Saturday, October 25, 2008

Review for In The Forests of the Night by Ameila Atwater-Rhodes

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In The Forests of the Night
by Amelia Atwater-Rhodes

Published: May 2000
Pages: 147
Rating: 3/5

I was born to the name of Rachel Weatere in the year 1684, more than three hundred years ago.

The one who changed me named me Risika, and Risika I became, though I never asked what it meant. I continue to call myself Risika, even though I was transformed into what I am against my will.

By day, Risika sleeps in a shaded room in Concord, Massachusetts. By night, she hunts the streets of New York City. She is used to being alone.

But now someone is following Risika. Someone has left her a black rose, the same sort of rose that sealed her fate three hundred years ago.

Three hundred years ago Risika had a family — a brother and a sister who loved her. Three hundred years ago she was human.

Now she is a vampire, a powerful one. And her past has come back to torment her.

This atmospheric, haunting tale marks the stunning debut of a promising fourteen-year-old novelist.


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Fiction or non-fiction? Fiction

Genre? Young Adult

What led you to pick up this book? I saw it on a Shelfari Group I am in, and it looked like a quick, interesting read.

What did you like most about the book? The way the chapters were arranged... some were in the past (1701) and others were in the present. It was a great way for the reader to learn the history of the main character.

What did you like least? The author seemed to be "telling" the story instead of "showing" it.

Which of your readers are most likely to enjoy this book? I would say readers between 12-15 would probably enjoy this book the most.

What did you think of the main character? She was different... yes, it's a vampire tale, and she was a vampire, but there were some things that were different about her.

What is the central character’s biggest problem? Trying to avenge her brother's murder.

How do you think he/she feels? She has finally accepted being a vampire, yet she still holds on to some of her human morals.

What strengths does she have that help her cope? She is told by an older vampire that she is as strong as, if not more so, than her enemy. This allows her to gain the courage to seek vengeance for her brother's death.

What effect do the people in the book have on one another? The enemy of the main character keeps her doubting herself until the very end, which keeps her from attacking him outright.

Share a favorite scene from the book: Probably in the very beginning, when she is with Tora, the Bengal tiger. The way she speaks of Tora drew me in and made me want to keep reading.

What did you think of the ending? It was a good ending, but a little abrupt. I didn't realize it was the end of the story until I turned the page.

Do you recommend this book? I recommend this book to readers who are 13-15 years old and like vampire stories.

1 comment:

Jodie said...

Hiya, Jodie here from The Year of Readers. I resent the blog author invitation today - did you get it? Also I can't get into the link you sent even removing the spaces. Could you e-mail the link to me at bakerjodie at googlemail dot com ?
Thanks so much for helping out with button making!