My Bloody Valentine

Rating:
Summary: Awesome!.....
Review: Hamilton High will be having a Valentine's Day Dance in honor of the popular "lover's-day." To add to the excitement, they'll be voting on a king and queen for the event. Everyday at during lunch, students can buy cards for the one they want to win. That way, the school can make a profit for library books. Amy Hunter and her friends are all competing for the title, yet one girl stands out from all the rest -- Tanya. Tanya has the lead over everyone and she thinks life couldn't get any better. That is until she starts receiving valentines from an unknown student at Hamilton. Inside are poems that warn Tanya to be faithful and worthy of being queen, or else she's better off dead. Tanya dismisses the warnings until she's found dead. It was all an accident, according to the police, but how can anyone be sure? After Tanya's death, another girl takes the lead, and also becomes cocky about it. Just like Tanya, she receives ominous messages, and -- just like Tanya -- she dies. Too bad for Amy. After each girl gets murdered, she's put more and more in the lead. Increasing her chances more and more of having a tragic "accident."

I thought that "My Bloody Valentine" by Jo Gibson was fabulous! It was filled with twists and turns around every corner, and kept you guessing until the end! These factors gave me a good impression, however I didn't like the way Gibson repeats her writing style. Like many of her other stories, the chapters alternate between the main character and the killer. Every other page has the main character blushing about something, and that starts to get annoying! Also, the author tends to use the same word over and over again -- "incredibly." That gets to be repetitive. While the plot was entertaining, it wasn't original, which weighed down on my rating. Other than that, it was an awesome book. Read it!

Also recommended:
a.) "Secret Santa" by D. E. Athkins
b.) "The Train" by Diane Hoh
c.) "Slay Bells" by Jo Gibson
d.) "Trick or Treat" by Richie Tankersley Cusick
e.) "Starstruck" by Richie Tankersley Cusick
f.) All R. L. Stine young adult thrillers
g.) All books by Joan Lowery Nixon

Rating:
Summary: Gives R.L. Stine a run for his money!
Review: I first read this book when I was about 12, and I really enjoyed it then. At the time, I was really into R.L. Stine and other such authors. I saw this book on a paperback rack a Wal-Mart, and seeing as how I had a long car ride ahead of me the following weekend, I bought it. From the first page, Ms. Gibson held my attention and within two hours, i had finished the book! Because these thriller books for younger teens are so short, the authors cram a lot into them, making every page exciting so you don't lose interest. My Bloody Valentine is no exception. The plot is better than that of most of these types of books, but they all end the same. Also they have plot holes that anyone over the age of 15 can spot a mile away. But, for its few flaws, Valentine is a decent book for a younger teenager with a few hours to kill. It will definitely keep their interest, and if you have nothing better to do, read it yourself. You might be surprised at how decent it is.