THE JOURNALS OF RUPERT GILES, VOL I
Buffy the Vampire Series
By Nancy Holder
Pocket Books (Simon & Schuster) - February 2002
ISBN: 0743449495 - Paperback
Horror/TV Tie-In

Reviewed by: Rachel A Hyde, MyShelf.com
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This is the first of the journals of Rupert "Ripper" Giles and tells of Buffy's disastrous 18th, 19th and 20th birthdays. Fans of the series will remember that this was when Buffy had to pass a rather special exam set by the Watchers' Council, when Giles got turned into a Fyarl demon by his old mate Ethan Rayne and when Dawn found out that she was The Key and Glory closed in for the kill. Yes, if you watch the show you have already seen these three stories and in the middle of this book there are the photographs to prove it.

I would rather have had the stories told actually by Giles in diary form - somehow this unique perspective would have brought a hitherto missing dimension to the series and maybe thrown open the door for more stories told by other members of the cast (now there's a new idea). But it is told in the usual third person and as we already know what happens, there is a feeling that we are being told the same tale twice. However, despite the fact that we don't learn anything new, this is going to be essential reading for all true fans. So lie back and wallow in a bit of nostalgia for when Joyce was still around and Buffy was at school or college and dating either Angel or Riley.