Young Adult Books

The princess needs a bit of deportment apparently.


When you decide you need to work on the aristocratic side of a girl, of course you would send her off with a pig keeper and a beast man, wouldn't you?

Because of this, and a bit of a princess triangle, they all end up in a Land of the Giants type scenario, or at least in part.

Here, along with a bit of magic, is a fantasy book where a crow actually comes in useful as a good thing.

This is a great series. One of my favorites and my husband's favorites.

All of Alexander's main characters are back in this book (besides Doli I think), and once again Alexander does a wonderful job of portraying the battle of good vs. evil in the fun garb of a fictional adventure. This book highlights self-sacrafice, as Taran has to choose whether or not to help the man competing for the same things that he wants. It also highlights the immorality of selfishness, as Glew is pretty much selfishness incarnate and ends up stuck in a cave with no way to get out, until Taran and co. decide to be merciful to him even though he tried to kill them.

This books is lots of fun, definitely a recommended read, along with the rest of the series.

Overall grade: A-

As a kid I read the Prydain books again and again. I can't resist some Harry Potter comparisons, and since they make a good common point of reference, I'll use the device here. The Prydain books aren't quite as exciting and magical as HP, but they have many of the same coming of age problems expressed through allegory, and frankly I find the characters better developed, more humorous, and more likeable. This is the third in the five book series, and to my mind the weakest but still very, very enjoyable. The protagonist of this book, as of the others is Taran of Caer Dallben, an orphan of unknown parentage and now an Assistant Pig-Keeper. He is being raised by a monastic collection of former war heroes and semi-wizards, and is always insecure about his lineage. In this book he also struggles with the crisis of his best friend, the princess Eilonwy, being forced to leave to learn to be a lady. Other main and recurring characters, save perhaps for the princess, are more or less also neurotic in delightful ways. Alexander avoids formula, even though the plot when described could sound like a million sword and sorcerer books. The depth and likeability of the characters lifts it above most fantasy books,though, especially fantasy books for kids. We grow up with Taran, and the character he develops is character that would almost universally be recognized as admirable. I highly, highly recommend all of them- at least as much as the HP books. Again, I think this may be the weakest one, but it's still terrific.

Dont mind if I rated this 4 stars. THis is a great book, I couldnt stop reading it, but its just that THe book of Three was more interesting. I read this book since 5th grade(now im in 6th grade)its a lot interesting.
I hope this review will be useful to you !!!
thanks!!!

I really liked all three of the books in the Julie series. I liked all the information they had about life in the Arctic Circle, and found these stories very believable. I liked learning about why dogs/wolves behave the way that they do. I would recommend these books to anyone. Hunter 10

This book seems as if it shows the life in a wolf pack. It has comedy, romance, drama, and action all in one book. It shows you how wolves communicate and what they sometimes do to keep each other alive. This book continues Julie's story, but in the eyes of Kapu. It shows how he struggles to keep his pack alive. He might be new to the whole "alpha male" thing, but he is a great leader.

If you are ready for a great book, with wolves and their real life girl friend, then you will love Julie's Wolf Pack.
It is action packed with wolf fights and wars. Read this GREAT book to find out what happens to this wolf pack.

Amazing, heartwarming, magical, these are a few words to describe it. If you despise wolves, it will change you into a kid who wants to grow up to protect them. I am a wolf lover who stumbled apon this book. It introduces a new action living action. However, it's about wolves instead of people, yet it makes us know the truth, wolves and other animals ARE people. In the book you follow the alpha wolf, Kapu, through life. While you read, you learn about wolves. Good for kids 8-15. If you love it like I know you will, you should try books like The City of Ember, The Eragon trilogy, and Artimis Fowl. Enjoy a pleasent read.

This is one of my favorite books. My favorite part in the book was when Uqaq (a captive-raised brought back to the wild wolf) gives birth to nine puppies but she runs away from them because she doesn't know how to be a mother. Then the nine puppies go looking for her and when they finally find her, they swarm around her and Uqaq runs with the puppies hot in pursuit. ^-^

This is a good book to read and I recommend all wolf lovers to read this book!

:)

After reading Wise Child I was very happy to discover Juniper. It is the story of Juniper and how she became a doran after enduring her teaching from Euny. The story is well written like Wise Child. I recommend reading this book especially if you enjoyed Wise Child.

The prequel to Wise Child, Juniper is the story of Ninnoc, know as Juniper, a medieval princess sent to apprentice under her godmother. Juniper leaves her friends, family, and the comforts of her father's small palace to live with Euny, her grandmother, in a small cold shack on the edge of the kingdom. Under Euny's care she toils throughout the day, eats little, and sleeps poorly, all with the promise that, in time, Euny will teach her the knowledge and ways of a doran, the women of the world who live alongside the rhythms of nature and use their skills and magic to help others. While Juniper spends a year and a day at Euny's shack, her father's castle comes under attack by her aunt, and evil sorceress who wants the kingdom for herself. Juniper's first task as a doran will be to use her powers and what Euny has taught her to defeat her aunt and save her father's kingdom. While I prefer Wise Child, Juniper is also an engrossing, worthwhile read. Many of the same themes are present, especially the concept that nothing worthwhile comes without a price. Juniper's story is darker than Wise Child's: Euny is a tough task master and Juniper's aunt is a more immediate and threatening foe. In exchange, the elements of magic are larger and more visible. While perhaps not as enjoyable or as skillfully crafted as Wise Child, Juniper provides interesting backstory and continues to examine the path of a doran--how they learn, what their purpose is, and what trails they must face. I recommend this text, especially as a prequel to Wise Child.

Despite the similar storyline, Juniper is very different from its sequel, Wise Child. Both stories are about young women who live with a doran, working hard and suffering in order to learn from her and train to be dorans themselves. However, Juniper deviates from Wise Child's focus on the nature of love and family: unlike Wise Child, Juniper comes from a stable and loving home. Rather, Juniper's story is about assessing one's own skills and finding one's own path, even if that path takes you far away from the comfort and desires of your youth. This theme of self-discovery is worthwhile and interesting to readers of all age groups: it's instructive and comforting to the young, and reminds older readers that the sacrifice and reward of self-discovery is never really over.

Perhaps the biggest difference between Wise Child and Juniper is the role of magic in the books. In Juniper, magic plays a much more visible role and doesn't fit into the world as we know it quite as well as it does in Wise Child. Talking animals, transforming sorcerers, and magical items all transform the visibility and role of magic. While not as extreme as it could be (there are no dragons here), magic is more obvious and harder to explain in this book. As a result, the story is a little more distant and harder to identify with than Wise Child, making for a less sucessful book. Juniper's story is more exciting, with a more physical and exciting climax, but on the whole it isn't as successful or as enjoyable as Wise Child.

Nonetheless, Furlong writes in a clear, readable style, her characters are realistic and easy to identify with, an the lessons contained within the book are worthwhile and personal. It is a fitting companion to Wise Child and contains many of the concepts and themes that make that book so wonderful. As a prequel, this book successfully provides backstory and characterization that should interest anyone that has read Wise Child. I do recommend this text, primarily but not only as a sequel, and I like to come back to it every couple of years.

If you have read Wise Child...(I don't know, I read Wise Child first--I don't know if that's out of order or not)...anyway, this is a great book to go along with Wise Child. The books are imaginative and fun to read, and I'm not even a kid anymore...she just makes them fun for all ages to read...I highly recommend this book...

I hope this helped you...

I picked up 'Juniper' in my local used bookstore a few years back, in the mood for a simplistic YA fantasy. I had never heard of Furlong, nor had I read 'Wise Child'. I just thought it looked interesting.. and it was!

While in some ways this book is rather formulaic, (girl apprenticed to priestess type, has to save various people or things), in others it is extremely unique. I love the Zen feeling-- half of the time Furlong is not concerned with adventures, but rather simple, engaging illustrations of Juniper's day-to-day life. The feeling is mostly restful and peaceful, with an edge of excitement that shows through now and again. A very good read for people of all ages who are looking for a simplistic, beautifully-drawn, more-to-it-than-meets-the-eye book.

I'm a guy (you know the drill - testosterone has me rooting for the robots in the terminator movies) with 3 young daughters and so story time for me can be it's own kind of hell, overpopulated with too many thoughtful ponies, joyous princesses and other terrors from the Id.

Juniper at least is a story that can engross a child while being satisfying to the adult reader. I never once had the urge to plunge my head through the sheetrock in the bedroom whereas when forced to read stories like the Pony Pals, that's all I can think about. The wise women in Juniper are are a bit too knowing and all seeing, the plot a bit formulaic but other than that, it's a story of growing up, persistence against adversity good and evil, courage and adventure and some things in between. Same holds through the rest of the trilogy: Wise Child and Colman though they're not written in order.

I suspect that these stories catch the mind of young girls more than boys and are aimed more at a female audience. I don't know if I would have read it by myself, but with mission to read to my daughters, it was an enjoyable journey. I could see adult women enjoying this for it's own sake. In any case the books of this trilogy are well above the average children's fare for girls or for boys. Definitely worth the price of admission.

Momo lives in the ruins of the ancient amphitheater alone. She is in rags and an orphan. Though she could stay there by the residents' help at first, she becomes indispensable to them more and more. That is because they get a solution or confidence while the residents are telling Momo about their stories. However, Momo does not do anything to them. She just listens to them with the utmost attention and sympathy. One day, the gray men suddenly appear in the city. They are people who work for the company called TimeSaving and steal time from the residents. Many residents who were happy are being changed by the gray men little by little into busy people who do not have time to enjoy themselves. After Momo finds out the reason that people are getting busy, Momo starts an adventure with the tortoise and Professor Hora to rescue the residents from the gray men.

This book is for an adult who is pressed for time. This book includes many valuable lessons and suggests a right direction of life to people. I could learn from this book how important listening to other people is, and I also could think about time I have and spend every day. Momo helps people to listen to themselves by talking to her. Even though I have tried to listen to other people, I would find myself telling more about things I wanted to say. This book makes people realize once again about the importance of listening. Like this book says, people live busily to pursue their happiness, but they tend to lose their happiness because of that. Even if people make lots of money, they could lose their important things and get unhappy. This book tells us that we should take care of people who are around us more and try to feel the change of seasons and appreciate our life. How to spend time that we have evenly is up to us. We can make us be pursued by time. In addition, this book is very exciting. The adventure that Momo shows to take back time from the gray men led me into the exciting and fantastic world.

MOMO es un libro lleno de fantasía, pero que con cada una de sus palabras nos recuerda la cruda realidad que vivimos y en las miles de cosas en que nos escudamos para no apreciar la belleza a nuestro alrededor, el compartir con otros y el poder que tiene sólamente escuchar.
Esta historia la debemos compartir con otros, porque no puede quedarse encerrada en nuestro corazón.
Está escrita para ninos, adolescente, adultos y mayores, cada quien con su experiencia sabrá sacar el mejor provecho de las enseñanzas que nos deja esta pequeña niña, no tanto con sus palabras, como con sus acciones.
El lector definitivamente se siente transportado a un mundo que conoce y compate pero se niega a reconocer como verdades, porque nada es más duro que reconocer en si mismo los errores que cometen otros.
Momo debiera ser un libro de lectura obligatoria en la escuelas, pero por no serlo, estoy segura de que más personas realmente lo van a disfrutar en cada una de las etapas de su vida.

I am so pleased that Momo is available again after being out of print. It is one of my all-time favorites. Read it aloud to your kids or your class. There is so much wisdom in this book and it is a great way to start conversations with children about the true values in life.
While the story in itself might appeal to very young children (amazon recommends it for pre-school children) I think that its beautiful depth would be lost on them. I am positive that the book wasn't written with this age group in mind.

(Young adult fiction) In Momo, Ende tells the story of a young girl (Momo) who wanders into a neighborhood and lives alone but is supported by the local residents. She repays them with her wonderful powers of listening which inspire arguers to resolve their fights, storytellers to tell wondrous stories, and children to play exciting games. Soon, though, a group of strange men begin to steal people's time, causing them to work constantly, feverishly, and mirthlessly. Momo must save the day.

My wife and I began reading this aloud and stopped because of the slow exposition. But as I continued on my own, the pace picked up, and I was treated to an adventure into the origins of time and back again.

The book has several strengths. Ende draws his characters with wonderful detail: Momo and her friends are drawn with painstaking detail (sometimes too much, maybe, but ultimately with benefit). The moral of the tale, that time enjoyed is not time wasted, is a valuable if simple reminder to all of us in our rushed world. A secondary theme, established early in the book, points to the powerful value of listening to others, another valuable reminder. (As an aside, my favorite book on that theme is Mitch Albom's Tuesdays with Morrie.) As Momo journeys to the origin of time, Ende employs evocative imagery to help us visualize a physical manifestation of time.

I look forward to recommending this title to my children and to other young readers.

It is not because you do not really have enough time to ...
It is not because you do not have enough skills to manage your time to...

It is because you choose to happen it to be so.

See (in this book) how

As a dabbler only in the manga field I was familiar with the ttile but decided based on the price, this was a good try out book. I was not wrong!! Defintly worth your money as you get alot of story for the money. Actually cheaper than buying the individual books. Printed on strong paper with a handful of color pages at the front this is a compact beautiful apckage with a great starting story and I intend to buy all of the VIZBIG editions!

There are many manga that use themes that are similar to this one, but among all these, Rurouni Kenshin stands out as one of the best. Part of what makes this series so good is the great set of characters. There is also the wonderful recreation of the era in which the story develops; we truly feel like being at a different time in history. The impressive drawings are also a trait that makes this a successful series, and I particularly like how they use the distorted facial expressions for humorous situations. Finally, there is the story in itself, which has many layers and the deeper we get into it, the more mesmerized we are. The fact that this volume is not at the level seen later, in terms of the complexity and richness of the plot, is the only reason why it gets four stars instead of the top rating.

Hitokiri Battousai is a warrior that with the help of his sword slew many rivals of the imperialists and contributed to entering the Meiji era, and then, he disappeared. A few years later, in the eleventh year of the Meiji era in Tokyo, times are such that carrying swords is forbidden, and Kenshin, the former Battousai wanders around with a reverse-blade sword, after having vowed not to kill anymore. Soon Kenshin runs into a murderer impersonating the Battousai and trying to discredit the Kamiya Kasshin School. Luck has it that before running into the killer, he met Kaoru, the young woman who is in charge of the school, and therefore, soon gets involved in helping her clear her name. This is the first bond that will stop Kenshin's wandering, but there are even more to come.

Kenshin is a man with deep convictions, and nothing can steer him away from the goal he set after abandoning his previous life: to build a world where people can pursue happiness. He is one of the most interesting characters I have met in the world of manga, but he is not the only notable character in this series. Far from it! In this first volume we meet Kaoru, a brave young woman that provides the series with some fine humor, and there is romance to come. And we meet Yahiko, a kid that has somewhat of an attitude problem and that hopes to become a samurai and become strong. Maybe most importantly, towards the end, we encounter Zanza (Sagara Sanosuke), the street fighter who will become a central character in this series, so pay attention! He is a very complex character, with an unconventional weapon and a baggage from the past that makes him hate the Ishin-Shishi (imperialists).

This is the start to a wonderful series, and one that goes way beyond the fighting, humor and romance. The quality of this volume should be enough for most people to want to read further, but even if that is not the case, trust me, this series gets much better, so I urge you to keep reading the next volumes. I guarantee you will not be disappointed.

A mysterious warrior named Hitokiri Battôsai arose in Kyoto 140 years ago. A fiercesome warrior, he slew countless men, his efforts helping bring to a close the Bakumatsu era and bringing in the age of the Meiji.

Then he disappeared.

In the 11th year of the Meiji, a rurouni--a vagabond--named Himura Kenshin surfaces in Tokyo and befriends the spunky Kaoru, the owner of a student-less dojo.

With the aid of young new friend Yahiko, a boy wanting to be a samurai himself, Kenshin and Kaoru must ward off those looking to kill them.

And so the story begins...

Despite its label being a "romantic comedy," this is by far the most serious out of the manga I read. Nobuhiro Watsuki has crafted an incredible tale, an important story, one that had captured my full attention the second Kenshin showed up in Tokyo (which is pretty much the first page of the book).

His art is stellar. The detail is astounding (even after the first 22 pages when the art goes from ultra detailed to "just" super detailed). His rendering of Japan from 140 years ago is believable, each panel transporting you directly to the past.

The big deal about this book is the fight sequences, each chapter in this volume containing at least one battle. I've never seen action like this before--so huge, so intense, so detailed, so explosive, with speed-lines everywhere--AMAZING!

This volumes also includes a special bonus story that was originally published about a year before the now-complete-twenty-eight-volume series began.

This is a great opening story to what is sure to be a fantastic saga this reviewer looks forward to finishing. (I'm also now eager to check out the anime for this.)

Language warning: Cursing

Applauds should be given to Viz for taking a step in this direction, we can only hope they add more series to their VizBig line up!

In this book, you get the first three volumes of the series (Vol I: Meiji Swordsman Romantic Story, Vol II: The Two Hitokiri, and Vol III: A Reason to Act). Pages 11 - 32 are in full color, which adds another dimension to the story, I was sad the color had to end. The last few pages also give us some wonderful color pictures from the original volumes, without text. We also get 2 end of volume specials, the first occurs a year before the series begins and the second is, as the author describes, sort of the 'pilot' episode of Rurouni Kenshin, where the details are a bit different than the actual story, but it's still the Rurouni we all love!

The size of the book allows us to look at the detail a bit better. Another feature I noticed was page numbers, which are great if you lose your place.

If you're new to the series, I recommend buying this version over the original 3 volumes as you get more for your money.

I do not understand how people can review this product in 20006 and 2007 when this product came out in 2008.

First off, I ordered this book and the shipment was suppose to arrive in February since the book was suppose to be released January 29, 2008. However, I received it January 24 which shows that this product has fast shipping and was in mint condition.

Now this manga is very different from the normal manga released. A normal one volume manga has a couple of pages, is all black and white (expect the cover), is printed on low quality paper, and contains a little of the author's comments. The heights of these books are about 7.5 inches in height by 5 inches. The thickness varies, but is usually around .75 inches. These books are usually worth and sold for $7.95. This is not the product that is being sold under this item. Most of the people writing these reviews think this is what the book is.

Now here is what this book really is. When an old manga series becomes very famous in Japan, they re-make the series into a special edition one. It is the same story line and everything with a few changes.
Here is a list of the diffences:
Contains 3 volumes (books) of manga into one book
New cover art from the original manga
8.5 inches by 5.8 (about right)
1.8 inches thick
More author's comments throughout the book (not too sure about this one)
THE FIRST FEW PAGES OF THE MANGA AND SOME PAGES IN THE BACK ARE IN COLOR (then goes back to black and white)
Much better paper is used other then the poor one used in the original manga

As you can see there are big differences between this book and the other manga. This is more economic for people, because instead of buying separate books for about $21, you are instead paying $12. When this book enters in stores, it will coast $17.99. This is basically a collector's editions manga and something Viz (manga company for North America) decided to start up very recently. They will be doing this to old series like Dragon Ball and Dragon Ball Z in a few months. This book is much bigger then a normal manga. As a reader, I really enjoyed how they made the manga. The color of the first few pages looked great. In the back there is a glossary of words used in the manga and some colored art work. As you can see this book is a lot bigger then the normal manga. After all they have to put three volumes of manga into this one book. I greatly recommend the book whether you never saw the series or even if you have the original manga.

I wrote this review because many of the people writing the reviews know nothing of this book and do not own. Instead they are telling you about the story line. I will not go into details on the story since everyone else here did. In conclusion, this book makes the original manga look like garbage and will save you money by getting this book ($12 instead of $21).

If you are wondering, as months go by, more these versions of this manga will appear.

This series was is one of my favorite teen series. The first book really got me hooked, then the next three still kept me reading. I really liked Christy because she was kind of insecure and shy, but she blossoms throughout the books. Todd was such a sweet guy, but sometimes he was a little slow when it came to Christy. I really got involved with the characters, and I felt Robin Jones Gunn did an amazing job of making the characters. They were 3 dimensional and so realistic. I recommend this series!

After many failed attempts during the past few years to find a book or series of books for her to read for pleasure, I gave this book to my 14 yr. old daughter, Amber, in June hoping she would enjoy reading it this summer...I am thrilled to say that she couldn't put it down!!! Not only have I also purchased Vols. II, III and IV for her (she is currently reading Vol. IV)...she has shared her love of the books with her friends and now they have the series and are reading them!!! This has made me so very happy...especially since these are Christian based books with valuable life lessons for our teens. What a wonderful gift to be able to give to our teenage daughters in this challenging & confusing world we live in~~~Thank you, Thank you, Thank you Robin Jones Gunn...from the bottom of my heart!!!!

The first three books in this series are great! It's really hard to put the book down once you've started reading. The three books are fresh, invigorating, very realistic and heartfelt. They really bring you closer to God. I love them!

In SUMMER PROMISE, the first book in Robin Jones Gunn's Christy Miller series, a farm girl from Wisconsin is invited by her aunt and uncle to spend the summer with them in ritzy Newport Beach, California. However, upon arrival, Christy Miller realizes that she certainly does not fit in with the glamorous crowd that inhabits the town. After rejection and embarrassment, Christy's Aunt Marti suggests that she undergo a makeover; perhaps a transformation is all she needs to make some new friends. With an expensive new wardrobe and a stylish haircut, Christy finds that she indeed captures the attention of Todd and Shawn, the classically good-looking surfer boys, as well as Alissa, a stunning older girl who has lived all over the world.

All seems to go well until Christy realizes that her new friends may have an entirely different definition of a good time. Shawn invites Christy to a party, and she soon learns that it may be unlike any party she has ever been to. After being ignored or laughed at by most of those in attendance, and uncomfortable with the presence of alcohol and drugs, Christy decides to get out. While she makes a wise choice, others do not, and the night soon ends with a tragedy that will change the rest of the summer. Afterwards, Christy begins spending more time with Todd, who opens up to her about his strong faith in God.

Although she has gone to church all her life, Todd introduces her to a new group of people who are serious about faith in a way she has never experienced before. At the same time, Aunt Marti's constant nagging and desire to "improve" Christy begin to eat away at her self-esteem. As her world seems to move faster than it ever has, will Christy be able to live up to the promise she made to her parents not to do anything she will regret? Will she finally be able to figure out how gorgeous, sensitive Todd really feels about her? And why is she being forced to suddenly return home?

SUMMER PROMISE is an excellent beginning to the Christy Miller series. Fans of TV shows such as "The OC" and "Summerland" undoubtedly will appreciate the familiar beach setting and situations. Gunn does an excellent job of filling the book with a plot that is not quite as predictable as those usually found in teen fiction, as well as keeping up with the latest pop-culture references. It tackles many issues, such as self-image and family problems, but underlying all of this is Christy's newfound ideas about God. SUMMER PROMISE is a great read, with an ending that does not resort to the contrived and surely will have readers eagerly awaiting Christy's future adventures.

--- Reviewed by Jennifer Crosby

I just fell in love with the Christy Miller series. Finally theres a great Christian teen book out there with actual morels. Its a nice break from Gossip girls. It opened up my eyes about God and everything. It also opened my life to reading. This book shows that Christians make mistakes too. If your a girl interested in Christianity then you should definitely read the bible first but if your just looking for someone to relate to i would recommend this book.

This has become my favorite Christy Miller book!
I read the whole regular series when she was in high school when I was 13/14 and liked it then but rereading it now at college age was a little disappointing. They are similar and teenage Christy can be annoying at times. But I've enjoyed reading Robin Gunn's college series for Christy; Christy is slightly more mature and her romance with Todd is definitely more adult and less naive.

I really identify with everything Christy goes through, all her decisions she has to make and her viewpoints on aspects of college life really resonate with me since I am going through the same situations. Either Robin remembers college very well or did her research!

I also love how she incorporated Sierra, Katie and all the characters from her Sierra Jensen Series and her Christy Miller Series, even 1 primary character from her book "Departures".

I highly recommend this book to older and college age Christy Miller fans.

I loved this book to pieces. Christy struggles with saying 'I love you' to Todd, because she isn't sure of her love for him. She makes a sudden revelation that Todd is 'the one' and feels she is confident to say those three little words, until a tragic event happens, changing Todd and Christy's life forever. Christy is having a hard time finding when she can confess that to her beloved, especially when the life-altering accident occurs. Christy and Todd both grow closer to the Lord, and Todd discovers that it is his calling to work in the church. Christy helps, and discovers she is in her element as well. The very end is beautifully written, and wonderfully romantic and sweet, which is another event that changes both Todd and Christy's life forever. Grab the Kleenex box, the end will have you wiping your eyes.

I think these books are the best I've ever read! Once you pick it up, don't expect to put it down anytime soon!! I've read them over and over, and still love them. They're clean, focused on God, and have a sweet romance in them. I also recommend the Christy Miller series.

You won't want to miss these books!!!
~Hope

I was very happy with the shipping time and condition of the book. It actually arrived before the date given to me, so I was very pleased. I would definitely buy again.

I just finished this book and loooove it! It is sooo awesome how Christy and Todd work things out. And Todd is so creative at the end when he... oops i almost said it!! But I won't give it away! You have to read it for yourself to find out what a superb novel this is! It also helps if you have read the other books in the series first.

This book deals with theatre, and I was going into it thinking it would help me audition for movies. I did not learn anything from it. But...if you are into the theatre, you will find it very helpful.

This is a fantastic book with extremely helpful information to any young actor aspiring to become a professional actor. Every actor needs this book so they can improve their auditioning skills and get the part they want! Break a leg!

This is a really great acting book- definitely one of the best i've read. Not only for auditions but for rehearsal as well, (as it states in the book.)

you are probaly brilliant, original and on your way to superstardom BUT before you go out on an audition read this book and be prepared to reread it several times in your career..and when you move to NYC to LA then back again, you will probaly still have this book with you..it is indispensable in a straight forward, manner..it will teach you what mistakes to avoid, what to bring of yourself, what is expected of you..after being in thousands of auditions and conducting several and watching people, this book rings so true..people will make the same mistake so often..people will eliminate themselves just by the way they walk into the room..you think your audition starts when you begin your great acting or singing?..nope..it starts the moment you enter that room and come face to face with the casting people..and the most important thing...they want you to succeed almost as much as you want to..never forget that..they want you to succeed..they want you to make their decision for them..they want to discover that next superstar..

Considering the low price, I can't imagine a more valuable book for the actor. Michael Shurtleff is a luminary of theatre, and this book reads like a private class with him. Remember, this is a guy who basically launched the careers of DeNiro, Streisand, Redford, Vereen, Tomlin, Midler, and Hoffman. His wonderful career included both Broadway and film casting. He knows a lot, and in this book, he shares it with you.

This book may be called "Audition", but the discussions go way beyond the audition. Granted, the opening chapter (Practical Aspects of the Audition) contains sage advice applicable only to the audition. What follows in the book are the "12 Guideposts", the bible of scene study and character development. Following the very readable discussion of the "Guideposts", Shurtleff writes essays on topics such as musical theatre, comedy, pace, and monologues. I know that my copy will become well-worn as I refer back to it again and again.

I am currently in two shows, and I'm putting the "Guideposts" to work for me. I've not had an audition since buying the book, but I am looking forward to using Shurtleff's advice the next time I read for a part.

This is a must-read for actors and directors. Highly recommended.

I love the mediator books so much and I want them to go to book seven maybe even ten. I've gotten addicted to them and I don't want them to end at 6.

The story line continues and this book is just as exciting and exhiliarating as the rest in this series. I would highly recommend this book and the previous in this series. Excellent read!!!!

This series is a lot of fun to read, but I did feel that the ending was a little too perfect. Everything tied up in a perfect bow. Throughout the book, I felt that the story was lacking a good central plot to work around. From the beginning, we knew Paul was up to something, and shortly after, we knew what it was, but for some reason, Suze couldn't figure out the obvious. Suze was just confused and unsure and shallow most of this book which is very unlike her character. However, the ending was just what the reader would wnat and I am very glad I read the book. I liked the series so much I had to read all of it in one week. Read it, but it isn't the best in the series, but you'll be happy with the ending. I am left wanting to understand Paul better, but maybe that is for another series. :)

I thought the sixth and final book in the mediator books was an awesome book. It solved all the questions I had about what was going to happen in the end, and it answered them in a very unexpected and extremely pleasing way. I totally recommend this book, but I recommend reading the first five Mediator books before reading this one so you have a better idea of what is going on.

This is one of my all-time favorite books! I LOVE Meg Cabot and ALL of her books! I highly recommend reading this! But make sure you read the 5 before this one or it'll be ruined! Really read this book! It's great!

Primarily Lori Schiller and Amanda Bennett, but also Lori's family, Dr. Doller et al did an excellent work to open the window to the rest of us, socially acepted as "sane", to have a view into the mechanics of an actually "crazy" mind. I hadn't read a book like that for a long time, not a single sentence in this book is fluff! There is also an excellent movie in this book
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Lori, sweetheart, you are brave!!! Not only for fighting your sickness to a manageable state yourself, but also for being bravely honest to narrate your inner world despite "the voices"
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My son, also in his teens, started acting very weird and I thought he was just a spoiled brat, till my wife pointed out to me the obvious; "he wasn't OK" and he started to talk about "voices" and very similar things.
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I didn't really know what to do (he came from overseas to live with me, so I basically didn't know him). I fell like I had gone to a foreign country and would see signs I could not really comprehend. Lori helped me understand things better. I found clear answers to some very concrete questions I had myself about clinical craze
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Thank you Lori Schiller
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I loved this book's depiction of mental illness and have re-read it several times. I am going to push a question that has been alluded to in past reviews. This book was published 11 years ago. Does anyone have any updates as to how Lori has been doing since then? Thank you very much.

This is a unique and beautiful book. Any person with interests in Psychiatry or Mental Health issues must read it. It's the first time I experienced what a schizophrenic felt first hand. A must-read!

Schiller writes grippingly and insightfully of her experience of schizophrenia including the "cold wet packs" of ice water soaked sheets used to restrain and calm her psychotic outbursts and her times in hospital "quiet rooms". The writing style is journalistic and factual when dealing with intense emotions and experiences. She is wonderfully descriptive in explaining the reality of her delusions and hallucinations, the experiences of pychotherapy, suicide attempts, cocaine use, psychiatric hospitals and half way houses. Eventually clozaril helped (with psychotherapy) to bring her back from the abyss of severely disabling schizophrenia. Her full diagnosis is "schizoaffective" disorder as her illness includes a bipolar disorder component. The accounts by Schiller, her family members, doctors and friends lend insight to the course of her disease especially as experienced by her family. I was particularly struck by her parents' progress from denial and resentment of both her diagnosis and her doctors to growing insight into schizophrenia and eventual recognition of the illness in their family history. While the multiple accounts make the narrative more difficult to follow they also add greatly to the story. Highly recommended!

The Quiet Room is a powerful account of a woman lost in her illness of schizophrenia. I was amazed at how the author, Lori, hid her hallucinations from people for so long before getting treatment. I found myself angry at her parents for denying her illness for so long and delaying treatment which she very much needed years before it was received.

It's also amazing that Lori made it through her experience of schizophrenia and was able to tell her story. During the worst of her illness, she was extremely suicidal at times and thought nothing of it (for example, playing a game of crossing the street again and again with her eyes closed and walkman blaring so she couldn't hear the cars). She could have easily died at those times and not come through to tell her story.

This book was very well written and made me feel for Lori. I couldn't put this down once I started. Although, I did give it a five star review and found it to be one of the most interesting books I've read, I don't necessarily recommend it to everyone.

At times this book was too well written, too many details and caused parts of the book to be triggering for me. I'm not schizophrenic (never have been), but I've been in hospitals for depression and other things. Lori's details of the "quiet room" (seclusion in the hospitals) and what happened to her when she was out of control in the hospitals was disturbing to me, as I've been in different "quiet rooms" in hospitals and I found myself remembering my own experiences and getting upset. Just because this was triggering for me, doesn't mean it will be for others. I'm just saying, you've been warned.

As triggering as this book was, it remains a five star for me. It was gripping, intense, real --just the way a book should be-- and I loved it. I liked the way the story was told through family members as well. It helps the reader see the perspectives of those who loved Lori. It shows how her illness affected others.

Overall, The Quiet Room is a sad book. But it's inspiring and uplifting at the end. If Lori can make it through the horrors of schizophrenia, we can make it through our day-to-day lives of work, school, and dilemmas. This book gave me hope.