In Francesca Lia Block's follow up to her first fantasy novel, Ecstasia, she delves even deeper into the genre with the tale of a girl named Primavera. Primavera was born to 2 members of the band Ecstasia, which the first novel followed.

Primavera grew up in the lush gardens that her voice gave life to. She brought water to the dessert where her family had moved to raise her. This home was all she knew. But she dreamed of the city, Elysia, she had heard her parents speak of. Elysia was a constant carnival with costumes, music, and youth. Her family warned of the town's dangers but when a stranger comes to visit he leads Primavera out on a journey to discover knew things.

What she discovers are worlds with mystical creatures, dangerous situations, and great adventure. As she travels through these places you feel like you are along side her as you can actually picture the magical places.

Definitely one of Block's finer works of the imagination. Read it when you feel like dreaming and fantasizing.

Each time I read this book, I am captured by the Block's exquisite characterizations. Along with Ecstasia, I think this pair of stories are the finest Block has written. The world she creates is practically tangible and has invaded many of my dreams. There are few writers who are able to create a purely fantasy setting and make it so touching and believable. I have enjoyed Block's other books, and have used her writings for the basis of an English thesis. I am sorry that she has not continued with the fantasy genre and has moved into more realistic settings. Each book she writes, though, has an element of the supernatural and surreal

Primavera is an story beautifully written. Filled with love, bizzare creatures, dangerous circumstances, and such an abundance of imagination!! This is one of the ultimate books of fantasy that was ever printed!!! As our young Heroine leaves her utopian home to find new exciting things, she describes it so vividly you'd fel like you were there. This book takes you to a whole other level of fantasy and excitement. You'll love this book if your a poet, fantasy writer or reader, or just a person who loves to dream!! Its a delicious morsel for your imagination. Enjoy!!

'Presenting Francesca Lia Block' is a long-awaited biography on one of the best authors of our time. It is clear and to the point, but very interesting, whether you've read her books or not. It illustrates her life and background, & is obviously well-researched. Block fans will love this book.

Out of all of Blocks' books,this was my favorite! A baby is dropped of at the home of Weetzy Bat and My Secret Agent Lover Man.She has purple tilted eyes and is full of fire and strength. She grows up with her almost family, and real dad.She meets a boy but he is stolen away from her.But when she finds her real dream love,she is heart broken when he is forced back to Mexico.She learns that she has a real mom and stes out to find her,but soon realizes that her mother is just as ignorant and blind as anyone else,and decides to go back home. It is a book of tears and anger and pain,a book of jelousy and love.It will steal your heart and make you want to read it over and over again!It will make you cry and yell and laugh. It explains LA in the most wonderful way:of pain and poverty and love and wealth.With monsters,and fairys. Everything that a book should have! I could not find a book or an author better than they!

This is another in the Weetzie Bat series....Ms. Block somehow manages to best herself. The story of Witch baby is even more riveting than that of Weetzie Bat and her friends. Another must-read book, no matter how old you are

Never, EVER think that this book belongs on the children's fiction table. Well, it belongs there, obviously. But it would also fit in very comfortably in the adult fiction section.

Witch Baby is a girl who has never quite felt at home in the family who adopted her. This book is all about her trying to fit in, to relate to the people around her, and to find her true niche in life. Although it all sounds very cliche, this is one of the most rewarding books I've read in a long time. The print is large, the book is small enough to read in an evening, and you walk away feeling as if it was more than worth the effort.

Written in fairly plain, even childlike language, using slang that could seem forced in another context, but fits in nicely, it is truly a work of art. At times it is hard to fit Witch Baby into an age bracket - at times she seems little older than ten, but at others she could be seven or eight years older than that.

With characters such as My Secret Agent Lover Man, and Angel Juan, again it seems childlike in its outlook. However, issues confronted in the book, like acceptance of homosexuality, being adopted and finding your true roots are deep and well presented in this book. In this kind of book, a younger reader could encounter, for example, homosexuality in a non-judgemental light, and completely accept it at a younger age.

This book is a jewel to read.

I've been involved in 'zines since I was 13, and this book would have helped me so much when I started. It is great for beginners just diving into the zine world, but indispensable for long time zinesters, too. The whole thing is layed out like a 'zine, and incudes work from many zines you may have heard of or not. Hilary Carlip is the author of the fantastic Girl Power, and Francesca Lia Block has written many of my faves, inluding the Weetzie Bat books. No matter who you are, you will enjoy Zine Scene.

I am an author in the book so I am a bit biased but the project turned out SO well! The book encourages people of all genders, ages, and creeds to get creative and start writing! It presents the genre of 'Zines as something for everyone which should (hopefully) draw a lot of people to the art-form! Francesca and Hillary rock my world and they are incredibly good at giving delectable descriptions and step-by-steps! Go buy the book for yourself or anyone you know who loves to do their own thang!

This is my fave' book on zines ever!!! I absolutely adore this book. It's done in a format like a zine so it's not just a bunch of boring tips, it's got Photos and photocoyped picture it is the greatest. It also keeps the reader in mind, its not telling you to go out and spend $50.00 on some zine making device, it comes in mind that most zine makers are dirt poor, liek me. (sorry i'm not trying to be sterotypical)I had been plannign to write my own zine for a while but this really got me inspired. It also has a bunch of snippets from real zines that people write. That was probably my favorite part...

Girl Goddess #9 is one of the best books out there for girls. I read it the first time about a year and half ago, and proceeded to read the rest of Francesca's cooks. I even did an author presentation on her. This is a book that is about girls from all walks of life, and it emphasizes the born-in divination each girl has because she is who she is. Block's writing style is beautiful; it's full of imagery and metaphors, written almost in poetic form. Her writing style is something that is almost musical; you could honestly feel and hear the beats in her words. I highly reccommend picking up her other books as well, and Girl Goddess #9 is a good introductory to her work. This is a feminist novel in the sense it embodies the power of a girl because of her individuality, but it does this without the need of destroying the male sex. It's a highly reflective short story compliation, and they are stories that any girl could live in. Block illustrates love, pain, and growth at its most honest form in her work.

Girl Goddess # 9 is a book by Francesca Lia Block. This book contains nine short stories about girls and how in every girl there is a goddess. They are all breathtakingly descriptive. It didn't take me long to finish this masterpiece!

I'm a huge fan of Block's writing style and this book was one that takes you into its world from the beginning and doesn't let you out until the last page has been read and you're left with the aftertaste of Block's stories.

The first story Tweetie Sweet Pea, is about being young and innocense. It's a great opener for this book. Blue was one of my personal favorites. When La looses her mother (her mother took her own life) she hides all her feelings in and has no friends. Until she meets an odd character from her closet who is blue.

Dragons in Manhattan is one of the best short stories I've read. It's about a girl with two mothers who are lovers and she goes on a search to find her father. Rave is narrated by a boy who talks of a highschool love named Rave.

Winnie and Cubby is about two highschool lovers one who a shocking secret revealed later in the story.

Other stories include Girl Goddess # 9, The Canyon, Pixie and Pony, and Orpheus.

This book is not to be missed!

i bought this book from amazon.com probably a year ago, and it really changed my life! i think every girl should read this! any female aged 13 and up will love these stories. words cannot even describe the wealth of emotions that will spew out of you while you read this book. it is one of those books you can read over and over again. Francesca Lia Block gives the reader nine stories that go in no particular order. Of course everyone will have their favorite stories but the ones that touched me the most were the ones about raven, the beautiful groupie; la, who tries to cope with life, aided by her friend blue; and tweety pie and her sister; tuck budd and her lesbian parents--heck, every story is my favorite....GO OUT AND BUY THIS BOOK! YOU WILL NOT REGRET IT BECAUSE IT IS ABSOLUETELY BRILLIANT! :)

First of all, this book was intended for young adults, so OF COURSE it may seem like simple language. As an avid reader of 14 years old, i discovered this book & of course fell in love with it. Now, at 17, i own it & still read it. Why? Because it's an escape. It makes me feel happy, & hopeful, & like there's some meaning left in the world. It is written in Block's own unique style, so don't be surprised when the sentences "don't relate" to each other. Her style is like beat poetry, with a some fairy tale/street life tossed in. The books are very childlike, & manage to deal with "mature" subject matter in an innocent way. For instance, they are pro-safe sex & anti-drug use. Of course not everyone will like them-there has never been a book that EVERY SINGLE PERSON liked. I'd recommend buying it for your teenager, especially if it's a girl because they tend to be less cynical about "magic".

I'd read the whole Weetzie Bat series before purchasing this book, but the problem was that no-one I'd loaned my individual copies of the stories to ever returned them. (Which may, in and of itself, be a testament to the kick-butt slinkster coolness that is intrinsically a part of this book.)

So anyway, as I was falling in love with a girl with whom I go to college, I read her Weetzie Bat. It was really cool. Especially the part in which My Secret Agent Lover Man expresses his undying love for Weetzie (I liked the part about "You are my martini..."). Since that time (about a month ago), however, this person has emotionally crucified me, and started dating an extremely goofy-looking boy.

Alas, that's the life portrayed in Ms. Block's novellas: hartbreaking and inspiring, exhilirating and melancholy. Read as modern day fairy-tales, they are wonderfully crafted pieces of fiction. Not surprisingly, however, I've read many scathing reviews of this series on Amazon.com. I think that for people to review it poorly, they have to miss the point--that these are fairy-tales. I wouldn't want a 13-year-old kid reading this as an instruction guide to life, but then again, how many people take fiction that seriously? (At least a few people do, as evidenced by the reviews.)

As with all fairy-tales, there is a moral behind the narrative: that love and universal acceptance goes a long way to make people happy, to heal hurt, and to generally make the world a better place--but also that things that some people take for love (that is, sex) can be devastating and hurtful. Love *IS* a dangerous angel. On that level, this book is not only a beautiful piece of prose, but of perhaps immeasurable value to a world torn by conflict, hurt, and hate. I just wish that more people would see the good in this book, instead of the bad.

(Good for high-school aged and up readers, but I'd probably have it tempered by parental guidance for anyone younger than, say, 15.)

This book is magnificent. I was introduced to it when i was 14 and have re-read it many many times.
In Dangerous Angels the five books of Block's simply written yarns of Weetzie Bat's friends and family unfolds and winds magically through the Hollywood hills and canyons. Its youthful and light but meaningful and thoughtful as well. It is emotional, uplifting and inspiring.
The only prerequisite to reading this book is to not take it so seriously. It may be directed at young adult audiences, but there is no reason that others may not enjoy it. At times the plot may seem a little far-fetched, but it is after all just fiction... Just read it and take it for what it is: a lovely gem of surreal fiction.

Missing Angle Juan is about a young girl named Witch Baby who's boyfriend Angle Juan leaves to go to L.A. to get away from eveeything and to think by him self. Witch Baby took that the wrong way and went looking for him in L.A. when she got to L.A. she went to an appartment where here almost grandfather lived and stayed there during the night. Withch Baby carries around a camera and takes pictures of everyting from fire files to farries and even boys dressed up like girl with braided pigtails. she meets her almost grandfather as a ghost. She was not frightened of him.
He shows her a round L.A. and they see lots of clues to where Angle Juan is. They find an empty club house in a tree, a postcard on the street, a mannequin in a diner, and pictures that they found at the empty fair grounds in the photo booth. Angle Juan is in danger and only Witch Babies heart-magic can save him...
Missing Angle Juan is a very good book. It is full of adventures and filled with supprises around every corner. Although this book was good it was kind of hard to read. The writer definatally had the skill for writing but she made sentences a paragraph long so you kind of miss the point of the story.

This book is the 4th in a series which began with the awesome "Weetzie Bat," and progressed another 4 books detailing the lives of Weetzie's children, family, and friends. All 5 are great and worth checking out, but this one is my absolute favorite of the series.

The story revolves around Witch Baby, Weetzie Bat's almost-daughter, who travels to New York City to find her love, Angel Juan, and bring him back to L.A. She meets an assortment of wonderful, magical people here, including the spirit of Weetzie's father. It is through the very real magic of love that Witch Baby is able to discover clues about Angel's whereabouts, and save him from a very tragic fate...

The other 4 books in this series are written in a very breezy "Californian" way, but since we venture out of the warmth of the west coast and into the dark and chill of New York at Christmastime in this book, it is not surprising that the prose seems less light, yet still dreamlike, as Witch Baby wanders the streets with only her heart to lead her. It is this darkness, this endless searching that made me love this book. It is beautiful and haunting, sad yet uplifting, and very true to Witch Baby's character, as people who read the 2nd book in this series, named for this character, will know.

Francesca Lia Block's writing is superb here, and her descriptions of everything, from the City itself to how Witch Baby feels when she catches a cold are so vivid you can almost see and feel everything in this book, like they were a dream you just woke up from. This is a great book for anyone in love, having love troubles, or searching for love, and anyone in between too! Reading the preceding 3 books will definately help you to understand the characters and plot a little better, so I'm also going to recommend "Weetzie Bat", "Witch Baby", and "Cherokee Bat and the Goat Guys". Enjoy!

Another Block book that comes in the middle of her Weetzie Bat series, this story focuses on WitchBaby and Angel Juan, two teenagers in love. There are tears, fear, love, romance, sex, drugs, and alcohol in this story, all of which are combined into the most magical plot you will have ever laid eyes on. These two lovers run through New York City, having grown up in Los Angeles, and find many adventures. As you read the Weetzie Bat series, this puts different perspectives into view. Enjoy -- you won't regret reading it.

This book, a retelling of nine fairytales, is much like your usual FLB fare: phantasmagoric characters, ... love and poetic, evocative langugage drawing a somewhat difficult-to-follow plot.

In other words, fabulous.

The stories are roughly retellings of Snow White, Thumbelina, Cinderella, Sleeping Beauty, Little Red Riding Hood, Rose White Rose Red, Hansel & Gretel, Beauty and the Beast and The Snow Queen. Except for a few cases, the retellings find the originals greatly improved upon. All except perhaps Snow (SW) are set in modern cities, FLB world of shifing colors and lovers. My personal favorites are the sad, passioante, evocative Ice (TSQ) and the suprising Wolf (LLRH). Each story has its own magic.

However, this book does have its low points, such as the lackluster Snow, the extremely hard to follow Bones (H&G), and Tiny (T), which is just plain odd. Tiny's height makes the whole story fairly absurd, although it is decent.

Overall, this is an excellent book I would recommend to anyone, especially FLB fans.

This book, a retelling of nine fairytales, is much like your usual FLB fare: phantasmagoric characters, homosexual love and poetic, evocative langugage drawing a somewhat difficult-to-follow plot.

In other words, fabulous.

The stories are roughly retellings of Snow White, Thumbelina, Cinderella, Sleeping Beauty, Little Red Riding Hood, Rose White Rose Red, Hansel & Gretel, Beauty and the Beast and The Snow Queen. Except for a few cases, the retellings find the originals greatly improved upon. All except perhaps Snow (SW) are set in modern cities, FLB world of shifing colors and lovers. My personal favorites are the sad, passioante, evocative Ice (TSQ) and the suprising Wolf (LLRH). Each story has its own magic.

However, this book does have its low points, such as the lackluster Snow, the extremely hard to follow Bones (H&G), and Tiny (T), which is just plain odd. Tiny's height makes the whole story fairly absurd, although it is decent.

Overall, this is an excellent book I would recommend to anyone, especially FLB fans.

All of Francesca Lia Block's books are filled with transcendental flowery prose that makes you fall in love with the magical worlds she creates.
In this book, she may not have created these fairy tales, but she has made them her own.
Each story grows more amazing, as the alteration to the stories makes them relateable, modern.
If you are a fan of hers, you will love what she has done.
If you are a fan of fairy tales, you may have a harder time accepting the gritty, intense changes she has made to old favorites. You may find it more enjoyable if you read one of her other books first to acclimate yourself with her vision....and fall in love with her style.

Francesca Lia Block's books aren't exactly set in the most idyllic atmosphere. Her books are set in New York City or Los Angeles, and sex and drugs are always undertones of the story. But somehow, Block's description of the big city seems to suggest a completely different atmosphere, one of nature and beauty. That and the awesome characters of the stories penetrate the harshness and business that potentially resides in these cities otherwise. Cherokee Bat and the Goat Guys, for all it's drugs, sex, and disturbed emotions, remains the most heartfelt book I have read this summer. But it must be noted that if you want to read this, you'd better read Weetzie Bat and Witch Baby first. Those two will give you a sufficient introduction to the characters. I think there's another book in between Witch Baby and CGG, but I haven't read it :). This, I think, is a book for the Francesca Lia Block fan to cherish.

Any work by Francesca Lia Block has always managed to fill me with satisfaction and joy. Every one of her books is beautifully creative. This one in particular comes in the middle of her Weetzie Bat series and is just as wonderful as each other book in the collection. It has a focus on musical magic and teenage problems (such as love, drinking, smoking, etc) that just about everyone can relate to and understand. Pick up the whole series (5 books) and read them -- you won't regret it.

I've read the whole Weetzie Bat series except Baby Be-Bop and they are all really good. But my favorite is the one with Cherokee. Its about Cherokee Bat and her band, the Goat Guys. Its like nothing I've read before.

the hanged man is my first experience reading a block book, and i would have to say that it was a unique one! i would not recommend the book for younger readers. block addresses mature content. laurel, the main character, has many issues in her life. sex, abuse, drugs, and anexoria are some of the problems that she must deal with throughout the book. at times, the writing was very unclear and i was not sure what the author was talking about or where she was going with her words. i do have to agree with others in that the book is dark and very deep. overall, i would have to recommend it to others, just because it is a short read and i feel that it will leave you thinking about life and decisions.

This is the first Francesca Lia Block book that I have read. I have to say that her writing style is delicious. At first I wasn't sure at all, but she writes in a stream of consciousness style that is easily addictive. I must say that the description is the most wonderful I have seen for a long time. This book brings so much to the senses and is a delight! I can't wait to read the Weetzie Bat books that I've ordered.

If you enjoy the juice of a rare but perfectly ripe pear, and the glimmer of fine jewels, combined with the roughness or burlap, this is for you.

This is a great novel of self-discovery and utilizes the tarot cards in an emazing way.

I loved it!

"The Hanged Man" is somewhat of a loner in Francesca Lia Block's bibliography. It's not connected to her most famous series, the Weetzie Bat books, by anything other than location. The protagonist is Laurel, a seventeen-year-old girl whose father has just died. She flirts with death and anorexia in the dark magic of the LA that is her world, of devils and flowers, voodoo and fairies. When I first read this book, it made me cry-- somthing very few books have done. Block's writing is a very true approximation of a sensitive yet jaded teenager trying to come to grips with her life. The descriptions in the book are amazing-- one that stands out is this one, describing the voice of a man Laurel meets in the hospital where her father is dying. "His voice cracked the way ice does when you pour liquor over it." Your heart cracks, too.