Customer Reviews

Chain Letter (Avon Flare Book)

5 star:		(38)
4 star:		(18)
3 star:		(8)
2 star:		(2)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

"Chain Letter" is somewhat similar to Lois Duncan's "I Know What You Did Last Summer," involving a hit and run, and Pike's two books: "Last Act" (relating to a high school play) and "Weekend" (similar group ending). Prior to receiving a threatening chain letter, all seven friends (Alison Parker, Fran Darey, Brenda Paxson, Kipp Coughlan, Tony Hunt, Neil Hurly, and Joan Zuchlensky) were involved in a hit and run. They buried the body of the anonymous man in the California desert, and a short time later, they began receiving instructions from someone ("the Caretaker") who knows about their past. And if they don't follow these orders--like desecrating the school mascot, purposely flunking a test, publicly embarrassing several teachers, streaking naked at school, and burning down the school--they could all end up dead.

Christopher Pike is, without a doubt, one of my favorite YA writers. I've been reading and re-reading his books for about 15 years now. Though his books are geared for teenagers, they're intelligent and complex enough to satisfy most adult suspense readers as well (speaking as one). The pace in "Chain Letter" isn't quite as smooth as some of his others, though, but it's still a pretty good teen thriller. Worth reading if you're a Pike fan, in addition to the sequel: "Chain Letter 2: The Ancient Evil."

This was one of Christopher Pike's best works to date. The struggle to save their lives while upholdind their dignities and morals is poignantly shown in this horror masterpiece that starts down the "I Know What You Did Last Summer" road, and manages not only to surpass that mediocre movie, but leave it in the dust. Pike's usually ever present supernatural twist is not involved in this book, but there is so much hinted mistery, you forget to miss it. Far less bloody than most of Christopher Pike's books, it is, nonetheless, chilling, scary, and NOT FOR PRETEENS. Other than that, read it, you won't regret it.

Of the four Pike novels that I've read, Chain Letter is by far the best. Pike works within a strict formula that involves a whodunit, attractive young protagonists, and a thrilling sense of danger. In this particular outing, these elements are bolstered by a stronger-than-average set of characters, and above all the nifty idea that a chain letter is making demands that must be met.

This book could have served as the inspiration for "I Know What You Did Last Summer," and shares that movie's premise of a shared horrible secret that comes back to haunt the young beautiful friends who left a man for dead.

Pike has a knack for moving a story along in the manner of a conventional thriller novel, and this book is extra exciting because of the gimmick of overt threats and unspeakably horrible demands.

By playing on an Urban Legend, Pike has tapped into something that hits a little closer to home than most of his works.

If you're going to give Pike a try, this is the book to cut your teeth on.

I have read about 20 of Christopher Pike's books and all were outstanding. I read one right after another and I couldn't stop reading them. The Chain Letter is the best one I read. It is like I Know What You Did Last Summer but better. You never know what's going to happen next and you never want to put the book down. It is one of the best books I have ever read!

Chain Letter was a very good and exciting book.It is about a group of highschoolers that go to a concert and get drunk. When they leave to go home they hit a man walking on the road. He dies and they bury him. School starts and about middle of the year they get a letter from someone unknown. It tells them what to do and if they dont they will be in great danger. They do it but the more letters come things get weird. Group members start missing. they dont know what to do untill its too late.

It is amazing! If you havn't read any Christopher Pike Books, you should start with this one, it is more down to earth than most of his.
I have read it already and will probably read it again.
You'll enjoy it!

This book is about six teens who share a secret together, a secret they can't tell anyone about. Only one person knows exactly what they did and are continuiosly tortouring them one by one with a chain letter. At first it wasn't such a big deal, but later on it began to get scarier by the minute. The gang are convinced that it's either the devil or someone they know, maybe even one of them in the group. Read it! You won't regret it!

Chain Letter is one of Pike's earliest novels, written in 1986. Pike peppers this book with cultural references from the '80's, which make it a bit dated. How many teens in 2006 will have a clue who Natassja Kinski is and that she was in a sexy photo with a boa constrictor?

The story starts out strongly. A group of friends have covered up an accident - or a crime. An ominous person calling himself The Caretaker knows all about it. The Caretaker wants each of them to do extremely embarrassing things - or he will kill them one by one. Will the friends stick together or turn on each other? Worse, what if the Caretaker is one of them?

The best part of the novel was the setting of one of the character's homes, a deserted housing tract in the desert. Look at the cover and see the dark hills around the lonely house. Great setting and descriptive writing when talking about the tract! Good explanation as to why no one but this one family had moved in yet.

Pike develops the characters well. Unfortunately, most of them are not likeable. The end was not smashing in that it was not a surprise, and Pike left loose ends hanging. Many incongruities in the final resolution were not explained.

I was nauseated by the sickeningly sweet, sentimental, and totally implausible ending. Who cares about the budding romance between so and so? Oh, God, it was so Disneyfied! I also did not like the fact that Pike took the easy way out and had all the teens' parents away on long trips during all of the action.

This young adult "horror" novel was a favorite Christopher Pike book of mine growing up. It still is 15+ years later. I'm now used to more adult horror novels, with lots of death and whatnot, so this one is rather tame. But I still really enjoy the plot of this one. Its a LOT like the movie I Know What You Did Last Summer except there is no guy with a hook stalking the teenagers, and instead of getting letters from the killer these kids get chain letters from "The Caretaker" and must perform different tasks or else face the consequences.

Still a fun read as an adult!

Official review posted @ Shivers of Horror

What can I say, the book is the first I read of Mr. Pike's and I I was in love after that. I am a writer becuase of this book. It's deep and beautiful and painful and wonderful. Just read it!