Rating: 
Summary: Not Just Another Pretty Face
Review: In Sunnydale demons are no surprise to Buffy. Not even when a bunch of them show up in line for cat food at the local Quick Stop. Buffy, as usual, to the rescue. Except that this time an unassuming looking middle school student loses her cool and unexpectedly rips a demon to shreds. But before Buffy can say "hello" the girl is gone and the mystery gets filed away. For our regular girl wonder realizes that someone has elected her target in the demonic equivalent of 'Survivor.' This time the show seems to be called 'Get That Slayer."The unexpected demon stomper is Arianna DuPrey, a fellow student at Dawn's school. Arianna, the child of a hypercritical mother, has spent most of her life avoiding attention. Now she finds herself in the possession of the kind of powers that she has previously only fantasized about and she is terrified. While she is trying to cope with this she attracts the attention, and then the friendship of Dawn, who has had her own struggles with being different. When Buffy discovers that Dawn's new friend is also the mystery girl from the Quick Stop there is a bit of a scramble before Arianna begins to accept that Buffy, Dawn, and the rest of the Scooby gang actually want to help her discover that has happened to her. For Arianna, who has always been a loner, this is a major, and sometimes difficult, adjustment. But Arianna's coming into her powers has awakened one more player. Sensing an opportunity for freedom and power another Aurek Kiritan arouses himself to seek re-entry into the human plane. Arianna's father, her mother's demon lover, returns to the human plane, intent on having his half-human young daughter assume the role of the Reaver, a creature of legend, intent on bearing destruction wherever she goes. For this he will give her three gifts and require her willing consent. Only one thing stands in his way - Buffy and her band of friends, who keep reminding Arianna of her human half. Into this relationship he must drive a wedge or face the destruction of his own dreams. The conflict in this book between Arianna's need to be special and Buffy's own need to be human sets up a relationship that will bring change to both. And the normally petulant and slightly impossible Dawn reveals her own in inner strength in the mirror of care and acceptance she holds up to both her sister and her friend. Arianna's confusion about whether her father is hero or horror, her inability to resolve her feelings for Dawn and Buffy, and her indecision about her own nature make this a particularly poignant book. As is often the case, Buffy books such as this one from Scott Ciencin have a lot to say about more important things than the slaying of vampires. This one does that particularly well, using fine writing and a memorable plot. Great reading.
Rating: 
Summary: The worst Buffy book by far
Review: Scott Ciencin doesn't deserve praise of any kind for this book. The story of Sweet Sixteen is so drawn-out (even at only 211 pages) that I, a Buffy fanatic, became bored with it quickly. Ciencin focuses so much on his own characters that most of the others are completely lost. Arianna is a bland character. She changes her mind at least 5 times throughout the book. By biggest problem comes on page 133. My favorite quote of all time on the show Buffy is in the season 5 (the same season Sweet Sixteen takes place in) episode "The Gift." Spike says to Buffy, "I know I'm a monster, but you treat me like a man." Ciencin takes this quote, twists it, and applies it to a different situation. In Sweet Sixteen, he puts in as something Spike to said to Buffy concerning her mother's death... the quote now reads, "I know I'm a monster, but your mother treated me like a man." Why would Spike say this to Buffy about her mother? The book takes place before "The Gift," but why would Spike say that about Buffy's mom if he would later say it about Buffy herself? I know it's not that big of a deal, but Ciencin took a beautiful quote and manipulated it for his own story. That really bugged me. Do NOT buy Sweet Sixteen. It's boring. Plain and simple. But... I do have to say I enjoyed one part of this book: the reference to Psycho Beach Party. Otherwise, I would never recommend this book.
Rating:
Summary: The worst Buffy book by far
Review: Scott Ciencin doesn't deserve praise of any kind for this book. The story of Sweet Sixteen is so drawn-out (even at only 211 pages) that I, a Buffy fanatic, became bored with it quickly. Ciencin focuses so much on his own characters that most of the others are completely lost. Arianna is a bland character. She changes her mind at least 5 times throughout the book. By biggest problem comes on page 133. My favorite quote of all time on the show Buffy is in the season 5 (the same season Sweet Sixteen takes place in) episode "The Gift." Spike says to Buffy, "I know I'm a monster, but you treat me like a man." Ciencin takes this quote, twists it, and applies it to a different situation. In Sweet Sixteen, he puts in as something Spike to said to Buffy concerning her mother's death... the quote now reads, "I know I'm a monster, but your mother treated me like a man." Why would Spike say this to Buffy about her mother? The book takes place before "The Gift," but why would Spike say that about Buffy's mom if he would later say it about Buffy herself? I know it's not that big of a deal, but Ciencin took a beautiful quote and manipulated it for his own story. That really bugged me. Do NOT buy Sweet Sixteen. It's boring. Plain and simple. But... I do have to say I enjoyed one part of this book: the reference to Psycho Beach Party. Otherwise, I would never recommend this book.
Rating: 
Summary: Great Plot with Great Twists...but...a line is out of place.
Review: What I mean by that is in this book the author takes a quote from the episode 'The Gift' from Season 5 and twists it. The original quote from Spike to Buffy in the episode went, 'I know I'm a monster, but you treat me like a man.' It was one of the most emotional moments of the season and showed us how Spike had evolved from something evil and hateful to something good and promising. It was a defining comment from him and was a preview of what was to come in the 6th and 7th seasons.
The author butchered the moment and morphed it into a new one he created himself of Spike telling Buffy in this book, 'I know I'm a monster, but your mom treated me like a man.' I mean, why would he do something like that? It didn't even make sense! Ugh, that being the only thing that ruined a 5 star rating, the rest of the book was pretty well written. Dawn overhears a girl in school being mistreated by the infamous 'sweater mafia', or in other words, the popular girls and steps in.
Dawn becomes a target for the group as they seek revenge and Dawn begins to discover weird things about her new friend Arianna. For one, she can lift a thousand pounds without breaking a sweat and can take on her big sis The Slayer with no problem.
The more the gang tries to fing out about the mysterious girl the more they become confused. With unusual superstrength and healing power unknown to a Slayer, Arianna is harboring a dark secret and a dangerous legacy that could destroy everything...as soon as she becomes 16.... Written after Joyce's death and Dawn's revelation of being The Key, somewhere in the middle of the 5th season. Good portrayal of Buffy's struggle to deal with her mom's death and her guardianship of Dawn and her fear of the season's villian, the hellgod Glory finding Dawn finally. The author also touches on Spike's deep love for Buffy and his struggle to protect her and Dawn and how Buffy doesn't seem to want any of it.
Extremely good plot, just get rid of the twisted moment with Spike and Buffy..... Tracy Talley~@
Rating:
Summary: Great Plot with Great Twists...but...a line is out of place.
Review: What I mean by that is in this book the author takes a quote from the episode 'The Gift' from Season 5 and twists it. The original quote from Spike to Buffy in the episode went, 'I know I'm a monster, but you treat me like a man.' It was one of the most emotional moments of the season and showed us how Spike had evolved from something evil and hateful to something good and promising. It was a defining comment from him and was a preview of what was to come in the 6th and 7th seasons.
The author butchered the moment and morphed it into a new one he created himself of Spike telling Buffy in this book, 'I know I'm a monster, but your mom treated me like a man.' I mean, why would he do something like that? It didn't even make sense! Ugh, that being the only thing that ruined a 5 star rating, the rest of the book was pretty well written. Dawn overhears a girl in school being mistreated by the infamous 'sweater mafia', or in other words, the popular girls and steps in.
Dawn becomes a target for the group as they seek revenge and Dawn begins to discover weird things about her new friend Arianna. For one, she can lift a thousand pounds without breaking a sweat and can take on her big sis The Slayer with no problem.
The more the gang tries to fing out about the mysterious girl the more they become confused. With unusual superstrength and healing power unknown to a Slayer, Arianna is harboring a dark secret and a dangerous legacy that could destroy everything...as soon as she becomes 16.... Written after Joyce's death and Dawn's revelation of being The Key, somewhere in the middle of the 5th season. Good portrayal of Buffy's struggle to deal with her mom's death and her guardianship of Dawn and her fear of the season's villian, the hellgod Glory finding Dawn finally. The author also touches on Spike's deep love for Buffy and his struggle to protect her and Dawn and how Buffy doesn't seem to want any of it.
Extremely good plot, just get rid of the twisted moment with Spike and Buffy..... Tracy Talley~@
Rating:
Summary: happy sweet 16th
Review: when dawn comes home with a new friend, buffy is shocked. she had
seen this girl on patrol a few nights before. the girl has amazing speed and power like a slayer but obviously is not one.
the scooby gang take the girl under their wing and try to find
out the source of her ability. the more they dig, the more
sinister the plot is. because on her sixteenth birthday she will
come into her destiny which also includes killing the slayer. this book is very intriguing and leaves you waiting to the end
to find the outcome. highly recommend.
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