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Please Save My Earth 19 by Saki Hiwatari: A+

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From the back cover:
Mokuren awakens from a fever-induced coma a week after her attack, tormented by the realization that Shion lied to her when he said he loved her. After all, if he really did, her Kiche, the mystical mark on her forehead, would have disappeared. Even so, and even though he’s now treating her like a sacred being instead of a fellow human, she can’t stop loving him.

On Earth, Haruhiko tries to convince Alice that Rin needs and loves her. But Alice finds herself in deep trouble, and her disturbing dreams continue, showing her the end of Mokuren’s life on the KK moon base…

Review:
This volume truly has it all. It’s about evenly split between memories of the moon and present day. The former provides insights into Shion’s motivations, his relationship with Mokuren, and their final days together on the moon base. The latter features everyone trying to protect Alice from Rin, as hers is the final password he needs, and Alice reacting to the things she’s remembered. Much drama, and it’s all great.

There’s a cliffhanger of sorts in each time period, but since we know essentially how things turned out on the moon, it’s the present day resolution that I’m eagerly anticipating. I’m very glad I waited until I had the last few volumes before embarking on this final arc because waiting would totally dilute the impact.

Darkly Dreaming Dexter by Jeff Lindsay: B

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From the back cover:
Dexter Morgan appears to be the perfect gentleman. He is handsome and polite, and has been in a relationship for nearly a year and a half. Yet appearances can be deceiving, for Dexter is a serial killer who has slain many people. But in this tale, he’s the good guy, for there is one little twist—Dexter only snuffs out other murderers. When another serial killer, with an eerily similar style, starts grabbing headlines, Dexter has a fairly morbid thought. Am I being challenged?

Review:
It should be obvious from the blurb that this book is pretty darned creepy. Not just the fact that there’s a killer on the loose, but that the protagonist is one himself. I was disturbed by my own reaction to the character. On one hand, it was neat that he had insights into the killer’s next moves, and his narrow escape from one of his own escapades made for exciting reading. And then… one is suddenly reminded, by a specific detail about what Dexter has done to someone, or that stray pets were his victims in adolescence, that this guy truly is the monster he proudly claims to be.

The mystery of the book starts out well, but after a certain piece of evidence is discovered, I knew who the culprit would be. The epilogue was predictable, too. A few times the writing tried too hard to be artsy (“And the Need was very strong now, very careful cold coiled creeping crackly cocked and ready, very strong, very much ready now”) but this thankfully wasn’t prevalent.

Another thing that bothered me was that characters use each other’s given names too often in conversations. This trait wasn’t limited to Dexter, who fakes social interaction in an attempt to seem like your typical charming human. I once counted twelve uses of first names (or derivatives thereof) in a single conversation. It’s incredibly distracting. No one I know does this.

I’m not sure yet whether I’m going to read the next book in the series.

The Penultimate Peril by Lemony Snicket: A-

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From the back cover:
Dear Reader,

If this is the first book you found while searching for a book to read next, then the first thing you should know is that this next-to-last book is what you should put down first. Sadly, this book presents the next-to-last chronicle of the lives of the Baudelaire orphans, and it is next-to-first in its supply of misery, despair, and unpleasantness.

Probably the next-to-last things you would like to read about are a harpoon gun, a rooftop sunbathing salon, two mysterious initials, three unidentified triplets, a notorious villain, and an unsavory curry.

Next-to-last things are the first thing to be avoided, and so allow me to recommend that you put this next-to-last book down first, and find something else to read next at last, such as the next-to-last book in another chronicle, or a chronicle containing other next-to-last things, so that this next-to-last book does not become the last book you will read.

With all due respect,
Lemony Snicket

Review:
I found the first half of this book not to be very interesting. About midway through, however, a character appears and spurs a new direction. The last half was great, expounding on the themes of moral ambiguity and less-than-perfect loved ones that were introduced in The Grim Grotto. The Baudelaires are again compelled to act in a manner less noble than they would wish. One thing in particular, though it had been alluded to in an early chapter, completely stunned me.

This book is the darkest yet in the series. Although it doesn’t answer any new questions, there is nonetheless the feeling of wrapping up some things, leaving the way clear for the final resolution in the concluding volume. My enthusiasm had kind of waned for this series (I read the previous volume two months ago), but this installment successfully rejuvenated it.

The Suicide King by Robert Joseph Levy: C+

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From the back cover:
A rash of student suicides sweeps through Sunnydale High, jolting the community. When the newly arrived grief counselor ends up killing himself, Buffy and the gang begin to suspect there’s something supernatural to blame. Soon one of their own begins to show signs of debilitating despondency, and it becomes a race against time for the Slayer to defeat the ancient threat known as the Suicide King.

Review:
This is the first book in the Stake Your Destiny series—a Buffy Choose Your Own Adventure book, in other words. It takes places in the second season, between the episodes “Reptile Boy” and “Halloween.”

This was fairly decent, for a book of its type. The dialogue wasn’t bad, and occasionally sounded quite true to the characters. It’s canonically correct, and even superficially touches on Angel’s quest for redemption. The variety of conclusions was interesting, too: two good outcomes, two fair outcomes (success with a price), and a plethora of bad outcomes.

My main gripe here is that it was almost always obvious which option would lead you to the end by the page number. Also, there were a couple of errors (like Buffy falling to the floor when outside) and several uses of the dreaded “magic with a k.”

I took care to chart my options, making sure I’d read every page. It really was kind of a pain in the butt, and ultimately not worth it. While the book transcended some of the limitations of the genre, it’s still a COYA book at its heart. There are more of these, but I think I’ll pass.

A Demon in My View by Ruth Rendell: B+

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Book description:
Arthur Johnson’s loneliness has perverted his desire for love and respect into a carefully controlled tendency for violence. One floor below him, a scholar finishing his thesis on psychopathic personalities is about to stumble upon one of Johnson’s many secrets.

Review:
This short book is fun and creepy, and, on two occasions when describing Arthur’s early violent outbursts, downright disturbing. It had a number of twists that surprised me (though one I saw coming) and came across as neatly well-planned. It doesn’t surpass my favorite Rendell so far (The Lake of Darkness), but it really is quite good.

Rendell’s style of writing is incisive and atmospheric, and she excels at the “show don’t tell” technique. The book alternates perspectives between Arthur Johnson and the scholarly new tenant (Anthony Johnson), and these sections show not only the character of each man but also their differing perceptions of the same events. Much of the action in the book occurs due to Arthur misconstruing what has happened, owing to his lack of social skills. Sometimes one almost feels sympathy for this dangerous yet clueless guy, knowing how the clumsy overtures he’s attempting are going to turn out.

I found the ending to be a surprising and satisfying one. However, as many compliments as I have for it (and for the narration of Julian Glover), I’m having trouble picturing myself rereading it. At least not for a long while, until I’ve forgotten all the twists and turns.

Buffy the Vampire Slayer: The Watcher’s Guide 1 by Golden and Holder: C+

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From the back cover:
As long as there have been vampires, there has been the Slayer. One girl in all the world, to find them where they gather and to stop the spread of their evil and the swell of their members. She is the Slayer.

Exclusive Interviews, Totally Pointy Profiles, Behind-the-Scenes Info, and Other Buff-stuff About the Hit Show.

Review:
The title Watcher’s Guide suggests to me that the guide is meant to augment the experience of someone watching the show. In addition to a description of the episodes, therefore, I expected at least some analysis, some discussion of what the episode was truly about, or its purpose in furthering the events of a particular story arc or a character’s development.

Instead, the action of each episode in the first two seasons is summarized in a few paragraphs, a quote of the week is chosen, romance progress is charted, and there’s a small section devoted to continuity between episodes. If one is already a watcher of the program, this information is irrelevent and redundant. I have found much more insightful episode commentary online.

On top of that, the summaries are fond of including questionable value judgments, deeming things hilarious or gorgeous, for example, that really aren’t, in my opinion. Example: Is the following exchange “hilarious,” as claimed, or merely cute, funny, and totally in character?

Oz: I’m gonna ask you to go out with me tomorrow night. And I’m kinda nervous about it, actually. It’s interesting.
Willow: Oh. Well, if it helps at all, I’m gonna say yes.
Oz: Yeah, it helps. It-it creates a comfort zone. Do you wanna go out with me tomorrow night?
Willow: (cringes and slaps her hand to her forehead) Oh! I can’t!
Oz: Well, see, I like that you’re unpredictable.

The latter half of the book is made up of sections devoted to monsters, relationships, cast and crew interviews, and a list of all the songs to appear in the episodes. The monsters and relationships sections just reiterated things that I already remembered from watching the show, though I guess the former could be useful if one, like, urgently needed to refresh their memory on Machida. Every member of the cast and crew that you could possibly think of got their own interview. Some of these were interesting, but they got repetitive. But hey, at least I now know about everyone’s scars, tattoos, or other distinguishing marks!

What is excellent about the Watcher’s Guide is that it often includes dialogue from the script that didn’t make it into the finished episode. This ranges anywhere from a couple of lines to full-blown scenes, some of which are awesome to have in print—like the dialogue we don’t get to hear from the phone call at the end of the episode “Passion,” for instance.

Full Moon o Sagashite 7 by Arina Tanemura: A

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From the back cover:
Mitsuki is trapped by the Lord of the Underworld and is imprisoned within his barrier. She pleads for Izumi to come help her, but the Shinigami is immobilized by his fear of releasing his last memory—the moment before his death—and will not rescue her. Is there anyone who can protect Mitsuki from the Death Master’s scythe?

Review:
These final few chapters bring about a very satisfying conclusion to the series. Plot threads, aside from one that wasn’t resolved as clearly as I would’ve liked, are thoroughly wrapped up, a testament to the careful planning of the tale. I particularly liked the last few pages of the final chapter; they’re totally like the ending credits of an anime.

There were plenty of differences from the anime, so I was able to enjoy being surprised by a few more twists in the story, and got sniffly as a result more than once. We also learn the true meaning of the title at last.

I can definitely see myself rereading this title, especially in light of information learned in the final chapters. If, like me, you’re tired of stories that drag on without a hint of real development in sight (Hana-Kimi, I’m talking to you), then I recommend this series without reservation.

Full Moon o Sagashite 6 by Arina Tanemura: A-

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From the back cover:
Mitsuki has previously refused the operation that would save her life—at the expense of her voice. However, as Mitsuki gets closer to her first concert appearance, Ms. Oshige decides that she will put Mitsuki in the hospital after the event, no matter how Mitsuki feels about it. Even so, it may be too late to save Mitsuki’s life, unless Takuto and Meroko are successful in changing her fate.

Review:
Both Meroko and Mitsuki take some important steps forward in this volume, and I particularly liked chapters 25 and 26. The introduction of Hikari in chapter 25 might’ve seemed like a random obstacle gimmick in any other manga, but it works here because of the story line and really forces Mitsuki to confront some things. I especially love the bit with the pendant.

The last chapter advances the plot along nicely, though it left me a little confused on a couple of points. A side story, okay but predictable, with Madoka and Nachi completes the volume.

Full Moon o Sagashite 5 by Arina Tanemura: B+

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From the back cover:
Mitsuki’s popularity as Fullmoon has skyrocketed, but Mitsuki learns that fame carries a harsh price. Hidden among the birthday presents sent to Fullmoon is a mail bomb that explodes in Ms. Oshige’s face! Will the crazed fan be captured, or will Mitsuki have to quit music to save her friends… and herself?

Review:
I am very meh about this crazed fan story, even though I quite liked the revelation in the final pages of the volume. It’s possible this story could yield more interesting results later on, but for now, it wasn’t very exciting. Somehow, however, this ended up prompting Mitsuki to decide that she wants to live after all, and to grow determined to be stronger, so I guess it accomplished something besides providing a career obstacle.

In addition to a less than thrilling arc, character motivations or plot flow were not as clear as in previous volumes, and there were several times I had to go back and reread several pages when certain elements seemed to just pop up out of the blue.

I did like the backstory for Izumi, though not as much as Meroko’s. It reminds me strongly of Sohma Yuki from Fruits Basket, and there are parallels to be made between Mitsuki and Tohru, too.

Full Moon o Sagashite 4 by Arina Tanemura: A

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From the back cover:
Mitsuki’s love for Eichi has helped keep her alive because she promised that one day she would become a famous singer and meet him again. But lately even thoughts of Eichi haven’t been enough to keep her spirits up. Will Takuto’s confessed love for Mitsuki be enough to convince her to live?

Review:
Mitsuki’s cheery shell finally cracks in this volume, and her resultant actions would be extremely annoying if perpetrated by, say, Miaka. However, Tanemura-Sensei has a knack for prompting her characters to dramatic choices in a way that’s IC and engenders understanding and sympathy. Good characters may do bad things, but the reader always understands why this is happening. (With the possible exception of Takuto, who irked me a few times.)

My favorite part of the volume was the last few chapters, where Meroko’s backstory is revealed. I don’t remember this being in the anime at all, and it was nice to be surprised. With the possibility for Izumi revelations on the horizon, I am eager to tackle the next volume.