Rating: 
Summary: Almost as bad as LOST BOYS.
Review: Orson Scott Card is one of my most favorite authors and, in the past, I have purchased his books without even reading the back cover because I felt assured that nothing he wrote would be dissappointing. No more. Treasure Box's paranormal slant seemed poorly developed and abruptly ended - as if he weren't quite sure how to flesh-out the rest of the story. The characters also seemed to lack the depth that I have come to expect from Card's stories. In my summary above, I stated that TREASURE BOX was almost as bad as LOST BOYS, and I still feel that LB was worse (i.e., too many sub-plots, abrupt ending). However, I empathized with the core family and their daily struggles. I cannot say the same for anyone in TREASURE BOX. :-(
Rating:
Summary: Starts well, then dies.
Review: Orson Scott Card is one of the most gifted authors currently working. For a great example of his style read the first part of this novel. Then put it down, because reading the rest of it will change your mind. The buildup in this book is phenomenal. The scenes that take place in a gothic mansion populated by ghosts rank with some of the best work he has ever done. Why then does he throw all of this away for the sake of a plot twist that delivers nothing? Once the antagonist becomes nothing more than a powerful child the book looses it's beauty. It has no suspense, no fear, no style. It becomes a potboiler more suited to a mass market hack then a gifted artist. His first major non science fiction novel, Lost Boys, is one of the best American novels of the last 20 years. I cannot read it without crying. That book was a great work. This is not. The best thing about this novel is that the memory of it will fade quickly, and therefore, do little damage to his legacy,
Rating: 
Summary: A turn into the unexpected for Card
Review: Quentin Fears retreated from life as a child when his beloved older sister died. Although he has turned his skill with computer programming over into millions of dollars, he has no personal connections, no life, until he meets a woman named Madeleine. They marry after a whirlwind romance and she brings him to meet her family in a dusty old mansion in upstate New York. And, like in so many great ghost stories, this is a mansion full of secrets.Card is better known for his talents at science fiction and fantasy than horror, but his gift for characterization shines through in this deftly-woven creepy little tale.
Rating: 
Summary: Disappointing compared to his more intellectual works
Review: Since I love Orson Scott Card's other work I probably am more critical of this than I would be from another writer. I found this book a mild disappointment, though it is still an engaging and fun read. If you like his Alvin series, Ender, and so forth, this reads a bit more like, well, Stephen King. The characters are believable but the supernatural elements pushed the plausibility meter a little, and this from someone who loves his fantasy and science fiction oriented work and never had any trouble with his explanations in these books. I can't say much more about that without giving away the one big plot twist, but I found what happened with the character Madeline a little too convenient and not set up very well -- like a bad mystery where once you find out 'whodunit', you do recall a few previous clues, but still just don't buy it. That may sound overly critical, but Card is one of my favorite writers so I hold him to a high standard. He can do (and does) much better. If you haven't read this one yet and are a fan of his other books, I would recommend one of his newer books, Enchantment, which is an amazing read.
Rating: 
Summary: Could be better...but could be a LOT worse
Review: Sure, I was thrown for a loop by the abrupt twist in the story midway through. But Card's knack for thinking forward and arranging odd things that become clear later in the story shines through here, just as in his other novels. Not everything can be Ender's Game, but it can still be good, and Treasure Box certainly is. I consider Stephen King, personally, to be the best modern writer of characters, but Card is no slouch, and even his supernatural beings come across real enough to have me glancing about my shadowy room while reading this at night. You can feel what Quentin feels. This may be Card's most atmospheric work (I haven't read all his novels) and there are some genuinely spooky scenes. No, it will never stand as his greatest achievement alongside Speaker for the Dead and Enchantment, etc., but it's still Card, and it's still great, and this is NOT a waste of time.
Rating:
Summary: Could be better...but could be a LOT worse
Review: Sure, I was thrown for a loop by the abrupt twist in the story midway through. But Card's knack for thinking forward and arranging odd things that become clear later in the story shines through here, just as in his other novels. Not everything can be Ender's Game, but it can still be good, and Treasure Box certainly is. I consider Stephen King, personally, to be the best modern writer of characters, but Card is no slouch, and even his supernatural beings come across real enough to have me glancing about my shadowy room while reading this at night. You can feel what Quentin feels. This may be Card's most atmospheric work (I haven't read all his novels) and there are some genuinely spooky scenes. No, it will never stand as his greatest achievement alongside Speaker for the Dead and Enchantment, etc., but it's still Card, and it's still great, and this is NOT a waste of time.
Rating:
Summary: Keeps you interested
Review: This book had twists and turns that were never expected. I did not know it was a horror until I got further and further into it. I must say, it was difficult to put down because it was fairly confusing and I needed to see an explanation and also needed to see what happened next.
Rating:
Summary: A wonderful, wonderful, wonderful, wonderful book
Review: This is a book that is very hard to put down. I read most of it in one sitting. It's happy and sad and wonderful. When I was reading it, I couldn't wait to see what happened next and when it was done I wished there was more. Definitely a must read book.
Rating:
Summary: Fast-paced, but not much else
Review: This is a one-time read. I checked it out for an end-of-the-semester I-actually-have-time-to-read-something-for-fun novel, and I wasn't dissapointed. It was fast-paced and engaging with interesitng characters and a lot of plot twists; not a Card classic, but still a fun book. Although it doesn't come near "Speaker for the Dead" or "Red Prophet," which are my favorites of Card's novels, it doesn't feel like it's trying, so it's still genuine.
Rating:
Summary: An intersting mix of OSC and Koontz
Review: This story borrows from Hart's Hope magician illusionist, and also OSC's signature theme of saucy, hyper-smart kids. Also, was I the only one to see that this story had many of the same elements of Koontz' "Dragon Tears"? Both are excellent books and stand by themselves, but the parallels are obvious. I particularly liked the ending to this book; it wasn't as sacchrine as some of Card's other stuff can be. I don't want to give away the ending, but let's just say that at the end of the book, not *everyone* has been killed off.
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