Take a photo of a barcode or cover
3.61 AVERAGE
3.61 AVERAGE
adventurous
dark
emotional
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
N/A
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
dark
mysterious
reflective
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
adventurous
dark
emotional
mysterious
reflective
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
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.
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.
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
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 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.
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)
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
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.
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.
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.