5 comments about Ghoul Trouble (Buffy the Vampire Slayer).

1. GHOUL TROUBLE
   
   John Passarella (2000)
   
   RATING: 3/5 Stakes
   
   SETTING: Third Season
   
   CAST APPEARANCES: Buffy, Willow, Xander, Giles, Angel, Cordelia, Oz, Joyce, Principal Snyder
   
   MAJOR ORIGINAL CHARACTERS: Skull John (vampire boss); Carole Burzon (school counselor); Troy Douglas (Cordelia's ex-boyfriend); Solitaire (main villain); Lupa, Carnie, Nash, and Rave (ghouls)
   
   BACK-OF-THE-BOOK SUMMARY
   
   "Something wicked has been preying on Sunnydale students--and whatever it is, its methods are pretty gruesome. Buffy locates some human bones that have been picked clean, and knows that she's dealing with an unearthly evil. Some help from the Scooby Gang would be ideal, but they've run into trouble of their own. Oz and Xander are literally (perhaps unnaturally) mesmerized by a hottie new chick band headlining at the Bronze, and Willow has been captured by Sunnydale's latest resident carnivores. What they need is the Slayer. But in order to help her friends, Buffy must first dust a vampire--one that has an urgent interest in Joyce Summers, the unique ability to resist sunlight, and an open invitation to the Summers' house . . ."
   
   REVIEW
   
   Ghoul Trouble is comprised of two distinct threads. The first is the arrival of Solitaire in Sunnydale, an ancient vampire with the ability to resist sunlight and a penchant for fighting duels against the toughest warriors around; naturally, he decides to see how tough Buffy is. The second plot is the arrival of a pack of flesh-eating ghouls disguised as a girl band, intent on both adding a new member to the band and conducting a special ritual by eating a Slayer's heart.
   
   The Solitaire thread is by far the worse of the two. In a stunningly clichéd opening chapter, we see Solitaire crash a biker bar and kill thirteen bikers to demonstrate to the reader how tough he is; for a similar purpose, he kills a local vampire boss by the name of Skull John and beats the crap out of Angel. The problem is that Solitaire has absolutely no personality to speak of--indeed, his only peculiarity is the even more clichéd habit of leaving playing cards on the bodies of his victims. His kidnapping of Joyce to lure Buffy into a fight is right out of season three's Helpless. Fortunately, the final battle between Buffy and Solitaire has some good action sequences and at least one good surprise.
   
   Although also not an original idea, the scenes involving the ghoul band are better written and more fun. There are some good moments where Xander is (once again) seduced by demons, and a very funny scene where Willow and Xander discuss the pros and cons of her eating his flesh to become a ghoul. Angel, Cordelia, and Oz all receive some attention and good characterization.
   
   Overall, Ghoul Trouble is a slightly below average Buffy book. The poor Solitaire plot is balanced to some degree by the better ghoul plot. Not one to seek out, but perhaps worth reading if starved for some Buffy action.



2. A couple of games of let's pretend are to be found here. A band of ghouls pretending to be a band of girls, as in a rock band.
   
   A demon pretending to be a Daywalker, as in the Blade variety. A non-vampire demon, that is. The former likes to recruit new band members and eat blokes, the latter just likes to beat people with reputations to within a negative inch of their lives.



3. Ghoul Trouble is definitely one of my favorite Buffy books. This season 3 book has all the characters acting just like they do in the show, and it has a great plot line too. I liked that the 2 villains tried to kill Buffy the same night and she had to chose which one to fight first. Vyxn, the girl band who are really ghouls, and Solitaire, the vampire who can walk in sunlight, both make great bad guys. The ending is a total surprise which mades a wonderful twist in the book. If you're a fan of Buffy the Vampire Slayer, you have to read this book. It's really that good. Also, if you've never read any Buffy books before, this is a great book to get started on.



4. First off, if I could give this book more than 5 [star]'s, I would. I am 11 years old, and a Buffy fanatic. I strted watching the show on BBC2, in 1998, when it debeauted, and was instantly hooked. When I saw an advert for the Buffy book 'The Remaining Sunlight' I went looking. But, instead I found the novel 'The Harvest.' TRS is a graphc novel, but TH was a novel. I read it in a week and loved it. I knew then that I had to collect all of the Buffy books. I now have several. Well, Ghoul Trouble was by far one of the best. The plot is excellent, the writing style is superb and the action is great. It is also good because ther are two villains, Solitaire and VYXN, the band of ghouls. I like the action scenes of Buffy the best and in here, the fights are so well described I could see a clear picture in my head of what was going on (especially the bar fight at the start! COOL!)
   I recommend this book to any Buffy fan, newcomer of avid fan. It is a fantastic book and should be read. For plot, fighrs and drama, I personally give this book 100%!
   PS. I also recommend 'Immortal', 'Revenant', and 'Prime Evil!'



5. When I'm twenty pages into a book and already asking myself if the author's written other stuff and where can I order it, that's usually a good sign.

   Passarella does a superb job of capturing the feeling of the series, down to the odd, syncopation of the individual characters' speech patterns. The plots are handled well, in general, and while characters behave as you'd expect them to, there are still a few surprises.

   My only complaint is with the Solitaire sub-plot. This day-walking vampire idea was great, I loved it, and then there was this added twist and I was wondering what would happen and then . . . well, I don't want to spoil the book, but let's just say that plot thread ends rather more anti-climactically than was necessary.

5 comments about A Deadly Game of Magic.

1. On their way back from a competition four teens find themselves stranded at a stranger's house due to car trouble. The man who let them in to call a mechanic tells them to lock up when they leave as he and his wife are headed out to a party. You immediately get the feeling that something is not quite right here. From this point on things really start getting suspenseful. You wonder, are they alone in the house? this was a great read. However, due to a lot of unanswered questions I only gave this book a rating of 4 out of 5.



2. As an avid suspense and horror reader, the title, "A Deadly Game of Magic", immediately caught my attention. However, when reading this story, the expected feeling of thrill and suspense was replaced with discontent and regret.
   
   In this story, four friends become stranded in, what they believe is, an abandoned house. The friends, Lisa, Teena, Julian, and Bo explore the house, and they find a room full of magic props. Strange things begin to happen, such floating balls of light. These magic tricks start to become more dangerous as the book progresses. The friends predict that the previous owner of the home (and magician), The Great Chamberlain, is in the house trying to scare them. Can the friends escape the house unharmed?
   
   If you enjoy the plot of a book to keep you guessing, avoid this book. This story was very predictable, and it followed a cliché plotline. The predictable plot is a result from the unoriginal events in this book. The storm, phone dying, and power outage are very overdone happenings in the land of suspense and horror. These unoriginal events take away from the suspense and thrill this book had the potential to have.
   However, one reason you should read this book is because of its length. It is a quick, easy read, with just over 200 pages and larger-sized font, making it simple to read.
   
   In all, this book lacked originality and a suspenseful plot. However, the short length of the book made it easy to get through. When deciding to pick up this book, determine if you would rather have a simple-read, or a book with substance. If you would rather have a book with nail-biting, heart-pounding, sitting-on-the-edge-of-your-seat suspense, then I would advise you to stay away from "A Deadly Game of Magic".
   
   -Lindsey W.



3. Four students try to return home from a school debate contest, and thankfully four return, but not in the best shape. On there way back they get caught in a terrible lighting/thunder rainstorm. Where they then are forced to finally give up driving all night long to return home and stay somewhere. They stop at a house and meet the owners, but to the students it seems that it really isn't people's home. The people seemed really anxious to leave and were what it looked like in a hurry. What where they doing there? And why? The people leave and let them stay .Later they hear noises and find clues that are finally put together and solved to reveal that they aren't the only ones in the house. Throughout the book there is a conflict between the four students and one mystery person in the house that won't leave them alone until they finish his Deadly Game of Magic.



4. This is one scary book. Four teenagers driving home from a speech and drama tournament in a blinding rain storm are stranded by car trouble north of Dallas. They're let into a home to call for help, but the man and woman they meet there almost immediately leave for a party. Left on their own to wait for a mechanic, the kids begin to think that the couple who let them in may not in fact be the owners of the house. And they begin to suspect as well that there's someone else in the house with them. When the storm knocks the power out, plunging the foursome into darkness...well, like I said, this is one scary book.
   
   Joan Lowery Nixon's YA novel, originally published in 1983, isn't entirely successful. The occasional conclusion is jumped to without sufficient evidence, and the dialogue can be clunky. Also, Nixon's protagonists tend to say things and otherwise behave in ways that aren't credible given the context. For example, when it's pitch dark in a strange house that you think may be haunted and/or inhabited by a killer, and when there's a room down the hall in which you suspect there just might be a dead body, you don't react to finding an old scrapbook with a cheery cry of, "This is terrific! Look! Photographs!"
   
   What's particularly impressive about A Deadly Game of Magic is how Nixon manages to instill the story with dread. We aren't told specifically what's wrong with the behavior of the couple whom the teenagers first meet in the house, for example. But there's something off about it. We sense it just as well as the teenagers do, and we want them to get out of there as soon as possible. But of course they don't, and things just get worse from there.
   
   While facing their fears in the house Nixon's protagonists reveal their back stories. They are all bowed down, in various ways, by their parents' expectations for them. Battling evil in the house, we are to understand, will also give them the courage to choose their own paths in life. This is the uninteresting part of the book, the part that's meant to make the story relevant to its underage readers. Maybe they'll like the character development and maybe not; for sure they'll like the main story line.
   
   Highly recommended to its intended audience and as a quick read for adults. But don't read this one right before bed.



5. It was okay.... i guess. I'm just not to sure. Its about these kids whos car breaks down so they enter this house and some really weird things happen... including a disenbodied hand and a glass head and a mysterious back room... and some dissappeirenses of a dog, a boy and wheres the owner of the house? Is their anyone in the house with them? Do you want to know? Read a deadly game of magic.

5 comments about Dangerous Girls.

1. It might be just me but...the way he wrote this one made me queezy. I didn't like how Renz was obsessed with "His Laura" I also didn't like how the plot was repeating...Destiny goes and almost dies then livvy does .. then destiny.Boring.



2. This is just my opinion, but I like how suspenceful it is. I like the Characters and how they are different from each other. It was a little confusing. I couldn't figure out why Renz thought that biting twin sisters Destiny and Livvy would bring his girlfriend back. But I love how twins are involved in the book. I want to read it AGAIN. It was gripping and interesting. At times it went slow-paced, and that's okay, but occasionally it went too slow-paced for me. This is the first R.L. stine book that was about vampires that I have read, except for the "Goosbumps" series. Good Job R.L. Stine!



3. I LIKED it, but it didn't have as much vampire things happening in it. Also, the vampire things weren't very detailed. Vague detail. It had some exciting parts that i loved, but it didn't have much to it. It was too breezy.



4. Destiny Weller and her twin sister Livvy came back from Camp Blue Moon with a thirst for blood. Now they're drinking animals blood at night.
   Two of their friends were found dead with their blood drained.
   WIll they find the Restorer to bring them back to normal? Will the Vampire Hunters find them and kill them???
   Very good book I read the whole thing on a four hour plane ride. It was a little bit girly. The ending was kind of sad. I can't wait to read Dangerous Girls 2 The Taste of Night.
   --Scott Schaeffer age 10



5. The novel "Dangerous Girls" is highly recommended for anyone who enjoy the paranormal and fantasy creatures such as, in this case, vampires. The book is cleverly written, and contains good, various bits of suspense, explanatory descriptions, normal life contra fiction.
   One of the very best teenager books of R.L. Stine that I have ever read, and I have read at least 40, I believe.

5 comments about The Locker.

1. I read this book when I was about 8 years old (I always read at a higher level) and this book had such an impact on me that I still remember it. The Locker was so horrifing and the characters were so real, I couldn't put it down and I read it multiple times. I'm now 23 years old and I'm ordering this book so I can enjoy the thrills again and again. A must have for any library.



2. i just finished reading this book, and just had 2 tell someone how good it was. it was a bit slow, but the ending was so good. u never see it coming! richie tankersly cusick is my favorite author, ive bought almost all her books, and im making it my goal 2 read them all by the end of the year. her books r so good, i recommend them to older ages though, maybe 12 at the least because it can be bloody @ sometimes. very very good book :)



3. oh my god, i'm 12 years old and this was one of my favorite books RTC wrote and it was GRADE A+ TYLER WAS SOOOO SWEET hahaha i wasn't really surprised at the ending though sorta... i did a book report on this book and got an A+ defenate reading book, read this book, you won't be mad



4. This book is in one word amazing! I have always found richie the best author out there and this book explains to me again why. She is the only person who knows how to scare you like hell. She makes it seems so real that you feel like, you yourself are the main character and you are living the situation yourself and that is frightening. Especially the bit in the kitchen of Suellens house was so frightening I felt chills go down my spine, I was there I was in that kitchen and I felt the fear the main character felt. Richie has this incredible way of describing things, describing it so real that sometimes you've got to stop reading. This book was amazing!



5. The Locker was great! It is the only one of her books that I've read that was written in first person. It makes you more invovled in the book and more involved with the characters. Cusick creates excellent, believeable characters.

5 comments about Camp Out (New Fear Street, Book 2).

1. Camp Out was a book with many action. Even if the killers wer pretty obvious when one of their companions ends up dead, this book managed to keep me on the edge.



2. Three girls, who are best friends, are going camping. It is supposed to be an "all-girls camping trip" with no guys. But on the trip they meet guys who want to hang out with them; will they be able to turn them down?
   
   On the camping trip, scary and dangerous things happen, but I will not tell you what happens so that I don't ruin the book for you. Will the girls pull through, or will they be victims?
   
   There were too many boring "adventures" for me in this book. I don't care about rock climbing or white-water rafting. I didn't see a real deep plot, even taking into consideration that this is a teen book. I wouldn't have liked it any better if I had of read it as a teen, because I've never liked boring adventures.
   
   My favorite R.L. Stine books are "Hit and Run", "The Rich Girl", and my very favorite, "The Babysitter" (I-IV).



3. This could be one of R. L. Stine's most terrifying tales being that it has no supernatural elements and the evil within is purely from humans thereby making it very realistic. I say could have been and not is, because the story is very predictable. At the end of every chapter, which are only a couple of pages at most, something happens in the form of a cliff hanger, then the very first sentence of the next there's a twist and its not what the former chapter implied. This is a good thing for any story but only when it's done in moderation. The fact that every chapter you are reading has a twist has the reader knowing the next one will have one as well. The twists are pretty easy to work out when you are on the look out for them thereby eliminating the point of the twists, surprising the reader.
   
   It's a good basic tale, not completely original mind you but a good tale to give anyone to read in their tent if they're going camping or on a hiking trip. For those who are new to reading at this level, the twists may well be surprising but anyone who has been reading for a while whether at this level or not will probably not be too satisfied.
   
   If you have no idea what Camp Out is about it's the tale of three high school girls who plan a hiking and rockclimbing trip alone to get over failed relationships. The story is told through the eyes of one of the girls, Maria who is the reluctant one of the three to rough it in the great outdoors. They refuse an offer by three boys their age and a bit older to join them and set out alone. Soon their lives are threatened over and over again. They soon run into the boys which brings comfort for them all. If they think the threats to their lives are over, they are dead wrong!
   
   If you don't mind predictability then you will really enjoy this book. If not you'll still enjoy it, but not to any great extent.



4. This book was good ! It was one book which was full of tension.



5. This book is supposed to be a mysterious thriller. I didn't like this book because it said it was a thriller, but it wasn't. It is exciting because of the killing, but it was too far-fetched and it would never happen. The book seemed like it had no plot to it at all. I liked the language in this book, but the grammar in the dialogue was really bad. The characteers didn't fit in with the book. That is why I thought it was dumb.

5 comments about M. Night Shyamalan's The Sixth Sense: A Novelization.

1. Title:Sixth Sence
   
   Author: M. Night Shyamalan
   
   Genre:Fiction
   
   Authors purpose:entertain
   
   
   summary:It's about a little lad named Cole. He lives with his mum.He goes on a field trip and sees the plane crash. Then he can see the people who died in the plane crash and many more. At first he trys to aviod them but, then he finds out all they want is help.he trys to hel[ as many of them out as he can. If he does do that he may have a chance of saving the only survivng passenger in a comma.
   I think you should read this book because it's a non stop thriller. It will have your eyes nailed to the page.you will be suprised wiht what will happen.



2. After seeing and loving the movie, I had to check out the book. Very well done. This is one excellent story. Good job Mr. Shamaylon.



3. Unlike most of you that read this book, I never did see the movie, so when I picked this up I knew virtually nothing about the story. Although it does have its suspenseful moments, I would not classify this as a "horror" story. Not a slasher tale, but a VERY emotionally moving tale about the preciousness of life. I found it extremely well written with some rather unexpected plot twists.

   As you probably already know, the story is of a young boy named Cole, who claims, "I see dead people", and his therapist, Malcom who believes at first that he is only treating an emotionally disturbed young boy. As a side part of the story Malcom has a wife he deeply loves and is trying to rescue their marriage that he feels has grown cold due to the fact that he has been consumed with his work and not been there for his wife as he was in the early part of their marriage. Any more details and I would spoil the book, so enough said.

   This book was published by Scholastic, which would lead one to believe it is a children's book. I am 40 years old and enjoyed it immensely. It kept me up until 2am to finishing it off and now here I sit with bloodshot tired eyes typing this review the morning after.

   All ages will enjoy this one.

   Thanks for reading,

   TRW




4. I Love this book so much.I started to see dead people in the end.
   I like when he's hiding in his red draped tent.This book is way beter that the movie,because the movie had some flaws.
   C.O.O.L.!



5. It is a scary and touching story about Dr. Malcolm Crowe and Cole Sear. Dr. Crowe is a distinguished child psychologist. Cole is a frightened, confused 8 years old boy, which always see dead people in everywhere. A short time later, Dr Crowe believes what Cole said and tells him to listen to those dead people as they may be needs some help.

   As Cole always saw dead people that are really scared, it makes you feel afraid also.You will be consumed by the in-depth descriptions of these lost spirits and how Cole and Dr. Malcolm Crowe deal with them. You will join the way of Cole to find out why these spirits come to him and how he will get rid of them. He touched my heart that he was a small child and facing so many scared dead people and how mature he was. The ending of the story is really surprise. If you don¡¦t read the book, you really can¡¦t guess about the ending. I Love this book also I am sure this is a good book for you to read!

5 comments about Hellboy: Odd Jobs.

1. Another good Hellboy book, like Odder Jobs, this has a reasonable number of Mignola illustrations throughout.
   
   There are some good stories here, including one with Bigfoot, some remniscing over a lost colleague because of a scarecrow demon, an encounter with a Medusa, and a ratboss that wants to help the BPRD for employee services reasons.
   
   Hellboy Odd Jobs : 01 Medusa's Revenge - Yvonne Navarro
   Hellboy Odd Jobs : 02 Jigsaw - Stephen R. Bissette
   Hellboy Odd Jobs : 03 A Mother Cries at Midnight - Philip Nutman
   Hellboy Odd Jobs : 04 Delivered - Greg Rucka
   Hellboy Odd Jobs : 05 Folie a Deux - Nancy Holder
   Hellboy Odd Jobs : 06 Demon Politics - Craig Shaw Gardner
   Hellboy Odd Jobs : 07 A Grim Fairy Tale - Nancy A. Collins
   Hellboy Odd Jobs : 08 Scared Crows - Rick Hautala and Jim Connolly
   Hellboy Odd Jobs : 09 Where Their Fire is Not Quenched - Chet Williamson
   Hellboy Odd Jobs : 10 I had Bigfoot's Baby! - Max Allan Collins
   Hellboy Odd Jobs : 11 The Nuckelavee - Christopher Golden and Mike Mignola
   Hellboy Odd Jobs : 12 A Night at the Beach - Matthew J. Costello
   Hellboy Odd Jobs : 13 Burn Baby Burn - Poppy Z. Brite
   Hellboy Odd Jobs : 14 Far Flew the Boast of Him - Brian Hodge
   
   Shield support snake lady staking.
   
   3.5 out of 5
   
   
   Hotel hell, bad books and a demon.
   
   4 out of 5
   
   
   Nuke man and lost boy.
   
   2.5 out of 5
   
   
   Ratman wants better conditions.
   
   4 out of 5
   
   
   Soldier's demon suicide.
   
   4 out of 5
   
   
   Captain America analogue and old ally possessed.
   
   3.5 out of 5
   
   
   Fairy's baby snacks.
   
   4 out of 5
   
   
   Scarecrow spirit monster.
   
   4 out of 5
   
   
   Evil congregates.
   
   4 out of 5
   
   
   Drug ring and interbreeding, sasquatch style.
   
   4 out of 5
   
   
   Garden variety skinless horse monster.
   
   3 out of 5
   
   
   Coney Island sea creepies.
   
   3 out of 5
   
   
   Liz learning.
   
   2 out of 5
   
   
   Grendel re-enactment rampage revenged.
   
   3.5 out of 5



2. I gotta start reading the fine print on these titles; I got totally fooled. I thought it was a comic book, just like the titles right above and below it. It's prose fiction. As in short stories. Yes there are some illustrations by Mike Mignola, but I thought I was getting a collection of Hellboy comics! ...



3. The book was better than I had expected. Having read some of the earlier comics where hellboy is first descovered this is a huge leap of discovery. The first of the short stories leads you to read more and more into how hellboy reacts and thinks. His charecter is dimensional having feelings of Good over Evil and cares for his friends more than he would any thing else in the world. It is a good book and would be well worth the buying.



4. Well this book is full of another looks on Hellboy himself and his world. Each story is pleasant and leads to a new contact with the stone handed red tall guy. From childhood to some pretty piece of horror, you'll have all the keys to unlock what was missing to the original comics: a character study...



5. I'll admit that I'm a Hellboy neophyte. Other than this collection of short stories, I know nothing of the Hellboy universe, and I've not even seen any of the comic book issues.

   Fortunately, a detailed understanding of the life and times of Hellboy is not necessary, because the short stories published here serve to provide plenty of background material. In any event, none of the plots hinge upon some fan-boy level of knowledge about our hero.

   To some degree, these stories can be described as a mutation of "The X-Files", except with Scully and Mulder being replaced by a cynical and world-weary demonic hellspawn with a heart of gold and a burning passion to kick butt. Hellboy is, as his name might suggest, literally from Hell, and has been on this Earth since the middle of World War II, when a failed Nazi occult ceremony evidently zapped the young demonlet into England. Since then, he's been helping the BPRD track down and eliminate paranormal threats to humanity.

   Most of the stories, unfortunately, follow a very standard formula: think of a cool ghost story or legend or myth, and then inject Hellboy in the midst. Hence, despite whatever technical merits they might have, Christopher Golden and Mike Mignola's "The Nuckelavee", Matthew Costello's "A Night at the Beach", and Max Collins' "I Had Bigfoot's Baby" are not particularly gripping, and they largely reduce Hellboy to a bystander or an observer, who occasionally throws a punch.

   Other stories are much more successful. Brian Hodge gives us "Far Flew the Boast of Him", which is both horrifying and poignant, and which, with its inclusion of a certain monster, offers a reward for those with degrees in English literature. Stephen Bissette's "Jigsaw" is disturbing and painful and has a beautifully sad ending. In a more lighthearted vein, Greg Rucka's "Delivered" shows that Hellboy isn't always fightin' mad and that not every encounter with the arcane ends in tragedy. And in "A Mother Cries at Midnight", Phillip Nutman explores the Mexican folk tale of the Weeping Woman, and its parallel to the childhood of Hellboy himself.

   The contributions from the other authors are not altogether memorable, but are at least sturdy and well-crafted, although a couple of them really fail to reach a meaningful conclusion.

   Illustrations are provided throughout the text by Hellboy creator Mike Mignola. It's a handsome volume and a good way to pass a dark and rainy evening alone. Certainly, it's provocative enough to make me want to seek out more Hellboy material.

5 comments about Last Act: The Stage Is Set For Murder.

1. Melanie Martin is the new girl in Careville. She feels happy when Susan Trels invites her to play Melissa in Stan Russel's Final Chance. Everything goes as planned until opening night...when someone DOES dies...just as the play said.



2. Melanie is new in town. She's in love with scruffy Marc Hall. She looks up to the cute and popular Susan Trels. And she is anxious to be in the upcoming play because she believes it will be a great opportunity for her. It's directed by Susan and it stars her beloved Marc. The thing is, it also stars Rindy Carpenter. Melanie and Rindy had a little car accident a few months back and Melanie still holds a bit of a grudge against this cool, quiet beauty.
   
   Then there's crazy, yet childishly innocent, Jeramie and sassy, bubble-gum chewing, no-nonsense Tracie. These two provide a bit of humor and color to an already interesting story.
   
   If I'm making these characters seem a bit like bad stereotypes, relax. They are a little stereotypical, but they are certainly not boring. Pike manages to bring them to life on the page. They certainly stayed in my mind long after I put the book down.
   
   There's a few mysteries at the heart of this book. First of all, there's the mystery of Clyde. The other kids talk about him but Melanie doesn't know who he is and what happened to him. Then there's the central murder mystery. I will say that Melanie becomes the main suspect, but I won't say who the victim was because I think that's something that the readers can find out for themselves. I'm not sure if it's a spoiler or not, but I think it's best to leave that as a surprise.
   
   The second half of the book follows Melanie through an amateurish murder investigation where she creates a list of potential killers. She's desperate to clear her name.
   
   This is a decent murder mystery for 13 year year olds. Yeah, the book might feel a little dated to those who didn't grow up with Pike. The ending is not entirely satisfying. Looking back, I realize it was a little simplistic. But I think it's an enjoyable read nonetheless. The characters come alive. There's enough mystery to keep you turning the pages. And the climax is certainly dramatic enough. If you don't let yourself analyze the plot too much, you might find yourself really getting into it.
   
   If you're an old fan of Pike, I think you'll probably like this. I think young readers might too, so long as they know what to expect.



3. Ok, so I love Christopher Pike. I have read all of his books and have enjoyed every one of them except this one. I got the impression that the ending was decided by him at the last minute during writing. The story went VERY slow. The ending was not predictable, but that was only because it was SO unrealistic not beleivable. It could have never happened. I don't mean that in a supernatural sense either because this is not one of his sci/fi books, this story was supposed to be beleivable to the reader and it was far from it.



4. Another great book by Pike. The first quarter of the book just dragged but after that I just couldn't put it down. It was pritty obvious who the killer was but still an all around great book.



5. So I picked up this book only because it was on my shelf, I had nothing better to do, and being the actress that I am, the title caught my eye. I'm so glad it did! This book was really great. I felt that all the charactors seemed real, like I almost new them. (Jeramie reminded me of about every boy that I know and love, and it didn't take me a long time to fall in love with him, but thats another story) I was impressed by Christopher Pike's ability to make the charactors so lifelike. Aside from that, it had great suspence, because at times, you think you know the solution, but Pike proves you wrong. This book has left me with the desire to read more books dealing with murder and mystery in the theater. A MUST READ FOR ALL HIGH SCHOOL DRAMA STUDENTS!

5 comments about The Goodnight Kiss Collectors Edition (Fear Street , Includes 2 Super Chillers Goodnight kiss and Goodnight Kiss 2 ).

1. This my favorite fear street book out of like 100.It combines my 2 favorite things (1)Vampires (2)The Beach.I must have reread this book like 10 times already and i never get bored(even though i kno whats gona happen)I can agree with some other reviews it could have used another 50-100 pages i would i have loved to read more but it is still an awesome book.



2. Goodnight Kiss alex c.
   By
   R.L Stine
   Isbn#0-671-73823-2
   
   The story I read was Goodnight kiss by R.L Stine. The genre of the story is horror/ fiction. The main characters are April Blair a 16 year old girl who is vacationing with her boyfriend in Sandy Hollow , Matt who is April's boyfriend is a immature monster movie loving 16 year old boy, Todd Matt's best friend who is also staying in Sandy Hollow is a shy 16 year old boy who is always thumbing a plastic butane lighter, Gabri is a vampire who is trying to turn April into a vampire, Jessica is a vampire that accidentally kills Todd so then tries to turn Matt into a vampire. The conflict of the story is that two vampires "Gabri and Jessica " make a bet , which ever one that can turn April or Todd into a vampire first wins but in the process of the bet Jessica accidentally kill Todd so then turns her sights on Todd. The climax of the story is when Matt is chasing April and Gabri in a row boat bound four Gabri's lair.
   
   The resolution of the story is Matt thinks he saved April but a few days later there alone and April drinks Matt's blood. Yes I would recommend this book. I would recommend this book because its scary and full of suspense.



3. okay, its been a while since i've read this book and am incredably fuzzy on the details but i do remember how much i loved it. i've read it twice at least. R.L. Stine was my favorite author back in middle school and as sad as it may be i still enjoy reading them. If i have nothing better to do than i'll borrow one of my friends old books or one of my own and finish them in a couple hours. I highly recomend the Goodnight Kiss books for any young adult horror reader or any of Stine's books for that matter. I'm actually about to dig the book out of my basement to re-read just for fun.



4. This book rocks. I read it two years ago and I still remember it because it was so good. I read it three times. The plot is all twisted in itself at the end. The ending is so surprising.



5. This book is really good you really get into it and i enjoyed reading it.....that is...........before i got to the ending! The ending is the most stupidest thing i have ever read!

5 comments about Evil Thirst (The Last Vampire, No. 5).

1. The Last Vampire #5: Evil Thirst, by Christopher Pike
   
   Back to her vampire self, in "Evil Thirst" Sita faces a difficult decision. She either has to destroy her daughter, Kalika, or give up a precious child, John, who may be the savior of the human race.
   
   Kalika's actions in the previous novel, "Phantom," cast her as the avatar of an evil goddess, but as Sita ponders her daughter's behavior, she wonders if she can redeem her. Or is she wrong, and Kalika is right? It's a difficult situation for her, a vampire who believes in love and redemption. Can a mother's love overcome a child's evil?
   
   Pike experiments further with New Age ideas as he transposes Sita's past in ancient Egypt with the oracle Suzama against her modern conundrum. The baby John, born to her friend after a mystery conception, is rumored to be the reincarnation of Krishna and Jesus, by a scripture written by Suzama. This may sound a bit out there, but Pike weaves a skillful and fast paced tale with all these varied pieces falling neatly into place.
   
   I think it is best to read the last three books of The Last Vampire series in a row, and not look at them as separate books, to get the full effect.
   
   4/5.



2. Alisa's daughter, Kalika - a bloodthirsty monster is gone. It is Alisa's task to track her down and destroy her. However, Alisa still believes that her daughter is not the monster she can be. She still hopes to save her daughter's life and perhaps the lives of everyone.



3. Oh my God!!! The twists in this book were amazing. I found myself screaming in excitment while reading this. It was so great... just like all the rest of them. This one made me cry at the end:(( I highly recommend the series!



4. In fact I LOVED the entire series! I think I read every book over at LEAST 4 times! I especially loved the character Kalika, loved the way he described her, loved her fathomlessness... I feel speechless right now, I don't even know what I say! That's how good it is... The book is religious, yet not so seriously so that you will punished if you do not agree or w/e, but simply, you'll be sucked so deep into the book you might even smart believing Sita's believes...



5. i read this book in year 7 this year and it is soooo cool! It is full of action as well as sad and happy emotions combined excellently. i think everyone should read it even people who don't read much will love this book. It is one of the best book i have ever read in my life!!!