Science Fiction Fantasy Books

A mix of William S. Burroughs depravity and the classic nineteen thirties detective noir. Compelling, thought provoking, and thoroughly entertaining.

First off, if you're a music fan, this P.S. version includes a list of twelve songs Ellis calls the "soundtrack that inspired the book." All these songs are easy enough to find at the Zune Marketplace, on Amazon MP3, and for free on MySpace.

"Slippi" - Animal Collective
"Murray Ostril: They Don't Sleep Anymore on the Beach" - Godspeed You Black Emperor!
"Ladyflash" - The Go! Team
"The New Sound" - The Capricorns
"O.K." - Talvin Singh
"Dirge" - Death In Vegas
"Nightly Cares" - Mum
"Marconi's Radio (Again)" - Secret Machines
"Section 8 (Soldier Girl)" - The Polyphonic Spree
"Odin's Gift to His Mother" - Brain Donor (Julian Cope)
"Dear Sons and Daughters of Hungry Ghosts" - Wolf Parade
"Zouave's Blue" - Xinlisupreme

It's pretty good stuff. Now...

* * *

"Crooked Little Vein" is a darkly satirical, wildly explicit, barely serious crime novel that I found to be ridiculously humorous in places - and I am no big fan of humorous novels or those that purport to be. The plot is straightforward enough, and there is an attempt, all too obvious in places, to summarize the politics and issues of contemporary America, but, really, the novel works best as a genre-influenced joyride that is as much like a work by Hunter Thompson as it is one by George Orwell. Warren Ellis himself is not entirely unlike Andrew Vachss given the political wit of Mark Twain and a bit of the technolust of William Gibson. This isn't a novel you read seriously, or approach too deeply, but it is great entertainment while it lasts.

In Crooked Little Vein the classic, burned-out, hardened detective of Hollywood and mystery novel lore is given a mission to find a long lost secret text which, as the reader quickly realizes, is to be found somewhere within the new sexual mainstream. Or do these encounters "represent" the mainstream? That question is in the background much of the time; while in the foreground we travel the country in search of a text allegedly capable of removing perceived deviancy from our pristine shores. Significantly, in an interview at the end of the novel, Ellis assures us that the deviant world he has uncovered is "out there" on the world wide web, and thus not underground. This sexual odyssey is prompted by the President's heroin addicted chief of staff, himself quite the outlier, who appears intent, perhaps not so much on eliminating indecency, as in keeping it deliciously private, that is, on restoring shame to its proper place in the human psyche. Don't expect to find this book on the required reading list of your local school district. If you can accept the notion that sex might be fun and games after all, you will thoroughly enjoy Ellis' surreal and wonderfully satiric tour of a crooked little vein he travels.

Ellis is triumphal in his contribution to the "Transmetropolitan" series - and this book will obviously sell to that audience - me included. I was massively disappointed by this effort, and it is all effort. It's an effort to read it, and what shows is that it was an effort for Ellis to write it; he knows the routine from the comics, but it just doesn't suit his imagination to try to flesh the style out into a short story/novel. The premise is better handled by authors of more depth. I'm going to sell my copy and try to recoup some of the investment; I won't even lend this one out, it simply isn't good enough. I suggest novels call for more skill than comic text, and this is the proof. Viva Spider Jerusalem !

...when it was called Transmetropolitan.

Ellis is plowing the same field again. The Faithful rejoice, everyone else can sort of shrug and move on. You have seen this before.

Yes, it's all high madness with political commentary and big helpings of extra-kinky weirdness thrown in. But it's all very _very_ familar if you've read Ellis' previous stuff. (I actually stopped once to compare a passage with something in one of my Transmetropolitan trades. The sense of "I know I've read this before" was, at times, very strong indeed.)

This book will get a zillion rave reviews and will sell very well. Ellis has a large fan base with a devotion level akin to hard-core Trekkies or the KISS Army who will eat up whatever he flings at them. And ask for seconds and thirds.

The rest of us can just wait until Ellis decides to do something new and interesting again. And hope it doesn't take much longer.

I just finished the book last night and was very pleased with it. It's about certain kids that are gifted in having nightmares! Yes, that's right... nightmares! There imagination is so great that they can actually create a portal and bring the nightmares here to earth! Charlie is one of these kids. He's been an outcast since he can remember because all the kids think he's a freak. His parents have been overly protective of him because of this and don't want him to leave the house. Then pops in the Nightmare Academy. A place where Charlie just might fit in. At the academy, Charlie's gift (and the other children's gift) is used to help protect Earth from all of the creatures of the Netherworld. Is this a place where Charlie can fit in? Will he be able to use his powers to help? How much trouble can he get into? You'll have to read it to find out.
I found this book a very easy read. It kept it's pace and was never boring. I highly recommend this book and can't wait for the next one to come out!

Nightmare Acadmy is a very fun read out loud book. My sons, ages 8 and 9 were very entertained with the over the top antics of some of the characters; they were quite taken by the orginality of the book. The very menacing figure of Barrakas and the tense confrontation scenes added some real spice to the narrative. They both were asking about the sequel as soon as we were done, as high a recommendation as they can give, and they would stay up after lights were out making up their own Nether creatures. I would caution for children much younger than the recommended ages as the scene where the hags steal memories is very creepy.

My problem is the language. This book is recommended for 9-12 year olds. There is frequent use of saltier language than I like for this age range. Hell and God are used as epithets, which would make me testy enough, but Mr. Lorey also used the word p***. Was it really necessary in a children's book? Does everyone have to push the envelope of the lowest common denominator? Some one should take the high road, for pity's sake! Parents do a read ahead. I was able to edit most of it as I read but I may never have known if I didn't read it aloud.

Nightmare Academy, Book One: Into the Nether by Dean Lorey is a good read. The flowing style kept me reading for many hours trying to find out what happens next in the story. It has a very interesting and creative story imaginable. Mr. Lorey created a frightening world where you can find many unique and hideous creatures. This book is for young adults but I as an adult found it to be enjoyable to read. If you like Harry Potter, then you would probably like this book too. Read it and find out how good it is. I recommend this book to everyone. Cant wait for book 2 to come out.

I got this book for my sons ages 9 and 12 as they had just finished "Skullduggery Pleasant" and couldn't find anything else they really liked. One after the other (oldest first)they sat down and finished "Nightmare Academy" in one sitting. Video games were left to the side as they were too interested to see what happened at the end of the book. What more could you want?

A very absorbing tale and the start of a thrilling new series. Great characters and even cooler creatures. Plus a page-turning plot that I found tremendously satisfying. It really transported me to an exciting place -- which is what all good fiction is supposed to do. Can't wait for the NEXT book in the series. Lorey is a YA author to watch!

I love warhammer 40k. If you do read the books...Armored Space marines with chainsaw swords and machine guns killing aliens. Whats not to love?

The Spiderwick Chronicles continue one afternoon just after school when Simon Grace, while looking for his missing cat at the edge of the yard of the dilapidated estate is dragged into the woods by unseen captors. Jared and Mallory race off in pursuit with a new talisman that allows them to see the fairy creatures they've learned about in the field guide. You'll meet more mythical creatures like trolls, goblins, and hobgoblins (there is a difference) and enjoy more of this clever little tale and Tony DiTerlizzi's wonderful pen and ink drawings. I just wish I'd bought the whole boxed set! I have to wait until pay day to order the next volume; or maybe I should just order them all!

The Seeing Stone, like its predecessor, is a very short book. It took me roughly 20 minutes to start and finish this book. For younger readers, this is pretty ideal since many children are intimidated by longer books. Unfortunately, I thought the drawings of a cat roasting over a fire, along with mention of eating cats, kittens, and various other small creatures, to be more than a little disturbing. My family loves cats, and even though there's nothing very graphic in this book, both of my children (10 and 12) felt upset about the drawings and descriptions.

Otherwise, my kids enjoy these quick-read books.

Jared, Simon, and Mallory Grace are still adjusting to their new life after their parents' divorce. Not only do they have to adjust to a new school (Jared especially is having a hard time with this) but they are living in a house and area inhabited not only by humans but hobgoblins, trolls, fairies, and griffins. When Simon's cat disappears he goes looking for it and soon he also disappears. Jared and Mallory set off to help Simon, but they'll need some help in order to find him in time.

"The Seeing Stone" is the sequel to The Field Guide (The Spiderwick Chronicles, Book 1) and is the second book in "The Spiderwick Chronicles" series and for the most part it is pretty good fun. Children will love the fantasy elements of the goblins, trolls, fairies, griffins, etc. especially the rhyming Thimbletack. The Seeing Stone (which helps them see the Goblins) is a nice addition to the series and authors Tony DiTerlizzi and Holly Black invent a funny if somewhat gross way for the children to see the goblins without the seeing stone. What kept me from entirely enjoying the book is that I felt some of the scarier moments were a bit too scary for young children. I found the goblins especially bothersome with their cages full of kidnap victims. And the hint of what might have happened to Simon's cat may be traumatic for younger children.

"The Seeing Stone" is a good fantasy but parents may want to read it first to make sure their children can handle it.

The characters in the story are three kids Mallory, Simon, and Jared. They moved into a new house, that was their aunt's old house. The story builds up with each book because there are five books. At the end of each book, it begins a new book which is my favorite; it makes me want to read more. This book is a fun fantasy book for nine years old and up. One of the creatures in this book is a Goblin and it's army takes Simon. Jared and Mallory go out to find him.On the way, Jared finds a stone that lets him see the magical creatures. When they go and save him they find another goblin, the goblin spits in Jared's eye and lets him see the magical creature without the stone. I would recommend this book to others because if you start reading the book, it opens your mind and makes you want to read.If you really want to read this book, you need to start from the beginning of the book. It will also be a good idea to see the new movie and compaire the book to the movie. I love it when they make books into movies becausethey are completely different, like the characters personalities. The illistrations in the book helped you see the pictures in your mind. They are very detailed and also make you want to read more. The characters have their strengths. By reading the books you can tell that Mallory is the strong one in the family with her fencing. Jared is the adventure type. That is how they found the guide in the first book. Simon on the other hand is the scardie cat in the family. Im not sure if i would read another book because they were too easy.

The second installment of the 'Spiderwick Chronicles' is again very good.
It has an engaging story, good characters and interesting ideas, as well as excellent illustrations. Probably deserving of four stars, but it's just too short. I really don't see the need to separate the story into five small books. I can see if they were catering to very young readers, but with a storyline involving family pets being roasted and eaten by goblins the target audience has to be 9-12 year olds not 5-8 year olds.
Anyways well worth reading, but the series probably needs to be read all at once- at least for adult readers

The series was amazing over all but the very ending of it with her settling down was very unrealistic she had said from the very beginning she wanted to have adventures so yes I didn't like the ending. The rest of the book was good/okay.

This review is more for the entire "Lioness Quartet" quadrilogy, rather than this final installment in the series.

I was introduced to this series as a young girl of 11 or 12. They remained my favorite books for over a decade. The Lioness Quartet combines both magical, imaginative story telling with a strong feminist message. Equality is a powerful underlying theme in this series.

When I worked in a book store at the age of 20, I'd steer all mothers of adolescent girls in Tamora Pierce's direction. When I became a teacher, this series appeared on my recommended reading list. Now I have friends with daughters, and I put this series in their hands when I can.

I honestly believe that this series is essential in self esteem development of young women. I know it helped me.

This book is no disappointment for anyone who likes Tamora Pierce's Tortall books. A great read. Recommended for anyone looking for adventure. This book, of course, is a sequel, and is well worth reading. Tamora Pierce does not disappoint with her intriguing plot, life-like characters, thrilling adventures. Brilliant cover art for this edition. As usual a wonderful installment in her Tortall adventures.

This is the fourth book in the Song of the Lioness quartet. Alanna was born a nobleman's daughter, but she desperately wanted to be a knight. Her brother, Thom wanted to be a great sorcerer. So they switched places, Thom, going to the convent and Alanna going to the palace. In the second book she gets knighted and Thom gives her a shield with a rearing lioness, explaining that it represented a Lioness Rampant. So from then on everybody called her The Lioness. In this book Alanna and Coram (her man-at-arms) go on a journey to find the dominion jewel. The dominion jewel is a powerful gem that is magical. Meanwhile, back at the palace Lady Delia says that Thom can't bring Roger, the Duke of Conte and Alanna's arch enemy, back to life. So, of course, Thom does. Alexander of Tirragen plots with Roger to destroy the palace. Will Alanna get there in time to stop the powerful Duke, or will it be too late? If you read this book you will find out!!! I give this book two thumbs up!!!!

I'm afraid this series ended horribly. If you love reading about moral characters who stick to doing what is right even though its hard...dont read this book.
I felt so cheated to discover my heroine was nothing more then a naive, and insecure sword fighter.
When I read the last few pages I was in shock. I mean, it felt like a gossip girl meets medieval times. It was that bad. The main chara hadn't DEVELOPED into anything any woman desires to be.
The view of love in this book is screwed and leaves a bad taste in my heart. An interesting storyline is nothing when the chara comes out not a better person, but a desperate one willing to sleep with whoever will have her. PLEASE, dont waste your time.

Set circa 2020, Jenna Fox has woken up in a new home, a new life, and new thoughts. She is told that she has woken from a year long coma, surviving an accident that should have taken her life. She is shown videos of her life, her parents hoping that she will remember who she was. Slowly, piece by piece, she begins to understand who she was, and how drastically different she is now...after that fateful accident.

Though this books writing style is extremely intricate and interesting, I sometimes found the plot lagging and boring at points. However, the science is very interesting. Also, you see how Jenna changes and grows the way she interacts and the way the writing style changes.

A good, quick read. It makes you think a lot about humanity and about a future that isn't as far away as we might think.

I adored (haha) this book so much. I think the main thing that made the whole story work was that it covered an extremely interesting topic and dealt with the difficult subject of mortality in a manner that didn't force an opinion and yet still kept the book intriguing and semi-light. When you write about a heavy subject, it has a tendency to bring the book down and sometimes that's a good thing, but in The Adoration of Jenna Fox, the story was written in such a way that it forced you to think and still kept the story moving. And it wasn't just the topic of the book that made it so good, it was also the whole style of it; writing and otherwise. I liked how there were little poems and dictionary excerpts dispersed throughout the book. It helped to keep everything interesting and fresh which is always good. The writing style of the book was perfect too. It was flowing, smooth, and fit the whole book perfectly. It's not often that you find a writing style that compliments and enhances a book rather than just tell the story. I also loved, loved, loved the cover. You're never going to see a book cover much more beautiful than this one. Don't you think? And that's really a huge factor in a book because that's the first thing you see. I think the whole "don't judge a book by its cover" thing is actually rather misguided because the cover is a big part of how people are going to perceive a book. If it has a cheesy or bad cover, that's what people are going to expect of the story and that's probably actually a good assumption because if the publishing people haven't spent a bunch of time on the visual aspect of the book, why would they pay attention to the writing? I'm rambling though. For me, the whole entire book was marvelous and couldn't be improved any more. It was addicting, interesting, valuable, and pretty much just fabulous. I'm sad that I waited this long to read it! I highly recommend that you go out and pick up a copy soon; I'm sure it'll be worth it.

I used to be someone.
Someone named Jenna Fox.
That's what they tell me. But I am more than a name. More than they tell me. More than the fact and statistics they fill me with. More than the video clips they make me watch.
More. But I'm not sure what.

I won The Adoration of Jenna Fox by Mary E. Pearson from Dewey, and I'm very glad I did. Thank you, Dewey, for sending this book to me!

In fact, I had been coveting this book for some time. The first thing I noticed was the beautiful book cover. What about the butterfly, I wondered, in abook that deals with a girl awakening froma coma? Of course, the butterfly has a meaning, but I'm not going to tell you what it is... too spoilery.

After a terrible car accident, Jenna Fox, a seventeen-year-old girl, awakens from a year-long coma to find out that she doesn't remeber anything of heself or her accident. Jenna doesn't recognize the world she lives in: a new house in a new state, with parents who seem to adore her but control her every movement. Slowly, Jenna starts to leanr things again, and discovers truths her parents want to keep hidden from her--truths that involve her own identity.

This is a science-fiction book set in a not-so-distant future.. I used to dislike science fiction, but after reading this book, I think I might give this genre another chance. Here is how Jenna describes her world in the first pages of the book:

The accident was over a year ago. I've been awake for two weeks. Over a year has vanished. I've gone from sixteen to seventeen. A second woman has been elected president. A twelfth planet has been named in the solar system. The last wild polar bear has died, Headline news that could not stir me. I slept through it all.

Besides Jenna's search for identity, the main theme is science and the bioethical oimplications of human manipulation of DNA. How far will you go to save someone you love? How far is it ethically acceptable to go, to save a human life? This book, most of all, raises a lot of questions.

Moreover, it is a beautifully written book, almost poetic in its word choice. As Jenna looks up new words in the dictionary to register their meaning, the reader is also drawn to analyze words more closely and to discover new meanings of these words. Through Jenna's eyes, we learn of a different world, one that could reasonably exist in a not-so-distant future, if scientifical developments go on at today's pace.

What makes us human? How far would you go to save your child? What is ethically and morally right and wrong? These are heavy questions that the author will make the reader ponder long after the last page has been turned.

Jenna Fox has just woken up from over a year-long coma. She doesn't remember anything, but has fragments of memory that she is slowly trying to piece together. There are people there that say they are her parents, and another woman that is her grandmother. Left with the video disks of her life, she starts to watch and ponder "Who is Jenna Fox?"

There has been an accident, but no one will talk to her about the details. As she slowly heals, Jenna questions everything and starts to fill in gaps. After a little while of recovery, she pushes to go to school and begins to attend a local charter school. There she meets an odd assortment of classmates.

Alice has medical issues of her own, and starts to explain the federal ethics board to Jenna. Each person is allotted 100 lifetime points to be used for medical reasons. Alice has prosthetic limbs and explains that limb replacement is relatively low on the point scale. Other procedures would be worth much more. Dane is a neighbor but something seems off with him. When Jenna looks in his eyes, he seems empty. And then there is Ethan. He's hiding a dark secret of his own.

As Jenna discovers the world around her, the secrets and mysteries that are her life slowly start to be revealed. Remembering what Alice has explained about the lifetime points, Jenna comes to realize that there are even deeper secrets about her that she must uncover. Her parents have moved her from Boston to California. Is it to protect her from those that were involved with the accident? Or does it have more far-reaching medical and ethical implications?

Without wanting to give away the plot twists and hidden mysteries of the story, I will tell you that the issues Ms. Pearson raises will cause you to ponder how far science should be allowed to explore. As Jenna tries to discover, the reader will also be forced to wonder how much of us do we need to keep us truly human? Ms. Pearson makes the reader question if it's truly the flesh and blood that makes us human, or if there is something further inside that gives us our identity. Comparing the
lack of emotion that Dane has with Jenna's unwavering questioning of everything, it shows the reader that things are not always black and white. The majority of us live in the gray area that is between the two extremes.

Read THE ADORATION OF JENNA FOX to find out what it means to sacrifice everything for love and how to really be human.

Reviewed by: Jaglvr

Terrifying yet intriguing. Those are my first thoughts after reading The Adoration of Jenna Fox by Mary Pearson. The basic premise: Jenna Fox, age 17, wakes up after being in a coma for one year. She has to relearn everything, walking, talking, thinking, etc. But something is off. What secret are her parents hiding from her?

And that secret is HUGE! As I read, I got glimpses of the truth. And that's how the book reads, teasing and tormenting each moment. I felt Jenna's pain, confusion, and finally horror as she realized what happened to her. Pearson is an excellent storyteller, revealing all things in her own time. I know this review is secretive but I don't want to give too much away! It's better going into it not knowing much! It makes the reveal that much more exciting and revolting! Definitely pick up this book and read it! It's one of the best books I've read in a long time!

My 10 year old son read this book and also the first in the series and found them both a great read.

This is a brilliant read , a gripping combination of magic and adventure,I just couldn't put it down. It's darker than most books but with a storyline that keeps you reading.The main character in the story is seventeen year old wizard Seph Mc Cauley who causes a LOT of trouble(You'll see!) and is shunted from place to place and school to school until he comes to a new boarding school called the Havens. It does get a bit predictable towards the end but it's still fairly exciting and it leaves an opening for another book at the end.I would definitely recommend this for anyone aged thirteen and up who liked the Harry Potter series. (It is a lot darker than the Harry Potter books,just to let you know.)

Another great offering in the Heir series. Nicely ties in the characters we loved (and some we hated) from the first outstanding book in the series. Can't wait for the next one!!

The book The Wizard Heir by Cinda Williams Chima is one to read. The main character is Joseph McCauley but he goes by Seph. He is a untrained wizard without a family. He was raised by a women who has died and now he is at a brand new boarding school. But things are going well or are they? This book is kind of like Harry Potter meets Blue Bloods. Which are both other really good fantasy novels. The Wizard Heir is good at giving surprises around every other page. You never know what is going to happen next. That is my favorite kind of book. It did not take me long to read. This is one you pick up and can not put back down. Also you get very emotionally attached to the characters that at points you just want to jump into the book and do something about the problems. If you are looking for a book to read, I highly recommend this book. You enter a whole other world.

The book The Wizard Heir by Cinda Williams Chima is one to read. The main character is Joseph McCauley but he goes by Seph. He is a untrained wizard without a family. He was raised by a women who has died and now he is at a brand new boarding school. But things are going well or are they? This book is kind of like Harry Potter meets Blue Bloods. Which are both other really good fantasy novels. The Wizard Heir is good at giving surprises around every other page. You never know what is going to happen next. That is my favorite kind a book. It did not take me long to read. This is one you pick up and can not put back down. Also you get very emotionally attached to the characters that at points you just want to jump into the book and do something about the problems. If you are looking for a book to read, I highly recommend this book. You enter a whole other world.

My interest in the His Dark Materials series stemmed from watching the movie adaptation of the first book, The Golden Compass. And while I was biased because I saw the movie before reading the book, the book turned out to be far better than the movie ever was.

Pullman creates a fantasy world that instantly engages the reader, and keeps them wondering, What will happen (and what CAN happen) in a world like this? The story follows a young girl as she embarks on the adventure of a lifetime through a world full of unique creatures, intricate subplots, and enough mystery to keep the reader wanting more. Some might think that this book is just an extended child's fairy tale, but I disagree. The Golden Compass (along with The Subtle Knife and The Amber Spyglass) delivers enough fantasy to entertain a child and enough philosophical food for thought to entertain an adult, making it an enticing story worthy of both audiences, large and small. While this book can stand on its own (without books 2 and 3), I highly suggest reading the entire trilogy - it's worth it.

One other item I would like to mention is the story's discussion of Dust, the Authority and religion. While the series does create a very strong distate for religion, this distate stems only so far as the religion defined in the book (the Magisterium). I'm sure many will argue that the His Dark Materials series insults and rebels against Christianity and other modern religions, but they are wrong. This book is a fictional fantasy tale that emphasizes a corrupt religious group solely for the purpose of the main character's difficult quest. Pullman has no intentions of turning readers against religion with his stories. The Golden Compass (along with the other His Dark Materials books) is nothing more than a unique fairy tale crafted up by the amazing and talented mind of Philp Pullman. Any reader who believes the books to be "blasphemous" is merely too insecure with their own religious beliefs to enjoy a good fairy tale.

As an anti-religious theme book about an alternate reality world
it has to be compared to C.S. Lewis's Narnia tales/ series.
In that case the characterizations of the children come up short
and the talking animals (Bears) may be better?
The coming of age of an illegitimate child in a world that has theology
in place of science and is ruled by a church committee,
is both awkward and adventurous. A strange woman she has never met takes an interest in her: her uncle deserts her for his scientific and exploration of a new fundamental particle called "Dust"
that is attracted to adult humans on this world.
All the people on this world have daemon familiar spirits like witches.
Most of the book centers around the kidnapping of children of the poor
by the Gobblers and the finding of the church/ government sponsored experimental station where they are being processed.
The rescue operation of which Lyra is a part consists mainly of
aquatic gypsies called gyptians.
The"Golden Compass" is an instrument like a watch that is called an alethiometer that can be used to ask and answer questions.
The book has Lyra finding out about herself in bits and pieces
in a journey of self-realization. She meets death and great hardship along the way. The great disappointment is that this novel just sets up the adventures of the sequel in the series?
C.S. Lewis always made his novels as nearly complete as he could
and still have them part of a continuing series?
In alternate worlds where magic takes the place of natural law
( of which there are quite a number) this book doesn't really stand out as being much more than ordinary.

Given the rating, I assume that most people are going to think that it's due to me having some vendetta against Pullman's views. From the outset, I'd like to say that Pullman's depiction of the perversive aspect(s) of religeon was actually one of the book's strengths. However, it is a strength that is overshadowed by numerous shortcomings.

Speaking broardly, the novel's main drawback is that it's simply impossible to feel engaged with the world or the people in it. It becomes clear to the reader that the world depicted is not ours, that like many parallel universes in fiction, it has similarities and differences, the two often going hand in hand. However, we never get a full sense of the world, only glimpses at it. The nature of the world is portrayed throughout the story.

Now this could arguably be a strength, that Pullman doesn't go off on a tangent of world building, focussing instead on the story. While reading the novel however, it felt like a weakness. There were many oportunities to further flesh out the world and it felt like Pullman missed them every time. We recieve some info, but only in bits and pieces. Surely it wouldn't be too hard to expand on them a bit?

The characters are another matter. The issues with them aren't as succinct as the world they inhabit, but they still feel like shadows of what they could be. Lyra is one such example and to be honest, I think that the fact that the story is written through her POV as opposed to a more omniescent style contributes to the world building problem. An eleven-year old can only understand so much, and by the end of the novel, she's changed little. She's still some little girl who's barely developed emotionally. Granted, it's a trilogy, but surely SOME progress could have been made?

The rest of the characters also have the problem of conforming to stereotypes. Iorek the strong, Asriel the mystic, Coulter the evil witch-lady, etc. There's at times something more deeper to them, such as Asriel's true colors coming through and his discussion as to the nature of man, but it's really just a spark in a pool of shallow character development. And obeying the laws of nature, that fire is extinguished by the volume of water.

Northern Lights indeed has strengths, as mentioned above. But there's so much overshadowing them that the novel is near unreadable and it's easy to miss them. And since books are primarily about writing, an aspect which fails so spectacularly in this case, I have no choice but to give it one star.

Creative plot - good points for the story which is quite interesting.

Points off for thematic writing - Pullman constantly goes into irrelevant and elaborate descriptions of the surroundings which come across as thesaurus exercises. Typically the details he describe are never of any impact on the plot. In book one this didn't bother me, but over time I found it extremely thematic with these excessive descriptions.

Other points off for the stupid - only suitable word - writing that Pullman applies to "less educated" individuals. The flawed syntax and spelling is only annoying. It really takes away from the story - no value is added by this half-baked cockney English.

Total score should be three but the plot is so creative that it gets four stars.

BTW, pox on the publisher for changing the title - I am painfully aware that many of my fellow Americans are less than enlightened but books are supposed to lift us up, not perpetuate issues.

More depth and better storyline than the movie. This books reads quickly and a good way to expand your vocabulary. It has an imaginative story that's hard to second guess. You'll want to order the second volume early so you can continue the epic.

This book rocks. Matheson claims in the introduction that he did hours and hours of research on life after death, and that this story is a very close representation of what actually happens. My question...how do you research such a thing with objectivity? I dunno, but it makes a wonderful story.

This book has changed my entire perception on the possibilities of after-life, and it's a beautifully told love story on top of that...albeit an aggravating one at times. The main character can get on your nerves, but the story doesn't suffer, to me at least, because of it. I loved this book.

Enjoyed the story and its concept. Very thought provoking. Not pleased with the ending, though.

What was most fascinating to me was how well researched (though it's fiction) the book was. People who are familiar with "new age" and scientific discoveries on research into the afterlife from different perspectives won't fail to recognize many influences into this story. In addition, Matheson adds a bibliography of all the books he read before writing this work.

What most find memorable and touching about the story, which is the story of the way people who love each other strongly cope with life after death, what I found more clever was the way that Matheson wove so many theories on the afterlife together to paint a harmonious picture of what life after death could be for one person as he adjusts to what has become of his spirit after his death.

While this book should appeal very much to the romantic at heart, I also see the appeal to anyone interested in a fiction based on a depth of research into the afterlife phenomenon and also it should appeal to anyone who has questioned what the possibilities are in the afterlife. Matheson did well to cover just about every notion that has been presented in written works up until the publication of this novel.

Also, for lovers of this movie, this book should not disappoint as I found it even more beautiful and vivid and more conclusive. The movie made some changes that enhanced the story, though I think that Matheson's original telling of it had some elements (such as the power of prayer) that would have made the movie better if it had also been included in the movie. While there were many differences between the book and the movie, I do believe that anyone who appreciated the movie would appreciate the book equally, if not more.

The movie made from this book is one of the few that makes me cry every time I see it. The line "Your mother's not in there Ian!" makes my chest hitch and tears well up in the corners of my eyes. In the film you see the dynamic of the family, and how tragedy has hit them time and time again, and you feel the hope that in the afterlife, they can be together in love and happiness.

The book, though well written and easy to conceive, does not have the emotional pull that the film does. First there is significantly less tragedy involved and you never really get the sense of the bond and the love that they had for each other. The children are only mentioned and have little to no relevance in the book. Chris's journey through the afterlife reads more as a disembodied manual. First this happened, then this happened then this happened. It's much harder to fell engaged with the book. Also rather than being love lost and feeling the immediate need of the reuniting of Chris and Ann, Chris comes across as a whiner with a puppyish infatuation, rather than a man distraught over the separation from his wife.

On the whole this is a good book, and I believe that in more liberal schools it should be required reading to open up the discussion about the different beliefs of life after death. Matheson was nice enough to include a bibliography in the back so that you can track down the research he did. I believe that this is an enlightening book, but not the emotional story that the film was.

This is a fantastic sparkly fairy sticker book. It is a companion to the flower fairies. Very sweet.

I purchased a few of these sticker books for my daughter during the 4 for 3 special. They are very pretty, nice quality and kept her busy for a while during a recent long distance car trip.

Cicely's artwork is so wonderful on it's own, but this sticker book makes it magical! A perfect gift for that special little girl or those of us who are still young girls at heart.
L.Cauley

This was a perfect gift for a young girl who adores anything with a fairy-tale quality. Flower Fairies Sparkly Sticker Book filled the bill and provided hours of entertainment on a sick day at home from school.

The artwork is absolutely remarkable -- dazzling to both children and adults.

This is a great little "keep busy" book for kids. I'm looking after my own and my sister's children at present, four all together ages 2-6, and even the two boys have enjoyed this. The games, activities, and stickers have allowed them to both use their imaginations and create beautiful gifts and decoratives. We have made birthday and get-well cards, posters, refrigerator art, and we have written letters to, and received letters from, the fairies. As usual, Barker's art is perfect for its beauty and appeal to children and adults alike. Great use of her art to help kids imagine and create.