The Lost Mind [Turtleback]

Christopher Pike (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: August 1995

A teenager wakes up in the woods, horrified to discover a bloody knife in her hand and a dead body at her side and, lacking all memory of who she is, begins to suspect that someone has stolen her mind.

--This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

Editorial Reviews

From School Library Journal

Grade 6-10-In this poorly developed novel, the narrator, a young woman, wakes up covered with blood and finds a razor-sharp knife on the ground near a dead, beautiful blond teenager. She has no idea who she is and doesn't even recognize her own voice, but somehow retains knowledge of how to drive the car, which opens with the key she finds in her jeans pocket. Further clues are discovered in the purse beneath the driver's seat-a license, some credit cards, and a checkbook. "Jenny" drives to her home, where the nightmare intensifies as her loving mother and brother recognize her but she has no memory of them or of Crystal, her best friend (obviously the dead girl). When she falls into bed with Amir, Crystal's boyfriend, and reads Crystal's diary, Jenny begins to put the puzzle pieces together to discover how Amir physically forced himself on her and commanded her to kill her friend. Confusing metaphysics and stereotypical, one-dimensional characters do nothing to move the contrived plot. Try steering teens to Stephen King, Beverly Hastings, and the many other horror-story writers who can put together a plot and characterization with some creativity.
Susan R. Farber, Chappaqua Library, NY
Copyright 1995 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

From Booklist

Gr. 9^-12. Christopher Pike's latest thriller is a supernatural tale of terror and mysticism. Jennifer Hobbs awakens in a forest with no memory and a dead body next to her. She is shocked to discover that she is suspected of murdering her best friend, Crystal, and encouraging a sexual tryst with Crystal's boyfriend. Hard-core mystery fans who demand more than bloody nightmares and convoluted goings-on may find the tale lacking, but Pike fans will read it anyway. Mary Romano Marks --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

Product Details

• Turtleback: 213 pages
• Publisher: Demco Media (August 1995)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0606078096
• ISBN-13: 978-0606078092
• Product Dimensions: 7 x 4.5 x 0.8 inches
• Shipping Weight: 6.4 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 4.4 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (28 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #9,520,100 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Christopher Pike is the author of over forty teen thrillers, including series REMEMBER ME, FINAL FRIENDS and CHAIN LETTER.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

6 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars The Lost Mind: A Creepy Treat!, November 10, 2002

By 

Corin (Austin, TX USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Lost Mind (Mass Market Paperback)

What would you do if you woke up next to a corpse, the murder weapon in your hand? What if you couldn't remember how you got there, who she was--who you were? What if all the evidence pointed to you being the killer? These are some of the first emotions explored by Jennifer Hobbs as she stands, covered in blood, next to the body of Crystal Denger.

Jenny doesn't remember a lot of things--her name, how she came to be in the woods, that the murdered girl happens to be her best and closest friend. She is, however, both quick-witted and clever. Fearing the worse, and having no memory to go on, she stumbles from the woods--and finds a parked car. Is she running from danger or towards it? One thing is for certain: she is at the scene of a murder. If Jennifer has any chance of finding out what happened to her--she needs to buy some time.

Jenny does a near expert job of removing the evidence of her involvement: the murder weapon, the bloody clothes. The only clue to her identity is a driver's license and the keys in her pocket. The town nearby is her home, and her address is easy enough to find. As to not arouse suspicion, she must behave as though everything is normal... while at the same time trying to solve the crime. But how do you do that when you can't even remember your own mother's face? Who your friends and enemies are? Where you were the night your best friend was murdered?

That, it seems, is the only thing Jennifer Hobbs does know.

This book had an excellent beginning--a very imaginative concept! It had me guessing all over the place. I think Mr. Pike handled the subject well, and convincingly! Jenny is a likeable character, and you genuinely want to see her prevail. Her turmoil is palpable. Of course, with conflicting stories and no recollection of her whereabouts the previous night--Jennifer becomes the main suspect in Crystal's death.

How can you prove your innocence when you think you might be guilty? How can you tell the truth from lies if you can't remember who knows how much--who else is involved? Again--excellent concept. I loved it, and devoured the book in almost one sitting. It reminded me of the same frantic pace set in the film "Memento" starring Guy Pierce. (Wonderfully creative film! Definitely rent it if you liked this book.) However, it wasn't perfect.

While I did enjoy most of the characters--especially the relationship between Jenny and her kid brother, Gator--I found some to be almost unnecessary. Perhaps if they had been given a chance to develop more, I would not have thought so. The timing of the book is very punchy. It doesn't stop to take a breath--even when you would like it to.

If this book suffered from anything, it was that it could have easily been a couple hundred pages longer. It touched on a few topics that were very interesting, but not explained clearly. Soul reversal, mysticism, tarot and even Islam were all part of the story--but I found myself more interested in the actual murder investigation than any of its supernatural aspects. In a way, when all was revealed, I was almost let down with the simplicity of it.

Almost. Some colorful jacket art is provided by Mark Garro, which gives the book a creepy feel. And it is a creepy story! On a whole, "The Lost Mind" was a very enjoyable and fast-paced book, full of shocking events and constant second-guessing. It's as fun as it is strange, with some truly disturbing imagery... expertly crafted by the Lord God of Teen Horror himself--Mr. Christopher Pike.

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Accused murderer lost her mind., November 9, 1999

By A Customer

This review is from: The Lost Mind (Mass Market Paperback)

In this book written by Christopher Pike, a girl loses her mind. Jenny a teenage girl wakes up and has no clue who she is or where she is. She can't remember her family or friends, and now the police are trying to accuse her of killing her best friend,crystal.

I have read many of Christopher Pikes books in the past, and i thought this one was good, but at times it was a little confusing. i think Christopher Pike is a great author, his books keep you wanting to keep reading, and it is hard to put the book down.

I would recommend this book for teenage kids, or other advanced readers.

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Amazing Book, July 20, 2000

By 

MikeL McClam - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Lost Mind (Mass Market Paperback)

I can't say enough about this book, it's a masterpiece in my POV. I used to be a big R.L. Stine fan, but when I read this book 2 years ago, it tottally changed me, it's a story about a girl who wakes up in the woods not remebering anything, and how she goes to find the killer of her dead best friend. I must say it's somewhat Science Fiction (more so than horror) but Its amazing. I read this book in 5 hours and couldn't put it down. A must read for anyone, not just a CP fan, because I still am not that much of his books other that the remeber me trilogy, but this book is a must have (although the title is pretty pathetic).