A Books

The story, The True Story Of The Three Little Pigs by Jon Scieszka is about a wolf named Alexander T.Wolf and three little pigs. People think they know the story of the three little pigs but everything is all wrong. This is the "real" story of the three little pigs. Once upon a time there was a wolf that was making a birthday cake for his granny. But he didn't have a cup of sugar so he went to ask his neighbor who was a pig. The first pig made his house out of straws. He wasn't too smart. Alexander knocked on the door but nobody answered. Then, Alexander called "Little pig, little pig are you home?" But nobody answered. The wolf was about to go home without any sugar for his granny's birthday cake. Alexander sneezed a great sneeze. And then he saw the first pig had dead. Alexander said "We can't leave a great dinner here." So you know what he did? He ate dinner. But still he didn't have a cup of sugar for his granny. So he went to the first pig's brother who was a little smarter then the first pig. He built his house and said, Mr. Pig, Mr. Pig are you here? Pig said, "Go away, I am shaving the hair on my chinny, chin chin". Alexander said, "Could I have a cup of sugar?" But the pig said he was too busy. He sneezed and sneezed. That sneeze broke the house down. The second pig was dead so you know what Alexander did? He had dinner again. But he still didn't have a cup of sugar. So he went to the other pig brother. Alexander knocked on the door and said "Mr. Pig, Mr. Pig are you in?" The third pig said "Get out of here." "Mr. Pig can you gave me a cup of sugar for my dear old granny's birthday cake?" But the pig didn't give him anything. Then the wolf sneezed and sneezed but the house didn't fall over. Then the third pig was so smart because he made his house out of bricks. The pig said, "Your old granny can sit in pin. But Alexander never let anyone talk about granny like that. When someone talks about his granny he goes crazy. Then the cops saw the wolf go crazy they thought he was dangerous so they put him in jail and the newspapers.

I think the pigs did have a cup of sugar. I don't think the house was falling because he sneezed. Who could break a house down just by sneezing? He says he is a good wolf but he is really not. I don't think the pigs were dead. Maybe they just fainted and the wolf ate them anyways. I think other people will enjoy this book because Alexander is lying but people will notice right away.

By Abby M.

The True Story of the Three Little Pigs by A. Wolf (Picture Puffin)
I use this book for the sixth graders I teach in writing a "response to literature." They look at several aspects of a story and learn to critically respond to it. Since everyone knows the Three Little Pigs, this fun version captures their interest.

Many think of the story "The three little pigs" as a worn out fairy tale. This book puts a new twist to the tale by adding a different point of view ... particularly from the WOLF's side. My children "howl" at the wolfs version of his mistreatment and being so misunderstood by the world. Opens ears of kids to listen to both sides and make up your mind as to what really happens..... my kids determined the wolf was full of it and the pigs in the end win out in their minds. Very funny book.

Poor Big Bad Wolf - he always gets a bad rap. But now he is here telling his side of the story. According to him, it's all about a sneeze and a cup of sugar. Once again, Smith's illustrations are highly amusing, as is the story of a misunderstood wolf who happened to be in the wrong place at the wrong time (Riiiiiiiight). I love how the story has been jazzed up with phrases such as - "Can you believe it? I mean, who in his right mind would build a house of straw?" (as said by the wolf). This book really is short and sweet and hopefully it will make readers think about whose side of the story is correct.

I really like Jon Scienszka - especially _The Stinky Cheese Man and other tales_; but I suspect his stories are geared for a slightly older audience (age 5 and up) than for younger children, as the humor in _The True Story of the 3 Little Pigs_ is a bit sophisticated for younger (and more literal) children.

With that said, the premise - that the Big Bad Wolf is misunderstood, and the deaths of the 3 Little Pigs was just a big misunderstanding - is great: I like the idea of teaching children to empathize and think beyond the literal. And certainly children will develop this as they grow. I do recommend the book - the art, the story and the telling of it are masterfully done. However think about the relative intellectual maturity of the audience before buying ... it may be good wine before its time.

I read this book the first time when I was in Jr. high school. I know I have reread it at least ten times. I have 2 copies one falling apart and one to lend to friends. As you can surely see I love this book.

Yes! I have read a few books that I wanted to read again. However, "Mrs. Mike" by Benedict and Nancy Freedman found me wanting to re-read chapters the first time through.
This treasure will be stored in a special place to be read again and again when I want to go back in time, feel feelings and thank God for talented authors.
I wish I had found it as a teenager, or a young mother. Guess this retiree should just be grateful that I was given this warm gift in my latter years.

Mrs Mike is an old friend. I first read and enjoyed this book more than 35 years ago. This story chronicals the life of mountie Sgt Mike and Mrs. Mike. It honestly chronicals these lives and shows that it is in the sharing of the small things that make life joyful. I'm so happy to be able to now be able to now share this book with my neice

I just got this book again since I lost/loaned my first copy. Although some have critisized the writing style, and the facts, I really enjoyed this book. I think it's one to keep on your shelf and pull out from time to time to reread.

I found this book in the school library when I was in 7th grade. I read it every year I was in school there. It was a wonderful story about a young girl who falls in love with a good man and talks about their life together. It made me laugh, cry, and cry some more. I would recommend it to anyone who likes a good story. It is a great book.

I am a divorce attorney. I order ten copies of this book at a time and give copies out to people who are hurting. You can read this book in one night, and I recommend that you read this book over again during the next days as needed.

When my own girlfriend/partner had a sudden stroke, I was devastated. One of my divorce clients who I had given this book to, told me, Gary, there is this book.... I read this book again that night, and found it to be quite helpful as I supported my Marilee with her stroke and then a painful death from cancer that was discovered.

This is an excellent book for anyone who is experiencing a loss, be it due to divorce or separation, or any other loss, such as a sudden illness of a loved one, or even the loss of your own employment, etc. Also, people who initiate a divorce are also suffering from a loss, albeit a less sudden loss. They are faced with the loss of the dream that they had when they committed to their partner.

This book walks through many of the steps involved with loss, and the three mega-stages of surviving, healing and growing.

But this book! Dollar for dollar, it will be one of the very best investments you will ever make. When you are next hurting due to an unexpected loss, read this book that day, and the next day or days as you need to. And buy a second copy of this book to give to friends who are devastated by loss.

THIS IS ONE OF THE BEST BOOKS I HAVE EVER READ!! ITS SO POWERFUL FOR YOUR HEART, BODY, AND SOUL!!

This is one of the best Self-Help books ever written! Even though it is a little corny and uses bad poems, I use it every time I have had a major loss and it has served me well. It defines loss and the stages of grief, and helps you work your way through them.

My younger sister gave this to me 15 years ago when I was going through of very painful divorce. She was reluctant to give a book to me and told me so. However, the type of book it is gives you little bits of stuff to hold onto as you go through the emotional roller coaster of losing someone you love, be it from divorce or death.

I have purchsed several copies of this book over the past years to help others. There were days I didn't know how I was going to get out of bed. So, I'd pick it up and skim through it and it really made a difference.

My latest purchase was form the widower of the sister that first bought it for me. She died of leukemia at only age 50 in April 2007. I thought that perhaps if he knew she had bought this book for me, that it would also help him.

I recommend that one keeps extra copies for those times when we don't know quite what to say to someone who is hurting. This book says it for us.

This is a great book. Although a lot of the book centers around divorce, it is a great help for those who have suffered a death. Although don't get most of the poems it is a great help and makes you realize you are not going through this alone, there are people who feel the same as you.

Presidential biographer David Maraniss ("First in His Class") turned his attentions away from Washington, D.C., and towards Lambeau Field in this remarkable book. His subject was Coach Vince Lombardi, who took over a losing program and turned Green Bay, Wisconsin, the smallest market in professional sports, into "Title Town, U.S.A."

Immediately prior to Lombardi's acceptance of the head coaching position, the Packers managed to win only a single game in an entire season. In short order, Lombardi made Green Bay synonymous with victory. The trophy given to the team that wins the Super Bowl is now named for Lombardi. The Packers won the inaugural Super Bowl and repeated the following year under their celebrated head coach.

Lombardi was a star player for Fordham when that university still had a football program. He developed and refined his coaching abilities at the high school level and he was promoted to assistant coaching positions at the United States Military Academy (West Point) and with the New York Giants of the NFL.

As Maraniss demonstrates, Lombardi enjoyed influence throughout the country during the Sixties: he became a much sought after business conference speaker and Richard M. Nixon even contemplated offering him a place on the political ticket of the Republican Party for a brief time.

This is a superior biography and a document of a time that now has gone.

This is the best sports biography that I've ever read, and is the gold standard by which I rate every other sports bio. I originally read the book when it was published in 1999 and decided to read it again. I didn't realize that I had forgotten so many details. Many of the games discussed I remember like it was yesterday. If you were a Packer's or NFL fan from the 60s this is a must read book.

I'm very skeptical of Amazon's public reviews as I find 80% +++ of the reviewers are too easily impressed (especially business/investment books). Most grossly overrate books. With such skepticism, I did scan through a page or two of the now 138 reviews to see why anybody would give this book < 5. Two compliants said it had too much minutia and wrote too much about Vince's early life. I find that most if not all biographies talk too much about the person's early life and the person's lineage. I usually scan the early chapters of a biography until I get into the person's adult years. On my second reading of this book I picked it up around Vince's time at West Point.

One last point about the author. I've also read First in His Class & his book about Roberto Clemente. Both were excellent books. However, Maraniss did co-author a book with a younger woman, who's title I forget. It was obvious from the reading that the woman had written most of the book and Maraniss wrote little of the book. His name may have been listed as a co-author to sell books.

I couldn't help feeling that I was right there in frozen Green Bay, in the 1960s, at one of the Lombardis' Sunday post-game cocktail parties, and everywhere else Vince Lombardi went in his life, while reading this great book.
It's a great read, very vivid, about a great coach and (as Maraniss illustrates) not the greatest father in the world. In other words, a portrait of a human being who did great things with his work, but who had foibles like everybody else.

This biography of Vince Lombardi will move you to tears and inspire you to find the best in others. Lombardi was truly a great teacher, coach, and man.

I picked up this book after hearing a strong recommendation. I knew next to nothing about Vince Lombardi, other than that he was an excellent football coach. Very glad I bought the book as this was a particularly engrossing biography.

The author was very thorough in his research and traces Lombardi's life in detail for his full nearly 60 years. He provides a lot of detail on Lombardi's strengths and weaknesses. At times I wanted to slug him and tell him to quit being so intense about football and pay more attention to his family. Other times, I found myself admiring the daylights out of him. It is astonishing to think he could take the most losing team in football and turn them into major winners in just one season.

There's a lot of food for thought in this biography. Is winning really so important that you should sacrifice your family and your health? Is success really success if you never enjoy it? As a recovering perfectionist, I saw many powerful examples from Lombardi's life about why I DON'T want to be a perfectionist! Nothing is ever good enough, and you never, ever get to be happy. That is one lesson in Lombardi's life that really comes blasting out of every story.

If you like biographies, you will really enjoy this one. Glad I decided to pick it up.

Jan Dahlin Geiger, author of "Get Your Assets in Gear! Smart Money Strategies" Get Your Assets in Gear! Smart Money Strategies

Nothing I could write here would explain how great of a book you are about to purchase. All I can say is... I loved it as a child and my son loves it. Stop wasting time and buy it now!!

let me just say first off (and some of you may boo at me for this) that i am not a big fan of poetry, especially those that don't rhyme, layered with so much metaphor wrapped in some sort of old english language. those of you who can appreciate those, know i'm more than eager to submit in the "im not worthy! im not worthy!" throes. call it barbaric or just plain shallow, but i'd rather stick to the sing-songy rhymes of my elementary days.

now, saying that i absolutely loved Where the Sidewalk Ends should not be construed as a statement that Silverstein's work is shallow. piddling my knowledge might be about bodies of poetry, in whatever form, this one thing i am sure of: that though this book can be read to kids (and [gasp!] can actually be understood and enjoyed by them), it somehow still manages to deliver punchlines that could draw forth a surprised smile or chuckle from an adult--at least those not totally drowning in cynicism or morbid depression. but who knows...

a lot of the poetry here are funny (not outright hilarious, more like plain goofy), and yet come to think of it, still some of those are actually quite sad, with undertones about life and life experiences we take for granted. like the "Snowman", "Invention", "What's in the Sack?", "I Won't Hatch!", "The Garden", "The Little Blue Engine", and even the subtly poignant "Love".

whether you actively seek a moral in any of the poems or just want to go for some light reading, this book (in my opinion) is sure to leave you with a wistful feeling. exactly about what...well, i can't say. but i loved it. and for me that's more than okay.

Got it for my girlfriend.. she loves it. I had never read it before and the poems are very cute, for both kids and adults. I highly recommend it.

Shel Silverstein's poems are so enjoyable because they are fun but also touch on the realities of life. Along with the fun poetry are some great illustrations!

I loved this book as a child. My kids like it. It is hilarious. The poems are absolutely hysterical and easy to remember. They are gross, silly and use fun words- is there anything better to a kid?

Buy this. Read it. Love it.

Of course, if you're uptight, think children should never laugh too loudly, then this would NOT be the book for you.

GREAT! This harrowing and vivid tale of the horrid struggles of the sugar plantation workers of the Caribbean truly opens the eyes of the uninformed. This tale will seem strikingly familiar to those of the sharecropping system of the American deep south. Dr. Cambeira paints a wonderful picture for the reader and I would recommend this novel to all.

From the very first page I was addicted to this novel, I could barely put it down. The elaborate description of every detail in the book puts you right into the middle of the Caribbean sugar plantation. The character development throughout the novel and how they intertwine with one another made me feel that I was right there with them throughout the story. I could imagine each of the characters as being real people and not just characters in a novel. Dr. Cambeira's build up of suspense in the book keeps you on the edge of your seat to know what happens next. The novel not only told an amazing story but left me with a knowledge of the history of the Dominican Republic that I had no idea about. Through his words it is easy to tell that Dr. Cambeira is very passionate about his native island and the story is a beautiful representation of that. I am looking forward to reading the sequel and finding out what happens to Azúcar next.

I began this book with a desire to learn more of the Dominican Republic and its people. What I took from it was a better understanding of the sugar enterprise and its people. From the very beginning this book hooked me and maintained a steady story plot build up till the conclusion. Even at the end of this book, though satisfied with the ending it left me with a desire to read more of what happens to the main Character: Azucar. The colorful language, intriguing detail, complex character development, and catchy story plot, really set the tone for the first novel of Alan Cambeira's trilogy. This book is a must read for any fan of Historical Fiction, especially if there is an interest in the Caribbean.

I looked forward to reading this book, but I just couldn't get past all the errors. Didn't anyone edit/proofread it before sending it out to print? I also found the language the characters used extremely distracting. Many words and phrases DO NOT translate too well from Spanish to English and vice versa. I tried to look beyond all of this, but I couldn't do it.

I'm amazed by the large number of 5 star reviews. I don't "buy" it.

I was very excited when a friend bought me this book from my wish list for Christmas. With all of the excellent reviews on Amazon I couldn't wait to get started. Initially, the book was very good, however, the further I progressed, the harder it got to read. I felt that the book was let down by poor editing as it was full of spelling and typographical errors which were extremely distracting. The deathbed confessions were simply blurted out, almost like the author had to finish the book quickly and the reveal the 'mysteries' - and to be honest, I would have been happier if the book finished there. From hereon in, the storyline became predictable but at the same time ridiculous. The final chapters were particularly weak and simply unbelievable; reminiscent of a trashy cheap novel. I won't be purchasing the rest of the trilogy.

I read this book about 25 years ago and am pleased that I am enjoying it very much again! She writes very well. In the meantime, I have becomes convinced by reading new studies of the subject, that she has the wrong guy killing the "Princes in the Tower", but she's such a good writer and builds her story and "case" very well, so I am going to enjoy it anyway!

Rather than a novel of Richard III, this book was the tragedy of Richard III. I thought the writing was incredible and engrossing. Part one was a little slow, but necessary to paint the whole picture of Richard. Overall it was a book that was well worth the time and attention. I absolutely loved it. The mystery of the princes in the tower combined with the circumstances surrounding Richard's death and his short reign as King, made this book one that will haunt me for a long time.

What a wonderful book! I know a book is great when I am sorry it has to end.

It is always a relief to find historical fiction that is not only historically accurate but also tells a great story. Very well written and entertaining.

Of course, Penman creates personalities and motives and conversations; that is the definition of fiction. But she does it well within the bounds of the facts. You may disagree with her, and that's okay, because she will make you think about why you disagree with her. I love fiction that makes me think and makes me want to learn more about the characters and their lives.

A notable point about Penman is that she does have historical "sense." Her characters exist in their time, not ours. That is so often not the case in historical fiction (the dreaded Philippa Gregory comes to mind!).

I highly recommend this book.

The Sunne in Splendour tells the complicated story of Richard III, the last of the Plantagenet Kings. Younger brother of Edward IV, Richard would never have become king if not for a series of political maneuverings on his part. History (and Shakespeare) have made Richard out to be an evil, greedy hunchback; Sharon Kay Penman tells the story of a man who was fiercely loyal to the people he loved and who was reluctant to take the throne. Richard had his faults, to be sure; but in this novel, he comes off as extremely sympathetic.

Penman has a writing style that literally had me hooked from the first sentence. A trite cliché, I know, but I was definitely drawn in from the first page. I knew in advance of reading the story what the outcome would be, but still I kept on reading to see what would happen. The novel is fiction based on fact that sometimes seems like fiction.

The characters are well drawn; and while the book is ostensibly about Richard, we get to see the story as seen through the eyes of others, which I thought was well done. Penman has a knack of really getting into her characters, no matter what the time period or where they come from, which is nothing short of genius. The author even gives a thoroughly believable explanation for Richard's behavior with regard to his nephews, the Princes in the Tower, which was quite satisfying. And although the book is over 900 pages long, it only took me about a week to read; I was disappointed when I reached the last page. I can't believe that, with my interest in historical fiction, it's taken me this long to discover Sharon Kay Penman's works; I can't wait to read more by her.

Autumn 1459. A seven year-old boy gets lost in the forest. His easy-going eldest brother has had better things to do than watch over him, that is to say seducing a pretty servant girl. After a prolonged search the lad is found, having bravely fought his fear, and despite being afraid of punishment he doesn't even think of informing against his sibling. A fiercely loyal and earnest boy, he is the youngest of his family, small, dark and intense and very different from his three tall and fair brothers. He is Richard Plantagenet, who, as King Richard III, will go down in history as the epitome of evil.

The reader wonders what happened to turn this earnest child into a murderous usurper. Murderer he wasn't, claims Sharon Penman. Believable and compelling, the story of the four sons of Richard, Duke of York unfolds with all the relentlessness and inescapability of a Greek tragedy.

"The Sunne in Splendour" is a magnificent book. Intimate family scenes alternate with bloody battles, scenarios of betrayal and murder are followed by tender love scenes. A host of unforgettable characters populates it. There is the lovable Edmund, the first of the four Plantagenet princes to die; proud foolish Warwick and his tragic brother John Neville; the icily beautiful Elizabeth Woodville, Edward's queen; Bishop Morton, the snake in the grass; sweet-natured Elizabeth of York and Richard's dignified mother Cecily. All of them are complex, and stay with the reader for a long time.

Ms. Penman does not make the mistake to present Richard. Although far from being the monster More and Shakespeare described, her Richard is shown partly responsible for his nephews' fate. In her version he does not order their killing, of course, but he does not realise that by his taking the throne the children become pawns in other people's power games and pay for his thoughtlessness with their lives. Ms. Penman's explanation of the princes' disappearance and Richard's strange silence is as good and plausible as others. Her Richard is brave and loyal, but he can also be aloof and stubborn to the point of inflexibility. He can display subtle irony, but also biting wit, and is capable of considerable aggression, yet lacks the ultimate ruthlessness to secure his power. Reflecting upon his decision makes him admit his guilt - that he yielded to the temptation the Crown of England represented - and for the last months of his life he fells bitter remorse. Ms. Penman describes his depressed state of mind with such chilling accuracy, that his mother's fear for his immortal soul is almost tangible and very painful, and the ending leaves the reader bereaved as though he had lost a loved one.

The drama that was Richard's life and the way it is elucidated here makes one wonder why it hasn't been filmed yet. There is a cinematographic quality to many of Ms. Penman's scenarios; look for instance at the council meeting leading to Lord Hasting's execution, or at solitary young Richard riding in blazing sunshine towards Warwick's army camp to win Clarence back - these just beg to be filmed! Certainly, the ending is tragic and would leave the audience aching, but a skilled screenwriter may find a solution. A similar problem has been handled very well in "Braveheart".

Wherein now lies Richard's attraction? The Tudors, commonly associated with the beginning of the Modern Age, superficially appear more interesting as opposed to the Plantagenets who seem to symbolise the superstitions-ridden, unenlightened Middle Ages. Richard was born on the brink of the Modern Age and grew up in a world that witnessed the death throes of the medieval system of values, and yet, at a time when all conventional notions of loyalty and feudal allegiance had become a sham, there survived in him a core of chivalrous conduct that is very appealing, apparent for example in his just administration of the North and his legislation as King - supporting the weak as demanded by the knightly code of conduct. He seems a man born too late, and trying to adhere to such a strict code of behaviour needs must clash with the attitudes of more opportunistic characters who felt more at ease in this era of change.

Richard's physical courage, praised even by his detractors, originates in his chivalrous ideals, and his last ferocious charge down Ambion Hill to challenge Henry Tudor to single combat evokes heroic tales of earlier centuries, and indeed his decision to die a King rather than to flee was mentioned in a contemporary ballad.

Close to the end Richard's niece and nephews mourn their uncle's death and discuss their future, still hoping for fair treatment; future judicial murders and the destruction of Richard's reputation are only mentioned in the epilogue. However, learning about their fate is chilling. On the road to glorious Elizabeth I the Plantagenet blood seeped away as Henry VII and Henry VIII got rid of all potential heirs of the old dynasty.

To a modern observer this policy of merciless extermination appears depressingly modern. For all the beauty, progress and enlightenment the Renaissance brought, the Modern Age was setting out on a road that would lead to the atrocities of the 20th century. Gradually, dynastic wars were replaced by ideological ones, with ever more terror wrought on the common, civilian people who were included in the ideological and/or religious struggles. Already the atrocities of the Thirty Years' War and Cromwell's campaigns in Ireland, not unlike today's ethnical cleansing, loom in the future, premonitory of the final triumphs of secular humanism in the 20th century.

Richard Plantagenet died at thirty-two, his promising reign cut short by rebellion and treason. Ms. Penman brings him gloriously back to life for us, to be seen in a benevolent light at last. It is painful for the reader to lose him again, but the great achievement of this book is to show that there was nobility in Richard's cause as well as in his failure.

I really like the way this book is written because each story blends easily into the next. The pictures really help the younger ones to follow along and it makes the myths more enjoyable to read. I bought this to read to my young daughter and she really enjoyed it.

This book was one of the greatest memories of my childhood. I was in kindergarden and my older brother brought it home from the elementary school library, we devoured every picture and every word. Between my brother and I we checked out and re-checked out this book hundreds of times. I loved it so much that we both bought copies of it when we grew up. I am 41 now and read it to my son, he loves it too. This book was originally published in the early sixties, so it's old but wonderful. The author also did a very similar book on Norse Mythology that is equally great...I own that as well.

This was one of the books my mom read to me as a bedtime story. The pictures and stories were so memorable I wanted my own copy to read to my daughter.

Written for the younger audience, this book is a great way for teens and under to learn about Greek mythology. There are nice illustrations to go with it. My nine-year-old loves it! He knows more about it now than I do.

I remember the summer I discovered this book over 30 years ago as a 10 year old. I was enchanted by the stories and the gorgeous illustrations, and after reading this book, I read D'Aulaire's "Norse Myths." I embarked on my own odyssey of reading most of the mythology books in our local library.

I recently finished reading "Greek Myths" aloud to my 7 and 9-year-old sons, and they loved it. My 9-year-old often borrowed the book and read ahead to himself, but he also stayed around to listen as I read the same selections to my 7 year old. We're now working our way through "Norse Myths."

I checked this book out on a whim, just for something interesting and different to read.

The book wasn't so bad, overall. I just thought that it was slightly corny and predictable. The characters seem like they can get anything they want, despite the fact that they live such terrible, secretive lives. Of course the ending was happy, and of course it's just the first book in a series of however many, but I feel like I shouldn't even bother reading the rest of them. I was entertained, but I just have a feeling that the rest of the series will be repetitive and start to get dull. I'm just going to stop here on a semi-good note.

omg! this series gets better and better as it goes along! its start is sort of annoying and slow, but other than that its absolutely worth getting! book one is just the start of an amazing series that i hope becomes a movie or tv series soon!


<3

If I were to pick up this book to read personally, I'd be disappointed--for all the same reasons various adult reviewers have given.

On the other hand, I have the perspective of working in a public library's Youth Services department, and youngish teenagers are gleefully devouring this series as quickly as they can secure copies. If you're considering purchase for a girl age 12-14, you'll likely miss an opportunity to nourish her on higher-quality literature--but you're also likely to get enthusiastic hugs of gratitude, an encouraged reader, and a lot of excitement from your happy teen. She'll be thrilled!

This book is decent. more than decent just so fun to read and has so manys books in the series i had to order them all togethor and couldn't stop reading untill the end of almost ALL 12 of them.
Everyone of the girls and guys have atleast one book in the series and have clashing or unalike personalitys. this makes it so i got to see a big veiw on things.
i f you're a magical powers , love , and action type of reader then you will love this book

This book is about four teenage girls who are gifted. They each have a "power." Together they are known as The Daughters of the Moon. But they cannot let other people know about their "gift" because then they would be publized. There is a "bad guy" called the Antrox. He and his followers try to defeat them and claim thier unique powers.

Well this book was Fantasy, so it wasn't very realistic. When I first started reading this book, it moved very slow for my taste. It was like that until about halfway through the book. But now I am glad that I read it because it really picked up. I am looking foward to reading the rest of the sieres!

This book wasn't really like any other that I have read. But I really enjoyed it.

It seems that the author decided to forgo any kind of in-depth character development for...well, pages of gore. Pages and pages and pages of it. Now, this sort of thing doesn't bother me when it's relevant and adds to the story. However, the author seems to subscribe to the recent phenomenon in entertainment known as 'torture porn'. It's really all about the gore, the suffering. It doesn't add to the story...it's the point of the story.

I found myself skimming entire pages of this book, simply because I was bored with the descriptions of blood, pus, ooze, and various other words that describe the fluids which come from the body.

The idea and story in the book are good ones, but the author fails to execute them with any skill or depth. The characters are shallow and poorly developed, the gore is overdone and boring, and the 'climactic conclusion' lasts all of two pages.

Scary? Hardly. There are much better horror books out there. This is merely an exercise in endurance of gore and boredom, much like some of the movies released in recent years.

I was pleasantly suprised to see that the book was set partially in Ann Arbor, the town I'm currently living in. I could appreciate the casual references to local bars or nearby sports teams, but I don't think they really added anything to the story, and they often came across as awkward and pandering. In fact, much of the writing seems stilted, although there are certain parts that are a lot of fun to read. The author seems to be a big fan of Chuck Palahniuk, but doesn't have the ability to pull off the same effortlessness and charm, although I did appreciate some of the font tricks he used to add life to certain conversations.

I thought the villain was a pretty neat idea, and so I'd recommend skimming the book for the interesting parts rather than wading through the whole thing. I enjoyed several chunks of the book, but if I hadn't gotten it as a free download promotion, I'd have felt cheated.

This book is available on the book's website as a free download... I came across the link while checking out a popular gossip website which shall go unnamed. My hopes weren't terribly high since it seemed like the author was left to give away the book for free but, as my Five Stars indicates, I was very pleasantly surprised. (Note: I read the hardcover version rather than the free download -- the eyestrain associated with reading off a computer screen was too much for me).

Without giving away much of the plot, I can say that it's hard to find an original doomsday or end of the world book. It's never clear that this -- the end of the world -- is the true direction the book is taking, despite some hints, which keeps the pace up and the reader engaged. The good emotional development of one of the main characters, Perry, also helps by adding depth to what may otherwise be yet another insubstantial sci fi book.

Okay, a book called infected. I am a fan of apocalyptic fiction, viral plagues, etc. Typically you are on the outside looking in, at least in most of the horror that I have read. You don't really understand the plague victims in their insanity, rage, or just plain barbaric behavior. You just want to see them kill, or see them wiped out, depending on your view point.
What we have here is a hard science view of a highly detailed infection where us humans get to play host to a bunch of triangle shaped, evolvingly intelligent entities. We are provided the story from the point of view of the scientists and CIA agents hunting down these virulently insane carriers but at least half of the story is dedicated to one of the hosts, a massive ex-football player who is apparently up to the task of taking on these first pesky then extremely brutal and horrific parasites that continue to grow inside him and slowly start to communicate with him as well. He is slowly going insane, but his journey felt to me like a war between him and his evolving hitchhikers, not a downward spiral. I liked the angle the author played here and the battle royal that takes place between Scary Perry and the Magnificent Seven.
The author puts us through our paces. I believe he must have taken Stephen King's old comment about writing to heart: "I recognize terror as the finest emotion and so I will try to terrorize the reader. But if I find that I cannot terrify, I will try to horrify, and if I find that I cannot horrify, I'll go for the gross-out." Scott Sigler does a decent job on the terror front, an even better job on the horror front...and as I mention in my title--what is up with those freakin' Chicken Scissors? There is plenty that grossed me out in this book. That plus I could not stop itching in the early stages of the book along with Perry, our lovely infection host, as the author described the sensations of the little buggers crawling around underneath his skin. As I think about it now I still get the itchies.
A solid horror/sci-fi read, two of my favorite genres. Fast and nicely paced, with perhaps a bit more technical info on infections and what not than I probably needed but it certainly gave it a sense of realism throughout. The author was not necessarily going for mystery here but instead disected every aspect of the infection for his audience to see. Our fear is not based on the unknown but on realizing exactly what is happening at every stage of the game, how scientifically plausible this might be.
This was a nice introduction to a promising author, who I am glad was able to break through and get this story published. But man, I could have done without those Chicken Scissors!

I picked this book up on a whim as I must admit that I had never heard of Scott Sigler. I'm hooked! I can't wait to get my hands on his other materials.

This book has the sci-fi I enjoy with a nice mix of the freakishly disgusting while being suspenseful. A wonderful cocktail of reading pleasure.