About Buffy the Vampire Slayer: The Xander Years Vol. 1:
"The author has managed to inject brilliant characterisations into these novelisations. He really understands the characters, and it makes the stories a wonderful read."
"It lets you know what Xander was thinking and is one of the best Buffy books if only because of the humour contained in it.
Very Good."
"I truly enjoyed this novelization of three Xander Harris hits ... The story connecting all three ‘memories’ was amusing and in true Xander fashion. DeCandido writes Xander well and for a basic novelization it was quite good. But like all novelizations I can’t give it more than three olives, because it's nothing new. But let me tell you that they are three bright shiny olives people and good ones at that. It’s a simple one, but a keeper. Definitely a keeper."
"I first became fully aware of Keith R.A. DeCandido when he e-mailed me to say that I'd forgotten to credit him in the review of The Watcher's Guide. ... Not that non-fiction is the limit of Keith's talents, however. He's also just penned the latest in Pocket Books' Buffy anthologies, The Xander Years, and very good it is too. ... it can often be difficult to instill these regurgitations of tv episodes with any real identity of their own. Keith seems to be the exception to this rule with his sympathetic take on the growing pains and love life of everyone's favourite geek. ... I hope Keith's plans for an original Buffy tale work out. On the strength of this he is likely to deliver the goods."
"After Angel, now Xander is also honoured by a novelization adapting three television scripts. ... The three adventures of this book are held by a framework action ... very
beautifully set in scenes by author DeCandido, who assisted Golden & Holder with The Watcher's Guide."
"Haha! This is a fun book! It is just a novelisation of three Buffy episodes
that are based around Xander -- 'Teacher's Pet,' 'Inca Mummy Girl,'
'Bewitched, Bothered & Bewildered.' Being a new disciple I had only seen the
last one before I read this but I had read about the others and read some of
the quotes in The Watchers Guide.
It's a pretty funny book and the guy who wrote it did a spot on job to write
the way I imagined Xander thinks! It's quite funny. ... Get it if you love Xander -- or you're a
fanatic and must have every Buffy thing there is!"
"The retelling of these teleplays is no small feat. Unlike original fictional stories based off the characters and series, these novelizations of actual teleplays are more constraining and structured. The author must really delve into the mindset of the character(s). Mr. DeCandido surpasses the expectation and draws the reader directly into the core of the mind of Xander Harris. Combined with his own style, the author brings each of us back to a moment in time when we, like Xander, were insecure, searching for acceptance and love, and even a bit geeky. The three separate stories are tied together brilliantly with a look into the mind of Xander Harris as he remembers the events during a conversation with his girlfriend, Cordelia Chase.
"Of all the novelizations based on teleplays from the Buffy the Vampire Slayer series so far this one maintains a bit of an 'extra touch.' Whether it's because of Mr. DeCandido's wonderful style, intense connection to the mindset of the character he is writing about, or just a love for the show itself; The Xander Years, Vol. 1 is a must read for any BtVS fan!"
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