Rollercoasters: Tightrope Reader

by Cross

When she begins receiving bizarre threatening messages from someone who seems to know her every move, teenage Ashley, after seeking help from the neighborhood tough guy, comes to realize that she alone can end the stalker's reign of terror.

Genres: Young Adult, Mystery, Book Club, Fiction, Thriller

Paperback

First published January 1, 1999

Reviews

[Summer Bekker · Rating 1 out of 5]

When I first picked up this book l thought it would be interesting. I was wrong. The story was predictable and boring with annoying characters and nonsense writing. I'm sorry😢

[Kate · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was a book I had started reading many years ago (2001-2002), and had posted a summary over in the "What's the name of that book?" group to try to figure out which book it was. I remembered the plot being about a girl who did graffiti, and who climbed up on risky structures to get a good tag. When someone finally suggested this title, I had to read it to figure out if it was the same.

I'd been reading this book while working in a group home, so it was something I picked up in their library and must have put down without finishing. All those years ago, I guess I must have only gotten a few chapters in, as I recalled a heavy emphasis on the graffiti. After the first few chapters, however, there was no more graffiti. Instead, the story focused on the girl, Ashley - who chooses the name "Cindy" when she signs her graffiti tags - and someone who is stalking her by sending weird notes and bits of liver and sheep skulls. Ashley draws the attention of Joe, the court jester to the street king Eddie Beale, and though Ashley is the "good girl", she finds herself starting to trust Eddie and his gang to help her find out who the stalker is. Is it the Hyena, son of the local shop owner Fat Annie? And how can Ashley keep her invalid mother from finding out?

Ashley was a bit too much of a good girl for me, but then, the whole novel seemed like a weird cleaned-up version of the streets. Eddie, the leader of the gang, really seems to enjoy gathering members who can perform circus tricks. Joe does imitations like a clown, his girlfriend Sam can breathe fire, and Ashley shows off her acrobatic skills, all to impress him. Aside from the things that happen while they are "helping" Ashley find her stalker (including stealing and crashing a car), not much is explained about Eddie's life on the streets other than one scheme to steal VCRs.

This story is fairly dated - Ashley's family doesn't even own a VCR until Eddie gives her one, and then they have to go to the store to rent a movie. Ashley and her friend Vikki go to the school library to use the CD-ROM computers. One gang member pulls out a cell phone and it's like WHOA! It's so high-tech!! However, in the old style of YA literature, things are squeaky clean - no one swears, and even though it seemed at one point that Joe and Ashley might have some chemistry, there is never any hint of a relationship between them. Even the Hyena, a grown man obsessed with Ashley (who I think was 14), is mostly only thinking about what a nice girl she is and how she's the only nice kid left in the neighborhood. Nothing pervy at all.

Other than that, it's a decent mystery/thriller.

[Sarah Tilatitsky · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book has so many twists and turns that it's hard to know who did it. Who sent "Cindy" those horror items. Blood, skulls. It's so dangerous, a dangerous game. Oh, even though it was my second time reading this book, I feel that I have never read this book. It's that good! I swear! If you don't like it, well, that's your problem. Still, yiou will not know who did all those terrible things to her, and her mother's sick! That person is really crazy, the one who sent her the letters and presents. Believe me, you should really read this.

[Sarah · Rating 5 out of 5]

i absolutely loved this book. my teacher assigned a book talk and i picked this book for me book talk

[Erin · Rating 2 out of 5]

I'm surprised by the number of excellent reviews for this book. I'm torn between liking and thinking it was only ok. I'd give 2.5 stars. The characters are not overly believable and the circus tricks that gang leader, Eddie, makes people perform are just odd. He also didn't come across as overly dangerous so I never really felt he should have had that much influence over the neighbourhood. I read it in one day and I'm glad it was short so I didn't have to invest too much time in it.

[Ashriya · Rating 3 out of 5]

The book was not what I was expecting and had focused more on other events than the actual wall. Also the book has quite a boring start to the story. It does get better however it didn’t engage me.
Along with that if you are someone who like mystery but not a scary kind you might like this book.
Overall it’s ok

[Spinds❤ · Rating 4 out of 5]

Read this book In grade 9, I really enjoyed it.

[Mary Koepke · Rating 3 out of 5]

Yeah... Okay. The concerns and fashions of this book are very early 2000s and feel a little dated. And once again, I knew halfway they the book who the mysterious stalker was.

[Ewce · Rating 1 out of 5]

noynoy

[Karen Harrison · Rating 2 out of 5]

A easy read with good overcoming bad.

[Cathleen Ash]

You know how you can walk past something every day and not really see it? And maybe, months later, or a year later, you notice it. It surprises you. You wonder: was that always there? Why didn’t I see it before?
Ashley’s been by Annie’s Deli hundreds of times; she gets food there for her sick mom, but she never noticed, never really saw, the beautiful expanse of wall above it. Plain. Unmarked. Untagged. Suddenly Ashley knows: this wall is mine.
Her friend Vikki tries to talk her out of it. It’s too high, too dangerous; there’s no way Ashley should do it. She’d fall; she’d die. Ashley isn’t listening, though, she’s eyeing the gutter for safety bolts, judging their strength. She’s wondering how many colors she should use to tag the wall with her mark: Cindy. She’s planning on fixing macaroni with cheese she just bought at the deli, then helping her mom into bed and sneaking out at 3:00 a.m. to tag it - her wall. Sure it’s risky, it’s a higher climb than she’s ever done. But she knows, just knows, she can do it. And if she doesn’t fall, if she doesn’t get caught, it will be the best tag ever. If…

[Janaye Autufuga · Rating 5 out of 5]

To be honest I went to the library and saw that it was something new, so I read into it and found I WANTED to know MORE. This had kept me up all night and I did not want to let go of this book, it had me wanting me and so i was dying to find out how it ends.
I liked how shes herself (know what i mean) like she had a dream to do a graffiti and she made it happen and did it again even if it was painted over! Even if her friend had said it was a bad idea she still went for it. I didnt like Eddie, he seemed like the type that used people and never really helps anyone. In my mind, he helps people BUT he does it for a price. Ashley hanging out with him was creepy and its not big deal like everyone says. In the end EVERYONE see's his true colours, but Ashley got hurt in the making but she lived and knowing that, made me happy (even for a book) Love this book!!! Never forget it.
I recommended this book to my friend she seemed interested but I am sure she wasnt into it as much as me!
I would recommend for teenagers.

[Hafsah Faizal · Rating 4 out of 5]

Eddie Beale is the coolest guy on the Row. He looks after you, for a price. Ashley is the perfect child, well almost. She's shy, well-behaved, looks after her invalid mother, and takes care of their shabby home. But she has a secret, something that goes on at night. A secret only her best friend Vikki knows about, but not for long.

Ashley is being stalked, and whoever it is, claims to know her secret. With the help of Eddie and his gang, Ashley learns the identity of her stalker - or thinks she does. Is Eddie really "helping" her? Or is he using her to get revenge? One thing's for certain, Ashley can never trust anyone, not even her best friend, with her deepest secrets.

Usually when I go to the library, I head for the new books, or check out the popular ones. Especially with the supernatural book craze going around, meaningful books like Tightrope by Gillian Cross can easily be overlooked. If you're looking for a change, pick up Tightrope and read away!

[Margaret · Rating 5 out of 5]

I just finished this book and needed someone to listen to me rant about it
this book is great I loved Eddie's personality that you don't firmly grasp until the end once I really thought it over I realized that he us just like the Joker from batman (not the boring kiddies version but the dark night one or from the cartoons where they are allowed to cuss) this is because everything is just a game to him all he wants is some amusement to make him laugh and hates to lose once you start to win he goes and changes the rules
loved this book when I started to write this review I was going to point out all the things wrong with this book but they don't seem so important now :j

[Joanna · Rating 3 out of 5]

I really enjoyed this book it has a fascinating storyline about a teenage girl, Ashley who creeps secretly out at night or in the wee hours of the morning to tag walls with graffiti. However, someone is always watching her. She starts receiving unpleasant messages and she seeks help from Eddie, the guy who 'takes care' of his friends as long as they entertain him. Can eddie really help her? What price does she have to pay?
Questions start popping out and can really make the reader anxious to start flipping the pages.

[Jasmine · Rating 4 out of 5]

I thought that this book was really good. I would recommend this book to people who want to read about stalkers. This book is about a girl who's mother really sick and cant do much and draws graffiti. This person starts stalking her and people say go to Eddie for help. At the end she finds out who the real stalker is and he wasn't really stalking her he just made it look like that and said that it was someone else so he could get revenge on that person.

[Raevee Rose · Rating 5 out of 5]

I like the way Gillian Cross wrote the book. It really is unique compared to other books I've read - the conventional third-person narrative plus the thoughts of some characters on every end of a chapter.

It's a book full of:
- twists
- surprises
- stalking
- mind-boggling clues
- omg moments
- mysteries


And in the end, I knew there was something..

Figure that one out, goodreaders! :P

[Tine · Rating 4 out of 5]

Found in a pile of hand-me-down books from an older cousin, I picked this one up and started it for fun. I found myself sucked into the upside down world of "Cindy" and every step she took I had to hold my breath to find out her next move. The book is very well-written for young adults but the story can entertain people of all ages.

[Shanna · Rating 3 out of 5]

It was an okay book, the entire plot was kinda sketchy and strange. Towards the end I didn't understand the bond between Ashely and The Hyena. Since the beginning of the story I was a little creeped out by The Hyena and his obsession with Ashley, turns out it wasn't him who was stalking her, but he still bothers me.

[Ella · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a pretty cool book!! I enjoyed it and it was a fast read with some great characters. I would recommend this to people looking for an adventure and a heroism book, the different perspectives at the end of each chapter brought something different and much needed to the book and I loved reading about these super interesting people!! :)

[Tamara Hayes · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a very good book about a girl who longs to make her mark on the world, and she lives a secret life to do so. The book has nice tension and very multi-dimensional characters. A great young adult read.

[Simon Stevens · Rating 2 out of 5]

Painful. Reading this with a bottom set in Uganda where the cultural context is a bit lost made it just a nightmare that I rushed through with as little discussion as possible. Forgettable characters, nonsense plot and utterly unremarkable ending.

[Rae Rae · Rating 3 out of 5]

10/10 for readability. Finished this in one sitting, and it finally got me out of my book slump. I struggled to keep up with character names since there were a lot of side characters that didn't play that big of a role. Plot felt a little bizarrely paced but otherwise I really really enjoyed it.

[Donna · Rating 3 out of 5]

I read thi when I was a teenager and like it a lot.

[H · Rating 3 out of 5]

I read this when I was about twelve, and though I don't remember now what it was about, at the time I liked it.

[Jackieb · Rating 4 out of 5]

Good adolescent book, no sex, tons of drama.

[Jane · Rating 4 out of 5]

I think about this book sometimes.

[Bcoghill Coghill · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very fast paced and very enjoyable.

[Sam · Rating 4 out of 5]

A girl who walks everyday past this wall and relieses she wants it, she wants to be famous.......she wants to be CINDY

[Kim Sheibley · Rating 4 out of 5]

Good book about fighting back against a "ringmaster."