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Raven's Gate (The Gatekeepers #1)

3.91 of 5 stars 3.91 · rating details · 9,322 ratings · 648 reviews

This chilling NYT bestseller from Anthony Horowitz, "a master of edge-of-your-seat writing" (Booklist, starred) is "an exhilarating read" (Kirkus) that "should attract a strong following" (PW)

As punishment for a crime he didn't really commit, Matt was given a choice: go to jail or go live with an old woman named Mrs. Deverill in a remote town called Lesser Malling.
He shou

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Paperback, 272 pages

Published April 1st 2009 by Scholastic Paperbacks (first published June 1st 2005)

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Jul 20, 2009 Mary rated it 5 of 5 stars

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 th...more

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Oct 30, 2012 Maree rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: in-the-bookshelf, ya-paranormal, favourites-2012, 2012-read

Matt Freeman is an orphan on the wrong side of the law. He is convinced by his friend to break in to a warehouse and promised that no one will be hurt. Then things go terribly wrong and suddenly he’s being accused of a crime he didn’t commit. Although he’s not charged, his aunt decides that enough is enough and she can’t look after him any more. He is put into the LEAF project, designed to help juvenile delinquents. Unfortunately, this is just the start of his troubles. He is sent to the creepy...more Matt Freeman is an orphan on the wrong side of the law. He is convinced by his friend to break in to a warehouse and promised that no one will be hurt. Then things go terribly wrong and suddenly he’s being accused of a crime he didn’t commit. Although he’s not charged, his aunt decides that enough is enough and she can’t look after him any more. He is put into the LEAF project, designed to help juvenile delinquents. Unfortunately, this is just the start of his troubles. He is sent to the creepy village of Lesser Malling to live with the even creepier Mrs Deverill and that’s when things get freaky…

I’m one of those people who is easily scared. I avoid horror movies like the plague – the scariest thing I’ve watched was The Others which was a great movie and probably not even really that scary. The thing is that, for me, it’s the suspense that creates the fear. Knowing that there’s something malevolent out there, but not being able to see just gives me the heebie-jeebies. That’s what makes Raven’s Gate so incredibly compelling. Reading this at night was like being caught in a natural history museum when the lights are out and dinosaur skeletons are coming to life.

Horowitz has been on my List of Excellent Authors since I read Stormbreaker in high school. I moved on to Raven’s Gate at the time and loved it, but never finished the rest of the series. I decided it was about time I finished the series, but, after reading Jo’s Letters to the Five, I realised I needed to re-read this because I had honestly forgotten everything about it. I’m so glad I did.

This really reminded me how wonderful Horowitz’s writing is. I’ve never felt so creeped out when reading a book before. Ever. However, it was not just the fear that made this book compelling; it was the complete and utter despair of Matt’s situation. It was something I felt deeply. Each time an escape plan failed or someone died, I just felt this weight on my body. The tension in the oppressive farmhouse in Yorkshire was something palpable which I could feel surrounding me. Each time a solution seemed possible, I felt a sense of hopelessness knowing that something would stop it.

Matt, mate, you’re braver than me. I would have given up at the beginning and been sobbing in the corner for the rest of the novel.

Raven’s Gate is a wonderfully creepy and utterly captivating novel and, while it’s not for everyone, it is an excellent read and something which I highly recommend. It has a vat of face-melting acid. What more do you really need?

This review and many more can be found at Maree's Musings.(less)

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Nov 13, 2012 Jennifer Wardrip rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: trt-posted-reviews

Reviewed by Spreeha for TeensReadToo.com

Do you believe in witches or the Old Ones?

Matt has been accused of committing a crime which actually he really didn't do. So now he has a choice to either go to jail or stay with an old lady named Mrs. Deverill in a remote area called Lesser Malling because of the government's new law called the LEAF Project. Matt should have chosen jail because he will soon find out that someone is planning something there at Lesser Malling, and Matt is in the middle of...more Reviewed by Spreeha for TeensReadToo.com

Do you believe in witches or the Old Ones?

Matt has been accused of committing a crime which actually he really didn't do. So now he has a choice to either go to jail or stay with an old lady named Mrs. Deverill in a remote area called Lesser Malling because of the government's new law called the LEAF Project. Matt should have chosen jail because he will soon find out that someone is planning something there at Lesser Malling, and Matt is in the middle of all the commotion.

Matt's past hasn't been the best. His parents died in a car crash six years ago and he has been living with his mom's stepsister, who doesn't necessarily treat him very well. But Matt has discovered that he has some kind of weird magical power--but doesn't know what it is.

When he gets to Mrs. Deverill's house he isn't treated in the best way possible. Even though he thinks the food is good he has to do chores and basically clean up all of Mrs. Deverill's property. After a while he has had enough of this bizarre nonsense and wants to leave, because this was supposed to be a volunteer act.

But when he tries to take a bike out to the main road back to Greater Malling and then back to London, every road he takes just brings him back to the place he started from. Well, he went home after that, and thought that he'd try the next day.

When coming back to the same spot, a guy named Tom Burgess appears and says he wants to help Matt out because this isn't a safe place to be. He also says that he will explain everything tomorrow at his farm, but what Matt doesn't know is that he will find Tom dead the next day.

After Tom's death things got even worse. Mrs. Deverill starts to come out more strongly and everyone that tries to help him get out of this creepy place just ends up dead. Is Matt's new helper bound to turn up dead, too?

Find out! Read the book.

I think this book is incredible!! Once you start reading you can't stop! This book has a twist at every turn. I recommend this book to anybody interested in books like the Harry Potter series--it's just so magnificent!! (less)

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Apr 10, 2008 Jennifer rated it 2 of 5 stars

Shelves: young-adult, read-in-2008, paranormal

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 psychi...more

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Aug 14, 2012 Jo rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: 2012, hometown-ya, own, ya

I wish there were more YA books that involved vats of face-melting acid.

Review at some point.

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Jan 08, 2012 Liz rated it 2 of 5 stars

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here. 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...more 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. (less)

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Feb 18, 2009 Christian rated it 5 of 5 stars

As a punishment for a crime he didnt' mean to commit, Matt was given a choice: Go to jail or go live with an old woman who Matt has never met and is apperently a part of a leaf project which is a correction project. Never the less he should have gone to jail that would have been so much easier, but at the time he thought that anything but jail would be fantastic but boy was he wrong. In the place that he is living which is lesser malling; You might as well call it the seventh ring of hell. A str...more As a punishment for a crime he didnt' mean to commit, Matt was given a choice: Go to jail or go live with an old woman who Matt has never met and is apperently a part of a leaf project which is a correction project. Never the less he should have gone to jail that would have been so much easier, but at the time he thought that anything but jail would be fantastic but boy was he wrong. In the place that he is living which is lesser malling; You might as well call it the seventh ring of hell. A strange and sinister plan is being concocted ( if spelt wrong its Ms. trice's fault)in Lesser Malling which matt is the main ingerident. People who try to help him disappear or worst of all are killed in a horribe way. It all ties together to a place called Ravin's Gate. Let me give you a low down on what Ravin's Gate is, a long time ago the world was apperently ruled to deamons and all sorts of evil spirits. Back then there were 4 people who "saved the world" and they were able to close Raven's Gate which is the portal in which the deamons pass through. The 4 people that closed the portal sealed is close and since that people everywhere have been trying to open it. When Matt comes to Lesser Mallings he quickly knows that there is something a little off with the whole palce. All the trees were planted in perfectly straingt lines in every direction. There is now town and no houses close to where he is living to change from a disturbed kid like matt. Manual labor and long days were the least for this urban kid from London. His first impression of his guidence councler that will be changing his life. As people say that first impression mean everything this chick that is matts guidence councler is a witch. It was a gloomy rainy day what a cliché and he was on his way to see the judge. He was mingling with the wrong person the person who is always getting into trouble; one day he breaks into a storage container filled with DVD's, Tv's, and all sorts of electronics. They were stealing when a patroll officer was making his rounds he caught thhe children in the act and in a frantic frenzy, matt in the moment stabbed the officer and eventually bleed to death. matt was caught and then he was sent to the judge and then from there to Lesser Mallings. One day he was curious and desperate to leave the god reched place so he was sent to the market to retreive items. The people he met were strange and old fassioned that was one of the other tip offs that had him wondering whats the real side of Lesser Mallings? He is eventually able to put all the pices that were missing when a death of a friend pops up when he tryed to help him escape from the hellish place that he was being captive. Almost everybody that tryed to help get to the answer that he is setting out to find. He was paired with the most un-likely person to find out the entire puzzle that he set out to do. This book i would personally recommend to would be anyone with the stomech strong enough to handle and a vivid imagination and is able to see light when all is dark. Although my favorite Characters in the book are of course matt the protagonest and the reporter they team up together to solve the mystery. Well as for the rest of the characters i either felt indifferent about them or i disliked them its as easy as that. I can't find a single quote in the bokk that sticks out to me, like ther is not just one quote that sums up the book i personally would think that if a single line of the book were to sum it all up it would have to be something along the lines of, " What i thought a great escape would be turned out to be my worst nightmear i could have never imagined." (less)

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May 04, 2013 Arcadiac rated it 5 of 5 stars

As long as I live, I will NEVER forget the exhilarating, beautiful, original and suspenseful entertainment of The Gatekeepers series, or all of Anthony Horowitz's writing in general. I seriously wonder why it is not more popular! Perhaps it got overshadowed by the Alex Rider series? I can't see how; their genres are entirely different.

When I first read Raven's Gate, I thought, judging by the summary, that this would be mature enough for me to read. I was in the seventh grade, but I was an avid r...more

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Apr 13, 2013 Alister Tan rated it 4 of 5 stars

After hearing about the series from friends, I decided to read the Power of Five series. Raven's Gate is a fantasy horror novel by Anthony Horowitz. It is the first book of the Power of Five (originally Gatekeepers) series. Horowitz is also the author of the famous Alex Rider series and this novel is clearly directed to readers of the Rider series. The storyline follows the Alex Rider series but the book mixes in some fantasy and horror to add some twists. The story begins about a boy named Matt...more

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Feb 23, 2013 Matt Cassar rated it 4 of 5 stars

The Ravens Gate was a very good book. The story was written by Anthony Horowitz. It really keeps you in the dark for a lot of the story about why Matt is so special. However the whole time you do know that there is something about him. I can’t wait to read the second book in the series.
The story starts off with a regular kid living in England named Matt. It takes place in modern times. Matt lives with his aunt and uncle because his parents died when he was very young. His friend Calvin gets Ma...more

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Feb 04, 2013 Jason Keel rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: fantasy

Fourteen year old Matt Freeman could us a break. His parents died in a car wreck when he was eight. Since then he's lived with his aunt who sees him as a duty and a burden. His only friend is a hoodlum three years his senior. He's been arrested for breaking and entering and accessory to attempted murder. AND NOW his parole is to live with a creepy old lady and do manual labor on a farm outside the village of Lesser Malling in a very eerie corner of Yorkshire. The people of the village are down r...more

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Nov 21, 2012 Betlehem Fekade rated it 5 of 5 stars

I didn't read this book, I devoured it. Never mind the fact that I have read it before in the distance past, even when the memories of the book seeped back into my brain I didn't care because it was so damn good.

This book is simply magnificent, it is strange, mysterious and at time freaking terrifying.Someone should really consider turning it in to a movie, its simply that good.

I love Matt as a character, he is not whiny or incompetent rather he comes out strong and a little rebellious. The only...more

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Nov 07, 2012 Lizzy Gross rated it 4 of 5 stars

Raven's Gate, by Anthony Horowitz, is an exciting thriller about a 14-year-old orphan that lives with his careless aunt and her boyfriend. Throughout his life Matt knew there was something different about himself, but didn't quite know why...

Throughout the book, there was always a new and exhilarating twist. It was full of suspense. The beginning of the book did not start of slow, but rather with an intense crime scene. Also, the end of the book was something I never expected. Even though some c...more

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Oct 20, 2012 Abbey rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: horror, scifi-fantasy, series, young-adult

subtitled: Book One of the Gatekeepers: teenager Matt Freeman, creepy Mrs. Deverell and the peculiar inhabitants of Lesser Malling, a very small and isolated village in rural England; Horror/SFF, first of five, YA.

Matt is a bit different from his peers - "something" warns him when danger is near, and it's about the only thing in his life that he can trust. Living with his step-aunt isn't much fun (and her boyfriend is even worse), but she's the only relative he has left - his parents died in a...more subtitled: Book One of the Gatekeepers: teenager Matt Freeman, creepy Mrs. Deverell and the peculiar inhabitants of Lesser Malling, a very small and isolated village in rural England; Horror/SFF, first of five, YA.

Matt is a bit different from his peers - "something" warns him when danger is near, and it's about the only thing in his life that he can trust. Living with his step-aunt isn't much fun (and her boyfriend is even worse), but she's the only relative he has left - his parents died in a car crash when he was only eight. He's been no angel himself either, and when he is caught trying to boost electronics from a warehouse, he is offered either jail, or a chance in a new program: live in a rural village and "shape up!" with the help of the strict older lady who will have responsibility for him.

Unfortunately for him, he chooses creepy Mrs. Deverell, intending to run away first chance he gets. Things don't quite work out as he planned, however. Working on her farm is physically difficult at first for this city kid, but as his life becomes downright creepy and rapidly progresses to deadly, he finds that not only those few folks in weird Lesser Malling who try to befriend and/or help him all seem to suddenly disappear or die, but that bad things are coming for him, too. Time is running out for him, and, it seems, he has noone to turn to, particularly not Mrs. Deverell.

First in a five-book series about a small group of Gatekeepers, those who help keep our world safe from evil things, this is the fast- moving and well-crafted story of a teen who learns how strong he truly is, and that he isn't quite as alone as he'd thought. Learning to trust is never easy, but it becomes immensely more difficult when you also have to save the universe at the same time (and simultaneously not severely damage a large section of rural England), all the while trying to figure out just what your peculiar talents and your unusual life, amount to.

Comfortable and enjoyable, fast paced and with a nice bit of (unexpected) wry humor.

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Apr 01, 2012 Sophie Dusting rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here. The Power of Five is a brilliant series from an equal brilliant author. It doesn't quite have the magic and appeal of the Harry Potter books, but it's not far off. For a children's/young adults book, it hits the mark. The plot is the typical good vs evil but it's set in reality so far as the places and environments are all real. You could go for instance, to Greater Malling, where we first met Matt, and all the streets, shops...it's all there. Horowitz stated in the interview at the back of the...more The Power of Five is a brilliant series from an equal brilliant author. It doesn't quite have the magic and appeal of the Harry Potter books, but it's not far off. For a children's/young adults book, it hits the mark. The plot is the typical good vs evil but it's set in reality so far as the places and environments are all real. You could go for instance, to Greater Malling, where we first met Matt, and all the streets, shops...it's all there. Horowitz stated in the interview at the back of the fourth book that he always loved the idea that something supernatural was just around the corner and with these books, you feel it could happen on your backdoor.

Coming back to the plot, at first I did think how can he sustain it over five books; basically protecting the 'gates', the findings and uniting of the Fiver Children and the battles with the Old Ones and their followers. I wandered whether he would stretch the plot, exhaust it and water it down. However, there seems to be just enough to make each book a bit different and unique. It's not all about one character, you switch and change, being introduced to a new personality and heroes and villains in each piece. It makes it slightly more dynamic, though the premise is pretty much the same. I never tired nor got bored. If anything I found myself more addicted to the books the more I read.

I would say my favourite out of the five so far has been Necropolis, Book Four. It had a very 1984 style; Hong Kong being a dying city with people either trapped by forces beyond their control or 'sent away' aka to be killed. I felt this book was much more dark, imaginative and mature. Perhaps progressing as the audience natural grows up. There is lots of horror and gory descriptions that children will love. The pace is so quick and each book adds more and more angles, themes and points to consider. It is a terrific thriller - I was almost nervous to switch off the lights!

It was also great to be introduced to a female lead in the fourth book. Most of the main characters are male so it was nice to see a strong, level-head, independent girl kicking-ass. It is a very 'boyish' book so this does open it to a wider audience. That said fantasy is fantasy which 99.9% of children love. This does not disappoint.

The books are written very well; Horowitz is a master of his craft and thus I would expect no less from these books. The language is not challenging, it is based at the children's market and I found his observations much like that of a children's; making shapes and monsters out of shadows etc. It was as though he'd read some experiences of my childhood and written them in the book. In a way, I felt it was like a guilty pleasure, diving into a children' world where anything is possible.

I thoroughly enjoyed these books and even as an adult I found them captivating. It's a tough market for children's authors, how can they even come close to Harry Potter? In this case, he comes darn close. Verdict gives this series an overall score of 4.5* - Read it.

To read more, visit my blog: http://verdictbookreviews.blogspot.co...

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Mar 18, 2012 Alexander Ayvazov rated it 5 of 5 stars

I chose "Raven's Gate" because I fell in love with the book the first moment I read the back of the book in the library. What had caught my eyes was that the book's genre was mystery, which is my favorite genre. As punishment for a crime he didn't really commit, Matt was given a choice of either going to jail or going to live with an old woman named Mrs. Deverill in a remote town called Lesser Malling. What Matt doesn't realize is that he should have chosen jail. A strange and sinister plan is c...more I chose "Raven's Gate" because I fell in love with the book the first moment I read the back of the book in the library. What had caught my eyes was that the book's genre was mystery, which is my favorite genre. As punishment for a crime he didn't really commit, Matt was given a choice of either going to jail or going to live with an old woman named Mrs. Deverill in a remote town called Lesser Malling. What Matt doesn't realize is that he should have chosen jail. A strange and sinister plan is coming together made in Lesser Malling, with Matt at the center of it all. My favorite quote from the book was:

"Matt stood where he was. Slowly, he raised his arms. The palms
of his hands were caught in the light from the cars and now he
saw that they were glistening red, covered with blood."

The reason why this quote was my favorite is because it was the part when the police had caught Matt and his friend stealing electronics from the warehouse. At this moment Matt was accused of killing a guard at the warehouse which he didn't kill, but instead his friend killed. When Matt gets caught the police see that he has bloody hands, but those bloody hands are not from killing the guard. Matt got his hands bloody while trying to help the guard. I like this quote because it is interesting how Matt didn't kill the guard, but all the signs prove that he did. What I thought was unique about the author's style was that he made sure that the reader didn't get bored reading the story, but instead made the reader think about what is happening and try to predict what will happen next. The interesting part about the author's style was that he made sure that anyone who tried to help Matt would die or disappear. Almost like the author was teamed up with the evil side unlike most authors. The unappealing part of the author's style was that it was hard to understand what was happening in the book. It was written in such a way that a person would have to read some parts over and over again to fully understand them. I would recommend this book to anyone who likes mystery, action, and suspense because this book is filled with it.
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Dec 12, 2011 Shahryar Niazi rated it 5 of 5 stars Recommends it for: Curse of the Red Leprechaun

Recommended to Shahryar by: Horror Books

The book is AMAZING!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!...more

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Oct 07, 2011 Aaron rated it 1 of 5 stars

I am very disappointed that this is considered a Young adult book. My children discovered this book in their Elementary library. I have read a few Alex Rider Books because my children were interested in reading them. As I read the Alex Rider series, I felt the issues were too mature for children. I felt they were extremely disturbing based on the violent themes and imagery.
I found my 9 year old son reading Raven's Gate and decided I needed to review it before he was allowed to read it. He only m...more

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Sep 28, 2011 Shazza Maddog rated it 3 of 5 stars

This book was published in 2005 by a NY Times bestseller, so it ought to be available. It is the first in a series called The Gatekeepers. There're enough hints in the novel to let you know that the series will probably be five books in length, if not more, so it's probably ongoing.

The world that Horowitz posits for his story is in current times. Our hero is a young man named Matt and the story opens with him meeting with his one and only friend, an older boy named Kelvin, who tells Matt that t...more This book was published in 2005 by a NY Times bestseller, so it ought to be available. It is the first in a series called The Gatekeepers. There're enough hints in the novel to let you know that the series will probably be five books in length, if not more, so it's probably ongoing.

The world that Horowitz posits for his story is in current times. Our hero is a young man named Matt and the story opens with him meeting with his one and only friend, an older boy named Kelvin, who tells Matt that they can score big if they break into this warehouse after dark. Matt reluctantly goes along with it, and things go badly from there. The warehouse guard is stabbed by Kelvin and both Matt and Kelvin are taken into custody for the crime. Kelvin, understandably, throws Matt under the bus but the guard lives and lets the police know that Matt wasn't the one who stabbed him. However, due to the violent nature of the crime, Matt is sentenced to the LEAF program, and is sent out of town to a weird little place called Lesser Malling to live with Mrs. Jayne Deverill.

Once taken to Mrs. Deverill's farm, Hive Hall, Matt lives a life of virtual servitude. Noah, Mrs. Deverill's hired hand, is a creepy man who doesn't appear to have all his wits. Mrs. Deverill's cat, Asmodeus, is a frightening creature. And Mrs. Deverill is more than she appears to be, with the painting of one of her ancestors on the wall that resembles her to a 't'.

Matt realizes very quickly that whatever plans Mrs. Deverill and the people of Lesser Malling have for him, they are not to his best interest. His attempts to escape are thwarted at nearly every turn and anyone who attempts to help him seems to be destined to die. He finally manages to escape, hooking up with a newspaper reporter, and Matt then starts finding out that perhaps Mrs. Deverill isn't the only one who isn't only what she appears to be, but maybe he is, as well.

A creepy little story, Raven's Gate starts a little slow but the pace builds after the middle. It's a good book for kids who want something a little scarier than the Harry Potter series but aren't ready for Dean Koontz. (less)

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Oct 28, 2010 Chibineko rated it 4 of 5 stars

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...more

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Aug 09, 2010 Becky rated it 3 of 5 stars

Teenagers can be irritating. And I'm not saying that because I'm turning old this month (if you have to know, I'll be the big three-o. Gasp). But gosh almighty! The kid waiting in line behind me during my weekly Barnes and Noble run was whining like a two-year-old.

"All the books are written for girls. I don't want to read love stories, or vampires. And every time I pick up an adult novel, mom says, 'that's too old for you.'"

I won't continue with his diatribe because it was repetitive and so, so...more

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Mar 23, 2010 Luis Perez rated it 4 of 5 stars

I just finished reading the first book in the series of the
gatekeepers called, Ravens Gate by Anthony Horowitz. It was
a mysterious and suspenseful story with man qualities. I would
like to continue reading the series.
I think the best thing I like about the book and the
author’s writing style is that he changes the setting and
time period constantly. For example, he would have a scene
with a dialogue of two people then he would make three
dots(. . .) symbolizing time passing and then the whole scen...more

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Jun 09, 2009 Januario added it

Shelves: 2008-2009

Following orders from your friends may not seem like the best thing to do in this book. Matt, the main character of the book, steals DVD's and electronics in a warehouse because of his friends orders. He ends up getting caught and is forced to either go to jail or to a program for community service. He decides to work for Mrs. Deverill, where he becomes a slave to her orders on her farm. It is not later in the story that he discovers that she is a witch. Her job is not to curse people but rathe...more

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Apr 30, 2009 Mack rated it 4 of 5 stars Recommends it for: everybody

Recommended to Mack by: spencer simpson

Shelves: macks-books

i realy enjoyed this book "Ravens Gate" by Anthony Horrowitz. It is very suspensful and kinda keeps you on edge the whole time your reading. it is about this young boy named matt, who gets himself into trouble and gets sent to live with an old woman with the LEAF project, a governmental experiment to keep juveniles out of the jails by placing them with another family in a desolate place and to work them and give them a chance to stay out of jail. he gets sent to live with Mrs. Deverill, a grumpy...more

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Jul 07, 2012 Amelia rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: 2012, based-on-mythology, young-adult, bland

Weeeeell... I guess I liked this book... to an extent.

When I first started this book, the first thing that struck me was the font.

Ugh. I'm not sure how to describe it, but it's like... a computer font that little kids playing COMPUTER HACKER would use or something. Put simply, I didn't like it.

The first half of the book was slow and reminded me of those kid spies in movies and stuff. You know, no parents, bad influence, no one cares, that sort of thing. It was bland, tasteless. I just wanted it...more

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May 16, 2012 Kari rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: 2012, audiobook

I figured I would take a break from older romances and listen to some older YA novels. This book has been sitting on my MP3 player for months. After listening, I wish I had not waited so long to try it out. I thoroughly enjoyed Raven's Gate. It reminded me of one of those movies from the 60s where the newcomer moves to a strange town and everyone seems to be crazy. Something weird is going on and the newcomer can't find anyone to trust. This book is pretty creepy and kept me engaged right throug...more

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Dec 23, 2009 ~Tina~ rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: hocus-pocus

Matthew Freeman is a 14 year old kid who lost his parents at age 6. He lives with his aunt and her boyfriend but seem to care very little about him.
Matt hangs around the wrong crowd and one night, things went as bad as it could get.
Blamed for a crime he didn't commit. Matt had a choice to go to jail or join a Leaf Project where a foster parent would look after him.
The boy should have picked jail!

Matt starts to notice weird and strange things are happening in the town of Lesser Malling. People a...more

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Oct 02, 2009 Tyler rated it 5 of 5 stars

I would recommend this book to a 15-20 year old person, because some of the words are very bemusing. My favorite character in this story is Mat, because he is very serious and he is the protagonist. My least favorite character is Mrs. Deverill, because she is very mysterious and can never trust her. She reminds me of a witch with the black cat that never dies. The author wrote this book for entertainment and to give someone a book that they will love and won’t put down. The portion of the book...more

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Mar 30, 2011 Joe Curtis rated it 5 of 5 stars

When fourteen year old Matt Freeman ends up in an assault on a security guard, he is filtered into the LEAF system and fostered by a satanic woman Mrs. Deverill. She tortures Matt, and everyone who tries to help him ends up dead. With the help of a journalist from a nearby town and his new found powers he must defeat Mrs. Deverill and a whole village bent on black magic. But there is worse to come, the villagers are abut to try and open Raven's Gate and unleash the power of the Old Ones. Matt is...more

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Dec 27, 2012 Annabel rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

The book follows the character Matt Freeman who has been sent away to live in a remote village in Yorkshire after being held as an accessory to a crime he didn't commit. He soon realises that the town and the woman he is living with are all very strange and they have a sinister plan in which Matt is at the centre of.
I really liked this book. For starters, I knew it wasn't so much of a risk buying it as Anthony Horowitz is a widely known and praised writer for the Alex Rider series. It was filled...more The book follows the character Matt Freeman who has been sent away to live in a remote village in Yorkshire after being held as an accessory to a crime he didn't commit. He soon realises that the town and the woman he is living with are all very strange and they have a sinister plan in which Matt is at the centre of.
I really liked this book. For starters, I knew it wasn't so much of a risk buying it as Anthony Horowitz is a widely known and praised writer for the Alex Rider series. It was filled with suspense and mystery which isn't usually a genre I go for but it really worked for me with this book, it also has tons of action at the end and I am expecting the next book to be packed with it now that they have fully set the scene. It's a great read and will have you guessing all the way as to why Matt has these crazy people after him.

SPOILER ALERT NOW***

Why I DID like it:
1) I really liked the main character. Matt is strong and also very practical. This is something rare to find as in most YA books they are filled with pathetic weak-willed characters who are very self-pitying and self-absorbed. Yes, he's what you would describe as pretty hostile- but these things amused me most of the time. It's funny to see him being rude to most people and a lot of his comments made me laugh.
2) It didn't have ANY romance, which is a nice change as most YA books are dominated by it. I don't mind a little, but not when it overtakes the actual plot line. It focused purely on the mystery and action side of things.
3) Horowitz really puts in the horror of the situation Matt is in, it's probably everyone's worst nightmare. How he couldn't get out of the area he was in, when the roads kept looping round and joining back where he had started off. Especially when he got in to the freaky woods with the tree's all placed evenly apart- that was really horrible!

Some things I DIDN'T like:
Sometimes, Matt isn't curious enough for me, yes- that's his character but it helps the reader to find out more when their character is curious. He has these really cool powers, and he doesn't spend much time trying to work them out or practise them. He doesn't give more of a read to his file he finds in the back of the woman he's staying with's closet either. It obviously explained more about his power and he could have come to a conclusion quicker if he'd read it.

I can't really think of anything else I didn't like, but I do hope for even more action in the next book and am going to start reading it as soon as I can get my hands on a copy!(less)

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About Anthony Horowitz

Anthony Horowitz is perhaps the busiest writer in England. He 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...more

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“We live in a world with so many dangers that we have to be careful whom we trust.” — 16 people liked it

“He didn't want to remember anymore. remembering only hurt him... everytime.” — 10 people liked it

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