The Forbidden Game Review(s)
The Forbidden Game by L.J. Smith is composed of three (3) seperate stories in them. This review is a review of all three of those stories; The Hunter, The Chase, The Kill.
Author:
L.J. Smith
Publisher and Date Published:
June 2010
Simon Pulse
Part of:
The Forbidden Game
About the Author: (inside of book)
L.J. Smith has written more than twenty-five books for young adults, and is Ney York Times bestselling Night World series, the Vampire Diaries series, and Dark Visions. She lives in the Bay Area of California, where she enjoys reading, hiking, and traveling. Her favorite place is a cabin in Point Reyes National Seashore. Vist her at http://www.ljanesmith.net/.
THE HUNTER:
Title:
The Hunter
Summary: (back of the book)
When Jenny buys a game for her boyfriend, Tom, she fins herself inexplicably drawn to the guy behind the counter. There is something mysteriously alluring about Julian's pale eyes and bleached-blond hair. And when he places the Game into her hands, she knows their connection is something deeper.
But as Jenny and her six friends begin to play the Game at Tom's birthday celebration, a night of friends and fun quickly turns into a night of terror and obsessive love. Because the Game isn't just a game-it's the seven friends' new reality, where Julian reigns as the Prince of the Shadows.
One by one the friends must confront their phobias to win the Game. To lose the Game is to lose their lives. And that is only the beginning....
My rating:
4.5/5
My Thoughts:
Wow. Lisa Jane Smith has done it again! All of her books always captivate me and this was no differnent. I don't know what it is about her books, but as soon as I open the cover, I'm entranced and can't seem to put the book down until I'm done. And once I am done, I need to find another book by her and read it or else it's like a physical pain! I'm glad this is a tri-story book!
Jenny's had a busy week and has lost track of time. In an effort to get some entertainment for a get-together she's having that night for her boyfriend's birthday, she goes into the bad part of town. When two goons follow her, she is desperate to get out of sight. She finds a hidden door into a shop marked "More Games". There she finds the charming Julian and the Game that starts it all. Once the 7 friends start to play the game, they are transported into another world and must conqure their fears, or they won't make it out alive. Not all of them do stay alive, and the ones that do are extremely brave, for they have had to overcome their most feared fear. Julian wants to have Jenny, and will do anything to have her. But what exactly will it take? I really want to tell you, but I know it'd be better if you just read the book yourself! So go out and buy it, rent it, borrow it, whatever you have to do to read this book!
This book sort of reminded me of Alice in Wonderland, because ...well, it's kind of hard to explain, but once you read it, hopefully you'll see why. If you liked Alice in Wonderland, or even if you don't, I'd recommend you read The Hunter (or the whole Forbidden Games!).
THE CHASE:
Title:
The Chase
Summary: (from Wikipedia)
In the second book of the trilogy, The Chase, the group of friends has to explain about the disappearance of Summer, while trying to find the box that contains the game. Julian was still trapped in the closet, but there was a chance that the two boys that stole the game might let Julian out. All of the friends begin to have nightmares, and unnatural weird occurrences at school are happening in the daytime. Finally, when Jenny is at the senior prom, Julian appears. Julian gives Jenny a chance to break free, but the stakes were the same as the last game. This time the game is "Lambs and Monsters", where Julian is the monster, and the friends are the lambs trying to hide from him; for the lambs to win, they have to find the monster's base. One by one Jenny's friends start disappearing, and Jenny is the only one left. She manages to find the base by tricking Julian. She finds her friends, but to get out they have to pass through a wall of flames. Everyone makes it but Tom and Zach, and to get them back again, Mike, Dee, Audrey, and Jenny have to find a way into the Shadow World.
My Rating:
4.5/5
My Thoughts:
Julian has a new game to play. It's a much harder game, and soon Jenny, fearful of loosing, is the only one left. She wins, but at a cost. The book leaves off where she must begin yet anther game with the Shadow Prince to win her friends back.
This story FINALLY had me screaming at the book! It's been so long since a book has made me do that! Usually while I'm screaming at it I'm a bit mad and crazy, but it's been so long since a book has had my interest enough for me to scream at it, that it is a positive thing. I'd most definately recommend it!
THE KILL
Summary: (Wikipedia)
In the last of the three, The Kill, the remaining four run away to Monessen, the place where Jenny's grandfather had lived before being taken away by the Shadow Men. They believed that there was a portal to the Shadow World there, and there was. When the four enter the Shadow World, they find themselves in a closed amusement park. After looking and experiencing some of the attractions, which are made to be like nightmares, Julian appears, and he tells them that if they find three Spanish doubloons in the amusement park, everyone will get to go free. The four friends search through the amusement park and find Summer, who is still alive. They also find three other souls being kept by the Shadow Men, the two boys who stole the game, and Jenny's grandfather who had been taken when Jenny opened the closet door. They set the three free without knowing the consequences, and they find the three doubloon coins to save Zach and Tom. Right as they all are leaving, the Shadow Men appear and say that the group has taken the souls, which were theirs. The older Shadow Men want to take Jenny's soul, but Julian says that he will take her place. The seven leave with some despair on Jenny's part, and get back home.
My Rating:
4/5
My Thoughts:
Less interesting than the other two, this book was a little harder to get through. But what happens is Julian sets up a new game with Jenny so she can get Tom and Zach back. She then travels to her grandfather's old house and goes into the shadow world, which leads her on a treasure hunt to find 3 golden coins which will let her get her cousin and boyfriend back. When the Shadow Men trap her and try to kill her, Julian saves her and she can see how much he truly loves her. She then returns to her friends and they travel on looking through the coins, facing obsticles the shadow world comes up with, along with meeting some people they thought died in the Shadow World. To find out if they finally get their friends back, read the book!
Author:
L.J. Smith
Publisher and Date Published:
June 2010
Simon Pulse
Part of:
The Forbidden Game
About the Author: (inside of book)
L.J. Smith has written more than twenty-five books for young adults, and is Ney York Times bestselling Night World series, the Vampire Diaries series, and Dark Visions. She lives in the Bay Area of California, where she enjoys reading, hiking, and traveling. Her favorite place is a cabin in Point Reyes National Seashore. Vist her at http://www.ljanesmith.net/.
THE HUNTER:
Title:
The Hunter
Summary: (back of the book)
When Jenny buys a game for her boyfriend, Tom, she fins herself inexplicably drawn to the guy behind the counter. There is something mysteriously alluring about Julian's pale eyes and bleached-blond hair. And when he places the Game into her hands, she knows their connection is something deeper.
But as Jenny and her six friends begin to play the Game at Tom's birthday celebration, a night of friends and fun quickly turns into a night of terror and obsessive love. Because the Game isn't just a game-it's the seven friends' new reality, where Julian reigns as the Prince of the Shadows.
One by one the friends must confront their phobias to win the Game. To lose the Game is to lose their lives. And that is only the beginning....
My rating:
4.5/5
My Thoughts:
Wow. Lisa Jane Smith has done it again! All of her books always captivate me and this was no differnent. I don't know what it is about her books, but as soon as I open the cover, I'm entranced and can't seem to put the book down until I'm done. And once I am done, I need to find another book by her and read it or else it's like a physical pain! I'm glad this is a tri-story book!
Jenny's had a busy week and has lost track of time. In an effort to get some entertainment for a get-together she's having that night for her boyfriend's birthday, she goes into the bad part of town. When two goons follow her, she is desperate to get out of sight. She finds a hidden door into a shop marked "More Games". There she finds the charming Julian and the Game that starts it all. Once the 7 friends start to play the game, they are transported into another world and must conqure their fears, or they won't make it out alive. Not all of them do stay alive, and the ones that do are extremely brave, for they have had to overcome their most feared fear. Julian wants to have Jenny, and will do anything to have her. But what exactly will it take? I really want to tell you, but I know it'd be better if you just read the book yourself! So go out and buy it, rent it, borrow it, whatever you have to do to read this book!
This book sort of reminded me of Alice in Wonderland, because ...well, it's kind of hard to explain, but once you read it, hopefully you'll see why. If you liked Alice in Wonderland, or even if you don't, I'd recommend you read The Hunter (or the whole Forbidden Games!).
THE CHASE:
Title:
The Chase
Summary: (from Wikipedia)
In the second book of the trilogy, The Chase, the group of friends has to explain about the disappearance of Summer, while trying to find the box that contains the game. Julian was still trapped in the closet, but there was a chance that the two boys that stole the game might let Julian out. All of the friends begin to have nightmares, and unnatural weird occurrences at school are happening in the daytime. Finally, when Jenny is at the senior prom, Julian appears. Julian gives Jenny a chance to break free, but the stakes were the same as the last game. This time the game is "Lambs and Monsters", where Julian is the monster, and the friends are the lambs trying to hide from him; for the lambs to win, they have to find the monster's base. One by one Jenny's friends start disappearing, and Jenny is the only one left. She manages to find the base by tricking Julian. She finds her friends, but to get out they have to pass through a wall of flames. Everyone makes it but Tom and Zach, and to get them back again, Mike, Dee, Audrey, and Jenny have to find a way into the Shadow World.
My Rating:
4.5/5
My Thoughts:
Julian has a new game to play. It's a much harder game, and soon Jenny, fearful of loosing, is the only one left. She wins, but at a cost. The book leaves off where she must begin yet anther game with the Shadow Prince to win her friends back.
This story FINALLY had me screaming at the book! It's been so long since a book has made me do that! Usually while I'm screaming at it I'm a bit mad and crazy, but it's been so long since a book has had my interest enough for me to scream at it, that it is a positive thing. I'd most definately recommend it!
THE KILL
Summary: (Wikipedia)
In the last of the three, The Kill, the remaining four run away to Monessen, the place where Jenny's grandfather had lived before being taken away by the Shadow Men. They believed that there was a portal to the Shadow World there, and there was. When the four enter the Shadow World, they find themselves in a closed amusement park. After looking and experiencing some of the attractions, which are made to be like nightmares, Julian appears, and he tells them that if they find three Spanish doubloons in the amusement park, everyone will get to go free. The four friends search through the amusement park and find Summer, who is still alive. They also find three other souls being kept by the Shadow Men, the two boys who stole the game, and Jenny's grandfather who had been taken when Jenny opened the closet door. They set the three free without knowing the consequences, and they find the three doubloon coins to save Zach and Tom. Right as they all are leaving, the Shadow Men appear and say that the group has taken the souls, which were theirs. The older Shadow Men want to take Jenny's soul, but Julian says that he will take her place. The seven leave with some despair on Jenny's part, and get back home.
My Rating:
4/5
My Thoughts:
Less interesting than the other two, this book was a little harder to get through. But what happens is Julian sets up a new game with Jenny so she can get Tom and Zach back. She then travels to her grandfather's old house and goes into the shadow world, which leads her on a treasure hunt to find 3 golden coins which will let her get her cousin and boyfriend back. When the Shadow Men trap her and try to kill her, Julian saves her and she can see how much he truly loves her. She then returns to her friends and they travel on looking through the coins, facing obsticles the shadow world comes up with, along with meeting some people they thought died in the Shadow World. To find out if they finally get their friends back, read the book!
This book is good but, i really didnt like the way it ended soo tragic.
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