Customer Reviews

Bite Me!: Sarah Michelle Gellar and Buffy the Vampire Slayer

5 star:		(27)
4 star:		(4)
3 star:		(6)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(3)

 

 

This book is great it has alot on Sarah Michelle Gellar as well as other main charectors such as Nicholas Brendon and Alyson Hanigan. Also I love the fact that this book also has a section on Buffy the vampire slayer. The episode guide to this is very detailed and tells you things that you would not get from elsewhere like the watchers guide (although that too is very good). I love this book and recomend it to all Buffy the vampire slayer fans.

To all the Buffy fans out there, I highly recommend this book!! It is of my opinion that this is the best "Buffy Bible" out there. The cast bios are informative, the photos stunningly gorgeous and the sections regarding the fan base of the series was a delight to read. It is wonderful to see all the charity work this show has generated over the years. Think you know everything about Buffy? Try the Trivia section! But my favorite section of the book is the episode guide. Nikki has captured the essence of each episode, written with wit and intelligence. The addition of the Highlights, Interesting Facts, Nitpicks, Oops, Willow Wicca Watch (tracks Willow's development as a witch) and Restless Moment (referring to the episode, "Restless") portions of the Guide were utterly astounding to me because she saw so much more in each episode that I had missed. Nikki clarified and helped me to understaned things in certain episodes that had me confused . What is absolutely enjoyable to do is read each episode description and then watch the episode itself. It is like seeing the show all over again for the first time! I am extremely glad I got this book and intend on giving copies to friends come Christmas time. Thank You Nikki Stafford!!

Coming from a reviewer that has purchased and read several "guides" to Buffy, you should believe me when I say that this is the best. Much better than either of the Watchers Guide, this book contains reviews of each episode of Buffy through Season Six, and each episode of Angel through Season Three. Each review includes bloopers from each episode which are fun to look for, as well as the writers personal highlight from each episode.

The book also has in depth biographies of the actors from both shows, as well as a 20 page summary of Buffy The Vampire Slayer's conception to its change in networks. The book also includes top websites devoted to Angel and Buffy, as well as the stars of each show. Lastly, it has a great trivia section, which is the most difficult Buffy trivia one will ever find. Anyone who is looking to learn up on Buffy, or even those who enjoy collecting Buffy paraphenalia will enjoy this book. A defenite must-have.

The parts of this book that are common to the other Buffy books out there are comparable to what has already been written. However, it is the unique aspects of this book that make it worth purchasing. The quiz in this book is very enjoyable and you can pit your Buffy knowledge against a friend. The section of this book about the Posting Board party was very enjoyable and it is something that you will not find in the other Buffy books. Also, the chapter on Buffy web sites is very informative for those surfers that are not totally up to date on the more popular Buffy sites. Some of the author's opinions on what has gone on in the show are off-base. It is almost like she misinterpreted some of the actions in the show. However, that is still not enough to taint this book. I still think that "The Watcher's Guide" is the best Buffy book out there, but "Bite Me" hits on some things that "The Watcher's Guide" didn't. My advice is to buy both books.

I got this book as a present and was immediately excited. I am a HUGE buffy fan and relish any chance to delve deeper into my obsession. While I enjoyed most of the book including the bios, mini analyses of the episodes, I was bored by the fan and party coverage (who cares? it was like 2 years ago!), and a little offended by the author's off-putting feelings towards some of the characters (give Riley and Joyce half a chance). The most annoying part however was the obvious mistakes this so-called "fan" Nikki Stafford made in relating her "nitpicks" of each episode. She points out each "oops" the show made as far as bloopers but I guess she failed to pass this on to an editor because there were a lot of mistakes made concerning her knowledge of the buffyverse. When she couldn't find something substantial to write she floundered, the most obvious point being in the "Buffy vs. Dracula" nitpick section. Ms. Stafford complains that even though Dracula breaks most of the vampire rules, he would still need an invite to enter Buffy's room and you can feel her arrogance when she points out that somehow the writers messed up this technicality. However, later in the episode it is revealed that Joyce had invited him in for coffee and then there is a whole 5 minute scene between Joyce/Willow/Tara discussing her inviting a man into the house. Then, in the next episode it is mentioned again that Joyce mistakenly invited Dracula in. I really wouldn't care about Ms. Stafford's rants if this weren't a "guide to Buffy" written by someone who does take the show seriously and is a little too arrogant when every now and then there is an inconsistency in the show.
Bottom line: I enjoyed reading it, but I enjoyed correcting it even more.

This is the absolute best Buffy guide out there. The book includes DETAILED episode synopsises through the sixth seaons of Buffy and the third season of Angel. Unlike the Watcher's Guide's, these synopsis's are very thorough, as are each actors profile. The book also chronicles the show from its movie beginnings, through each season, to the show's move to UPN. Each episode guide includes the writer's personal favorite moment of the episode, interesting facts, Did you notice moments, Nitpicks, and bloopers from each episode that are fun to scope out.

The book also has an incredibly challenging trivia section, which prompts one to go back and watch the episodes over and over again. Also included are each actors personal websites, as well as good fansites, are included. Having bought many companion guides to this show, I personally say this is the best, for any looking to wise up on Buffy, or maybe simply to extend their Buffy collection.

First of all, the title is great. "Bite Me" sounds like something Buffy would say right before dusting a vampire. But this is not a review of the title, it's a review of the book.

There is a whole lot of information included in this book, and it runs a close second to the 'Watcher's Guides' as far as being thorough, informative and interesting. However, the information it gives is great, but the way it is written sometimes isn't. The first thing you will notice, as other reviewers have pointed out, is that the author, Nikki Stafford, seems to really hate the character of Joyce, Buffy's mom. I do not know why this is, but she makes it very clear in the episode guide (under her summary of season five's "I Was Made to Love You" Stafford says that one particular line Joyce speaks makes her like the character for the first (and last) time in the whole series. Ouch. Stafford also doesn't seem to like Dawn very much, but admit it - who did like Dawn, at least at first? And despite the fact that the episode guide is informative, there is way too much of the author's opinion added in. In other words, I want to know the basics about each episode - I don't care if the author liked it or not. (Stafford tells us in her summary of "Beer Bad" that it is possibly the worst episode of the entire series, but I actually thought it was pretty entertaining.) But once you get over (or ignore) the author's comments, you will find you have in your hands one of the most extensive Buffy guides ever written. There are cast bios, a chapter on Buffy websites, a section of color photos of the cast, and an episode guide spanning from season one through season six (the two volumes of 'Watcher's Guides' only cover seasons one to four). I enjoyed the episode guide, because after telling what the episode was about, Stafford also included extras, such as "Restless Moments" (certain scenes in episodes that were crucial to the dreamlike season four episode "Restless"), "Wicca Willow Watch" (certain scenes in episodes that foreshadowed Willow's season six overuse of magic) "Nitpicks" (things that bugged Stafford about each episode), "Oops" (mistakes that were overlooked and left in the final cut of the episode) and a section for the music/bands that appeared in each episode. All of those sections for each episode provides you with a lot more insight to each episode. And to top it all off, Stafford also includes cast bios for "Angel", as well as a episode guide for the first 3 seasons of the spin-off.

If you're a "Buffy" fan, this guide is a must. My only wish is that it would have been published a lot later, so that season seven could have been added in as well. But that's just me being picky. If you like "Buffy", you'll really appreciate 'Bite Me'.

Yes, I admit it, I've become a Buffy addict - not normally a TV watcher, I became sucked in by its blend of great writing, humor, drama, and honest portrayal of emotions. In addition to all the seasons on DVD, I've picked up quite a bit of the buffy literature - guides, essays, etc. - and this is the one I keep coming back to. I much prefer it to the more often-cited Watcher's Guides. What some reviewers criticize - the emphasis on Stafford's reviews and opinions - are what i consider the book's strength. None of the other guides offer such a personal take on the series or episodes - and it's a series people relate to in a highly personal way. I don't always agree with the author, and even disagree that a few of the "nitpicks" she found were actual errors, but her opionated views make for much more interesting reading. In a few cases, her opinions made me more clearly define my own, or see an episode in a new light.
I love the information on music at the end of each episode, and the other chapters - on the actors' biographies, the posting-board parties, the internet following for buffy - are all pretty comprehensive. This is a fan's take on a show she loves, in addition to being a guide - which, in my opinion, makes it more interesting for another fan to read. So what if she's unduly harsh on Joyce and Dawn? She backs up her opinions with valid reasons, which others are free to disagree with. I disliked some eps ("Gingerbread," "Beauty and the beast," "As You were") that she liked, liked others better than her, and agreed with her on many more. But I always enjoy her take.
I do wish the section on angel was more thorough - she acknowledges it's pretty cursory compared to Buffy, and my hope is that a future book will flesh it out. But if you want a good buffy episode guide, skip the watchers guides and just get this one. My copy is worn i've gone back to it so often.

I absolutly love this book. It is entirely complete (well, up to season six anyway... I'm really hoping they do another revision with season seven added... I'd buy the whole damn book again if they did it) and full of information. This one book gets in all the good stuff that the watcher's guides do in two. When I bought this book I had only seen up to season three, and I was beginning to watch seasons 4-6 in reruns, and I read this book right along with watching the episodes.

Some people have a problem with the opinionated way the author writes the book, but to me it enhances the feel of it being a fan's book.

In short, I love this book, and you should too! ^.^

Having purchased a large number of Buffy guides myself, I must say that this is one of, if not the best out there. It doesn't just sum up the episodes like the Watcher's Guides, the author gives her opinions about each episode. She even points out a number of technical goofs in the shows that I was beginning to wonder if anyone else had noticed. You may not agree with all of her insights, but I really enjoyed getting another's point of view on each episode. It's like having a conversation with another Buffy fan! If you're a Buffy fanatic like me looking for some new interesting info and an entertaining read, I highly recommend this book. Actually, I order you to buy this book!