Reviews

Road to Nowhere by Christopher Pike

scarlet_scribbles14's review against another edition

4.0

I liked this. The story was about a girl named Teresa who picked up two hitchhikers (Poppy Corn and Freedom Jack) on their way to a gig. The three of them share stories and stop at mini marts. At first I thought that Poppy and Jack were psychos but then it turns out that they were representations of good and evil. I loved how the author broached the topic of self-love, repentance, and the afterlife. Speaking as someone who has had difficulty loving herself, I really connected with this book.

kiakitty's review against another edition

5.0

I read this book when I was about 11. And I remember telling my dad as he was driving me to school one morning that I liked Christopher Pike books because they were profound. He really made me think about things. At that time I had never read any books with the subject matter that some of his books contained. They had life, death, and religion. What I remember most about the YA horror/suspense/supernatural books at the time were that they were the slasher type where kids got together and got killed in various ways. That could be because those were the only kind I really read. Christopher Pike sometimes just seemed to have more meaning...for an 11 year old.

maria_g246's review

dark emotional mysterious medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Plot
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? No
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

coltonmray's review against another edition

3.0

That was just... weird. The story starts with a young girl picking up two strange hitchhikers, and from there, everything starts getting allegorical and fantastical and

Spoiler

vaguely religious. I think the best way of describing it is if David Lynch directed It's a Wonderful Life. There's a lot of strange plot points including heroin addiction, fortune tellers who live in castles, midnight Mass, teen suicide, and demon sex (seriously)

There were some pretty dark moments and it was overall quite depressing and strange. I'm not sure how I feel about this one, but it was memorable enough to get 3 stars.

jonpantalone's review

adventurous emotional hopeful mysterious medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.75

jobinsonlis's review against another edition

3.5

This was one of my favorite Christopher Pike books as a kid and I still think it’s pretty good, even if the ending feels rushed. The Midnight Club show adapted this as one of the stories the kids tell each other and even though I think they were right to change it as much as they did to fit the show’s narrative, I definitely prefer this version. It’s hard to recommend Pike in 2025 because his books are so of their time but if somebody likes their teen horror to be a little more surreal, this could be fun.

sunneyone's review against another edition

5.0

I first read this book in 199something as a teenager. I love Christopher Pike, so I'm sure I bought and read this the second it was released.
I reread it this week and it's still pretty good. I love the characters and the esoteric tones of the novel.
Probably one of Pike's best, honestly.

awesomepawesome's review against another edition

slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? No
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

2.0

kat_a_strophe's review against another edition

3.0

Definitely a classic ghost story with an emotional twist. By the time it was rearing up on the end I had an idea of what was really going on, but that didn't stop me from enjoying the book.
Three different stories being told between Teresa, Free, and Poppy and each of them with amazing build-up and definition between good and evil, angels and demons, all on the limbo road. However, I just have one thing to say, "You don't pick up hitchhikers!". Dang, girl. That's how you die. LOL.
A good and quick read and definition.

Full Review:
https://thescarletreaderreviews.wordpress.com/2020/04/28/going-nowhere-fast-road-to-nowhere-a-book-review/

iznylfaye's review against another edition

4.0

Honestly, I love old school books like this. This was so fun and creepy at times. Even though this was a very predictable read (and had some religious overtones I wasn’t necessarily fond of), it was still a very entertaining one.

I will need to invest in more retro Christopher Pike books to read in October because they are the perfect spooky vibe I will be looking for.