The Tower at the End of the World

Rating:
Summary: "The Tower at the End of the World": Another Fine Attempt!
Review: "The Tower at the End of the World" is yet another great plot by Brad Strickland utilizing the late John Bellairs's characters. While definitely not as good as some of Strickland's past attempts (most notably the books he completed such as "The Ghost in the Mirror", or even his own "The Hand of the Necromancer"), it's still a fun read for Bellairs fans. For those of you who liked the immensely popular "House With a Clock in its Walls" (and who didn't?), you'll be happy to know that this adventure is a sort of sequel with a mysterious, though rather one dimensional villain with a very familiar name. Lewis Barnavelt is back along with Uncle Jonathan and all their friends.

The new dust jacket illustration and frontispiece within are marvelous, catching the essence of the late Edward Gorey's style very well. But the publishers needs to let S. D. Schindler do the entire dust wrapper, not just the front! One of the special aspects of the original Bellairs novels were the illustrations - you've got an artist who can do them almost as good as Edward Gorey, so please let him do the entire jacket!

I have one small gripe. While "The Tower at the End of the World" is a lot of fun, Brad Strickland seems to be sticking to the same old formula a little too much. This is unfortunate. The past three or four stories have all been basically the same, only in different locales and with different characters. That's why I believe "The Hand of the Necromancer" is one of Strickland's best since he used some original ideas and even was bold enough to introduce a new character. Even though many of John Bellairs's novels were similar, they were never totally similar, if you know what I mean; they each had original elements that made them interesting and unique to read. Brad Strickland needs to incorporate some totally unique elements himself. And a note to Dial: we need more 160 to 170 pagers, not 145!

Overall, though, well worth a read!

Rating:
Summary:
Recommended by SPECTRUM Home & School Magazine
Review:
Simply put, this is a nice, creepy little gothic horror story. Who doesn't like a scary story once in awhile? Set in 1950's Michigan, "The Tower at the End of the World" is the sequel to Bellairs' "The House with a Clock in Its Walls." However, no prior knowledge of the first book is necessary to enjoy this tome. There are sorcerers and witches-both good and bad, as well as isolated islands-real and magical, not to mentions banshees, creeping shadows, runic threats, and a doomsday clock! But there always seems to be time for chocolate cake and lemonade.

Rating:
Summary: Excitement! Fun! Horror! Mystery! This book is great!
Review: Brad Strickland has done it again! In this book, The Tower at the End of the World, we become part of the exploits and adventures of Bellairs's first young adult character: Lewis Barnavelt. Of course, along with Lewis is his Wizard uncle, Jonathan Barnavelt, their Good Witch neighbor, Florence Zimmerman and Lewis's best friend, feisty Rose Rita Pottinger. "Bellairsian" purists will enjoy this book very much because, as the sub-title states, it is a sequel to The House with a Clock in its Walls. This book is also a great stand-alone adventure. The plot is straightforward: A sinister magician; the even-more-evil son of The House with a Clock in its Wall's principal villain, is bent on destruction and dominion, in that order. This book truly has it all. I can't begin to explain the pleasure in seeing these well recognized and endearing characters in a NEW story! Brad Strickland is firmly ingrained, in all the best possible ways, in the Bellairs universe. He doesn't try to re-write what's been established nor does he try to steer these stories away from what made them wonderful to start with. He's carried the flame without missing a single step. Also, my compliments to S. D. Schindler's cover. With the very sad passing of the legendary Edward Gorey, the cover art of the future Bellairs/Strickland books was in question. When I first saw the cover of this book, I breathed a long sigh of relief and, at the same time, marveled. Schindler did a nearly flawless job of honoring Gorey's style while adding his own personal touch. The one thing I would've liked to have seen is the quirky hand-written text that Gorey used for the books' titles. Still, I give this book the highest recommendations.

Rating:
Summary: Excitement! Fun! Horror! Mystery! This book is great!
Review: Brad Strickland has done it again! In this book, The Tower at the End of the World, we become part of the exploits and adventures of Bellairs's first young adult character: Lewis Barnavelt. Of course, along with Lewis is his Wizard uncle, Jonathan Barnavelt, their Good Witch neighbor, Florence Zimmerman and Lewis's best friend, feisty Rose Rita Pottinger. "Bellairsian" purists will enjoy this book very much because, as the sub-title states, it is a sequel to The House with a Clock in its Walls. This book is also a great stand-alone adventure. The plot is straightforward: A sinister magician; the even-more-evil son of The House with a Clock in its Wall's principal villain, is bent on destruction and dominion, in that order. This book truly has it all. I can't begin to explain the pleasure in seeing these well recognized and endearing characters in a NEW story! Brad Strickland is firmly ingrained, in all the best possible ways, in the Bellairs universe. He doesn't try to re-write what's been established nor does he try to steer these stories away from what made them wonderful to start with. He's carried the flame without missing a single step. Also, my compliments to S. D. Schindler's cover. With the very sad passing of the legendary Edward Gorey, the cover art of the future Bellairs/Strickland books was in question. When I first saw the cover of this book, I breathed a long sigh of relief and, at the same time, marveled. Schindler did a nearly flawless job of honoring Gorey's style while adding his own personal touch. The one thing I would've liked to have seen is the quirky hand-written text that Gorey used for the books' titles. Still, I give this book the highest recommendations.

Rating:
Summary: A satisfying supernatural thriller
Review: Brad Strickland's Tower At The End Of The World continues the Bellairs story and characters, this time returning to the House With A Clock In Its Walls to present a new threat from the banished wizard. A vacation brings the family in contact with a new threat to the world in this satisfying supernatural thriller.

Rating:
Summary: An Exciting New Adventure with Lewis and Rose Rita!
Review: For those of us who grew up reading John Bellairs' wonderful gothic mysteries, I think we were all saddened and aprehensive when Mr. Bellairs died and Brad Strickland began the task finishing his stories, and writing new ones based on Bellairs' characters and plot lines. I have to say that Mr. Strickland has done it! I was so impressed with the plot and development of the book that I think it rivals "The House with a Clock in its Walls". This is definitely one of the best adventures for Lewis and Rose Rita yet!!! I hope Brad Stickland will continue to develop and explore the wonderfully entertaining characters created by John Bellairs. I also really liked the new illustrator, and look forward to seeing more!

Rating:
Summary: A well writen book
Review: I have to say that Lewis Barnevelt was my favorite character when i was little. I also have to say that the house with a clock in its walls & the figure in the shadows are two of the scariest books when you are nine.

read this book!

Rating:
Summary: go lewis, go rose rita!
Review: I have to say that Lewis Barnevelt was my favorite character when i was little. I also have to say that the house with a clock in its walls & the figure in the shadows are two of the scariest books when you are nine.

read this book!

Rating:
Summary: The Tower at the end of the World
Review: I like the book because in the middel of the book it gets intersting and makes me want to read more. Three reasons I like it is that the animals are abel to talk to some of the people in the book.There are wiches and beast near the tower.
The best part of the book was when the to perasos had to go through all the trouble tring to get the book of someting.They also had to give the book to the witch becuse the some lizerd told them to do it.
This book is great because you can like see the charecters in your mind. In a conflic you feel like your in the novel.

Rating:
Summary: Back to the story of the first
Review: The latest John-Bellairs-esque offering from Brad Strickland goes back to Bellairs' first book. While it might be possible to read "Tower" without having read the first John Bellairs book, "House With A Clock In Its Walls," it is probable that newbies won't understand. So go read that book. Then come read this book.

Lewis Barnavelt and Rose Rita Pottinger are romping around a lakeside with their friends and relatives, but things are not going to remain peaceful. Someone attacks Uncle Jonathan - but steals nothing valuable from the house. Lewis sees strange visions of impending death: a banshee, a Japanese specter with a huge toothy mouth, and a hairy beast with glowing eyes that is stalking him in his dreams and in his waking life. He also learns of a note that says he will die on a specified day. Unsurprisingly, Lewis is very freaked out by this.

And on a boat trip out on a lake, our heroes encounter a strange, misty island with a giant black tower. And they find a new supernatural mystery that stems from their first adventure: the son of Isaac and Selenna Izard's son, Ishmael. And Ishmael is not only a sorcerer, but he fully intends to destroy the world.

Strickland inserts the elements of Bellairs that we all love best: Evil wizards, sinister dreams, vague reasons to destroy the world, unabashedly sinister surroundings, things that appear and vanish without warning, hideous beasties, and evil magic that the good wizards wouldn't touch with a ten-foot wand. He also manages to harken back to "House" without overloading the reader with too much "this is how it happened," and manages to create a plot reminiscent of Bellairs' first book without repetition.

Characterization is seamless; Lewis and Rose Rita are just as we remember them, as are the ever-bantering Mrs. Zimmerman and Uncle Jonathan. So is the writing style, which remains spare unless something sinister is happening. If something hideous rears its head, the writing becomes creepily descriptive. My beefs? Well, there are a few threads that feel... well, un-picked-up by the end. A little too loose. In addition, one of the final scenes is somehow a little cheesy and a little too cute.

Few flaws aside, this is a wonderful spinechiller with a great climax, a deliciously BAAAAAD villain, and the quirky Bellairs heroes we know and love.