5 comments about Gallows Hill (Laurel-Leaf Books).

1. While I agree that this is an excellent story, the kindle version of this book is so full of misspelled words that it makes it very difficult to read. Every page has misspelled words. I bought this for my niece to enjoy (and introduce her to Kindle) but had to keep helping her figure out what each of the misspelled words were suppose to be. In many places throughout the story, the word "die" is used where "the" is suppose to be. I also bought her the other Lois Duncan book, I hope that it is better. I'm afraid that this was a poor choice for an introduction to Kindle for her.



2. A very good book. But remember, this book will only make sense to you if you have read some books on witchcraft, such as The Crucible by Arthur Miller. I highly recommend that you should read The Crucible before reading this book.



3. I requested this book, not realizing it was a young adult book. I am 25 , so I typically dont read young adult books, but I went ahead with this one. I have to say I really enjoyed it, and even had a hard time putting it down. I give it 5 stars, for being well written and interesting.



4. This is one of my absolute favorites by Duncan. I read it in high school and was hooked to every word. Goodness, but why can't horror writers for teens write like this anymore?! It is an absolutey fascinating story that is the perfect guilty pleasure or companion for a stormy night. It was everything a good story needs: a bit of Salem Witch Trial history, romance, teen angst, and Duncan's brilliant way of bringing out everyone's psychological moves without dragging down the story. The sheer supernatural flavor of the dreams was a brilliant touch, and Duncan once again combines nervous, self-conscious teenagers with brooding horror.



5. This is probably the most supsensful book I have ever read, I was always "interested" in what happened with the Salem Witch Trials but never really got around to reading anything about it. This book got me started!! I finished it within two days and decided that for my history project (it was 5 months away) I was going to do it on The Salem Witch Trials. Those five months I researched all about them till I almost knew it by heart. I will soon be reading other books involving the Salem Witch Trials : A Break with Charity by Ann Rinaldi and The Sacrifice by Kathleen Benner Duble. I cannot wait to start reading Lois Duncan's other suspense novels!! Please read this!! Trust me it WON't waist your time.

No comments about Buffy the Vampire Slayer 2: Halloween Rain; Bad Bargain; Afterimage.

5 comments about The Darkangel (The Darkangel Trilogy).

1. When I started reading The Darkangel, I wasn't sure I would like it. After all, it was told in such a melodramatic way as to read like the fantasy of a teenage girl. When I found out, however, that the book was published when the writer, Meredith Ann Pierce, was only 23, I understood a little bit better why I was getting that impression.
   
   Though the book has its flaws, the story soon swept me up into in heady mix of folkloric and fairytale elements, set within a sci-fi framework of a planet colonized by a people called the Ancients many moons ago. I won't go into the details of a synopsis--others before me have done that, and quite well--but I will say that this is one of the most unique books I've read, weaving together disparate and seemingly incompatible story ingredients into a compelling dark fantasy. I'm just a bit disappointed that I came late to the party and didn't discover this series until now.



2. I very much enjoyed this book--stayed up all night reading it in fact! It was a good dark fantasy (I think that's fun). I can't wait to get to the other books in the series.



3. This is the first book in the Darkangel Trilogy by Meredith Ann Pierce. This was an excellent book, very fairy tale like in the telling and an interesting, somewhat traditional, take on vampirism.
   
   Aeriel's friend is taken away by a vampire to become his bride. Aeriel is determined to find her friend and take her back home. When the vampire comes to take her she finds herself in a castle where only a gnome-like mage, gargoyles, and the wraiths of the vamp's wives are her company. Aeriel must find what she needs to do to free the wraiths from the vampire's clutches. Her quest will take her on a magical and fantastical journey.
   
   The writing for this book is a bit dated but good. At times the writing is incredibly descriptive. The story is very fairy tale like, slow-moving at times with lots of deliberate description. There isn't a ton of action here. The pacing is variable; at times the story moves forward at a very deliberate pace then all of the sudden months have gone by. This story is not for people who are really into high action or fighting scenes. If you are into fairy tales then this is the story for you; that is the best description for this book....classic fairy tale style.
   
   Overall this is a beautiful story and very gothic. It is also a fairly short book; takes maybe a couple hours to read. Appropriate for young adult readers or maybe even younger readers who don't scare easily. I am looking forward to reading the next book in the series :-)



4. This book was odd. It wasn't historical fiction, though some things had a parallel to our history. It was definitely a fantasy book, with lots of different magical elements.
   
   Some things I had a hard time picturing. It mostly came up in the sequel, but some people had different color skins. I'm not talking white/black/tan either. That was just random for me.
   
   I started this series for the romance. But so far it just seems so much more about the action. That's not me. Action and me is bad, with a few exceptions.
   
   I wouldn't stay with this series because it's not giving me the romance I want, but I'm hoping the romance appears in the third book and it'll be less of a disappointment.



5. I first came across this book years ago; before all this vampire genre came about. I was in elementary school in the 80's and this was a book I came across in the young-adult section of our local library. I read it and loved the story. I checked it out at least 4 more times that I remember. As a young reader I was captivated by the story.

5 comments about Stories for Around the Campfire.

1. This book is definitely geared to Scout camping. The guy can't write an interesting story,but I guess he's not an author but a scoutmaster and was trying to get his tales on paper for others to use as their own.
   the typeface in book is also quite amateurist.
   
   that being said, it does have one redeeming merit, it does have a bit in the beginning regarding campfire storytelling advice, which I found quite helpful. If you take the time to change stories and make them your own, and don't read them verbatum, then and only then could this collection possibly be a hit around the fire.



2. As the cover of this book would suggest, Ray Harriot's collection of original campfire stories is meant for Boy Scouts, although they can be adapted for telling to other kinds of youth groups.
   
   Being used to working with older youths myself, I found some of these stories (particularly the first ten) too silly for use with the 13-and-up crowd. That doesn't mean they are not good stories. They have potential, but are better suited for Cub Scouts and Webelos. An example is "The Boy Who Cried Werewolf," which is every bit as obvious as its title sounds.
   
   The latter fourteen tales are more ghostly and weird, but not violent or very scary. I'd compare the plots to something one might see in a "Scooby-Doo" short. Still, youths under the age of 14 will like them, particularly if told in a dynamic, animated fashion. Harriot offers a variety of themes here, from Indian legends and ghosts from long-ago battles that seem plausible, to the familiar "dare-to-spend-the-night-in-a-haunted-house" story with a nice surprise ending. At least these tales are original, so they're worth adding to your collection.
   
   Besides the general dissatisfaction I had with the joke stories in the first part of the book, production elements cost this title another star. The dialogue could use some tweaking, and many pages are littered with distracting typesetting errors. Ten pages in the beginning of the book are spent on storytelling advice that could best be summed up as "Duh!" A whopping eight blank pages are left at the tail end, each bearing the heading "Notes," and even the back cover is blank. That having been said, this ten-year-old book could shine with a redo.
   
   -Byron C. Justice,
   author of Haunted Camps
   and Violent Night



3. This handy little book was written for the Boy Scout leader, to give you stories to tell around the campfire, as well as tips on how to tell them. There are twenty-four stories here: ten funny stories, and fourteen scary ones. Couple all that with the Telling A Story chapter, and you have got yourself a handy Scout resource!

   Now that I am going on some Scout campouts, I have found the desire to be able to tell some "ghost" stores at the campfire, and this book (which is NOT an official BSA publication, by the way) is a nice thing to have. The stories are great, but I must say that their length at six pages does rather tax my memorizing abilities. That said, though, I did like this book, and highly recommend it.




4. Fun book to have with you when camping with kids! A few stories may not suit children too young, but otherwise, light and great around a campfire!



5. If you are interested in camping out in the woods, and telling ghost stories this book would be a great read. My favorite tale is "The Boy Who Cried Werewolf" which is a take-off of "The Boy Who Cried Wolf" story. Harriot is effective at being both funny and scary with this story whose ending is reminiscent of shaggy-dog stories. The second half of the book has some pretty frightening works, like "A Night at the Delany House", which is a creepy tale about two kids who are dared to stare at a haunted house for a night. Kids will love it, especially the funny ones.

5 comments about The Blue Girl.

1. Yet another choice book for my college Young Adult Literature class. In this book, seventeen-year-old Imogene decides to reinvent herself when she moves to Newford with her mother and brother. She keeps her punk look, but tries to avoid the trouble she was always immersed in prior to the move. After making friends with the resident nerd and catching the attention of school bullies, she encounters further difficulties when attracts the attention of the school ghost and some less than friendly fairies. In order to survive, she must learn to accept the parts of herself she tried to leave behind.
   
   The Blue Girl is one story told in first person by three different characters. This alone, I felt was a good reason to read the book. In my YA Lit class it was mentioned that many young readers don't fully understand point of view in a story, often thinking that the narrator is always the author. Not only does this book have three different characters narrating, but there are parts in the book in which a single event is narrated by more than one character, allowing for the reader to experience and compare differing points of view. In addition to the book's value in explaining point of view, it contains themes that are valuable to young adult readers. Primary among these are acceptance, be it of others, yourself or of a specific event as well as the coming of age theme that is so common in the young adult genre.
   
   Once again, adult readers need to keep in mind that this is a young adult book and as such is written to appeal to a teen audience. While it is good literature, the characters do reflect the fact that they are teens and they act and react as such. This is not to say that it isn't a good book, or a worthwhile read, but adult readers especially should remember that they are reading a book in the young adult genre and so shouldn't expect characters to act as one might expect in adult fiction.



2. I've re-read this book so many times over that I've lost count. It's such a fun read. I'm nearly 18 years old and I enjoy this book so much I HAD to buy it. If you like the Spiderwick Chronicles BOOKS (Not the movie, and if you've seen the movie and haven't read the books, shame on you. The books are much better) and strange stories such as Coraline, you'll enjoy this book as well.
   
   I've finally ordered this book because I've read it tons of times from the local library. Imogene, Maxine, and Adrian are three wonderfully real characters in my opinion.
   
   I really do think that if you like strange, slightly dark, comical, and intriguing stories, I think you'll enjoy this book as well. This book has led me other De Lint books as well, I have yet to find any to read at the library yet, but I will continue searching.



3. Charles de Lint has an insight to magic and how girls/women think and feel. Whenever I read his books I think he had a window into my past. I can identify with the characters at many levels. He is a master at weaving magic that could be here.



4. I have read a huge amount of teen fantasy literature, and this is by far one of the best current examples of this genre. The way de Lint describes people, sounds, everything, he seems to capture perfectly that weird space/time between dreaming and waking. The characters are unique, believable and likable. I bought this for my sister for her birthday and she also loved it. You will not be disappointed! I look forward to reading more books by this author.



5. The book was excellent! If you enjoyed the Holly Black faerie books, you will really enjoy The Blue Girl. Imogene and Maxine are great characters and the faeries are dark. Definitely recommend!

5 comments about The New Girl (Fear Street, No. 1).

1. I couldn't stop reading New Girl. It was soooo great! Not knowing what the truth is about Anna is totally thrilling!! Also if you like romantic books, this is one of Stines BEST ROMANTIC BOOKS!!!!!!!!



2. This book is real suspenseful;can't put it down once you start reading it. Always wanting to know what happens next.



3. When Cory falls in love with Anna, he puts everything on hold. He skips practice and is losing sleep. Soon he learns the truth: Anna is dead. Now Cory must get to the bottom of the mystery that is Anna.
   
   A nice little story, although a bit similar to Stepsister and Blind date.



4. This is the first book of the Fear Street series, and it's really pretty good. Fear Street is a series about scary and/or supernatural events that happen to teenagers in a ficitional town called Shadyside. In this book, an athletic gymnast falls for a new girls in school. She's really cute, and different in an old fashioned kind of way. However, when he tries to find her outside of school, he gets told she doesn't exist. What's going on? Is she a ghost? Is she a liar? This has a pretty good twist ending and gives a good taste of future books in the series. Pulitizer material it's not, but for young teens, or anyone wanting a quick thrilling read, this suits the bill just fine.



5. I think it is a unique and impressive creation by R.L Stine.Stine expressing a different kind of romance,so it is really good.

5 comments about Blue is for Nightmares (Stolarz Series).

1. The writer's vivid descriptions and details and step by step actions of Stacy, the main heroine of this story saga, is quite good. Though not recommended for younger kids/teens, it's a great read for older teens and young adults alike who love suspence. A modern twist on some kind of Nancy Drew.



2. I guess I'm not one for mystery. To me this book is more of a mystery & tiny suspense than scary. This book took me awhile to read, The story has alot of potential yet it didnt really do it for me. btw not really much romance either. I'm a sucker for a good love story. I'm really thinking it's really a prefrence thing.



3. I wasn't as enamored with this book as I have been with most of my recent reads. When I picked up "Blue is for Nightmares" I was really excited because the plot seemed really good and I am a suck for the paranormal fiction genre. But it was only ok. I have purchased the second book in the series "White is for Magic" at the same time so I even though I was not impressed with the first book I decided to give it a try as well.
   
   As fo for "Blue is for Nightmares," let me start by saying that the story was very good. I thought that the writing and the suspense was great. BUT...I was annoyed by the bed wetting in the book. I know it had a valid point in the plot, but I still thought that it got old and gross real fast. Maybe I am just being prissy about it, if so, oh well.
   
   Anyways, the story is about Stacey. She is living at her boarding school starting her junior year. She is, according to anyone on the outside, a perfectly average teenager, but Stacey is a witch. Not a shoot fire from your fingers kind of witch but a general practitioner. She does however have these nightmares that seem to be warning her about a tragic murder....not just any murder, the murder of her best friend Drea. I thought that the friend she was trying to save, Drea, in this book was kind of an annoying/rude bitch. I was not a fan of her (which made it more difficult for me to want Stacey to safe her).
   
   The love story aspect of the book was not very well developed either. Stacey has a crush on her best friend's ex-boyfriend and he seems to feel the same, but it it not explored at all. As for those pesky nightmares, the last time Stacey was plagued by nightmares a little girl way murdered and Stacey has never forgiven herself for not being able to prevent it. Now Stacey must follow the clues in her nightmares to prevent Drea's murder. With everyone as a potential suspect, Stacey turns to the one secret weapon she can trust, magic.
   
   [...]



4. this is one of the best books ive ever read... it keeps the suspense coming through the whole book but i immediately solved the mystery i was just waiting to know if i was right... people who liked tis book also like
   1. hunger games
   2.beautiful creatures (number one book of the december month)
   3. Maximum ride
   4. once a witch
   numbers 2 and 4 are also about magic and mystery and 1 and 3 are about adventure.
   this book is amazing so i hghly suggest u buyit
   ~squirt megers 23



5. This review has been written by my 10 year old daughter, I hope you enjoy reading it, and that it helps you decide if Blue is for Nightmares is a book for yourself or your child to read.
   
   Secrets -- there seem to be lots of them at Hillcrest boarding school. Even Stacey has one. Since the start of the school year, she dreads sleep because she's been having nightmares about her roommate, Drea. But that's not her secret. The real reason she performs a ritual with candles and sage before bed is not so much to make the nightmares go away, but to make the bed wetting stop. Yup, that's right. In the midst of these nightmares where she's desperately trying to find Drea, 16-year old Stacey wets the bed. Combine that horribly disgusting secret with the fact that the last time she ignored her nightmares, a little girl wound up dead, and you've got a real sense of urgency within a carefully crafted maze of a plot.
   
   You see, Stacey is descended from a long line of witches, or Wiccans -- as in followers of the Wicca religion. She knows card reading, potions, and spells, passed down from her grandmother. And she knows the nightmares and the bed wetting are happening for a reason. Even the cards spell out trouble for Drea, who eventually confesses to getting strange, anonymous emails, phone calls, and messages. So Stacey knows she has to pay attention to her dreams, in spite of the miserable bed wetting. When the same lilies that appear in her nightmares show up in the girls' bathroom, Stacey and Drea know that the stalker's not out there somewhere, but right nearby -- in school. Yet their attempt to find out the stalker's identity with the help of their friends, only leads them in circles. In the middle of it all, another student is murdered. From then on, Stacey's nightmares take on an even greater urgency. And every one's paying attention. Which is a good thing when it comes to keeping Drea safe, but a bad thing when it comes to the bed wetting.
   
   As is the nature of secrets, they are eventually revealed, and it seems like even their closest friends have something to hide when it comes to the unfortunate dead student. Could someone they eat lunch with and gossip with, someone they sit next to in class, actually be capable of murder?Through Stacey's spellbinding race to save Drea's life, she unravels the string of secrets and understands everything -- even the bed wetting. .
   
   Lovers of the spiritual side of Wicca will be in heaven. Into this real life mystery, Laurie Stolarz weaves an education about true witchcraft combined with a lesson in dream interpretation. She truly has a gift for lifting witchcraft out of the shadow of the broomstick and into the modern world. "Blue is for Nightmares" cast a spell on me.
   
   I really enjoyed Blue is for Nightmares. I can't wait until I read the rest of the series. If you you enjoy magic and fantasy with a touch of realism this is your book! I give Blue is for Nightmares a 5 stars.

5 comments about The Midnight Club.

1. This book is awful. The story description isn't even what the book is about - there's virtually no part of the plot that involves the death pact. It's a touching story as far as the kids being in a hospice, but overall the story didn't make much sense and was kind of silly.



2. In a hospice for the terminally ill, five teenagers, who meet every night to tell each other scary stories, make a pact that the first of them to die must try to contact the others from beyond the grave.



3. I did not get this book at all. I found it rather self-indulgent of wannabe writers; maybe I am just too old and cynical to appreciate youthful passion. To be fair, it was an interesting concept, setting the characters in a hospice, and I'm sure Mr. Pike could have done a fine job expressing more feelings of sorrow at the brevity of life instead of lingering on the exciting-but-forgetful stories.



4. The back cover blurb of this book is actually pretty misleading. It says that this book is about a group of terminally ill teenagers who make a pact that the first of them to die will attempt to contact the others from beyond the grave. Based on this, and the fact that Pike is an established horror author, I assumed that this would be a book about homicidal ghosts or something equally lurid. However, this is definitely not the case. For a start, no one actually dies until page 140 (of 211) and even then they don't make beyond the grave contact until after page 200. This is definitely not a horror novel. What "The Midnight Club" is really about is teenagers trying to deal with their own mortality. Every night at midnight the aforementioned teens meet to tell each other stories and it is through these stories that the characters cope with their illness and with death.
   
   I am a big fan of Christopher Pike and have read almost 30 of his books. The main reason why I like them is because he doesn't talk down to his readers. Although his books are generally about teenagers (and presumably targeted at them), he speaks to them as though they are intelligent adults and I think that is why he is so successful. He is also a very good writer. This book, however, is not one of my favourites. A number of Pike's books feature subplots about past lives and alternative religions and after reading a couple of books with those sorts of plots, I already know all of Pike's ideas on the topic and I'm just not interested anymore. This is one such book. In my opinion, Pike is at his best when he is writing crime stories without supernatural elements. Although I thought many of the stories told by the characters in this book were good, I still think that he has written many better books than this one.



5. This book has been noted as being one of Pike's best, but I have to disagree. First of all, the back synopsis is completely misleading on what the story is actually about. Yes, there are 5 kids in a hospice who meet every night at Midnight to tell stories. Yes, they agree that when the first one dies they are to try and make contact. Thats about it. It also says that when the first person dies thats when their stories really begin and thats also true - however the first character doesn't die until 2/3 of the way into the book.
   
   The book is mainly about how your past lives tie in with your current life and also your next life. Its based around the stories that each character tells at their midnight meetings - most of these stories wouldn't fall into the horror category either, save a few tales. It was an ok story, just not what the publisher leads you to believe.
   
   Other issues I had were the long chapters. It made the book drag a bit for me, having all of the characters stories from their midnight meetings in one big chapter. You start to forget who told which story and what it was about by then end of the book.
   
   All in all, if you're interested in a story about past lives or meeting people from your past you should give this a read. Don't go into this thinking that its a thriller though!

5 comments about Kit's Wilderness.

1. Kit's Wilderness is a very interesting book. When we started reading it i had a completely differnt idea of what the book was going to be than what it turned out to be. I thought i wouldn't like it but it actually turned out to be a pretty good book. Every character had a very unique personality that made them seem like a real person. By the end of the book i felt like i knew Kit Watson and Granpa and Allie. Also, the way that David Almond described certain scenes and events it was almost as if you were there watching it happen. Overall, good book!



2. This is such a beautiful and poetic book. The characters are so alive and the story is enchanting. I would rank Kit's Wilderness up there with The Lion the Witch and the Wardrobe and A Wrinkle in Time.



3. David Almond's book was assigned to my juniors for their outside reading assignment. At first, it took me a little while to get accustomed to the author's style of writing but once I got into Kit's Wilderness, I got hooked by the story, the creepiness, suspense, and storylines. Kit Watson is a young man who moves to Stoneygate and gets involved with a bunch of his peers and a strange game called death. Of course, it's only a game but is it? Kit and his new friends are involved in this game. Kit's grandfather recalls stories of his youth and the stories of his past as well as the ghosts of Stoneygate. I found it fascinating that Kit and his friends have this morbid curiousity in contacting their dead ancestors or trying to experience death in this bizarre game.



4. Christopher Watson, nicknamed Kit, is thirteen when his grandmother dies and he and his parents go back to the old mining community of Stoneygate to live with his grandfather. There Kit meets Allie Keenan, the girl who protect him and drives him crazy, and John Askew, a loner most other kids avoid. John is drawn to Kit, though, telling him that their lives are connected, that the two of them are alike. He tells Kit to look at the monument to children who died several generations ago in the mines, and Kit finds that the top line of the monument reads "John Askew, aged thirteen." The bottom line reads "Christopher Watson, aged thirteen." At first Kit thinks that this coincidence means nothing, but then he starts to see the ghosts of the dead children. He writes a story with characters who seek him out in his dreams and leave him feeling they are just a little too real. Is Kit communicating with the dead? Or is everything just in his imagination?
   
   There were some great things about this story. I liked the supernatural aspect; it worked really well. I liked the relationships Kit had with his grandfather and with Allie. I also liked the ending of the book. The beginning, though, was very slow. It took me about twenty pages to get into the story, instead of being hooked right from the beginning.



5. This book is great. It is about kids that play a game that no one would ever imagine. It is very interesting and I did not want to stop reading it. I definately recommend it to anyone who dosent enjoy reading or even people that do.

5 comments about Coraline.

1. Coraline's family has just moved into a new flat. Her parents are always busy with their own work and Coraline (please don't call her Caroline) has no friends or siblings to play with. She spends her time exploring her new apartment complex and the surrounding grounds. She's got some eccentric neighbors: two little old ladies who love to reminisce about their time on the stage and an old man who trains mice to sing and dance.
   
   But what's really strange is the extra door in Coraline's flat. It doesn't go anywhere. Coraline's mom says it used to connect to the vacant flat next door, but now it's bricked up. Except that it's not always bricked up... sometimes it does go somewhere...
   
   Coraline is a terrific little heroine. Curious and brave, but appropriately cautious, she sets out to discover what's in the vacant flat. And though what's there seems rather wonderful at first, Coraline soon realizes that it's actually rather horrible. Not in a bloody gory kind of way, but in a spooky, spine-tingling, why-the-heck-is-this-so-scary kind of way.
   
   Neil Gaiman understands creepy: buttons for eyes, long red tapping fingernails, long dark hallways, talking rats, trapped and soulless children... I'm not sure why, but just the thought of an "other mother" automatically evokes goosebumps -- How incredibly disturbing! The eeriness is accented with excellently terrifying drawings by Dave McKean (who did the Sandman covers).
   
   Coraline is excellent fantasy for sensitive but brave children who like to squirm. I read it to my daughters, and I'm sure I squirmed just as much as they did. My girls enjoyed Coraline's adventure and maybe now they'll even be a little less put out when Mommy is too busy to play.



2. I absolutely loved the movie version of "Coraline" and just finally got around to checking out the original book. I was greatly disappointed. The writing style is too simplistic and doesn't paint a vivid picture. The characters are flat, and you feel no connection with any of them, including the main character. There really isn't any moral lesson in this book--Coraline happens to wander into the world twice, sees some weird stuff and her parents coincidentally get trapped there. I didn't like the illustrations; especially a picture of one of the actresses and her dogs, which are clearly described as Scottish Terriers but look more like long-haired poodles in the drawing. The movie does a much better job of showing that her parent's disappearance and all of the "wonders" of the Other World occur because Coraline has shown dissatisfaction with the changes in her life. I had to force myself to keep flipping pages.
   
   Go watch the movie. It takes the overall creepy theme of the book and does a fantastic job of making a wonderful, offbeat film. The characters are well-developed and memorable, especially Coraline, who you see as both a spoiled teenager and a girl who is very lonely because she has been uprooted from her home and ignored by workaholic parents. The animation is fantastic and you can see that it took thousands and thousands of man-hours to create. The soundtrack is very good. Be warned, although it may look appealing, this is not a movie for children.



3. Coraline by Neil Gaiman is a great book, which can be enjoyed by children and adults, however, I would only recommend it to kids who aren't too easily scared.
   
   It begins with Coraline moving to a new apartment. She quickly grows bored with her new home, and soon discovers a door which leads to an alternate version of her own apartment. Her mother and father are there, as well as her other neighbors, however everything is more strange and fascinating then back in her old apartment. Huge theatres with dogs as the spectators, wonderful food, and a talking cat are just a few of the wonders she finds. However, everyone on the other side of the door has buttons where their eyes should be, and not all is as it first appears.
   
   Neil Gaiman's writing style is short and to the point, making it easy to read for younger ages, and giving the prose a certain freshness and simplicity. He is vague where he needs to be allowing the reader's imagination to take hold, and manages to convey a wealth of ideas in a very few words. The story moves quickly, and never drags on.
   
   The characters are also well done, not because any of them are particularly complex or has an extremely unique personality, but because they resemble real people. The other apartment dwellers are almost caricatures of people, but remain just within the realm of believability, except for perhaps the Crazy Old Man Upstairs but then again I don't know anyone who claims to own a mouse band (which is exactly what it sounds like, complete with miniature instruments!). The people on the other side of the door are quite creepy, and give off a good feeling of otherworldliness.
   
   I won't spoil the plot, but it is fairly simplistic. What makes Coraline such a joy to read is the world Gaiman creates. The other world is scary and threatening, but also fantastical and amazing (at least at the beginning). The story holds a real sense of menace and you really start to feel like you're the one exploring this new world.
   
   Overall Coraline is a fun and creepy (sometimes scary) ride, which takes you on a trip to an alternate world, full of button-eyed people and thinly-veiled menace. If your child is easily scared, then they probably shouldn't read Coraline, but that isn't to say no child should read it. I think that most kids (as well as adults) would probably enjoy being scared by Coraline, and enjoy seeing those fears overcome. I highly recommend Coraline to both children and adults.



4. I was highly impressed with Gaiman`s portrayal of the other mother and the other world. the thought of having a world that seem`s better than your`s is highlt intreauging. i would highly recomend this book.



5. I'm slightly biased because I think Neil Gaiman is an incredible author and I enjoy any work he has done. Coraline in particular was just fantastic. I saw the movie first, which I'm a little upset at myself about (I almost never watch a movie before I read a book) but I was pleased with both variations of the story.
   
   I also must say the artwork was very nice to have. I found myself studying the artwork thoroughly as I encountered it in the text. The artwork really complimented the darkness of the story and made it even more creepy than it already was (if that's even possible).
   
   This is a very quick read - I finished it in only a day. It is very difficult to put down - which was kind of depressing for me in the end because I wanted to read more! The last 10% of the book contains a "why did you write Coraline" and "Neil Gaiman Q&A" which was short and refreshing as well. Really get your money's worth with this one!