No comments about Crocodile Attack (Extreme Adverntures).

5 comments about Even Steven.

1. I enjoyed Gilstrap's Nathan's Run and At All Costs, but Even Steven was a grind. The eternal internal monologues were drudgery. A lot of it was down right corny. It was hard for me to believe that an upper-middle-class, educated, married couple would act the way the protagonists did. Didn't seem real to me. April Simpson maybe, Bobby and his wife, no. Some reviewers said this book was gripping, and moved fast. The only place it moved fast was at the end. I hope Gilstrap rediscovers his storytelling ability in time for his next one.



2. This does not approach the excitement level of his debut "Nathan's Run",but then very few novels do,and it is still a competent and enjoyable thriler
   Bobby and Susan Martin are a prosperous couple whose life lacks only one thing-a child,previous pregnancies having gone awry through either stillbirth or miscarriage.While on a camping trip in the Catoclin National Forest they encounter a runaway boy,dishevelled and exceptionally dirty.In close pursuit is a hulking brute of a man who clearly terrifies the child.An altercation breaks out and Bobby accidently kills the man who is carrying a police officer's badge.Susan blithely disregards the circumstances and insists on viewing the child as a gift from God-a replacement for their stillborn child Steven after whom she names the newcomer.
   The child has in fact been kidnapped by a local gangster as collateral for a debt and stirred into the mix we have the child's real mother ,and the FBI who are in pursuit of the Martin's

   The handling of several disparte plot strands is not always as deft as could be but the characterization is good and the ghradual unravelling os Susan and her refusal to accept the truth,with its concomittant strain on the marital relationship is convincing not something I can say for the burgeoning relationship betwen the mother and an FBI agent which fails to persuade

   Perhaps the next novel will get away from the chase motif which is starting to wear a tad thin




3. Gilstrap has once again amazed me with his powerful "family on the run"-type writing style. "Even Steven" is, overall, a good book. It doesn't quite live up to "At All Costs," and is no where near as compelling as "Nathan's Run," but not all books can be classics. Gilstraps offers situations that everyone can relate to. A mother in fear of losing a child, a father trying to keep control over his family, an older brother stuck caring for his younger sibling, and a younger brother unable to shed the annoyance of having his older brother watching his every move. Gilstrap's main lacking point is the way he caries out his plot. Sometimes it seems as though he were looking for the easy way out, and didn't take the time to make the stroy beleivable. I would consider this a bedside book. Don't be surprised if it doesn't turn out to be an instant classic!



4. I really like Nathan's Run, but couldn't get into At All Costs. I'm glad Even Steven came along. Very fast paced and a convoluted, but very followable , plot. Enjoy it.



5. This was a new author for me and I have to say that I was impressed with his writing style. I didn't know what to expect. I thought his writing to be equal to many of the popular suspense/thriller authors whose work is made into high budget movies. This should give an indication of how fast the action is and how visual. If you want to read an author whose work you can read as a "visual" experience, I would also give Ken Follett a try.

No comments about Fired!.

No comments about Duz Shedd #2: A Dog Star Is Born (A Stepping Stone Book).

2 comments about Royal Heir (Harlequin Intrigue Series).

1. I just finished this book and couldn't put it down. My children paid dearly for my obsession, as dinner tonight was whatever they could find, but sacrifices must be made :-)
   
   I fell in love with the heroine immediately. She is resilient despite, or maybe in response to, a damaging childhood. But she is not a wounded bird. She is strong and loving, probably the best heroine Alice has ever written. I really, really liked her. And the hero, well who doesn't want to be saved by the tall, dark, and handsome stranger? A fantasy, to be sure. But she gets to save the day and that is even sweeter.
   
   This is my new favorite book!



2. Will Chastain has kept a low profile since he was almost killed in a boat explosion. But when his estranged wife is killed in a car accident and their baby son, Leo, is kidnapped, Will is forced to surface. He's not alone; his wife's cousin, Julia Sheridan, is also looking for Leo. Will realizes the kidnapping is related to his mysterious past and starts digging into his background. As he finds out the truth, he begins to realize why so many people want him dead. It will take everything he has to rescue his son and keep Leo, himself, and Julia alive.
   
   "Royal Heir" is a fast paced, page-turning, romantic suspense novel. None of it is particularly believable, but author Alice Sharpe does such a good job of creating tension and situations that will keep you reading that it doesn't matter how unbelievable it is. The mystery of why Will's Aunt was always moving him from place to place when he was a child is also interesting and it's fun to watch Will and Julia uncover pieces from his past. Will and Julia are both nicely done and while Will's back-story is the most interesting, Julia has a back-story that is also slowly revealed which makes her very sympathetic to readers. The focus of this book is more of a thriller than romance, so the romance between the two takes a back seat, which was fine with me because the thriller aspects story were so interesting. My only complaint is that the end of the book seemed to be rushed and it just kind of ended. The book could have used an epilogue to wrap everything up.
   
   "Royal Heir" is a thrilling romantic suspense novel.

No comments about Hard Time.

3 comments about Kristy and the Kidnapper (Baby-Sitters Club Friends Forever).

1. In "Kristy and the Kidnapper", Kristy encounters a dangerous situation while on a school debate trip in D.C. One of her classmates nearly gets upducted, and Kristy is the only witness...

   I enjoyed this book although I like the more down to earth Friends Forever storylines better. This one was a bit much, but I did enjoy the change of pace...none of the other Friends Forever teens were in the story. Their names are only mentioned once or twice, and that was refreshing and different.

   Overall this book was all right, but it isn't as great as the previous books in the series.




2. This book was humongously good. In fact, I think this is the best Kristy book so far in the BSC Friends Forever series. A great job you're doing, Ms. Martin, and keep up the good work!

   When Kristy and her friends went down to Washington, D.C., on a school trip, they expected to see some famous sites. But they never imagined they would be caught up in a big and dangerous mystery involving secret identities, dark revenge, and a suprise kidnapping attempt. Kristy is one of the only witnesses who could put the kidnapper behind bars. Can she stop him in time? Read this book and find out!




3. I was really excited when I saw this book because Abby was FINALLY in one of the FF books. I also want to know whats up with Jessi?

   Anyways, Kristy and Abby are on the debate team and are traveling to Washington D.C. for a competition. They are both signed up in the beginner level and Kristy gets assigned to a team with someone name Kai and David. Kristy tells David that he looks exactly like Terry Hoyt, and he acts all nervous... Then David disappears...........

1 comments about The Viper Within.

1. Charismatic high school student Jeremiah forms the religious sect Brotherhood of the Hebetheus. He quickly gains a following amongst his peers including Jon who has lost his childhood faith. Jeremiah insists he overheard student Padma plans to place a bomb in her locker so she must be stopped. Seeing glory in preventing a catastrophe as their leader convinced his flock she is a suicide bomber sent by a local Muslim cell, his disciples abduct Padma.
   
   The brethren call Padma "Snake" for obvious reasons. They incarcerate her in the home of an elderly woman lying dead in her bed. Jon has doubts with what they did especially as he is attracted to their prisoner. Confusing matters worse for the jailers is her insistence she is Hindu not Muslim, which brings the issue of Jeremiah's fallibility to the surface.
   
   THE VIPER WITHIN is a fascinating tale that focuses on how a seemingly nut case can charismatically charm others to follow their path; think of Waco or Manson. Jeremiah makes the tale interesting as he gains followers who do his bidding even when they believe it is wrong like the abduction of Padma. Her pleas of innocence and being Hindi is believed by some of the flock, but most still believe even more in Jeremiah. Although Jon's actions and reactions seem apparent from the onset, especially his falling for the prisoner in a reverse Stockholm Syndrome scenario, young adult readers will enjoy this cautionary thriller that proclaims (perhaps too much) it could happen to almost anyone. Ironically most of the audience will insist this could not happen to me as the Brotherhood is obviously made up of dolts and losers.
   
   Harriet Klausner

No comments about International Kidnapping: The Hague Convention on the Civil Aspects of International Child (International Kidnapping) (International Kidnapping).

No comments about Tunnel Twist-up (Z Graphic Novels / TimeFlyz).