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Buffyverse Novels #68
Buffy the Vampire Slayer: Sweet Sixteen
Buffy's younger sister, Dawn, knows how it feels to be different. So when she overhears her classmates teasing a new girl, Arianna, she steps in, and the two become friends. But when Buffy comes home one afternoon to find her sister and Arianna hanging out, she's surprised -- she encountered Arianna one night on patrol. A demon had been attacking her, but Arianna fought back on her own. What's that about? The more the gang gets to know Arianna, the more puzzled they are. She has superstrength and accelerated healing power, just like a slayer. But what she also has is a dark secret and an unusual past -- and a dangerous legacy that is primed to reveal itself, just as soon as she turns sweet sixteen....
240 pages, Mass Market Paperback
First published January 1, 2002
4 people are currently reading
487 people want to read
About the author
Scott Ciencin
178 books77 followersScott Ciencin was a New York Times best-selling novelist of 90+ books. He wrote adult and children's fiction and worked in a variety of mediums including comic books. He created programs for Scholastic Books, designed trading cards, consulted on video games, directed and produced audio programs & TV commercials, and wrote in the medical field about neurosurgery and neurology. He first worked in TV production as a writer, producer and director. He lived in Sarasota, Florida with his wife (and sometimes co-author) Denise.
(Also wrote under the pseudonyms Nick Baron and L.J. Oliver)
(Also wrote under the pseudonyms Nick Baron and L.J. Oliver)
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Displaying 1 - 23 of 23 reviews
April 21, 2023
This is a novelization set during the fifth season of the television show Buffy the Vampire Slayer. It's a rather predictable story (Dawn makes a new friend who is not what she seems to be: strange powers, a dark past, weird secrets, and a legacy due to be unveiled on her soon-approaching birthday), but there are some nice Buffy-Dawn interchanges in the wake of the loss of their mother. The ending seems a little off, but it's a nice season five interlude.
July 10, 2021
So I decided to start collecting old Buffy tie in novels and read them. So far I have well over 50 of them and this is the first one I started to read (my ferret knocked it off the shelf so that's how I picked it) and I have to say, this book was kind of okay.
It takes place in season five, after Joyce died and there's a few good moments with Dawn and her feelings on being a Scooby and her sister. That's the B story. The main story is about a girl who Dawn befriends who turns out to have special powers. That plot is kind of meh, but the stuff with Buffy and Dawn was decent.
It takes place in season five, after Joyce died and there's a few good moments with Dawn and her feelings on being a Scooby and her sister. That's the B story. The main story is about a girl who Dawn befriends who turns out to have special powers. That plot is kind of meh, but the stuff with Buffy and Dawn was decent.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
April 16, 2015
Another well done Buffy novel. Let the adventures continue! This time the book centers on Dawn and her new friend Adriana. You guessed it....Dawn's new friend is not just regular fellow teen. Nope she's a.....I won't give it away! This novel is well written, fast paced,and a great new Buffy story. What more could you ask for?
June 28, 2021
Arianna DuPrey unintentionally helps the Slayer kill some tentacled terrors and runs off immediately. She didn't know she had an abilities, let alone the know how in killing supernatural threats. Buffy chases after the teen, but loses her in the night. At school Arianna tries to keep herself from getting picked on, but is and is only defended by Dawn Summers. The two start up a friendship, with Buffy unaware of her little sister's new friend. Naturally, there's more to this girl than meets the eye and she's soon drawn into a world of danger. Not helping things is Buffy getting randomly attacked by bad guys in the daylight.
This was a quick read that hits all the right notes with the characters. If you've seen or read any of Buffy's adventures, you know how this will play out, though it's enjoyable getting there.
High marks have to go to author Ciencin for getting Spike's involvement into the tale.
This was a quick read that hits all the right notes with the characters. If you've seen or read any of Buffy's adventures, you know how this will play out, though it's enjoyable getting there.
High marks have to go to author Ciencin for getting Spike's involvement into the tale.
December 28, 2018
This was written by the late Scott Ciencin, not Troy Denning.
The concept could have been interesting, but ultimately I found this novel uninspiring. If there had been more of a focus on the main Buffyverse characters I think that would have done it a favour. The main character we get came across as flat to me. The plot is predictable and this short book took me ages to get through.
The concept could have been interesting, but ultimately I found this novel uninspiring. If there had been more of a focus on the main Buffyverse characters I think that would have done it a favour. The main character we get came across as flat to me. The plot is predictable and this short book took me ages to get through.
January 6, 2026
It was fun seeing Buffy interact with another 'chosen' 15 year old and see the parallels in herself, and also I think these books benefit from being on the shorter side. Less padding, less convoluted story developments, a nice simple clean plot. Very good! Probably enjoyed this the most of the Buffy novels I've read recently.
November 5, 2019
This concludes my Buffy binge for 2019 (don't worry I have plenty more for 2020...don't judge). Buffy's sister Dawn is just as whiny in the books as in the TV series, therefore I'm glad to be done with this one.
September 27, 2017
I really enjoyed this one. I think the author did a good job of the characterizations.
March 5, 2018
wow this was seriously dissapointing. Spike would never have done what he did - OOC much? and while the daughter/parent concept was interesting i wasn't captivated. frankly bored now.
October 10, 2018
Good concept. Infuriating execution.
February 19, 2023
Overall a dud and a chore to read. The book struggles to bring forth the spirit of these beloved characters and the boring plot does nothing to help it. Buffy fans just pass on this one.
June 14, 2013
Buffy and friends become involved with Arianna, a troubled young woman on the cusp of sixteen whose abilities rival those of Buffy herself. They try to befriend her and discover the truth about her. Scott Ciencin knows how to write the characters and has a good grasp of the show's vernacular, but he is less successful at crafting a compelling story. Most annoying, he gives Arianna an ability that would allow her to easily resolve the tension and uncertainty that torments her, yet provides an excuse for not exercising it that is very flimsy and contrived. The humor leans toward the cute and lacks the bite that characterizes the best writing of the series. If this is the type of story that had appeared on air, Buffy would not have lasted seven seasons.
November 28, 2014
Buffy and friends become involved with Arianna, a troubled young woman on the cusp of sixteen whose abilities rival those of Buffy herself. They try to befriend her and discover the truth about her. Scott Ciencin knows how to write the characters and has a good grasp of the show's vernacular, but he is less successful at crafting a compelling story. Most annoying, he gives Arianna an ability that would allow her to easily resolve the tension and uncertainty that torments her, yet provides an excuse for not exercising it that is very flimsy and contrived. The humor leans toward the cute and lacks the bite that characterizes the best writing of the series. If this is the type of story that had appeared on air, Buffy would not have lasted seven seasons.
April 12, 2011
Ahh, I always loved Buffy... she's so cool. I really wish I could fight like that. Buffy is de best slayer e.v.e.r.
The new girls cool... I love the way she fights the badness in her. I was like 'tell 'em, tell 'em' when she found out she was a demon. Obviously, the story wouldn't be if it was all that simple!
The new girls cool... I love the way she fights the badness in her. I was like 'tell 'em, tell 'em' when she found out she was a demon. Obviously, the story wouldn't be if it was all that simple!
June 22, 2011
This book was okay, up until the ending when everything came to a shocking conclusion. Unlike other Buffy novels, this one focused too much on non-canonical characters, rather than members of the Scooby Gang, but it was still a great read!
March 25, 2014
5 stars! Really enjoyed that. I totally got the Buffy feel and all the characters were perfectly done in line with the tv show. Story was excellent to bringing in Dawn who came in as a new character in season 5. Loved the end. Great.
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August 23, 2008isbn,original
February 25, 2019
Later Buffy fare
July 9, 2016
decent story, dialog was at times off from what the characters on the show talked. it was a good stroy
September 1, 2014
Delicious trash
January 25, 2015
An sich nicht schlecht. Allerdings glaube ich, dass ich leider aus dem Buffy-Alter raus bin. :( Zumindest was die Bücher betrifft.
January 20, 2016
cheesy & predictable...but that was to be expected...
Displaying 1 - 23 of 23 reviews