5 comments about Don't Judge a Girl by Her Cover (Gallagher Girls).

1. Cammie Morgan, our favorite teen spy, is back in action. Its summer time and Cammie is excited to finish it out with a bang when she goes off to visit her roommate Macey in Boston. When you're a spy though the word "exciting" is synonymous with "dangerous," and danger is exactly what Cammie and Macey for that matter, get.
   
   When the girls return to school for the start of junior year, Cammie can't shake what happened to them in Boston and nowhere feels safe anymore, not even her school. She feels like there are secrets everywhere and old flames are popping up every which way Cammie turns. Cammie and her friends are also quite confused with the answerless questions of who was after Macey and Cammie on that fateful day in Boston.
   
   Soon though Cammie and Becks are asked to accompany Macey (as her personal security guards) on her dad's campaign trail. Together the three of them keep up with their spy training while trying to uncover the answers to many, many secrets and possibly discovering the shocking truth.
   
   This series is one of a kind and just plain great. Cassie is such an independent person and I love the adventure that takes place. Ally Carter is also such a fabulous author that I get lost in her writing every time I pick up one of her books. DON'T JUDGE A GIRL BY HER COVER is no exception to this said awesomeness.
   
   The characters were a lot of fun. Cammie was determined to succeed in her missions, which I had to admit I was very jealous of and completely wanted to partake in, and very resbonsible. I have to admit though, she was a little boy crazy which made me a little annoyed, but hey a teen girl has to have her priorities! Talking about boys, I loved how admist politcs and spies and such Ally Carter incorporated something as common as boy drama, which really made the reader connect with the story. I also loved Bex. She was such a strong character and she could seriously kick some butt!
   
   Overall I really, really liked this book and thought it was a great addition to the series, it may almost be the best one yet. The writing was fun, but intense at times and the author really knows how to suck you in. I know that I cannot wait for the fourth Gallagher Girl book.



2. Every new book in this series gets better and better. This book started off with action from page one. Cammie goes to stay with Macey, only to have people try and kidnap Macey. Only to learn later on that maybe Macey isn't the one they are after.
   I was also very excited when Zach came back into this book. Towards the beginning he isn't mentioned much. But I love his and Cammie's relationship.
   Also a new character came into the series. Cammie's Aunt, Abby who hasn't been around since Cammie's father, died. She was a very cool and fun character that Ally Carter brought into the series.
   I can not wait to read book 4. Cammie is going to London with Bex. And the book was left open as to who is after someone in the Gallagher school.



3. in the first 2 books, you were like oh this isnt like theyre gonna die this is just training. then suddenly in this book someone is out to kill them. it happened to fast for my taste. and what ever happened with her and zach? i was confued at the end of this... but good read



4. yay! this book was ah-mazing! i totally love zach..what a cute couple he and cammie make eh? what i was confuzzled about though is this..is preston and macy 2gether? but 5 stars hand down for this excellent third book...keep on writing amy!



5. This was an OKAY book.
   Did it blow me away? no, but it did keep me occupied for a couple hours as i read it.
   I personally like CHHS better, but thats just me.
   At some points in the book, it sounded a lot to me like a Fan Fiction story.
   It was a little juvenile for me, but still a good read.
   I think the age here is from maybe 9-12, maybe 13.
   
   Likes - The new character (Aunt Abby) was a fun new character, and i really like her
   I also liked that Ally Carter kept you think **SPOILER** that Macy was the target.
   I loved Joe Solomon in the whole book..but i love him anyway (:
   
   Dislikes - this lack of Zach!!
   Also, it just got REALLY slow at times for me.
   
   Over all an OKAY book, maybe a little to young for the ages 14,15+

5 comments about Point Blank (Alex Rider Adventure).

1. I think that this book could have been better. I don't think it was very exciting for some parts, but it got better at the end. It's not the best book in the series, but it's worth it to read it.



2. it was a very good book i had read it before but then i read agian and agian then i figured out that i loved it!



3. To all you book readers on Amazon, the Alex Rider series is a thriller. In Point Blank Alex is packed off to the French Alps by MI6. Before I tell you about the problem, the reason Alex is there is that there have been two mysterious deaths with two mysterious kids. In this adventure Dr.Grief (a mad, mad scientist) makes 16 clones of himself to rule the world with. He owns the rich boys' Academy of Point Blanc and has imprisoned 16 different boys to replace them with his clones. Alex must free the boys or be dissected in biology class. My personal favorite part is the snowboard chase. Any reader will want to read until the book is finished because it is so filled with excitement and adventure.



4. This Alex Rider series gets better as it goes along. This book has everything in it from replicating humans to being drugged. You WILL Love this book!



5. Point Blank
   By Anthony Horowitz
   274pp.
   Penguin Group (USA) $7.99
   
   By Chris Petrovski
   I was inspired to read Point Blank because it was the second book in the Alex Rider series. Storm breaker, the first book, was so good that I had to read the second one. I'm glad I did. I am anxious to read the other books in the Alex Rider series as well.
   Alex Rider, a 14-year-old M16 agent, is assigned to a top secret mission in the Swiss Alps. Two mysterious deaths lead Alex to a boarding school for rich, rebellious boys. The boys are acting strange, and it's up to Alex to find out who, what, where, when, and why.
   I like Point Blank because it has plenty of action, spy gadgets, and things that go BOOM! I also like the fact that the main character is around my age. Anyone who likes James Bond, spies, and who is in middle school through high school would love this book. Girls would probably be the only ones who would dislike this book because of its intense action and lack of romance. This book is a must read for all people who enjoy this kind of thing.

5 comments about Little Brother.

1. Holy crap was this a good novel. SF terrorist attack. Four high school teens detained by homeland security. Three are released into a city run by homesec (yes, written during W's fun) and decide to fight for freedom. Seriously, read this. It should be required high school reading.



2. 5 stars because every American needs to read it, AND read 1984 if you haven't already!
   A little slow to start, but you can not put down after The Bang.
   Gave copies to all my kids, staff and close friends. (I copied the review title from my daughter) Unfortunately most of the technical concepts used in the book are not fiction but are reality today (although not yet to the degree used in the book).
   The scary part is how easily we are slipping closer and closer to the book. Think of the political hysteria after 9/11 as you read the book, and you will realize it is not so far fetched at all.
   Then if all that doesn't concern you - read the book and watch [...].
   Then finally I suggest you think of the book and the YouTube video as you decide what 2010 census questions you are willing to answer.



3. I was preview-reading this for my 12-year-old-going-on-20, and for the first two-thirds of the book, I really enjoyed it. Doctorow clearly knows his stuff on the hacker world, and does a great job explaining it to n00bs. His characters seem real and engaging, and the dystopian future he portrays - while a bit overwrought at times - is nonetheless never too far from believable.
   
   A major theme of the book is that yes, it CAN happen here - government can and will take your freedom away, and use whatever technology (and tactics) it needs to, if it feels it is justified for "national security" reasons (in this story, a terrorist bombing of the Bay Bridge). And maybe even if it's not "justified." The hacker-kid hero does a great job of throwing the Founding Fathers and the Bill of Rights back in the faces of the Homeland Security thugs who are the increasingly monotone villains as the book goes on.
   
   Where it started to fall apart for me was when it stopped being about "the government" and more and more explicitly about George Bush, John Ashcroft, and the nasty Republicans. No, he never mentions them by name - but in the final third of the book, every hoary stereotype about the evil, racist, homophobic, misogynist, war-mongering and profiteering GOP is dutifully trotted out. The war in Iraq (which VP Biden just took credit for winning) is given its perfunctory dissing, and - most disappointingly - it's an old-fashioned print journalist who "breaks the story" of what's happening to all the hacker kids (and others) rounded up by the DHS.
   
   Do they still read newspapers in San Francisco? This was an odd false note by Doctorow; I would much rather it have been some new media superblog with a zillion mirror sites around the world. Like the gratuitous GOP-bashing, the late addition of a Woodward and Bernstein seems an unnecessary sop to the aging lefties whose approval Doctorow seems to crave. It's almost as a new voice or editor was introduced for the last third of the book.
   
   It's a shame, because I really enjoyed and appreciated the first two-thirds. Crypto and distrust of the government is a wonderful area of common ground for otherwise neanderthal techno-libertarians like me and hip young Bay Area leftists. But on balance, it's still a good read, which I'm going to give to my 12 year old without comment.



4. In some ways, this is not the kind of book I usually read--phrases like "techno-geek" on the cover don't tend to appeal to me. But I picked this one up because both my brother and sister really liked it, and I'm glad I did. Doctorow raises a lot of difficult questions about the trade-offs between security and privacy, and tells a gripping story too.
   
   Marcus is a high-school student in the not-too-distant future, at a time when surveillance is increasing and school-issued notebooks record every keystroke a student makes. Being concerned with privacy and good with computers, Marcus has hacked his notebook to get around the surveillance features and takes other measures like putting gravel in his shoes to outsmart the gait-recognition devices in the school hallways. He's not really a bad guy, though, more concerned with getting out of school to play games with his friends than with using his abilities for any greater, malicious purpose.
   
   Unfortunately, after a terrorist attack in San Francisco, the authorities don't see Marcus' behaviour in such an innocent light. He's grabbed off the street almost arbitrarily by the Department of Homeland Security and accused of being a terrorist. When he isn't immediately willing to give up all his privacy and insists, for example, on seeing a lawyer, the situation only worsens. He's subjected to mild forms of torture until he yields completely, and is eventually released with instructions to tell no one about what happened and a warning that his every move will be watched from then on.
   
   Rather than giving in, though, Marcus decides to fight back against the Department of Homeland Security. As more and more citizens' rights are taken away in the name of safety, Marcus develops an underground network devoted to preserving privacy and freedom. Nothing here is completely black-and-white, though, and many of Marcus' friends and family members oppose his actions. The result is a thought-provoking examination of how far you should go in standing up for your beliefs.
   
   As a side note, the author of this book strongly opposes DRM and has released all his books in free, unprotected electronic formats at the same time as the print releases. This makes him a good guy in my books.



5. Little Brother is a novel for young adults which is set a few years in the future. A serious terrorist act shakes San Francisco and a group of teenagers get caught up in the aftermath.
   
   The central themes are civil rights, privacy and freedom and a lot of interesting ground is covered in the book. However, as with other Cory Doctorow novels I've read, he has a point to make and uses the story as the vehicle for his opinions. Sometimes that makes the story seem incidental to the proselytising that is going on. The story is probably (hopefully?!) far fetched in parts but the ending seemed at odds to the rest of the book and too tidy and well resolved.
   
   There is quite a lot of technological content and most is well explained but I am already familiar with most of the tech he includes so I'm not sure how the less geeky reader would feel about it.
   
   I'm over the age of the target audience and I can imagine that the young adult readers that this book is intended for would get a lot out of discussing the themes with other young adult readers. Regardless of your age; if you have never considered how surveillance features in your daily life then this book could open your eyes.

5 comments about The Mysteries of Harris Burdick.

1. I paid very little for this great book because it was used. After getting it, I simply recovered the front with clear wrapping and it practically looks like new! I love using the book in my classroom and the kids LOVE trying to complete the stories. Thank you!



2. As an English teacher, I have been amazed by the creative writing The Mysteries of Harris Burdick has inspired. I use the book in conjunction with vocabulary units, having students create short stories (that include the vocabulary words we are studying) based off of the pictures, line and title Van Allsburg provides on each page. The intriguing beginnings he has created lend themselves to a plethora of plots; I've never read two stories that are similar though I've used the book for years now.
   
   I highly recommend this book as a way to encourage any aspiring writers, as well as those who struggle with writing. Even reluctant writers seem to enjoy the challenge of creating a story worthy of such a beautiful illustration. Students are often amazed and pleased with what they can create with a little help from this wonderful book!



3. The Mysteries of Harris Burdick is one of my favorite titles for teaching creative writing! My students cannot put this book aside. It's a must-read!



4. My students loved this book because it was "kind of creepy", as they put it. They loved to have it as an example of good leads for their own writing.



5. This book is a treasure. I have a friend who uses the images for creative writing exercises with his classes. The images are haunting and profound, but leave the rational part of our mind demanding more...inspiring us to make meaning, and story. Be touched by the fire of a brilliant artist and see what arises.

5 comments about School's Out - Forever (Maximum Ride, Book 2).

1. Title: Maximum Ride: School's Out Forever by James Patterson
   
   Pages: 409.
   
   Time spent on the "to read" shelf: 2 years.
   
   Days spent reading it: 10 days.
   
   Why I read it: I actually heard this one on CD a few years ago. We really liked it, but missed the first one. So now I'm reading through the series, and this has been on the list for a little while.
   
   Brief review: Maximum Ride is the brain child of the prolific James Patterson. It is a series aimed at young adults about a group of kids who have wings (and other special powers). They escape from their laboratory and have great adventures. This is the second book in the series.
   
   What I like about these books is that they are very funny, engaging, and quick reads. You can pick one up and read through it in a few hours (if you're Susan) or days (if you're Patrick). They don't take much brain power, but they are very enjoyable. There are lots of little quotable bits throughout. Max is the main narrator, and her character is witty and likeable.
   
   I would definitely recommend this series to Middle and High School students, but there is a small amount of swearing or pseudo-swearing in the series. I think adults would appreciate the series as well, but its not like this is refined literature. It's a beach read, and an enjoyable one at that. So there you have it.
   
   Favorite quote: "If you're ever feeling a lack of middle-aged white men, just pop into the Capitol. Not so much the House of Representatives, which has a bit more color and texture, but the Senate--jeez. Yes, let's have more testosterone running the country."
   
   Stars: 4 out of 5.
   
   Final Word: Flighty.



2. easy read, action kept me interested, nice new developments in the plot. very curious about what's next for max and the flock.



3. james pattson has done it again. the first one was great and this one is great 2. after i read the rest of the books, i going to read witch and wizard. go james pattson!



4. I love this book! It is full of action and adventure. This book is good for boys and girls! I would recemend the whole maxium ride series to children between the ages of 9 and 14.



5. Excellent book! I couldn't put it down! Can't wait to read the next book in the series!

5 comments about A Northern Light.

1. this seems to be aimed at a younger reader. not as good as her other books, winter rose and tea rose



2. Have you ever wondered how life would be if you were born just eighty or one hundred years earlier? Well, here is the chance to experience that life through the eyes of 16-year-old Mattie Gokey. In the book "A Northern Light," by Jennifer Donnelly, Mattie lives a harsh and difficult farming life with her father and three younger sisters during the year 1906. With her mother dead, Mattie has now inherited the responsibility of looking after the family. Her dream is to go to college and become a writer. However, throughout the book, her dreams become smaller and more hopeless. While struggling with her feelings for a handsome young boy who wishes to marry her but who lacks an intellectual appeal, she becomes involved in the mystery of a young girl who was murdered. Will she follow her dreams to the end or continue in a life of dull repetitiveness?
   This book was extremely well written and engages you right from the start. The book contains images and descriptions that will stay with you forever about how life was like in the 1900s. This book is written for young adults, but I believe it is for a mature audience of about 16 years of age and older. A few brief parts in the book are a bit explicit, but I believe they are there to convey the reality of life for Mattie. A detailed scene of birth and some sexuality are included.
   The nature of this book is to show the audience how anyone can fight for their dreams. I thought this book was honest and very engaging. I would highly recommend this book.



3. I discovered Jennifer Connelly's incredible writing talent with "The Tea Rose" and "The Winter Rose;" both novels have become favorites of mine which I always recommend to friends/family. When I saw this book, I had to get it, without reading what it was about, nor realizing it was written for a younger audience. Therefore, I was unprepared for the writing style which was so different from the "Rose" books, and did find it more gearer to a younger audience than my other two favorites of hers. I'm not saying it wasn't meant for adults as well, just that it didn't compare on a literary level to the two "Rose" novels. That being said, the book was indeed interesting and I recommend it, with the caveat not to compare it to the "Rose" novels.



4. This book is so well written and the story is so well told, that I could barely put it down. Donnelly's characters are unique and well developed and yet completely human.
   
   Set in the North Woods of Maine in 1906, Mattie is trying to figure out what she wants from life. She is strong and fragile at once. The events surrounding the real-life murder of Grace Brown at the lake where Mattie is working, finally give Mattie the courage to follow her dreams.
   
   The glimpses into the daily lives of the people that farmed and logged the North Woods are delightful and haunting. Excellent literature.



5. por*ten*tous
   This is by far one of my favourite books, for so many reasons!
   
   My second favourite thing about A Northern Light is Mattie. I love Mattie, she is a very rare type of person (I've come to find out) which I have been blessed with of having plenty of in my family. The type of person that will do anything within their power for their family, even though it's not exactly what they want to do with their life. Mattie puts her dreams aside to help her father and her family until she finally meets a tutor that lets her know that it is okay for her to follow her dreams, and pushes her to do exactly that! Donnelly also managed to tug on my heartstrings with Mattie's struggle with how to deal with Grace, and the secret that only the two of them, and one other person the police can't find, share. Throw in a cute boy who isn't so smart, and doesn't expect much of her, a black best-friend (remember: this was 1906), and a pack of friends whose mother deals with some extreme problems, and you have one little girl with a big weight on her shoulders. Yet, Mattie manages to handle it all in stride, grace, and with hope for the future. Mattie is honestly one of the strongest, most believable, honest, likable, and well written characters I have ever had the pleasure of reading.
   
   My third favourite thing about the book is Mattie and Weaver's word games. Often times when they're throwing words back and forth, I found myself trying to play along - choosing words neither of them had said yet - and often times I also failed. I love reading, I love writing, but a large vocabulary of words has never been my strongest suit. Therefore it was awesome being able to read an amazing story as well as learn some new things (words) along the way, more-so than usual.
   
   The number one thing that I absolutely love the most is actually a combination of two things: 1, the fact that Grace Brown was once a real person, and her story really happened; 2, the writing. Grace's story is so utterly heartbreaking (maybe more so cause I've read anything I could find on it), and Jennifer Donnelly did such an amazing job of combining something she wasn't even alive for into a world she never got to see so authentically. I never questioned what she described, any of the language, people, settings, etc. While reading the book for all I know, she HAD been alive and HAD witnessed the horrific incident on Big Moose Lake.

5 comments about Night and Day (Jesse Stone).

1. If looking for a literary classic, this isn't it. Rather, this is a very fast read with mostly enjoyable characters. Chief Jesse Stone & his Paradise Police force each have entertaining qualities. They have a "real" quality about them, as well as a subtle humor. The character Mr. Parker has to can is Jesse's ex-wife Jenn. She's an annoying cow. We may have seen the last of her here; please say it's true.
   
   The plot is fairly thin. You'll know who the villain is fairly early on. There are really no surprising twists either.
   
   If you want a quick read with some very enjoyable characters, give it a shot



2. In the continuing saga of Paradise Police chief Jesse Stone, Night and Day proves to be another thriller in the Robert Parker tradition. I found the plot to be exciting with many twists and turns. The new characters added a freshness to the story line, and chief Parker did not fail to bring his worldly skills to the happenings in Paradise. Great read. Unfortunately, with the passing of author Parker, this may be the end of chief Stone.



3. Let's face facts -- this is not a great book. The central mystery is pretty toothless, and there are a pair of subplots (one involving a principal and another the ever-lovin' Jenn) that don't have much bite either. Even the good guys are universally, sniggeringly sex-obsessed -- Jesse can't seem to have a conversation with Molly that doesn't include a reference to her one-night stand -- which makes their investigating sex crimes a bit disturbing. And Jesse does a thing or two in the line of police work that cannot be legal.
   
   On the other hand, Parker is suddenly gone. Which means that our times with Jesse, Suit, Molly and Sunny and Spike (who visit from one of Parker's other series) is now suddenly limited. So I found myself savoring the denizens of Paradise more than I would have under other circumstances.
   
   It's below average Parker, but below average Parker is better than no Parker at all. And that makes me sad.



4. Parker is such a good writer that I am willing to give him a lot of leeway, but Day and Night just doesn't deliver. My guess is that the publisher wanted another Parker book, so he cranked this one out, but didn't really put his heart into it. There are far too many one-line paragraphs, nay, two word paragraphs: Jesse smiled. Molly smiled. Jesse grinned. Molly grinned. Jesse nodded. Molly nodded. The reader nodded off. Come on, Parker, you can do better than that.
   
   I am not really very interested in Jesse's relationship with Jenn, which closely mirrors Sunny's relationship with Ritchie. Spenser's relationship with Susan has been worked much too thin. If Jesse wants to go to a shrink, fine, but do I have to go along?
   
   Parker loves his birds. Hawk, great, Crow, okay, but Night Hawk? With Parker's talent, he should have been able to develop these potentially interesting characters in much more depth. He very nearly makes some penetrating observations on immortal human themes of love, sexuality, marriage, and family, but unlike Jesse's pitches, his remarks don't carry the authority or power behind them that he should have been able to deliver.
   
   Just what was Principal Ingersoll's motivation in inspecting her students' underwear? How far should an educator go in this regard? What makes Ingersoll and Hannah Wechsler tick? Parker ought to have done more with these, and if he had, the book would have been far better.
   
   The most surprising thing about the whole book is that in the author's photo on the back cover, his buckle is out of line with his buttons and zipper. I always thought Parker was a natty dresser.
   
   I would hate to have a new reader judge Parker by Day and Night, because he can, and should, do much better.
   
   Edited 3 days later, January 19: RIP, fare you well! We'll miss you, RBP.



5. Jesse Stone has a sex problem. Well maybe Jesse doesn't, other than his relationship with Jenn, but there are sex problems in Paradise, Massachusetts and they have all landed in the lap of its Chief of Police. The problems start with the female school principal who conducts a panty inspection of her eight grade girls before a school dance. This strange behavior does not go unnoticed by parents who are up in arms over the skirt liftings. The complaints inadvertently expose a legal but dubious pastime of some of its more prominent citizens who have a club devoted to matrimonial sharing.
   
   Not immediately noticed is the Night Hawk, a rather literate Peeping Tom whose behavior seems to be escalating in unpredictable ways. Stone and his 24 sworn officers work feverishly to catch this perv before someone really gets hurt. Stone in the meantime his seeing his own shrink trying to sort out his feelings towards his ex-wife Jenn who has left Boston to a a weather lady in a new syndicated show and moved in with its male producer,
   
   Like all Parker novels, the writing is slick and filled with irony and insight. Characters from other series like Sunny Randle,, Rita Fiore, Spike, and Susan Silverman wander in and out of the pages of Night and Day. It is, like all Parker vels, thoroughly enjoyable.

5 comments about Double Helix (Puffin Sleuth Novels).

1. This novel has a remarkably unlikable and immature main character who is simultaneously self-deprecating and self-centered, with pacing to rival the consistency of old chewing gum (if the passages, did I say passages? I mean chapters, of nothing more than Eli's angsty, redundant brooding about how his girlfriend should trust him blindly and just do as he says and that she's too much of a pain because she doesn't do that or how he wants to punch his father in the face because he is negative for Huntington's Disease, if these were to be cut, the book would only be 100 pages of shallow plot whereas now it's 250 pages of shallow plot and shallow boy.)
   
   I kept reading because I wanted to find out about the genetic engineering hinted at just to find a sloppy, unresolved, unsatisfying cop out of an ending that makes not a smidgen of sense and to demonstrate how little sense it makes, here's a *spoiler alert*(The climax of the book is more or less that suddenly a child wants to kill its father for giving it a wonderful, happy life, but also accidentally giving it a degenerative genetic disease that sets on in middle age.)*spoiler ends* Unfortunately it took getting through 98% of the painfully bad writing in order to realize that the whole novel is not so much a novel as a badly constructed sermon against genetic engineering. All intelligent questions that were raised went unexamined and were swept under the table in favor of emotional reactions that were gruesomely hypocritical. I wouldn't even have had a problem with the book's message had it been well-written and well-argued, ... but alas it wasn't. It was an adverb-riddled, overly repetitive, dull waste of time without so much as imagery or maybe humor to redeem it.



2. Double Helix
   
   This book was an okay book. It is the story of Eli Samuels who is graduating out of high school and gets hired at Wyatt Transgenics by Dr. Quincy Wyatt. Dr. Wyatt seems to be paying special attention to this Eli. Meanwhile Eli's father has a bitter dislike for Dr. Wyatt although he won't tell Ely why. Eli suspects it has something to do with his mother, who is suffering from Huntington disease. This book is a mystery of Wyatt Transgenics and Dr. Quincy Wyatt. Follow Eli as he searches through his family's past to find out what the hatred for Dr. Wyatt was and why he is taking special interest in Eli. This book is full of relationships in the character's life and scientific mysteries.



3. 
   First of all let me say that I am not the target audience of this book, as I am a very well educated middle aged man who is very Transhumanist in my views.Maybe this book appeals more to teen agers, but I found that the book wallowed way too much in teenage angst. Often I found the characters behaving in unrealistic ways. The main character seemed to obsess repeatedly about the same issues. I also found that the subject matter was handled in a way that was too conservative and narrow minded for my taste.



4. This book is about an eighteen-year-old boy named Eli and the mystery of his secret past and his job at Wyatt Transgenics where he discovers things about himself.
   When I started reading this book, I immediately got sucked into the story. The word choice is phenomenal, and I felt like I was actually there. When I saw the book it just screamed, "Read me!" maybe because I'm into this technology stuff. But, I think anyone from age 13+ will enjoy this book. It has so many different styles in it. Science fiction, romance, suspense, and mystery are all crammed into this one book!
   I also like how the title of the book is subtlety slipped into the story. So when you notice it you say, "So that is why it's named Double Helix." Another thing I like is the cover; I know they say not to judge a book by its cover, but I do. If the cover doesn't look good I usually won't pick it up off of the shelf.
   The whole time I was reading this book it was like nothing else in the world mattered. I just could not put the book down. Out of the many books I have read this is one of the best.



5. Eli's father has a secret. What does it have to do with Eli going to work for Dr. Quincy Wyatt, molecular biologist, at Wyatt Transgenics? Is there a connection between Dr. Wyatt and Eli's mother, who is in a nursing home, suffering from Huntington's disease? As he searches for the truth, Eli makes some chilling discoveries. And the truth is worse than he could ever imagine. This is one mystery you'll not be able to put down, until you, too, learn the secret.

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

1. A traditional style ghost story which is set around the turn of the 19th/20th century.
   Like all the best ghost stories it wasn't overly long, and successfully built up the ambience of Eel Marsh House secluded by fog and marshland. The main character, Arthur Kipps a young London solicitor, is easy to relate to with his determination to complete his job balanced with his unease and fear of the malevolence surrounding Eel Marsh and the Woman in Black. Hill pays attention to detail without becoming tedious in order to create an atmospheric and chilling tale.
   
   Although I saw the West End theatre version of the story a few years ago it didn't spoil my enjoyment of the book but I did find the stage version just had the edge when it came to the fear factor.



2. I looooove a good ghost story. I prefer a ghost story that relies upon imagination rather than gore to draw you in. I became aware of this particular book when a newspaper reviewed one of the local acting companies version of a play that is based on this book. I went straight to Amazon.com to research it, and ultimately, to order the book (though I toyed with buying a video). "The Woman in Black " has very good writing, great atmosphere, is very suspensful with a foreboding tone, and is very hard to put down. I was drawn into it immediately and I read it in the space of an afternoon. I was ready to rate this as the best ghost story I had ever read....but then I got to the end. This book spent the first 9/10's of it drawing me into the story and then the last 1/10 wrapping it all up. I felt shortchanged with the ending, wishing that Susan Hill had spend a bit more time and pages in wrapping up the story. It was like eating a really good tootsie pop and then finding out there was no tootsie roll in the middle.



3. This book is short, so I read it in a day. It was perfect for a fall day, just enough spookiness to make it feel like Halloween. I really enjoyed it. I love the old-fashioned ghost stories, so this was absolutely wonderful!



4. This is more of a novella than a novel. It has wonderfully whimsical illustrations which add to the sense of the book as a reproduction of an older tale & maybe that's the problem.
   
   I really love a good ghost story, but this just didn't do it for me. I found the writing to be mannered to the point of distraction & the story to be a cliched set piece with nothing new to add to the genre.
   
   I wanted to be scared by this book, but the ghostly happenings are just so predictable - the woman in black with the wasted face that pops up all over, the deserted house in the marsh that no one will visit, the ghostly sounds of pony trap & chair, the callow narrator's journey from youth to experience, etc., etc., etc.
   
   I really like this author, but this isn't one of her better outings. I'd like her to write as herself & not in imitation of others.



5. Absolutely chilling! By far the most frightening ghost story I've ever read. This extremely short novel is a period piece by modern English writer Susan Hill and a crucial part of any ghost-story fanatic's collection.

5 comments about Artemis Fowl (Artemis Fowl, Book 1).

1. Book: Artemis Fowl
   Author: Eoin Colfer
   Publisher: Hyperion
   Genre: Fantasy
   
   Summary:
   The book Artemis Fowl by Eoin Colfer, has a 12 year old lead character who in the story kidnaps a fairy and when the fairy's superiors find out that he did they attempt to get her back. This is a story on how a boy named Artemis Fowl kidnaps a fairy. The fairy's name is Captain Holly Short and when she was replenishing her magic she was kidnaped. When the LEP (her superiors) find out he did they attempt to get her back! So the LEP try every idea they can think of. So things in this get a little... hectic. I highly recommend this book.
   
   Artemis Fowl is Dynamic, Antagonist, and a primary character with his emotions drained boy and only feels greed and that's it till the end of the book. Im not shier but i think he wears glasses, he is pale, and dose sometimes were a hosts jacket. He is 12 years old and is shorter then most kids his age. He avoids other kids his age. He is smarter then kids his age. Why this character is important to the story is because he makes a scheme to steel fairy gold by kidnaping Captain, Holly Short.
   
   Butler is a Dynamic, Neutral, Primary character who is rather emotional but dose not feel greed. But dose feel anger, happiness, and agreement, and ETC. He is strong and helps his sister out with things. He is a bodyguard and is like a father to Artemis Foul. He can even fit into a suit of armor. He is important to the story because he is one of Artemis's best friends and is like a father to Artemis.
   
   Captain, Holly Short is a Static, Protagonist, and a Primary character who is usually angry and sometimes lies to people and is a real nice person. She is obviously a captain. She is medium sized and has blond hair and a black suit. She always forgets to do the reticule. She can be clumsy and mean. She is important to the story because she is kidnaped by Artemis Fowl for a ransom.
   
   In this sad action packed story there is greed, kidnaps, happiness, and more. Artemis Foul is a great- epic fantasy book where a kid who is 12 years old fights an epic battle. He will make mistakes and will be almost almost killed like butler was. He will start by seeing a fairy that abandoned its religion. Then he will camp a spot that is good for a fairy to do... well you will have to read for yourself. He wants money so he kidnaps a fairy for a ransom. And when he gets the ransom... you will find out when you read it.



2. Artemis Fowl 1 is one of the best books I've ever read. Probably in my top 10. The characters were very different from each other, each with his own personality. This book had an okay plot: Artemis was desperate to get his family's wealth back by stealing the gold from fairies. I enjoyed it. This book engrossed me entirely. I thirst to read the next books and so might you.



3. I quite enjoyed this one. Normally I am not a big fan of constant point-of-view switches, but these are done smoothly and sensibly; not disjointing at all. The characters are great fun to follow along, and the story had me wanting to jump right back in to see what happened next.
   
   Read the full review here: [...]
   
   James D. Maxon
   
   Author of, The Cat That Made Nothing Something Again
   
   Manga and speculative fiction reviewer:
   [...]



4. Artemis Fowl is a great book for kids.
   
   This book is about a 12 year old boy named Artemis who is a genius and has a head for schemes. Artemis along with his body guard Butler go on adventures in an attempt to get his families fortune back. In order to accomplish this task his current scheme is to see if he can steal fairy gold without dying.
   
   The Fairy world is made up of a lot of different creatures who are policed by a group called the LEPrecons. Holly Short a member of the fairy LEPrecon Unit gets herself kidnapped by Artemis. The LEPrecon force works to save Holly, stop Artemis, and protect there most favorite thing...Gold.
   
   This the first of many adventures that Artemis, Butler, and Holly have together. I would recommend this book to anyone who would be willing to go on an adventuress adventure.



5. Do you ever wonder if there is another world around you, like fairies? Well, that's exactly what Artemis Fowl thought. Artemis, a twelve year old boy living in Ho Chi Minh City, is out to get one ton of twenty-four carat gold. This book is about the adventure he took. On his way, Artemis takes a book that contains all the secrets to the fairy world and tries to use it against them. He kidnaps a fairy named Holly, and holds her captive. To get her back, the LEPrecon Unit has to hand over the fairy gold he wants. The story continues to be a fight. The dangerous but sneaky fairy and the LEPrecon Unit fight back. They deal with trolls, magical books, five elfin warlocks, and above all a criminal master mind. This story will leave you wanting more.
   TKN