Shades of Gray

Book Description

COURAGE WEARS MANY FACES

The Civil War may be over, but for twelve-year-old Will Page, the pain and bitterness haven't ended. How could they have, when the Yankees were responsible for the deaths of everyone in his entire immediate family?

And now Will has to leave his comfortable home in the Shenandoah Valley and live with relatives he has never met, people struggling to eke out a living on their farm in the war-torn Virginia Piedmont. But the worst of it is that Will's uncle Jed had refused to fight for the Confederacy.

At first, Will regards his uncle as a traitor -- or at least a coward. But as they work side by side, Will begins to respect the man. And when he sees his uncle stand up for what he believes in, Will realizes that he must rethink his definition of honor and courage.

Customer Reviews:

Bob's Shades of Gray Review.......2006-02-11

This book is a book about a young man named Will he lived in virgina with his parents when one night his parents didnt return so he left to live with his anut and uncle. when he got there the they were there with opens arms and they hade a big dinner and the next day the work began in the morning he left with his uncle to go walk the trap line when he got back this uncle took a shower as Will help this anut make dinner after about 3 weeks of the same thing he met his cousin Cindy and she didnt know how to read and when he got a letter from his dad and Cindy was cleaning the house and pick up the note to clean and Will thought she was readin the note and he fliped out on her and then he figured out that she couldnt read. Well 2 weeks later his dad came to pick him up and he live happy ever after then died

Quirky Reviews Inc........2005-05-14

In school when we first started reading Shades of Gray I was bored from the start. It's plot is uninteresting and dull followed by events that make you feel strong dislike towards the main character. Will (the main character)is unlikable even by the most accepting of readers and will make you want to cry at him in frustration. This book takes place after the Civil War when had North won the war.Will is a boy that has no parents or relatives except his uncle and his family who didn't fight in the war at all. Will believes his uncle is a traitor and be's rude and unaccepting to him. The ending in very predicable after even the first few chapters of the book. Will eventually warms up to his uncle and stays with him and his family. A truly disappointing read.

Shades of the Civil War.......2004-05-18

Shades of Gray by Carolyn Reder is a wonderful book of learning how to respect people. Will's family has died. His mother died of a sickness, as did his sisters. His brother and father died in war. He moves in with the closet relatives he has, his Aunt and Uncle Jed. Will doesn't respect his uncle because he wasn't in the Confederate Army, but he wasn't in the Union Army either. Will thinks of his uncle as a traitor and doesn't want anything to do with him. As time goes by, Will learns that just because you weren't in the war, doesn't mean you aren't brave.

good book for boys or girls.......2004-05-18

Shades of Grey is an excellent book. It is about a boy whose dad and his brothers go to fight in the war and end up getting killed. Also his sisters died because of malnutrition and his mom died of depression. So Will had to go live with his aunt. But he doesn't want to because his uncle refused to fight in the war. One element that I noticed a lot was flashback. Will kept remembering how his life was so different when he lived in Winchester.

Shades Of Gray.......2004-05-13

When Uncle Jed glanced up, Will reddened guiltily and stepped inside the toolshed to look for a hoe. Since he had often watched Fred tend their small garden while he listened to the tales and fables the old slave loved to tell, he didn't think he'd have any trouble working around the roots of the plants and chopping out the weeds.
In Carlyn Reeder's novel Shades of Gray, Will, a boy around twelve years old, is left with his Uncle Jed, his Aunt Ela, and his cousin Meg. This is the only family Will has left because his father and Charlie were killed by the Yankees and his mother and sisters died of a disease. There, Will must learn how life is as a country man with no slaves and must except the fact that his Uncle had refused to fight for the Confederacy.
This book would be great for people that live in a rural area. This is because Will has to learn to live the life of a farmer. After the Civil War ended, Will had left to go to his new house, he later received a letter and must decide if he wants to stay with his Uncle or live with a man named Doctor Martin.

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Classic Sakai, Classic Character, not just a comic book
Turtles meet Rabbit, Rabbit vs Cats!
Below Average Usagi Yojimbo standard.
Action and Adventure, Samurai Rabbit style
A Great comic and a great book

Shades of Death (Usagi Yojimbo, Book 8)
Stan Sakai
Manufacturer: Dark Horse
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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ASIN: 156971259X

Book Description

The Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles travel through time to team with Usagi in 17th-century Japan! Collecting the first six issues of the Mirage-published Usagi Yojimbo, out of print since 1993, this is the eighth in a series of successful Usagi trade paperbacks. This book weighs in at a whopping two hundred pages!

Customer Reviews:

Classic Sakai, Classic Character, not just a comic book.......2001-11-28

The only bad thing about the Usagi books is the fact that few people on Amazon will ever read them.

Yet another fine mixture of the legends of Nippon intertwined with our favorite Yojimbo.

For Usagi fans standard fare, but for those who never have read one. A feast!

Turtles meet Rabbit, Rabbit vs Cats!.......2001-05-05

For this book, Leonardo is back to meet Usagi but this time, Leo is back along with his brothers. Meanwhile, the Neko Ninjas are planning to kidnapped Kakera (a Splinter look alike). If you're a Usagi fan, you don't wanna miss any of his books.

Below Average Usagi Yojimbo standard........1999-12-18

Turtles were a good joke in UY-Book3, but to continue their use in Shades of Death was a mistake. Still the book has good elements in it as well. Neko Ninja clan, etc. It is readable and purchaseable.

Action and Adventure, Samurai Rabbit style.......1999-12-17

I had known about Usagi Yojimbo for some time, but I wasn't really a fan until I picked up this book. Sakai masterfully blends Japanese history and values with action and adventure. Even though the character are all animals, it takes nothing away from the Classic samurai feel of UY.

A Great comic and a great book.......1998-08-05

This book has one of the best storylines i have ever read. It has everything....from warring clans to the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles (they show up to help Usagi with a clan of ninja's) Also a look at Usagi's life as a little boy... Highly recommended.

Shades of Sheol: Death and Afterlife in the Old Testament

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an encyclopedia of information and discerning interpretation
A very thorough and exhaustive study
Great Book

Shades of Sheol: Death and Afterlife in the Old Testament
Philip S. Johnston
Manufacturer: Apollos
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

General | Religion & Spirituality | Subjects | Books
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ASIN: 0830826874

Book Description

"For in death there is no remembrance of you; in Sheol who can give you praise?" (Psalm 6:5)

Death is a profound and complex subject. How did the Israelites respond to it?
The dead apparently went to Sheol. Where and what was it?
The inhabitants of Sheol are sometimes called "shades." What does this indicate?
Many ancient peoples venerated their ancestors. Did Israelites do this?
Did anyone hope for a positive afterlife? If so, in what form?
What about resurrection? How and when did this belief emerge?

Philip S. Johnston explores these and other issues. He examines Israelite views on death and afterlife as reflected in the Hebrew Bible and in material remains, and sets them in their cultural, literary and theological contexts.Johnston argues in detail that the Israelites were not as preoccupied with the underworld or the dead as some scholars have recently alleged. Instead, their faith that Yahweh was the God of the living, and that Sheol was cut off from him, led eventually to the hope of a positive afterlife.This important study sheds fresh light on Israelite beliefs in an area central to the later development of the Christian faith.

Customer Reviews:

an encyclopedia of information and discerning interpretation.......2005-07-25

The author organises this encyclopaedic study under four parts: Death, the Underworld, the Dead, and the Afterlife. An introductory apology for the study confronts the reader with a paradox: death and the underworld are fascinating topics for Judaism, Christianity, and modern scholarship, yet 'Israel's religious writers were not particularly concerned with the underworld or with the dead. The related to Yahweh in this life, and were relatively uninterested in the life hereafter.'

In Part A, the manifold figures under which death appears in the Old Testament are exhaustively surveyed, noting that death is sometimes seen as natural while at other moments is viewed as a contradiction and adversary of the life which Yahweh has created. A second chapter reviews practices surrounding death and burial in ancient Israel, concluding that 'religious rites either did not occur or were of such minimal importance that they have left no trace in any of the varied literary strands of the Old Testament. Little continued interest in the remains of the dead is evident.
In his consideration of the underworld (Part B), Johnston finds an Israelite distinctive in its relative disregard for Sheol, which when it is mentioned is an unwelcome fate, sparsely described, and always in first-person accounts rather than reportage. The argument for late editorial extraction of the theme is discussed, then dismissed.

Arguing that most underworld language is metaphorical, Johnston criticizes studies by Pedersen and Barth that suggested that the Israelite sufferer actually experienced Sheol in this life. Under the questioning heading 'The Pervasive Underworld?', Johnston examines uses of earth, water, and similar words which the Dahood school has understood as references to the underworld. He answers the title's query in the negative, concluding that water and earth are physically associated with the underworld, but never used as names for it. The probability of accidental or intentional minimization of a pervasive underworld by the tradents of the biblical text is dismissed.

In Part C, Johnston turns to the dead themselves, noting biblical texts that show people naming, consulting, and honouring them. Again, his emphasis falls on how unimportant the dead were to living Israelites. Part of his effort is dedicated to deconstructing scholarly reconstructions of practices that involved the dead, usually by observing their tenuous basis.

Unlike related ANE literatures, the Old Testament is largely uninterested in the consultation of the dead. There exist a few prohibitions of necromancy and scattered references to the practice, but just one account. Johnston claims that all literary layers of the witch of Endor story at 1 Sam 28 show the practice to be both effective and illegal.

Johnston find reconstructions of a cult of the dead textually dubious and methodologically spurious. Further, the paucity of censure of such cult speaks for its scarcity or absence. The biblical record and, Johnston judges, Israelites themselves were largely unconcerned with rites that honoured the dead.

In Part D, Johnston discusses the afterlife under the headings of 'Communion Beyond Death' (ch. 9, pp. 199-217) and 'Resurrection from Death' (ch. 10., pp. 218-239). Some biblical characters escaped death, but they did not become paradigms of subsequent experience. Johnston cautiously analyses possible intimations of hope beyond death in the Psalms, Proverbs, and the crux at Job 19.25-27. While the Proverbs and the Job passage are found not to affirm communion after death, the psalmists do. However, they provide no details beyond the hope of further communion with God. Johnston's final chapter argues that a `distinctively Israelite' notion of individual resurrection was not significantly influenced by other faiths.

Rather, this idea-absent in Old Testament witness but present in Second Temple speculation and New Testament assumptions-emerged from 'Yahweh's proclaimed power to renew life, its occasional experience in life and in vision, his authority over the underworld, and the desire for unending communion with (Yahweh).'

This book takes its place as an indispensable-because encyclopaedic-guide to the Old Testament discussion of the themes it treats, a feature that is complemented by a welcome layer of sober interpretation.

A very thorough and exhaustive study .......2005-04-07

This is an excellent reference book in that it covers many a Hebrew bible text that scholars have suggested are even remotely related to the topic. The author outlines each text, giving the literal Hebrew translation, or admitting where the texts have difficulty in translation and reviews scholarly approach to arguments suggesting the texts are related to the concept of the state of the dead and the possibility of afterlife. This method I found establishes well his argument that the subject matter of the state of the dead and an afterlife is hardly referred to at all in the Hebrew bible. He reviews apparent contradictions between texts which basically state there is no existence beyond this one, and the handful that hold out the hope of a physical resurrection. Likewise he reviews the chronologic development of Israel's belief system concerning the subject. By the time of the New Testament, he states "the perspectives between the Old and New Testaments on human fate after death are significantly different. Indeed for many scholars they are not just distinctive, but actually contradictory." I recommend this as an excellent book on the subject for those not afraid to investigate.

Great Book.......2002-11-16

This book is an excelent book. Johnson explores almost everything the Old Testament says about death and Sheol. He even brings points that go against the common thought of the day which cause one to think. I recomend this book to anyone wanting to more about death in the Old Testament. It is a great resource for papers too.

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If you have had a loss... read this book!
Looking back...
A Deeper Understanding
An overyhyped book with nothing to it.
This is a beautiful book destined to touch wounded hearts.

A Deeper Shade of Grace
Bernadette Keaggy
Manufacturer: Bethany House Pub
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
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ASIN: 1556617380

Customer Reviews:

If you have had a loss... read this book! .......2007-07-07

I read this book last night. It is a quick read but very deep in meaning. Less than 2 months ago I lost my first child at 17 weeks. I saw my tiny baby son but I never got to hold him. I cried while I read Bernadette's book but I found a lot of comfort in knowing that I am not alone in my pain. Her pain was very real and I am personally grateful that she wrote about her experiences. I could very much relate to her personal struggle with acceptance of God's will for her babies. Her Christian perspective was valuable and shows that being Christian does not mean we are perfect or don't feel pain. Thank you, Bernadette, for sharing your story with us.

Looking back..........2006-01-12

I read this book in 1997. It was given to me after my daughter Rebecca was stillborn. She was five months along. I came to Amazon to find the book, as a friend has just lost triplets and I wanted to share it with her.

I was shocked to read the review of another woman who said that Bernadette just basically said, "Oops, my babies died." I'm sorry, but I'm just not sure how you missed her pain.

Maybe because I was still in a very wounded state myself, I was able to connect with her pain and loss and understand how she tried to understand God's plan in it all.

As a Christian, I do believe that every death is somehow allowed within the context of His will. That does not mean that he doesn't care or that he's mean. It's just that we are all small but important parts of something much bigger than we can imagine. That is the perspective I got from this book.

Bernadette also refers to a book by CS Lewis about grief. I can't recall the name of it, but when my father died two months later, I also read that. It put the pieces together of what Bernadette was writing.

With regards to her husband, Phil, I think far too much is expected of other believers. Jesus calls us to remove the 2x4 from our own eye before we try to pick out someone else's sawdust. It is true that her husband wasn't there for her. Mine wasn't either. Perhaps that slowed her healing, but it also may have helped it. Either way, it is often difficult for men to connect to the death of a pre-born baby. They simply don't "get it" until the baby is born.

They had marriage problems, too, and they aren't afraid to talk about them here. I am glad that in the end they found a way to keep it together. Many couples end their marriages over the death of a child. They grieve differently, and resentment is the result.

I don't believe Bernadette has written any other books, so if you're expecting a well written piece, you've come to the wrong place. Perhaps that's why the other reviewer missed her message.

However, if you're looking to connect with someone who has been through what you have, you will find it here.

A Deeper Understanding.......2005-12-14

This book spoke to my heart. After suffering the horrible loss of 3 children through miscarriage...this book helped me gain perspective and a better understanding of the Sovereignty of God. It started me on the road to recovery. Of course, the holes left in my heart from those losses will never be filled...this book helped me look at where I needed to grow in my relationship with the Lord, as well as, how I could minister to others suffering from the same type of loss.

An overyhyped book with nothing to it........2004-06-22

I really thought reading this book would give me peace. Instead it made angry. Bernadette tells the story of how her husband Phil Keaggy, a singer I once appreciated and enjoyed, abandoned her while she lost her five babies (ie. didn't return home from concerts). She talked about her babies and then just blindly writes off her children's deaths as 'God's will' and 'meant to be'. I found there to be a great lack of depth to this book and no questioning whatsoever. How can a loving mother sit back and be okay with the fact that her children died? How can a father not be involved or even meet his babies? Reading the back of the book only the author's three living babies are mentioned which I found very offensive. Why weren't ALL of their children recognized? All this book did for me was make me angry. I can't sit back and go 'Okay my child died, oops, oh well' and that's what I felt the author was doing.

This is a beautiful book destined to touch wounded hearts........1999-08-13

There are some deep places in everyone's heart where few dare to explore. Bernadette went there, and boldly decided to share her discoveries with the world. Her openness concerning the loss of her sweet babies is heart-breaking but inspiring. Thank you, Bernadette, for speaking to the hearts of so many! God bless!

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Review Of Dr. R.N.Mitra's Novel "If There Wasn't Deth."
Mitra Scores
A Gourmet Book of Bibliophiles and Low Down Scoundrels
the evil that psychiatrists do
Since There Is, Mysteries Can Still Be Fun

If There Wasn't Death
R.N. Mitra
Manufacturer: Outskirts Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

Contemporary | General | Literature & Fiction | Subjects | Books

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ASIN: 159800915X

Book Description

TOO MANY PSYCHIATRISTS!

A series of suicides of middle aged women leads Dr. Alexander Bloorwoise and the team of Martin, Halley and Dobbelia to uncover a raw and bloody secret.

Customer Reviews:

Review Of Dr. R.N.Mitra's Novel "If There Wasn't Deth.".......2007-08-01

Reading Dr. Mitra's second mystery novel, If There Wasn't Death, (I did not read the second and the third mystery novels in the four novel Manhattan Murder series), I was pleased to find a quality expansion over his first mystery novel, A Very Insipid Passion. The new book has been structured better and has superior literary flavor.

There have been three reported suicides of three divorced women and the standard intelligence team of this mystery series: Dr. Sandy Bloorwise, Dr. Martin, Halley Willard, and Dobbelia Smith, are locked in intense debate on Dr. Bloorwise's intuition that they might be murders, which is very off common sense of the two of his experienced colleagues. (The wizard sleuth, Halley Willard, has limited exposure in this novel). How the plot moves and whether Sandy Bloorwise's hunch is right is the essence of the novel

The craftsmanship of the plot is brilliant. As a mystery novel, it is fast paced and filled with suspense, but like the peeling of an onion, the author goes on methodically and deftly to unravel the mystery. In the hands of Dr. Mitra the novel rises above a typical mystery, as it is suffused with literary language, observations on human nature, and elaborate personality profiles. Dr. Mitra has done fine work with the delineation of Dobbelia Smith's and Sandy Bloorwise's personalities. But he is not as successful with Dr. Martin's personality, who remains pretty much a mystery figure. I hope in the subsequent novels he weaves the fabric of his personality also. The end of the book is surprising, even strange.

Most of the book is anchored in dialogs, which are generally well done, and not in actions. Conversations, drinks, foods are the oil that keeps the team moving forward. Sometimes, one wonders that the sleuths are consuming too much alcohol for their own and public's good. Author's keen knowledge of mystery literature is well displayed here. I am not a mystery reader, generally, and can not place Dr. Mitra's place in the pantheon of mystery writers, but there is no doubt in my mind that he is a very skilled writer and has produced an exquisite mystery novel. It sure is gripping and entertaining. We are keenly looking forward to his next novel, which might be even better than this, because we like his work and want him to rise in his stature even higher.

Mitra Scores.......2007-06-10

It was fun to read this book which is part of a continuing story line. The nicely developed characters, especially my favorites: Sandy Bloorwoise and Dr. Martin indicate stylistic maturation. The mystery is well developed and its outcome is not easily ascertained by the reader.

It is very pleasing to read a good mystery tale that is not replete lurid and ghastly details of blood or sex. It takes great skill to develop an interesting and gripping story that grabs a reader's attention. This author is achieves this in this book and I look forward to his next story.

A Gourmet Book of Bibliophiles and Low Down Scoundrels.......2007-03-12

This is by far the author's best book. His fourth book has the same lovable characters, the classic Sandy Bloorwoise, the very vincible Dr. Martin and the darling of ACLU, Dobbelia Smith. The suave supersleuth, Halley Willard is missing, or is he?
The book moves at different levels, one involving the recently released Therese Rankin, a protege of Dob, who's coming out of jail. Yes, a very young girl in love with an unscrupulous drug dealer who had betrayed her. Yet she is drifting slowly toward him again, a recipe for disaster.
Martin is assessing a young minority boy for attempting to assassinate the President of the United States, with a . . . toy gun. What's all that about? Wait, it all gets tied up in the end.
Sandy's suspicions are aroused at the violent suicide of a middle aged woman. Wait, there are two of them. Both of them were ex-wives of psychiatrists. George Kusank MD sounds like a villain and Kalnes Raglan MD is actually Martin's old mentor and now running a fashionable clinic. He takes them to the fabulous Bacchus Club and treats them to a gourmet dinner. But no connection between them can be found. Sandy falls in love. In a way, this is the most momentous event that can occcur to a retired physician from England (his name is pronounced Blair), who has a dark past and a history of serious suicidal attempts. Sandy is happy for the first time in many a year.
And his lady love, another divorcee, not related to any psychiatrist, commits suicide and Sandy sees red.
For those who liked An Interpretation of Murder, a Henry Holt publishing disaster, this book might appeal. For this has deep psychological probings into minds but without the sexual aura.
The denouement is clever, unexpected and fully satisfying. A book for the beach weather to come.

the evil that psychiatrists do.......2007-03-06

This is a delightful book---combining the gentile and the sordid in a well-crafted narrative in which a variety of plot threads are elegantly united in a very satisfying denouement. Adding to the particular ambience is the comfortable warmth between the old friends who are Dr. Mitra's recurring protagonists, as well as their--and presumably the author's---passion for a good beer, a malt whiskey, and above all, classic detective fiction

Since There Is, Mysteries Can Still Be Fun.......2007-02-13

"If There Wasn"t Death" takes place in various New York City locales (hospital, private clinic, Lower East Side, exclusive clubs) and presents a puzzle involving a pattern of deaths which, though they are listed as suicides, have too much in common with one another to be entirely coincidental.

If, like the author of this interesting series, you have a fondness for the "golden age" of mysteries, you will find something of a safe haven here, especially if you appreciate the absence of raw, offensive language and irrelevant sexual episodes (although two of the characters appear to think hopefully about "romance" from time to time) and the presence of some congenial talk about gourmet cookery, first editions and malt whiskies, conversations indulged in during the course of an extremely complex plot with a cast of unusual characters, some of whom (naturally) turn out to be "not quite what they seem." The story also manages to suggest an ingenious, up-to-date variation on the old "rare, South American poison" device - which may or may not turn out to be a red herring.

It is not entirely a comfortable, "sit by the fire" novel, however. Many of the events will no doubt cause the reader to shrink with dread, dismay, horror and puzzlement (that's all part of the fun), but some of the dialogue and some of the author's rather strong opinions, may make you want to get up and argue with the book. Among other things, the author seems to credit his readers with too much knowledge, and so there are some unexplained references strewn about from chapter to chapter. The title, incidentally, is from the works of Stevie Smith, the poet played so charmingly by Glenda Jackson in the play "Stevie."

Political Theory for Mortals: Shades of Justice, Images of Death (Contestations)

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I couldn't put it down.....

Political Theory for Mortals: Shades of Justice, Images of Death (Contestations)
John Evan Seery
Manufacturer: Cornell University Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

Ethics & Morality | Philosophy | Nonfiction | Subjects | Books

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ASIN: 0801432596

Book Description

Despite an abundance of violence occurring in political contexts, no liberal political theorist since Thomas Hobbes has talked directly and coherently about death. John E. Seery does. He contends that liberalism desperately needs a theoretical framework in which to discuss pressing matters of human mortality. Among the contemporary political issues that cry out for theoretical articulation, Seery suggests, are abortion politics, ethnic cleansing, suicide assistance, national reparations, environmental degradation, and capital punishment.

Customer Reviews:

I couldn't put it down............1999-12-16

How often can you say once I started it I couldn't put it down about book of political theory? This is amazing stuff - well written, complex and heady. Check it out...

Shade of the Raintree: The Life and Death of Ross Lockridge, Jr.

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Shade of the Raintree: The Life and Death of Ross Lockridge, Jr.

Manufacturer: Penguin
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
ASIN: B000HYSR9U

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Funeral Party II

Manufacturer: Rude Shape Books
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

Popular Culture | Social Sciences | Nonfiction | Subjects | Books

Amazon.com

"It's understood that hardcore death-metal rockers or urban gothic punks would find themselves in possession of this book," writes the editor. "But we are also aware that there are others--mothers and housewives, businessmen and laymen--who would be just as delighted..." Subtitled A Celebratory Excursion into Beautiful Extremes of Life, Lust & Death, Funeral Party II is explicitly dedicated to death eroticism. The book's design, layout, and illustrations are varied and beautiful. The 16 full-color plates are by artists such as Trevor Brown and George Kuchar. The fiction includes stories by Lucy Taylor, Rob Hardin, John Shirley, Jack Ketchum, and Thomas S. Roche. A prose piece by surrealist artist Hans Bellmer is illustrated with his distinctively tortuous visions of the female body. Article topics include the sleaziest tabloids in America, contemporary Grand Guignol theater, lesbian bars of pre-Nazi Berlin, actor Ulli Lommel (of Fassbinder fame), and pathology specimens. There's also a comic by Miguel Ángel Martín, the road-kill sculptures of Milo Sacchi, interviews, and reviews. Warning: Funeral Party II is graphically sexual, and is only for adults who are not easily offended.

Book Description

Funeral Party 2 is a sublime collection of fine darkness and decadence--carefully compiled with the libertine in mind. Includes fiction from Jack Ketchum, John Shirley, Lucy Taylor, Rob Hardin and Thomas S. Roche. Artwork from Trevor Brown, Hans Bellmer, Miguel Angel Martin, Milo Sacchi, George Kuchar, and Mike Kuchar. Interviews with Ulli Lommel, Jack Ketchum, The New Grand Guignol Theatre; articles from Whitehouse, Peter Sotos, Philip Nutman and more. From deviant behavior to violent sex, Funeral Party covers it all from dark to darkest!

Average customer rating:

Both a chilling ghost tale and a moving story

A Gathering of Shades
David Stahler Jr.
Manufacturer: HarperTempest
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

ASIN: 0060522941
Release Date: 2005-05-10

Book Description

Sixteen-year-old Aidan's grandmother has a secret recipe. She feeds ghosts. Her nightly ritual keeps the local lost souls lingering, caught between life and death. When Aidan stumbles upon this knowledge in the wake of his own father's death, the revelation shakes him to the core. Grief-stricken, he is dangerously drawn into the strange and wondrous world of the dead -- and away from the living people who love him.

This beautifully crafted tale of love and loss is told in shades of otherworldly mystery. David Stahler Jr. spins a chilling story that delves into the depths of grief and emerges as a shimmering celebration of life.

Customer Reviews:

Both a chilling ghost tale and a moving story.......2005-06-29

After Aidan's father tragically dies in an auto accident, he and his mother move to his grandmother's farm in Vermont. He just knows it's going to be hard going here. There will be long, boring days and certainly no one his age around. His grandmother Memere gives him a copy of Homer's THE ODYSSEY telling him it's a book that will help. Then his Uncle Danny (his father's brother) asks him if he would be willing to help out on his farm, and reluctantly he agrees --- after all, he can make some money and it's better than watching his mother mope around.

While all this is happening he can't help but notice how his grandmother leaves for a little walk into the nearby forest every night. She seems to come back refreshed and at ease with the world. When he follows her he is totally taken aback as he watches from his hiding place and sees strange people gathering around her:

...They were virtually silent as they drew closer, with only the faintest rustling of the grass to betray their presence. They crept forward with slow, shy movements, like wild animals unsure of their surroundings, ready to flee at a moment's notice. Strangest of all, there was an indefinite quality to them all, a washed-out element --- as if they'd been left out in the rain too long --- that seemed to blur the edges of their movement.

To his horror he discovers that the figures are ghosts and that they come each night to feed from a small birdbath in which Memere has mixed a few drops of her blood with water. This absolutely goes against everything Aidan has ever believed:

"This is ridiculous, Memere. Ghosts are just in stories and cheesy horror movies. They don't really exist."
"That's right, Aidan. Yet --- here they are," she said.

It is not long before Aidan accepts these strange happenings and sees the possibility that he might even be able to contact his father through the "shades." Although his grandmother warns him against this, he secretly continues until one day he sees a ghostly young boy and begins to think that his father is trying to communicate with him --- or is this his grief out of control?

Meanwhile, Aidan's mother is developing a relationship with Donny. She is also able to get a job for the coming school year teaching English; though deeply grieved, she moves ahead. Aidan, however, is not ready to accept either the relationship or the other things in his life that seem to have gone out of control. His determination to speak with his father becomes even stronger and leads him into a precarious situation.

Through a series of disappointments and overwhelming griefs, Aidan starts to see the connections of all that is happening in his life. His journey is not, after all, so unlike that of Ulysses. These experiences are softened by the strong support of his grandmother and the other loving adults in his life. By the end of the book Aidan realizes how important his family is and the meaningfulness of his grandmother's wise book selection.

David Stahler Jr. has written a book that deals with both the heartbreak of grief and the peace of acceptance. His characters fight against their realities but are ultimately pulled together through grief and love. Teens definitely will find this to be a chilling ghost tale as well as a moving story.

--- Reviewed by Sally M. Tibbetts

Crying Freedom, Volume 3: Shades of Death (Crying Freeman)

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Crying Freedom, Volume 3: Shades of Death (Crying Freeman)
Kazuo Koike
Manufacturer: VIZ Media LLC
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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ASIN: 092927931X

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