Banff Library Teen Site - Fiction Reviews

AGE: 12 - 16
LOCATION: YA PB S
GENRE: Horror/Suspense
RATED: *** I’m mystified that you haven’t read this yet!
REVIEWER: Grace, Teen Summer Reading Programme participant

This is the first book in The Saga of Darren Shan series. Ordinary kid, Darren Shan, leads an ordinary life with ordinary friends and an ordinary family when one day the Cirque du Freak -- a traveling freak show -- comes to town. Darren and his friend, Steve, decide to go and see the wonderful miracles and horrors but, at the end of the show, Darren finds out a horrible secret about his friend… it all blows over, but when Steve gets bitten by a deadly spider Darren has no choice but to become the one thing Steve wanted to be. Is Darren up to it?

Further into the series, Darren must take the Trials of Initiation in order to prove himself respectable by other vampires. Will Darren, now half-vampire, survive all four trials, or will he die trying? As the reader continues through the series, they learn a lot about vampire traditions, which are really interesting. I think the best book in the series is # 6: Vampire Prince. It’s interesting, exciting, and very surprising. You can’t stop reading once you start!

AGE: 15+
LOCATION: FIC PER
GENRE: Horror/Suspense
RATED: *** It's scary how good this is!
REVIEWER: Jacqueline and Kristopher, Teen Summer Reading Programme participants

Great book – you have to read it! I would give it five stars! No one would expect such a scary novel could maintain a Christian theme.

AGE: 10 - 15
LOCATION: J DEL
GENRE: Horror/Suspense
RATED: *** It's scary how good this is!
REVIEWER: Tonya, Banff Public Library staff

12 year old Tom Ward has reluctantly started work as an apprentice for Old Gregory, the village spook whose job it is to protect ordinary people from "ghouls, boggarts, all manner of wicked beasties" and the creepy things that cause shivers in the night. Tom is not sure that he is cut out for the lonely, scary life of spook and soon finds himself in trouble.

Too spooky to be read after dark, but you will be tempted to! Although you are guaranteed to get frightfully caught up in this great book, the twisted horror is cushioned by a normal young hero who is very likeable. Still, bad things are always there to catch Tom (and readers!) off-guard. If you enjoy this book, the first in The Last Apprentice series, you can look forward to plenty more bumps in the night to give you a fright as the series continues!

RATED: ** It's scary how good this is!
REVIEWER: ** It’s scary how good this is!

This story has really good detail and I like the gory bits! My favourite character is the Spook.



		Horror Cirque du Freak: a living nightmare - Shan, Darren AGE: 12 - 16 LOCATION: YA PB S GENRE: Horror/Suspense RATED: *** I’m mystified that you haven’t read this yet! REVIEWER: Grace, Teen Summer Reading Programme participant This is the first book in The Saga of Darren Shan series. Ordinary kid, Darren Shan, leads an ordinary life with ordinary friends and an ordinary family when one day the Cirque du Freak -- a traveling freak show -- comes to town. Darren and his friend, Steve, decide to go and see the wonderful miracles and horrors but, at the end of the show, Darren finds out a horrible secret about his friend… it all blows over, but when Steve gets bitten by a deadly spider Darren has no choice but to become the one thing Steve wanted to be. Is Darren up to it? Further into the series, Darren must take the Trials of Initiation in order to prove himself respectable by other vampires. Will Darren, now half-vampire, survive all four trials, or will he die trying? As the reader continues through the series, they learn a lot about vampire traditions, which are really interesting. I think the best book in the series is # 6: Vampire Prince. It’s interesting, exciting, and very surprising. You can’t stop reading once you start! House - Perreti, Frank AGE: 15+ LOCATION: FIC PER GENRE: Horror/Suspense RATED: * It's scary how good this is! REVIEWER: Jacqueline and Kristopher, Teen Summer Reading Programme participants Great book – you have to read it! I would give it five stars! No one would expect such a scary novel could maintain a Christian theme. Revenge of the Witch - Delaney, Joseph AGE: 10 - 15 LOCATION: J DEL GENRE: Horror/Suspense RATED: * It's scary how good this is! REVIEWER: Tonya, Banff Public Library staff 12 year old Tom Ward has reluctantly started work as an apprentice for Old Gregory, the village spook whose job it is to protect ordinary people from "ghouls, boggarts, all manner of wicked beasties" and the creepy things that cause shivers in the night. Tom is not sure that he is cut out for the lonely, scary life of spook and soon finds himself in trouble. Too spooky to be read after dark, but you will be tempted to! Although you are guaranteed to get frightfully caught up in this great book, the twisted horror is cushioned by a normal young hero who is very likeable. Still, bad things are always there to catch Tom (and readers!) off-guard. If you enjoy this book, the first in The Last Apprentice series, you can look forward to plenty more bumps in the night to give you a fright as the series continues! RATED: It's scary how good this is! REVIEWER: It’s scary how good this is! This story has really good detail and I like the gory bits! My favourite character is the Spook.		Vampire High by Douglas Rees Stuff for Your Space by Ellen Warwick Harry Houdini by Vicki Cobb


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