Customer Reviews

Power of Persuasion (Buffy the Vampire Slayer)

5 star:		(9)
4 star:		(7)
3 star:		(6)
2 star:		(3)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

If you're a fan of Buffy The Vampire Slayer and are a big reader (why else would you be here?) you really ought to do yourself a favor and read these books. Author Elizabeth Massie captures the feel of "Buffy's" world so well that I could clearly see the characters come to life in my head. Although I did find the normally conversation challenged Oz to be a bit wordy here at times. He's the quiet sexy one (the perfect man ;) but he seemed to have quite a bit of dialogue in this story and it stuck out.

This one is an original novel (not a novelization based on a TV episode) about a young girl with a dictator-like father who is totally fed up with his attempts to run her life and prays to the "goddess" for help.

Then a new library administrator, Ms. Moon, and her two too-perfect-to-be-true girls arrive in Sunnydale and quietly begin to stir up discontent between the sexes. Soon the female students are carrying on about "inequality" and "injustice" and, much to Cordelia Chase's dismay, are rallying around the Moon girls who have become the most popular students in school. The guy's aren't immune either and walk around in a dazed state blindly worshipping the Moon sisters. Even poor Giles is affected. Momma Moon wants to do away with all of his "weird" books and even though he finds the idea offensive his brain gets muddled and he begins to pack them. Buffy catches him in the act and realizes that someone is once again up to no good in Sunnydale and she intends to stop it.

I saw where this one was going immediately but that's okay because reading it was *almost* as much fun as watching a Buffy episode. There's a little wit, there's Slayer action and there's lots of hanging out with the Buffy gang. Worked for me.

As an avid fan of the show, I really enjoyed this novel. The mythological story line was intriguing, and the writing was excellent. Part of what makes this book so interesting is the unusual circumstances imposed on the characters in Sunnydale, and the way they act as a result. Unlike Purtalia's review, I don't feel that Oz's dialogue was uncharacteristically extensive, but rather warranted and fitting; and Cordelia's actions were quite appropriate given the situation. Instead, I feel this book gives readers the opportunity to visit these characters a bit more than "normal" Sunnydale circumstances permit. I would highly recommend this read!

I've read all the Buffy novels, and this author doesn't have a grasp of the characters. The dialogue rings false, and basically the actions and words of the very familiar characters seem forced, which becomes very distracting. Therefore, I wasn't able to stay too interested in the plot, so I don't have much of an opinion on it. This is only the second Buffy novel I didn't finish in one sitting, the other being "Visitors."

Myself being a huge fan of the Buffy TV series, I was eager to read the books. This was the first book I read in the novel series, and boy did it intrigue me. I couldn't put this book down, I wanted to find out what happened, I wanted to see how the characters either died or recovered and I wanted to see the climax of the movie, how it finished and why the story even came about in the first place. The title Power of Perusasion is very good, I think it means many different things: the power of the Buffy books and their sense of persuasion that makes you want to read more Buffster stories. The power of persuasion, the power of the villains, how they persuade the regular Buffy characters to become almost unearthly. And finally, the power of the intrigue of this book. I was seriously enthralled in the plot, and had a sense of persuasion to keep reading. If there is a flaw its that the way the villains die is not exactly clear enough, but this is still a highly recommended read.

To start off, I want to say what a great book this was!! As soon as I saw the Elizabeth Massis wrote a Buffy book, I had to buy it. I so made the right choice!! What a wonderful Buffy book! Where the "villians" came from....what a CLASSIC idea!!

Mo Moon and her daughters, Calli and Polly, are in Sunnydale and they want to spread one thing...girl power. Soon they have the will of all the girls on their side and the men are mindless idiots. It's up to our favorite slayer, OZ and cordy to save Sunnydale. Once you get into this book, it won't let you go. This is a real page tuner.

There are so many great things to this book!! Cordy's jealousy came through as halirous!! It was interesting to see her when she wasn't lil miss popular. *LOL* I also liked Xander.

The decriptions that Massie gives the reader is incredible! She is a wonderful storyteller. I highly suggest this book. If yer a fan of Buffy, or a fan of good fiction, then this book is for you.

Ye gods! Buffy Vs. Mount Olympus, a full year before goddess Glory challenged the Slayer for an entire season on T.V.! Power of Persuasion had to be, at least in part, the inspiration for Buffy's fifth season on the air: not only are Buffy's POP nemeses all-but-unkillable goddesses, but - like Glory - they consume the brains of men, as well.

In general, the best of the Buffy books. Unlike many others - and the T.V. series, of late - Buffy is not a bit player in her own show, in this piece. She is the star from start to finish, and has never been cleverer or more resourceful. The core group are emphasized throughout, with Angel missing and Buffy's closest friends and helpmeets subsumed, one by one, until she and (nice to see) Oz are left on their own to somehow dispatch a trio of lethal lesser Amazonian deities inadvertently summoned to Sunnydale.

The monstrous muses are, without doubt, the most unique challenge Buffy has ever faced. Her sheer brute force and fighting finesse are useless to her. The Olympian lassies merely laugh at all her efforts to defeat them, shrugging, smiling, and saying, "When you get tired of beating your head against the wall, little girl, we'll be happy to enlist you among our ranks." They don't even bother to fight back. Why should they? They can't die. They can't even be significantly injured. Against opponents that superior, what's a Slayer to do?

Along with Diana Gallagher's better efforts, Power of Persuasion is the best-written book of the series. The level of the actual writing is easy enough for the younger readers without being condescending to them at all, but sophisticated enough to satisfy adults. POP's plot is streamlined, its one suplot fully complements the main action, the dialogue is sharp, witty and spry, and, best of all, Buffy really is the star, from Frame One to Frame Last.

This is one woman's movement even NOW wouldn't support. When Ms Moon and her exceptional daughters move to town, the female popluation of Sunnydale take back the night, the day and anything else they can get their hands on. Boys are dying and Buffy must discover if there is an connection. The use of mythology is very good in this book. It is a change from the normal vampires and demons which gather around the hellmouth. Female fans will rejoice in the horror and humor. Male fans beware. Seriousily I recommend this book to readers of all genders.

Overall this book was okay. Why? It had a unique plot I guess with the whole mythology thing. (I'm into mythology.) But the villains were a little cliched. If you haven't read the rest of the Buffy books out there you probably don't know what I am talking about. Anyway in at least three three other Buffy novels the bad guys are demons/goddesses who convientally become new teachers/staff at Sunnydale High and Giles ends up falling victim to them. Other than that the book was okay, I did find that the ending was a little confusing-but mostly I liked it. 3 and half stars.

I LOVED this book! It is one of the best Buffy books yet. I think the characters are very real, like in the show (Buffy, Oz, Willow, Xander) and the action is exciting! Read it to find out about the Moon family and why, even though I'm all for girls and boys being treated equally, these girls go way too far! I know people who are kind of like that, so that made it more fun to read to see what Buffy has to do!

Set in season three of the television show, "Powers of Persuasion" is one of the most worthwhile "Buffy the Vampire Slayer" novelisations out there. Author Elizabeth Massie brings together a great twisting story, lively characterisation and sense of danger and camaraderie that made the first three seasons of "Buffy" so enjoyable.

Taking a male vs female conceit and adding to it vampires, Greek goddesses, mind-control, corpses, and even the Titanic, Massie creates an interesting and page turning Buffy-story. As well as this is the perfecting fitting subplot, dealing with the slightly more mundane problem of Buffy's parents' having alternative activities for her to perform, that will force her to make a decision between them. Massie has a good grasp of the characters (only Oz seemed a bit off-kilter to me, maybe a bit too talkative), and keeps the story rolling along nicely.

Buffy is immediately suspicious of the two new students at Sunnydale High School; Polly and Callie Moon, who are demanding equal rights between the male and female student body, and taking this stand to extreme levels. Their mother Mo Moon is also on the scene as a library inspector that is making Giles's job a misery, and all three of them seem to have an odd definition of the word 'equality', since every man that is in their presence for long becomes a mindless servant, and every female a staunch supporter.

Soon all of Buffy's allies are under the thrall of the three women, save Oz and Cordelia, and ironically enough Buffy finds added support within the vampire community. The vampires are not happy about the Moons' presence in Sunnydale, as they interfere with the quality of their blood supply. To top it off, the bodies of dead male students are being found around town, and their disembodied voices are haunting Buffy's mind.

The mystery soon begin to unravel as Buffy pieces together the facts (that the sisters love jewellery and have 'magic' breath) with the information the vampires give her, and discovers their true identities. They are Greek goddesses (but I'm not going to tell you which ones - see if you can guess before Buffy does), and the Slayer has absolutely no idea how to kill a goddess...

A full season before a goddess actually appeared on the television screen (Glory of season five), Buffy took on three goddesses pretty much by herself, by following her own plan. One of the striking features of this book is Buffy's independence and her extreme responsibilities, and with the absence of Angel and the bewitchment of most of her friends, she's on her own for the most part of the book.

There are a few little complaints, namely involving the subplot of the dying high-school boys - there is no real reason for them to die past the fact that the killer just likes doing it (if you're going to kill people in your book, they should at least die for a decent reason) and how and why Buffy can hear their voices is unexplained. Likewise it is never really explained how the presence of the Moon girls affects the blood of the students which in turn cuts off the vampires' food supply. Massie also fails to wrap up a few plot threads: the goddesses are apparently summoned to Sunnydale by the actions of Allison Gianakous, but she doesn't seem to fully understand this or suffer consequences for it, and the conflict between Joyce and Hank Summers isn't fully resolved - what parent did she end up choosing?

But all in all, "Powers of Persuasion" is far above average in the context of all the "Buffy" books out there. Massie is possibly the best author in terms of displaying Buffy's pathos - of a girl so desperate for a normal life, but who keeps on fighting anyway.