Horror Books

this book was soo good that i did it on one of my school projects. our teacher said to make a cereal box (make it look real, make the cereal buyer want to read the book, and (pretend) buy the (fake) cereal(not really )) based on a book. mines was a big sucsess and the title for my cereal box was Alien Bites!!
sorry how i type(its just because i chat too much in chat rooms)
WELL I THINK YOU SHOULD READ THIS GREAT EXCITING BOOK!!!@_@

Hi. I'm in third grade...and this book is what our teacher read to us from 12:45 to 1:00 everyday after lunch. It's a hilarious story about a boy trading bodies with a funny looking alien. I doubt it's true...but who knows?

Jake Sherman switched bodies with an alien. The alien is a funny looking one, a dorky alien, from a planet where aliens sit around and eat junk food all day long. That sounds like a pretty cool life to jake, but Jake has two choices. Would he want to be a 98 pound kid or is he really going to stay like a dork?I think the book was great.You will have to read the book to find how this story will end.

The reason why I picked this book is because the title and the cover interested me. Also when I first read the back I knew it would be a good book and it was a good book. The reason why I think it is a good book is because when Jake Sherman traded bodys with a real live alien it was very weird because I never knew that a kid could trade with an alien.

Luckily it has an exciting ending. I enjoyed reading this book.

THIS IS A GREAT BOOK FOR ALL AGES. IT IS FUNNY AND STRANGE AT THE
SAME TIME. I REALLY RECAMEND ALL OF THE HELP! SERIES.

Hex is an amazing sci-fi trilogy that will keep you enthralled from the very first page. In the late 21st century, scientists created the Hex gene to improve human knowledge of computers. The project was later abandoned, but mutants with the gene, known as Hexes, continued to be sought out and exterminated.
Years later, Raven, a Hex and possibly the most dangerous teenager in the world, along with her brother, Wraith, travel to London in search of their younger sister, Rachel. There they meet Kez, a streetrat, and Ali, a popular and rich girl who has just discovered that she is a Hex. Soon the group becomes engaged in a dangerous mission that could cost them their lives.
Containing interesting characters with distinct personalities, excellent descriptions, and an imaginative portrayal of the future, Hex is one of the best science fiction books you'll come by and the fitting start to a great series.

I read all three books in the trilogy over a year ago and have recently come to pick them up again. The best feature of the book is the idea, I love reading sci-fi books that don't actually feel sci-fi - the books that I enjoy explaining the plot to friends and family. The reason I didn't give the book five stars was because there wasn't enough romance, and there is always room for romance - where are we without it? Also I would have loved to have more information about the way of life that far ahead into the future, on a more day to day level. The last reason is because i didn't like Raven, although i know why she was cold and heartless I think hope goes a long way but i never felt she would change - it is definitely a first for me to love a book and not love the main character. Despite this the book left me wanting to find out more so it definitely earned four stars.

if youve seen the old movie hackers, then you'll love this. I love the dysfunctional family life of brother and sisters, the way the main character is a female, who feels alienated from the world around her because everyone else feels inferiror to her talents. Its a well written series, ive read all three hex books, and i was compleatly satisfied...hmmm, well it woul dhave been good if there was a little romance, but you probably cant have that. You fall in love with Raven, and hate the people she hates, you find them utterly annoying :D its a gotta read

The book was very well done. A bit cliche, but a good read all the same. The characters are believable and the book doesn't make you want to gag with details and mindless information. The only real complaint I have is something seemed to be missing from the explanation. I couldn't finger it, but there was just something not there. But it's definately worth picking up.

The most dangerous person in the 24th century is a 15-year-old girl named Raven --- and officially she doesn't even exist. Why? Raven is a Hex --- part human, part super computer. In the late 21st century, Hexes were created by genetically enhancing human children. Hexes can reach into the Net and access information systems from around the world. They can move around the World Wide Web the way other teenagers stroll around a mall. Raven has awesome powers --- she can control computers with her thoughts. Raven is in hiding, though, and she would like to keep it that way. If the secret government finds out that she is alive, she will be killed.

Children with the Hex gene must either fight for their lives, hide away, or be exterminated. The government doesn't want its people to know that Hexes exist. The CPS, a secret government agency, is on a mission to seek and destroy all Hexes. Most die no matter what they do. Raven's sister, Rachel, is already presumed dead, even though she had never shown any sign of being a Hex. While searching the Internet for some sign of Rachel's existence, Raven runs across another fate that Hexes face. A fate worse than death. It is this discovery that will eventually lead Raven, along with her foxy non-Hex brother Wraith, to the place where Hexes die.

HEX is book one of what promises to be an outstanding series by Rhiannon Lassiter. Lassiter does a great job of making the people in her books as real as possible. Even the minor characters have great personalities.

There is a reference to a New York disaster and some talk about terrorism, which takes some of the fun out of this book. This is minor, though, and doesn't take away from the fact that HEX is a book that you are cursed to enjoy.

--- Reviewed by Kat, recent high school grad and young adult fiction diva

A captivating read from page one that never slows down. I could tell right away that I was in for a sweet but sad love story. And the spine-tingling deeds of ghost Jackson had me pulling my bed cover a little closer.

Ava has just lost the love of her life, Jackson. She is in total shock. Everyone is trying to support her through this horrible time, even Jackson. On another night of no sleep, Ava goes to the kitchen for a cup of hot chocolate. She settles in at the table, cup in hand, and the radio goes on to Here By Me by Three Doors Down. She can smell the sandalwood shaving cream Jackson used and feel a coolness surround her, it's Jackson.
This is a really great book written in verse. You will consume the whole story in less than a day.

I have a hard time finding books I really enjoy, so when I found this on Amazon I was a little skeptical. Once I started reading though, I fell in love quickly with Ava and Jackson! A fast read written in beautiful words, Ava and Jackson's story will warm your heart and leave you wanting more. I liked the short verses, because I get a little reading in whenever I can, but it was so hard to put this down! Everyone is sure to like it!

Ava is your typical teenage girl with a not so typical boyfriend. Jackson recently died and now he's back. Ava cant see him but she can feel him and hear his faint whispers in her head. She cant tell anyone, after all wouldnt you think she was crazy? Ava believes Jacksons death is her fault and she believes his being there is to remind her of her guilt. Slowly she learns things that she didnt always understand. She learns that sometimes letting go is hard to do but its the best thing for you.
I heart you, You haunt me is written in verse form. Its a quick easy read. I read it in one day, maybe because its not that long or maybe beacause I just couldnt put it down. Anyone who likes teen fiction or stories of love should really like this book!

I've seen so many reviews of this around that I'm not going to bother summarizing it because it would take me forever. Basically, it's the story of a girl who's boyfriend dies but doesn't leave her.

That said, I am in LOVE with this book. It's written in verse so I was hesitant to pick it up because I've never read a whole book in verse before. But I'd seen so many good review of it and the plot of it seemed so great, that I had to buy it. The minute it came in the mail, I started reading it. I was hooked from the first page and stayed up much later than I should have to finish it.

When I was reading this, I felt as if it was I who had just lost the boyfriend and it was the face of my boyfriend in the mirror. Ava's emotions were easy to relate to and I could feel the pain she was going through, along with her confusion. The fact that it was written in verse was not a set back but more of an asset to the story as it kept the story from being bogged down by details and descriptions that would have slowed Ava's story down.

I Heart You, You Haunt Me is an amazing book that I would recommend to anyone, especially if they aren't a huge fan of reading. If you haven't picked this book up yet, be sure to pick it up next time you see it!

Olkeloki of the Maasai knows what he has to do. Although it's been many years since the tribal elder boarded an airplane bound for Europe, this time he must go farther still. All the way across the ocean to Washington, D.C., because there he will meet the other two people who can form the points of the triangle necessary to seal a burgeoning tear between worlds.

Undercover agent Joshua Oak knows what evil looks like, smells like, and feels like. He's lived in its midst for the past 10 years, in one assignment after another. Seattle saleswoman Merry Sharrow has a different kind of knowledge - she knows fear in ways Josh doesn't. What these two outwardly dissimilar Americans share with Elder Olkeloki is the ability to see evil that those around them can't perceive - yet. For pouring through the tear between our world and the mysterious "out of" is an ever-growing horde of shetani, a varied lot of demons that delight in both terror and destruction. Although they've always been present in our universe to one extent or another, they've been limited in numbers to those who could slip through small gaps. Even then they managed to cause plenty of trouble. What will happen to humankind now, and to everything else that shares Earth with us, if Olkeloki, Joshua Oak, and Merry Sharrow fail in their quest? The answer to that question must be an unequivocal: You don't want to know.

Alan Dean Foster makes horror readable even for my notoriously weak stomach, because his plotting skills are in top form here. The action is nonstop, the characters are real enough to make the reader care, and the tale's fantastic elements are handled with the matter-of-fact touch that makes suspending one's disbelief quite easy. Joshua Oak's repeated protestations of his own disbelief get old after awhile, though; and so does the gore. Sometimes less can be more. Otherwise, another great read from one of my favorite authors!

This is one of my favourite best books!

I am so very glad to see it is back in print.

For a long time it was almost impossible to find.

I only loan it to friends I can really trust as I do not want to lose my one and only, well thumbed, copy!

This is one of his best books he has ever written! I am glad to see it is back in print. For a long time it was almost impossible to find. This is one of his books I gave out sparingly as a loaner for friends to read only when I had an extra copy as I did not want to let my only copy go.

As a fan of Stephen King and Dean Koontz, Into The Out Of is the only book that made me sleep with the lights on! This book presents the "boogy man" as real and exposes the "darkside" in ways that most would not care to believe. I have read this book several times through the years and have recommended it to many. If you're looking for an entertaining read, this is great! If your looking for facts and figures, try a text book.

I read this book some years back and I have been recommending it to others who can track it down. What a great read - sometimes suspenseful, mysterious, and creepy. This is Alan's best work and it would make one hell of a movie. Give it a shot - you will not be sorry.

What an amazing author, this author has keep me interested in the book from the first chapter to the last chapter.I would love to read another book from this same author looking forward till the next time I can read his novels. At first I was a little weary due to the fact I have not heard of him before but he truely is an amazing author .

What an amazing author, this author has keep me interested in the book from the first chapter to the last chapter.I would love to read another book from this same author looking forward till the next time I can read his novels. At first I was a little weary due to the fact I have not heard of him before but he truely is an amazing author .

I just had to write a short review to say this is the best horror thriller I've ever read! I still have goose-bumps thinking about it!

If you like mystery, you'll love this! If you like the occult, you'll love this! If you like horror, you'll love this! The best of the best, it would make a really grat movie!!!

I've worked with dozens of stars and authors but Paul Masters writing style makes Alfred Hitchcock's stories seem like Disneyland! This guy is in the class of Stephen King, maybe even better. Producers and Publishers take note of this marvelous author before someone beats you to him! GREAT!!

Jupiter, Pete, and Bob (the Three Investigators) have their third case and this one is stranger than ever. An archaeologist in Hollywood has a mummy which he claims is whispering to him. He doesn't know what it's saying and is afraid of being thought crazy, but he's willing to let the boys help. They also meet a young Libyan boy who's come to bring the mummy Ra-Orkon home, but things get dangerous when Pete and the Libyan boy are inadvertently kidnapped.

This book was perhaps a bit more exciting than the previous two, but my son and I thought it wasn't quite as clever. This is a series I read/devoured as a kid back in the 70s, and I enjoyed reading it with my son. The characters are extremely likeable and it always made me wish I had access to a "salvage yard" and could fix and figure out things like Jupiter Jones. Rereading these books brings back fond memories and I can almost *smell* the library again, but I think many young readers would enjoy this exciting and well-written series. It is unfortunately underappreciated and almost forgotten today.

I think this book was awesome. It is a really good book for mystery lovers. But if you don't like to be scared at night, don't read it at night! Otherwise, I couldn't put it down. I read it at breakfast, lunch and whenever I was bored.

I've a soft spot in my heart for The Three Investigators. Originally conceived in the 60s as a knock-off Hardy Boys series, the adventures follow three boys who run their own detective agency. One boy is the nerdy smart one, one boy is the brawn, and one boy (Jupiter Jones: former child model) is the leader of the crew. The boys set their headquarters in an old mobile home trailer, hidden beneath a pile of junk at the Jones Salvage Yard. Their mysteries tended to mimic that of Scooby Doo in some ways. In each book someone is threatened by a supposed supernatural force. It is up to our three intrepid explorers to solve the mystery and save the day. For a time, Alfred Hitchcock allowed his name to be associated with the series, even going so far as to include a special note at the beginning of every mystery. In time, however, his name was dropped and "Alfred Hitchcock and The Three Investigators" was shortened to the less wordy, "The Three Investigators". As a young girl, I loved these superficially male books. Who doesn't want a secret headquarters under a junkyard? Or to solve mysteries with names like, "The Secret of Skeleton Island" or "The Mystery of the Talking Skull". These books are so enjoyable that kids of every gender will gravitate towards them.

This particular mystery, "The Mystery of the Whispering Mummy" is a good starter Three Investigators book. In it, the tale follows a mysterious mummy, known to whisper Egyptian incantations in the dead of night. When the mummy disappears without a trace, the three boys have to separate fact from fiction in an effort to locate its remains and solve its loose tongue. Lots of fun and surprisingly absent of Arab stereotypes. The boys make friends with an Egyptian lad and his part is played out without any racial barbs or slurs (amazing, due to the book's original 1965 publication). Enjoy this rollicking adventure and expect a good time.

My introduction to this series was my older brother's slightly worn Scholastic copy of Mystery of the Green Ghost. We both read it several times, and once we found out there were more, look out! We read them from the library, we cajoled Mom into taking us to the mall to buy them, we bought them at a local used bookstore. We were both hooked!
I can recommend every book in this series. My brother and I both read all the Hardy Boys (and liked them a lot), but these blow them out of the water! I think you can get 1-10 new (they've been reprinted), the rest you'll have to get used.
I've still got a complete set, but I'm rebuying them for a nephew. He's as excited about them as I was over 20 years ago. Excellent characters, spooky happenings, and just enough chills to keep a kid's pulse racing.
If you have kids, I can't recommend these highly enough.

Quite a few children's mystery book series have become classics. Most people are familiar with Nancy Drew, the Hardy Boys, and Tom Swift. Even the Boxcar Children are relatively well-known. However, Alfred Hitchcock and the Three Investigators were well-written books that offered an intelligent, interesting and more contemporary alternative to many of the earlier classic series. Many people recall the earlier series well, but the Three Investigators series, which Robert Arthur wrote and debuted in 1964, has, for now, largely been overshadowed by the other series and generally forgotten. Fortunately, all of these books are available either from Amazon or from other internet sources.

This book is the third book in the series, following "The Mystery of the Stuttering Parrot," and preceding "The Mystery of the Green Ghost." This mystery finds the three investigators looking into the mystery of the mummy of Ra-Orkon, which appears to be whispering to the professor that owns the mummy. While we can hope for something genuinely supernatural to happen, we know from the first two stories that the three investigators base their solutions on logic and science.

The three investigators, Jupiter Jones, Pete Crenshaw and Bob Andrews, are puzzled by how the mummy can speak. The obvious answer is some sort of radio, but there is none. A ventriloquist is also ruled out. Just how can the mummy be speaking? Perhaps there is something supernatural happening in this story! The supernatural investigation must wait because the mummy of Ra-Orkon is taken. Soon the sarcophagus of Ra-Orkon is taken; only the sarcophagus contains two boys! Things are heating up for the three investigators.

Perhaps the biggest question of all for readers is why is Ra-Orkon valuable? There were no jewels or valuables found with Ra-Orkon. Is the cat that appears truly the spirit of Ra-Orkon, determined to see his mummy returned to his homeland? These are but a few of the mysteries awaiting readers.

I enjoyed this Three Investigators novel. I was unable to figure out the whispering mummy and had to await the answer revealed by Robert Arthur, the author. There were moments when at least one member of the Three Investigators seemed to be in real danger. Robert Arthur managed to unfold the story in a way that kept me interested without revealing the answers too soon.

If you are looking for mystery books for children and you are looking for an alternative to the stories I listed earlier, I highly recommend the Three Investigator series. I do recommend starting with the first book in the series, which is an excellent introduction to this series.

Enjoy!

monastery wasn't a revolutionary book, but it was reasonably well written and had characters I could involve myself with even on a second or third read over time.
The sequel doesn't move quite as nicely as the first one did for me, but overall it was a damn good read.
Its a shame that the cover artwork makes it look like a campy kids book which it is not. It might have had a chance if they just continued with the same style artwork as monastery.

This book is the best! not only for action buffs like myself but anyone with a thirst (no pun intended) for vampires will love this book. I think Mr. Whalen or fans of his books should tell the publishers it need to go back into print.

I had read Night Thirst first and was so amazed at how much I loved it, I searched high and low for Monastery. It took a while, but finally found it. I was not able to read the book after dark and had to wait for the daylight to continue. That is how scared I was. It certainly is the best book that I had ever read. I am interested to know if the Author will be continuing with the series.

I read ALOT.Vampire books being some of my favorite subjects. This book was great! It was so good that I wrote my first fan letter and recieved a call back from the author. I am now trying to find his other books through amazon.com and can't wait to get them. If you like horror you'll love this book. A very exciting read.

What would you do, if your world came crashing down in a nuclear blast? What would you do, if you have become one with the night? A legend, a creature of the hunt? More correctly, what would you do if you became a monster? Well Charrile Brail is both man and monster for he is a Master Acient Vampire. He didn't want this, none of them do, but now that he is one, he has to survive. To remain alive, he must try and blend in.

First taken by a secret goverment research team, noe he has fought them off. His escape is extrodinary to say the least. But what is even more shocking is the time he spent on a ranch in peace, only to be called to the killing grounds of Seattle, where other Vampires, the New Ones, have taken up residence.

The fight is on, and Charille must do what ever is possible to live.

This book is 8 pounds of all you wanna know about exploitation movies.i cant beleave how big this book is.If you consider yourself a horror freak and you love to learn every thing about those movies..... get this book !!

So great a book I bought two one for my business partner and one for me!

I've written a longer, more extensive review for Film Threat, but I'm going to do another one here because I believe this book belongs on the shelves of every horror/exploitation fan, film buff and film journalist. Yes, it is expensive, but it's also a 500+ page oversized hardcover with color and black and white photos (many from filmmakers' personal collections), movie reviews and interviews (many with directors who have never spoken about their films publicly before). As I said in my previous review, this is probably the best film book of the decade.

If exploitation films are your cup of tea, you need this book. Period. At some point this should become some sort of mandatory college text book, as it is not only a history in filmmaking that is rarely covered by more "serious" journalists, it's also a crash course on filmmaking.

Once you read this incredible book, which will cause you arms to fall off if you try to do it in one sitting, you'll be thrilled to know it's only the first volume (the second one, according to the author, is scheduled for 2010). And you thought things couldn't get any better.

Simply put, you aren't a fan of exploitation/horror if you don't have this book in your library.

Price:
I've talked to many people that feel the price is a bit steep and I agree the book isn't cheap. It is however 500 pages filled with interviews, pictures (everywhere), and essays. Think Arnold Schwarzenegger's The New Encyclopedia of Modern Bodybuilding : The Bible of Bodybuilding, Fully Updated and Revised size wise but about horror films. I mean the book is no joke and there could be an exploitation horror film made about a serial killer who uses this heavy book as his weapon, that's how big it is. I felt the price was well worth it as a horror fan and film lover in general.

For those of you who aren't the biggest readers:
Basically, all you have to do is read section I The Exploitation Independents which is the history of American independent exploitation films during 1970-85 and goes from page 11-48. After you start reading you'll want to keep going and after that it's basically a reference book with essays and reviews, so you could read up on a particular film. What I'd do is either read up on a film I found prior to watching it or after I watched it to learn more.

THE BOOK:
Stephen Thrower appears to know film even though he made a rule to not include reviews on classics, foreign, and studio made films, he still makes tons of compare and contrast references to classics and mentions great directors such as Bergman and Fellini. I highly recommend this book to horror and film fans, my friends in everyday life not so much but I think my horror Amazon friends will love it, specifically reviewer Clint Bronson. Clint has crazy knowledge on horror and from my readings of his reviews 1970s imparticular which, after much thought, is the best decade for horror hands down. Be sure to check out Clint's reviews as well.

Section I- As I mentioned details the history of the exploitation film from 1970-85
Here is how Thrower breaks down section I and the history, this was a great read.
The roots and the Godfather of gore H.G Lewis.
Romero and the Modern Horror Pantheon
Critical Responses to Exploitation Cinema
Drive in Massacres
42nd Street Monsters
Serial Killers
Psycho-Killer, Qu'est-ce que c'est?
Slashers- J'adore
When Blood Is Not Enough
Torture
R ape
It Came from the Stars/Swamp/Bushes/Caves
Things That Go Bump in the Night - One of my favorite avenues of horror being the ghost story. Thrower is honest in this area saying a bigger budget with good acting helps this area of horror.
Art of Perversity-Horror and Incoherence
Decline-Carpenter, Hooper, Romero, Craven
Hollywood Trash

Section II
Essays on Films and Filmmakers
This goes from 73-373 and like I said at this point it's a reference book. You can skip around read films that interest you and as you see others go back to the book and read up.

Section III
Reviews
118 Additional reviews. These are done in a shorter format then the essays above.

Section IV
Appendices and Index
Including an exploitation independent checklist Horror, 1970-85
A Bibliography
Index

I actually learned about this book in a non horror magazine Film Comment which gave it very high praise as well.

If anyone wants to know if a particular director or film they like is talked about in the book feel free to ask.

Being somewhat obsessed with the period and films covered in this mammoth tome I can unreservedly say that reading this was a religious experience for me. The amount of research gone into this project is extraordinary and the enthusiasm author Thrower has for forgotten gems like THE CANDY SNATCHERS, DEATH BED, BOARDING HOUSE and others is truly infectious. Not since Mike Weldon's original PSYCHOTRONIC came out in the early 80s have I been this giddy about a movie book.

Part 2 is announced in the back of the book which means the good times keep coming.

My son (age 4) really likes this book. It has a great rhyming story, and the illustrations are spectacular. Great pictures of "monsters" amidst beautiful fall color. A joy to read and look at!

Another beautiful book. My kids and I are big fans of Jan Brett's books and this one is just perfect to get into the Halloween Spirit.

I liked this book very much for the lesson it teaches you. My daughter who is 7 told me after reading this book to me, that things are not always as scary as they first seem to be. The monsters were just people, but seemed scary to the kittens because the kittens are so much smaller than the people, and the people had costumes on, which made them seem even scarier to the kittens.
Very easy book to read, and because it kind of reads like a song or poem, it made it fun for my daughter to make her own tune to read it to.

This delightful little book has all the charm and spookiness of the holiday it represents. As a twenty-two year-old adult, I think this book has equal appeal for adults and children.

Jan Brett's luscious, beautiful pictures perfectly depict the gorgeous darkness of Halloween night and the vibrant colors of different costumes (or are they really monsters?) Accompanied with these pictures are the rhymes of Eve Bunting's wonderful poem, with words easy enough for kids to understand but spooky enough to give even adults a chill.

Both the poem and the pictures, like Halloween, are fittingly creepy and even haunting while still being fun. Together, they make this book the perfect package for anyone wanting to enjoy the true essence of all Hallow's Eve. I earnestly invite you to enjoy this, my dears (polishes fang, retracts claws).

I personally found the writing style a little stilted in the book. For example, "A devil prances, fiery red, with horns asprouting from his head." and "Thunder, thunder up above! 'What is it, mother?' 'Shh, my love! It's just the thump of creature feet, A creature in a winding sheet."
It reads more like a poem, not the way we speak naturally. If you like a poetic style, you'll probably love this book. But if you want a more relaxed book, then don't buy it.
But anyway, having said that, my four year old son liked the book. The pictures are scary, but not gruesome. Probably a little too scary for a toddler.
Illustrated by Jan Brett, of course the pictures are well-done, but to be honest it's not on the same level as her other works. There is not nearly as much detail as she usually puts in. (For example, no borders filled with tiny illustrations.) The art doesn't look much different than most Halloween books.

I think that "Scorpion Shards" and the Star-Shards trilogy is the best ever. I began to read it in my 7th grade year since my 6th grade techer told me to read books by Shusterman because she thought that I might like it. Scorpion shards is just awesome..It has an incrdible plot and make you want to keep going and when u stop reading it.. u still think about it.. Just getting through half of Scorpion Shards I wanted to read the whole trilogy.

This is one of my all time favorite books. I like this book because, of all of the characters. The characters are very unique. Dillon is a crazy power hungry psycho who causes chaos where ever he goes. All the shards have powers that make them different from every day human.
The shards have powers of that can be used for good and if they desire evil. The shards are controlled by these parasites that make the story interesting. It keeps you interested by an enthralling story line that makes you have to read the next book. I like this book because the battle of good and evil and the chance that all the people in the worlds minds can be shattered if the goods shards don't stop the evil psycho in time.

...in Scorpion Shards. This books is amazingly diverse in areas of interest, and has such great detail that it is hard not to imagine yourself standing next to the characters seeing what Shusterman is describing. This book has little pieces of information from many different fields, such as astrology, astronomy, and even a little biology! I am writing this review within 15 minutes (give or take) of finishing this book, and I would storngly recommend this book to anybody. I know I intend to purcahse the second book as soon as possible, Thief of Souls

Shadow-black tentacles wrapped around the cradle of the telescope. A clouded face that swarmed with a million hideous insects descended upon the astronomer's desk and something with cold dark fur brushed past Tory, its breath sickly sweet.

Scorpion Shards by Neal Shusterman is an exciting novel in which six kids, each with a strange physical or emotional mutation, must discover how to get rid of their deformities. It is a powerful fantasy filled with darkness and suspense.

One interesting concept of the book is how a hunger for something can completely overpower a person. Each of the six teenagers has one, some worse than others. Dillon Cole, the most dangerous of the group, is driven by his "wrecking-hunger" to attempt to destroy all of civilization. Michael "Lips" Lipranski can usually control it, but once his almost unnatural hunger for girls went too far, leaving the unlucky girl without a soul after his kiss.

Another exciting part of the fantasy is its dark and chilling thrills. Like when the astronomer Dr. Bayless meets his untimely demise at the hands of the hungry monsters inside of each of the kids. Or when Dillon destroys an entire city block to feed his hunger. In the end, the six must all face their demons in a strange, lost world.

One last fascinating aspect of the novel is how a single thought can cause so much chaos. Dillon drives whole towns past the brink of insanity, after whispering a simple suggestion into a person's ear. He can alter the entire future of a victim, from possible millionaire to vagabond. Dillon has the uncanny ability to see patterns, whether it be of people's lives or tumbling boulders. He uses this skill to find a human "fuse", from which he can set off a whole chain of events.

Neal Shusterman's book, Scorpion Shards, is one of his greatest achievements. It is a gripping novel, with twists and turns until you reach the back cover.

W. Hodson

Dillon Cole is 15. He loves to destroy things, but not for fun. There's some invisable force inside him that "makes" him do it. So in order to feed this "wrecking hunger," the same power that makes people go insane when they touch him, he has to keep on destroying.

Deanna chang makes everyone afraid. Even herself. When she's around people, she feels claustrophobic. Houses couuld fall on her. Things could kill her. And people around her are so afraid.

Winston is growing shorter and paralyzing people, and Tory is a living bacteria. Not to mention Miachael, who makes women fall in love, and men want to kill. Or Lourdes, who doesn't eat, but gets fatter.

Who are these extremely screwed up kids? They are the Scorpion Shards. Six kids that have enough power to kill or hurt everyone around them. Except themselves.

So why are they like this? Not everyone has the power to strike fear into everyone else. Or see patterns in everything. Something is causing this, other than hormones.

Scorpion Shards tells this story about these six innocent kids, who have had the universe single them out. Their journey takes them through pain, worlds, and death. A wonderful book to read for anyone who likes to see teenagers and out-of-this-world problems.