Science Fiction Books

I don't know how Lynne Ewing came up with this story. I was looking forward to reading about Serena because she seemed to be one of the more interesting characters and I was left sorely disappointed. I don't understand how you can have a romance in a book and not really give the reader anything to go on. If Serena can't remember her memories, then how are we supposed to get a feel for a connection between her and Stanton? They had absolutely no chemistry to me. Stanton and Vanessa seemed to have more chemistry (later I found out Lynne Ewing was originally going to hook those two up). Too bad Lynne didn't hook Michael up with someone else later in the series. Personally, I think Vanessa and Stanton would have made a better couple. I understand others might have a different opinion, but that's just how I feel about it.

I give it two stars for at least being well-written, if not the most interesting or the best of the series. So far, it's my least favorite.

This book is about a girl who might be endangered by a groupd of people who is after her. These group of people are bad people who try to bring good people to the bad side. This book is a magical book with girls who have powers and they are trying to fight the bad people away. I liked this book because each character has a different personality and different ways to handle things in situations dealt together.

I thought this book was good. It had a lot of action in it. I also liked it because it had magical powers that noone in real life could have. This book is great for teens who like a little bit of romance, drama, and action.

NOTE: PLEASE READ THE FIRST BOOK BEFORE YOU READ THIS BOOK. THE STORY WILL BE RUINED IF YOU DO NOT READ THE OTHER TWO BOOKS FIRST. THIS STORY IS HARD TO FOLLOW IF YOU DO NOT EVERYTHING ABOUT THE SERIES AND ALL THE REALATIONSHIPS. THIS BOOK IS POORLY WRITTEN AND HARD TO FOLLOW IF YOU DON'T READ THE FIRST BOOK.

Serena is a goddess, a daughter of the moon. Sent by Selene to protect the human beings from an ancient evil called the Atrox. Jimena, Serena, Vanessa, and Catty are all daughters of the moon. Each of them has a unique gift. Vanessa can become invisible, Catty can travel in time, Serena reads minds, and Jimena sees into the future. Lynne Ewing has designed all of the books to show us everyone's point of view at different times. This book is based on Serena.

The story beginns with Serena at the beach with her brother Collin. Collin is a surfer. Serena gets a little bored watching him surf so she walks down the beach until she stumbles into a party. A girl dressed in a dress throws herself into a fire. Everyone at the party cheers Lecta. Serena at first thinks the girl's name is Lecta. Serena freaks about because a girl threw herself into the fire but then sees that the fire flames are blue. Stanton suddenly calls out to Serena, then all of the sudden she wakes up. Serena is covered with cuts thinking she fell into the ocean. Her brother come's and finds her and asks her what happened, but she can't remember.

Morgan gets a crush on Collin, Serena's brother. Serena can't stand Morgan and doesn't think that Collin and her would be good together. Then Çollin tells her one day that Morgan thinks Serena needs a boyfriend. Serena is very angry and can't help but wonder if Collin agrees with Morgan. To add to all of the mess, Jimena and Collin start fighting. Serena isn't sure she can handle the preasure. To top it off Serena's crushing on a new kid at school.

Then Jimena tells Serena a vision she had. Serena gets very upset because she doesn't want to destroy the daughters of the moon. But Jimena's vision have always come true. A few days later Stanton come's and tells her that she needs to be careful about the new kid at school. He also tells Serena that he erased her memories on the beach. Serena is very shocked by this. Then Stanton tells her that Stanton and her were in a relationship. A few nights later Serena reads Collins mind about Jimena. Then once the secret of the new kid is revealed the key gets thrown into the cold fire. This book tests the faith between all of the girls, and there values.

This is a story everybody should read including teenagers like us.We could relate some things from ourlife.This book is about a girl finding out what she was ment for.She wouldn't let anything about having a boyfriend keep her down.This story was romantic,action,and true friendship.Serena must know why the Antrox are after her and Jemina has a premonition that Serena is going to betray them.Then Venessa comes again and turns invisible to keep away from from the cold fire.Another thing how could cold fire be cold.Serena was the one who can go through it and save her own friends life.Jemina was thankful that she could try to be more trustworthy and see what the inside from not her premonitions and see for herself.Serena is phychic and she is one of mysteries of the Daughters of the Moon. If you want to hear more about the Daughters of the Moon check out the Volume 3.Jemina couldn't stop thinking of Veto who died last year and he appears in her kitchen.While she was going to ask him what is he doing here he comes up and kisses her in the mouth .Was her feelings still strong?She felt his cheeck and his small scar that was warm.What do you think of that if you want hear more check it out!

I think the temptation here is to give "Paddle to the Sea" five stars. After all, the book is a dazzling display of art and narrative, an educational and interesting tale. But five stars is the voice of the adult reviewer, and this book is mostly read by and to young children.

I was excited to stumble across this book in the library: I remembered it from my childhood. But I was surprised to find how little of the book I remembered. Mostly I remembered the general idea--perhaps my parents were not too keen on reading the entire book.

From the perspective of my daughter (nearly 6), the book was well worth reading, though not terribly compelling. She was curious to learn about Paddle's journey, and interested in the geography (we live right on the route). She liked many of the illustrations, though not nearly so much as I. The book is quite lengthy: it took us several bedtimes to finish it. I was drawn back to the book each night, eager for more of the art and story. I liked the altruism of the people who find Paddle, and the solidarity they show with a maker they will never meet. There is a beautiful selflessness in the land and in the people of the land. But I found that it was I who wanted to read the book each night, more so than my daughter. For young ones, the art is less impressive and the story is a bit slow. And since children's books ought to be ranked with children in mind, we'll have to give this book fewer stars than it otherwise deserves.

I purchased this as a gift for my daughter. She is delighted. The art work is beautiful. She was so happy I purchased the rest of the set and they are just as beautiful.

This is a great book to read. I would highly recommend this book and others by the author for fun reading and at the same time great learning opportunities.

I read this book 60 years ago as a young boy of 10. It made a tremendous impression on me with regards to the geography of the Great Lakes of the US and Canada. I was thrilled to find that it is still being printed and the pictures are the same as I remember--excellent. A wonderful story.

As others here have said, this is a true keeper. A babysitter read it to me when I was 10, and I never forgot it. I bought and read it to my kids when they were around that age, and they wouldn't let me put them to sleep without reading at least one chapter. It's educational, beautifully illustrated, and a touching story. I may have to fight with my kids over who gets to read it first to their kids! A treasure.

I first read this book when I was about 12. I loved it then and I still adore it now. It is considered YA, but is intelligent and endearing enough that adults should enjoy it as well. There is a very good reason that this book is a Newbery honor book! It transports you thoroughly into it's time and place with loving attention to detail. A wonderful read!

I didn't find this book all that special. The style seemed stilted and awkward. Characters seemed emotionally flat and I didn't buy the romance in the story. Not a bad read, but half way through I was ready for the book to end.

One of the things I like about this book is that it manages to retain an archaic feeling without sounding fake (you know, the type of dialogue that sounds like a bunch of college students roleplaying). Pope's choice of using modern language for the dialogue doesn't spoil the setting at all, whereas trying to force readers to jump back and forth between Elizabethan dialogue and modern narration could be annoying, e.g. Patricia Wrede's version of "Snow White and Rose Red".

Overall, Pope's characters are really well fleshed out, and she's also a master at describing atmosphere. The supernatural terror that Kate is subjected to in the underground halls kept me up at night for a while after both times I read this.

I didn't know the plot of "The Perilous Gard" was related to an actual legend till I stumbled across the name "Tam Lin" elsewhere on the Internet. Now I'm fascinated...

This book is beautiful. The proud elves! The historical drama! Probably the best theory for where elves/fairies came from, oh, and the answer will suprise you!
This books haunts you in that though there are mystical, magical elements in this story when you done reading you have to admit that it really COULD have happened. This book made me cry, I love it when books have the power to make you feel that much emotion. Do yourself a favour and read the book!

The Perilous Gard

The Sherwood Ring

The Perilous Gard is a book I still reread as an adult. The Sherwood Ring is good also. I just wish that Ms. Pope had written MORE.

The Perilous Gard is a wonderful rainy afternoon book. The characters seem real and the Elizabethan England that is described seems real and charming but none too easy to live in.

The best part of the story is the characterizations of the fairies themselves. Not the fluttery, glittery creatures beloved of Walt Disney, but a real, proud alien race at one with nature. The queen particularly is both admirable and cruel, pitiless and pitiable.

The more I have been following events relating to the election of Barack H Obama, the more I see 1984 as becoming a very real possibility, but from a leftwing standpoint this time.

Not only is this an unforgettably great story, it's also a presented here beautifully.
I had somehow reached the age of 28 without having ever read 1984, and I was struck by not only how poignant the world of Orwell's 1984 is today, but just how gripping the story of Winston Smith is. Orwell's style here is compassionate in its matter-of-factness and poetic in its rigidity, which could not be more fitting for the classic tale of Big Brother, Newspeak, and the Thought Police.
A surprise for me was not only how brutal Orwell can be, but also the level of humor present in this text - dark humor, to be sure, but comedy nonetheless. This, again, is very befitting of the famous context in which the narrative is set. In oppressive times, laughter is one of the best defenses we have, and it can sometimes be surprising what seems humorous when we take a step back from the situation.
As mentioned, the presentation here is beautiful. This "centennial edition" by Plume (a division of Penguin Books) is a facsimile of 1984 as it was published in it first edition. The "aged" look fools the reader into thinking they are handling an old and dear text. The paper quality of both the cover and the pages is excellent as well. Also included is an excellent new introduction by Thomas Pynchon.
All in all, a very rewarding literary experience. I can't recommend it highly enough!

1984 is a great novel, even for the casual reader. What I think is terrifying is that it is possible in our time. Big brother could be watching (wiretaps with no court order) and if you don't share his view you might end up in room 101 (Guantanamo) as an "enemy combatant" with no rights.

It's a telling story about control and fabrication of information, fear mongering and make believe triumphs (top secret documents, proof of wmd, color label terror alerts, mission accomplished) sounds ridiculous - or maybe not.

The views expressed in the book 1984 are very unique and yet still relate to today. The story shown in the book accurately portrays the needs of the people and how they will never be met in the face of an oppressive government. It paints a clear yet disturbing picture that must be experienced. Very good read.

Put simply this is the greatest work of dystopian literature ever created. It's not filled with useless details like Atlas Shrugged and is more vivid than anything Huxley or London have ever created.Nineteen Eighty- Four shows the ultimate consequences of government intervention into the individual's life. The book takes place in a totalitarian state called Oceania where even the thoughts of the citizens are controlled and punished by the ruling party.Follow the life of Winston Smith, a mal adjusted government propagandaist, as he struggles to keep his mind, body and soul free for the death grip of the all encompassing state.A must read for all who value individuality, liberty and non-comformity.Come and discover why Orwell is one of the most influential and referenced author of the last century.

If you like hard edged space opera, you'll this! It's Star Wars for adults, with more original ideas and better writing.

I have read the whole series and the first thing that strikes you is the question why is the series so long?(3000+ pages)

Simple, the writer has created a rich universe filled with various characters, society's, technologies, religions and linked them around a central theme of the battle between good and evil. He has taken his time to write the detail that is required to allow readers to contextulaise the activities in the book in relation to one another and the main plot. This is where a writer becomes a master storyteller, the attention to detail and the subtle nuances which go to make up the whole series.

The writing is graphic in relation to the sex and violence, part of the purpose in this is undoubtably to convey the true horror, and alieness of the threat to humanity.

The books are not really intended for kids, who says you can't write science fiction for adults only?

In conclusion I would recommend the whole series for the serious adult science fiction reader who is sick of skimming through a pulp science fiction novel in a night and wants to get into a more meaty read.

This is a work that now sits on my shelf at home and will be read again.

Highly recommended.

This is one of those books that keeps you up late at night, trying to figure out how little sleep you need to make it through the next day. This continues the story-arc begun in The Neutronium Alchemist Part 1, while opening new doors to the rest of the story. The series as a whole is well-worth reading, and The Neutronium Alchemist combines some of the most exciting intrigue and dazzling star-ship acrobatics I have ever read.

In book 4 (or 2b, depending on how you want to count it) of this intricate series, things are really starting to heat up and come together. Al Capone has decided to build an empire and is busily conquering other planets and systems. Keira is working to bring in more victims in order to improve the chances that long-term population in Valisk won't get boring once it is removed from the universe (including possessing void hawks), while Rubra continues to do his best to thwart her. Joshua continues to bumble around, get into the way of various things and end up saving the galaxy from certain doom. Alkad Mzu travels to get the Alchemist and almost ends up in Capone's hands. And much, MUCH more occurs in this very intricately plotted and busy novel.

This is a universe in which you can really lose yourself as a reader - Hamilton has created a huge story here and telling it - as well as reading it - is not necessarily a task for the faint of heart. Nonetheless, those fond of sweeping epics, space operas and the like would definitely enjoy this series (start from the beginning, please!).

There are six books in Peter F. Hamilton's "Night's Dawn" series:

- "The Reality Dysfunction - Part 1: Emergence,"
- "The Reality Dysfunction - Part 2: Expansion,"
- "The Neutronium Alchemist - Part 1: Consolidation,"
- "The Neutronium Alchemist - Part 2: Conflict,"
- "The Naked God - Part 1: Flight," and
- "The Naked God - Part 2: Faith."

Be warned: you CANNOT read these books individually. They are, essentially, chapters in one whopping great book. If you like the first book, then you'll have to read the other five books in order. There's no tie-up of any sort between any of the books. The publisher just broke the story up because it totals over 3,000 pages. If you pick up a book before you've read all the previous books (in order), put it down. It won't mean anything to you. Since these books are entirely dependent on each other, I'm writing this review on the series as a whole, not on the individual books.

This is one of the greatest science fiction sagas written. It ranks up there with David Brin's "Uplift Saga." It is literally a story of good vs evil and shows some of the potential (and pitfalls) of the human race. Over the years, I've read the whole series five times, and I still love it. I really only have two gripes with the book. First, and this is unavoidable in what Hamilton is doing, the evil in the series is definitely, graphically evil. This is not a book where the villain twists his mustache and laughs "nyah hah hah" as he forecloses on the orphanage or ties the heroine to the railroad tracks. The writing is fairly graphic in a lot of places. After five readings, this gets a bit wearing. My second gripe is one which somewhat limits the audience of the series (even more so than the evilness presented, and it's why I've given the series four stars instead of five): there's too much sex and the writing about it is too graphic. This is a problem with all of Hamilton's books, but it seems more prevalent in this series. Because of this, I wouldn't recommend the book for your children to read. But, as long as you're aware of that, I highly recommend the series and give it 4 stars out of five.

I really enjoyed this book the first time I read it in middle school. I was a very big christopher pike fan back then. i liked the way the plot progressed and became so complex and intricate. and the way it works itself out it reminds me of the terminator movies in a way. one action changes the course of history kind of thing. it just shows the imagination this author has. although I think he may have run out of ideas for "the hollow skull". I think "the starlight crystal" was one of his best works. If you liked this novel, try some of his other books like "The Last Vampire" series. That was good too. If you didn't like "the starlight crystal" chances are that either 1) you're not a fan of sci-fi or 2) you have no imagination. That's just my opinion.

The best thing about this book is definitely the plot - Christopher Pike does a wonderful job of weaving a complex story. However, some of the physics in this book were inaccurate - in the middle, it seems Paige witnesses "the Big Crunch" from some faraway vantage point. Not only is the Big Crunch unlikely to happen, it would be impossible to escape it. Also, it's unlikely that humanity will survive 200 years into the future - our resources are likely to be gone by 2050.

Another problem I had with this book was it was just cheesy - "love conquers all" and "we are all one with everything" are overused themes. And love at first sight? Can we please save that for fairy tales and trashy romance novels?

I read this book a good decade ago, and the story has stuck with me since. I've never forgotten it, but until now never really remembered to buy it, either.

Now I've got my own copy again, and after reading through it I can feel how some of the writing is more...immature than I remember, it's still one of those stories that you'll never quite forget. It has an immense feeling of...time and of emotion that I haven't quite felt in a lot of books. If you're into sci-fi and want to read a story that encompasses the entire life of the universe, try this one.

I read this book when it first came out, and I cannot tell you how many times I have read it since. List another reviewer said, this is not a science fiction story, but a spiritual journey told through science fiction. It is one of the few books I have read that I have to put down while reading to think about its message before continuing. The lessons that you learn in this story can be put to use at all times, and this book is definately not just for young adults.

I read this book many years ago and it is by far one of my very favorites.

Akira is simply amazing. The art is beautiful, the story is genius, the characters are incredibly likeable, and the themes are disturbingly cool. 'Nuff said.

The entire series is an essential item in the library of any aspiring graphic artist or graphic novelist. This is my most important resource concerning the modern styles that predominate manga and anime today. Taking on the complete set, I expected to be blown to pieces but instead I found myself slow cooked in a pot, sliced into thin slivers over the course of a few weeks, and put back together again. If you can stand the pain, it turns out to be quite a ride. Perhaps because of their experience of being the only nation ever to suffer the effect of nuclear war, I suspect that the Japanese have mastered the depiction of post-apocalyptic dystopia. However, Japanese graphic art has a long history dating back hundreds of years. I am not surprised that this is an excellent example of visual elements taking charge of the storytelling where words provide the common ground on which you may stand with others in the audience. I suspect that even in its original language this work would captivate just the same. Perhaps not to the taste of many avid readers of graphic novels because of the sparse dialogue. Personally, I tend towards more graphic elements so this was a treat.

Akira is awesome. Even from a time when you would have just about had to commit a crime against the person of a Japanese tourist, or pay ridiculous amounts of money to get anime and manga and things like that, Akira was available.

It is no surprise that it was, as is an example of that artform at its finest.

Neo-Tokyo is a city recovering from devastation and world war.

When a young bikie gang leader rescues a young boy named Tetsuo, after almost running him down, Kaneda soon comes to realise this is no ordinary boy, because of the government interest in him.

Kaneda has confronted Tetsuo again, whether he is arrogant, crazy, cunning, or what, we don't know, but he seems to survive.

Tetsuo is having huge problems controlling his abilities and literally is turning into something monstrous.

The military types haven't got the message yet, and try and blow up Tetsuo again. He treats it as a power boost, and he and Akira decide to depart.

Kaneda and others are left to rebuild.

I have heard many people say that the books are better than the movie, I don't think this is true. The movie version of Akira is much better than the books. I'm not insulting the books but the story of Akira is better in the movie. The books contain much more detail and character development but lots of the events I thought didn't move the story along; like Tetsuo taking over the clown gang and that society Tetsuo starts in Vol. 5. The movie moves along very quickly and all of the detail's are important. It moves along faster and the ending is better. The books are still much better than most I have read and Akira is the only anime I find really interesting but the movie version is better. I would recommend this after seeing the film.

I thought Midnight and Moonrise were much better than Dawn. The whole point of the book was for the clans to leave the forest but for the firt 200+ pages they were just sitting around watching the forest get destroyed.In Midnight the whole book was about traveling, but in Dawn the clans make a longer journey in a smaller amount of pages.Once the clans left the forest the book got better.

All of the Erin Hunter books are great! I just love them and have read them many times over. I am not a reader, I hate to read!!! But give me a Warrior series book and leave me alone for a few days. They are the best. Thanks Erin for opening up a new world for me.

Nice how the Clans could come together, and not rip each others throat out.
My fave bit would have to be when Crowpaw/feather said he wasn't afraid of dying because Feathertail would be waiting for him.
Kind of longish, but still good.

Pre-teen and early teen girls love the series. It has my 10 year olds attention. She is reading like never before.

This is the third installment of the New Prophecy series, the books based on Firestar's ( the hero of our Erin Hunter's first series )and Sandstorm's children, and Tigerclaw's children. ( Tigerclaw was the bloodthirsty villian on the last series ). In this book, our characters Brambleclaw, Squirrelflight, Crowfeather, Stormfur, and Tawnypelt all return from the long, sorrowful, and dangerous journey. They are missing a gentle soul though- Stormfur's sister, Feathertail, died in the second book.
If you haven't read any of these nooks yet, they are superbly written and star cats- my favorite animal! These cats live in four Clans, or tribes. They do not live with humans, but live in the forest.
Life is dangerous in the forest, as not all the Clans are always friendly. Especially now, since the humans are ripping up the Clan's territory and killing and capruring cats. When or heroes return to their home, each must cinvince their Clans to move out of the woods- and into a safe territory.
I suggest that you but every book in the series and devour them within 24 hours.I absoulutely love these books, though they contain heart breaking parts.
This review should have helped you decide to buy this book and every other one is each series. No matter the price, these books are solid gold to me!!!
Just another Amazon reader and reviewer,
Moonwhisker

I am almost 50 years old. I read this book for the first time when I was 12. I had been looking for it for a few years. The stories are as funny and interesting as I remember. I read one of the short stories to my second grade classroom. They really enjoyed it. Just having this book brings back so many memories. Thank You!

Having read this book as a 'kid,' I hoped my kids would also enjoy it. They did. I read it to them (so I could relive it), and both daughters laughed as much as I.

The perfect book for the bored kid during summer break, etc., that likes science, detective stuff, and action/ mischief that is still on the right side of the law and morality.

Well packaged and quickly shipped.

This was one of my favorite books growing up. I really wanted to be a member of that club! I read and re-read it many times. I did have my own electronics workshop, and some of my projects were inspired by the book. I notice at the moment this book has 64 reviews and every single one is 5 stars. Well deserved, in my opinion!

As I often (probably too often) do, I just checked the ranking of MY young reader's novel, "Hubert Invents the Wheel," against others in its category and was delighted to find "Mad Scientists' Club" one slot of ahead of "Hubert." What great company to be in!

40 years ago, I read this paperback so many times that I wore the cover off and had to re-attach it with duct tape. I didn't realize it at the time, but Brinley gave me a HUGE push in the direction of my current writing career, by combining highly accurate and detailed scientific know-how with crackerjack tales of suspense, action, and humor.

I dusted off my copy of MSC a few years ago and was astonished by how up-to-date it still felt. Much of the scientific equipment mentioned is still used today (gastroscopes, thermocouples) -- one only wonders what Brinley would've had to say about the Internet!

Like several other reviews, I first read this book in a Scholastic Book Club edition as a kid, which I enjoyed and kept. I somehow later found the second book as well.

Now I've replaced them with these new hardback editions, and can now read the 'new' (to me) volumes.

As a scout, I also liked the stories where the club was shown to be Explorers. And, as a long time viewer of the Wonderful World of Disney on Sunday nights, when they showed an adaptation of one of the stories, I knew where they got the story from (which I was able to verify as an adult).

65 reviews all giving 5 stars. The author sure has a lot of friends. I don't know about readers though - good luck getting through it if you fell for the unanaimous praise. It is garbage.

Cold, dark and disturbing is a perfect way to begin a ghost story. Throw in some love, family, humor and romance and you have a best seller on hand. (If it is done correct and tastefully). The cemetery fence was done very tastefully. You grow more and more attached to the lovable characters in each chapter. The odd events of a ghostly and supernatural matter make it a worthwhile and suspensful journey. I agree with others who loved trifecta of suspense even more than the cemetery fence. It has a better format and two extra hair raising stories.
a great read.

The story is excellent but the format is so much better in trifecta of suspense. I recommend that book. This one is nice to have in your collection. You can't beat this cover.

Enormous storyline.

I recommend TRIFECTA OF SUSPENSE because this book is included in it and it has a better format. Besides, you will be getting three incredible books in one.

Anyone who enjoys Suspense, supernatural, the unknown, romance and pure excitement will call this story one in a million. Very, very, very well put together. I enjoyed it Immensely.