5 comments about Switched (Fear Street, No. 31).

1. Synopsis: Nicole Darwin feels her life is too boring. Her parents don't do anything interesting; she does not like her classes, and her boyfriend David just broke up with her without an explanation. She just wants to escape from being herself for a while, and gets the perfect chance when she runs into her best friend Lucy. Coincidentally, Lucy tells her that they should switch bodies. Nicole is interested in the idea and follows Lucy deep into the Fear Street woods. Lucy takes her to a "Changing Wall" that her grandfather told her about. If two people sat on the wall together and jumped off, they would be able to switch bodies with one another. Nicole and Lucy decide to try it and soon find themselves in each other's bodies.
   
   Initially, Nicole is thrilled because she can live Lucy's life, with her parents, and Lucy's boyfriend Kent, whom Nicole has had a secret crush on. They part ways and Nicole realizes that she was so eager to switch places that she never found out what Lucy's reasons were for switching bodies. She goes to Lucy's house, but is horrified to find Lucy's parents, murdered! She finds a note in Lucy's bedroom confessing to murdering her parents. Nicole realizes that Lucy switched bodies with her to get away with murder and live Nicole's life.
   
   The story follows as Nicole tries to find Lucy and switch bodies back with her. It is very hard for Nicole, because she feels that Lucy is murdering more people, and also finds herself being followed by the police. Can Nicole get Lucy in time before she is wrongfully accused?
   
   Review: When I first started reading this book, I couldn't believe how farfetched the story sounded. Two girls switching bodies while sitting on a wall in the middle of the woods? I didn't have any hopes or expectations and thought this was going to be a ridiculous Fear Street book. But I still gave it a second chance and kept reading, and I am glad I did. After Nicole switches bodies with Lucy, the book became so suspenseful that it was hard to put down.
   
   R. L. Stine adds so many twists to the plot that I couldn't put the book down even if I wanted to. Some might argue that the ending was disappointing, but I thought it was a very suitable ending that provided an explanation to all the incidents in the book.
   
   Another reason why I enjoyed this book was because it was so different from other Fear Street books. True, I thought the first two or three chapters were boring, but this isn't a regular fear street book which involves ghosts, or psychotic boyfriends/girlfriends plotting revenge. It is also fast paced as we travel with Nicole in her search for Lucy. Some parts of the story were very explicit with gory details, but I thought this added well to the horror of the story.
   
   I think this is by far the best Fear Street book I have read lately, and would definitely put it in my top three Fear Street book list.



2. Switched is another great Fear Street novel.
   
   2 best friends, Nicole and Lucy, switch bodies by using magic. Nicole thinks Lucy has a great life, but she soon finds out that her friend has some issues when she uses Nicole's body to commit murder. Nicole flees as it seems that several people are conspiring against her.
   The ending is swell, as it usually is with R L Stine. Revealing more would be too much. Recommended.



3. This book was very good I so recomened it for people that love to have goosebumps and shivers down there back. Im 11 years old the daughter of the audolts acount I am a fan of R.L. stine, but I have to admit it was a bit gory but awesome. The way he discribed how the people got killed was unbelievilble I couldnt believe that his mind acutiolly works that way. Every time I read the part were someone got killed I could see everything Nicole could see. When I was reading the book I thought that Lucy was a Jerk for all the things she had done but the end tells everything. Read this book and find out what Lucy did and find what actually was hidden be hind the curtons!
   
   P.S. discover a bunch of to ways to kill!!! ha ha ha



4. This one great book with one twisted ending- in a good way! Lots of twists and turns! Great read; great adition to anyone's collection!



5. Its sad that Nicole thought that her best friend , Lucy , was still alive.The reason why I am writing this is because when I started reading this book I felt sorry for Nicole for having a depressed life, then Lucy asked Nicole if she wanted to switch bodies. Then when I read the ending, I was shocked when Nicole found out what really happend to Lucy. The ending was so sad that I cried for hours. I give this book 5 stars.

5 comments about The Watcher's Guide, Volume 3 (Buffy the Vampire Slayer).

1. Simply put, the first two "Watcher's Guide" were fun and in-depth, this third one--not so much. The first Guides seem to add a lot of additional information even for the devoted BtVS fan. The third guide read like newspaper clippings and/or national magazine glib articles written by some one who wrote about the phenomena and not the creative essence of "Buffy" the show. And I loved Tara and her relationship with Willow, but for some reason, nothing new or substantial about their bond is added into the third guide. REALLY DISAPPOINTING. Why was this one so lack luster?



2. This book was sooo cool! If you're a Buffy freak like me :) It has all kinds of cool extras in it, not just episode recaps. It has quotes, trivia and much more! I would definately reccomend buying this. It does only have seasons 5-7. This and the other Watcher Guides I'm sure..will help keep Buffy alive!!



3. The book itself was just like new. No dents or creases on the pages.



4. I am a HUGE Buffy fan and this will make an awesome addition to my collection. Great condition and quick shipping! Thanks!



5. Especially if you are writing about the series or something, and you want to know exactly when something happened or a reminder of some series of events, it really helps not to have to watch the whole season again. The essays were mediocre, but as a reference book - I'll probably have to order the other two too!

5 comments about Wolf Moon.

1. this novel was well put together, i quite enjoy this author. so far everything i've read by him (to date probably 3 books including this one... but still) has been well written. he seems to know what words to use to best capture a feeling or mood or set the tone. characterization is also very well done.
   
   this book is about a were wolf who comes across an inn and falls in love with a woman there and her family and tries to set up something of a life with them, but he has this evil magician on his tail who wants to kill him. the time in which the book took place has a kind of a solemn almost medieval mood too it, not with the knights n such, but the way in which the characters speak and the setting, it all has a 'back then' feel to it. so he tries to set up this life and it gets to be near perfect, which he longs for because in his past he hasn't been accepted by neither humans nor wolves because of what he is. but here he has finally found a place where people accept him. then he goes to this party where the evil magician/ harper is and the harper moves in on his new found happiness.
   
   i wish the author would have went into a bit more detail when concerning the actions of people not narrating, because i guess it's too much like real life where we have to assume inner turmoil and motivation behind their actions, but besides this criticism this book was pretty good. even as i noted this i still very much enjoyed the story, only after i've finished do criticisms pop into my head, when i'm no longer under the author's spell :P
   
   a decent read on werewolves. there is a bit of romance, but it isn't the focus of the story. it's more about the werewolf himself and his struggle to find a place for himself in the world. it's a pretty good one.



2. This was an okay book, but for some reason I felt that something was lacking. I didn't feel as drawn into it as I have with other books.



3. This was a change from a lot of his books - it was more like an expanded short story. But I still enjoyed it as it was nice to see the role reversal of the werewolf and the Bard. It needs to be taken into consideration that this story was different in that most tales cover an extended period of time with epic happenings, but this was a short slice of the life of just a few people. In that context, it was an enjoyable book. Yes, not as good as some of Charles De Lint's, but still good in it's own right.



4. I believe that this book was an excellent novel that wisked you away on a mythical journey in what seemed like mid-evil times with a little razzle dazzle magic thown in. There are about 6 main characters that all go through their own mini story and some of course bigger and longer than others. The protaganist is a shapechanger named Kern who becomes a werewolf at will. The antaganist Is a bard/wiard named tulioch who can summon creatures from his harp and is after our friend Kern using one of said beasts named the ferah. The story is filled with dramatic twists and tuns and battles (both mental and phisical) that keep it exiting. My favorite part would have to be the ending's climactic battle Featuring the bard and Kern in his wolf form with the other characters playing small parts that come together for a truthfully exiting pageturner that will keep you guessing. I would easily recomend this book to everyone I know with a little lust for magic but still longing for a book of exceeding standards.



5. On occasion I get in the mood for some fantasy fiction, and this was a quick read on my commute for a couple of days. It's not de Lint's usual fare, being a more traditional fantasy rather than Urban Faerie, and it's an earlier, less polished novel.
   
   The stories focuses on Kern, a werewolf being hunted by a mysterious harping mage accompanied by a frightening spirit-beast. Throughout the tale we get to meet an interesting cast of characters, including Ainsy, the proprietress of an inn, and her friends and adopted family who help her run it. And herein lies my first complaint--while the characters are a curious bunch, there's not as well-developed as they could have been. They're not entirely flat, but de Lint's later characters are crafted much more in depth.
   
   The story is similar. It was a quick, light read, with good language, but it seemed to jump too quickly, particularly the romance between Kern and Ainsy. A book twice the length could have been a much better look at the story.
   
   I'm betting the publisher had a lot to do with it, since fantasy novels in the late 80s tended to often be rather short. Still, there are rough edges, too, that attest to a less-experienced writer.
   
   If you're used to de Lint's other novels, don't go in with expectations, On the other hand, it'd a nice bit of a quick read, and I'm keeping it in my collection.

5 comments about Ghost Huntress Book 1: The Awakening.

1. Though the book is geared towards a slightly younger audience than myself, I found the characters to be interesting and the material very well written. The author does an excellent job of portraying the heroine and her group of teenage "hunters" in a realistic light that encourages the reader to be invested in the story as well as the individual characters from the onset. I was especially impressed with the religious and spiritual issues faced by the herione. The author clearly writes from the heart and that is conveyed in the accurate and respectful handling of the subject matter. I highly recommend this book for anyone looking for an entertaining read that will keep you interested until the very last page.



2. I got this book because the whole aspect of ghost hunting has always been a very interesting subject for me. I tried to like the book but it was a bit disappointing.
   
   The plot of the book did move at a pretty good pace, although it got dragged out over petty high school drama and other non-important plot pieces. It kept me somewhat interested to see what would happen with Kendall, the main character in the book. What really dragged the book down is the way it was written. Not only is the narrative extremely forced (i.e. putting in current artists or events as if the author is trying hard to make it sound like this is a teenager writing this), but it was written in a way as if someone was thinking this book out and this is the first draft ever. The flow was extremely choppy with the language used and the writing style is very amateur at best. The way it was written was more for maybe someone telling a ghost story around a campfire but not for written work.
   
   I also find the main character to be extremely irritating. The way she is written made her seem like a very selfish girl and a lot of this book was a lot of "me, me, me."
   
   I tried to get more into the book than I did. I think that I would have gotten more into the book if the writing was not so horrid. It was very forced with the author continuously putting in references to name brands and celebrities. Stay clear if you do not want to be bombarded with names and other things not relevant to the story at all.



3. This is an engrossing novel that pulled me in from the beginning and held me there for the entire story. Kendall Moorehead is a recently uprooted high school student who discovers she's becoming a "sensitive," her psychic awareness is awakening because her mind is finally quieted. Her family moved from Chicago to sleepy Radisson, Georgia, a hotbed of paranormal activity. Kendall is adjusting to new gifts, a new school, new friends and a disapproving mother. She joins up with 3 very different girls to start a ghost hunting business after her father is injured at work by an entity. Kendall is a very believable character. I enjoyed following her random trains of thought, music, movie, Shakespeare and cultural references. This was a very entertaining and easy to read book. Ghost Huntress the Awakening would make an excellent read for 8th grade and up (for language), I cannot wait to read book two.



4. GHOST HUNTRESS: THE AWAKENING
   MARLEY GIBSON
   YA paranormal
   Houghton Mufflin Harcourt
   ISBN # 9780547150932
   352 pages
   $[...]
   Paperback--Available now
   
   Rating: 4 Enchantments
   
   Sixteen-year-old Kendall Moorehead is having a hard time adjusting to her parent's recent move from Chicago to the small town of Radisson, Georgia. For one thing she can't sleep. Not at all. Her father brings home a white-noise machine which should help her fall asleep but instead she starts hearing a scary voice that shouldn't be there.
   
   Kendall finds out that most of Radisson is haunted. Celia, a local resident and student at Kendall's high school, lets her in on how she can go about finding out what's behind the strange voices. In the meantime, Kendall's father is being attacked by an invisible force at his new job. Should Kendall listen to Celia and form a local ghost hunters team to find out more? Can Kendall deal with her abilities to communicate with the dead in time to help?
   
   I enjoyed this teenage ghost hunter's book. The author does a great job showing the whole world of those who search out for ghosts and other paranormal things. In fact, the author is a paranormal investigator. Kendall's struggles with her nurse mother not accepting her paranormal ability felt real. Her relationships with kids at her new high school were interesting. I guess if you live in a town where most houses are rumored to be haunted by Civil War ghosts, someone showing up and claiming to actually see them wouldn't be that hard to believe.
   
   What did feel forced was the whole pop references throughout the book. Also the crossing felt a tad bit abrupt. The sequel to GHOST HUNTRESS is coming out this fall. For those who love watching GHOST HUNTERS and GHOST ADVENTURES this book will appeal to them. I know I'm curious what Kendall will do later on with all those ghosts waiting to be helped.
   
   Marley Gibson is a member of the New England Romance Writers of America (RWA) and the Society of Children's Book Writers and Illustrators, and the creator and founder of Chick Lit Writers RWA. Marley works full-time as a meeting planner and lives in the Boston area with her husband Mike. Find out more at [...] or her blog [...].
   
   Kim
   ENCHANTING REVIEWS
   August 2009



5. I loved this book! I'm a huge fan of the paranormal and watch all the shows on TV. Well, to be honest, I'm ONE of those TV ghost hunters! In fact, I wrote the forward for this title! =) None the less, the bar was raised pretty high for my expectations.
   
   A lot of times when you read a book, the author doesn't do their homework and gets it all wrong. Marley is not one of them - she really did her research and I'm proud to have my name associated with Marley and this series! If only all authors were this thorough and informed when they write a book!
   
   I let my 10 year old son read the book and he couldn't put it down. He said, and I quote - "this is the best book EVER dad!" At 10 years old, hes a few years behind the core teen audience for this series, but he was totally absorbed by Marleys storyline and says he cant wait to read the rest of the series!

5 comments about The Rich Girl (Fear Street Series #44).

1. The rich girl, was a very amazing book I read, I was extremely into reading it. So
   It starts off with a girl named Emma, and her friend Sydney, They find cash, out of no where, so they decide to hide it underground. Emma and Sydney promised they'd never tell no one, not anyone about it. Then Sydney couldn't hold in the secret no longer so she told her boyfriend Jason. Jason started to get a bit jealous, because they said they were going to share the money, equally, but Jason didn't like that. Emma killed Jason, but then Sydney started getting letters from someone with the same signature as Jason's handwriting, she tells Emma about it, but Emma doesn't possibly believe Sydney. One night Sydney hears and see's something coming to her room, and you wouldnt believe what she saw..
   
   This is an amazing book >;) so very talented, I love fear street books.. love..
   and yeah, this book was so amazing, and at the end, it was so shocking, and hilarious!



2. R.L. Stine's "Fear Street" is a classic series. He is one of those authors who's writing appeals to people of all ages, no matter how many years have gone by since the books were published. I for one, have been a fan of "fear Street" for many years now. In fact, I started with the ever popular "goosebumps" series, and then moved onto "fear street" and have been reading and collecting the series ever since. Even though I'm 19 now, I still enjoy indulging myself in these books. Sure, the storylines are a bit corny for someone of my age, yet I still find great enjoyment in reading them.
   
   I'm very fond of this particular book in the series, because it was the first "fear street" book that I ever read. Now that I've read the book numerous times, I realize that the plot is a bit ridiculous (even more so than some of the other books in the series) but there's also a great twist, and a really clever ending, which helps to make up for the semi-lame plot.
   
   The book is about two best friends, Sydney and Emma, who find a bag of money in a garbage can outside of their workplace. Sydney, the rich girl, is hesitant to keep it, but Emma, the poor one, convinces her that they should keep it, and they decide to hide the money and agree not to tell anyone about it until their sure its safe. Sydney breaks the agreement and lets their secret slip to her boyfriend Jason, and Emma becomes convinced that Jason is planning on murdering the both of them in order to keep the money for himself. In order to ensure their safety, emma and sydney agree to let Jason have a share of the money, but Emma ends up "killing" Jason after he tries to take the money for himself. Afterwards, strange things start happening to Sydney, and she's convinced that someone saw her and emma in the woods the night that they killed Jason, and she's also convinced that Jasons ghost is haunting her.
   
   But is Jason really dead...?
   
   If you've never read a fear street book, I do recommend that you read this one. Even though its not my favorite one out of the series, its the one that managed to get me addicted, so I'm sure it'll do the same for you!



3. Emma and Sydney find a duffel of money in the dump. Emma tells Sydney not to tell anyone but Sydney breaks her promise and tells her boyfriend about it. The ending is really funny!



4. This is the one of the many books of the Fear Street series, and it's really 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, two best friends find a duffle bag stuffed with thousands of dollars. The friend who comes from a wealthy family wants to turn it in, but her poor friend begs her to bury the money with her and keep it secret until they can spilt it up and share it. One tells her boyfriend, and tricks and twists proceed. 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. A rich girl who doesn't financially need to work, but only works so that she knows what it is like to have to work, and a poor girl who has to work find a bag of money. The rich girl doesn't need the money, but the poor wants it. They decide to hold it for a while and if nobody claims it, they'll keep it. The suspense is very thrilling, because you don't know if anybody will claim it or not. And I'm not going to tell because you have to read the book yourself and I don't want to ruin it for anyone.
   
   I've read many R.L. Stine Fear Street Books, and even though they are all good, this book is one of the better ones.

5 comments about The First Evil (Fear Street Cheerleaders, No. 1).

1. Bobbi and Corky join the Shadyside cheerleading team, much to the chagrin of all the other team members, and accidentally unleash an ancient evil. It's Fear Street, for crying out loud. What else could happen?
   
   The first time I read this series, I was eleven and whoa, did I love it. Fifteen years later, it's showing its age. I didn't expect I would be wowed again, fifteen years later, but I didn't expect I would cringe with regret, either.
   
   Don't take that the wrong way. The book isn't bad. But with the quality of work available to young adults and tweens nowadays, it simply can't stand as high as it used to. The characters are flat, the plot is benign, and the style was apathetic and cold this time around.
   
   Bottom Line: It's not good. It's not bad. It's average, but in a 1992 sort of way.



2. Corky and Bobbi Corcoran are newcomers to Shadyside. Together, they become cheerleaders in Shadyside High. Bad things start to happen. Jennifer Daly is throw out of the bus and lands at Sarah Fear's grave. Fortunately, she survives. Unfortunately, worse things start to happen.



3. Whooa, I think I still have all three parts of this series. I was a big R L Stine fan. I started off with goosebumps, and quickely moved to the fear street series. I had ALL of the books in the fear street series (this was in 92-97). I gave alot of them to my younger cousins or family friends, but reading some of these reviews, I may just have to locate one and take a hour (thats all it takes now lol) to read one(sad thing is, that I am an 26 yr old) LOL. I like the fear street cheerleader sage (even though I didnt know they had a fourth installment), and the Fear Street Saga (The very first 3, but I see they added ALOT MORE to the fear street history. Reading some of these reviews is like going back in a time machine LOL



4. The Fear street cheerleaders, is about a group of cheer leader (Boobi,Jenifer,Corky,Kimmi, Debra) and them fighting an evil spirit. Corky and Bobbi are new comers to the squad, makeing Kimmi resent them, because they get her friend kicked off the squad(Ronnie). One day, while on the way to a football game, Corky and Bobbi make the bus driver go to fearstreet to pick up the Fire battons. While on the way, Jenifer, the captin of the squad, falls out of the bus. She lands on Sarah Fears grave, and apears to die. She lives, but is unable to walk.
   The next day, Bobbi, much to Kimmis distress, is the captin. She then hooks up with Kimmis ex boy friend, Chip. After that thoug, wierd things happen. Bobbi hears screaming in the halls, doors open and shut, and Chip, in mid quater back football toss, freezes. Nobody, not even Corky, belives her.
   A few days later, the Cheerleader are doing a jump. Kimmi jumps of one girls shoulders, and Bobbi catches her, but Bobbi freezes. Kimmi jumps off, and hurts her wrist. Practise ends, and Bobbi goes to see Jenifer. Jenifer acts normal, but while leaving, Bobbi watches as Jenifer stands up and walks. Corky thinks she is insane.
   The next day, Bobbi is thrown off the squad. She goes to take a shower, and gets cought in boilling hot water. Bobbi tries to escape, but gets cought in boilling water. Bobbi then boils to death. Corky was late for practise. While looking for Bobbi, she finds a neckless that Kimmi wears. She then findsa Boobis broilled body.
   Cory first thinks it was Kimmi, because of the neckless. Kimmi said that she gave it to Jenifer though. Corkys goes to see Jenifer, but finds out she is at the grave yard. Corky sees her walking, and Dancing around Sarah Fears grave. Jenifer turns out to be possed by the evil spirit, who possed Sarah Fear. Corky defates the evil, and Jenifers two month dead body is reviled. Corky knows the evil isn't gone forever.



5. Corky and Bobbi Corcoran are the two new girls on the cheerleading squad at Shadyside High.When they cheer everyone finds out how good they really are.What will Jenifer Daly do to Bobbi when she finds out that Bobbi is the new cheerleading captain?Now some of the strangest things are happening to Bobbi,Corky,and other people of Shadyside High,who could be to blame for the murders?The strange noises,the weird thoughts,and akward actionsof people.What's going on?Could it be the evil spirit of Sarah Fear agian? This book was very interesting and suspenseful I gave it five stars.

5 comments about The Stepsister (Fear Street, No. 9).

1. Synopsis: Emily Casey is really anxious to having her new stepsister Jessie and her new stepbrother Rich live with her. Emily and her sister Nancy miss their father who passed away, and are disappointed in having Hugh Wallner has their new father, because he is nothing like their real dad. Emily met Jessie a few times before, and thinks it would be fun to share a room with her new stepsister.
   
   However, things start going wrong from Day 1, when Jessie enters the house. Jessie acts very friendly and polite when their parents are watching them, but when she is alone in the room with Emily, she tears Emily's childhood teddy bear, erases her 12 page school report on Chile that Emily spent days working on, kicks Emily's dog Tiger because she hates dogs, talks with someone on the phone late at night, saying "I could kill her", and things just go worse from there. Emily cannot bond with Rich either because he always keeps to himself, doesn't talk much, and always has his head in a Stephen King novel.
   
   One day, when Jessie is not in her room, Emily reads her diary and is shocked to find out something horrible that Jessie did before she came here, and that she is really dangerous. Emily realizes that Jessie would do anything to take over Emily's boyfriend, family and her life in general, including harm her. Can Emily expose Jessie for her lies and stop her new stepsister from ruining her life?
   
   Review: I thought this was a well written R. L. Stine book. It had a well written plot, suspenseful characters, and some really creepy moments. The main reason I liked this book was because it was fast paced. In almost every chapter, something horrible would happen to Emily, and it just made me hooked to the story. Some parts were really creepy, such as when Emily finds peroxide put in her shampoo, making her hair disastrous, or when Jessie draws a bath for her, and Emily is scared to step into the water. The climax was thrilling to read as well, when the whole family go on the camping trip.
   
   The only reason I gave this book a four star rating was because there were some parts that just didn't make any sense, even though an explanation was given to them. For example, when Emily finds Rich in her room, lying on her bed, he gives her a reason as to why he was there, but it just seems like he had another motive, though this is not explained. Another example is when Jessie first moves into the house, and Emily hears her saying "I could really kill her" on the phone, why does she say that? Another reason why I was a little disappointed with this book, and this is just a personal reason, is because having read more than 20+ Fear Street books, I somewhat predicted who the reason person was who hated Emily, but I must admit, there were some parts which made me doubt my judgment.
   
   Overall, "The Stepsister" is one of the better books in the "Fear Street" series, and I am glad Stine made a sequel to the book.



2. Emily finds her new stepsister Jessie very annoying. She takes her clothes and lies, and then her dog is stabbed. Emily is certain that her stepsister is mental, but no one believes her.
   
   It wasn't such a bad book and I kind of liked it but I had some issues with it. The ending has kind of been done before in "Blind date" and "The new girl". And more inportant: The way the mother in the family reacted when the dog was killed! She told Emily to relax, like it was just a piece of ruined cloth or something, not a living animal! That was too much for my taste.



3. Emily and her sister Nancy live with their mother. Their dad had died, so their mom's new husband and son and daughter move in. After they move in, horrible things are happening to Emily. It seems as if someone is trying to get her. Are these tricks or honest accidents? Will Emily ever find out who is doing these things to her? Will her perpetrator be put to justice?
   
   This book is really good. R.L. Stine is an awesome author. R.L. Stine captures the youth and freezes it. I love the teen relationships and the teen fun times and just the teens' innocence that are in Fear Street books. Even though I couldn't stay a teen forever, I enjoy reading these teen books. Part of me is a kid inside that will never grow up.
   
   Even though I only gave this book 4 stars, that is the exception, not the rule. I usually give R.L. Stine books 5 stars. This book was good, just not excellent. (I give good books 4 stars; I give excellent books 5 stars.) This book is worth reading, so don't be put off by it just because I only gave it 4 stars. R.L. Stine does have better books, such as "The Babysitter" (I - IV), "Hit and Run", "The Rich Girl", "Cat", "Halloween Party". But again, this book is good. I just didn't quite feel the coziness and warmth in this one that I normally feel in a Fear Street book.
   
   Recommended.



4. R.L Stine has written one his best ever novels with terror filled pages ride of The Stepsister. Stine brings up many would be suspects for the crimes in this Fear St household and the reader will even wonder at times if being the victim is all in Emily (the main character)'s head. You will no doubt work out what is going on before it is revealed in the final pages but the fun is the thrill ride of an adventure in getting there. There's also a sequel The Stepsister 2 (Fear Street, No. 33).
   
   Emily is ecstatic when she learns she is going to have a new sister. After the recent death of her father her mother has decided to shack up with her new boyfriend who Brady Bunch style is bringing along two kids of his own to join Emily and her sister Nancy. Not much room in this household though, so Emily will be sharing a room with her new stepsister Jessie. Jessie immediately starts to become bossy and insists on taking Emily's bed for herself. Emily is to cowardly to speak up for herself and thinks she'll make the most of the situation and just live with it until Jessie rips the head off her teddybear and yells at her dog. Emily wants to believe the decapitation was an accident and get along with Jessie but it is not long before it becomes obvious someone is trying to harm her. A shower accident, her dog is dead this is just beginning of Emily's terror. She thinks Jessie wants harm her. Does she? There's also the self centered abusive to his son Rich, step father. Rich himself seems to be a bit of weirdo, spending his days reading Stephen King and nights being brought home by the police. Emily also is dating her sister's exboyfriend so maybe she holds a grudge. All fingers in Emily's mind however point to Jessie when she reads her diary and learns that her old schoolmates suspect Jessie of murdering a classmate. Will she be Jessie's next victim or be able to convince her mum and stepfather that Jessie needs to be committed?



5. This Book was a really great book! I would reccomend this book to anyone! If you buy this you won't be dissapointed. I really coulden't put this book down. I'm one of those people who don't like to re-read books but I actully re-read it! This is a great book trust me!

5 comments about The Gold-Bug and Other Tales (Dover Thrift Editions).

1. The Pit and the Pendulum is a story about a person who was punished by the Spanish Inquisition because he was a heretic. A heretic was someone who believed differently than the Catholics- who were the dominant church in Spain at the time. He was thrown into a torture pit and after some exploring, he discovered it had a well in the middle. After a while, he fell asleep due to some drug they gave him. When he awoke, he found that he was bound to a hard, wooden, torture cot. There was also a painting of father time as one would depict him on the ceiling and he was holding a moving pendulum. The pendulum was actually a blade, the man discovered, and it would very slowly shred him to pieces. When he found this out, he struggled to reach for the pendulum to end his life faster, but he could not reach it. When the pendulum was about to swing over his heart and take the first tear at his robe, rats that had been bothering him scurried p to him and started to chew up what bound him. As soon as he was free, the man inched out from under the swinging pendulum and ran to safety. But as soon as he did, he felt the walls getting very hot, and he saw that they were closing in on him. But he heard the muffled sound of human voices and he knew that the Inquisition had been defeated by its enemies. Soon, a French general named Lasalle saved him right before he fell into the well.
   The theme represented in The Pit and the Pendulum is that physical torture is far less terrible than mental torture. On page 66 of The Gold Bug and Other Tales, a publication of many of Edgar Allen Poe's stories, the speaker of The Pit and the Pendulum says that, "To the victims of its tyranny, there was a choice of death with its direst physical agonies, or death with its most hideous moral horrors." Then on page 69, he says, "The pit whose horrors had been destined for so bold a recusant as myself- the pit, typical of hell, and regarded by rumor as the Ultima Thule pf all their punishments." More evidence that this is the theme is when the speaker said that mental torture added to death was "the most hideous of fates." The speaker also often wished he could get out or die a quick death.
   The Pit and the Pendulum is a wonderful and exciting horror story that portrays a good theme and is based off of historical events. It should be and is classified as pure, classical literature.



2. So it is hard to go wrong with any Poe books, and especially for one this cheap. These Dover Thrift editions do not have the most amazing print quality or anything, but have some great writings in cheap, easy to own packages.
   
   Really though, if you can spare it, spent the 15 bucks or whatever and pick up one of the many complete collections of Poe if you can.



3. This includes:
   
   Ligeia
   The Fall of the House of Usher
   The Murders in the Rue Morgue
   The Masque of the Red Death
   The Pit and the Pendulum
   The Tell-Tale Heart
   The Gold-Bug
   The Black Cat
   The Cask of Amontillado
   
   The usual suspects are here, and a bit of variety like The Masque of the Red Death. So, another fine collection from Dover.
   



4. America was a young country; its age was measured in decades. America had few established colleges and had produced few writers, artists, and musicians. It is ironic that Edgar Allan Poe (1809-1849), living in poverty and suffering from alcohol and opium abuse, would be one of America's greatest writers, and one of the key creators of two genre of fiction - the deductive mystery and the horror story.
   
   This inexpensive Dover Thrift edition - The Gold Bug and Other Tales - contains nine unabridged short stories arranged in chronological order. Two are classic mystery stories. Seven are superb horror stories.
   
   The Murders in the Rue Morgue (1841) was not only innovative, but had lasting influence on later writers. Some fifty years later Conan Doyle closely patterned Sherlock Holmes on Poe's amateur detective, Monsieur C. Auguste Dupin, and Dr. Watson on Poe's unnamed narrator that had so much difficulty keeping pace with the brilliant deductions of Dupin. Would we have had Holmes without Dupin?
   
   The Gold-Bug (1843) is the other deductive mystery story in this Dover edition. I still remember reading it for the first time years ago. I was a young, intense entomologist at that time; after reading this intriguing tale, I carefully reinspected every beetle in my collection. I will say nothing about the plot as it is best savored as a surprise.
   
   Six of the horror stories - The Cask Of Amontillado (1846), The Black Cat (1843), The Tell-Tale Heart (1843), The Pit and the Pendulum (1842), The Masque of the Red Death (1842), and The Fall of the House of Usher (1839) - are among Poe's best known tales. They have all been adapted to films, often with considerable license on the part of the screen writer. Ligeia (1838), the earliest story in this collection, may be unfamiliar. These tales are usually told in narrative form, sometimes from the perspective of one not entirely sane.
   
   Many years ago a teacher, Mr. McLeod, loaned me a thick, heavy book containing the complete stories and poetry of Edgar Allan Poe. I read it cover to cover. Poe remains one of my favorite authors.



5. First of all, I think it goes without saying that the stories collected here are wonderful. "The Cask Of Amontillado", "The Tell-Tale Heart", "The Fall Of The House Of Usher" - it doesn't get much better (or more horrifying) than this. The price is also nice. A dollar fifty? What can you buy for a dollar fifty these days?

   My sole complaint regards the absence of footnotes. Take "Cask Of Amontillado", for example. It's hardly essential to know that "motley" is the garb of a jester or a clown (or that a "pipe" is a wine cask) in order to enjoy the story, but that information would have been nice to have nonetheless.

   In conclusion, this collection is a wonderful bargain, but if you have a little more money you may want to invest in an annotated collection of these tales.

5 comments about Coraline.

1. Coraline is a young girl, on holiday from school, who has recently moved into a new house. She is under-stimulated and bored as children often are when faced with added free time and little scheduling. In Coraline's eyes her parents are always working and far too busy to entertain her. Now you mustn't think that this is a story of a poor neglected girl. Keep in mind that she is out of school, during the summer and our story covers what, two, three days maybe? Her perception of "always" is exactly how a bored child would see it.
   
   Coraline is a great explorer and she covers and catalogues her little world (her yard and house) and all the people and things in it. It contains the requisite absurd neighbors as well as her awkward, well meaning parents. It also contains a large door in the drawing room that when opened, at first reveals only the brick wall that divides her apartment from the one next door. But when Coraline looks again it actually opens onto a dark hallway, and a world that is the mirror image of Coraline's. Almost. Inside this other world is her other mother, her other father and her other absurd neighbors. These others want to play with Coraline, are never to busy to entertain her and cook all her favorite foods- just what a bored little girl who's feeling a little forgotten thinks she would like. Coraline quickly discovers that all is not perfection and in fact the others want to keep Coraline and will go to any lengths to do so. Now she must be a real explorer and discover the secrets that will lead her back to her real life.
   
   It's a very charming little story which proves the old adage that "the grass is not always greener on the other side". I really enjoyed it and continue to be in awe of Gaiman. In this little story, he expertly reduces life down to the scale that a child would experience it on. The sights, smells, the reasoning he gave to Coraline were so perfectly natural. It's rather amazing when one can take the matter-of-fact and turn it into a matter of fantasy without losing any of the practicality.



2. no this is a book that i dont recommend.but if you want the best book ever get a copy of the hunger games



3. CORALINE
   
   What a terrific book! Things that go bump in the night! A creepy other world with other parents and other neighbors that aren't quite right! Large and strange animals that slink and crawl around! Magic! Weird happenings! A great read.
   
   Coraline moves with her parents into a new home. Coraline is a normal young girl, always looking for adventure, curious, and most of all, lonely. Her parents are very busy getting settled into their new home and always busy working. It seems as if they just never have time for Coraline.
   
   Coraline meets the new neighbors who also are tenants in the large old home. They are a fun and different lot, but still, Coraline's days are filled with boredom. She starts to explore the house and grounds and somehow steps into another world.
   
   In this creepy, off-kilter, strange world there are two other parents. They resemble her parents, but yet they aren't her parents. These two strange other parents want Coraline to stay with them and promise her all kinds of wonderful adventures, toys, clothes, food, anything she would want. Yet, yet, as tempting as it seems, something is not quite right.
   
   Join Coraline on this adventure of a life time as her life and the lives of her parents are at risk. See how this brave little girl battles against the odds of the other world. Will she rescue her real parents? Will she be able to save herself? Will the other parents overcome her and make her their own little girl?
   Read this wonderful book and find out.
   
   This is my very first Neil Gaiman book, but definitely will not be my last. This is a super book, filled with all kinds of creepy, crawly, scary adventures. What a great book to get kids to read or to have read outloud to them. What a great book for anyone of any age looking for a good old fashioned fairy tale told in modern times with wit, love, wisdom, and the ability to make you squirm and feel very eerie.
   
   The recommended age starts at eight. I suggest those eight year olds read this with the lights on and someone close by. It's just that wonderfully scary and shivery. I will never look at a button in the same way again!
   
   Thank you!
   
   Pam



4. THREE QUICK POINTS:
   * Point 1: This book is absolutely riveting. Who knew I'd ever use the term riveting to describe a short novel penned for third-graders?
   
   * Point 2: I'm sure some children will wind up with nightmares after reading it (or having it read to them). I can't deny that I'm a huge fan of horror and creepy stories; my library as a youth (and even today) tells this tale. But, reading Coraline definitely sent a few chills up my spine...more so than some of the adult novels I've read.
   
   * Point 3: Coraline is a splendid reminder that we (children and adults alike) are all capable of great courage. Coraline has a real child's personality-not some fantasized version of one-which made her courageous adventures incredibly relatable. I was able to see much of myself, when I was a child, in her and watching her dig deep to find her courage made me want to dig deep and rediscover my own.
   
   SHORT SYNOPSIS:
   A young lady named Coraline (not Caroline. Coraline) Jones, having just moved into a new flat with her parents, found herself embarking on a frightening and exciting adventure. Since her parents were usually preoccupied, Coraline took it upon herself to explore the new house and its grounds. One afternoon, however, it's pouring down rain, so she cannot go and explore outside and she is bored. Her father suggests that she explore her flat and that's when Coraline finds a locked door. She manages to get the key and open it up. Inside she discovers a dark corridor. Curiosity struck and she soon found herself in a room that looked very much like her own--furniture and all. In that world, she discovered that she had an "other mother" and "other father". In fact, that world--at first sight--seemed much more interesting and fun than her real world. But, Coraline soon learned that things weren't as they appeared in that other world.
   
   MY THOUGHTS:
   It would be quite easy to finish Coraline in a single sitting and not necessarily because of its short length, but because the story pushes you forward. You constantly want to know which new adventure she'll discover, which new creature will jump from the shadows, and how she'll get herself out of the nightmare she's in.
   
   Although this book doesn't get deeply into gory details (there are a few droplets of blood, but nothing worse than a child would see if she were to watch a stray cat hunting a mouse or bird in the field), it's certainly creepy enough to make you want to put the lights on if you're reading it in the dark.
   
   The book built suspense...
   
   "[The other mother] picked Coraline up and pushed her into the dim space behind the mirror. A fragment of beetle was sticking to her lower lip, and there was no expression at all in her black button eyes.
   
   Then she swung the mirror door closed, and left Coraline in darkness."
   
   ...and deposited paranoid thoughts in the corner of your mind (was that a shadow I just saw crawling along the wainscoting? or I could have sworn something just moved behind the chair.). Not only that, it showed the reader that all of the frightful creatures and circumstances could be handled effectively with some measure of wit and courage.
   
   This story was masterfully told with subtle undertones. For instance, Gaiman never tells us explicitly what creature Coraline is facing, but it's alluded to. (Hint: Pay attention to the cat's narration.) Coraline's mother and father, Miss Spink and Miss Forcible, the crazy old man that lives upstairs (he does have a name, but I don't want to spoil the story by giving it away), the black cat, and Coraline herself are all crafted with care. They each display distinct, unique, and sometimes fanciful, but believable personalities.
   
   Although there were illustrations throughout, they didn't all speak to me. For the most part, they did add to the chilling effect of the story, but a few seemed misplaced. Frankly, the story would have been just as good without the illustrations, but they were a nice touch--especially for younger readers.
   
   It's my belief that Coraline is the type of book that could get more kids involved with reading. It appeals to their curious spirit, wild imagination, and it delivers the message that the things that go bump in the night can be conquered.
   
   "Fairy tales are more than true: not because they tell us that dragons exist, but because they tell us that dragons can be beaten." -G. K. Chesterton



5. Coraline by Neil Gaiman is the story of a girl who only wanted adventure, which her boring and bland parents failed to even acknowledge. Coraline Jones is that girl, and after moving from her home in Oregon things turn out to really stink. She has no friends, no fun, and she lives in a run down house filled with bugs and mice. When reading this book your imagination is stimulated so much you can create life like images in your head. You can see the house, and even feel it's creepy essence. One night while in bed, Coraline wakes up and sees a mouse scurry across her room. Desperate for excitement, Coraline races to keep up with this mouse. It leads her to a small door, which Coraline had always seen locked but now it was unlocked. The door opens and a creepy portal appears. The mouse jumps in and Coraline eagerly crawls through the portal after that mouse. Then, Coraline is welcomed by her mothers voice. Thats odd. But her mother is different. She has buttons for eyes. And she encourages adventure/excitement. She calls herself Coraline's "Other Mother". She is not boring like real Coraline's mom. The same thing with the "other" dad. They even have a garden that looks like Coraline's face. And both "other" parents promise to do something fun everyday. But, in order for Coraline to stay here, she has to do one thing: become one of them... As you can tell, this story has quite the unique touch. It has a plot line that reeled me in from the first page. In my opinion the book takes many twists and turns, keeping you from putting this 5 STAR book down. Plus, it has one killer ending. If you like Adventure/Action/Fantasy/Thriller books, you should definitely think about picking up one of Neil Gaiman's finest masterpiece's, Coraline.

5 comments about Driver's Ed.

1. This Book, Drivers Ed is a fun mysterious book to read. Once you start reading, you can't put the book down. This book pretty much has two subjects: Stealing a stop sign, and The romance between Remy Marland and Morgan Campbell.
   
   The first subject involves Morgan, Remy, and Nicholas Buddie. They Decide to steal a stop sign on a major intersection. Bad things happen after that! Thats all I'm going to tell you about that subject
   
   Next is the Romance! Remy and Morgan have secretly liked eathother, ALOT, but they didn't know that the one they like, like them back. When they went to steal the stop sigh, Remy and Morgan were acting as they were bf/gf. Later on in the book Remy doesn't like Morgan as much as she did before.
   
   This was an exiting book to read, and I hope you will read it too. If you like romance and mystery, this book is for you!



2. One mom described the book as having a storyline perfect for "an after-school special." It involves a senator's son, a girl from an unconventional household, teen love, a burned-out teacher, death, a horrible secret and facing the consequences of one's actions.
   Most of our book club members thought the characters in Driver's Ed were two dimensional, and everyone agreed that both moms in the book were unrealistically portrayed. But we had a good discussion about actions that turn out to have dire consequences even though they seem harmless when you choose to do them. And we all got a chance to talk about our current experiences, with moms weighing in on frightening times in the passenger seat and daughters talking about parents "freaking them out" and making them nervous behind the wheel. It was fun to realize that most of our stories were similar.
   I would recommend reading Driver's Ed for the discussion it prompts rather than for the book itself.



3. This book is realy good. I am about to get my license and it teaches me some stuff.



4. This review on the book Drivers ED, is on the cool events of the book. The author is Caroline B. Cooney, she has written many books such as The Face On The Milk Carton.
   The book is about a girl named Remy Marland, and her friends Nickie Buddie, Lark, and Morgan Campell. It takes place in Junior High. They have been planning a sign-stealing trip. Remy wanted the sign Morgan Road. What better than the name of the boy she had a crush on. They didn't know who did it, but some one stole a stop sign, and it would have dire consequences. It is a stunning novel and I think you should read it. Just take my word for it. It is full of suspense and mystery, read it and you will be on the edge of your seat.



5. Driver's Ed is fast paced at the beginning, when a couple teenagers steal a stop sign for fun from a busy intersection. A young woman gets in a car crash at that intersection later that night, and dies because there was no stop sign. Overwhelmed with guilt, they don't know if they should tell the authorities or keep it a secret forever. After the accident, the book becomes slow, and boring. The author only talks about the teenagers' feelings and how they deal with making the choice of admitting to the vandalism. There are also many unneeded characters in the plot, making it complicated and confusing. As it draws closer to the end, the book becomes boring and predictable. The ending is abrupt, and doesn't solve the problems that have been building up throughout the plot. I would not recommend this book to advanced readers.
   - Annesha