In the Forests of the Night

Rating:
Summary: Both captivating and enthralling, Night is a must-read!
Review: I would like to start off by saying when it comes to books, and their authors; in general I am very stubborn. I refuse to ever venture out from those authors that I have not yet previously read, and when I do, I rarely read more than ten pages before I huff and puff, lose my patience, and put the book down for all of eternity. When the author of this book asked me to read a pre-release copy of it, I at first politely declined. At her constant insistence (and at a promise of a cash reward) I agreed to read the book. Immediately I was emerged in a world like none before. The characterizations alone are reason enough to read this book. The vampire lore is completely original and modern, yet stays true enough to the classic vampire ideas that it doesn't become unbelievable. One of the more interesting aspects of the book is the main character's struggle in her beliefs. Often she seems to be fighting with herself inside, not quite sure if she is evil or good, a saint or a demon. This parallels the problems many people face in their actual lives when faced against different views of religion, sex, peer pressure, and life in general. People tend to want to look at a gray world as black and white. The author not only plays with that concept, but also does so ingeniously. This book easily won me over, and did what few books have managed to do; offer a new author in my limited library. I would like to add that I never took my cash reward, instead I plan to pay for my own personal copy of the book, which, of course, I WILL get signed.

Rating:
Summary: Absolutly Captivating
Review: (At first I originally picked up Demon in My View, but when I learned about there being a first, I went and read this one before hand. )

I loved this book from start to finish! I was around 14-15 at the time of reading it (3 years ago) and it just captured me! No this may not be a great book if you want something really in-depth adult-ish, but this is great for a good read that will get you thinking. Infact it got me thinking so much I started writing my own book before I was even finished reading this! I even go back today and re-read it just to get that spark going!

This book is very imaginative and very adult for a 13 year old! I applaud her greatly on this acomplishment! And i have read the rest she has done, and have not been let-down once!

~Rista

Rating:
Summary: Tiger, Tiger! Burning Bright!
Review: Risika, as you may know from other reviews, is a 300-year old vamp that lives in a New England town. Even since Risika, or Rachel(her birth name) was "changed", she has hated another vampire, named Aubrey, for killing her brother. Though we don't really find out very much about Risika's character, except through her relationships with others(her family, Aubrey, the tiger, etc., this book is still highly entertaining.

Yes, you hear the reviewers who say,"She copied Anne Rice" or "Her writting is primative", but really who cares whether or not a book is well-written.(As for the Anne Rice comments, I wouldn't know because I haven't read her work). What Atwater-Rhodes has done is create a work that not only inspires a younger generation of writers, but she actually creates an enjoyable read. I would much rather read something good that a tiresome, well-written novel.

But-as in every book-there are some things that got on my nerves. For example the countless amount of times she used the word aura, and how Risika's relationship with the tiger wasn't explored as it should have been. The book was just to short. I look forward to reading more of Atwater-Rhodes' books.

R

Rating:
Summary: I have to give the author some credit, but...
Review: I must be honest. I did not really like this book at all, mainly because it did not have what I expected or wanted. I wanted some romance, and a book with more substance. On the other hand, I know that Amelia Atwater-Rhodes was but 13 when she wrote this, so going by that, I think this book is very good. I mean, c'mon, I could never write a book that good, especially at that age! I applaud the author on her writing, because it is good, I just did not like the storyline personally.

Rating:
Summary: I so love this book!
Review: I liked how it did the flash backs and explained how Rachel/Risika became a vampire. I also liked how Amelia explained in the book that her vampires were not allergic to sunlight, ect. I loved the ending. We find out what happens to Risika's twin brother Alexander. I recommend this book to everyone.

Rating:
Summary: Kristen's review
Review: I usually dont like books and with this book I could not put it down. It is one of the best books that I have ever read.

Rating:
Summary: Love it!
Review: This was the second book of Amelia's that I read, and my second favorite. I like how Risika is portrayed and how she fights mentally with her morals and beliefs. I thought it was a very good book for a person of her age. Plus, it isn't a "happy ending" book. Things don't go back to normal, or everyone lives happily ever after. I like that in a book. A definate recommendation.

Rating:
Summary: not the best but still great
Review: this is the first book amelia wrote and i must say it is very impressive for a thirteen year old. yeah i know a thirteen year old. i was truly amaized by this book because being a thirteen year old girl myself i couldnt believe how much potential a thirteen had. i mean she writes almost as good as annie rice bu my god this girl has tallent. this is a book for people who like sci-fi and the unatural.