Magic Fire [Paperback]

Christopher Pike (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: June 1, 1999

He just had a thing about fire.

Mark Charm is a pyromaniac. Since the time he was a child, he loved to watch fires. But it is only in his senior year of high school that he takes his personal obsession citywide. It is a dry autumn in Southern California and the desert winds are blowing. Mark has a box of matches, and it is late at night. Would it be so bad, he thinks, if the whole state burned?

Editorial Reviews

From School Library Journal

Grade 9 Up-Mark Charm is not your average high school student, even in the Los Angeles of the near future. Nor is he your average pyromaniac. This teen is able to start fires with the power of his mind. This pyro-kinetic ability leads him and his girlfriend into a crusade to free Earth from alien domination. The story is so convoluted that it is hard to follow. The premise is implausible-aliens have harvested human brains and are keeping them in vats, but the humans don't realize this has happened-but this is not what has really happened at all. Fans of the genre may enjoy this book, but average thrill-seeking students will soon lose interest in its twisted plot.
Lynn W. Zimmerman, Southeast Middle School, Greensboro, NC
Copyright 1999 Reed Business Information, Inc.

Product Details

• Reading level: Ages 12 and up
  
• Paperback: 240 pages
• Publisher: Archway Paperback (June 1, 1999)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0671020579
• ISBN-13: 978-0671020576
• Product Dimensions: 6.6 x 4.1 x 0.7 inches
• Shipping Weight: 3.2 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 4.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (43 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #796,210 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

11 of 11 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Nothing but praise..., August 1, 1999

By A Customer

This review is from: Magic Fire (Paperback)

Yes, this book was a bit confusing. But I find it nice to be challenged a little, even by a young adult novel. I thought Mr. Pike did a wonderful job of keeping his readers on their toes. I suggest this to anyone who enjoys being twisted about a bit.

As I have seen written here, I am also upset by other reviewers' condemning the readers who enjoyed this book. Enjoying this type of fiction doesn't make one illiterate. I happen to like this genre because it is fast and relatively light, a good escape from the everyday. And my literacy and comprehension are at a doctoral level, according to the last test. Yes, I am an adult and also enjoy adult fiction, nonfiction, etcetera; but having read Mr. Pike since I was a child, for 12 years now, I am still a fan. I will continue to read what he produces with interest - whatever it may be.

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A very mysterious book, December 5, 1999

By A Customer

This review is from: Magic Fire (Paperback)

First comment... The cover and back of the book are so misleading. Cut that out, whoever is in charge of that stuff! :) I know you can't just say what the book is about on the back cover, but you don't have to lie about it, and this summary isn't as bad as some. Even so, I think the front cover looks cool, despite it having nothing to do with the story.

Now a little reminiscing. I remember hearing about this book not long before we founded The Midnight Club four years ago, and then we didn't know if it was called Magic Fire or Fire Magic. Given that at least the title is pretty old, that generates a lot of questions. When was this book was actually written? How long has Pike had at least the outline completed? Why did it take so long to write? Was MAZE conceived of later on, throwing a whole new twist on the bulk of the plot and frustrating many of you? If you really think about it, this book in a way predates even the last 3 Last Vampires. Weird, huh? It makes me really curious, and I think I might ask Pike (and if he actually replies, I'll be sure you to let you know).

I really liked this book. Nothing really disappointed me, except that it was too short (although actually relatively long for his YA books). Pike took a lot of liberties in constructing the plot, but as other Pike readers I have talked with have already mentioned, the book makes you question your own reality. As I was reading it, I was reminded A LOT of the movie Matrix, and I had to remind myself that Magic Fire was written before that movie. Still, it kind of blows the prospect of Magic Fire being made into a movie.

I think if I had read The Grave after I read Magic Fire, I would have been more disappointed with The Grave. But since Magic Fire is now the most recent Pike book I have read, I'm waiting in anticipation of his next book, which I have heard nothing about. Wondering when we'll get those other books Pike has been hinting at... By the way, if you made it this far in reading, Pike DOES NOT intend to write The Cold One II: Seedling. Sorry. :(

-Scott/Wags

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars When too much originality is a bad thing..., August 28, 2000

By 

Greg Pesce (New Jersey USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Magic Fire (Paperback)

I started reading this book and thought it was one of the best Chirstopher Pike books around. I never read about a pryromaniac before and thought it was an interesting topic. Then around page 100, the story starts to take a nose-dive from which is only barely recovers from. The alien plot in the book seemed to unrealistic for this book and the story isn't all that plausible to begin with. Still, no one has a track record like Mr. Pike. This is the only book of his that I haven't liked. And when is he coming out with a new book? I hope "The Grave" isn't his last book...