Christopher Pike is a children's books and young adult author I used to read when I was a pre-teen and young teenager. I read him now out of nostalgia, but also out of genuine interest; because he's still a reference in the YA/crime/paranormal genres for me. And if not romance, then that's the kind of novels I'd like to write.The whole country was in love with phonies, she felt. The bimboes on sitcoms, the rock dopers on MTV, the rich liars in D.C. It made her sick just going into the supermarket and having to look at all those fakes on the covers of People magazine. One day she'd like to start a magazine of her own where she could interview people like herself, people who knew it was all a big joke.So, in each of Pike's YA novels, there is a love story. And not just a love story, but general talk of couples, attraction, sex, breakups, jealousy and betrayals. This is something I appreciate, not only in my romance reader's quality, but from a purely realistic perspective. You remember how it really was in high school. Everybody was busy having a crush on someone, trying to go out with them, or gossiping about who had sex with who, and the popular guy or girl's latest conquest. I'm not judging whether this is superficial or immature, just stating that this is the way it was. One major reason why J. K. Rowling totally lost me when Harry Potter grew up and remained desperately virginal and ignorant. (Teenagers watch porn. They talk about sex and tell sex jokes all the time. All the time.)"I've been in there a couple of times. I never saw you. Is it a part-time job?""Fifty hours a week.""Wow." He lived in a different world, she realized. He made money, carried his own weight. She charged everything, ran up the phone bill. And from what he said, he watched out for his mom, when all she did was fight with her parents about nothing. She lived such a superficial life.But what can I do? I'm already spoiled.Mr. Pike shows all that, but with a subtlety, good sense and humour which prevents him from lapsing in either a condemnation or an apologia. While reading Final Friends, I was impressed once more at his ability to grasp and paint seventeen-year-olds' feelings and concerns. While each of his many characters seem to fit in a different stereotypical category (the shy geek, the nice pretty girl, the cheerleader, the good-looking jock, the artist, the chubby sister, the sarcastic best friend, etc.), as the plot thickens all of them lose their apparent unidimensionality. Behind and besides their universal hope of getting laid, more serious and touchy subjects arise."You and your parents are illegal aliens, aren't you?"She trembled, ever so slightly. "Yes," she whispered."There were a lot in my old neighborhood. [...] What's the big crime? They've loosened the laws. Stay here a few years and they'll make you a citizen.""That's not how it works. We got here after the amnesty deadline. In Washington there's talk about changing the requirements, but until then we could be sent home anytime."Now, because I've read many other Christopher Pike YA novels, from the start I could see similarities with his other works. Or maybe I expected them. In the end, I found myself surprised at the ways the story unfolded, lost in the layers the author kept adding, which were as many possible clues and red herrings. I still managed to guess right at the victim's identity, but as for the culprit, Pike's left us in proper darkness. I suspect him of pulling a paranormal trick on us, although The Party was completely free of supernatural. In fact, this first book ends in an absolutely classical, delightful mystery novel atmosphere, with the main male character drawing a map of the house where the crime was committed, and reviewing the people present with the police lieutenant. Maybe my favourite part of the book, which made me long for more good crime novels...
Jessica Hart is new to Tabb High and decides to have a party to get to know each other with Alice, her best friend. They've made sure to invite all the popular people and their other friends- new and old. Then something goes wrong. A gunshot is heard and someone dies. Police say it was a suicide, but others know it wasn't. The Party was a great book as far as I'm concerned. There are about twenty mini plot twists everywhere and you never know what will happen next. It's not like the run of the mill mystery where you already know exactly what will happen when you turn the page. At $7 at Sam's Club for the entire trilogy in one, it was a steal! I enjoyed this and I hope everyone who reads this does. Anyone who like the clique and drama genre but also likes mystery and suspense will love this book as it’s a mix of both. If you like murder mysteries, you'll probably like this book, but you will need to get the second at the same time as The Party doesn't have who did it in it, so I don't know either!
What do You think about The Party (1997)?
I can't believe that Alice would kill herself! I think that maybe Clark did it because he was talking bad about Her and Polly's family and then she broke up with him! It's so sad! It's weird how a guy-who's outlook isn't so great- can be the "coolest guy" there! Bubba is really weird and really manipulative...maybe he did it 'cause Alice rejected him! Russ Desmond is a really weird guy..who needs to stop getting so drunk in high school! Nick...wow. It's really strange how he had a sixth sense ab
—Tara
{my thoughts} - This book is about a couple of friends. Alice and Polly two sisters, Jessica, Michael, Sarah and Nick. It begins with two High School having to merge and classmates and friends having their lives turned upside down. It talks about the trial and error of friendships, getting to know one another and learning who you can and cannot trust. The book is mainly about Jessica and Michael but near the end it changes it's focus. This book ends with an odd twist but if you have read {pike} books before it shouldn't come as a huge surprise to you.{reason for reading} - I am a big fan of {christopher pikes} books. I enjoy reading them and they always grab me and pull me in. I have read a few of his books to present and have been wanting to read this series for awhile. I am finally getting around to it and I am not disappointed. However, the ending was much expected.
—zapkode.marie
OK, so when I was a kid I loved myself some Christopher Pike, I mean loved...I also loved Joan Lowery Nixon, RL Stine (before Goosebumps, I was a little too old when Goosebumps started up) and Lois Duncan (don't watch any of the books about her movies they're pure buckets of poo). I guess I just liked teenagers involved in suspenseful situations.All this reminiscing concludes with this book series by Christopher Pike called Final Friends. I've own Books Two and Three of this series forever and it wasn't until I was with my sister as a used book store that I found Book One. After I got home, here are somethings I noticed/remembered/liked/disliked about this book.Let's see...Noticed1] I didn't realize that the character who dies, Alice, I'm not giving anything away if I say her name, doesn't die until the end (like the last 10ish pages) of the book. The rest of the book is filled with typical teenage novel fodder...it feels like fodder now, it felt like plot when I read it back in 1988.2] Teenagers in the 80s had sex and partied.3] Parts of the book are a little racist.Remembered1] The main character Michael, he was the prototype for which I based all my future book crushes. He's dependable, smart, doesn't take no for an answer and, of course, crushing on a girl that does not deserve him.2] Alice, she's a very memorable character. I just didn't realize how much I liked her or how much I was sad when she died.3] How it happens, but not who killed her.Liked1] Michael, always have always will2] Reading about 1988 as if I'd traveled back in time...3] The feeling of nostalgia I got while reading...1988 was a good year, I was 12.Disliked1] Jessica, the girl Michael likes, when I was younger she seemed genuinely conflicted, but this time around she just seemed like a conniving cheerleader who bemoaned the fact that she was popular, well-liked and single.2] That I could remember who the flipping killer is!3] That the book is really about relationships and school and everyday life not about a murder mysteryBook Two soon to follow...PS. For an independent read one of my students was reading a trilogy of books called Until the End, the cover looked interesting and when I noticed it was by Christopher Pike I asked her what it was about, she said something along the lines of "It's about this girl who is friends with this guy and there's a guy in a motorcycle and they go to a party and a girl dies, I'm only on the first one..." and I looked again, sure enough they've repackaged Final Friends, I wonder if they've updated the setting?
—Stephanie
