Ghost Circles (Bone, Book 7)

Customer Reviews:

Very Grim . . . .......2006-07-12

I loved this book just as well as the others, and the grimness just made it better. It starts off with the death of a supporting character, and has the characters eking out an existence in a valley where they believe everyone is dead, leaving you hoping at the end that a glimmer of hope may appear. However, it does have some sweet moments, like Fone and Smiley's little talk by the fireside and Phoney and Fone turning into Ishmael and Captain Ahab. All in all, you'll love this and all the other BONE books, whether you love Mickey Mouse or The Lord of the Rings (BONE is quite Tolkienesque.)

Great series takes a turn into the grim.......2004-05-11

With "Ghost Circles," the seventh of nine volumes, the "Bone" saga gets very, very serious. While still appropriate for all ages (there is nothing here you wouldn't let your eight-year-old read), this is hardly kiddy fare. It's dark, grim and rarely funny.

"Bone" is an epic story about three "bone creatures" and their adventures in a valley peopled with an assortment of crazy and interesting characters. Looming over it all is the menace of a great evil, revealed slowly over the course of nine volumes, intent on unleashing itself over the world. The series starts off lighthearted, but grows less so as the story unravels itself, as is evident with "Ghost Circles."

In "Ghost Circles," despair rules over all. It begins with the death of a supporting character, leads into suffering for all, and sees the main characters trudge through hopelessness before leaving the reader lingering with the hope that maybe, just maybe, a good end will come for the good guys.

Here, several story threads move ahead independent of each other, the characters separated by a great calamity in the valley. Throughout the volume, the threads appear to be drawing together - even as evil grows. When finishing this, you'll reach for the next volume right away.

Smith combines the kind of classic storytelling perfected by the likes of the legendary Carl Barks (Donald Duck, Uncle Scrooge) and Bill Watterson (Calvin & Hobbes) - pure cartooning with outrageous and expressive faces and gestures - with the epic and engaging plotting of a sweeping fairy tale. "Bone" manages to balance the two well enough to be something fans of both Donald Duck and Frodo Baggins can enjoy.

Jeff Smith's "Bone" series may be critically acclaimed, but it is also criminally overlooked. And that's too bad, because this deserves to be read.

And in the long run, it will be.

There is no doubt people will still be reading "Bone" 50 years from now. Broad and epic in scope yet personal and quaint, this is a charming story in every way that will surely outlast most other comic works on the shelf.

Pogo characters and a Disney heroine lost on another planet........2004-03-16

Sure, sure, the art and the storytelling are great as usual (even spellbounding at times), but I'm still not comfortable with the fact those Bone creatures were superimposed over well-known characters from an ancient comic strip, so that's why I still hate the series so much I no longer buy the books anymore and instead check them out at a local library.

And the plot itself is nothing new, either; a pubescent young princess-disguised-as-a-human-mortal discovers her own magical powers to go on a perilous quest and save the world. It's been done a billion times before in countless Disney movies and many manga books for the girlie audience. So why the eternal fascination with budding females of the royal status? No wonder Di never got a moment's peace.

Ghost Circles Review.......2002-11-29

The dilagoue is very exotic damped in the usual supense. I admired the well crafted drawings in ink text. Perhaps the ending leaves you lingering for a settled outcome and not held in high climax action. A well balanced adwantage to the epic saga is the modern humor clashing with the medival views.

Jeff Smith has mastered this comic with another inspiring idea of his imagination. He clung to some of the old traits he devloped in his pervious books. However,this is forgiven and I wish for you to read this. Get some hands on experince by reading the whole printed script collection first.

Good, but I'd be glad to see some advance in the story.......2002-03-13

Drawing and writing is great. Comic and dramatic mix uncannily, and the athmosphere is unique. Everything is great, but could'nt we go on whit the story?

Average customer rating:

Not just for teens!
Good-n-Creepy
Andys Review
Ryan's Reveiw
Hugely Appealing

Raven's Gate (The Gatekeepers)
Anthony Horowitz
Manufacturer: Scholastic Paperbacks
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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ASIN: 0439680093

Book Description

As punishment for a crime he didn't really commit, Matt was given a choice: go to jail or go live with an old woman named Mrs. Deverill in a remote town called Lesser Malling. He should have chosen jail. A strange and sinister plan is coming together made in Lesser Malling, with Matt at the center of it all. People who try to help him disappear . . . or die. It all ties to an evil place named Raven's Gate - a place whose destiny is horrifyingly intertwined with Matt's own.

Customer Reviews:

Not just for teens!.......2007-09-23

During a summer visit to my home town,my nephew Chris, introduced me to the Gate Keepers series. I was hooked.What a refreshing and thrilling writer Anthony Horowitz is! I am now starting in on the Alex Rider series. You can't go wrong with this author for young teens!

Good-n-Creepy.......2007-08-05

Matt isn't really a bad kid, he's just looking for someplace to belong and maybe a reason. He is however different from your average kids, and someone out there seems to know that. When he finds himself in the wrong place at the wrong time, Matt's entire life is ripped apart and he is sent on a journey that is more than a little strange, and altogether terrifying.

Worse yet, when he finds himself packed off to Lesser Malling, things get even weirder. Knowing he needs to escape the nightmare he is living, Matt is faced with mortality and his true self. But everyone who tries to help Matt ends up dead or missing. Is the place he's supposed to call home filled with witches or is there a greater evil at hand?

Anthony Horowitz writes a remarkably dark tale. As an adult, I wondered if it might be too graphic for the kids, but I could not put it down. I can see where readers of the dark and gritty would high five Mr. Horowitz's talent for the creepy. A very good read and I am looking forward to Evil Star.

Andys Review.......2007-05-22

This was an awesome book written by Anthony Horowitz. One of the most addicting books I have ever read. One of those books you can't even think of abandoning. The best part is that it's written perfectly a little descriptive yet right to the point at the same time.

This book is about a teenager by the name of Matt. Matt's parents died when Matt was only six. The day they died Matt realized something, he was different not only did he know his parents were going to die the way they did he dreamed it the exact way it happened every detail was precise. And from that day forth he has felt terrible for not telling his parents about the dream. Now in his teen years Matt's a real trouble maker, but one day he takes it to the next level a real theft at a warehouse. He gets caught his punishment is the LEAF project he is sent to Lesser Malling with Ms.Deverill Matt knows something weird is happening in Lesser Malling and he also knows he is a big part of it.

This book is easy to read but gruesomely describes murder scenes. So with that I would recommend this book to anyone above the seventh grade.

Ryan's Reveiw.......2007-05-21

Even though I've read only the first book in the series, I thught this book was very good. It was full of action and suspence and I just wanted to read and read.

Raven's Gate is a book about 5 children who saved the world thousands of years ago. Now Matt is just finding out that he is one of the five.He got sent away because he broke into a werehouse and his friend stabbed a security guard. Then he got sent to live with a women named with Mrs. Deverill and a few weeks living with her he starts to think she is crazy.
She works him to death snd when someone comes and tries to help him get away they wind up dead. Then he hears weird noises in the woods and sneeks out there and sees a fire with all the villagers around and phantom dogs coming out from the fire. He gets freaked out and runs and gets stuck in a bog and he gets free by a journalist who happened to drive by. The journalist takes him to London to meet a amn who is part of a organisation called the Nexus. But then when he goes and gets the keys he gets killed by skeleton dionsours. Mrs. Deverill kidnaps him and the next thing he knows he is on a slab of rock with all the villagers around. A moment later there is a knife plumeting at his heart. Will he survive or will the old ones break free and destroy the world?

This book is good for 11-14 years old.

Hugely Appealing.......2007-05-13

This book is yet another fast and easy read from Anthony Horowitz. He manages to take you on a fast paced journey, all the while giving you characters to care about. His words provoke such clear images that you feel there is a mini movie going on in your mind.
This one also plays with your mind, taking you through some evil twists and turns. By the end, you're anxious for the next in the series. The Power of Five series and the Alex Rider series are definitely appealing for adults as well as kids.

Average customer rating:

Great Conclusion
A fitting conclusion
Good Twist
The End
icefury19

The Power (The Secret Circle, Vol. 3)
L. J. Smith
Manufacturer: Eos
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Mass Market Paperback

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ASIN: 0061067199

Book Description

In So Deadly A Battle...

United at last with Diana, the mistress of her coven, Cassie must first sacrifice her love for Adam to save the Secret Circle and the town of New Salem from the evil powers of the witch Faye.

Threatened by the possibility of her destruction in a final battle between good and evil, Cassie must hope that her supernatural gifts are strong enough to obliterate the powers of evil.

If victorious, Cassie will win more than she ever dreamed. But if she and Diana fail, the Power will go to those who seek only to destroy.

...Can Anyone Triumph?

Customer Reviews:

Great Conclusion.......2007-02-03

I first read this book and the two before it as a teenager about a decade ago and still enjoy re-reading them. Through the story the characters change and grow lending an air of conviction and meaning to their actions and their fight. The true "villian" is not Faye, but the same dark force fought by the young coven's parents, with devestating results, the generation before. Cassie, Diana, and Faye come together to fight in the end.

A fitting conclusion.......2006-04-11

The first time around, I read this trilogy out of order. I picked this book up in a used bookstore when I was about ten, and I loved it so much that I went out and bought the two other books in the trilogy, and every other one that L.J. Smith had written at that point. Eight years later and it's still probably my favorite book by her.

The development of Cassie throughout all three books is fantastic, and so gradual that you almost don't see it until the second or third book, when you suddenly go, "Cassie, my girl! When did you grow a spine?" In the first book she's a mouse, and by the third one she's a heroine in every sense of the word, without being so larger-than-life and perfect that you can't identify her. The development of the other characters is equally fabulous.

As I mentioned in my review for the second book, I absolutely adore the fact that this author can have half a dozen seemingly disparate plots running, then tie them together in a way which is both elegant and believable. In this book, all of the loose ends are tied up: the Master Tools are found, Black John makes his appearance, the murders are solved, and the coven is faced the choice of standing together or falling apart. The final confrontation with the villain is more mystical than violent, and a fitting conclusion to this marvelous series.

The entire trilogy is excellent, but this is without a doubt the best book of the three.

Good Twist.......2005-07-12

I liked the twist in this book. I really wasn't expecting some of the things that happened, though they may have been right under my nose. I won't say more because I don't want to spoil the book for anyone, but you're going to be surprised.

This book, more than the first two, is very complex. Smith really does an excellent job of playing on many of the central themes of most pagan philosophy. The story is woven around the ideas of balance and sort of yin-yang philosophy. Plus, she obviously did her research on stones and herbs (as with the previous novels). The only complaint I really have is that there isn't a fourth book.

The End.......2004-12-25

In this conclusion ea. of the characters must really make a choice as to who they want to be. Despite all the characters being sworn into a coven they have never been united. There has always been Faye's gang of wild and reckless witches that like to use their powers to have fun and then Diana's gang of goody-goody brainiacs. Then there's Nick - who's remained quietly reserved about his feelings the whole time.
Now that there is a common evil outside of their group (John Black)they have made a pact to work together to destroy him, with the exception of Faye who is drawn to the power he possesses. Now the time has come. The final battle.
Together the coven must select a permanent leader and figure out a way of stopping John Black and protecting the town of New Salem.
I enjoyed every minute of this book. It was fully of mystery, romance, betrayal, strategic battles, poems, etc. But it really shows what we all experience and must battle (figuratively) while growing up and leaving HS.
I do however have one complaint and what really takes the review down from 5 to 4 stars is Cassie's choice in a mate. The 2nd book hinted at a likeness Nick had for Cassie but he really starts to open himself slowly up to Cassie and it is so sweet because you know how hard it is for Nick to lay openly exposed like that. But Cassie forever stays convicted to this love she has for Adam. I'm totally an advocate for love at first sight, but Adam is just too polite and nice w/o any layers at all. In her third "Dark Visions" book, "The Passion", she has a similar quartet of lovers. Kait and Cassie (the main characters) are very similarly attracted to the nice boy (Rob/Adam) but where "The Passions" ends w/ Kait discovering a true connection of equalness to the "bad boy" Gabriel this book ends w/ Cassie never really feeling any attraction to Nick - only using him as a security blanket while she battled her lust for Adam.
Nick and Cassie have so much in common - personality wise - and I think she could really make him happier and together they'd work so well. Whereas I just see quietness between Adam and Cassie - I think they'll end up just empty.
Despite my dissatisfaction w/ the person Cassie chooses (sorry for giving that away) I strongly reccommend you to read each of the books of this trilogy. They are just incredibly real!!

icefury19.......2004-10-26

This was a really terrific book and so is the author. Cassie loyalty to Diana is threaten by Faye when Faye find out some dirt on Cassie. Faye leads Cassie further into the path she walks. After doing her bidding, she releases John Black, the one who doing all the killing and who is Cassie father. He also turn the people against the witches. It ends up being Cassie who must stopped John Black. The ending is cool because Cassie ends up being a leader of the coven with Faye and Diana. The ending was awesome.

Average customer rating:

The plot thickens...
"That Was When the Man in Black came to New Salem..."
Great Book!
Cassie flirts with the dark side!
CHILLING!

The Captive (The Secret Circle #2)
L. J. Smith
Manufacturer: Eos (HarperCollins)
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Mass Market Paperback

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ASIN: 0061067156

Book Description

Can The Secret Circle Survive...

Lured into the most popular in-crowd imaginable, Cassie is intoxicated by her newfound strength, a power as addictive as it is perilous.

Caught between two members' consuming desires to use the coven's mysterious force, Cassie turns to one of their boyfriends, Adam--and falls captive to her own dangerous love.

Bewitched by the promise of love through magic, Cassie captures Adam's heart and upsets the delicate balance of power, unleashing a storm of fury no one anticipates.

...Or Will The Dark Struggle Of Good, Evil, And Tormented Love Consume Them All?

Customer Reviews:

The plot thickens..........2006-04-11

Of the three books in this trilogy, this is perhaps the slowest one to read, simply because the action is not as quickly paced as the first one, and so much happens during the course of the novel. This is the book where most of the plot development occurs, and this is where we really start to know the characters who are introduced in "The Initiation." This book also serves as set up for the third book, and the climax of the series.

The mystery in New Salem deepens. More people die under strange circumstances, and Cassie finds out that many of the coven members' parents died in the same year, 1976. On top of that, Faye blackmails Cassie, first into finding the crystal skull that Faye covets, and then into voting for Faye when leadership of the coven is being determined.

One of L.J. Smith's greatest strengths is her ability to weave separate plots into a cohesive whole, and none of her series show this quite so well as her Secret Circle books do. The separate-yet-connected events in this book are expertly tied together in the third one, leaving no loose ends in the process and keeping the reader enthralled until the last page is turned.

"That Was When the Man in Black came to New Salem...".......2004-09-12

"The Captive" is the second book in the Secret Circle Trilogy by L. J. Smith, her most worthwhile trilogy. In the first book "The Initiation", teenager Cassie Blake and her mother moved to New Salem, where she was adopted by a group of witches within the school, who needed a twelfth member for the completion of their coven. There were complications however: although Cassie is instant friends with the coven leader Diana, Diana's cousin Faye is hostile and manipulative toward her. Meanwhile, Cassie has fallen for Diana's boyfriend Adam, and now Faye is blackmailing Cassie into doing whatever she asks - if she doesn't, she'll tell Diana the truth.

And what Faye is after is the sinister crystal skull that the coven uncovered, but that Cassie suspects is somehow behind the awful deaths of several people within New Salem - and she knows that it'll become twice as dangerous if it ends up in Faye's hands. But telling Diana that her beloved boyfriend and her best friend have been cheating on her would break her heart, as well as see her kicked out of the coven. She seemingly has no choice but to get Faye the skull - but first she has to find it...

Meanwhile, Cassie is investigating other strange occurrences around New Salem - she's been experiencing odd dreams, and her mother and grandmother's behaviour is still secretive and aloof. She finds a sealed and blocked off cellar at the local cemetery, as well as an unusual feature on the graves of the other witches' parents - all of them died in 1976. What happened that year to kill so many of the first generation? Another time phenomena strikes Cassie as odd - all the teenage witches celebrate their birthdays within three months of each other, almost as if the parents coordinated their children's' births.

As well as this there is the usual teenager-novel fare: school dances, joy riding, bullying, hormones, raunchy games, and a sprinkling of witchy rituals throughout. Finally though, the story accumulates with the vote for the permanent coven leader, a position coveted by both Faye and Diana, and a disaster that reveals much of the back-story to the terrible happenings at New Salem.

However, the story ends with one of L. J. Smith's frustrating cliff-hangers which forces you to track down and pay for the next book before you find out what happens. I've always found this to be one of the most unappealing components of Smith's books, unlike book series like "Harry Potter" for example, with each installment containing a full, complete plot, Smith's books are divided into several volumes for the simple reasoning: they get more money this way. If there is a publication out there that combines all three of the books into one, I suggest getting that instead of spending money on three separate books.

"The Captive" is possibly the best book in the series, melding several mysteries and plot devices into a whole, with enough intrigue and suspense to keep anyone interested. Cassie's dilemma certainly makes compulsive reading, as does the duality between Diana and Faye, and the direction that the coven can take. The figure of Black John lurks in the background like a sinister shadow (and is certainly Smith's best villain) and again Smith deftly portrays the relationships and attitudes of normal, understandable characters in an abnormal situation. Here we get to see a little more of the personalities of the rest of the coven, and although the Cassie/Adam love match still seems a little unlikely to me, it shakes things up well for the final book "The Power".

Great Book!.......2003-07-17

I loved this book! The first Secret Circle book was good and this one was even better. I can't wait to read the conclusion to this series!

Cassie flirts with the dark side!.......2003-07-09

Faye, a powerful member of the coven, is blackmailing Cassie. Faye wants to have more power and be the leader of the coven and Cassie has to help her reach her goals. Cassie soon realizes that her actions may hurt Diana even more than the truth about Cassie and Adam would. Still, Cassie feels trapped and her only way to be free may be to join the dark side.

I enjoyed this one just as much as the first. The action didn't slow down and I was hooked throughout the entire thing. I also liked Cassie's brush with the dark side. It gave the series a depth that it may not have had otherwise. Another thing I liked was how the coven was no longer split up into groups of good and bad members. All in all this is a great middle book that doesn't fail to live up to the first.

CHILLING!.......2003-03-15

Book two began exactly where the first left off! Cassie was part of the Circle. Faye was blackmailing Cassie to help her become the Coven's leader when the votes were next cast. Cassie, torn between what she felt for Adam and her loyalty toward Diana, would do almost anything to keep Faye from twisting truths into believable lies!

Meanwhile, more dark energy escapes from the crystal skull and more kids are found dead from the high school. Cassie will lose a loved one, find her working stone, learn some shocking family secrets, and her grandmother will reveal who Black John is and where he is now!

Lastly, all secrets of all the Coven members are about to be revealed!

Amazon.com

Like David Almond's 1998 Whitbread-winning Skellig, this powerful, eerie, elegantly written novel celebrates the magic that is part of our existence--the magic that occurs when we dream at night, the magic that connects us to family long gone, the magic that connects humans to the land, and us all to each other. As Kit's grandfather puts it, "the tales and memories and dreams that keep the world alive."

It seems fated that 13-year-old Christopher Watson, nicknamed Kit, would move to Stoneygate, an old English coal-mining village where his ancestors lived, worked, and died. Evidence of the ancient coal pit is everywhere--depressions in the gardens, jagged cracks in the roadways, in his grandfather's old mining songs. A monument in the St. Thomas graveyard bears the name of child workers killed in the Stoneygate pit disaster of 1821, including Kit's own name--Christopher Watson, aged 13--the name of a distant uncle. At the top of this high, narrow pyramid-shaped monument is the name John Askew, the same name of Kit's classmate who takes the connection between this monument and life--and death--very seriously.

The drama unfolds as the haunted, hulking, dark-eyed John Askew draws Kit and other classmates into the game of Death, a spin-the-knife, pretend-to-die game that he hosts in a deep hole dug in the earth, with candles, bones, and carved pictures of the children of the old families of Stoneygate. Kit the writer and Askew the artist belong together, Askew keeps telling him. "Your stories is like my drawings, Kit. They take you back deep into the dark and show it lives within us still.... You see it, don't you? You're starting to see that you and me is just the same." Are they, though?

Kit's Wilderness conjures a world where the past is alive in the present and creeps into the future--a world where ancestral ghosts and even the slow-changing geology of the landscape are as tangible as lunch. Powerful images of darkness exploding into "lovely lovely light" filter throughout the story, as Almond boldly explores the dark side and unearths a joyful message of redemption. (Ages 11 and much, much older) --Karin Snelson

Book Description

The Watson family moves to Stoneygate, an old coal-mining town, to care for Kit’s recently widowed grandfather. When Kit meets John Askew, another boy whose family had both worked and died in the mines, Askew invites Kit to join him in playing a game called Death. Kit’s association with Askew takes him into the mines where the boys look to find the childhood ghosts of their long-gone ancestors.

Download Description

Thirteen-year-old Kit goes to live with his grandfather in the decaying coal mining town of Stoneygate, England, and finds both the old man and the town haunted by ghosts of the past.

Customer Reviews:

Surprisingly Good Book for both Young Adults and Adults!.......2007-03-16

David Almond's book was assigned to my juniors for their outside reading assignment. At first, it took me a little while to get accustomed to the author's style of writing but once I got into Kit's Wilderness, I got hooked by the story, the creepiness, suspense, and storylines. Kit Watson is a young man who moves to Stoneygate and gets involved with a bunch of his peers and a strange game called death. Of course, it's only a game but is it? Kit and his new friends are involved in this game. Kit's grandfather recalls stories of his youth and the stories of his past as well as the ghosts of Stoneygate. I found it fascinating that Kit and his friends have this morbid curiousity in contacting their dead ancestors or trying to experience death in this bizarre game.

Slow Start.......2007-02-18

Christopher Watson, nicknamed Kit, is thirteen when his grandmother dies and he and his parents go back to the old mining community of Stoneygate to live with his grandfather. There Kit meets Allie Keenan, the girl who protect him and drives him crazy, and John Askew, a loner most other kids avoid. John is drawn to Kit, though, telling him that their lives are connected, that the two of them are alike. He tells Kit to look at the monument to children who died several generations ago in the mines, and Kit finds that the top line of the monument reads "John Askew, aged thirteen." The bottom line reads "Christopher Watson, aged thirteen." At first Kit thinks that this coincidence means nothing, but then he starts to see the ghosts of the dead children. He writes a story with characters who seek him out in his dreams and leave him feeling they are just a little too real. Is Kit communicating with the dead? Or is everything just in his imagination?

There were some great things about this story. I liked the supernatural aspect; it worked really well. I liked the relationships Kit had with his grandfather and with Allie. I also liked the ending of the book. The beginning, though, was very slow. It took me about twenty pages to get into the story, instead of being hooked right from the beginning.

GREAT BOOK!!!.......2006-03-03

This book is great. It is about kids that play a game that no one would ever imagine. It is very interesting and I did not want to stop reading it. I definately recommend it to anyone who dosent enjoy reading or even people that do.

Original and atmospheric plot.......2005-09-12

This is one of the most amazing young adult novels I've ever read, and I sincerely hope that it becomes a classic one day. It's narrated by a very imaginative kid named Kit who recounts his adventures in an old mining town called Stoneygate. After his grandfather tells him stories of the history of the mines, Kit begins to "see" children from the past who died in the pit. Are the ghosts real? It's never really clear, just as the ghosts themselves are not clear, flickering at the edges of Kit's vision. It ultimatley doesn't matter. This is not a ghost story, but a testimonial to how certain places can retain an atomosphere from the past, in this case the old mines. Almond uses magical realism to make this very convincing. The images of the ancient children in the pit are not too detailed, challenging the reader's imagination to supply the details.

The only reason I didn't give it a five star rating is because the writing isn't as accessible as, for example, Harry Potter. This book isn't for everyone. Only kids who can appreciate imagery and subtleness will want to read it. They are the lucky ones.

Kit's Wilderness.......2005-06-10

"What must he give us?"
"Life."
"What do we promise him?"
"Death."

A book about kids from a coal-mining town playing a game called "Death". This mysterious game takes place in a cave, away from adults. A game where the victim "dies", then comes back from with many "exciting stories" from "death". The characters in this story always seem lost. Each and everyone of them have troubles and conflicts to deal with. The history of town is filling Kit, the main character, with questions and curiosity.

Who would enjoy reading this book? I think this book is great for anybody ages 12+. Not that anybody younger can't read this book, but it contains situations that are more mature; situations about growing up that are meant for older readers. Also situations about life and death.

This book was written by David Almond, an excellent author. But I think his book "Skellig" is the best.

Secret Circle Vol I: The Initiation (Secret Circle, Vol I)

Average customer rating:

Secret circle the initiation
I adore these books
A wonderful young adult book
I loved these books
Love It!

Secret Circle Vol I: The Initiation (Secret Circle, Vol I)
L. J. Smith
Manufacturer: Eos
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Mass Market Paperback

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ASIN: 0061067121

Book Description

The Circle's Power has Lured Her Home...

Cassie must confront a shattering challenge: an ordeal that could cost her life or gain her more than she's ever imagined...

Charmed by the Secret Circle, she's initiated into the mysterious "in crowd," a coven of young witches whose power has controlled New Salem for three hundred years.

Hopelessly in love with the coven leader's boyfriend, Cassie risks falling prey to dark powers in order to have him. But if she does, her endless love could destroy the coven, New Salem, and her!

...And She Will Emerge the Leader or Perish!

Customer Reviews:

Secret circle the initiation.......2007-05-07

I bought this book in a second hand book it is a briellient story and enjoyed reading it very much.

I adore these books.......2006-07-01

I first read these in high school and now atleast every 2 or 3 years I read them again. This time around (I'm 27 now) when I had the urge to read them I couldn't find them. I really wish they would make them into a movie trilogy! It's just a great read if you love nature and magic and remember being 16 and in highschool. I hope I read this until I am an old grandma and can get lost in time and pretend I am cassie!

A wonderful young adult book.......2006-04-11

I love this trilogy. I've loved it since I was about ten, and I still love it. It has pride of place on my bookshelf, and every now and again, I go back and re-read it.

In this first book, Cassie Blake, a highschool junior, finds herself suddenly uprooted when her mother moves them back to the tiny Massachusetts town of New Salem. They move in with her grandmother, and before long, a girl at Cassie's school has been murdered and Cassie has taken her place in the mysterious 'Club', a group of teenage witches who can trace their lineage all the way back to the days of the Salem witchcraft trials. Add to that is the menacing and beautiful Faye, Cassie's growing attraction to her best friend's boyfriend, and the search for the coven's lost Master Tools, and you have yourself a gripping and fast-paced start to a thrilling young adult trilogy.

That's not to say that the story doesn't have its problems, one of which is the somewhat underdeveloped secondary characters. Even this is excusable, however, given that there are eleven of them in the coven itself, not to mention various relations and townspeople. If nothing else, most of the coven members are clearly defined and given at least a few pages of close attention, such as the bike ride with Deborah in the second novel. Overall, a very satisfactory read, and well worth buying.

I loved these books.......2006-02-14

When I was about 13 or 14 I read and re-read these book over and over again. I even recorded them on tape so that I could listen to it while I was out and about.

I loved this trilogy.

Everyone can relate to Cassie in feeling different in a group and in this day and age magic is really popular, so this trilogy is the best for those that are coming of age in this time period when we are obsessed with darkness and magic, etc.

I plan on buying a new set because I wore my old set (given that was 13 years ago) out.

Love It!.......2005-07-12

I first read this book when I was 12. For some reason I was not able to get ahold of the next two books in the series. Well, the ending left me so curious to know what happened that I felt compelled (at the age of 24) to track down the next two books in the series to find out what happened. I have to say that I enjoyed reading it the second time as much as I enjoyed the first. The characters are all well formed and interesting. These books are an excellent synthesis of religious accuracy and compelling imagination.

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The Name's Freeman: Matt Freeman
The Name's Freeman: Matt Freeman
The Name's Freeman:Matt Freeman
The Name's Freeman:Matt Freeman
Read the short novella this is based on

Gatekeepers: Ravens Gate (After Words)
Anthony Horowitz
Manufacturer: Scholastic
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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ASIN: 0439856299

Book Description

As punishment for a crime he didn't really commit, Matt was given a choice: go to jail or go live with an old woman named Mrs. Deverill in a remote town called Lesser Malling. He should have chosen jail. A strange and sinister plan is coming together made in Lesser Malling, with Matt at the center of it all. People who try to help him disappear or die. It all ties to an evil place named Raven's Gate - a place whose destiny is horrifyingly intertwined with Matt's own.

Customer Reviews:

The Name's Freeman: Matt Freeman .......2007-03-11

Mathew Freeman is a boy of thirteen years of age living with a greedy Aunt named Gwenda Davis in London.At the age of eight years old Matt's parents were killed in a car accident on the way to a wedding. A strange thing happened though. The night prior to the day of the wedding, Matt had a dream that his parents would be killed in a car accident the next day. Right before they were all about to leave Matt suddenly said that he did not want to go with his parents to the wedding. He was an an only child and was a bit spoiled so naturally they agreed to let him stay with their neighbor, Ms. Green. Then later that morning a constable comes to their neighbors house and tells Matt that his parents died on the way to the wedding. He then fosters out and go lives with Gwenda Davis. Gwenda and her boyfriend then spend the fortune left to Matt by his parents . Matt then starts hanging out with a seventeen year old boy named Kelvin. He ends up getting busted as an accessory to murder while trying to rob an electronics warehouse. He is then put in the LEAF project and he is sent with an old lady to a small town named Lesser Malling which is a town full of vampires. He then runs into a secret organisation called the Nexus which is dedicated to fighting ancient evil beings called the Old Ones from coming to Earth through inter-dimensional gates. Matt finds out he is part of the five original gatekeepers born to keep the gates from opening. The first one is Ravens Gate. There are five boys and one girl. Matt will me new people and will be helped and hurt on his journey to destroy Ravens Gate. Matt survives life with Mrs.Deverell his new foster vampire parent. Will he succeed? Who are the Old Ones? Will Mathew Freeman survive Ravens Gate? This book answers all these questions as New York times Best-Selling author Anthony Horowitz does it again in Ravens Gate.

The Name's Freeman: Matt Freeman .......2007-03-11

Mathew Freeman is a boy of thirteen years of age living with a greedy Aunt named Gwenda Davis in London.At the age of eight years old Matt's parents were killed in a car accident on the way to a wedding. A strange thing happened though. The night prior to the day of the wedding, Matt had a dream that his parents would be killed in a car accident the next day. Right before they were all about to leave Matt suddenly said that he did not want to go with his parents to the wedding. He was an an only child and was a bit spoiled so naturally they agreed to let him stay with their neighbor, Ms. Green. Then later that morning a constable comes to their neighbors house and tells Matt that his parents died on the way to the wedding. He then fosters out and go lives with Gwenda Davis. Gwenda and her boyfriend then spend the fortune left to Matt by his parents . Matt then starts hanging out with a seventeen year old boy named Kelvin. He ends up getting busted as an accessory to murder while trying to rob an electronics warehouse. He is then put in the LEAF project and he is sent with an old lady to a small town named Lesser Malling which is a town full of vampires. He then runs into a secret organisation called the Nexus which is dedicated to fighting ancient evil beings called the Old Ones from coming to Earth through inter-dimensional gates. Matt finds out he is part of the five original gatekeepers born to keep the gates from opening. The first one is Ravens Gate. There are five boys and one girl. Matt will me new people and will be helped and hurt on his journey to destroy Ravens Gate. Matt survives life with Mrs.Deverell his new foster ampire parent. Will he succeed? Who are the Old Ones? Will Mathew Freeman survive Ravens Gate? This book answers all these questions as New York times Best-Selling author Anthony Horowitz does it again in Ravens Gate.

The Name's Freeman:Matt Freeman .......2007-03-11

Mathew Freeman is a boy of thirteen years of age living with a greedy Aunt named Gwenda Davis in London.At the age of eight years old Matt's parents were killed in a car accident on the way to a wedding. A strange thing happened though. The night prior to the day of the wedding, Matt had a dream that his parents would be killed in a car accident the next day. Right before they were all about to leave Matt suddenly said that he did not want to go with his parents to the wedding. He was an an only child and was a bit spoiled so naturally they agreed to let him stay with their neighbor, Ms. Green. Then later that morning a constable comes to their neighbors house and tells Matt that his parents died on the way to the wedding. He then fosters out and go lives with Gwenda Davis. Gwenda and her boyfriend then spend the fortune left to Matt by his parents . Matt then starts hanging out with a seventeen year old boy named Kelvin. He ends up getting busted as an accessory to murder while trying to rob an electronics warehouse. He is then put in the LEAF project and he is sent with an old lady to a small town named Lesser Malling which is a town full of vampires. He then runs into a secret organisation called the Nexus which is dedicated to fighting ancient evil beings called the Old Ones from coming to Earth through inter-deminsional gates. Matt finds out he is part of the five original gatekeepers born to keep the gates from opening. The first one is Ravens Gate. There are five boys and one girl. Matt will me new people and will be helped and hurt on his journey to destroy Ravens Gate. Matt survives life with Mrs.Deverell his new foster ampire parent. Will he succeed? Who are the Old Ones? Will Mathew Freeman survive Ravens Gate? This book answers all these questions as New York times Best-Selling author Anthony Horowitz does it again in Ravens Gate.

The Name's Freeman:Matt Freeman .......2007-03-11

Mathew Freeman is a boy of thirteen years of age living with a greedy Aunt named Gwenda Davis in London.At the age of eight years old Matt's parents were killed in a car accident on the way to a wedding. A strange thing happened though. The night prior to the day of the wedding, Matt had a dream that his parents would be killed in a car accident the next day. Right before they were all about to leave Matt suddenly said that he did not want to go with his parents to the wedding. He was an an only child and was a bit spoiled so naturally they agreed to let him stay with their neighbor, Ms. Green. Then later that morning a constable comes to their neighbors house and tells Matt that his parents died on the way to the wedding. He then fosters out and go lives with Gwenda Davis. Gwenda and her boyfriend then spend the fortune left to Matt by his parents . Matt then starts hanging out with a seventeen year old boy named Kelvin. He ends up getting busted as an accessory to murder while trying to rob an electronics warehouse. He is then put in the LEAF project and he is sent with an old lady to a small town named Lesser Malling which is a town full of vampires. He then runs into a secret organisation called the Nexus which is dedicated to fighting ancient evil beings called the Old Ones from coming to Earth through inter-deminsional gates. Matt finds out he is part of the five original gatekeepers born to keep the gates from opening. The first one is Ravens Gate. There are five boys and one girl. Matt will me new people and will be helped and hurt on his journey to destroy Ravens Gate. Matt survives life with Mrs.Deverell his new foster ampire parent. Will he succeed? Who are the Old Ones? Will Mathew Freeman survive Ravens Gate? This book answers all these questions as New York times Best-Selling author Anthony Horowitz does it again in Ravens Gate.

Read the short novella this is based on.......2006-08-19

Back in the late 80's early 90's, Anthony Horowitz wrote a series of novellas called "The Power of Five" The titles were: The Devils Doorbell; Night of the Scorpian; The Silver Citadel and Day of the Dragon. I believe there was a fifth, but it's so rare that I'm not even aware of the title.

This,and the books that will follow, are based on those tales and such a hatchet job the man has done with the premise.

He has taken the novella's, padded them out and added more characters and text, the result of this means that the contrast in the writing styles is extremely noticeable. As unfortunately, he seems to be trying to drag in all of his 'Alex Rider' fans, so, in place of one boy trying to make sense of his destiny, we have vast organisations who know of him, feeding him the plot and traipsing round after him. And of course he is no longer an innocent orphan, but a hard edged 'street' boy (or something similar). Cue lots of explosions and action and say farewell to the chilling atmosphere that made the originals so special.

If you can find any of the original 'Power of Five' series... read them...

Average customer rating:

The Practice of " Magic"
'Circle of fire'
nameless
My Review
Thriling,mysterious,exciting to the end!mmmmm loved it!

Circle of Fire #11 (Fear Street)
R.L. Stine
Manufacturer: Golden books
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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ASIN: 0307248003
Release Date: 1999-12-31

Customer Reviews:

The Practice of " Magic".......2002-11-06

Mia a lonely girl that goes to a private college now is in to something she would had never tought of doing withtout little help of her new friends. One night she cought some girls doing black magic in the barn next to there college and gets involved, she is the 5th wheel as you would want to call it. Well i am not going to tell you anymore!! You see for yourself.

I would recommend this book to everyone that likes to read and make it fun. I think this book was great, it catches the readers attention and makes it so you can't put the book down. When I read this book I just wouldn't put it down, I wanted to find out what was about to happen in the fallowing chapter. The suspence is just something that can't be beat, its great. I am glad that i own this book and some of the other books R.L. Stine has writen and i would suggest that you take the time out to read this book, if you dont have it barrow it from and friend or go out and buy it for your joy!!

'Circle of fire'.......2002-01-07

Circle of fire was a great book, but like R.L. Stine's previous books, it's VERY scary. Unlike most horror books,it isn't boring in the beginning. One of the reasons it's so great is that you can relate to the main character, Mia. Mia is just another girl at school until she joins a group that practices the dark arts. But will they let her survive leaving it? Very suspensful. A must buy.

nameless.......2001-05-04

I don't remember the little stuff of the story because i read this last year but it's a totally great book and a master bonechiller.this is an exiting story about a girl named Mia Saxton who doesn't have any friends at her all-girl school.this group of girls asks her to be in there group to form rituals.it's really creepy.my friend let me borrow it and when i got home i couldn't put down.the book people die in it too!it's so COOL!!!I'm telling you that you should really read this book!im really suggesting this book!!!!later peeps!

My Review.......2000-01-06

I think that this book is a master piece from R L Stine.The main idea of this book is really original.While reading this book we never get bored and this whole book is full of suspense and horror. I really loved this book.

Thriling,mysterious,exciting to the end!mmmmm loved it!.......1999-01-03

Since I'm into wicca ,I had to read it , also helped with my english.I was so impressed with the DOOR OF DEATH as well,my advice to u is read this BOOK and alsoTHE DOOR OF DEATH because if you liked th circle of fire you'll love DOOR OF DEATH!!!

Circle of Three #11: The House of Winter (Circle of Three)

Average customer rating:

Too horror-like
getting dull
Close but no cigar
Close but no cigar
An Avid Reader

Circle of Three #11: The House of Winter (Circle of Three)
Isobel Bird
Manufacturer: HarperTeen
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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ASIN: 0064473686
Release Date: 2001-11-06

Book Description

Winter's cold and winter's darkness,
wraps us in these frozen hours.
as the ceaseless wheel turns we call
the sun to warm us with its power.

Cooper, Annie, and Kate celebrate the winter solstice in true Wiccan spirit. The threesome joins practitioners of the Craft in a remote, haunted house in the wintry mountains. An unexpected blizzard strikes, and the girls cannot resist the lure of the dark house's shrouded mystery.

Download Description

Special PerfectBound E-Book Feature! The Death Mask Ritual - Isobel Bird describes a ritual for making a death mask and exploring your own feelings about death. Cooper, Annie, and Kate celebrate the winter solstice in true Wiccan spirit. The threesome joins practitioners of the Craft in a remote, haunted house in the wintry mountains. An unexpected blizzard strikes, and the girls cannot resist the lure of the dark house's shrouded mystery.

Customer Reviews:

Too horror-like.......2002-05-09

This book was somewhat disappointing to me.

Its story of good and evil ghosts, playing with dark magick, possession, and other elements was more suited to a teen horror thriller, not a series that up until now has done a realistic, respectful treatment of what real Wicca is.

The story itself is entertaining, but not what I've come to expect from this series.

getting dull.......2002-04-04

I have liked others in the series, but this one just didn't click for me. The 'twist' at the end was extreamly easy to guess. Her passive writing style is also beginning to grate, it's far too preachy and contained. The book didn't do anything good with the characters at all. Isobel's writing is losing it's spark, and I think she's relying to much on the fact that the girls are studying Wicca, instead of the real storyline. If you plan to buy this book just to see what type of Yule lore there is, and ideas for rituals, save your money. And if you still want to read it, get it out from the library.
In summary, the passion has left the series. I can only hope it will come back soon.

Close but no cigar.......2002-01-09

Hello again from sunny California I give this book 4 stars. Please do don't think I'm being to harsh first hear me out. Like other of her book's it was full of magic and suspense. But yet it felt like it missed something. The house of Winter is about when the four girls set of for a weekend at the "Haunted Hotel" with the rest of their class. They meet the hotel owner's twin daughter's who have seen a ghost {Mary}who is traped in a diffrent dimension she must complete her buisness in order to be released and finally be in peace. But one of the sisters does not want her to be released and will do anything not to see it happen. Which sister is trust worthy and which one is just seeking for their own personal advange.

Close but no cigar.......2002-01-09

An Avid Reader.......2002-01-02

This is the latest in the "Circle of three" series and my favorite. It has our favorite three "almost witches" trapped in an extremely old hotel. Although the Cooper, Annie, and Kate find themselves far from the comfort of their small town, the hotel gives them plenty of action in the midst of a blizzard. If you enjoyed Bird's craftily written characters and their "witchy" adventures then you are sure to be wrapped up in this roller coaster of adventure.

Average customer rating:

In the Stone Circle,Book Review
In The Stone Circle
In The Stone Circle
Katie's Review
Welsh history is great!

In the Stone Circle
Elizabeth Cody Kimmel
Manufacturer: Scholastic Paperbacks
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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ASIN: 0439062594

Book Description

Fourteen-year-old Cristyn is unhappy about spending the summer in Wales, where her father will be researching his book. From the moment they arrive, though, things prove to be anything but dull.

Customer Reviews:

In the Stone Circle,Book Review .......2006-01-24

In the Stone Circle, Book review

This book tells the story of a 13th century princess and how her secrets unveil. The book "In the Stone Circle" by Elizabeth Cody Kimmel Cristyn, Miranda, and Dennis use friendship and determination to reveal the secrets of the 13th century princess Carwen. I recommend this book because it is believable, touching and interesting makes this book amazing and wonderful. I believe you will love this book as much as I do. This book will knock your socks off enjoy the book!
In the story of this princess you will find the themes of friendship and determination but the main theme is determination. Cristyn doesn't give up or let down determination to expose the secrets of Carwen. She does everything to find out who she is and why she's here. But one thing in particularly she does is watch Carwen replay here awful life. It's not only Cristyn who show determination but also Carwen looks to find what went wrong to get her only father , her stepmother, and herself killed by her greedy and jealous fiancés army. For friendship Miranda, Dennis, and also Cristyn inspire to be and have better friends. The theme is very important but the characters make it come alive.
There are many characters in this book but the three incredible characters are the main ones. They are Cristyn, Miranda, and Dennis, there personalities vary and here they are, Cristyn personality is determination, Miranda has a jealous mood because everyone gives there attention to Dennis. Dennis has a free spirited and rainbow personality, switching on and off. There moods change within the book, Cristyn at the beginning had a same old, same old mood, and by the end Miranda learns to have a determination mood. Miranda has black hair and glasses like her mother. Cristyn has brown curly hair and Dennis has just brown hair. The relationship you might ask Cristyn's father and Miranda's mother are working together. The themes make it interesting the characters make it come alive and there is the setting that puts it to place.
Many setting take place in this book but it is interesting because it takes place, both in the present and in the past. The families are vacationing in Wales in a damp stone house on the edge of town. The family lives in the present Carwen lives in the past. Cristyn, Miranda and Dennis watch Llywen replay her life. Carwen is a ghost princess if you haven't figured that out already. At the very end Carwen decides to move on and stop replaying her life. Carwen future is the family's present. The setting is the most interesting part every body paragraph plays its own role.
Overall I recommend this book to anyone who has lost a loved one and couldn't pass over it. Carwen personally in my opinion was the main character. She eventually passes over being dead and having her family gone. They all show plenty of determination including Dennis. Carwen lives in the cellar of her past. This book makes you experience how your troubles relate to others. For all who got lost in there past and can't find it anymore. Enjoy!

In The Stone Circle.......2005-11-10

`My life could not, under any circumstances be worse." Is how Elizabeth kimmel starts her story. It makes you wonder why doesn't it. I think the theme is sort of a Ghost story (but still serious). The characters are Chrysten, Miranda, and Dennis. Christyn is a teenager who is forced to go on a vacation to Whales and share a room in a 1,000 year old house. Miranda is a teenager, too she is also Chrysten's roommate. Dennis Miranda's little brother is an annoying 8 year old. The genre is probably Humorous fiction and realistic fiction. Kimmel is a wonderful writer. I love her books. I recommend this book if you want a good book to read. By D.Garrett.

In The Stone Circle.......2005-10-30

I liked the book "In the Stone Circle" because it's a ghost story and a mystery. My favorite part was when Cristyn and Maranda got locked in the basement. I liked that the setting was in a different country, Wales. I thought it was interesting to find out about Carwen and her past life. This book was easy to read. I recomend this book because its interesting and you can get into it easily.
This book starts out in Ohio with the main character, Cristyn, who is 14. Crystin and her dad are planning on moving to Wales for the summer so her dad can write a book. Mrs. Dunham is Cristyn's dad's assistant and she is going to join them with her daughter Maranda who is 14, and son Dennis who is 8. Cristyn isn't happy about spending her summer in Wales. They get to Wales and strange things start happening. For example, Cristyn starts seeing ghost images of what happened in the past to this ghost named Carwen. Carwen is trying to tell Cristyn something. While this is happening, Cristyn and Maranda are fighting a lot, but they work things out. The ghost, Carwen, is trying to tell Cristyn to find her lost necklace that her dad gave her. Cristyn finds the necklace and goes to the stone circle to give it to Carwen and that reunites Carwen and her dad.

Katie's Review.......2005-06-07

I thought this was one of the best books I have ever read.
I have re-read it twice and the second time I read it it had taken me only two days. Now, I travel sometimes with my class and whenever we do I bring "In The Stone Circle." It had alot of description. I thought that the events that took place were very well thought out. I liked the part where the two girls, Christen and Miranda were trapped in the stair well. It was very intense. At parts I predicted what was going to happen, though at others I couldn't figure out what was going on. I think this will be my favorite book of all time. I look forward to reading other books from this author.

Welsh history is great!.......2004-02-11

I read other ghost stories like Time for Andrew and Wait Til Helen Comes, but In the Stone Circle just sucked me in. Since I am a history nut, I was fascinated by the Welsh history. The ghost was equally fascinating. I would highly recommend this book to others.

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