5 comments about Queen of the Slayers (Buffy the Vampire Slayer).

1. Like some of the other reviewers, I really wanted to like this book as well. For the majority of the book, it was actually a pretty nice ride, it was the ending that sucked and didn't make a lick of sense. Folloing the demise of Sunnydale, the Slayer team hauls ass only to find a bit of trouble with shadow creatures in a small desert town. Ok, that was interesting and believable. The chunk of the story, how they wind up back at what is left of the Council, and how they get to Rome and associate themselves with The Immortal is also very good. Training hundreds of new Potentials with the aid of The Immortal is now Buffy's concern until a man on the inside has his own agenda with some very old ancestors of his and his rogue slayer/supermodel/evil biotch of a girlfriend. Basically, the story is solid until it landslides into Slayers against Slayers, the original Scoobies are split up on separate worlwide missions, and a frustrated Giles is maintaining the Council with a reluctant council member. I'd really like it if Nancy Holder, the author of many mediocre Buffy books would find another day job because muddying up the Buffy storyline is just a bit old now. It seems as though her ideas sound good until they're actually on paper. Then the reader is left bored and annoyed at having wasted 6 bucks and 2-3 days trying to figure out at what point in the story she really stopped trying to make sense. If you wanna buy this, go ahead. But right when you get to the part where the Immortal leaves their dimension for another, leaving Buffy to impending doom, close the book right then and there because it gets much worse after that.



2. For a book with such a provocative title, reading Queen of the Slayers was anticlimactic, and a letdown. Something went very wrong here. Ever since Buffy the Vampire concluded its seventh season in 2003 few authors have written a post-season seven epic, and for good reason. It's difficult to come up with a plausible plot that keeps fans interested in what might have been. I have read a few good post-season seven books--this is not one of them. That is particularly unfortunate since Nancy Holder is generally a good author. I usually like her because of her fascination with history (I love history,) and because she uses the past to come up with some very interesting plots and ideas--but in this book her passion seems to backfire on her. Why? For the simple reason that she focuses too much on a historical mythology and not even time dealing with the present. It's almost as if she has two different stories and then attempts to mold them into one cohesive book. Also, she starts a number of what could be interesting plot ideas, and then either butchers them by writing them badly, or even more often by making them and then promptly forgetting about them soon afterward.
   
   I see no reason to ruin the book for those interested in reading it by giving away the plot, but I will say that I would not recommend it There are many reasons why I don't recommend it, the primary reason being that the book is too disjointed. Some of the events which occur make little sense, and there a lot of plot holes as well. Another aspect of the book that really annoyed me is that Holder spent far too much time describing the villains and their evil plans while she almost completely neglected the main Buffy characters we all have to love so much. In fact, one irritating thing about this book is that it has very few features that would distinguish it as a Buffy book.
   
   In other words, the characters, and in particular the good guys, are hollow and one-dimensional, not distinct. Buffy, Willow, Kenneddy, Xander, etc. are not really the characters that we know well. Instead, they're caricatures who unfamiliar strangers to us. Oh, yes, certainly there are times when Buffy will make some quick-witted quip, or Willow will be characteristically Willow, but all the familiar dialogue from Buffy that we know so well is watered down by the complete lack of character development both in the villains, but more importantly, the good guys. It's so bad that one could easily substitute any fictional characters for Buffy and Co., and come out with exactly the same plot and story. Also, Holder changes the character viewpoint too often for us too get to know any of the characters well, and...simply stated, there are too many characters and not enough characterization. They are all as I said, essentially hollow. There is no Buffy hallmark in this book, and so in essence, there is almost nothing Buffy about this Buffy book. Now, as I said earlier, this a great author. I have a lot of respect for Holder, but I'm sorry to say that this book is just a flop. To me this seems like she typed it up in a few days and handed to the editor. I'm not sure why she decided to write it, quite frankly.
   
   Positive elements: there are very few. As in most of her books, she brings in a lot of history (which I like) so if one likes to read ancient Greek or Roman mythology they might find this book interesting.
   
   Bottom line: Great author, bad, terrible, virtually unreadable book. I would easily recommend anything Holder has written other than this. She even wrote a good Smallville book called Hauntings, and all of her Buffy books are great--just not this one. I'm not sure what happened here, but to be fair, if Holder writes another Buffy book, I'll read it, in the hopes that this is simply her dry-spell as an author.



3. Just finished reading this book and it was great. I think picking up right where the show left off was genious and all the twists were amazing. I was always guessing what was going to happen to next. The only part that didn't like is that is had to end.



4. execellent book could'nt put it down once i started reading.wish they would continue this line in novel form. would love to know what happens with buffy and spike.and the rest of the scooby gang



5. I think people who are madly in love with both Buffy and Angel can appreciate this novel the most. The storyline follows the final season of Angel, with the Immortal and such. So I think it was an intelligent idea. Maybe not the best book ever, but not horrible.

5 comments about White Is for Magic (Stolarz Series).

1. After reading "Blue is for Nightmares" I decided to try the second book in the series, "White is for Magic." I mean the bed wetting was specific to the situation in the first book and that was my only real complaint. BUT... once again I was annoyed. In this book Stacey is puking all the time. Also relevant to the story like the bed wetting but still! I am reluctant to read the rest of the series because I just don't know how many more bodily fluids I want to read about this girl secreting. Once again, the story/plot was good and I liked the new introduction of Jacob to the list of characters.
   
   Stacey is having nightmares again, but so is Jacob (the new student who seems to be popping up everywhere). She may have more in common with Jacob then she ever imagined. This time it is her life on the line and the death of that little girl in her past is coming back to haunt her. At the begining Stacey is dating Drea's ex from the first book, which I was happy about in the first book but I found myself quickly hoping she would drop him after Jacob was introduced. Stacey's friends drove me a little crazy and I am not such a fan of Drea in particular (the author can spin it anyway she wants but if a friend made moves on someone I was dating that would be the end of that friendship but I digress). Jacob was a breath of fresh air and from what I hear he is in the rest of the series. I might actually pick those up at some point. This book has redeemed the series a little for me. I just hope that in the rest of the books she isn't peeing or puking on herself again....that is getting old and kind of gross to read about.
   
   Side note: This review may make it sound like I didn't like these and thats not true I did like them its just....I guess I just didn't like all the ick factor I felt while reading it. Maybe it wont bother you.
   
   [...]



2. this book kept me guessing the entire time unlike blue is for nightmares... the whole time i was genuinely surprised... i cant wait till i start the next book in the bifn series called silver is for secrets and i highly suggest that ifu read white is 4 magic read the rest of the series afterwards
   ~squirtmegers23



3. i could not put this book down...i found myself staying up all night until my eyes couldn't bear it any longer. this book was excellent and i highly recomend it!



4. This book series are the only books I've ever really been interested in. These books kept me reading and I didn't ever want to stop. The way Laurie writes is... I can't even explain it but it works. The stories are interesting and very realistic. I would recommend this book to mainly teenagers and young adults.
   
   A young girl who just entered into the college world and is learning everything there is to know there is about life, but theres only one thing getting in her way... she has a murderer following her and leaving messages here and there, she doesn't know who it is but she has some ideas. Nobody believes her but after her roomate becomes missing, then people start to become concerned with their own lives.
   
   A definite book to read sometime, its not to long and the font is medium sized. I give it an A- A



5. Stacey Brown awakens vomiting from nightmares. Remnants of her past, and perhaps future danger, appear in her sleep. But in real life she's also receiving threatening messages.
   
   I really like this series, particularly how Stacey's spells are more about the ingredients and how they work together, rather than "magic". The suspense is psychological as well as the norm, and the characters feel like real people. (Okay, except for Amber and PJ. Having one of them would be fine, but both of them together is just over-the-top.) And there are some seriously screwed-up teens, like the "ghost groupies". These books are like comfort reads to me, and combine for one of the most underrated series in YA fiction.

1 comments about Vampire Beach (#2, Ritual & Legacy).

1. I'm sorry, but I didn't like this book at all. I thought it wasn't original, and I thought that it was slow and poorly written. I mean, it was okay, but I found myself putting it down because I was bored, and usually when I'm reading books, I'm entertained, and am very unlikely to put the book down unless I have to do something.
   
   On the other hand, there is an okay plot, and very many unexpected twists that seemed as though they were thrown in there, but still made the story better for me.
   
   If you wish to buy this book, just stick with an opened mind, because I didn't think this was a very good book. I'm sorry, I just didn't enjoy it as much I wanted to.

5 comments about Singularity.

1. This is the first William Sleator book I ever had the pleasure of reading, way back in those good ol' jr. high days. And the concept is one that has stuck with me--what is on the opposite end of a black hole?
   
   Turns out it's the possibilities to tinker with time.
   
   The single character obsession makes this book something of a slow read, but the concept is fascinating and there really is nothing wrong with the occasional character development.



2. This is one of my favorite books. I loved it as a middle schooler (the author was actually recommended to me by our librarian!!!). I then re-read it in high school...and then in college...and will definitely read it again in my lifetime (if I can find who I loaned it to!). A book that can be enjoyed at different ages says a lot. The characters are very strong and the story very original. I'm kind of surprised no one tried to make a movie based on this unless it would be hard to do logistically. I thought the brothers' reactions toward each other were very realistic and throwing in the mix the girl character of Lucy made it even better. Highly recommended to people (even if you don't like science)!



3. Every book has something good about it;however,this book has three good things about it. First of all, the charachters act like real people. You can identify with them. Secondly, it is extremely suspenseful. Sleator puts a master stroke with the "mouth", putting an exiting aimosphere in this story. Lastly, I enjoyed reading it. It was fun to read! Obviously, these three things make this book worth reading.
   
   Lulu in CA



4. Everything is faster inside than outside the playhouse! Mrs. Krasner gets a letter telling her that her Uncle Ambrose died and he left everything to her. She and her husband has planned a vacation so they sent their sixteen year old twin sons, Harry and Barry, to go check the place out. When the boys get there, they find a playhouse behind the house. They try to open it and find it's locked. A girl named Lucy, that's about their age, comes over and tells them some stuff about their great uncle. They go inside and Barry finds a key that has PLAY written on it, but when they try that one in the lock to the playhouse, it doesn't work either. Barry ends up finding a key that has HOUSE written on it, but that key doesn't work either. Then, Barry tries using both key (by putting one in after another) and it works. The playhouse is full of spider webs and the floor is coated in dead insects. When they go back outside, Fred, Harry and Barry's dog, is still in the exact same place as he was when they went into the playhouse a few minutes before. They don't really think anything of this and go inside the house. The next day, Harry and Barry decide to clean out the playhouse. After cleaning for a while, Harry goes outside to get the trash bags and the door shuts behind him. When he opens it up a second later, he finds Barry asleep on the bed that's inside the playhouse and the playhouse completely clean. Barry wakes up and yells at Barry for leaving him in there al night, but Harry had only been outside a few seconds. Harry later figures out that the playhouse is a singularity, or a black hole, and that for every second outside the playhouse, a hour goes by inside the playhouse. Barry keeps making Harry mad, so Harry decides that he wants to be the one in command and the only way to do that would be to be older than Barry. Harry figures out that two and a half hours outside the play house equals a year inside it. Harry stays in the playhouse for two and half hours (in Barry's time) while Barry is asleep. This makes him a year older than Barry. When Barry wakes up, he finds that Harry is different. Harry tells him what he did and Barry freaked out. Then, the thing that they have been waiting for to come through the singularity finally comes through. It ends up eating itself. After this, Barry, Harry, and Lucy go inside the playhouse and find a broken stone on the floor. They look outside and find that everything is moving as normal the time zone is no longer there. Lucy leaves and Harry and Barry try to figure out how they are going to tell their parents that Harry is now seventeen. This book has a lot of adventure type stuff, weird stuff, and suspense in it.
   
   Harry has most of the adventure, but some other people do to. Barry and Harry get to go check out their great uncle's house. Their parents go to California. Barry, Harry, and Lucy discover what the playhouse can do. Harry stays in the playhouse for a year.
   
   There are many weird things in this book. The playhouse is weird and that it has a different time zone inside of it. It's also weird because it can transport items from a different universe. It was kind of weird that Harry decide to age himself.
   
   This book is crazy with suspense. It was suspenseful when they were trying to figure out what was going on with the playhouse. The different things to come through the singularity was suspenseful. It was suspenseful while Harry was waiting a year inside the playhouse.
   
   With all of the adventuristic stuff, weird stuff, and suspense, this book was jam packed. It was really good and different from anything I've ever read. I really liked the Sci-Fi stuff, even thought it was a little weirder than I'm used to. I would recommend this book to anyone who like really cool Sci-Fi books.



5. Singularity was my favorite book in middle school. I just read it again for a class in college and I still really enjoy it! Below is a review that I wrote for my class about Singularity that may be helpful. **Just a warning - it gives away the ending!
   William Sleator writes of Harry and Barry Krasner, twin brothers who could not be more opposite. Harry, the narrator of the story, is the scientific, mathematical, timid brother, while Barry is athletic, out-going, and domineering. When the two are sent to their late great uncle Ambrose's farm to house-sit, they come across a very strange playhouse in the backyard. The brothers find out from Lucy, an attractive female neighbor, that the Krasner's Uncle Ambrose was a very creepy man who could make his neighbor's cows dry up and grow feeble over night.
   As a team, Harry, Barry, and Lucy find the keys for the playhouse and being exploring. They soon find that time goes faster within the house, and that there is a portal to another universe that they can see reflected in water in the playhouse's sink. From the portal, strange things arrive such as a small blinking device that Harry realizes must be a clock for another life form. Other things also arrive like a green hairball and a purple furry fruit peel, but the three truly begin to worry when they see a large set of jaws coming through the portal. However, by now, they realize that it will take many days for it to arrive in their world.
   In the meantime, Harry and Barry's relationship grows increasingly competitive, and Harry begins to worry that Barry will go into the playhouse at night and stay in there until he ages enough that they are no longer twins. Harry, who's character by now is getting a little annoying because he is so whiny and insecure, does something startling to both the reader, himself, and, later, Barry: Harry goes into the playhouse. He spends a year in "playhouse time" within the confines of the little shed, but in real time it is only a few hours. During this time, Harry develops a regimented schedule to keep himself from going crazy. This part is more interesting than one would expect. Through journal entries, Harry shares his deepest concerns and theories about his brother, the monster coming through the portal, and about life in general. As Harry ages, he truly becomes more wise and confident in himself, and this mini bildungs roman is exciting to view, as a reader, in such a short time.
   When the playhouse year is finally over, Harry confronts his brother, which is actually only the next morning. Barry's reaction is satisfying for both Harry and the reader. Unlike many readers might expect, however, the brothers actually get along better when Harry is a year older. Sleator does a good job of emphasizing that Barry's new behavior is not just because Harry is now the older brother, but also because Harry has more confidence in himself and is more controlled in his reactions toward his brother.
   That same morning, the monster arrives. As soon as Harry opens the door to the playhouse, the monster violently jumps out, destroying the playhouse and the portal, and consumes itself. Harry explains to Barry and Lucy that it was probably a robot sent to destroy the portal on purpose because it was a danger or an annoyance to have an exposed portal to another universe. Older readers may connect the end of the playhouse's power to the end of Harry's childhood, however, even if they do not fully understand the deeper intentions of this story, it is still an exciting sci-fi journey for readers ages 12 and up.

5 comments about In the Forests of the Night (Den of Shadows).

1. Wow, didn't expect to see so many low ratings.
   
   I don't know what other readers were expecting really. This is not Ann Rice, nor Twilight for sure. Mostly, this book is about identity. For goodness sake, it ends with: *spoiler*
   
   "I am one of them.
   But I am also Rachel.
   I am Risika."
   
   
   */Spoiler*
   
   
   Regardless of the author's age, regardless of other novels created by said author, and regardless of OTHER authors; this is a masterful book.
   
   It is simple, but complex. Simple writing, complex emotion. A streamlined tale, with a lot more going on underneath then what you see. The narrator does not tell you a lot. She is not there for your comfort, she is just there.
   
   This story does have multiple layers to it, the author touches on self-identity, is she one of them, is she Rachel - her previous mortal life, is she Risika - the name given by her new life mother? She loses, she loves, she changes. Another layer is that of the control others had over her. Her fear of Aubrey, while not all consuming, prevents her from retaliating. She feared for her immortal soul as a mortal, because of the control the church held over her. As a women, her father and brother had control of her.
   
   These are all issues that are lightly tread upon, but still there. She knows that emotion for her kind is weakening, as it can be used against her. All others of her kind reject love, and it makes them stronger, not prey.
   
   The author treats vampires very simply, she gives them what they obviously are, an animal predator with a human's mind for cruelty. I think she may have mentioned this again, in one of her other vampire novels.
   
   That is the other interesting thing about this author, she changes the vampires worlds, and attributes in different novels.
   
   All in all, I truly enjoy this author's work. This book is not weak in any way, in fact, its tone is stronger then other vampire novels. Other authors get caught up a drama that leaves one feeling confused as to the original purpose. It is like what many chef's say, the simplest meal is the hardest.



2. This is the first book that I have read from Amelia Atwater-Rhodes, and overall I think she is a great writer. This book is a YA book. However the dialog the character projects is actually more mature. There wasn't any drama, that you get from a YA book. The main character may have been a teenager, but the author presented her as an adult. So it was very interesting to detect all of the differences between this book and the other YA books I have read from this genre. I will say this, however, the vocab in the book is not as advanced as some othe novels, but the author was very young when she wrote it, and you probably would be too wrapped up in the story to care. I was. So overall I give this book a well earned 4 stars.



3. First of let me say how basis i am because i love amelia at-water rhodes books shes one the the first authors i read when i was a teenager and i still read her books till this day and im an adult now! This book was a little different it switchs between the main characters past and present time, at first it gets confusing but once u get the hang of it u start understanding how it works! I liked the book a lot but didnt love it! But cant really say much she was only 13 when she wrote it! Sadly the book is short but i enjoyed my read! It would be a good start off book to someone in their early teens! i recomend the books because it just keeps getting better.



4. I have always loved this book. I have re-read it several times over the years since I bought it when I was in high school. I've had it for probably about 8 years or so. Reading is kind of hard for me and I love that I can read this book in a day and it keeps my attention.



5. I first picked this book up when I was in Middle School and loved it. I recently re-read "In The Forests of The Night" just to see how it has held up over time. Now that I'm an adult, does this book still manage to entertain me? Well, yes, it does. I still found the story of the 300-year-old vampire Risika and the events leading up to her fight with an old nemesis to be fascinating.
   
   Amelia Atwater-Rhodes is one of my favorite authors, either due to nostalgia or my love of vampires in general. Unfortunately, now that I'm older I notice that this book has alot of aspects about it that most people would consider flaws that I didn't notice when I was younger.
   
   First of all, the book is really short. I mean, really short. I finished it in two hours. This is bad because you keep wanting a bit more story. In some ways this is good, though, because it's not a huge time commitment to read, so you can finish it quickly and move on to doing something else if you so desire. That's one of the reasons I love her books so much (I've read plenty of long books-Anne Rice, for example-but I always enjoy shorter books more).
   
   There was another thing I noticed; this book isn't exactly fine literature. She tends to be a little lax in her amount of environmental description and the writing itself is a bit simple. Nonetheless, I enjoy her fast-paced writing style, maybe because she doesn't bog the reader down with reams of dross. I personally feel that this book deserves five stars simply because I enjoy re-reading it (this holds true for almost all her books) and any book that I actually want to re-read has earned it's value in my mind. It's not that I didn't like some other books I've read, it's just that I often don't find myself wanting to re-read them (even if they're good), but for some reason I can just keep coming back to Amelia's books and still enjoy them.
   
   So, do I recommend this book for teens? Certainly. There's enough here to entertain a younger reader, and it's about the right length for a young adult genre book. Do I recommend it for adults? Well, that depends. If you like your books to be longer and have more "adult" writing styles, then you probably wouldn't like this book. If you love vampires and quick reads, then you'll likely find this book to be well worth your time.

5 comments about Gateway to the Gods (Everworld #7).

1. I am an Everworld druggy, suffering from a dangerous addiction.
   
   This series is like some kind of twisted literature drug. It's so horrible, so mediocre, and so inspiring, all at the same time. I have to read on, I want to read on, I have to find out what happens, but I don't want to at the same time, and I can't stop. It's like being hugged by Hel; pain, pleasure, disgust, horror, enlightenment, dread, depression, and addiction all at once, and I can't pull away.
   
   I love and hate these books. There are traces of how good Everworld could have been, and those bits are truly inspiring. However, I keep finding myself imagining just that, what Everworld could have been in the hands of a better author, and then this seems like poorly written fanfiction that disappoints completely.
   
   I resolved, after finishing the last book, that I would lock these away and deprive myself of Everworld for awhile. Then I got the next three books. I took one glance inside the cover of "Inside the Illusion" and my mind was instantly changed mid awesome-overload. I am now powering through "Brave the Betrayal" as fast as possible to get to book nine.
   
   As I predicted, April narrates this book, though she doesn't put much into it. There were moments when the narration could have been coming from Christopher, or David, or Jalil, and I wouldn't have known the difference. Character development has been declining since "Discover the Destroyer" and in "Gateway to the Gods" all the characters seem to be becoming almost robotic. There are still some interesting interactions, but only some. The characters are acting like puppets, concentrating only on doing their role in the plot and rarely, if ever, actually interacting with others and thinking like human beings.
   
   A good example is about halfway through the book when Senna suddenly shows up once more and again demonstrates her characteristic scheming brilliance and ambition. The other characters, despite all that's happened, simply grumble and make sure its known that they don't trust her, then accept her help. You'd think they'd all have strong things to say to her, lots of questions and conflicted feelings, but they don't. April again takes the liberty of reminding us the readers how much she hates her half-sister, no reasons given. I'm really beginning to wonder where this came from, but it seems to exist just because it does. A deeper explanation of where the animosity between these two characters springs from would have been interesting, but we don't get any of that.
   
   This book takes place in Olympus, and the storyline, while it could have been interesting if expanded, is so brief and compact that it's no wonder that this book is so tiny. We get the barest glimpse of the Greek Pantheon, who are shown in a rather fittingly pathetic and humorous light. At the very least, KA Applegate did the necessary research on classical mythology.
   
   We get a mediocre climax that was entirely predictable and not much in the way of an ending, which itself sparsely detailed and cut off abruptly. The characters behave rather strangely during this time, with little explanation.
   
   This book is mediocre. Average for an Everworld book, a bit better than "Fear the Fantastic" but not as good as "Enter the Enchanted" or "Discover the Destroyer." The storyline, and especially the character of Senna, are so thoroughly wasted that it is almost enough to send a person into depression. I'm going to finish this miserable wreck to get the full impression of the story and of Senna's character, but only for the sake of the first impressions of Everworld I had, the excellent story that this could have been.



2. This books finds the four making it out of Hetwan country and getting to Olympus. There they are pampered with wonderfully soft beds, all the food they can eat and being waited on hand and foot. What more could they possibly want?!? Deep down they know they need to still stop Ka Anor or there will be no more Olympus. But when they meet these gods and find out how arrogant and self-centered they are, it turns out to be harder to get there help than they thought. Then on top of that, they find out that the Coo Hatch are making weapons with there special metal for the Hetwan's. How will they be able to overcome these obsticles? Read to find out!



3. Parents should be aware of the suggestive comments in chapter one and the crude comments in the last chapter before buying this book for their kids. It is disapointing that the author had to rely on this stuff instead of being really creative. It's going into the trash at our house.



4. Everyone says that I shouldn't read Ever World because I am 10. But I love Ever world and if you read this book you'll feel like your there whith them !



5. Can you imagine a beautiful land where magic rules with nymphs, fairies, and leprechauns? Looks can be deceiving. This wonderful place is ruled by evil gods, ugly Cyclops, death, and destruction. This destruction may become worse or it may cease when seven kids from New York appear there. The name of the novel as you probably already know is Gateway to the Gods which is part of a series called Everworld written by K.A. Applegate. This particular story takes place in the Greek part of Everworld, where it's always temperate, always light, and always summer. It takes place in 2000 but the technology dates way back to the 1800's. There's no need for technology when there's magic. The protagonist is Christopher Hitchcock, he's funny at the wrong times but brave and outgoing at the right times. He's about seventeen, it doesn't say in the book but he can drive, and also goes to high school. The main conflict for Chris was to hold off enemy troops at Mt. Olympus which becomes impossible.
   

   I think all together it's a great series and although this book was not the best book in the series it wasn't bad either. Applegate twists history and fantasy into a great book for readers from ages 13 to 21. There is some vulgar language but is still a great book. There is lots of action and a main character dies I'll let you guess who that is. I like how Applegate portrayed the gods; it fits them and history even though it is kind of funny. One minute it's a nice controlled dinner party on Mt. Olympus the next it's a rolling thunderstorm literally, with yelling, drinking and more yelling. Without knowing it they kill every mortal servant in the room and kick out one of their primary war leaders. One of the things I didn't like about this title is that it starts with one conflict then doesn't finish that conflict and ends with another. If you read it I hope you enjoy it.

5 comments about Flora Segunda: Being the Magickal Mishaps of a Girl of Spirit, Her Glass-Gazing Sidekick, Two Ominous Butlers (One Blue), a House with Eleven Thousand Rooms, and a Red Dog (Magic Carpet Books).

1. Flora Segunda is a hilarious, moving, whimsical, refreshing, and original young adult fantasy novel set in an alternate reality version of California, a country called Califa. Flora is so-named because the first Flora, her oldest sister, died well before she was born. Flora Segunda grows up with a sense of inferiority toward the original, golden-haired Flora. At the age of fourteen, Flora does all the domestic chores in her dysfunctional family because her father is a reclusive alcoholic and her mother is a workaholic who rarely comes home and who has banished the butler, a supernatural being meant to keep the huge mansion, Crackpot Hall, in order. Flora accidently ends up in a strange part of the house... and finally meets the butler, whom she tries to save so she doesn't have to keep doing all the housework.
   
   Can Flora find courage and be herself at last, or will her practice of self-negation literally lead to her end?



2. Fantastic! I can't remember ever reading such a wholly unique and imaginative book. Ysabeau S. Wilce created a stunning and vast world that you can't help but get lost in. I loved everything from the fun way the characters spoke to the magical world they lived in.
   
   There were times though when things got confusing and it made me wish that there was some kind of guide book that explained everything in detail, but either way it was an excellent read.
   
   If you're looking to read a book of pure fantasy, set in a alternate world that is nothing like our own, then I highly recommend picking this up. The characters have depth, the story is fantastic and you learn something new and different on every page - just what everyone wants in a story.



3. I never review books on Amazon, but I have much, much love for Ysabeau Wilce's FLORA SEGUNDA books. The story is charming if not epic, but the characters and the world that inhabit the novels are an absolute delight. Flora is wonderful: wry, sharp-tongued, cranky, and utterly lovable. I haven't been able to get behind a redheaded heroine since ANNE OF GREEN GABLES. The worldbuilding of Wilce's novel is also a joy; she crafts an alternate history of California complete with pirates, magicians, and a fascinating military culture, all written in a amusingly whimsical voice.
   
   Absolutely recommended!



4. I had the impression that this book was about discovering lost areas in a big house. The story fit the mold for about 20 or 30 pages, but it lost focus after that. We are thrown details about the military, a prisoner, soul stealing, and other houses. I was interested in the childish butler and Flora exploring, but I was less intrigued by the rescue attempt and the long solutions to restoring Flora's diminished soul. I wanted to the like book and I did finish it, but I skipped large sections where nothing was happening. None of the characters are particularly interesting, and in the end I really didn't care what happened to any of them. Mixed with my pet peeve of the story being told from a typical 14 year old's perspective, yet having words like pernicious, fastidious, and cajoling, the novel just fell flat. It was less enjoyable and fun than the title would have you believe, and I was not at all impressed.



5. This book is, by far, very good. I don't read a lot of books that catch my attention this well. The character are well written and believable, even if you step back and realize, you really don't know that much about their background. The world itself is very different with a mix of magic, real life, and soldiers. If anyone likes very creative, different, and interesting story, they should give this book a try. I was happy to the end, and it's hard to find a book with a great ending!
   
   However, the story is not for people who want a highly detailed world, like Harry Potter. You do not find out how magic and other "magical" things work nor the system of the government/army/school. Flora can cast spells, but you don't know how it all works. Most of the time, you get a feeling of how things work, a glimpse. Same thing goes for some of the characters. If you are someone who can't take things without an explanation, then this probably isn't for you. It relays on a creative imagination and a suspension of belief.

5 comments about Halloween Party (Fear Street, No. 8).

1. The new girl in school, Justine, invites nine seemingly arbitrary kids to her all-night Halloween party. The kids realise that some of them are someone's sweetheart, some are jocks and the rest they call wimps. The jocks and wimps, and especially former best friends Alex and Terry, begin to discourage the other `side' from going to the party.
   The school bullies are angry they weren't invited, and threatens to make Justine regret not inviting them.
   
   The party takes place in the old Cameron mansion on Fear Street. The decorations are great, and everyone is excited. Justine and her uncle promise them some great games and pranks. The lights go out. When it returns one of the boys is lying on the floor with a knife in his back. That's only the start of the horror.
   
   This is a great book. The story is exciting and held my interest to the end, the characters are likable yet realistic. One of the girls is deaf but can read people's lips. It wasn't necessary for the story line, which I think makes it a very good addition. It's great when people who are different are part of a story without their difference being important for the plot.
   I also like the way events in a former book, the overnight, is mentioned in passing by Ricky. It has nothing to do with this plot, but it's fun to see the people in other Fear Street books mentioned, especially when references are made to earlier scares.
   
   I can safely say that I never saw that ending coming! This is a Stine classic (which is a very good thing). It kind of reminds me of Stine's "New year's party", but with a less fantastic solution. I recommend this one.



2. Synopsis: Justine Cameron, the new transfer student to Shadyside High, and the most beautiful girl in school, is throwing an All Night Halloween Costume Party at the Cameron Mansion. She has invited Terry Ryan, Niki Meyer, Murphy Carter, Trisha McCormick, Ricky Schorr, Angela Martiner, Les Whittle, David Sommer and Alex Beale. What is so strange about that? Almost all (if not all) the guests don't know Justine really well, and cannot imagine why she invited them. Murphy asks Justine why she invited either a jock or a wimp or someone's girlfriend to her party. David, Murphy and Alex (who are considered the jock team) start daring the wimps (Terry, Ricky, Les, Trish) to see if they can survive the party for the whole Halloween night at the Cameron Mansion.
   
   What starts off as a fun game of pranks soon turns out to be really ugly because Niki, who is Terry's girlfriend, used to date Alex, so the pranks become more serious and personal. Both the teams come up with their own plans to how to scare the other team before Justine's party. Someone puts a plucked chicken head on Terry's tennis racket. Niki, who has a hearing problem and is somewhat deaf, gets a note saying "You will wish you were blind too".
   
   On the night of Halloween, everyone shows up in their costumes at the Cameron Mansion. They meet Justine's uncle, Philip, who Justine is living with. The party starts off nicely, but turns into horror as one by one, the guests go missing, and are found dead. At first, everyone thinks it is just a trick that one team is playing to scare the other team, but they soon realize that their lives are really in danger.
   
   Could it be:
   - One of the teams that are trying to scare the other?
   - Bobby McCory and Marty Danforth, two of the biggest bullies in Shadyside High who are angry that they didn't get invited, that they actually tried to crash the party?
   
   Can Terry figure out what is happening to the guests and who is responsible for trying to kill them, before it is too late?
   
   Review: I thought that this was a great Fear Street book to read because it was very different from the others. Some aspects of the book were really terrifying, especially towards the end when Terry figures out that people's lives are in danger. I also enjoyed the snarky comments between Terry and Alex as they fight over Niki, because it was written very realistically and made me feel for Terry's character. The truth behind who is responsible for all the events is also shocking, and even though I somewhat guessed that it was probably that person, the reasons for doing what they did was a shock to me, because even though I was scared of the character, I also felt sorry for that person.
   
   My only suggestion on how this book could have been better was if Stine had put more horror into the book and spent less time focusing on Alex-Terry-Niki relationship, and more time on the actual Halloween Party.
   
   Overall, I enjoyed reading this book and thought that this was a very well written from some of the other Fear Street books that Stine has written.



3. Overall this book is pretty good. I really enjoyed the ending and the characters. It seemed like it took the story forever to get started up though and the story pretty much started in the 12th chapter and from there the story is perfect! Chapters 1 - 11 are pretty much background information.
   I love the relationship between Terry and Niki, it's so cute! And I really enjoyed that part of the book.
   Pretty much the only things I didn't like about the book were that it took too long to get to the story and that the characters played too many jokes on each other and by the time someone was actually murdered I was like "oh how wonderful, another joke."
   I would recommend this book. I finished it in 1 day.



4. I am 23 and i still love fear street books...this one is a great one you would never expect whats going to happen next...i received this quickly also the seller was kate sooo buy from her



5. This is one of it not the best of R. L. Stine's Fear Street collection. This book is a rollercoaster of action, just when you think what is happening as a chapter ends a surprise at the start of the next chapter turns the story on its head. This book would also make a very good B grade teen horror/thriller movie.
   
   In Halloween Party there's a new girl in school named Justine and she is undoubtedly the hottest girl the boys have ever seen. They have all tried to get to know her but she brushes them off, all the girls want to be her friend for the obvious benefits of picking up the boys she brushes off. However they don't seem to be any more successful getting close to her than the boys are. So when Justine sends out invitations to nine of them (no partners aloud) to attend her Halloween party they sure aren't going to turn her down. She is very strict on the guest list, no one else can come and there seems to be no correlation between the guests, they are not part of one group, not all are friends, in fact some are even enemies. It seems a strange combination of potential friends or is it? As the party kicks off Justine and her uncle (the chaperone) have a lot of tricks in store for her guests. The wimps and jocks of the group also have a plan to scare each other. As the frights get more and more realistic and terrifying it seems someone is taking scaring the others to death rather literally!

5 comments about What Happened to Cass McBride?.

1. The only strength What Happened to Cass McBride? had was its writing. Everything else was utter garbage, especially the plot. Let's do the good first, before we get to my massive list of complaints, shall we? The writing style was very unique, dotted with cutesy little phrases here and there, making for a poetic read. Other than that, the only other thing I can positively remark on was my like of the fonts that allowed for easy differentiation between characters. Alright, so, the negatives. First of all, this is a murder mystery of sorts. So it's very strange that the story is set up in such a way that the reader knows pretty much all along who the culprit is, instead of finding out at the very end. Most of the plot is laid out very early on, which eliminates a lot of the drama and suspense that a good murder mystery should, in my opinion, contain. I'm sure it was done to set the book apart from others in the same genre, and it accomplishes that, but sometimes, I feel like the typical murder mystery IS a murder mystery because of its layout, and can be set apart by a particularly fantastic plot, instead of switching the general big picture order of events. The nonlinearity makes for an interesting storytelling format, but at the same time, makes the story just...boring. Throughout the whole book, I just couldn't bring myself to care about anyone I was supposed to care about or sympathize with. I didn't like the ending, I didn't care about any of the events, the story's excitement dies out within the first few pages, when all is revealed. I just don't think the order of events served the story well in this particular instance.
   
   Rating: 2/5



2. Cass McBride gets buried in this box underground that this guy Kyle puts her in and buries her alive. She gets blamed for Kyle's brother's death, even though he hangs himself. While Cass McBride is in this box, she has to lay there listening to what Kyle is saying to her. He asks her why didn't have time for his brother.
   
   I would give this book three and a half stars because I like mystery. If you are interested in mystery like I am then you should read this book because it keeps you on your toes.



3. Great customer service! My product was in the conditions described "New" and sent to me in a timely manner.



4. When I first began reading this book, I was a bit confused. It took me a long time to gather when what was happening because there is no order to this book. So let me tell you now, when Kyle Kirby is talking, he is looking back, when Cass McBride is talking it is the present and the same goes for Detective Ben.
   
   This was definately what I call and "interesting" tale, but I really could have done without all the cussing. I know that in this generation, cussing is to be expected of everyone, but I found this book in the young adult's section. Is that really appropriate? I believe the F word is used more than once.
   
   I was pretty enthralled, and read it in less than three hours. It is a very easy read. There aren't any big paragraphs which is how I prefer things. So if you can ignore the cussing and once you've gotten a grasp on the order of things, it should be an okay read.
   
   I wish I could give this book a higher rating, but the cussing was a big turn off for me.



5. i liked this book but it wasnt one of my favorites. but it is na easy, fast read.

5 comments about Rats.

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



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



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



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



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