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Raven's Gate
(The Gatekeepers #1)
by
He always knew he was different.
First there were the dreams.
Then the deaths began.
When Matt Freeman gets into trouble with the police, he's sent to be fostered in Yorkshire. It's not long before he senses there's something wrong with his guardian; with the whole village.
Then Matt learns about the Old Ones and begins to understand just how he is different. But no on ...more
First there were the dreams.
Then the deaths began.
When Matt Freeman gets into trouble with the police, he's sent to be fostered in Yorkshire. It's not long before he senses there's something wrong with his guardian; with the whole village.
Then Matt learns about the Old Ones and begins to understand just how he is different. But no on ...more
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Paperback, 270 pages
Published
October 2006
by Scholastic
(first published January 1st 2005)
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Youmi
Definitely. This book is fast-paced suspenseful, and just awesome! You should definitely read it!
Community Reviews
Showing 1-30
Anthony Horowitz quickly became a favorite author of mine after reading and loving Magpie Murders and The House of Silk. I don't typically read young adult fantasy novels, but I'm not opposed to giving something different a try now and then. Besides, I already knew that his writing was fantastic, so thought this one might be a refreshing change of pace for me. Unfortunately, I was a bit bored with it. I reached about the 40-50% mark on my kindle and decided I have too many others I would much rather be read
...more
Raven's Gate (The Gatekeepers, #1), Anthony Horowitz
Matt Freeman, always knew: He is different with others. He started with dreams. Then he came to the murders. After arresting Matt Freeman, the police sent him to a farm in Yorkshire to be run by an elderly woman. Not long, that felt "Matt", his supervisor is not a common habit. The rest of the villagers were not normal. Then, "Matt", from the existence of the predecessors, became aware, and knew, for reasons different from others. But nobody b ...more
Matt Freeman, always knew: He is different with others. He started with dreams. Then he came to the murders. After arresting Matt Freeman, the police sent him to a farm in Yorkshire to be run by an elderly woman. Not long, that felt "Matt", his supervisor is not a common habit. The rest of the villagers were not normal. Then, "Matt", from the existence of the predecessors, became aware, and knew, for reasons different from others. But nobody b ...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 end.
...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 end.
I wish there were more YA books that involved vats of face-melting acid.
Review at some point.
Review at some point.
This book was kind of cheesy. Ok. Not just kind of. Really cheesy.
I can picture it. Horowitz sitting down to write "Stephen King for teens!" Except that Stephen King for teens doesn't have any of the interesting scary bits that normal Stephen King does.
Matthew Freeman (or just Matt, because reasons) is 14 and an orphan and apparently super important to the sort of person I imagined a Satanist to be wh ...more
I can picture it. Horowitz sitting down to write "Stephen King for teens!" Except that Stephen King for teens doesn't have any of the interesting scary bits that normal Stephen King does.
Matthew Freeman (or just Matt, because reasons) is 14 and an orphan and apparently super important to the sort of person I imagined a Satanist to be wh ...more
Another surprisingly good read. I was always excited about what was going to happen next. Lots of imagination in this story, and it's well written. It's such an underrated book. The ending could have been better but it was still good.
I was scared this book was going to be like "The Darkest Minds" series which had a decent story but I just did not enjoy it at all. It didn't resonate with me... but Raven's Gate did.
Raven's Gate is kinda like Miss Peregrine's Home for Pecul ...more
I was scared this book was going to be like "The Darkest Minds" series which had a decent story but I just did not enjoy it at all. It didn't resonate with me... but Raven's Gate did.
Raven's Gate is kinda like Miss Peregrine's Home for Pecul ...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 own psychi
...more
2.5 Stars
I didn't hate it like I mostly do for my 2 stars. It was just slow & boring, dragged you could say, till it reached the last 60 pages in which things turned interesting & thrilling, I found a favourite character (because Matt was annoying, I didn't like him) & I got curious. (I could give it 3 stars because of this, but I probably won't)
but I will continue this series for now.
I didn't hate it like I mostly do for my 2 stars. It was just slow & boring, dragged you could say, till it reached the last 60 pages in which things turned interesting & thrilling, I found a favourite character (because Matt was annoying, I didn't like him) & I got curious. (I could give it 3 stars because of this, but I probably won't)
but I will continue this series for now.
This is a pretty good book. I wouldn't say there were any memorable moments that I really adored, but the overall story was quite interesting. It had quite a pace and barely slowed down. I was hooked from the start and I am definitely going to read the rest of the series. Eventually. But there was something missing. Don't get me wrong, it was suspenseful. It should be a mini-series.
Let me see how I can phrase this.
It was...boring? No. Slow? ...more
Let me see how I can phrase this.
It was...boring? No. Slow? ...more
in me.
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 back
...more
4.25 stars
I really enjoyed this book. It was fast-paced, thrilling and creepy in all the right ways! I'll be continuing on with the series and I'm most hoping to see some character growth from our protagonist because this was the first book and there was a lot of build up, I feel like I didn't really get to know Matt as a character; most of his thoughts and dialogue were related to things happening around him which is why we didn't get to see him as himself. I actually laughed out loud quite a ...more
I really enjoyed this book. It was fast-paced, thrilling and creepy in all the right ways! I'll be continuing on with the series and I'm most hoping to see some character growth from our protagonist because this was the first book and there was a lot of build up, I feel like I didn't really get to know Matt as a character; most of his thoughts and dialogue were related to things happening around him which is why we didn't get to see him as himself. I actually laughed out loud quite a ...more
Raven's Gate is the re-written form of The Devil's Door Bell (published 1985), I can't comment on what has and hasn't changed in the text of this version and Anthony Horowitz's book published over twenty years ago. I do know that the Pentagram Chronicles was a series that was never finished. I think that The Gatekeepers is finished.
In Raven's Gate, orphan Matt Freeman and his 'friend' Kalvin break into a warehouse and are caught in the act, Matt is given the option of possible jail time (because the guard wh ...more
In Raven's Gate, orphan Matt Freeman and his 'friend' Kalvin break into a warehouse and are caught in the act, Matt is given the option of possible jail time (because the guard wh ...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
Jun 14, 2015
Shameeka Alexis
rated it
it was amazing
Shelves:
fantasy,
i-loved-it,
i-wrote-a-review,
action,
favorites,
favourite-series,
amazingly-written
I'M IN LOVE!!!
This book finally broke my one-star-reads spell!
Matthew "Matt" Freeman is not a normal kid. And he knows it.
He knew his parents were going to die even before it happened. He just doesn't know how...
Before proceeding with the review, I would like to thank Laura Pent for sending the book to me and luring me into reading it! Seriously. This was the best thing that ever happened to me! Okay, that was too dramatic. But you get the point.
The book starts with Kelvin, Matt's friend suggesting they rob a warehouse. Matt is initially reluct ...more
This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it,
click here.
Feb 06, 2014
Susana
rated it
did not like it
·
review of another edition
Recommends it for:
No one
Recommended to Susana by:
Myself, the Idiot!
What possessed me to read this book?
Well, a couple years back i saw a couple of episodes of a series called Foyle's War.
The screenwriter was (is) Horowitz.
I was so impressed with it, that i took advantage of a Huge promotion to buy this book!
*Facepalm*
I now understand why it, and the following books are for sale at such low prices....
Imagine a mesh of all the fantasy and horror clichés you've ever read or heard about...yes?
That's what Raven's Gate is.
Characters with no depth. A story less than original and written without the slight finesse. The words and (basic) descriptions ...more
Debating between 1 and 2 stars...
***
I decided to go 1, because I didn't like it. The best thing I can say about it, really, is that it was short. I will say 1.5, though, because I usually reserve 1s for books I just completely hate, and this didn't even annoy me enough to make me hate it - it was just stupid.
Basically, it takes a ton of horror story cliches - the ubiquitous Old Ones from another dimension wanting back in, the crazy villagers wanting to let them, performances of the Black Mass, which seemed to consi ...more
***
I decided to go 1, because I didn't like it. The best thing I can say about it, really, is that it was short. I will say 1.5, though, because I usually reserve 1s for books I just completely hate, and this didn't even annoy me enough to make me hate it - it was just stupid.
Basically, it takes a ton of horror story cliches - the ubiquitous Old Ones from another dimension wanting back in, the crazy villagers wanting to let them, performances of the Black Mass, which seemed to consi ...more
I liked this one, but I must admit I was expecting something mind blowing, a bone chilling read. Instead I got a light, interesting story. Yeah the book really tried to be creepy and scary, but it couldn't deliver. Creepy things did happen, but all the way through the book I felt disconnected with everything that happened, it definitely wasn't John Saul or Stephen King bone chilling, not all. The problem is that I couldn't get into the story, even though I liked the main character and I really w
...more
Oct 12, 2018
Ivana - Diary of Difference
marked it as to-read
·
review of another edition
Shelves:
tbr-jar
I have just bought the whole series - will be reading them over the next few months.
Pretty litty
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
Jun 20, 2013
Mike (the Paladin)
rated it
really liked it
·
review of another edition
Shelves:
ya-fantasy
I could almost...almost go 5 stars on this one.
Matt has had a hard life. He had loving parents and lived in a nice house, was a happy child and loved.
Then his parents were killed in an auto accident (Don't I remember something about another magical kid losing his parents and getting told it was an auto accident??? Oh well, probably nothing...just my memory playing tricks I guess). Anyway there was no one left to take Matt in, except his mother's sister who is unloving...a ...more
Matt has had a hard life. He had loving parents and lived in a nice house, was a happy child and loved.
Then his parents were killed in an auto accident (Don't I remember something about another magical kid losing his parents and getting told it was an auto accident??? Oh well, probably nothing...just my memory playing tricks I guess). Anyway there was no one left to take Matt in, except his mother's sister who is unloving...a ...more
First off, i want to say that i read first Necropolis which is the book 4 in this fabulous series. The gatekeepers is sooo awesome!!, it has supernatural events, suspense, action, it's thrilling, it's so wonderful, i love it.
Even though i first read the book 4 in the series, i could perfectly get into the story, Anthony Horowitz, explains there some things that happened in the previous books, so that if someone like me happened to commit the mistake of reading the 4th book first instead of starting sin ...more
Even though i first read the book 4 in the series, i could perfectly get into the story, Anthony Horowitz, explains there some things that happened in the previous books, so that if someone like me happened to commit the mistake of reading the 4th book first instead of starting sin ...more
So interesting. Going on to the 2nd book in the series.
Raven's Gate is book 1 in the series.
This book reminded me a lot of Harry Potter as it is about an orphan whose parents died in a car crash.
It was a nice quick read, although I found it difficult to get into the book at times.
This book reminded me a lot of Harry Potter as it is about an orphan whose parents died in a car crash.
It was a nice quick read, although I found it difficult to get into the book at times.
Easy to read. Not for children.
Matt Freeman lives at Ipswich and he seems to be a troubled teenager after he lost his parents in a car crash and was fostered by his aunt Gwenda. He needs money desperately and reluctantly agrees to thug a DVD store with his "friend" Kevin but is caught by the guard who is stabbed by Kevan. Soon the police arrive and arrest Kievan and investigate bout Matt.
After a judgement is passed Matt is left to the LEAF project and taken to a small town called Lesser Malling where he is fostered by ...more
After a judgement is passed Matt is left to the LEAF project and taken to a small town called Lesser Malling where he is fostered by ...more
Jun 19, 2012
Steff Pasciuti
rated it
it was amazing
·
review of another edition
Shelves:
creative-tales,
2019,
best,
2013,
feels,
nostalgia-island,
in-love,
rereads,
addicting,
dark
I think the funniest thing about my absolute, unquestioned adoration for Raven's Gate by Anthony Horowitz is the fact that I don't typically read or enjoy anything that falls into the genre of horror. And I think it's fair to say that this novel definitely falls into that category. This was perhaps the first dark novel of this nature that I ever fell in love with. To this day I am overly fond of Raven's Gate and the series that it belongs to, which I do occasionally find rather baffling considering the fact that horror is not sof Raven'sfor Raven's
...more
May 11, 2008
Jennifer Wardrip
rated it
really liked it
Shelves:
trt-posted-reviews,
read-by-other-reviewers
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 th ...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 Matt is in th ...more
Have you ever had a choice between going to jail or a foster home? What would you choose? I would choose a foster home because it's better than jail. The genre of this book is Realistic Fantasy because it feels like it can happen but you know it can't.
14-year-old Matthew Freeman helps out a boy to rob an electronics warehouse and is caught by a police. Then is sent to Lesser Malling. A women named Mrs. Deverill is Matthews foster parent. Matt starts hearing noises at night and plans an escape. ...more
14-year-old Matthew Freeman helps out a boy to rob an electronics warehouse and is caught by a police. Then is sent to Lesser Malling. A women named Mrs. Deverill is Matthews foster parent. Matt starts hearing noises at night and plans an escape. ...more
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Anthony Horowitz, OBE is ranked alongside Enid Blyton and Mark A. Cooper as "The most original and best spy-kids authors of the century." (New York Times). Anthony 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 dra
...more
Other books in the series
The Gatekeepers
(5 books)
1 trivia question
More quizzes & trivia...
“You are meant to be here. There are no coincidences. It's all happening the way it was meant to be.”
—
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“We live in a world with so many dangers that we have to be careful whom we trust.”
—
29 likes
More quotes…
