Horror Books

Great volume. You get to see whether Karin and Kenta will move forward to gether or separate. And Tachibana has a HUGE secret revealed.

Story:
Barton Dawes was a normal man working in his laundry mat. He had a loving wife and a life he was happy with. Until the day came that he found that his house and his business was going to be demolished in the name of progress. His home was to become the site of a new interstate. On that day Bart snapped. This is the story of how Bart falls and what he finds out about himself, his life, and his world on the way down...
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To start off this book is *dark* it almost reminded me of another book called "The edge of human" by K.W.Jeeter. When you glance up from reading the sun doesn't seem quite as bright as it was before you started. This does as some of the other reviews on this page seem to be more of a main stream book than other King books,no supernatural forces or evil beings just one man self destructing. In between bouts of multiple personality arguements, dark depression and drug/alchol binges dawes finds his self looking at his life clearly for the first time. Most of the book deals with his discovery that he never dealt with the death of his son, he just went on auto-piolt for x amount of years and its not really the road work that set him on his path its that he was desperatly/painfully angry that his son was taken away from him and with the coming of the road he could no longer coast along in his own little world. Even as Dawes takes the final steps the man that he was still emerges here and there as with Olivia and the Arms dealer, a little light in the overwhelming darkness. I would recommend this book to anyone who likes thier horror set in the real world, with nary a boogeyman insight and also of course anyone who likes Steven King no matter what name he is writing under. m.a.c

Solid psyche novel on the tortured character of Barton George Dawes as his world crumbles all around him. Enjoy!

Barton George Dawes has sunk deep roots. He's worked at the same commercial laundry plant for 20 years, and lived in the same house for nearly as long. But the city has plans to extend a highway that will force the destruction of both places. Dawes has apparently been losing his grip on sanity for the past three years when his young son died of brain cancer. George buys a high-powered rifle as well as a .44 magnum handgun. He manipulates things at work so that the company ends up with nowhere to relocate to when the plant is demolished and gets fired. He starts thinking about buying explosives to destroy the highway and the equipment used to build it. I'm not going to give away any more of the plot, but when a story begins with a man purchasing guns while having two separate voices holding an argument in his head, you might guess that it doesn't end with him sipping Mai Tais on the patio of a beachfront condo in Florida.

Roadwork may be narrated in the third person, but the perspective is solely from Dawes. Readers must endure his rambling rants about virtually every aspect of life and soliloquies covering all manner of topics. If Dawes were eloquent or funny, this might be entertaining. But he's a confused, lonely, hurt man who doesn't understand why he is doing what he's doing and offers no real insight on anything. The only thing you learn from Dawes is that he's angry, and it didn't take 300 pages for that point to hit home. It's surprising that Stephen King, the master of creating compelling characters has managed to write a novel built around a single character that is neither likeable nor interesting.

Alienation from modern society is felt by many of us to varying degrees, and a book showing these feelings taken to the extreme has the potential to entertain and enlighten. Unfortunately, Roadwork has missed the mark badly on both counts. My suspicion is that this might have made a great novella of 100 pages or so but there are too many scenes of Dawes yelling at people and then saying "I don't know" when they ask him what's wrong or what he wants to do. There's no sense of tension building as his march to the inevitable occurs, just one more day of confusion and despair in what feels like an endless series of them.

Roadwork has a few strong moments such as the last ten pages. But this is not a book that could remotely be described as a page-turner or compelling. King wrote some great novels at this point in his career, but he missed the mark with this one. I wouldn't recommend it to most readers. King fans will do better to look at almost any of his other books before trying this one. Perhaps people who loved the movie Falling Down will find something worthwhile here, since it has similar themes and might entertain similar audiences.

It's hard for me to give any King book less than 4 stars, but this just wasn't my kind of novel. I think he was trying to show us the inner battle inside this troubled character, but it just wasn't something I could get into. I just couldn't wait to hurry up and finish it. It's not poor writing (again, LOVE STEPHEN KING) but I would recommend dozens of his other books before I would recommend this one.
If you're looking for a phenomenal Stephen King novel, I would strongly recommend "IT."

Written under his alter-ego of Richard Bachman, ROADWORK was King's first attempt at writing a typical mainstream novel (without the supernatural). The book takes place in the early -1970s and chronicles the last days of Barton George Dawes. Dawes is an Average Joe. He started working at a local laundry company right out of high school and has been there for over twenty years. He has a beautiful wife and a nice home in the town he grew up in. He has a lot of friends who care for him--people he grew up with, went to school with, have worked with, and went to church with. They're a close-knit community.

On the surface everything seems fine. But under the surface, there's a storm brewing. It started three years earlier when Barton's only son, Charlie, died because of a brain tumor. That shook up Dawes bad. A couple years later even more bad news came: a new highway extension is coming through town right where Dawes has lived his life. His house is set to be demolished as is the laundry business where he works. His home; everything he has spent his entire life working for and building is scheduled to come crashing down by a wrecking ball. Barton George Dawes has set on the sidelines long enough and isn't going to take it. Some people think he's gone crazy and maybe he has. Whatever the case, Dawes doesn't intend to give up his home without a fight and without trying to get even.

King has said that ROADWORK was a novel that he wrote as a way to deal with the death of his mother who died just as King was beginning to receive financial success as a writer. The story is a bit crude (in writing, not language) and begins rather slow (except for the introduction). Nevertheless, the book has a lot of emotional appeal and does a decent job of illustrating some of the pressures faced and forced upon an adult living in our post-modern consumer society. Also, the catalyst for Dawes last stand is the destruction of his home because of eminent domain. Eminent domain was an issue that was big in the 1970s, but faded away for awhile. However, eminent domain is becoming a huge issue again as communities, supported by a Supreme Court decision in 2005, attempt to rip people's homes and small businesses away to make way for parking lots, super-sized businesses and corporations, and aesthetic purposes.

Overall, even though ROADWORK is a much different work than fans of King might be used to reading, it is a very personal and emotional, yet relatable novel that is well worth reading.

Here this book goes deep in the realm of psychology and Science fiction. Very short. But not for the short attention span. You mustn't get lost in the extremely intense personification and imagery for this will make the book monotonous.

I am a new but HUGE fan or R.L. Stevenson but this is not his best work of his stories I would suggest getting a complete tales of R.L. Stevenson collection because this would include his best work in my opinion the suicide club and rajah's diamond.

Enjoy but I suggest getting a different print of this story one that includes his greatest short stories.

Dr.Jekyll and Mr.Hyde was a very good book filled of suspence. For example when the laywer goes to talk to Dr.Jekyll the Doctor gives him an a letter he got from Mr.Hyde but was not thinking and burned the envolope but did say there was no return adress. After the lawyer left the room and asked the door man if there has been any letters droped off and he said no. Then he asked if anyone personly droped off a letter and the door man said no.

This is one of the hardest and boring books in life! It deals with strict men of Science, for instance, Dr. Hastie Lanyon. This book, like the Invisible Man, is a novel that has WAY too many details and should be strictly enforced not to be read. Who wants to read a book about science-fiction and not to mention the cuss words on every page? Who likes minor details around every corner. But, I must admit, there are fabulous descriptions of the characters and them themselves are quite interesting! But, this book is not good.

The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde
By: Robert Louis Stevenson
Reviewed by: E. ...
Period:6

This book is about a man that has somehow brought out an evil side of him. He is a scientist and he makes a concoction that has brought out the evil part. At first the man is able to be somewhat aware of what the other person does, but it gets worse and he looses control. He has few conscious moments and often wakes up not knowing what has happened. His friend learns about the evil side, but has no idea that both of the men are the same. As the friend learns more, he becomes closer and closer to the horrible truth. Then the evil side kills a man and he hides by becoming the good man and hiding in his house. The friend thinks the evil man has killed the good one, but he soon finds out something is very strange about the whole situation. Then the friend receives a letter from the man and he gets the supplies asked in the letter. A man meets the friend and makes a concoction. Then he drinks it and all of a sudden the man turns into his friend that seems to have been revived from the evil side. The whole story is a mystery as the friend finds more clues.

The thing I liked was how the story was set up and how the whole thing was a mystery so that it kept you interested in finding out the answer. It got confusing at times and I had to re-read parts to find out the clues and truly understand it. "pale and shaken, and half fainting, and groping before him with his hands, like a man restored from death-there stood Henry Jekyll! " The good man had only a little power left and he needed the concoction to make himself regular again. The person that his friend saw was a mixture of evil and good with the good barely holding out. After that, the friend was told everything and he listened in shock. This part didn't come until near the end so that it was a twist in the story that is unexpected.

The book may have been good for its story line, but parts of the story got to be repetitive and it got to the point where it was boring and it was hard to keep going. The end really disappointed me, because the story was pretty decent and then the end came and it was bad. The end was supposed to be a letter written from the last words of the good man that was losing his power to stay in control. The letter was at least twenty pages and was filled with confusing sentences and the same information being repeated over and over. It got tiring and boring very quickly, so that I struggled to keep reading. I finally made it through and the end of the letter said that the good man was saying he was going to end his miserable life. "Here, then, as I lay down the pen, and proceed to seal up my confession, I bring the life of that unhappy Henry Jekyll to an end. That ending would have been good if it wasn't after the most boring part in the book.

My favorite part of the book was when the friend and the butler of the good man break into the study to get the materials wanted by the man. It was my favorite part because lots of clues start to come out and it's the point right before finding out the truth of the evil and good man. My least favorite part is the end when the same information is repeated and the words are so confusing that it is very boring. Overall the book has a good way of keeping the reader suspenseful, but it also does the opposite with the repeated parts and the story may seem a little over stretched.

Since I am a contributor to this volume, I will not offer a "review" in a conventional sense, but I will offer a list of contents, which this website otherwise does not offer. As there are a number of competing paperback editions of Stevenson's novella and the text of the story is essentially the same (allowing for minor editorial variants), readers should consider the issue of what else besides the main text they will be getting for their money, and this edition is unusually rich in supplementary features, so that the original story makes up only 55 of its 222 pages.

In addition to the text of Stevenson's "The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde," with explanatory notes by the editor, this volume also contains:

A preface by the editor, a "textual appendix" about textual variants in the manuscripts, a map of 19th century London marking places mentioned in the story, a timeline of the major events in the life of author Robert Louis Stevenson, and a bibliography. Plus...

An excerpt from a biography about Stevenson by Graham Balfour about the circumstances of the story's authorship...

A brief excerpt from Stevenson's "A Chapter on Dreams," which discusses the influence of his dreams on the story...

12 letters by Stevenson that discuss aspects of the "Dr. Jekyll" story...

10 contemporary reviews and comments about "Dr. Jekyll" that show how the story was originally received...

Another horror-oriented short story by Stevenson entitled "Markheim"...

A brief non-fiction piece by Stevenson, "How I Came to be such a student of our Penny Press," together with some examples of 19th century book advertising...

Three essays about the literary context of "Dr. Jekyll": Karl Miller, "The Modern Double": Jenni Calder, "Stevenson's Scottish Devil Tales"; and Judith Halberstam, "An Introduction to Gothic Monstrosity"...

Four essays about the scientific context of Stevenson's story: Stephen Jay Gould, "Post-Darwinist Theories of the Ape Within"; Frederic W. H. Myers, "Multiple Personality"; Norman Kerr, "Abject Slaves to the Narcotic"; John Addington Symonds, "This Aberrant Inclination in Myself"...

Two essays about the socio-historical context of Stevenson's story: Judith R. Walkowitz, "London in the 1880s"; and Walter Houghton, "Hypocrisy"...

Three essays and a filmography about theatrical and film adaptations of "Dr. Jekyll": C. Alex Pinkston, Jr., "The Stage Premiere of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde"; Charles King, "Themes and Variations" (about film); Scott Allen Nollen, "Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde (Paramount, 1931)"; and Katherine Linehan, "A Checklist of Major Performance Adaptations"...

And five additional critical essays: G. K. Chesterton, "The Real Stab of the Story"; Vladimir Nabokov, "The Phenomenon of Style"; Peter K. Garrett, "Instabilities of Meaning, Morality, and Narration"; Patrick Brantlinger, "An Unconscious Allegory about the Masses and Mass Literacy"; and Katherine Linehan, "Sex, Secrecy and Self-Alienation in Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde".

For sheer range of commentary, I do not think that you could point to a comparable volume.

Neverwhere is a fantastic story and won't disappoint most Gaiman fans. Although Neverwhere is full of 'twists,' I wouldn't recommend this book to someone who enjoys stories solely for their surprise endings. The 'twists' in Neverwhere are somewhat predictable--to the point that I find myself wondering whether Gaiman meant for Neverwhere to be surprising in the first place, or, if so, whether surprising readers was at the top of his agenda. I've concluded that it probably wasn't: there's so much more going on in this book.

The way Neverwhere is written is interesting. It's almost like a history textbook that fictionalizes London's past and present and is authored by Neverwhere's characters (charismatic murderers, to name some), all of whom refer to themselves in the objective third-person. Similar to the way most history textbooks about most places are written, really. Except, way more entertaining.

And I loved Richard's ordeal. SPOILER: Richard's ordeal *wasn't* predictable, for me. When Richard walked through those doors, I expected some horrible Inferi to jump out and tear him to shreads and confirm that Rowling jacked her ideas from this book completely. But, no. I was wrong. Richard ends up experiencing a reality in which he's a crazed homeless man on the verge of suiciding. This is one of the most poignant, suspenseful moments in Neverwhere, and it seems to have something to say about the plight of the homeless and the calousness, disdain, and apathy with which they're received by those who are more fortunate.

I also appreciate that Neverwhere isn't about Richard hooking up with this girl or that, yet it is about love and compassion for others.

A good book. Definitely worth reading.

My favorite passage:

"...[Door] began to cry, in low, raging sobs, that sounded like they were being tugged from inside her.

"'There. There,' said the marquis de Carabas, awkwardly, patting her shoulder. And he added, for good measure, 'There.'"

Gaiman has an amazing talent for weaving a beautiful story with the most amazing and alluring descriptions. His words leave vivid impressions in your mind in the most unusual and melodic way.

Incredible ride indeed. Neil Gaiman did it again. Just heard that they want to make a movie about Neverwhere. I saw the BBC adaptation and it was somehow dissapointing. Then again, this review is about the book and make no mistake it will take you London Below in a blink of an eye. At some point you could almost feel claustrophobic while your mind follows Richard, Door and the Marquis thru the endless passages. Great book indeed.

The short of it: creative but,
1. storyline is lame
2. characters are cardboard cut-outs without a hint of personality.

eeek. I loved Stardust. It was such a witty and pleasant fairy-tale. I heard wonderful things about Sandman. I expected an interesting story. In all honestly- it was boring. There was no real point to the story. There is creativity and great ideas, but there is no substance. It is almost like the book is a dumping ground for wonderful ideas, but the chord that ties them together is painfully weak.
The plot, or the reason behind the situation turns out to be so simple, that from the moment the character in question (the one causing the problems) comes in, I figured it out. I told myself: "no, that can't be it, that is too simple. Don't worry, it will pick up. Keep reading".
The ending is painfully anti-climatic. The characters hired to be bad, are bad, and then are hired not to be bad and then are hired to be bad again- it was silly. SMALL SPOLER WARNING: in the beginning he wants her dead, but at the same time he needed her- then why was he ordering her death??? That was never cleared up. Also, Richard's ordeal? That was it?LAME!!

The place is dirty and ugly and yes, like an Alice in Wonderland adventure... but without emotion and with characters who utterly lack personality and who are painfully boring. I just never cared for ANY of them, blaaah :P.

A review by Hank Wagner, co-author (with Christopher Golden and Stephen R. Bissette) of the upcoming Prince of Stories: The Many Worlds of Neil Gaiman, due out from St. Martins in October 2008:

Richard Mayhew has resided in London for three years, and, on the whole, has found it an enjoyable place to live. After all, he has good friends, a decent job, and Jessica, his lovely fiancée. One evening, on his way to a formal dinner he is not especially eager to attend, a young woman collapses on the sidewalk in front of the couple. Apparently homeless, the woman is bleeding from deep cuts on her arm and shoulder. Ignoring Jessica's pointed suggestions, he refrains from calling the police. Instead, he carries the woman to his apartment, leaving his irate fiancée to attend the dinner without him.

The young woman, who goes by the unlikely name of Door, is the sole survivor of a brutal attack on her family, perpetrated by Mr. Croup and Mr. Vandemar, two wicked creatures who take pleasure in inflicting pain and death. Richard helps Door locate a friend, the Marquis de Carabas, who takes her from the apartment before Croup and Vandemar can find her there. Richard is puzzled by these events, but, as the hours pass, they seem less and less real, more like a fantasy he concocted to create excitement in his life.

He returns to work the next day to find that no one notices or acknowledges him. Richard becomes a non-entity, invisible to all but the closest scrutiny--no one, not even his fiancée or best friend, recognizes him. His erasure is so complete he ends up unemployed and homeless. Tracing this dilemma to his encounter with Door, Richard seeks her out,
eventually discovering the world that exists under the streets of London, a world inhabited by such colorful personages as the Lord Rat-speaker, a female assassin called Hunter, and a fallen angel named Islington. Richard assists Door in her search for the man who ordered
her family killed, and eventually discovers the terrible secrets behind their deaths, secrets that threaten the very existence of London Below.

Brash, charming, funny, and edgy, Neverwhere is Gaiman's novelization of the television series that he wrote for the BBC in the early nineties, his chance, as he has stated, to do things on the page that he wasn't allowed to do on the small screen, expanding on his intriguing concept of a world that exists beneath our own. Featuring covert social commentary, unforgettable characters, a unique setting, sudden violence, heroism and
villainy, Neverwhere in its final literary form (the US version is significantly different than and far superior to its English predecessor, featuring almost 10,000 words not in its previous incarnation) is yet another of Gaiman's modern classics, far surpassing the television series that provided its origin, and spawning a comic book adaptation and discussion of a future feature film version.

It could be better? I don't know, but Stephen King could keep the story much longer if he wanted to and make all of his fans much more happy doing what they do best, read Stephen King's books! Overall and as expected, the TV Series with the same name is very different from the printed version and alas, it was a delight to read page after page until its very end! Four stars just because it finished so fast I couldn't imagine I have read the full story.

The Dead Zone is Stehen King's fifth published novel, it's a shorter novel only about 400 pages (in this virson) but it's still a great novel.

"The Dead Zone" Tells the story of a man named John Smith (no last name, But who needs one right) When he was younger John got and injury while skateing, it was a small one that not even his parents remember but for that one moment that he blacked out he was plunged into the dead zone, he reall didint know it then but he would come to relize it later.

Later someting happens to Johnny an acident that again plunges him into The Dead Zone.

And This if from the summary in the inside of the book. "John Smith, who awakened from a seemingly interminalbe coma with and accursed power: The Power to see the future and the terrible fate awaiting mankind in The Dead Zone."

during the novel Johnny has to go through quite a few things, things he might regret you can never really tell in the The Dead Zone

Overall Stephen King has given us a great novel here one that can be enjoyed any time 5/5

Having read a number of Stephen King's books, "The Dead Zone" has to rank as one of the finest. A tale of clairvoyance, it keeps its readers 'on the edge of their seats'. In typical Stephen King fashion, he heralds the appearance of the supernatural whilst reinforcing the readers' credulity through habitual exploitation of commonplace settings, cliches and associations with everyday norms. Both the protagonist's and antagonist's idiosyncrasies were consistently amplified throughout to great effects lending credibility to the numerous furor and conflicts as the story unfolds. The loose ends were neatly tied together in the finale which doesn't disappoint.

This is one of the only books I have read over the years, that I can remember different scenes from it. It is not only sad, but the main character's frustrations come out so vividly. How he is able to cope through all the adversity, is what makes it a great read. I have reread The Dead Zone, at least, 6 times since it's release in 1980. Probably will again.

I loved the television series so I thought I would check out the novel... BIG MISTAKE. Out of 402 pages, 40 of them grabbed me... the very last fourty pages, mainly for the anticipation that I was almost done with this piece of garbage.

There was virtually no plot involved, and what little plot was there was literally squeezed into the end. Sure there were small portions where Johnny would have an odd "flash" into something, like the serial killer, or the restauraunt that burnt down... but none of these things were essential to the storyline.

It took all of my being to push myself into finishing it only because the show was cancelled without a proper conclusion, so I had to see how the original book ended for some form of closure to the series... which is amazing.

I found myself constantly wondering when the point of the story would come but it just dragged along borishly. Reading this makes me think that anyone could write anything, whether it be good or horrorishly bad, and Signet would publish it. I feel as if the time I spent reading this would have been better spent banging my head repeatedly into a brick wall.

This book has been readed as a homework from my teenagers school.She like the story and recomend the book for other classes with english litterature as a second language in school.

Surprisingly "Denn die Toten reiten schnell" or "For the dead travel fast" is more than an opening line to this tale of love in the dangerous moon light. After watching several Drac movies and a few Nosferatu's, I pretty much though I had a handle on the genera. Little did I know what a wonderful world of mystery and suspense that Bram Stoker opened up for me.

The story is told mostly third party though the papers, diaries, and phonograph recordings (on wax calendars) of those people involve in a tale so bizarre that it almost defies belief. The general story line is that of a Count that plans to move to a more urban setting (from Borgo Pass to London) where there is a richer diet. There he finds succulent women; something he can sing his teeth in. Unfortunately for him a gang of ruffians (including a real-estate agent, asylum director, Texas cowboy and an Old Dutch abnormal psychologist) is out to detour his nocturnal munching. They think they have Drac on the run but with a wing and a prayer he is always one step ahead.

Of more value to the reader is the rich prose chosen by Stoker as he describes the morals and technology of the time. We have to come to grips with or decide if we can perform the rituals that are required to eliminate vampires verses the impropriety of opening graves and staking loved ones. The powers in the book differ from the movie versions in that they are more of persuasion and capabilities to manipulate the local weather. At one point the Dutch Dr. Van Helsing, is so overwhelmed by a beautiful vampire laying in the grave that he almost for gets why he is there and may become vamp chow.

All in all the story is more in the cunning chase. And the question as to will they succeed or will Dracula triumph. Remember "For the dead travel fast."

Dracula

"Dracula" was not the first vampire novel, nor was it Bram Stoker's first book. But after years of research, Stoker managed to craft the ultimate vampire novel, which has spawned countless movies, spinoffs, and books that follow the blueprint of the Transylvanian count.

Real estate agent Jonathan Harker arrives in Transylvania, to arrange a London house sale to Count Dracula. But as the days go by, Harker witnesses increasingly horrific events, leading him to believe that Dracula is not actually human. His fiancee Mina arrives in Transylvania, and finds that he has been feverish. Meanwhile the count has vanished.

And soon afterwards, strange things happen: a ship piloted by a dead man crashes on the shore, after a mysterious thing killed the crew. A lunatic talks about "Him" coming. And Mina's pal Lucy dies of mysterious blood loss, only to come back as an undead seductress. Dracula has arrived in England -- and he's not going to be stopped easily.

"Dracula" is the grandaddy is Lestat and Jean-Claude, but that isn't the sole reason why it is a classic. It's also incredibly atmospheric, and very well-written. Not only is it very freaky, in an ornate Victorian style, but it is also full of restrained, quiet horror and creepy eroticism. What's more, it's shaped the portrayal of vampires in movies and books, even to this day.

Despite already knowing what's going on for the first half of the book, it's actually kind of creepy to see these people whose lives are being disrupted by Dracula, but don't know about vampires. It's a bit tempting to yell "It's a vampire, you idiots!" every now and then, but you can't really blame them. Then the second half kicks in, with accented professor Van Helsing taking our heroes on a quest to save Mina from Dracula.

And along the way, while our heroes try to figure stuff out, Stoker spins up all these creepy hints of Dracula's arrival. Though he wrote in the late 19th-century manner, very verbose and a bit stuffy, his skill shines through. The book is crammed with intense, evocative language, with moments like Dracula creeping down a wall, or the dead captain found tied to the wheel. Once read, they stick in your mind throughout the book.

It's also a credit to Stoker that he keeps his characters from seeming like idiots or freaks, which they could have easily seemed like. Instead, he puts little moments of humanity in them, like Van Helsing admitting that his wife is in an asylum. Even the letters and diaries are written in different styles; for example, Seward's is restrained and analytical, while Mina's is exuberant and bright.

Intelligent, frightening and very well-written, "Dracula" is the well-deserved godfather of all modern vampire books and movies -- and arguably among the best.

I first read this book in school, but didn't finish it. The next school year I read the novel in it's entirty, and was amazed at Stoker's talent for creating a story so gripping and emotional that years after it's first publication, it's still remembered as one of the greatest stories in the histiory of mankind.

But any book can have a strange moment, and this book contains one of those. I found it disgusting when Dracula burst that vein on his chest and forced Mina to drink the spurting blood. MAN, THAT'S REPULSING!!!!!!!!

I would suggest this novel for anyone looking for a tale that will be remembered for eternity.

PARTY ON, DUDES!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Britney Crosby is not very happy, and that is an understatement. Her pain-in-the-neck cousin Ethan has moved into her house. That's bad enough, but Britney's mother gave Ethan her room, so now she's sleeping in the sewing room! At least Britney has her BFF, Molly Molloy, to sympathize with her. Ethan is a complete brat, but Britney's parents insist she be especially nice to him because he's had such a hard life.

This is nearly impossible, especially when Britney sees Ethan's best buddy --- a creepy smiling ventriloquist's dummy that Ethan calls Mr. Badboy. Bam! Mr. Badboy whacks Britney on the forehead the moment she meets him. Ethan, of course, denies any responsibility, insisting that the dummy hit Britney all on his own. Meanwhile, Mr. Badboy screeches, "I'm a BAAAAAD boy!"

Britney's mom makes her take Ethan (still toting Mr. Badboy) to Molly's house. Molly's dad is a folklore professor who travels everywhere, bringing home bizarre artifacts like horrible-looking dolls, old toys and skulls. When Professor Molloy sees Mr. Badboy, he's intrigued, saying that the dummy looks vaguely familiar to him. He takes the children up to his attic museum and shows off a doll with a shrunken head that he's recently acquired. The doll is called a Mind Stealer, and supposedly it can take your mind right out of your head. Even worse, Professor Molloy believes it's actually capable of doing the evil deed...but he feels it's safe under thick glass.

When Britney and Ethan get home, Ethan shows her his ventriloquist act. Surprisingly, he's excellent at throwing his voice to make Mr. Badboy talk. Or so Britney believes, until she sees the dummy moving all on its own. Britney is sure her cousin has rigged the dummy, even though Ethan appears to be trembling in fear. She continues to believe that Ethan is putting one over on her, until something happens that is completely unexplainable. How can a dummy move and say, "I don't like you, Britney!" when its ventriloquist is away from the room?

Britney is terrified, but (not surprisingly) her parents don't believe her when she tells them that Mr. Badboy is alive. That's terrible, but things go even further downhill for poor Britney as Mr. Badboy grows increasingly violent. And her life gets more complicated when Molly calls, begging Britney to come help bury the Mind Stealer doll.

Along with each complete horror story, each entry in R. L. Stine's Horrorland series --- a spin-off of his popular Goosebumps books --- features a serial tale in installments, which takes place in a creepy amusement park known as Horrorland. In this first book, Britney and Molly have received a puzzling invite to the Horrorland amusement park, which is complete with a werewolf petting zoo and a quicksand beach. The girls think this is the most amazing thing ever...at first. But it isn't long before they experience the true horror in Horrorland.

REVENGE OF THE LIVING DUMMY is a fun, fast-paced, spine-chilling thriller for kids who love to be scared. These readers will also enjoy the first episode of the serial story, which will leave them yearning for the next title in this 12-book series.

--- Reviewed by Terry Miller Shannon

This is a completely new and surprising return to Goosebumps. Because of the new twists in the storytelling--each book has two parts inside--you really don't know what will happen next! I hope CREEP FROM THE DEEP is just as silly/scary as this one. p.s. Don't forget to look in the back of the book!

After almost a decade R.L. Stine decided to please his fans and write more Goosebumps books. I have to say that this has been the best Goosebumps book I have ever read. I am a teacher and I read the Goosebumps series to my class. My class loved this book. They are big fans of Slappy so they basically forced me to get this book. There were laugh out loud parts and scary parts. This has been the funniest Goosebumps ever and then when you think the tale is over R.L. Stine throws a whole new story in. The family gets an invitation to go to Horrorland. From who? The reader doesn't know but my class has some ideas about what or who it might be. The family then goes to Horrorland where weird things begin to happen. The story ends and the reader still wants more just like the previous Goosebumps book. But the reader should feel satisfied because it seems like all of our questions are going to be answered within the 10 Goosebump Horrorland books. I don't want to spoil any parts for anybody but R.L. Stine throws in another doll into the story and its not a puppet. All I can say is that the doll was very interesting and brung a whole new type of scare to this story. There are also extras in the book like a map of Stagger Inn. Every book has its own map. There is also more extras that I won't spoil for you so just pick up the book.

Yes that's right, gentle readers, the master of fright is back nearly after a whole decade with a new book series called Goosebumps: Horrrland for kids. The first new book is called "Revenge of the Living Dummy" and the second book is called "Creep from the Deep." The writing style is still the same, but that's what makes R. L. Stine so interesting. He wrties on kids level so that it is easy to read and undertand and his stories are so original and entertaining that I can't wait until the next book releases. (Which will be in June!) So, again, I'm very surprised that Goosebumps has finally awakened again after all these years! If Goosebumps: Horroland stays around long enough, it might be even better than the Harry Potter series, (in my opinioin!) but you never know if FOX might make an attempt to ressurect the show for the new series, (hey, I can dream, can't I?) So 'readers beware, you're in for a scare'!

After almost a decade, R.L. Stine brings Goosebumps back! And what better way to inaugurate the new series than with new adventures of Slappy the Dummy, the series' most popular character? Sadly, R.L. Stine drops the ball with the series debut, creating a disappointing rehash of the previous Slappy books.

The first Night of the Living Dummy was a brilliant book which set the standard for future Goosebumps book - well-written, suspenseful and occasionally even frightening. Parts II and III were pretty good follow-ups, and Bride of the Living Dummy was almost as good as the original, and easily the best of the Series 2000 books. Slappy's Nightmare was a bit too tongue-in-cheek but did put an interesting spin on the plot thread.

But Revenge of the Living Dummy slavishly adheres to the Dummy formula. The dummy shows up, nasty things happen, kid is unfairly blamed, it turns out to be a prank, THEN the dummy REALLY comes to life, and so on. There are a few twists - the main character isn't the one blamed for the dummy's activity, and the finale - but nothing really worth mentioning. It's a really disappointing, formulaic, by-the-numbers Goosebumps book. We can only hope that the future installments will improve on it, especially as the recurring plot and characters are introduced.

This is a top notch historical novel, among the best. I usually have some nits about the writing, plotting, emphasis, pacing and/or accuracy. But I have nothing negative to say about this fascinating, often lyrical, work.

The narrative is a flashback from the only Greek survivor of the battle, Xeones, a refugee adopted (as a semi-slave) by the Spartans while still a boy. He relates the story of his time with the Spartans to Xerxes, the Persian King who defeated the 300 at Thermopylae and was intensely interested in what made the Spartans tick. You learn about Spartan culture, values, discipline, sense of honor, weapons and war strategy. Pressfield weaves all of that into absorbing character studies marked by sparkling dialogue and surprising twists. His descriptions of the battles (there are several besides Thermopylae) are vivid and frightening.

I prefer nonfiction, mostly Western history, biography and current events. A few years ago, I was captivated by Patrick O'Brian's Royal Navy novels from the Napoleonic Era. Since then have been searching, mostly unsuccessfully, for an author of historical fiction approaching O'Brian. Pressfield is the closest I have found to date. I immediately purchased two of his other Greek novels to see whether he can replicate Gates of Fire.

I found Steven Pressfield's Gates of Fire hard to place, yet just as hard to stop reading. It's a paradox because the prose swamps in telling and not showing, passive voice, and dry passages throughout work. Others mentioned this truth in the first half, and it bears repeating, but the lyrical voice and characters develop beyond simple characters.

You believe in them.

I'm rarely moved to tears with any character. Yet when a certain character dies near the end, I felt the sting in my eyes. It's that powerful. The ending more than makes up for the slow beginning, and the story linger long after you close the book. These saving graces force me to give Gates of Fire four stars.

Recommended.

Wolfe

I love this book, I've read it a dozen times or so and I enjoy it more every time I read it.

At first i thought it was going to be an average book but as i kept reading i found myself mesmerized. One of the best books i have ever read. I was captivated by the different characters and the relationships between them, not to mention the amazing war scenes!!! Grab a sandwich, a drink and a comfortable seat because you won't want to put this book down.

Any fan of ancient history will soak this exciting novel up.
Pressfield draws you in with intriguing well developed characters and a great blend of fiction woven into historical facts and events.
Heartily recommended!

This book was fabulous! I couldn't put it down! I finished it in 2 days (stupid work! I'd have finished it in 1 day if I didn't have to go!!). I've always seen books about immortals as vampire, gross, bloody books. This one is not that way at all. It's cleverly written, everthing has an underlying meaning. While you read, keep notes on facts...you will have "aha!" moments later!!

My Soul to Keep grabs you and moves with descriptive style as if you are one of the characters. There are several stories within the story that end up intertwined later. The Jazz musician, the slave , the Ethiopian, the professor, the perfect husband and the immortal all of these characters were David also known as Dawit.There are bumps and bruises along the way with murders to cover up his "immortality", David was loved and was "Mr. Perfect" where did it all go wrong? When he fell in love and wanted to give the gift of life to his wife and child? Or when his wife stumbled on the mysterious death of his daughter Rosalie?

There were hints from "Grandpa" who's always eating a Whopper. When looking back on it I think the author used Grandpa to soften the anticipated, almost expected, blow of Kira's death. This was definitely painful to witness. I was frustrated with the speed of the unfolding. I wanted more time with Kira and to offer advice to the characters on how they could save her. Almost yelling at the book! I lost track of time reading the final chapters and couldn't put it down until I was finished.

The story leaves you hanging with several lose ends. What is Jessica doing sharing the living blood with terminal children in Africa? Was she in mourning over Kira and wanted to help as many kids as she could? Why was she so short with David when he came to visit? Will she go after him soon? I think she will. The new child seems even more powerful and superior then his immortal parents. Knowing that there is a sequel is comforting. B/c there are several more stories to be told.....

Overall it's a very good book. I would put it in the top 10 for sure. I can't wait to start the sequel.

Due is an amazing author and I can't wait to see the film adaptation of this book.

Filled with deep spiritual questions, these Tananrive Due horror novels (The Between, My Soul to Keep, and Living Blood) make my blood run cold and give me real goose bumps. It takes alot to make that happen.

I am an avid African American fiction & non-fiction reader. However, I never could get into sci-fi-type novels. My Soul to Keep changed my mind forever. I was hooked before the end of the first chapter, and read it in one night. I wanted more...and got it later. During that first read, I experienced so many different emotions: happiness, fear, anxiety, etc. That's a rare thing for me.

I think the problem with the other books that others would compare M S to K to was that the basis of the stories were unbelievable to me. Tananarive Due did an excellent job of making the story believable (at least to me) and taking me on a journey that had me addicted. I cannot wait for the third installment to come out in June!