Fear Hall. Fear Hall is a dormitory that is miles away from Shadyside. Lately, there have been mysterious murders happening near Fear Hall. This book was wonderful but the murders were gross. Using a baseball bat to rip out someone's ear is way too gross. In this book, you think you know thw killer but the ending will reveal who the killer really is.



2. It was kind if obvious what the problem was a second book was not really neccessary it just kind of dragged.



3. I'm a big fan of the Fear Street series and it's author RL Stine but this book was not so good. I figured out the ending early on and even though it was sorta original I found the book to be boring...so boring in fact that I refuse to buy the second one. Trust me people it's a waste of money...If you choose to read it make sure you check it out of the library..



4. I have just finished reading this book and as soon as I put it down I logged onto the internet, for I feel morally obliged to warn the rest of humanity about this book. I wish it were possible to choose half a star, or even better yet, no star, as a rating for I feel that one star is WAY to generous. The basic plot - guy kills guy talking to girl who he thinks is his gf; is actually gf's roomate wearing her clothes. This happens twice. Why doesn't the girl just stop lending out her clothes? At the end of the book we learn that none of the main characters actually exist, it was all a product of the girlfriend's imagination. What possessed me to borrow another one of Stine's book? I've learnt my lesson, I swear. No wonder there was a letter on the back cover from the author practically begging people to buy the sequel. No thanks. I've already exceeded my recommended stupidity intake for the year.



5. i have read (...) stines's books, and by far this book is the best, without a shadow of a doubt! i can't really tell you too much about it or it would kill the point in reading it, but you have to get ths book!

5 comments about The House Next Door.

1. this is my favorite book of all time, which for me is saying something because i have read sooo many books and i'm only 19!
   i love the links that twins share although i am not much of a romance fan, i do like when time travel is involved.



2. I'm 12 years old and I normally don't read this type of a genre for a book, but I could not put this book down the whole time I was reading it. This author gave a unique twist to each part of the story which made it an unputdownable book. It had me gasping at every turn this brilliant author took. This book did leave me with some questions, but it was all explained throughout the book, and I had no questions unanswered. The author was very discriptive and made you feel the character's emotions. This book was definintly fiction but still, as I was reading it, I found myself believing the fictional parts of the plot. I definitely recommend this book to anyone, even if they normally dont read this kind of genre.



3. This was a enchanting book. The writing style of the author really appealed to me.
   
   The characters in "The House Next Door" are diverse and fascinating and smart and strong. It's pretty fast paced with a spooky atmosphere, which kept me interested and flipping the pages to see what would happen next. I literally found it hard to put down!!
   
   I loved Meyer's Twilight Series and Sherry Mauro's books, but this one is just as good.



4. This novel tricked us. We expected an adult mystery novel, but instead it was much more like what a teen would enjoy. Very predictable and because of that, boring and a waste of time.



5. The Farmington house next door, is in bad shape, and it is creepy. Emma has always been scared of the house, when her brother bets her that she can't stay in the house for one whole night, if she wins, he asks Val (Emma's best friend) to the winter dance, if she loses, she never lives it down. On a whim she agrees. But it begins to get creepy when she relives the terrible night, and tragedy of two long lovers. It is odd enough that she shares the same first name with the Farmington girl Emma, but she looks just like her, and she feels a specail connection with Daniel a boy they beilved died in the fire. Now it is up to Emma, to put Daniel to rest for once and all. With the help of Charlie and val, she must solve the mystery before the day of the fire that killed daniel and Emma.
   
   This was such a fun read! It gave me goosebumps, but was more exciting then scary, i loved the plot twists and romance!

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

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



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



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

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

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

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




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



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

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

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

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

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

4 comments about Woolvs in the Sitee.

1. WOOLVS strikes me as being a work for a mature reader. It's kind of a picture-book for adults, maybe, which makes it an odd in-between sort of thing (and difficult to market, I suspect) but something powerful and memorable, nonetheless. Both the art and the narration are nicely understated, indirect and ambiguous-- skillfully removing or blurring the boundaries between reality and nightmare. Much is left (rightly) to our imagination- but our hero has an imagination, too. Or does he? The world of the story is a bleak one-- Ben, our orphaned narrator, lives in a deserted post-apocalyptic cityscape, social collapse reflected in the desperate misspellings of his narrative. He obsesses, waking and dreaming, over shadowy predators in the empty streets. He tries to warn his only friend and benefactress, Mrs. Radinski, of the approaching danger. Does she really not believe him? The book, working on a lot of levels and leaving much unexplained, has lured me into repeated readings. Apart from a feeling that the ending is one note off, I find Ben's simple voice more affecting and the pictures more suggestive each time I pick it up.



2. This book makes me want to move to Australia because if books like this can win awards there, I think I could be a successful author. Reading this book is like watching a 30 second trailer to a good movie, except there is no movie to see. The author sets up the characters and the scene and then abruptly ends the book. I mean come on, at least show him finding the woman. There is a fine line between ingenuity and just plain stupid and this book just doesn't do it for me.



3. This is a wonderful picture book for horror fans of any age -- including adults.
   
   The story is apparently about a broken-down society in which food and water have grown scarce, electricity is out, and people are left to fend for themselves. The story is narrated first-person by a teenager named Ben who lives alone in the basement of an apartment building after his family was killed by wolves roaming the city. But these are not ordinary wolves, Ben assures us, leaving me to wonder if he's talking about werewolves. The kindly Mrs. Radinski doesn't believe in any wolves despite Ben's repeated warnings. Then one day she goes missing...
   
   Or maybe there are no wolves. Maybe Ben is a mentally ill teenage runaway whose hallucinations have painted a threatening shadow over the peaceful streets and parks he remembers from his childhood. We can't really tell for sure, because Ben is the only narrator we have, and no matter what's really happening, Ben just isn't all there.
   
   I've read hundreds and hundreds of picture books, but I've never seen one anything like this. The story is told with a genuine sincerity that is made more powerful by the poor spelling, and the dark sketchy illustrations complement the writing perfectly. I'm not sure who the target audience is, but fans of Neil Gaiman's twisted perspective on horror will love this. Buy it for teenagers or adults, or for anyone old enough to appreciate a good psychological horror story.



4. Margaret Wild is one of Australia's most successful, imaginative and challenging writers for children, and Woolvs in the Sitee the bravest to date. It is a beautiful and frightening book, with poetic language rich with unsettling imagery and metaphor. It presents a dystopic post-Western world, in which people vanish and `woolvs' prowl. The exact nature of these woolvs is never quite spelt out.
   
   Nor, for that matter, is anything else: the most striking aspect of Woolvs in the Sitee is the phonetic spelling that forms the voice of protagonist Ben. The device speaks of his interrupted schooling, the disappearance of his family, and mirrors the collapse of his society. Anne Spudvilas' illustrations are spellbinding, full of shadows and menace, amplifying the unnerving and paranoid atmosphere.
   
   The book deserves the awards it has won (and will no doubt win). However, the book is challenging, and I do wonder who the intended readers are. Younger children are not cognitively developed enough to understand the many metaphors and resonances essential to grappling with the text. By the time older children have matured enough to understand the text, they generally reject picture books.
   
   To test the theory I ran the book past my three girls. Each reacted quite differently: my six-year-old Dr-Seuss-fan was terrified; my eight-year-old Harry-Potter-freak was bored; and my ten-year-old, who is mid-way through The Lord of the Rings and attempting to translate the Elvish, was badly irritated by the spelling, which she found made it difficult to read physically. In Piagetian terms, the eldest has moved on from concrete to formal logic, but even so, none of my girls was as excited by the book as I was.
   
   Likewise, I was unable to persuade any of the three to 'read' past the first page of Shaun Tan's beautiful The Arrival.
   
   Is Woolvs in the Sitee then an attempt by adults to push post-modern genre-straddling texts onto children for the children's own good? Is there an intellectual didactic purpose behind its authorship, which is rejected by kids as they reject all preaching? Is the book really aimed at well-meaning, literary parents hoping to broaden their children's minds? These are probably questions which arise whenever children's books break with expectations.
   
   It's refreshing to see a child's book that isn't all pastel-pink fairy-floss and no fillings, but my feeling is that Woolvs in the Sitee is possibly too alienating for many of its intended audience.

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

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



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



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



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



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