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The Power of Five #1
Raven's Gate
FOR USE IN SCHOOLS AND LIBRARIES ONLY. Matt is being punished for a crime he saw, but didn't commit. Matt was given a go to jail or go live with an old woman named Mrs. Deverill in a remote town called Lesser Malling.
Paperback
First published June 1, 2005
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About the author
Anthony Horowitz
346 books21k followersAnthony Horowitz, OBE is ranked alongside Enid Blyton and Mark A. Cooper as "The most original and best spy-kids authors of the century." (New York Times). Anthony has been writing since the age of eight, and professionally since the age of twenty. In addition to the highly successful Alex Rider books, he is also the writer and creator of award winning detective series Foyle’s War, and more recently event drama Collision, among his other television works he has written episodes for Poirot, Murder in Mind, Midsomer Murders and Murder Most Horrid. Anthony became patron to East Anglia Children’s Hospices in 2009.
On 19 January 2011, the estate of Arthur Conan Doyle announced that Horowitz was to be the writer of a new Sherlock Holmes novel, the first such effort to receive an official endorsement from them and to be entitled the House of Silk.
http://us.macmillan.com/author/anthon...
On 19 January 2011, the estate of Arthur Conan Doyle announced that Horowitz was to be the writer of a new Sherlock Holmes novel, the first such effort to receive an official endorsement from them and to be entitled the House of Silk.
http://us.macmillan.com/author/anthon...
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 1,760 reviews
abandoned
May 17, 2018Anthony Horowitz quickly became a favorite author of mine after reading and loving Magpie Murders and The House of Silk. I don't typically read young adult fantasy novels, but I'm not opposed to giving something different a try now and then. Besides, I already knew that his writing was fantastic, so thought this one might be a refreshing change of pace for me. Unfortunately, I was a bit bored with it. I reached about the 40-50% mark on my kindle and decided I have too many others I would much rather be reading instead. The writing was a bit too simplistic for me and the plot seemed to stall, or go in circles - much like the roads leading in and out of Lesser Malling, the town where Matt Freeman has been sent to live with a very odd and creepy woman named Jayne Deverill. Something truly bizarre was happening in this village, but I just wasn't interested enough to find out just what. I'll read anything else Horowitz writes - but I'll stick to his books written for adults. In fact, I'm quite anxious to get my hands on The Word is Murder this fall. I'm not going to rate this one, since I abandoned it partway through and suspect I was not the intended audience.
July 20, 2009
What do you get when you mix elements of Harry Potter, Stephen King, and Night at the Museum together? You get Raven’s Gate.
This was a very quick and enjoyable read and had me on the edge of my seat. I could hardly put it down. Of course it is a story or Good vs. Evil.
I fell in love with Matt the minute he was introduced and knew there was more to him than met the eye. And the unfolding of his story was done very well and in such a way that you were hooked from the beginning to the end.
It is the first book of Anthony Horowitz’s Gatekeeper series. I received the fourth book (Necropolis) as a giveaway and because it was the 4th book I went out and got the 1st three because I don’t like to start reading a story in the middle.
I can’t wait to start the next book the only problem I have is that there should be a 5th book but so far I have not found any reference to a future publication date. In fact the only reference I found was on Wikipedia which stated a title: The Darkness (The Horror Within) but little else. So I’m hoping the story will not end unfinished.
This was a very quick and enjoyable read and had me on the edge of my seat. I could hardly put it down. Of course it is a story or Good vs. Evil.
I fell in love with Matt the minute he was introduced and knew there was more to him than met the eye. And the unfolding of his story was done very well and in such a way that you were hooked from the beginning to the end.
It is the first book of Anthony Horowitz’s Gatekeeper series. I received the fourth book (Necropolis) as a giveaway and because it was the 4th book I went out and got the 1st three because I don’t like to start reading a story in the middle.
I can’t wait to start the next book the only problem I have is that there should be a 5th book but so far I have not found any reference to a future publication date. In fact the only reference I found was on Wikipedia which stated a title: The Darkness (The Horror Within) but little else. So I’m hoping the story will not end unfinished.
August 14, 2012
I wish there were more YA books that involved vats of face-melting acid.
Review at some point.
Review at some point.
May 22, 2013
This book was kind of cheesy. Ok. Not just kind of. Really cheesy.
I can picture it. Horowitz sitting down to write "Stephen King for teens!" Except that Stephen King for teens doesn't have any of the interesting scary bits that normal Stephen King does.
Matthew Freeman (or just Matt, because reasons) is 14 and an orphan and apparently super important to the sort of person I imagined a Satanist to be when I was 10.
TL;DR synopsis:
Actually, in declarative sentence form this book doesn't sound so bad. It is though; don't be fooled.
At least it was short.
I just saved you several hours of your life. You're welcome.
I can picture it. Horowitz sitting down to write "Stephen King for teens!" Except that Stephen King for teens doesn't have any of the interesting scary bits that normal Stephen King does.
Matthew Freeman (or just Matt, because reasons) is 14 and an orphan and apparently super important to the sort of person I imagined a Satanist to be when I was 10.
TL;DR synopsis:
Actually, in declarative sentence form this book doesn't sound so bad. It is though; don't be fooled.
At least it was short.
I just saved you several hours of your life. You're welcome.
September 10, 2025
Finished - review coming soon!
September 17, 2018
Another surprisingly good read. I was always excited about what was going to happen next. Lots of imagination in this story, and it's well written. It's such an underrated book. The ending could have been better but it was still good.
I was scared this book was going to be like "The Darkest Minds" series which had a decent story but I just did not enjoy it at all. It didn't resonate with me... but Raven's Gate did.
Raven's Gate is kinda like Miss Peregrine's Home for Peculiar Children meets Percy Jackson
I was scared this book was going to be like "The Darkest Minds" series which had a decent story but I just did not enjoy it at all. It didn't resonate with me... but Raven's Gate did.
Raven's Gate is kinda like Miss Peregrine's Home for Peculiar Children meets Percy Jackson
April 11, 2008
Fourteen-year-old Matt Freeman is an orphan in a lot of trouble. After he's caught stealing he is funneled into the LEAF system, a new program that England has put in place to deal with youthful offenders. Through LEAF, Matt is "fostered" with the evil Mrs. Deverill, a satanic witch bent on torturing Matt. Everyone Matt gets close to has a bad habit of ending up dead and no one can seem to tell him about something called Raven's Gate - a mysterious place that is somehow tied to Matt's own psychic abilities.
I listened to the audiobook version of this novel. It's possible that some of my disappointment with the book stems from the poor reading it was given. The narrator, Simon Prebble, has a very deadpan voice with little vocal range or variation. It could certainly have been done much better.
However there are a myriad of other reasons I didn't like Raven's Gate. Think of every cliche you have ever imagined about black magic - tada you've just met the cast of bad guys from this book! Lacking in originality or interest the bad guys are cookie cutter cardboard baddies with about as much oomph as an old B horror movie. Horowitz's writing is stacato and terse, and he doesn't embroider his tale with a lot of description - just short and to the point. There are many that enjoy that sort of writing, I am not one of them.
The plot feels thin and forced and the story is rather lackluster. I won't be picking up the rest of the series.
I listened to the audiobook version of this novel. It's possible that some of my disappointment with the book stems from the poor reading it was given. The narrator, Simon Prebble, has a very deadpan voice with little vocal range or variation. It could certainly have been done much better.
However there are a myriad of other reasons I didn't like Raven's Gate. Think of every cliche you have ever imagined about black magic - tada you've just met the cast of bad guys from this book! Lacking in originality or interest the bad guys are cookie cutter cardboard baddies with about as much oomph as an old B horror movie. Horowitz's writing is stacato and terse, and he doesn't embroider his tale with a lot of description - just short and to the point. There are many that enjoy that sort of writing, I am not one of them.
The plot feels thin and forced and the story is rather lackluster. I won't be picking up the rest of the series.
May 12, 2021
2 Stars
(P: Poor)
I didn't hate it like I mostly do with my 2 stars. It was just slow & boring, been dragged you could say, till it reached the last 60 pages in which things turned interesting & thrilling, I found a favourite character (because Matt was annoying, I didn't like him) & I got curious. (I could give it 3 stars because of this, but I don't)
but I will continue this series for now.
(P: Poor)
I didn't hate it like I mostly do with my 2 stars. It was just slow & boring, been dragged you could say, till it reached the last 60 pages in which things turned interesting & thrilling, I found a favourite character (because Matt was annoying, I didn't like him) & I got curious. (I could give it 3 stars because of this, but I don't)
but I will continue this series for now.
September 27, 2024
Overall Rating : B+
November 16, 2024
This has been and probably will be one of my favourites. I come back and read every couple of years. Unfortunately I haven't finished all the rest yet
November 8, 2020
In sfarsit un roman horror care a fost pe gustul meu. Am regasit multe din elementele de groaza care imi plac atat la o carte cat si la un film. Citind-o de Halloween am realizat faptul ca e prima data cand o carte intra in atmosfera acestei sarbatori americane, cel putin in ceea ce ma priveste.
Desi multora li se poate parea putin ''cheesy'', pe mine nu m-a deranjat faptul ca are unele elemente horror des intalnite sau chiar comerciale. Am citit in recenzii ca este considerata ca fiind inspirata din "O noapte la muzeu", scrierile lui Stephen King sau chiar Harry Potter, insa eu nu am avut aceasta impresie si am regasit aici stilul sarcastic si fresh al lui Horowitz. Probabil sunt singura persoana de pe planeta care nu a citit sau vizionat Harry Potter, astfel ca nu pot sa-mi dau cu parerea despre asta, insa pe mine magia ma duce cu gandul la vrajitoare rele, la ritualuri negre, lumanari, pisici demonice, incantantii, panze de paianjen etc.
Personajul principal este un pusti pe nume Matt Freeman care mi s-a parut destul de simpatic si credibil in drama sa, iar vrajitoarea, doamna Deverill, care pune ghearele pe el, a fost preferata mea, avand doza corecta de rautate si inteligenta. Mi-au placut puterile si magiile ei precum si faptul ca ucenicul sau este o pisica neagra pe nume Asmodeus, care intelege ce spune ea si ii indeplineste ordinele cu abnegatie.
Cel mai mult am apreciat ca regulile "jocului magiei" erau bine stabilite si nu se mai schimbau pe parcurs, putand uzita de ele atat cei buni cat si cei rai, Matt fiind si el inzestrat cu puteri magice.
Finalul lasa loc de continuare, acesta fiind primul roman din seria "Puterea celor 5" si in mod cert le voi citi si pe urmatoarele. Desi poate parea la prima vedere o carte pentru copii, sunt de parere ca textul se preteaza mai mult adolescentilor si adultilor.
Desi multora li se poate parea putin ''cheesy'', pe mine nu m-a deranjat faptul ca are unele elemente horror des intalnite sau chiar comerciale. Am citit in recenzii ca este considerata ca fiind inspirata din "O noapte la muzeu", scrierile lui Stephen King sau chiar Harry Potter, insa eu nu am avut aceasta impresie si am regasit aici stilul sarcastic si fresh al lui Horowitz. Probabil sunt singura persoana de pe planeta care nu a citit sau vizionat Harry Potter, astfel ca nu pot sa-mi dau cu parerea despre asta, insa pe mine magia ma duce cu gandul la vrajitoare rele, la ritualuri negre, lumanari, pisici demonice, incantantii, panze de paianjen etc.
Personajul principal este un pusti pe nume Matt Freeman care mi s-a parut destul de simpatic si credibil in drama sa, iar vrajitoarea, doamna Deverill, care pune ghearele pe el, a fost preferata mea, avand doza corecta de rautate si inteligenta. Mi-au placut puterile si magiile ei precum si faptul ca ucenicul sau este o pisica neagra pe nume Asmodeus, care intelege ce spune ea si ii indeplineste ordinele cu abnegatie.
Cel mai mult am apreciat ca regulile "jocului magiei" erau bine stabilite si nu se mai schimbau pe parcurs, putand uzita de ele atat cei buni cat si cei rai, Matt fiind si el inzestrat cu puteri magice.
Finalul lasa loc de continuare, acesta fiind primul roman din seria "Puterea celor 5" si in mod cert le voi citi si pe urmatoarele. Desi poate parea la prima vedere o carte pentru copii, sunt de parere ca textul se preteaza mai mult adolescentilor si adultilor.
June 1, 2022
5th Reread 2022: It's been awhile since I've read this and I still love it just the same as my first read! It's such a unique story and even as an adult I was still riveted. It's always disappointed me though with this series that it went downhill for me from book 3. Hoping I feel differently about this series as a whole now that I'm reading it 15 years later.
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When I was younger I loved the Alex Rider series, so I thought I'd give The Gatekeepers series a go too. I'm eternally grateful for whatever part of my subconscious told me too because this has been one of the best reads and I can still remember the feelings it gave me reading it several years later. The only thing I'm disappointed with is that as you get further into the series the POV changes to different characters and I never like that because 1. I don't like change and 2. I get too attached to the main character to read about another one. Anyone that likes Anthony's other books, will definitely enjoy this one!
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When I was younger I loved the Alex Rider series, so I thought I'd give The Gatekeepers series a go too. I'm eternally grateful for whatever part of my subconscious told me too because this has been one of the best reads and I can still remember the feelings it gave me reading it several years later. The only thing I'm disappointed with is that as you get further into the series the POV changes to different characters and I never like that because 1. I don't like change and 2. I get too attached to the main character to read about another one. Anyone that likes Anthony's other books, will definitely enjoy this one!
June 22, 2017
This is a pretty good book. I wouldn't say there were any memorable moments that I really adored, but the overall story was quite interesting. It had quite a pace and barely slowed down. I was hooked from the start and I am definitely going to read the rest of the series. Eventually. But there was something missing. Don't get me wrong, it was suspenseful. It should be a mini-series.
Let me see how I can phrase this.
It was...boring? No. Slow? Definitely not. It just didn't resonate with me. Yeah, I know it sounds pretentious like who am I to say that? I'm not a highly intellectual book critic getting paid millions to rifle through pages and publish my opinions (I wish) ...but it just didn't feel like it was...a feeling like...the thing is...feeling...resonate...words...yeah, nope I got nothing.
Maybe it's just the fact that the characters are all 14 year olds and there's very little I can find to relate to them. I understood Richard's predicament better. Also, there were some parts that we just boring but I think that's more my impatience to get on with the story than anything to do with the book.
But Anthony Horowitz is a legend. The core idea of this story is incredibly intricate and mystical, and I absolutely adore how he bothered explaining the precise operation of a nuclear reactor.
It appeals to the
in me.
Anyway, this was the bizniz and I liked it a much lot and I am gonsta reads the next many.
Look at me being all "current" and "modern" and keeping up with the lingo. I am totes fitting in great.
Let me see how I can phrase this.
It was...boring? No. Slow? Definitely not. It just didn't resonate with me. Yeah, I know it sounds pretentious like who am I to say that? I'm not a highly intellectual book critic getting paid millions to rifle through pages and publish my opinions (I wish) ...but it just didn't feel like it was...a feeling like...the thing is...feeling...resonate...words...yeah, nope I got nothing.
Maybe it's just the fact that the characters are all 14 year olds and there's very little I can find to relate to them. I understood Richard's predicament better. Also, there were some parts that we just boring but I think that's more my impatience to get on with the story than anything to do with the book.
But Anthony Horowitz is a legend. The core idea of this story is incredibly intricate and mystical, and I absolutely adore how he bothered explaining the precise operation of a nuclear reactor.
It appeals to the
in me.Anyway, this was the bizniz and I liked it a much lot and I am gonsta reads the next many.
Look at me being all "current" and "modern" and keeping up with the lingo. I am totes fitting in great.
August 13, 2017
4.25 stars
I really enjoyed this book. It was fast-paced, thrilling and creepy in all the right ways! I'll be continuing on with the series and I'm most hoping to see some character growth from our protagonist because this was the first book and there was a lot of build up, I feel like I didn't really get to know Matt as a character; most of his thoughts and dialogue were related to things happening around him which is why we didn't get to see him as himself. I actually laughed out loud quite a few times in this book which is always a good thing.
I really enjoyed this book. It was fast-paced, thrilling and creepy in all the right ways! I'll be continuing on with the series and I'm most hoping to see some character growth from our protagonist because this was the first book and there was a lot of build up, I feel like I didn't really get to know Matt as a character; most of his thoughts and dialogue were related to things happening around him which is why we didn't get to see him as himself. I actually laughed out loud quite a few times in this book which is always a good thing.
October 23, 2016
Αρκετά καλό μπορώ να πω. Στην μέση έχασα λίγο το ενδιαφέρον μου για την πλοκή αλλά στο τέλος ήτανε καλύτερα.
February 5, 2009
This is the start of a new series by Anthony Horowitz, bordering on mild horror. I did not find this nearly as good as Stormbreaker. I felt like the first half of the book was spent setting the scene, with the protagonist, Matt, feeling bewildered by the unusual turns his life has taken. As part of an alternative discipline program, he has been sent to live and work in the country with creepy Miss Deverill and her even creepier handyman, Noah. When he tries to escape, all of the roads lead back to Miss Deverill's home. He finds a couple of allies, but both of them are killed while trying to help him. With the help of a newspaper reporter, Richard, he discovers that he may be being set up to be a sacrifice to open the Raven's Gate, which many years ago had been blocked to keep out the evil Old Ones. In the process, dinosaur fossils come to life, a nuclear reactor explodes (or did it?), and orphan Matt may have found a new home. Middle school boys and a few girls seem to like this one, but it didn't do anything for me.
February 7, 2014
What possessed me to read this book?
Well, a couple years back i saw a couple of episodes of a series called Foyle's War.
The screenwriter was (is) Horowitz.
I was so impressed with it, that i took advantage of a Huge promotion to buy this book!
*Facepalm*
I now understand why it, and the following books are for sale at such low prices....
Imagine a mesh of all the fantasy and horror clichés you've ever read or heard about...yes?
That's what Raven's Gate is.
Characters with no depth. A story less than original and written without the slight finesse. The words and (basic) descriptions are just dumped on the paper.
Basically this reads as a draft, or a screenplay ( i imagine..).
Ideas perpetuated with this book: Witches are evil. Witchcraft is the same as Satanism...
He probably never heard of Wicca....
Oh, and reaching the end there's this pearl:
The medieval witch splits throats.
The twenty-first century witch splits atoms.
Tonight we shall do both.”
Really?
Idiot me. My idea was that women who were considered witches in the medieval times were slaughtered by a number of methods: Fire, drowning...
Oh, and is the author calling witches to women scientists? O_O
Here's an excerpt of an interview that the author gave to Teenreads:
TRC: You've stated that The Gatekeepers series is your answer to Narnia, Lord of the Rings and other fantasy heavyweights. How much have these other works inspired you?
AH: I loved these books when I was growing up and always wanted to write an epic fantasy series...but one set in the real world. There are elements of Tolkien and C. S. Lewis in The Gatekeepers, perhaps because I'm using some of the same sources (mythology, religion, ancient history). Writing battle scenes, it's very hard to do better than Tolkien --- particularly with Peter Jackson's wonderful films in mind.
"better than Tolkien"...right...NO!!
Read more here: Teenreads
Recommended to: No one
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October 26, 2014
Debating between 1 and 2 stars...
***
I decided to go 1, because I didn't like it. The best thing I can say about it, really, is that it was short. I will say 1.5, though, because I usually reserve 1s for books I just completely hate, and this didn't even annoy me enough to make me hate it - it was just stupid.
Basically, it takes a ton of horror story cliches - the ubiquitous Old Ones from another dimension wanting back in, the crazy villagers wanting to let them, performances of the Black Mass, which seemed to consist of saying the Our Father backwards - and couples this with cardboard characters, insipid writing, and corny dialogue.
It's like a bad B-horror movie, but without the charm to make it "so bad it's good", so it's left just being "so bad it's mediocre" which is just completely bad.
There were a few questions I was left with - like why does it have to be 4 boys and 1 girl who saves the universe? I'm sure - well, I would hope - that that would be explained in some future installment, since there are 5 books and we only meet Matt in this one. I, however, will never get that answer being as I will not continue the series.
My biggest question, though, was why the ritual for summoning the Old Ones at Raven's Gate - allegedly the first stone circle, thousands and thousands of years old, containing the purest ancient evil, of which the Christian devil and demons are but pale shadows - is a Black Mass, i.e. a perversion of a Christian ritual.
In other words, why make it an anti-Christian ritual that summons up creatures older than time at circles older than Christianity?
I'm betting there's not really an answer to this, and it just goes back to the "grab bag of horror cliches" thing, with no real rhyme or reason.
Blech.
Long story short -
If you're planning on reading this book:
***
I decided to go 1, because I didn't like it. The best thing I can say about it, really, is that it was short. I will say 1.5, though, because I usually reserve 1s for books I just completely hate, and this didn't even annoy me enough to make me hate it - it was just stupid.
Basically, it takes a ton of horror story cliches - the ubiquitous Old Ones from another dimension wanting back in, the crazy villagers wanting to let them, performances of the Black Mass, which seemed to consist of saying the Our Father backwards - and couples this with cardboard characters, insipid writing, and corny dialogue.
It's like a bad B-horror movie, but without the charm to make it "so bad it's good", so it's left just being "so bad it's mediocre" which is just completely bad.
There were a few questions I was left with - like why does it have to be 4 boys and 1 girl who saves the universe? I'm sure - well, I would hope - that that would be explained in some future installment, since there are 5 books and we only meet Matt in this one. I, however, will never get that answer being as I will not continue the series.
My biggest question, though, was why the ritual for summoning the Old Ones at Raven's Gate - allegedly the first stone circle, thousands and thousands of years old, containing the purest ancient evil, of which the Christian devil and demons are but pale shadows - is a Black Mass, i.e. a perversion of a Christian ritual.
In other words, why make it an anti-Christian ritual that summons up creatures older than time at circles older than Christianity?
I'm betting there's not really an answer to this, and it just goes back to the "grab bag of horror cliches" thing, with no real rhyme or reason.
Blech.
Long story short -
If you're planning on reading this book:
January 23, 2015
Raven's Gate is the re-written form of The Devil's Door Bell (published 1985), I can't comment on what has and hasn't changed in the text of this version and Anthony Horowitz's book published over twenty years ago. I do know that the Pentagram Chronicles was a series that was never finished. I think that The Gatekeepers is finished.
In Raven's Gate, orphan Matt Freeman and his 'friend' Kalvin break into a warehouse and are caught in the act, Matt is given the option of possible jail time (because the guard who catches them is stabbed) or the LEAF project which will place him in a home for fostering. It's a choice -jail or freedom with a new guardian - that seems obvious, and LEAF is supposed to be voluntary.
Only Jayne Deverill of a farm in Lesser Malling is strange and potentially more dangerous than any jail. Raven's Gate combines the magic and savagery out of primeval times with the science and 'controls' of the modern day.
With the strange global group the Nexus watching and waiting in the background, only stepping forward when Matt and the reluctant but curious journalist who saves his life (and is saved in turn by Matt) - Richard Cole - approachs such members of their organization as Miss Ashwood and professor Sanjay Dravid. They say they are Matt's friends, but they in the end may only put him in more danger.
Yet something is stirring at Lesser Malling's Ravens Gate, something only Matt may stop, or free. There are meant to be five, four boys, one girl to save the world - and Matt may be one of them, where the others are and if Ravens Gate is the only Gate are hopefully answers to be found by the end of the series.
In Raven's Gate, orphan Matt Freeman and his 'friend' Kalvin break into a warehouse and are caught in the act, Matt is given the option of possible jail time (because the guard who catches them is stabbed) or the LEAF project which will place him in a home for fostering. It's a choice -jail or freedom with a new guardian - that seems obvious, and LEAF is supposed to be voluntary.
Only Jayne Deverill of a farm in Lesser Malling is strange and potentially more dangerous than any jail. Raven's Gate combines the magic and savagery out of primeval times with the science and 'controls' of the modern day.
With the strange global group the Nexus watching and waiting in the background, only stepping forward when Matt and the reluctant but curious journalist who saves his life (and is saved in turn by Matt) - Richard Cole - approachs such members of their organization as Miss Ashwood and professor Sanjay Dravid. They say they are Matt's friends, but they in the end may only put him in more danger.
Yet something is stirring at Lesser Malling's Ravens Gate, something only Matt may stop, or free. There are meant to be five, four boys, one girl to save the world - and Matt may be one of them, where the others are and if Ravens Gate is the only Gate are hopefully answers to be found by the end of the series.
April 3, 2023
#2) Evil Star ★★☆☆☆
➸ Trigger warnings for .
▷ Representation: blind sc; Peruvian sc.
Blog • Trigger Warning Database • StoryGraph
June 20, 2025
2.6
I found it quite refreshing that a lot of people died
I found it quite refreshing that a lot of people died
June 16, 2015
I'M IN LOVE!!!
This book finally broke my one-star-reads spell!
Matthew "Matt" Freeman is not a normal kid. And he knows it.
He knew his parents were going to die even before it happened. He just doesn't know how...
Before proceeding with the review, I would like to thank Laura Pent for sending the book to me and luring me into reading it! Seriously. This was the best thing that ever happened to me! Okay, that was too dramatic. But you get the point.
The book starts with Kelvin, Matt's friend suggesting they rob a warehouse. Matt is initially reluctant, but then agrees as he fears he might lose his only friend.
In the warehouse, Matt gets caught by the guard but Kelvin tries to buy more time for their escape by hurting the guard. Matt is very unhappy about this and starts arguing with Kelvin. When Kelvin tries to escape, the police arrive and both of them are arrested.
Since Matt is too young (he's fourteen) to be put behind bars, he volunteers to get into a foster home under the LEAF (Liberty and Education Achieved through Fostering) project, as he is not happy living with Gwenda, his mother's half-sister.
He is sent to live with Jayne Deverill in Lesser Malling (a village). Clearly, Jayne Deverill is not pleasant and Investigator Mallory sympathizes with him.
A lot of weird things are going on in the village. Jayne's cat, the portrait at Hive Hall (Jayne's house) which seems to follow his movements with its eyes and keep changing poses, the villagers, the roads, the woods. Everything.
It was so creepy. Matt was being watched all the time.
Ugh. And I was so creeped out by Noah.
I didn't understand what was going on, initially. Just guessed that it had something to do with Raven's Gate. Of course.
But when the whole thing just unraveled itself, I knew I was in love.
The writing was so beautiful. I was literally jumping every time Matt tried to escape and groaned every time he failed. You could feel whatever the author was trying to convey. It was beautiful.
I'm not going to drop any spoilers. Or reveal any of the juicy parts. Just the fact that it was thrilling. And really amazing.
The book had so many elements. Throw in a little Stephen King, Night at the Museum, some magic and beautiful writing.. POOF! You get the perfect book.
I would recommend this book to those who don't mind (a lot of) twists, and those who aren't sick of fantasy or action yet.
*Excuses herself and gets ready to dive into the next book of the series*
Review also posted at: www.shameekalovesreading.wordpress.com
January 8, 2012
There's very little in the core story of _Raven's Gate_ that's original. Horowitz borrows heavily both from older sci-fi/fantasy/horror works (Lovecraft and Stephen King, most noticeably) and mythology to create a world-within-a-world that in no way feels either new or particularly scary. If you read enough in the previously mentioned genres, you will have seen nearly all of these concepts used at least once elsewhere, and probably used better. And if you have seen them, then this story becomes utterly predictable.
Of course the entire village of Lesser Malling is part of the conspiracy and of course Matt can't get out without a special talisman. I can't recall how many horror books and movies have utilized that concept. We know Matt has some sort of special power from the onset so nothing about him is a surprise. The big climax of the book felt like a rehash of Lovecraft, only with a nuclear meltdown. And the way it was wrapped up really seemed far too contrived, convenient.
I have to agree with a previous reviewer that the reporter, Richard, seemed like something straight out of Stephen King's _Salem's Lot_, but less believable. His sudden attachment to Matt was jarring in the face of all his "just a story" talk from before. His surviving at all defies believability and it's obvious that he's only there because he'll be serving the function in the next book of an adult who can do things/get around obstacles that Matt can't, as well as providing a place for Matt to stay so the government can't get hold of him again. It's a useful purpose, true, but one that another adult should've been found for so Richard maintained his believability as a character.
The narration of the story flows well enough but it gets jarring whenever a point of view is suddenly switched mid-paragraph for no apparent reason. There are some pretty decent moments (Matt's last two escapes) where a good amount of tension is built up, and that at least stopped me from giving it one star, but it's not enough to make up for the sheer predictability of the whole story. From the minute Mrs. Deverill shows up, it's so very easy to guess exactly what's going to happen pages before it ever does, and that just makes for a dull read.
This looks to be a five book series, so hopefully the next one will have less of a derivative, rough draft feel to it.
Of course the entire village of Lesser Malling is part of the conspiracy and of course Matt can't get out without a special talisman. I can't recall how many horror books and movies have utilized that concept. We know Matt has some sort of special power from the onset so nothing about him is a surprise. The big climax of the book felt like a rehash of Lovecraft, only with a nuclear meltdown. And the way it was wrapped up really seemed far too contrived, convenient.
I have to agree with a previous reviewer that the reporter, Richard, seemed like something straight out of Stephen King's _Salem's Lot_, but less believable. His sudden attachment to Matt was jarring in the face of all his "just a story" talk from before. His surviving at all defies believability and it's obvious that he's only there because he'll be serving the function in the next book of an adult who can do things/get around obstacles that Matt can't, as well as providing a place for Matt to stay so the government can't get hold of him again. It's a useful purpose, true, but one that another adult should've been found for so Richard maintained his believability as a character.
The narration of the story flows well enough but it gets jarring whenever a point of view is suddenly switched mid-paragraph for no apparent reason. There are some pretty decent moments (Matt's last two escapes) where a good amount of tension is built up, and that at least stopped me from giving it one star, but it's not enough to make up for the sheer predictability of the whole story. From the minute Mrs. Deverill shows up, it's so very easy to guess exactly what's going to happen pages before it ever does, and that just makes for a dull read.
This looks to be a five book series, so hopefully the next one will have less of a derivative, rough draft feel to it.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
October 29, 2010
I'm always on the lookout for things that would interest my nephew, partially because we share a taste in books. (Or at least, he reads many books that I liked when I was his age.) As such, I usually tend to read much of the new books before I send them to him.
Raven's Gate is the first in a series of 5 books by Anthony Horowitz. The first book follows Matt, a young boy who has been enrolled into the LEAF program after being a somewhat unwilling accomplice in what should have been a simple snatch & grab theft. He's sent to the home of Ms. Deverill, a sinister old lady with whom Matt instantly distrusts. Matt soon discovers that there's something sinister going on, & that if he's not careful he will end up as one of the latest casualties in the town of Lesser Malling.
I really did enjoy this book, although there was one thing that sort of bugged me. It's nothing major, but if you are curious then I'll elaborate more in the comments section. (The gripe is sort of spoilerish.) The book wasn't as well fleshed out as I'd like, but then this is only the first volume in the series. I can't expect all of the secrets to be revealed in the first book, now can I?
The only thing I'd warn parents about is that there's a lot of violence in the book, with one character dying graphically in the course of the book. Since each parent is different when it comes to this sort of thing, I recommend that the parents read the book first & then discuss the content with their child after they've finished reading it. The book is quite good, so the parents shouldn't have any problem reading it. (Plus it's a great way to connect with your kid!)
I can't wait to read the rest of the series- this shows a lot of promise!
Raven's Gate is the first in a series of 5 books by Anthony Horowitz. The first book follows Matt, a young boy who has been enrolled into the LEAF program after being a somewhat unwilling accomplice in what should have been a simple snatch & grab theft. He's sent to the home of Ms. Deverill, a sinister old lady with whom Matt instantly distrusts. Matt soon discovers that there's something sinister going on, & that if he's not careful he will end up as one of the latest casualties in the town of Lesser Malling.
I really did enjoy this book, although there was one thing that sort of bugged me. It's nothing major, but if you are curious then I'll elaborate more in the comments section. (The gripe is sort of spoilerish.) The book wasn't as well fleshed out as I'd like, but then this is only the first volume in the series. I can't expect all of the secrets to be revealed in the first book, now can I?
The only thing I'd warn parents about is that there's a lot of violence in the book, with one character dying graphically in the course of the book. Since each parent is different when it comes to this sort of thing, I recommend that the parents read the book first & then discuss the content with their child after they've finished reading it. The book is quite good, so the parents shouldn't have any problem reading it. (Plus it's a great way to connect with your kid!)
I can't wait to read the rest of the series- this shows a lot of promise!
December 17, 2018
It's not that the book was bad, it's just that the book was, well, unsatisfying.
This book was a whole load of cliche. Let's see...
Kid with amazing powers? Check.
Creepy-sounding, God-like, extremely old and powerful creatures? Check.
Special, secret organisation? Check.
Prophecy containing protagonist? Check.
There's a ton more but this review would be far too long if I included them all.
The book was basically the prologue to the entire series which contains 5 books (including this one) and that made the book just seem a bit unfinished and at times pointless. I mean, Horowitz alludes to 4 other powerful children (who eventually will become important characters in the next few books I'm sure) but not once in the book are their names mentioned or has anyone even considered who they might be. The premise of the book was good but once you get in about 50 pages everything just goes down South and it's like Horowitz wrote the first 50 pages when he had some semblance of what he wanted the book to be and then filled the rest of the book with cliches because his editor needed it to be done and he knew just his name on the cover was enough to sell the book.
To be honest, some parts I found were just too whimsical - even for a fantasy book. And if I'm going to be even more honest, I thought the most interesting part of the book was the excerpt from the next book that was at the end. And that sure does say a lot about how interesting I found this book.
Will I bother reading the next book? Maybe, but probably not. There are better books out there to spend my time reading...
This book was a whole load of cliche. Let's see...
Kid with amazing powers? Check.
Creepy-sounding, God-like, extremely old and powerful creatures? Check.
Special, secret organisation? Check.
Prophecy containing protagonist? Check.
There's a ton more but this review would be far too long if I included them all.
The book was basically the prologue to the entire series which contains 5 books (including this one) and that made the book just seem a bit unfinished and at times pointless. I mean, Horowitz alludes to 4 other powerful children (who eventually will become important characters in the next few books I'm sure) but not once in the book are their names mentioned or has anyone even considered who they might be. The premise of the book was good but once you get in about 50 pages everything just goes down South and it's like Horowitz wrote the first 50 pages when he had some semblance of what he wanted the book to be and then filled the rest of the book with cliches because his editor needed it to be done and he knew just his name on the cover was enough to sell the book.
To be honest, some parts I found were just too whimsical - even for a fantasy book. And if I'm going to be even more honest, I thought the most interesting part of the book was the excerpt from the next book that was at the end. And that sure does say a lot about how interesting I found this book.
Will I bother reading the next book? Maybe, but probably not. There are better books out there to spend my time reading...
May 30, 2016
Um livro que combina vários géneros, como o sobrenatural e o suspense. Não foi um livro que adorei mas li com entusiasmo, sendo que ficou muita, muita coisa por explicar, o que funciona como uma chamariz para termos mesmo de ler os próximos livros. Um leitura agradável, para quem gosta do sobrenatural mas sem nos apresentar nada de verdadeiramente original
May 11, 2017
خب من به این کتاب یک امتیاز میدم چون زمان درستی نخوندمش، در واقع شاید اگر 5_6 سال پیش این کتابو میخوندم بهش 4 ستاره میدادم.
و خب شاید تو کتابای دیگ داستان جذابیت بیشتری پیدا کنه که من نخواهم خوند.
و خب شاید تو کتابای دیگ داستان جذابیت بیشتری پیدا کنه که من نخواهم خوند.
July 6, 2024
i know this is a YA book, so i shouldn’t hold it to such a high standard, but there are some real bangers in the YA genre. hell, a lot of YA books use language that is TOO flowery for me and it feels like it’s trying too hard to sound clever. but THIS book has the opposite problem.
man this was so ass i’m sorry. i picked this up because i recognised the name horowitz from “the word is murder”, but i somehow forgot that i hadn’t really enjoyed that book either. at least that one was passable.
this book is written SO UNBELIEVABLY BORING. i can look past a boring style of writing if the plot is interesting enough to keep it moving, but the plot was so far fetched and silly i just found it painful. i only finished it because it was short and im glad it was over fast. he’s got that type of writing where they just sort of list out everything happening in chronological order, with no flare, rhythm or plan. it read more like a final draft of the timeline for a future, better book that wasn’t finished.
matt is such a boring kid. i get he’s troubled and kinda miserable but teenagers do act out occasionally, enough so to make a character memorable. matt is 14 with no opinions about anything or strong feelings about anyone. he watches people die and has no reaction, he gets chased, attacked, insulted and belittled and he just sits there. DO SOMETHING!!
the villagers are so cartoonishly evil it felt like hot fuzz, except it took itself very seriously. the way they were always one step ahead of matt didn’t feel clever or scary, it just seemed silly. their powers aren’t explained at all, there’s so much to their magic missing that i wonder whether horowitz even bothered developing or planning any of it beforehand.
matt’s powers have the same problem. so he sees visions of the future, but also he can smash and move things with his mind..? the trigger for his powers is also apparently the smell of burning, which he somehow pieces together at the end. shits wack
i wasn’t invested in any of the characters at all. they were so unmemorable and empty. they felt disposable, which is what they absolutely were; everyone just kept dying the second they tried to help matt. after mallory’s death i stopped bothering to care about any of the others. like… they just killed a detective and faced no repercussions for it. no one cared. no one has value here. when it was revealed that richard was still alive i wasn’t even glad to see him, i was just glad horowitz hadn’t killed off ANOTHER character with the same lack of care or detail.
horowitz is good at writing quick, witty dialogue sometimes. every now and then matt would say something funny, but he still seemed so emotionally detached from the world because of the writing that it didn’t carry the book. i wish horowitz would use more of this wit to translate some of the fun into the storytelling also.
i always look back on books i’ve read and remember the time i was reading it, i relive the story in my head and i remember certain characters and scenes. i don’t think there’s anything i’ll remember from this book. i’ll read this review back in a month’s time and have no memory of what i was even referring to.
man this was so ass i’m sorry. i picked this up because i recognised the name horowitz from “the word is murder”, but i somehow forgot that i hadn’t really enjoyed that book either. at least that one was passable.
this book is written SO UNBELIEVABLY BORING. i can look past a boring style of writing if the plot is interesting enough to keep it moving, but the plot was so far fetched and silly i just found it painful. i only finished it because it was short and im glad it was over fast. he’s got that type of writing where they just sort of list out everything happening in chronological order, with no flare, rhythm or plan. it read more like a final draft of the timeline for a future, better book that wasn’t finished.
matt is such a boring kid. i get he’s troubled and kinda miserable but teenagers do act out occasionally, enough so to make a character memorable. matt is 14 with no opinions about anything or strong feelings about anyone. he watches people die and has no reaction, he gets chased, attacked, insulted and belittled and he just sits there. DO SOMETHING!!
the villagers are so cartoonishly evil it felt like hot fuzz, except it took itself very seriously. the way they were always one step ahead of matt didn’t feel clever or scary, it just seemed silly. their powers aren’t explained at all, there’s so much to their magic missing that i wonder whether horowitz even bothered developing or planning any of it beforehand.
matt’s powers have the same problem. so he sees visions of the future, but also he can smash and move things with his mind..? the trigger for his powers is also apparently the smell of burning, which he somehow pieces together at the end. shits wack
i wasn’t invested in any of the characters at all. they were so unmemorable and empty. they felt disposable, which is what they absolutely were; everyone just kept dying the second they tried to help matt. after mallory’s death i stopped bothering to care about any of the others. like… they just killed a detective and faced no repercussions for it. no one cared. no one has value here. when it was revealed that richard was still alive i wasn’t even glad to see him, i was just glad horowitz hadn’t killed off ANOTHER character with the same lack of care or detail.
horowitz is good at writing quick, witty dialogue sometimes. every now and then matt would say something funny, but he still seemed so emotionally detached from the world because of the writing that it didn’t carry the book. i wish horowitz would use more of this wit to translate some of the fun into the storytelling also.
i always look back on books i’ve read and remember the time i was reading it, i relive the story in my head and i remember certain characters and scenes. i don’t think there’s anything i’ll remember from this book. i’ll read this review back in a month’s time and have no memory of what i was even referring to.
March 18, 2018
Pretty litty
November 7, 2024
3.5 stars but a quick listen!!
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