Head Games (Mass Market Paperback)

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Editorial Reviews

From School Library Journal

Grade 9 Up-Christopher Golden's Body of Evidence series of murder mysteries continues with unabated gruesome detailing and plot-driven intensity in this novel (PB, 2000). Jenna has managed to survive her first semester of college (featured in Body Bags and Skin Deep), and has a professional affiliation with the local coroner. During Christmas vacation, she helps him solve the murder of the college town's mayor, and at the same time has to cope on her own with the multiple violent episodes of her hometown friends murdering their families. The fittingly vulgar vocabulary and self-conscious diversity of Jenna's acquaintances are littered almost as liberally as the mayhem. There is definite appeal here to the crowd of teen readers who like gore and are willing to suspend all disbelief to get it. On the realistic side, there are a number of romances featured here, between teens and between mature adults, that are as engaging as the murder scenes are repulsive. Julie Dretzin's reading suits Jenna's personality nicely, while realizing the tones of other members of the cast enough to bring each one to life.
Francisca Goldsmith, Berkeley Public Library, CA
Copyright 2002 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

Product Description

"They were my friends. I've known them almost my entire life. Maybe they both just lost it. But I think something's going on here, and I have to take a closer look."

Home from college on break, Jenna Blake is horrified to discover that a childhood friend has murdered his entire famly -- and he's not the only one. During the next two days, several other area teens experience homicidal rages, but are later unable to explain or even recall their actions.

The police are leaning toward the popular explanation: brutality influenced by violence in movies and video games. But when Jenna investigates further, she begins to believe that someone is playing sinister head games with her former classmates...and with her, as well.

What Jenna needs is someone to take her seriously, but Slick is preoccupied with a mystery of his own, her father has taken off for France, and her college friends have all gone away for the holidays.

Jenna's on her own this time.

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Product Details

• Reading level: Young Adult
  
• Mass Market Paperback: 256 pages
• Publisher: Simon Pulse (June 1, 2000)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0671775820
• ISBN-13: 978-0671775827
• Product Dimensions: 6.8 x 4.2 x 0.7 inches
• Shipping Weight: 4.8 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 4.9 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (7 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #1,163,811 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Supernatual mystery=X-files meets Buffy the Vampire Slayer, May 28, 2000

By	Elizabeth S. Gallaway "Information Goddess" (New England) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

New Englander and college frosh Jenna Blake lands a job as a diener (look it up!) and in between her classes and her social life, assists with autopsies and crime-fighting. In this fifth title in the series, there are TWO mysteries: the mayor of Jenna's hometown has been murdered, and local teens seem to be having breakdowns that result in homicide. With her support system home for the holidays, can Jenna crack these cases? Are they related?

As it turns out, they are not. The title refers to the second set of murders, and the first case occasionally becomes a distraction. Had the only focus of the book been the teens who murdered their families as if brainwashed or drugged, the book may have been stronger. The dual plot does show how well Jenna and her boss work together as a team and how much they have come to rely on one another as colleagues, not just teacher/student.

Golden makes an important statement through his heroine in Jenna's passionate soapbox speech about the media's readiness to blame violent behavior in young people on video games and the internet, when factors such as environment and biology/genetics play an obviously larger role (Golden's acknowledgement of Columbine perhaps?) Yay Jenna! Yay Chris, for being such a youth advocate!

Body of Evidence is an excellent mystery series for teens. The cultural and topical references are fun and up to the minute. Golden builds suspense with scene shifts that allow the reader to catch a glimpse into the murderer's psyche -- or the victim's. Jenna is only a freshman, and has 3 1/2 years of college ahead of her... plenty of stories left to tell. How lucky for fans of the series!

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Someone is playing head games with Jenna's friends., June 30, 2000

By	Rebecca Herman (USA) - See all my reviews (TOP 100 REVIEWER)    (REAL NAME)

Jenna Blake, a college freshman, is home for Christmas break. Through her job as a medical examiner's assistent, she has helped to solve various crimes over her first semester, but usually with the aid of others. When three of her former classmates from high school murder their families and then have no memory of the acts, Jenna is suspicious. She wants to solve this crime, but she's on her own, and no one will take her seriously. I highly reccomend this series to teens who enjoy thrillers. Each book stands alone, but I reccomend reading them in order.

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Jenna Blake returns!, May 24, 2000

By A Customer

Again, Jenna Blake goes into a case, this time, the mayor of Somerset, a close friend of Medical Examiner Slick is murdered and Jenna must find out who before she becomes a target. This series is exciting and riveting. This is one of the few book series (along with Fearless" that I can read in a day or less.)