Raven's Gate (The Gatekeepers #1)
The internationally bestselling author of STORMBREAKER and EAGLE STRIKE plunges strikingly into Stephen King territory in this chilling first installment in a powerful new series.
Matt is being punished for a crime he saw, but didn't commit. Instead of being locked up, he is being sent to the middle of nowhere to live with a new foster mom, as part of a government scheme ca...more
Matt is being punished for a crime he saw, but didn't commit. Instead of being locked up, he is being sent to the middle of nowhere to live with a new foster mom, as part of a government scheme ca...more
Hardcover, 256 pages
Published
June 1st 2005
by Scholastic Press
(first published January 1st 2005)
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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 M...more
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 M...more
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 ...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 ...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 str...more
Shahryar Niazi
rated it
·
review of another edition
Recommends it for:
Curse of the Red Leprechaun
Recommended to Shahryar by:
Horror Books
The book is AMAZING!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!...more
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 o...more
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 o...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 tell...more
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 tell...more
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 s...more
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 s...more
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 be...more
"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 be...more
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...more
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...more
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...more
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...more
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...more
Mack
rated it
·
review of another edition
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...more
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 t...more
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 t...more
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
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
Aaron Vincent
rated it
·
review of another edition
Recommends it for:
Real Supernatural Fans(Yes, there are fakes and they are everywhere)
This was recommended to me by a friend months ago but I really didn't get that enthusiasm towards reading the book at first because I find the title somehow childish and unappealing. The UK Title is Powers of Five and that sounds like Power Rangers to me, then the US Title is Gatekeepers and that reminds me of the anime that I didn't really like.
I finally get the right motivation to read this book after enjoying Anthony Horowitz' Stormbreaker. I thought it will give me the same amoun...more
I finally get the right motivation to read this book after enjoying Anthony Horowitz' Stormbreaker. I thought it will give me the same amoun...more
I really enjoyed this first book in the Gatekeepers series by Anthony Horowitz. It kept me on the edge of my seat and had just enough supernatural elements to scare me (it doesn't take much...). My teenager says he likes this series because "it's about a kid in the here and now." It probably helps that they're about the same age, too.
Although I haven't read the rest of the series (I plan to do so), this first title reminded me of Susan Cooper's Dark is Rising series what wi...more
Although I haven't read the rest of the series (I plan to do so), this first title reminded me of Susan Cooper's Dark is Rising series what wi...more
Why I decided to read this book:
I decided to read this book because it was written by Anthony Horowitz, a writer that i was familiar with and enjoyed.
Which category on the bingo board this completes:
Fantasy novel
What I liked about this book and why:
I liked how strange and thrilling this book was. All of the scary scenes and mysterious characters really got my heart pumping at times! I also enjoyed how, like most of Anthony Horowitz books, the main ch...more
I decided to read this book because it was written by Anthony Horowitz, a writer that i was familiar with and enjoyed.
Which category on the bingo board this completes:
Fantasy novel
What I liked about this book and why:
I liked how strange and thrilling this book was. All of the scary scenes and mysterious characters really got my heart pumping at times! I also enjoyed how, like most of Anthony Horowitz books, the main ch...more
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 b...more
At 14 years old Matt Freeman is with a boy that in my terms I would say hostile. He is lead to a warehouse that is said to be abandoned, he is lead there by a boy that says that there is lots of movies and CD's and other fine things. But he and his friend are not alone. There is actually a guard inside the warehouse that they don't know of.
The guard came up behind Matt and told him not to move. Matt was terrified and was in shock until the guard made a terrible noise and looked up in ...more
The guard came up behind Matt and told him not to move. Matt was terrified and was in shock until the guard made a terrible noise and looked up in ...more
Tim Spindler
rated it
·
review of another edition
Recommends it for:
Younger readers, or someone looking for an easy read
I bought this book three days ago. Because i liked the look of the book Necropolis, i then found out that it was the fourth in a series so i sought out Ravens Gate at a local Waterstones. It sat on my shelf for a night and i took it to work the next day.
I read thirty or so pages on my break and couldnt stop thinking about it for the rest of my shift. I came home and read and read and read until there was only 50 pages left.
This was such an easy read and i loved it.
It...more
I read thirty or so pages on my break and couldnt stop thinking about it for the rest of my shift. I came home and read and read and read until there was only 50 pages left.
This was such an easy read and i loved it.
It...more
I am really impressed with this book. I (somewhat) randomly chose it from the Young Adult fiction shelves. I had heard of the Alex Rider series only because I happened to be in London during the opening of the movie. So I picked up Raven's Gate and thought I would try it.
Horowitz defines his Gatekeepers series as Stephen King for kids. And it is definitely creepy and scary. While I don't believe he is anywhere near the writer Stephen King is, this was a good book. As always I l...more
Horowitz defines his Gatekeepers series as Stephen King for kids. And it is definitely creepy and scary. While I don't believe he is anywhere near the writer Stephen King is, this was a good book. As always I l...more
Matt hasn’t had the best life. His parents died when he was eight, on their way to a wedding. His mother’s half-sister showed up afterwards to claim him (for the money), and had little use for him (once she blew through the cash). He had no friends at school, and so sought out the company of a boy down the way, who was himself a troublemaker, and led Matt nowhere but down the wrong path. When their latest scheme goes awry, Matt is given two options. Imprisonment, or LEAF. Though he doesn’t like ...more
Originally posted @ THE BOOK FANCIER
I didn't expect that I'll enjoy Raven's Gate. Thought it's just another paranormal young adult book.
The book is about 14-year old Matt. He is an orphan and he lives with his aunt. His life with the aunt is quite miserable. Because of that, he gets involved in a crime he didn't really intend to commit. That begins his life with a weird old lady who will never lets him out of her sight. His true identity will be revealed and adventures to...more
I didn't expect that I'll enjoy Raven's Gate. Thought it's just another paranormal young adult book.
The book is about 14-year old Matt. He is an orphan and he lives with his aunt. His life with the aunt is quite miserable. Because of that, he gets involved in a crime he didn't really intend to commit. That begins his life with a weird old lady who will never lets him out of her sight. His true identity will be revealed and adventures to...more
Kelly Leigh
rated it
Raven’s Gate was a strange read for me only because I enjoyed the beginning, but as the story progressed, my attention began to wander - more so towards the last quarter - where eventually my interest in the overall story itself withered. I believe the reason for this loss of interest stemmed from much buildup of exactly what/who the Big Bads were, but when the time came for the big reveal it wasn’t so much “on the edge of your seat exciting” big, more like meh. Frankly I was expecting more and ...more
I am trying my best to write this review with any spoilers but i will tell you that the book starts off really slow, and even sometimes you think to yourself, why am i reading this. I actually put this book down for month after starting it, but then once you get pass the boring parts you see that you are suppose to be confuse, just like how the main person was but after a while you while he puts in together you see the story playing out in front of you.
I must say that i thought i woul...more
I must say that i thought i woul...more
Matt made a mistake trusting his new friend Kelvin, and now he has to pay for it by working at the farm of some old crazy woman. It's that or jail. His new foster parent is more than she at first appears, as are the townspeople in Lesser Malling, and now Matt has found himself in the middle of a battle between good and evil. He should have chosen jail.
This book is exactly what it is meant to be; hence the high rating. Raven's Gate is interesting, easy to read, full of action, and my...more
This book is exactly what it is meant to be; hence the high rating. Raven's Gate is interesting, easy to read, full of action, and my...more
I absolutely love this book!!!! It's so exciting and cool. The story begins when Matt Freeman, the main character, gets sent to Yorkshire because of a crime he saw, and he is punished with the LEAF project. The LEAF project sent him to live with a lady called Mrs. Deverill, and soon he finds out that there is something wrong and strange about the area. He tries to run away, but he can't and has to face many challenges....
The entire book is well written and very descriptive. I love the part ...more
The entire book is well written and very descriptive. I love the part ...more
This is a pretty exciting good vs. evil adventure story set largely in the English countryside. It isn't hard to figure out who the bad characters are, but the author keeps you guessing as to why they are doing what they're doing for a while. One problem with the plot - which you sometimes run into with good vs. evil fantasy stories such as this - is that the bad characters are trying to bring darkness/monsters into the world without the author having fully explained how they are going to bene...more
| topics | posts | views | last activity | |
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| The Gatekeepers series............. | 15 | 30 | May 23, 2011 02:53pm |
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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