5 comments about Shakedown (Angel).

1. Doyle has a premonition about a seismic shift, and when everyone becomes nervous, Angel decides to further investigate this vision. He is led into contact with the Serpentene community, demons who look like humans but who have taken over the bodies of snakes, shedding their skin over time. They live very affluently in their own community and are very fashionable and financially secure as telemarketers. Appearing very gentle and harmless, Angel agrees to protect them from a group of Quake demons, who are out to destroy them.
   
   Cordelia is excited that Angel has taken the case, but Doyle is not too sure. He sets out to find out everything he can about the Serpentenes before they lure Cordelia into their appealing and luxurious lifestyle. Angel is beginning to get a little suspicious as well, and he doesn't understand why this "innocent" group is under attack by the Quake demons.
   
   After some further investigation, Angel learns a little bit more about what is going on between the Serpentenes and the Quake demons. Are the Serpentenes as harmless and gentle as they appear? Does Cordelia end up drawn into the Serpentene community? Don't miss this chilling episode of ANGEL that will be sure to keep you reading at the edge of your seat!
   
   --- Reviewed by Kelly Gagliardi



2. I have yet to be disappointed by any of the Angel novels I've read so far. Very entertaining indeed. The story was awesome.



3. It's usually pretty easy to tell the good guys from the bad guys. Humans are the good guys - demons, vampires, and other ghouls are the bad guys (except Angel and Doyle of course!) This black and white view gets some serious testing when Angel starts helping a group of demons known as the Serpentene. The Serpentene are being attacked by the Tremblors, another group of demons. Angel is treading lightly in the case because he is not sure his new friends are on the level - but he has to act when humans are kidnapped. Angel has to rescue humans, stop the "big one" and figure out who the bad guys are - how hard can that be?

   This was a great Angel novel, but I feel that it lacked the spark that some of the other authors like Christopher Golden have. The nice twists and turns of the novel are very interesting, as are the little insights into the characters. It is not often that you are left wondering who the good guys are - and this novel is one of them.

   If you don't enjoy this novel, don't let it put you off the rest of the series because most of them are excellent.




4. I have only had exposure to Angel in the third season of the TV program, so I've never seen Doyle before. If the author captured his character is acurately as he did Cordelia's, then I've got to track down tapes of these earlier episodes!
   The dialogue in this book was great. Some of the banter between Doyle and Cordy had me laughing out loud. I also enjoyed the struggle Angel had to feel part of the 21st Century - changing with the times is one thing, but it's got to be tough to do for two hundred years! The 80's flashback was absolutely hysterical.
   At first the plot seemed like it was going to be pretty simple, but things got complicated quickly and there's enough twists to keep you guessing. The Angel vs Angelus showdown was cool - hope they try something like that in future epsiodes on TV. This is the only Angel book I've read, so I don't know how it compares to others, but I'd recommend it to any fan of the TV show



5. This book was the first Angel book I read and I thought it was very good.It had mad fight scenes and good one-liners, it even had Wolfram and Hart!Ok,the story:Quake demons attack another tribe of demons called Serpentene.It turns out that the Quake demons are kidnapping people for a ritual and as usual Angel goes to stop them!the demons need people associated with the 4 elements:earth,water,fire,air.It is a great book for people who love the Angel crew.That's all from me.Hope my review helped!

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

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



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



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



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



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

5 comments about Little Things (Buffy the Vampire Slayer).

1. It's like getting an extra episode of Buffy! Not as wordy and detailed as some Buffy books, more light and fun.



2. The plot of this book was much better in theory than it was in practice. This could have easily been a 5 star PG-13 book with imagination & better writing skills. In fact, the whole concept of fairy vampires, would have made an excellent TV episode ranking up there with Season Five BTVS "Buffy vs. Dracula". The prologue itself was GREAT! It was CLASSIC Buffy. The essence of the show was captured in the perfect light in this chapter. The bad part was, none of the main characters were in it. I won't give away too much about the prologue so as not to spoil it for future readers. Sadly, the book itself, was written at a reading level & pace best suited for middle school students. I wouldn't recommend this to any adult who is easily bored.
   
   The author did a reasonable job of bringing some of the characters to life, while failing to bring out the essence in others. For example, in Chapter 2, Xander & Buffy were fighting a Tyrloch demon. Xander said "So...now we know what it would look like if the Incredible Hulk and the Statue of Liberty ever had kids". Given the description of the demon, this was absolutely hilarious and had me laughing into the next page. My laughter was cut short when Buffy made a stupid out of character comment to the same demon "are you evil or do we have a failure to commnuicate?", Gimme a break. This went on throughout the whole book.... a great one-liner followed by a stupid one-liner. Similarly, there were some good monents, and bad ones with Anya. Anya was portrayed a bit too ditzy in this story. The Scooby gang had several meetings about the fairies and Anya kept it quiet for too long that she had first hand info on them... it didn't make any sense. Even Anya is not that dumb. In a normal episode she would have immediately come forth with her knowledge. For any media-tie in book to work, the author must have the essence of all the characters down pat or it just won't fly with the fans.
   
   As the old saying goes, I try not to judge books by their covers. I did find this cover mis-leading. If you are looking for a book featuring Spike, this is NOT for you. Spike had a few good scenes, but nothing to get excited about. A cover with the whole group would have been more fitting. I would have also liked to have seen more sparks between Buffy and Spike. Featuring Spike on the front cover was done to help sell more books. Period.
   
   It kills me to give this book 2 stars. If it weren't for the concept of the fairy vampires I doubt it would earn any. I can't help but think some of the people who are rating this a 4 & 5 star book are either very young studnts who don't know any better OR they are adults who are rating it high because Spike on the cover! If you are going to read this, be warned, it is short at 200 pages. This would be an OK book to take along on a long car or plane ride.



3. Awesome book! Entertaining from front to back. A good book for anyone that loves Buffy, fairies, and/or both!



4. TIMING: During Season Five, definitely after "Forever." By the way the characters interact, it seems that this story would fit right between "Forever" and "Intervention."
   
   STORY: Not bad. It's an unique idea to say the least. Sunnydale is invaded by fairies, but not the lives-in-a-flower kind of fairy. Nope, these fairies have been cursed so that they carry the demonic essence of a vampire, which pretty much makes them angry. They have a vendetta against one of the Scoobies, though that avenue wasn't explored enough in the actual story. A few subplots deal with the characters coping with "little problems" in their lives, like Buffy's toothache (which takes up a large amount of page space and never really goes anywhere interesting), the ant infestation at Anya and Xander's house, and Giles's parking ticket. I thought it was interesting that their problems, both the supernatural and mundane, were 'little' in nature, but some of it seemed a bit contrived. The researching scenes were cool and very true to the show, but the climax was a bit of a letdown.
   
   CHARACTERS: Some characterization is good, some not so much. Giles and Willow felt very off, and made writer Rebecca Moesta look like she was trying way too hard to pull of the voices; especially with Willow, who comes off as more stupid than lightly humorous. Anya's voice is perfect, Xander's is good, Buffy's is good, Dawn's is good, and Spike's is okay. Overall, Moesta did better than most writers when it comes to capturing the characters.
   
   CONTINUITY: Some major errors. This was written before Anya began to refer to herself as "Anya Jenkins," but this book has her last name as "Emerson." Also, Xander still retains his 'military personality' in some scenes, but he lost that aspect of himself in Season Four. Also, most disturbingly, Moesta refers to Tara as Willow's 'friend.' No. Was Angel Buffy's "friend?" Was Oz Willow's "friend?" No. Call her Willow's "girlfriend" because that's what she is. Period.
   
   COVER: Misleading. Spike is featured prominently on the cover, though Anya, Xander, or even Buffy herself would have been more appropriate. In no way is this a Spike-centric book.
   
   OVERALL: Good. Not as good as the series or the canonical comics, but who was expecting that? It's worth buying, because it's still 'Buffy.' Some parts are great, others... not so much.
   
   6/10



5. Vampire fairies. Cue many bad jokes of the so bad you can appreciate them variety. How do you kill a vampire fairy? Toothpicks. Buffy has a toothache on top of all the other annoyances, so is not on top of her game.
   
   Xander, after a desperate stand outside a donut shop that destroyed many jam filled delicacies is captured and given the Lilliput treatment.
   
   The gang go to save him, with many toothpicks, his Slayomatic, and some fairicide.

5 comments about Sorcerers of the Nightwing: Book 1: The Ravenscliff Series.

1. If you've ever thought `my life's a living hell' then you've got to read Geoffrey Huntington's Sorcerers of the Nightwing. Hell literally knocks on Devon March's door - his closet door to be exact. All the hordes of hell seek to drag him into their fiery depths. He knows he has the power to defeat a demon or two and to cast them back into their hellholes but he doesn't understand why. The key to Devon's future lies in his past but the time to learn of his heritage is quickly running out. The Madman, an evil sorcerer bent on ruling the world, knows Devon's powers better than he does. Will he uncover the truth of his heritage in time to save the world from the Madman? Does he even possess the power needed to defeat him? He'll have to go into the very depths of hell to find out. Of course, getting into hell won't be a problem for Devon. The question is ... will he be strong enough to fight his way back out?



2. I have to say this may be the only book I've read that actually scared me a bit. For a YA book, there is certainly plenty of horror to be found in Sorcerers of the Nightwing. When I got to the illustration of Alexander I had to put the book down and take a break, it was that creepy. This book excels in so many things. The 14 year old main character is not childish at all, and that is very refreshing. He's a pretty good detective too. All of the mysteries in this book are page turners. I couldn't wait to find out about ghosts, legends, graves, and Devon's parents. I had to keep reading and reading and reading hoping to find out more details. The strength and determination of the main character is admirable. This book was just so fun...and creepy at the same time. I loved it! I highly recommend it!



3. I love this book!, I was looking in a corner bookstore and i loved the cover of this book to i had to read it and I can't get over how amazing the writing was and how entertaining it was Huntington is such a wonderful author!! If you have not read this book you need to!!
   It's harder to find in America then in Europe but it is well worth it



4. Where Harry Potter's world seems magical and inspires every child to write JK Rowling, begging to be admitted to Hogwarts--the same can't be said of Ravenscliff. From page one, the reality of Devon March's world is so nightmarish, that no child or adult would ever want to switch shoes with him. What is Devon's real identity and why are these terrifying things happening to him? This is the question that every reader of Sorcerers of the Nightwing asks him/herself. This book grips you from page one and refuses to let you go until the last page--even then you still can't wait to get your hands on volume 2.
   
   Highly recommended. Give it a try!



5. I really like this book. I am not really interested in reading but this book caught my intererst. Its funny, scary, romantic, its a very suspenful book. It makes you want to keep reading because you want to find out what happens next. If any body is reading this and havent read the book I sugest you start because you missing out on a good book.

5 comments about The Stepsister 2 (Fear Street, No. 33) (No. 2).

1. The stepsister 2 is the sequel to Stepsister.
   Emily's insane older sister Nancy was sent away as she tried to kill Emily. Now she's deemed sane and is returning to the family. Naturally Emily is afraid her sister might still be out to get her, but awkwardly they start to get used to each other again. Then things begin to go terribly wrong. Someone is out to get Emily.
   
   What a letdown! This book is a replica of the first! Okay, the relation between Emily and Nancy is different and Rich is somewhat harder than he was in book one, but everything else is way too similar.
   If the author doesn't have anything new to add to the story, he shouldn't write a sequel. This is a complete waste for anyone who has read the first Stepsister book. My advice is: avoid this one and read the first in stead.
   
   If I hadn't read the first book, then this would've been worth 3 stars. As a sequel however, it's awful.



2. Emily is both happy and scared that her sister is coming back. She is happy that she finally gets to see her sister again and scared that she might be up to her old tricks again. Emily is more scared when she finds her dog murdered and her dress cut.



3. 
   
   
   This is an awesome Fear Street book. With such gruesome details feels like your watching a movie.
   
   
   This is the sequel to The Stepsister. A chilling story of a girl named Emily who keeps having near death experiences. She knows it's Jessie her new stepsister. But when she finds her beloved sister trying to kill her, things take a turn for the worst. Finally, when her parents also witness an attack brought on by Nancy, she is sentenced to a year in the mental hospital. But know Nancy's back and she's madder than ever.
   
   
   This is a YA book with a topic kind of hard to follow mainly because of the random switching from character to character. Also there is many twists in the book that completely change the whole book around. This book is mainly at the Seventh and Eighth grade level of reading.



4. Nancy is back from the mental hospital and she is cured. Everyone can't wait to see her again from the mental hospital. Jessie is still the stepsister and she is much better now. Emily is nervous about seeing her coming home and very scared.
   
   When Nancy came home she was so happy to see Emily and Jessie. Then things start to happen again and Emily thinks it was her. But then everything with the girls are doing all right now. Jessie is part of the family now and she is the new stepsisrer. Everything with Emily, Jessie, and Nancy are like sisters now.



5. Is the crazy step sister once again up to no good? or is she? ... read and find out!

5 comments about Fingerprints #3: Trust Me.

1. Second Book Review
   
   
   Author: Melinda Metz
   
   Title: Fingerprints
   
   City and Publisher: 17th Street Productions, an Alloy Online, Inc. company 33 West 17th Street, New York, NY 10011
   
   Year: 2001
   
   Page Count: 228
   
   Summary: This book is a jaw dropping mystery that will leave you in suspense for hours. A girl named Rae Voight has the power to touch fingerprints and have the ability to hear people's thoughts. She then tries to help her boy friend, Anthony, find something he's been searching for his entire life. But he thinks she's betrayed him. In the end everything gets arranged the way its supposed to be, just like it always does.
   
   Evaluation: I think that each individual should take the time to read this mystery book just once. I guarantee you will get hooked.



2. Rae Voight knew that she owed Anthony for all of his help - big time. He was the one who discovered that she wasn't going crazy, she just was picking up other people's thoughts when she touched their fingerprints. Rae is learning how to control her new skills, but she can't help but remember that Anthony's deepest wish and biggest fear is to find out about his dad. Rae wants to do something nice for Anthony and so she convinces Yana to help her find out about Anthony's father. Rae quickly discovers that Anthony's dad is in Scott State Prison. She doesn't want to tell Anthony, though, not until she knows what kind of a guy his father is. Unfortunately, Anthony's dad won't talk to her so Yana comes up with a plan to get them into Scott State and even get a full on tour! While she's there, Rae "reads" someone's thoughts and realizes that there is someone in prison who knew Rae's mother, Melissa. But who, and how? Rae doesn't get the chance to find out and she can't even tell Anthony because he is furious with her about finding his dad.

   Anthony doesn't know what to do about his dad. He finds out from Rae that he is in jail for killing someone during an armed robbery and knows that he can never be good enough to be around someone like Rae. He tries to keep his distance from her and even agrees to start doing some robbing with a group of other guys to make some money. Rae is really hurt by Anthony's attitude, but she is determined to find out the truth about her mother. Her mother died in a mental hospital after murdering her best friend. Rae can't understand why her dad just doesn't face the fact that her mom wasn't the great person he thought she was, but she is also starting to wonder if her mom had powers too...

   This is the third book in the Fingerprints series and it starts right after #2 ends so it is really helpful to read the first two books first. This book is more about deepening the mystery around Rae & her mother and furthering the plot from previous books than anything new going on. If you have read the first two books, you'll totally be into it; if not, you will feel like the book is kind of pointless. Still, the characters are great and the book is fast paced. Just remember to have the next books in the series ready to go when you finish!




3. I LOVED the whole series of fingerprints by Melinda Metz!!
   When you read the book, everything just feels so real!
   There is a bit of EVERYTHING in these books. There is adventure, mystery, magic, teen romance....
   These books are one of the best that I have read.
   The vocabulary used isn't the highest, it's everyday English that people use in high school.
   These books aren't very suitable for people under the age of 12-13. There are some drug and drinking scenes, as well as some of the characters who are making out.
   My favourite part in this series is that Rae, Mandy, and Yana are all connected some how. They all have powers given through the genes.
   I absolutly LOVE these books full of mysterious events.



4. This book was really good, but it wasn't the best. Rae goes looking for Anthony's dad because she felt like she had to. She needed to repay him, but instead of thanks, she got him mad at her because she didn't tell him she was going to visit his father. In this book Rae tries to help Anthony with his reading disorder. When she tries to visit Anthony's father a second time, this time with Yana she finds some disturbing news. Not only did people at this place know her mother, but they know Rae now too. Using her ability, she finds information about her mother that is very disturbing....



5. When I read this book it feels like I am one with Anthony ,Rae , Yana , Jesse and the rest of the people in this book. In this Book so far that I am reading Rae is finding out people know about her secret. She can read peoples thoughts when she touches their finger prints. She puts mush (dog stuff) on her fingers when she is around anthony because she dosnt want to get any of his (bluebird) thoughts. Anthony teaches Rae how to swim and she teaches him on how to read better (he has dislexia). And Anthony's father split when he was little and Rae found him in Jail. She tried to tell Mr. Tony Facinelle that Anthony wanted to see him but he got mad and told her if he ever Had anthony go there he would never talk to him ever.
   Thats all I have read in this book. If you like Mystery stories and stuff go out and get finger prints! But you have to read # 1 first and read them all in order or else you will get confused!
   Best books I ever read
   Sammi

5 comments about The Ragwitch.

1. I liked this one - not quite as good as Sabriel. Garth Nix makes me remember being a 12 year old and staying up late to finish Ray Bradbury, Ursula Le Guin, Patricia MacKillip. As a matter of fact, that is exactly what I just did.



2. When I first picked up the book, I wasn't sure how enthusiastic or how long it would take me to read. It seemed odd, and even after I had finished it, it still struck me as strange. It's not Nix's best work, but I can't say that it was bad. I ended up recomending it to some of my friends to see what they thought of it and they agreed that it was just not that grippping. We all enjoyed it, but thought it lacked something.



3. Evan Billek 2/25/07
   
   The Ragwitch by: Garth Nix 0-06-050807-8
   
   Rag doll or Ragwitch?
   
   Can you imagine a young girl trapped inside the mind of an evil witch? Can you also imagine a young boy on a quest to rescue his sister? Well that all happens in this exciting fantasy book The Ragwitch.
   Paul and his sister Julia stumble upon an old rag doll one day. The doll takes over Julia's mind and kidnaps her to another world. Paul goes after to rescue her. Paul needs to find the four elementals, so he can rescue Julia. Julia is trapped inside the mind of the ragwitch where she meets others who the ragwitch has taken over. Paul gets four items from the elementals, which get turned into a weapon to kill the ragwitch
   
   I really enjoyed this book. It was a real page turner. It had excitement and the plot was amazing, I didn't want to put it down. The chapters end with cliff hangers which made me want to continue to see what happened next. It was also hooked me because I really enjoy Garth Nix's style of writing. He has a way of having you really get to know the characters. When I know how a character is going to react to something it makes me enjoy the book a lot more. He also did a great job of intertwining two stories, so by the end it all worked out. I would definitely recommend this book to anyone who really enjoys fantasy. This was excellent fantasy book because it had strange, weird creatures, and magic, and it took place in a different world. I would also recommend this book because it was very exciting. The author leaves you hanging which keeps you begging for more. The plot was great and it makes you wish the book was longer. If you are a big fantasy fan this is the perfect book for you. It has everything you could ask for and more. This is a great book for anyone eighth grade and up. It is close to four hundred pages long, and it is a moderately difficult read. The Ragwitch excellent book and I would definitely recommend it.



4. Paul had always wondered why that sand dune on the beach was red. When his sister, Julia, finds an unusual rag and mysterious doll in the dune, both of their lives will never be the same. The doll happens to have an evil spirit that takes control of Julia's actions. The spirit, known as the Ragwitch, vanishes after walking into a wall of flames. Paul, overwhelmed by what has happened, walks into the flames to try and save his sister. Paul soon finds himself in a place other than Australia. He turns out to be on another world, where people are in constant fear of creatures such as Gwarulch, Meepers, and Agnarling; creatures who do the Ragwitch's evil bidding. When Paul finds out that Julia has become part of the Ragwitch's body, and that she feels what the Ragwitch feels, Paul knows he has to find her, before it's too late. Early in his travels, Paul meets an old man, known to be one of the wise. He tells Paul that the only way to defeat the Ragwitch is to gather the four Elemental items:air, water, fire, and earth. As Paul leaves he notices an older boy traveling in a balloon. The boy, named Quigin, was sent to take Paul to wherever he wanted to go to, and is also able to talk to animals. Meanwhile, Julia is becoming more and more of the Ragwitch, and is losing her thoughts, which are being replaced by the Ragwitch's memories. This changes when Julia finds another person imprisoned in the witch's mind. This spirit named Lyssa brings Julia out of her imprisonment and into one of the witch's memories. As Julia tries to bring the witch down one way, Paul does the same by going on a journey to collect the Elemental items. Throughout the pages, Paul collects the feather of Air, the blood of Water, the coal of Fire, and the vegetable of Earth. As he is pursued, Paul awakens to find himself next to the Patchwork King, who takes the ingredients and makes a spear that can kill the Ragwitch. In the climatic final battle, Paul goes to the Ragwitch, stabs her in the arm, and kills her. The Ragwitch, by Garth Nix, is an exceptional fantasy novel that should be read because of its action, fantasy, and because of its intense suspense.
   
   The Ragwitch, by Garth Nix, had a great amount of action. Throughout the novel, there are frequent battles in which the Ragwitch's army devastates anyone in her path. When Paul and Quigin arrive in the fishing village of Dombreye, Quigin finds that the Gwarulch are close by, with armies of Meepers accompanying them. When the battle for the village does take place, the Gwarulch fight viciously, and easily defeat the town, after Paul and Quigin escape under the sea. The last battle is also important, as many humans are killed.
   
   This novel is also a prime example of a fantasy story. When the Ragwitch escapes to her world, Paul follows her by constructing a pyramid of twigs and walks through flames. In this world, Paul finds himself captured by a race of tree-like creatures known as the May-dancers. After he is released, Paul finds a place where magic and wizards are ceasing to exist. In a world where a kingdom is falling to the Ragwitch, Paul is overwhelmed.
   
   Suspense is also a major factor in The Ragwitch. When Paul is involved in the final battle, he must escape the claim the Fire and Earth elements. However, as he does, the Ragwitch sees him running and orders her minions to pursue and apprehend him. For the next several chapters, Paul and Quigin evade her and collect the elements. However, this does not last forever, as Paul goes to the witch and is threatened that if Paul kills her, he kills Julia as well.
   
   The Ragwitch, written by Garth Nix, is an exceptional fantasy novel mostly because it is an intriguing story about a boy who tries to save his sister against all odds. When Paul fights the witch, he realizes that evil may have the upper hand, but good always comes through. This novel should be read because of its numerous battle scenes, its thrillers, and because of its excellent depiction of an alternate-realty world. I rate this novel 5 stars out of 5.
   
   A. Chappell



5. I absolutely loved the triology of "Sabriel, Lirael, and Abhorsen", so I bought this book with great expectations. And to be honest, my impression after the first few pages was "oh dear.....". The reader is immediately plunged into the story, without any opportunity to undertand the central characters. This is a real shame, as this would have made the story of their growth as human beings even more enchanting. However, I continued, and although not up to the standard of his later works, Nix's lively imagination is portrayed richly in an interesting and unusual storyline. To anyone interested in purchasing this book, I would highly recommend that they do. Not simply because it is a good read, but it is invaluable in showing Nix's growth as an author.

2 comments about Eight Tales of Terror.

1. So Mr. Poe is pretty much the master of terror, am I right? That is fairly proven in this sample of some of his most famous stories. It may not be a complete collection, but if you need a shorter version of his work this is excellent to have at hand.



2. Eerie ... Weird ... Terrifying ... Chilling stories by Edgar Allan Poe, the master of terror: "The Fall of the House of Usher," "The Mask of the Red Death," "The Cask of the Amontillado," and five other tales that hover on the edge of madness and pull you into a nightmared world -- from the back cover.

5 comments about Rats.

1. Ugh, I read this book about 8 years ago and I look for it everywhere and haven't been able to find it til now. It was so gross but I still remember how intrigued I was when I was reading it. I read it in one sitting and its what really got me interested in reading. Kept me up for days... Love it!!



2. I purchased this book for my 11 year old son who does not like to read. He couldn't believe I bought this book for him. He says it is so disgustingly interesting. He told me to give it five stars.



3. Just finished reading this book after picking it up at my local library. I've been a big fan of Zindel's books after reading Raptor, Reef of Death, etc. This was definitely an entertaining tale of smart, mutant rats that break free and try to take over NYC. If you are looking for a relatively fast read with a fast-paced plot, this book is for you. However, I think Zindel's other books were a bit better; the ending seemed a little too...simple...but still a great read.



4. Everything was fine in Staten Island. Leroy Sabiesiak was doing the usual drugging, and shooting the rats. One day he takes it too far when he drugs the mother rat and shoots her, and then he shoots the entire nest of baby rats. Then the rats get angry and start eating him alive. Sarah, Michael, and Surfer the Rat need to find a way to demolish the rats. Rats are coming out of drains from pools, toilets, and hot tubs, and appearing in people's cars. They have problems with the neighbors who cannot speak much English, and an infant who is still in a crib. How will they get rid of them.
   Rats is a gory, skin crawling book, once I read the first paragraph I couldn't put it down. I recommend this book to any young adult that likes to read gory books. I think that Rats is a well planned out book, and there is a cliffhanger at the end of any chapter. When I read this book, I feel like I am sitting there helplessly watching people be devoured by the rats.



5. The city of New York is closing its biggest dump. The people who run the dump, including the father of fifteen-year-old Sarah and ten-year-old Michael, are paving over the entire dump. They will be making that spot into a city park, and the dumping of garbage there will stop. Sarah is worried when they start paving the dump, which is right next to her home. There are dangerous gasses given off by rotting garbage that could cause explosions or something just as deadly. Her father, though, reassures her that everything will be fine.
   
   The dump is almost paved over when the rats start to appear. They are crawling out of toilets in Sarah's neighborhood. They swim by the dozens up through pool filter systems and crawl into cracks in houses. These rats are vicious, too, tearing apart the people who try to stop or to kill them. Sarah and Michael seem to have been spared because they have a pet rat, Surfer, who makes high-pitched chattering noises whenever the dump rats come near them.
   
   Soon the rats are out of control. There seem to be millions of them, and they are smart. They are ambushing those who try to stop them. They have a plan and they have the power of communication. Sarah has done a great deal of research on rats because of her attachment to Surfer, and she thinks she might be able to help the people who are trying to get rid of the rats.
   
   This book was fast-paced and exciting. I liked that Sarah was a strong character who was able to help herself and the entire city. I never felt like I got to know the characters very well, though. Most of them were only briefly in the story and then gone. The story was overly gruesome, too, with rats eating people alive. A final problem I had with the book was that the end seemed a little too simple. Everything was better all of a sudden, but it didn't seem like enough had changed to make it so.

5 comments about Long Way Home: The Unseen Trilogy, Book 3 (Buffy the Vampire Slayer and Angel crossover).

1. This line about sums this book up :
   
   He looked grateful at the fantastic four, Slayer, Slayer, vampire, vampire. "Now you see why I'm glad you folks showed up."
   
   Spike helps himself to a leap through the door, and when none of them come back, and no children are returned, Riley and Gunn go to break Faith out of jail to help, being all out of superpowers at their end.
   
   So, the gang is most definitely all here in this book.



2. WOW! That was a whirlwind of chaos and loose ends never tied up.
   
   I loved the first two books in this trilogy and couldn't wait to get my hands on the last book, the conclusion of what, until now, had been a great story.
   
   Things kinda fell apart in this book. Okay ... not kinda. They totally fell apart.
   
   The authors tried to pack so much into this one novel that it's almost impossible to keep up with without a map! It was rushed, and as a reader I felt it. It left me feeling winded and exhausted.
   
   As others have mentioned, the continuity in this novel leaves much to be desired. There were storylines left unfinished, big ones.
   
   Willow stops breathing and dies in one chapter, steps out of the room looking pale and ill and says to Cordy, "I feel dead," in another chapter, and then is her usual self in the rest of the book. It ends with no conclusion or even acknowledgment that it even occured at all. I kept waiting for Willow to go evil and betray them, or take some kind of unexpected action as a result of apparently dying, but nada.
   
   Faith is thrown in the mix in a slick, almost after-thought manner that doesn't do her character justice. (And that says a LOT coming from me, because I'm not a Faith or Eliza fan.) She comes in and saves everyone, despite their obvious distrust, and then hugs Buffy and Angel before willingly going back to jail. She didn't even get a Thank You. It just didn't fly, it was never rang true or came to life for me.
   
   And then there's Spike. I love this guy. Love the wit, the naughty undertone to his character and the huge heart he tries to hide. (Figuratively speaking, of course.) He's a great character, and provides great comic relief. But what in the world happened to him? What was the ending supposed to mean? The story ended with him, in his pre-vamp body, running like a coward and hurling himself into a light, begging for help.
   
   Huh?
   
   When this book ends, it leaves the reader feeling like the story is unfinished. They crammed too much into it and it got sloppy. They could've easily fleshed it out and added another novel to the series.
   
   A disappointing ending to what had otherwise been a terrific story.



3. This book seemed pretty flat to me, compared to the characters on the TV show. Especially the sub-plot surrounding Spike. There was a lot "happening" in this book, but I couldn't be moved to care much. Unlike the show, where you can go from tears to laughing out loud in a heartbeat.



4. I heard these were coming out, and it was approaching my birthday of last June, I got thise and play tickets from my mom after serious begging. She bought me them as soon as each one came out, funny thing is my best friend who doestn live at all close to me, got me the first one. But this is on the third one, it was a very well written book. The scenes between Buffy and Angel were pricless and touch the b/a shippers heart. A problem was of how much Buffy acted as if she loved Riley more than anything of the world, and Angel was past, why he dreamed about her and their forgotten day. Otherwise it is a good read, as a fan of either show, or the B/A or even b/r(gag) relationship. Just one thing to people who read my review or somethign that would never happen Nancy and Jeff read this, what the hell happend to Spike?! Is there a new crossover triogly in the making*looks hopeful*



5. Nancy Holder deserves a huge Buffy fan award. Not only did her hardcover book, "Book of Fours," provide fans with one of teh Slayer's best stories, it fit logically into the Buffy-verse without taking many great leaps.

   I'm not sure why she stopped writing with Christopehr Golden but I have no complaints. She blew his "Tales of the Lost Slayer" out of the water with this trilogy. It all fit neatly into the recent story lines of both Buffy and Angel (Seasons 4 / 2 respectively).

   Kudos! MORE NANCY MORE!!!!!!