5 comments about Frankenstein (Dover Thrift Editions).

1. Mary Shelley was the daughter of the famous feminist and author, Mary Wollstonecraft, who is best known for her work The Vindication of the Rights of Women. In Mary Shelley's Frankenstein, a young university student, Victor Frankenstein, obsesses with wanting to know the secret to life. He studies chemistry and natural philosophy with the goal of being able to create a human out of spare body parts. After months of constant work in his laboratory, Frankenstein attains his goal and brings his creation to life. Frankenstein is immediately overwrought by fear and remorse at the sight of his creation, a "monster." The next morning, he decides to destroy his creation but finds that the monster has escaped. The monster, unlike other humans, has no social preparation or education; thus, it is unequipped to take care of itself either physically or emotionally. The monster lives in the forest like an animal without knowledge of "self" or understanding of its surroundings. The monster happens upon a hut inhabited by a poor family and is able to find shelter in a shed adjacent to the hut. For several months, the monster starts to gain knowledge of human life by observing the daily life of the hut's inhabitants through a crack in the wall. The monster's education of language and letters begins when he listens to one of them learning the French language. During this period, the monster also learns of human society and comes to the realization that he is grotesque and alone in the world. Armed with his newfound ability to read, he reads three books that he found in a leather satchel in the woods. Goethe's Sorrows of Young Werther, Milton's Paradise Lost, and a volume of Plutarch's Lives. The monster, not knowing any better, read these books thinking them to be facts about human history. From Plutarch's works, he learns of humankind's virtues. However, it is Paradise Lost that has a most interesting effect on the monster's understanding of self. The monster at first identifies with Adam, "I was apparently united by no link to any other being in existence." The monster, armed only with his limited education, thought that he would introduce himself to the cottagers and depend on their virtue and benevolence; traits he believed from his readings that all humans possessed. However, soon after his first encounter with the cottagers, he is beaten and chased off because his ugliness frightens people. The monster is overwrought by a feeling of perplexity by this reaction, since he thought he would gain their trust and love, which he observed them generously give to each other on so many occasions. He receives further confirmation of how his ugliness repels people when, sometime later, he saves a young girl from drowning and the girl's father shoots at him because he is frightful to look at. The monster quickly realizes that the books really lied to him. He found no benevolence or virtue among humans, even from his creator. At every turn in his life, humans are judging him solely based on his looks. The monster soon realizes that it is not Adam, the perfect being enjoying the world, which he is most alike. Instead, he comes to realize that he most represents Satan. The monster is jealous of the happiness he sees humans enjoy that he has never attained for himself. The monster tells Frankenstein that he found his lab journal in his coat pocket and read it with increasing hate and despair as he came to understand what Frankenstein's intent was in creating him. The monster curses Frankenstein for making a creature so hideous that even his creator turned from him in disgust.
   
   Shelley's intent here is plain to see. "The fate of the monster suggests that proficiency in `the art of language' as he calls it, may not ensure one's position as a member of the `human kingdom." In a sense, she is showing that both her parents were mistaken when they advocated greater education reform for people. They thought education would make people better, which in turn would improve society for all. Mary Shelley's Frankenstein contradicts this belief.
   
   Starting with the full title of Mary Shelley's book, Frankenstein: or The Modern Prometheus one can instantly see that mythology was integral to her book. Lord Byron, poet and friend of the Shelley's was writing a poem entitled Prometheus, and Mary was reading the Prometheus legend in Aeschylus' works when she had a dream, which was the impetus for her book. The Greek god Prometheus, is known for two important tasks that he performed, he created man from clay, and he stole fire from the gods and gave it to man. The stealing of fire really angered Zeus because the giving of fire began an era of enlightenment for humankind. Zeus punished Prometheus by having him carried to a mountain, where an eagle would pick at his liver; it would grow back each day and the eagle would eat it again.
   
   The presence of fire and light in this gothic story helps to point to the similarities to Prometheus and Victor Frankenstein, the creator of the monster, in Shelley's book. The book uses light as a symbol of discovery, knowledge, and enlightenment. The natural world is full of hidden passages, and dark unknown scientific secrets; Victor's goal as a scientist is to grasp towards the light. Light is a by-product of fire that the monster learned quickly when he is living on his own. The monster experienced fires' duality when he first encountered it in an unattended fire in the woods. He is mesmerized by the fact that fire produces light in the darkness in the woods, but is shocked at the sensation of pain it gives him when he touches it. Victor is defiant of god in the same way that Prometheus was defiant of Zeus. Victor steals the secret of life from god and creates a human out of spare body parts. He does this out of an altruistic wish to spare humankind from the pain and suffering of death. Thus, Victor Frankenstein embodies both aspects of the Promethean myth creation and fire. Victor in a sense has the same experience with the fire of enlightenment similar to his monster; he is "burned" by the fire of enlightenment. Victor also suffers from the classic Greek tragic condition of hubris for his transgression against god and nature.
   
   The book also adopts two other great mythic legends. One is Adam from the Bible. Victor Frankenstein bears striking resemblance to Adam and his fall from grace for eating the fruit from the Tree of Knowledge. The other is Satan, a mythic figure that Shelley admired from her readings in Milton's book Paradise Lost. In an interesting juxtaposition of booth myths, she expands on the motif of the fall from grace in her book when she portrays the monster comparing himself to Adam; after he read, Milton's book Paradise Lost. The monster tells Victor, that he at first identifies with Adam God's first creation. "I was apparently united by no link to any other being in existence." However, after several incidents of mistreatment that he suffered from the humans he encountered in his travels; the monster soon realized that it is not Adam, the perfect being enjoying the world, which he was most alike. Instead, he came to realize that he most represented Satan. The monster's feelings of hatred and despair stem from the fact that humans found him grotesque to look at and would not accept him as a member of human society. The monster cursed Victor for making a creature so hideous that even his creator turned from him in disgust. Thus, it is obvious for all to see that Shelley's Frankenstein is replete with mythological references and they are central to the plot.
   
   This was required reading for a graduate course in the Humanities. Recommended reading for anyone interested in history, psychology, philosophy, and literature.



2. Like Poe, strong roots in its Gothic horror era make this story too wordy to be read as a contemporary classic (contradiction in terms, I suppose), but the basic storyline does stand up over time.
   
   A basic story, by the way, which no movie version has yet successfully captured, not even Mary Shelley's Frankenstein. That overwrought hyper-surrealistic version by Kenneth Brannagh captures the framework of the book in neat prologue/epilogue bookends, and Robert De Niro captures the menace and humanity of the creature, but Brannagh makes some boneheaded plot changes (particularly the handling of Henry and Elizabeth) that clank off the rim.
   
   That said, though, it would be hard for any movie maker to capture this story which is told strictly in first person narrative, even when told through another's eyes or voice or pen. At one point, the narrative is retold with four layers between the reader and the actor. Good luck turning that into a movie.
   
   And the basic conflict of the story still rings true, and is really what the book is about; unlike Brannagh, who dwells lovingly on the process, Shelley barely describes the creation of the creature, and wisely so. The focus is on the creature and its creator, not on the creative process. And as De Niro the creature says in the movie at a very dramatic turn, "I keep my promises". Frankenstein, the man and the creator, does not.



3. i read this book right after dracula and well, it's definitely a good read and an edge of your seat thriller. it has stood the test of time in terms of it's theme and lesson.



4. for the people who hated this book and gave it poor reviews. Really missed out on what may be the greatest novel of all time. For me it's hard to put down. And the themes are deep and everlasting ones that humans will forever struggle with. Life and death, God vs science, good and evil, spiritual themes, and social ones also, all wrapped up in a GREAT story. Oh well, you can't expect everyone to get it and resonate with it.
   
   One thing about this Rieger version: it says it "reproduces for the first time in more than a century the text of the first edition published in 1818". Not true. Donohue produced at least three editions (I have them) around 1895 that are all the 1818 text.
   Just an FYI.
   
   Believe the hype! This book is hard to surpass. I virtually never give 5 stars to ANYTHING. This deserves it.



5. Most editions of Mary Shelley's landmark book available today follow the heavily revised 1831 version. The impulse behind this trend is an honorable one (to present what is seemingly an author's "final revision"),but the 1818 version is preferable for many reasons. Looking back on her creation in later life, Shelley felt obliged to alter the book's focus in significant ways, adding what critic Marilyn Butler accurately describes as "long passages in which her main narrator, [Victor] Frankenstein, expresses religious remorse for making a creature..." The author sought to make the 1831 edition less controversial and thereby more palatable to the tastes of the reading public. The 1818 version is closer to Mary Shelley's original intentions, though it too, unfortunately, was filtered through the sensibilities of her husband, the poet Percy Shelley, who took many of his wife's rather straightforward passages and rendered them into his own more ornate and Ciceronian style. Still, the 1818 version remains more vital, more original, and less constrained by what the author believed would be acceptable to readers in 1830s England.

5 comments about Reunion (The Mediator, Book 3).

1. Smart, clever, witty, intresting; these are just a few words describing Suze's exciting mystery known as the RLS Angels, four successful teenagers who were murdered although the killer set it up to look accidental. Then theres Micheal. The one who crashed into the car the sent the RLS Angels plummeting off a mountian side to the untimley death. His sister in is a coma from falling into a pool drunk at one of the RLS Angel's parties. Everyone gave up hope on her ever awakining. There is Micheals motive but did he really kill four people. And is he the one who attempted to kill Suze's family? A real thrill, a must read series for all teens!



2. Such an awsome book the whole series is great everyone who loves romance action all in one should read!



3. I really enjoyed reading this book. It has lots of great details. When Susannah found out about this murder, she just had to investigate it. With the help of Father Dom and Jesse she finally got the killer but was put into hospital. It would help if you read the first two books or else you will get really confused with all the names and places. This book has lots of twists and turns and will keep you reading. You won't want to put it down!



4. whoa!! this book is SO amazing! it's about this girl, suze, and her supposed boyfriend, michael meducci, and he could be a possible killer of the RLS angels! he has had a grudge against them and only for one reason that he could be able to kill them; jealousy! jesse and father dominic have helped out quite a bit but not enough that suze ends up in the hospital! i HIGHLY recommend this book! and i cannot wait to read the next one!!!!



5. 
   The Mediator 3: Reunion is about Suze Simon, a fifteen-year-old girl with a very special gift, she can speak to those beyond the grave. Awesome, right? Wrong. Ghosts aren't always the most cooperative people. So, when Suze tries to help four teenage ghosts that were in a car accident, they aren't very thankful, unless you'd say that trying to kill her is a proper "thank you". However, Suze will find out some secrets about someone she never thought would keep them from her and that this car accident might not have been an accident at all.
   This book teaches readers always to be happy with who they are. Suze has to try to accept that she is a mediator and has to adapt to being haunted every day of her life. She's spunky and her attitude is as unpredictable as the weather but she's also very generous and always willing to help. It really shows people how we take everyday things for granted.
   Meg Cabot does an extraordinary job with this book with a perfect balance of mystery, teen troubles, and family issues. It takes you deep into Suze's life and feelings. I couldn't pry my fingers off of it. The Mediator is an amazing series and I've read most of them, but this one was by far my favorite. So, if you like suspense and surprises, you'll love The Mediator 3: Reunion.

5 comments about The Mediator #6: Twilight.

1. First let me say that I work in the Children's Department of a bookstore. I first read the Mediator series 5 years ago & loved it. We have carried the series on & off for the past few years. When I read the Stephenie Meyer Twilight Saga, I felt that there were similarities between the two series - the whole paranormal romance aspect (female girl, not-so-human boy). I have had lots of teens ask me for books that are similar to the Twilight Saga, so I've started recommending this series. It doesn't take itself as seriously as the Meyer's series does, but I still think that readers would like it, even if there aren't any vampires in it.
   
   Just today I finished rereading the entire series & I must say that I still think it's wonderful & would highly recommend it. I really loved the relationship between Jesse & Susannah and how it grew and changed over the course of the 6 books. I'm glad Meg Cabot finished up the series, just as Stephenie Meyer's did. And I loved the way she brought Jesse back to life - it's nice to think of Jesse & Susannah having a real future together (but then again, I'm a sucker for a happy ending).



2. i read this book 24/7 because of love the make out seen and paul i think paul is a hottie but he a jerk somtimes but he ok i would love to be a mediator so i can kiss a ghost so it can help me out with my life it would be very awesome!!



3. I love the mediator books so much and I want them to go to book seven maybe even ten. I've gotten addicted to them and I don't want them to end at 6.



4. The story line continues and this book is just as exciting and exhiliarating as the rest in this series. I would highly recommend this book and the previous in this series. Excellent read!!!!



5. This series is a lot of fun to read, but I did feel that the ending was a little too perfect. Everything tied up in a perfect bow. Throughout the book, I felt that the story was lacking a good central plot to work around. From the beginning, we knew Paul was up to something, and shortly after, we knew what it was, but for some reason, Suze couldn't figure out the obvious. Suze was just confused and unsure and shallow most of this book which is very unlike her character. However, the ending was just what the reader would wnat and I am very glad I read the book. I liked the series so much I had to read all of it in one week. Read it, but it isn't the best in the series, but you'll be happy with the ending. I am left wanting to understand Paul better, but maybe that is for another series. :)

5 comments about Blood and Chocolate.

1. I'm a vampire girl, I'll admit it. I decided to try giving werewolves a chance, so I picked this book up.
   
   If anything, this made me more "team vampire." It didn't make me want to read more about werewolves. In fact, I had to force my way through this book.
   
   I understand that everyone has their own opinion and everyone has different taste, but I don't know how anyone could give this book 5 stars, or say it's a favorite. There's no depth to it, at all.



2. This is a great story. It is not the Bella/Edward romance in Twilight but is a wonderfully surprising ending. It was well written and suspenseful. ITs a great romance with a bit of fantasy and excitement which will keep you glued to your seat until you finish. If you loved the Twilight series, this is a nice addition, makes you think of Jacob and what his world could be like.



3. As a teenager, Klause's The Silver Kiss was one of my favorite books, so I was really looking forward to Blood and Chocolate. I'm sorry to say that I was pretty disappointed. In conveying a pack, Klause involves too many characters, most of whom are not fully drawn, and I had trouble keeping them straight.
   
   I did like Klause's take on werewolf lore, though. As she did with vampire lore in The Silver Kiss, she took the commonly accepted wisdom on the supernatural and modified it to fit her own story. She created a werewolf pack that existed as its own society, with its own rules and traditions. This allows her depict Vivian's coming of age within the pack rather than telling the same story with the same human characters that have been used many times. However, she does include interactions with human society, giving the reader something they can easily relate to.



4. I would be cautious about recommending this book to a teenager due to the sexual overtones. Nothing super explicit, but it is pervasive given that the main character turns 16 in the book. That being said, the book is interesting if a little uncomfortable at times (Mom and daughter are both pursed by the same guy).
   I would be interested in a sequel if the author ever decides to write one.



5. I think this is a good under rated book for teens who are into dark fantasy and romance like Twilight. The story is centered around Vivian, who lives with her werewolf clan while they try to coexist with humans. It shows the character change as Vivian goes from hating and feeling superior to humans and then leveling with them.
   
   This may just be the nerd in me speaking but I find werewolf novels to have less logic problems than vampire novels. For example - in a vampire novel, what would happen if a vampire sucked another vampire's blood? Or what about someone with a blood-related disease? So I tend to prefer werewolves in the long run.
   
   I know the ending is rather controversial with people simply because it fails to be cliched. The heroine does not end up with her first true love and the message may come out mixed. Does this mean that love can conquer all or does this try to give teens a better message about the real world? Love is wonderful but it can't conquer real issues like debt for example, which is one of the biggest causes of divorce in America. I'm a realist so I prefer this ending rather than the lovely dovey, pink bubbles and hearts endings that seem so popular now.
   
   Plot: B Okay, so the basic story "human meets creature" is overdone but the spin, especially the end is good.
   Characters: A The main characters have different sides and they're rounded out.
   Readability: A It reads simple and sweet.
   In short: A Buy it. Its a nice good read.

5 comments about Companions of the Night.

1. ...And that is, it's way too short! The one time I would have loved a book to have been longer! I'm even upset there's not a sequel! It's the type of book where you really wish you could be Kerry (the heroine in this too short book).
   
   I read this book about a year ago, and it's still in my mind. I rented it from the public library and now it's a part of my own personal one.



2. I read alot of books and alot of them are with vampires and this book to me just sucked. I am though a romance at heart though so i prefer to have a more or less happy ending and this was definatly not one. Vampires can be killed by sunlight.. couldnt you be alittle more creative? And most people, or for me atleast, the main attraction for vampire novels is the overall great romance that comes along with them, i.e Twilight (had to say it), Vampire Academy, Glass Houses, ect. and Companions of the Night definatly didnt have it. The ending sucked... simple. It might have been good back then but compared to all the books now.. this one doesnt even compete.



3. When I became interested in vampire fiction, this book was one of my first choices to read because I have enjoyed several of Vivian Vande Velde's other books. And besides, the summary (see the editorial reviews above) caught my attention. _Companions of the Night_ turned out to be even better than my expectations.
   
   The fascinating and original plot immediately grips the reader and doesn't let go; I started reading at night and ended up staying awake much later than I had planned (five in the morning actually) because I didn't want to stop. There are many great twists and turns as the novel progresses, usually as the protagonist finds out new and startling pieces of information which her vampire companion (I started to write "friend," but that's not really accurate) had previously withheld from her.
   
   Here I would like to insert a side-note: those who, like me, are easily scared should be warned that this book is a little scary. People get murdered, people are in danger of being murdered, there are vampires and blood, you get the idea.
   
   Another strength of the book is its complex and realistic characterization. Kerry, the protagonist, is an ordinary sixteen-year-old girl whom I found very likeable and easy to relate to. She's not perfect; she makes mistakes and morally questionable decisions throughout the novel, but never loses the reader's sympathy.
   
   I absolutely love Ethan, the vampire. He embodies all a vampire should be: dark, attractive, sometimes charming and pleasant, always mysterious and unpredictable, but far from being tame or harmless. While the reader suspects that he harbors some goodness and kindness and even affection for Kerry in him, it is impossible to forget that he is also dangerous and deceitful, someone who has killed people and who could easily turn on Kerry the next second. This carries over into VVV's thoughtful take on vampires in general: they are people rather than monsters, and like humans they possess both good qualities and bad, but at the same time it cannot be ignored that they do kill humans and enjoy it.
   
   Finally, the "villain" of the story, though he doesn't come to the attention of the reader until more than halfway through the book, is (for me at least) almost as easy to sympathize with as the other two main characters. A broken man who has become slightly unhinged by grief, he seeks to kill vampires out of revenge for his loss and the hope of preventing the death of more humans. Kerry has some trouble near the end of the book deciding who exactly she should be helping, and the fact that the reader faces the same dilemma shows how well VVV succeeds in creating real, three-dimensional characters, all of whom fall somewhere between black and white.
   
   The best thing about the book, though, is the ending. I don't want to give anything away, but it's not a perfect fairytale ending. Kerry, and perhaps Ethan as well, have to make some difficult choices, and things are left open in certain respects, as is usually the case in real life. But that is what makes the book so great, the fact that, in every way that counts, it is true to life.
   
   I suppose I ought to offer some criticism as well as praise, to show I'm not a mindless fangirl... The romance happens a bit fast - like over the course of three days or so. The structure and pacing could also perhaps have been done better; as I've mentioned before, we don't find out there's a villain till more than halfway through, and the story somewhat lacks direction until then. But these are minor faults, easily outweighed by the book's strengths.
   
   Conclusion: I highly recommend this book.
   
   Those who like _Companions of the Night_ might also like _Sunshine_ by Robin McKinley. And you might be interested to know that, according to her website, the best vampire book Vivian Vande Velde has ever read is _Those Who Hunt the Night_ by Barbara Hambly.



4. This book is a short easy read. At the start it is very interesting and pulls you in. However, towards the end the book takes turns with little reasoning behind them. For example, the main character Kerry suddenly declares her love for Ethan. Throughout the book an attraction was described but at the end it just jumps to love? However because she refuses to become a vampire and he refuses to become human (which is odd b/c apparently you can go back and forth in this book) they decide to part and never speak again....what type of love is that? I guess both characters have never heard of being friends before. Overall I felt that details just materialized in this book without explanations and the ending was very incomplete.



5. A great book!! Super sexy, and well written. A fantastic romance/vampire book. There is so much tension between the girl and the vamp, it drives you nuts (in a good way). Great book for all kinds of people.

5 comments about Demon in My View (Den of Shadows).

1. When an author writes a book, one way or the other they give you a door to their psyche, their inner person at that point in time. Though, normally an author is at least in their twenties. Amelia gives us a slight entrance on how she saw the world... when she was fifteen, and well, I'm not that fond of teenagers.
   
   I discussed a bit my opinion on this talented, though, still (at least in this book) immature writer when I reviewed her first book, so, I will skip that part.
   
   One of the big improvements on Amelia's story telling from her first book to this (her second): Her characters have depth. Now, her characters are beginning to look real, with complexities, with likes and dislikes, with defects and virtues.
   
   The bad part, it is TERRIBLY cheesy, and quite predictable. You have the vampire that is terribly attracted to a human, and not any human, but one who he has to kill.
   
   Still, she is talented, and I am hoping to finish the rest of her books.



2. Demon in my view was an amazing book aubrey was just the right amount of everything. Amelia Atwater-Rhodes really makes you fell for what the characters are feeling. She makes you long for the each and every sentence.



3. Amelia Atwater Rhodes was 13 when she wrote her first book in the forests of the night a vampire story about Riska an underdog vampire with a lust for revenge.
   In the "sequel" we are introduced to Jessica the writer who knows too much, but doesn't know she knows it. Caryn a witch, and Aubrey is back.
   Jessica loves to write about vampires; she knows things that she shouldn't about them. their greatest weaknesses, their presents and their pasts.
   The vampires aren't happy. How does she know.
   Aubrey one of the strong vampires comes to dispose of her, but she is not what he expected.
   Not as good as shattered mirror, but much better then in the forests of the night.
   Amelia Atwater-Rhodes, writes a strong story with mystery, a little romance, and of course vampires!
   The story is well written and interesting. I hated to put it down. Amelia Atwater Rhode's world of vampires is original and captivating.
   I really wanted more details and wished to know more about how the character's were feeling. I felt a little distant from the story.



4. Amelia Atwater-Rhodes's In the Forests of the Night was written when she was only 13 years old. In it, she chronicled the unlife of Risika and her tangles with Aubrey, a fellow vampire whom she believes killed her human brother. In Demon in My View, several characters from her debut novel are back, with Aubrey front and center. This time, the novel's protagonist is Jessica, a conveniently depressed Goth who secretly publishes fantasy novels under the pen name Ash Night that revolve around vampire culture. The inspiration for her characters comes to her in her dreams, or rather, her nightmares. Adopted Jessica is a loner and quick to anger, so when a new boy enrolls at school who looks, sounds, and acts just like Aubrey, her world is thrown into confusion.
   
   Atwater-Rhodes displays skill at building atmosphere and of creating a viable backstory and genealogy for her vampires. However, the plot is thin at best, and the writing of the flashbacks seem stilted and juvenile. The many secondary characters are fleeting at best; we're never really given their motivations, such as the brief appearances and disappearances of vampire hunter Dominique Vida and witch Hasana Rashida. The vampires' lives are much more fleshed-out than the humans, including Caryn and her family, witches and descendants of powerful Healers. As I've read elsewhere, there is no clear motivation for introducing Wicca, as spells are never cast nor is magick brought up.
   
   Although Atwater-Rhodes attempts to create a standalone universe through her vampire and witch genealogies, but the writing felt juvenile at at times self-centered (gorgeous teen author has a body to die for and is talented, strong...we get it already!), and many plot twists were predictable (her uneven attempt at foreshadowing gave away one of the major "surprises" early on). However, it was a quick, entertaining read (I breezed through it in about 45 minutes) that, although not original, was generally well-written, especially from one so young; it's certainly no worse than a lot of young adult vampire series on the market.



5. Im very well into vampires, and witches, werewolves and things of that nature. I'm always looking for new and interesting stories to red, and movies to watch where they re all over scene and completely throughout the book, or movie. I really loved this book "Demon In My View". I just wish it could have been a little longer, stretched out a little more. I wish that Jessica and Fala could have had that fight. I wish the book would have ended with perhaps Aubrey, and Jessica hunting together, and maybe being more romantic with each other, since it was clearly obvious that they were attracted to each other, and was connected on that level. I wish the book would have gone into talking about what happens to Caryn after she went home. Are her and Jessica friends now? do they talk since the incident. Seeing as Caryn is the true reason that she is indeed alive. What happens now? Jessica has been changed, Caryn has done something her mother will surely disapprove of. Will she tell her? or will her mom pick it up. Will Jessica ever talk to Caryn again? Will Jessica and Aubrey be long lasting lovers, and grow to have kids of their own one day. I think "Demon In My View" is a great beginner book, of many sequels to come. A great foundation and the author Amelia Atwater-Rhodes should take it and run. We only know through Jessica writings all the things that happened in the past with Aubrey, siete, her mother, and the other vampires. but now we have the chance to actually follow it book by book, and watch the whole thing unrattles. This could be an extraordinary foundation, and the beginning for many many eye bolting, end of the chair, very high anticipation, and mental hunger for other books to follow using these characters. Overall without given too much of the book away hopefully. This book is amazing. Though im far from a teenager, I will be looking out for books that have Amelia Atwater-Rhodes name as the author. She is a talented writer indeed, and I hope she will be able to keep it up in the years to come. AWESOME BOOK...!!!

5 comments about City of Bones (Mortal Instruments).

1. I found both this book and its sequel to be well written and impossible to put down.....I wont reveal any of the plot, but I will say that the book is excellent for anyone who likes lots of imagery, fights, magic, mysteries and plot twists...The book integrates everything that you see in scifi/fantasy including vampires, fairies, magic, werewolves and many other things....I have read other young adult novels, and found that this novel seems to be written for people who are older than "young adult"....Other books that I have read and found interesting include Graceling, the Twilight series, Vampire Academy, the House of night series, Wicked lovely, and other related novels....This book and its sequel far surpassed the other novels with its complicated plot and numerous well developed characters, action and even has some romance thrown in (it would probably make an excellent movie)...I would suggest this to everyone who enjoys scifi/fantasy books!



2. I'm a 30 something fan of young adult supernatural type books. I thought this was very cute and very fun story. You get involved with the characters and believe in this world that is created in the book. I'm looking forward to the next book but not enough to run out and buy the hard cover. This is a wait for paper back series...but you will come back to it.



3. This is now one of my favorite books. I usually don't read too much fantasy stuff - I usually can't get into it too well. This book was exactly the opposite. I was hooked quickly and the fast pace ensured that I would finish it quickly, also.
   
   Clary seems like a real down-to-Earth character, despite everything that is happening to her (I won't tell you because I don't want to spoil it!). The way she reacts is the way I think I would react if any of this happened to me. All the characters were described really well and had growth in the book.
   
   I would only change one thing, though. Everything would get really exciting, and then slow down dramatically, then get exciting, and slow down again, etc. I think this book would be even more incredible if it didn't slow down so much in between the main events.
   
   Overall, though, this is a great book and if you are debating whether you would like it, you most likely will.



4. I found this book purley out of quincidence, but it has turned out to be one of my favorites. This book is one of those that you start reading in the early afternoon with no particular rush, and finish it at 4 in the morning due to the fact that it was so good you couldn't put it down. Your then stuck, not being able to go to sleep due to the fact that your thoughts are centered only on this book and that you can't wait to get your hands on the second one. Personal expirence.
   
   
   Clare has created an urban fantasy combining many different fairytales in a gripping, interesting, and seductive way that makes you wish it were real. The characters are varied from the egotistical yet undeniably attractive demon-slayer Jace to the lovable and stubborn herione CLary. All of this is set in the most unpredictable and fast paced city in the world, New York. This novel is witty, entertaining, fast-paced, gripping, and even a bit romantic. Its one of those books that make the impossible seem real. I highly recommend it.



5. I found this book in the bookstore the other day and thought it seemed very interesting, definitely a book I would enjoy. I was right, to a certain extent. When I started reading the book I could not put it down, I was up all night reading it. But as I got to the end of the book, things started falling apart for me. I do not like the fact the Jace and Clary ended up being brother and sister, especially since they were falling in love, I felt the stirrings of their love while reading, and it was so good! I knew before I got to the end that my hopes were going to be shattered, but I was still hoping the author would throw another plot twist in, but that was not the case. That is really the only reason this book did not get a 5 star. I will not be getting the 2nd book in the series because I just can't fathom a love interest between Clary and Simon. So sad...

5 comments about Blue is for Nightmares.

1. I bought the book for my 14-year-old daughter for her book report at her request and she said she liked reading the book. :)



2. I absolutely loved this book...could NOT put it down, that's how interesting and involved I was in the plot of this book. This novel takes you through the life is Stacie. Stacie has been having nightmares about her best friend, Drea that she is going to die...she has these explicit nightmares, and tries to piece them together to find out who it is that is responsible for freaking the girls out. Then there's this mystery guy that is after Drea, but then the novel takes a twist and he starts calling Stacie.. I thoroughly enjoyed this book...read it in ONE night, that's how engrossed in this novel I became. Would definently recommend this novel to anyone who wants a great mystery read!!!!!! Excellent!



3. At first I was a little put off by the Wicca content in this book, but I quickly got past it and saw what lay beneath: a young woman who relies on friends, faith, and intelligence to solve a mystery.
   The characters, while sometimes a bit over-the-top, are fun, colorful, interesting people, and they behave like high school teenagers do, for the most part.
   The mystery at the heart of the plot is a bit easy to predict, but the author puts in enough red herrings and twists to keep you second-guessing your predictions until the end.
   Overall an entertaining read that is worth your while.



4. BLUE IS FOR NIGHTMARES (DELUXE SPELLBOOK EDITION)
   LAURIE FARIA STOLARZ
   
   Rating: 4 Enchantments
   
   Stacey Brown's determined to do everything in her power to protect her best friend Drea from what she sees happens to her in her nightmares; nightmares that have always seemed to have come true in the past. And if saving Drea from a crazed stalker means that the secrets about the spells she casts have to come out, then that's the sacrifice Stacey's willing to make to keep her best friend safe.
   
   
   I was drawn into this story from almost the very first page. A combination paranormal, murder-mystery and even thriller, this book defined page turner. Stacey's a strong character who doesn't want to see her recent nightmares come true, so she begins to light candles and cast spells to protect her roommate and best friend Drea. But when a fellow student is found murdered, Stacey grows increasingly worried the stalker is getting closer to his intended target of Drea.
   
   My only fault with the book is that it took me awhile to get used to is the fact it's told in first person, present tense but after a chapter or so, it really wasn't a factor.
   
   Fans of a good paranormal mystery would enjoy this first book in Ms. Stolarz's series.
   
   Lisa
   YA Director
   Enchanting Reviews
   January 2008



5. Stacey has been having nightmares. But these aren't your everyday monster-under-the-bed dreams; these are premonitions. She's had these before, and the result was the death of a girl named Maura. Now, she's trying everything she can because the next victim could be her best friend Drea.
   
   What is very helpful is that Stacey is a witch. She performs a wide variety of spells in order to make her nightmares clearer and to find out who is after Drea. She, Drea, and their friend Amber form a pact to make sure they're safe. But nothing seems to be safe anymore.
   
   It's very hard to guess who's after Drea. Stacey has many suspicions, but they keep on shifting as she learns new information. What's most frustrating to Stacey, though, is that she's dreamt all of it. She just can't remember.
   
   I really enjoyed reading this novel. The magic involved was unique in that it wasn't just "Harry Potter" magic. Stacey isn't a witch like Hermione; she performs spells using candles, herbs, and oils, not magic wands. I found this refreshing and unique. I also enjoyed the suspense throughout the entire novel. The twists and turns always kept me guessing. I recommend this to all magic book lovers, because I loved it myself.
   
   reposted from http://thebookmuncher.blogspot.com

5 comments about Red Is for Remembrance.

1. This series is amazing. The first three books were all page turners. I couldn't put them down until I was finished. However, this book is sadly lacking the caliber the other books in the series possessed. The ending was predictable from the beginning, and the outcome was bittersweet.
   
   Some people believe that after Silver is for Secrets, the series should have been over. However, the author didn't really finish the series there. An ending to Stacey Brown's story was required. The attempt to close all the doors left open, though, was unenjoyable. I give the series, overall, a 4 star rating, but this last book is definately not on the same level as the rest.



2. My teen aged daughter enjoys this book. I bought her the entire series for Christmas 06. She has enjoyed reading this book over and over. Apparently, these are the type of books that young teens are unable to put down until they complete the entire text. I find it inspiring that she has found a series that entices her to read that often. I was also impressed at the length of time it took to receive the product. The only drawback is that it had the title on the exterior of the envelop. Difficult for gift giving if she gets the mail.



3. hi I am 12 yrs. old, i have read the three books before this one. and i love them all. i think that silver is for secrets was so sad i have read them all 3 time each. i kinda wish theree was a 5th one even thouhg i noe there wont be



4. These books are amazing.... All of them. Red is for Remembrance left me happy, sad, thankful... What an amazing author. She brought me into Stacey Brown's life and now I feel like I have to continue living it. I hope one day I'll be as good of an author as she is. This series left me speechless.



5. Okay so Stacy is dreaming again, only this time no bodily fluids (anyone else disappointed?). In her dream a girl is telling her to help or "he will die." Convinced this will bring her to Jacob, she agrees to help the president at her school whose daughter is having nightmares and is on the brink of being institutionalized.
   At the same time a guy named Shell is at a campground in the middle of nowhere with no memory of his past or anything other than the camp. The camp works much like a cult, the leader is all powerful, they are shut out of the outside world and forced to "love" other members. He knows there's something else out there, or should I say someONE else, but he just cant remember.
   All of our favorite charactors are back: Amber, Drea, PJ, and Chad, along with some fun new charactors, my favorite being Janie the Christian roomate who is against witchcraft but not sex outside of marriage.

5 comments about The Woman in Black: A Ghost Story.

1. I actually got this book to have a good old ghost story to read around Halloween time, but I just could *not* get into this one. Very slow moving, though wonderful language usage, not really all that suspensful. It should be a quick read but each time I started reading it I had to put it down just so I could re-awaken myself. I was expecting a little more suspense I guess, and a few more 'BOO's, especially after reading a lot of the reviews, I was pretty disappointed. Not many books let me down as much as this one did.



2. Anyone who enjoys a classic haunted house/ghost story tale in the old British tradition will love Susan Hill's, "The Woman In Black".
   
   This story is all about atmosphere and not things jumping out at you or gory kill scenes. A young attorney is sent to a remote town in Northern England to go through the house of a recently deceased old woman who had been a long-time client of his law firm. Upon arriving in the town he finds that no one wants to talk about the Eel Marsh House or the late Mrs. Drablow. He can't even find anyone willing to assist him in going through the house in search of any legal paperwork. He soon finds out why as he is haunted by a strange locked nursery, the screams of a child sinking into the marsh behind the house and mysterious appearances by a sallow-faced woman clad only in black.
   
   A perfect tale for a fireside Halloween ghost story session!



3. It is not often I am moved to compare a writer to the great Shirley Jackson but here it is. Susan Hill's The Woman In Black is deep, dark and very scary. There is not a body part or axe wielding maniac in sight, just menace and atmosphere. This book can stand with The Haunting of Hill House and that is saying something. Be sure to also read Susan Hill's The Man In The Picture. Trust me, you will devour it as i did (I never trust people who say "trust me").



4. The back cover of this short novel says: "What real reader does not yearn, somewhere in the recess of his or her heart, for a really literate, first-class thriller--one that chills the body, but warms the soul with plot, perception, and language at once astute and vivid? In other words, a ghost story written by Jane Austen?" How can you resist a hook like that?
   
   I first read The Woman in Black in 2002 after seeing the play of the same name in London's West End. The story features a young solicitor named Arthur Kipps who's dispatched to the north of England to settle the affairs of the recently-deceased Mrs. Drablow, an elderly woman who lived at the remote Eel Marsh House.
   
   The Woman in Black is a ghost story with all the requisite elements: a strange woman dressed in black, a locked room with a rocking chair that won't stop moving; and the eerie sound of a pony and trap in the fog. It's one of the creepiest books I've read in a long time--Company of Liars may be the exception. There's no blood here, just a spine-tingling yet subtle mystery. There's really nothing more I can say; this book is perfect.



5. The novel is narrated by a character named Arthur Kipps, now an elderly man, who recounts the eerie events that occurred decades earlier when he was a solicitor settling the estate of Alice Drablow.
   
   As a young man, he was sent to a small town to attend Mrs Drablow's funeral and sort through the widow's papers. Although it was an ordinary task, Kipps' life was permanently altered by the appearances of a woman in black, the mystery he uncovered, and the strange occurrences in Eel Marsh House--Mrs Drablow's large home, surrounded by marsh and cut off from the mainland during high tides.
   
   Author Susan Hill does a superb job of creating that foggy, damp atmosphere that's ideal for old-fashioned ghost stories. I saw the play which is based upon the novel when I was in England last year and actually jumped out of my seat a couple times. I went out to buy the book before the plane ride home. The book isn't scary in that same jump-out-of-your-seat-and-scream (as the group of school children in the audience did frequently) sense, but that's not to say that it's boring. If you enjoy subtly creepy stories, you'll devour this book.