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The Eternal Enemy
A VCR that could tape tomorrow's news.
Rela has just bought herself a new VCR. She sets the machine to tape a movie she plans to show at a party she is throwing. But instead of the movie she gets the news - tomorrow's news.
Soon Rela is regularly recording next week's news, even what is to happen in the far future. It's fun, at first, until she sees herself on the news. And learns that there is no future for her.
But can she change destiny?
Can Rela survive what is meant to be?
Rela has just bought herself a new VCR. She sets the machine to tape a movie she plans to show at a party she is throwing. But instead of the movie she gets the news - tomorrow's news.
Soon Rela is regularly recording next week's news, even what is to happen in the far future. It's fun, at first, until she sees herself on the news. And learns that there is no future for her.
But can she change destiny?
Can Rela survive what is meant to be?
180 pages, Paperback
First published May 28, 1993
16 people are currently reading
889 people want to read
About the author
Christopher Pike
261 books5,470 followersChristopher Pike is the pseudonym of Kevin McFadden. He is a bestselling author of young adult and children's fiction who specializes in the thriller genre.
Librarian Note: There is more than one author in the GoodReads database with this name.
McFadden was born in New York but grew up in California where he stills lives in today. A college drop-out, he did factory work, painted houses and programmed computers before becoming a recognized author. Initially unsuccessful when he set out to write science fiction and adult mystery, it was not until his work caught the attention of an editor who suggested he write a teen thriller that he became a hit. The result was Slumber Party (1985), a book about a group of teenagers who run into bizarre and violent events during a ski weekend. After that he wrote Weekend and Chain Letter. All three books went on to become bestsellers.
Librarian Note: There is more than one author in the GoodReads database with this name.
McFadden was born in New York but grew up in California where he stills lives in today. A college drop-out, he did factory work, painted houses and programmed computers before becoming a recognized author. Initially unsuccessful when he set out to write science fiction and adult mystery, it was not until his work caught the attention of an editor who suggested he write a teen thriller that he became a hit. The result was Slumber Party (1985), a book about a group of teenagers who run into bizarre and violent events during a ski weekend. After that he wrote Weekend and Chain Letter. All three books went on to become bestsellers.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 119 reviews
May 20, 2019
Spends a lot of time on how many heads your VCR needs to slow down Mel Gibson's nude scene in LETHAL WEAPON, but what else do you expect in a book that's basically a teen romance novel mashed up with THE TERMINATOR?
September 29, 2017
Yet another highly enjoyable blast from the past - complete with time-travel, cyborgs and murder
I was such a huge fan of Christopher Pike when I was younger. In fact, I'd say his books played a large part in getting me to write (so thank you very much, author!). I've been recently revisiting a few of my favourites, to see how well they translate to an adult reader, rather than an over-hormonal, angsty teenager.
This one was absolutely as captivating as I remember. Yes, on one level it's kind of pulpy, but that's its charm, that it works on many levels. I've always said this about Christopher Pike, that sometimes he's dismissed as a writer of sensationalist horror books for teens, but actually that's not entirely fair. Many of his books work on a deeper, more sub-conscious level; with elements of sadness and strange nostalgia that put me in mind of a David Lynch film (particularly Twin Peaks - it's that same sort of odd, ungraspable sadness that accompanies the narrative - god I wish I could inject it into my own writing!).
The Eternal Enemy isn't quite as brilliant as my two massive favourites (Whisper of Death and his adult book, The Season of Passage), but it isn't far off. It tells the story of Rela, who we find out lost her memory three months ago and was rescued by a missionary who adopted her. Turns out that this sassy, highly intelligent girl can record the future on her new VCR - and whilst this works out nicely to begin with (winning big by betting on sports events), things soon take a turn for the sinister.
However, this being a Pike book, it's no straightforward story about the consequences of interfering with the future. We've also got a character with a penchant for inventing cyborgs that will eventually wipe out humanity. As with all the best books, the villain is ambiguous. It challenges the reader to ask some pretty big philosophical questions - not bad for a so-called 'pulpy' teen novel!
I'm glad I buried myself in this particular blast from the past - it was every bit as enjoyable as I remember it. :-)
I was such a huge fan of Christopher Pike when I was younger. In fact, I'd say his books played a large part in getting me to write (so thank you very much, author!). I've been recently revisiting a few of my favourites, to see how well they translate to an adult reader, rather than an over-hormonal, angsty teenager.
This one was absolutely as captivating as I remember. Yes, on one level it's kind of pulpy, but that's its charm, that it works on many levels. I've always said this about Christopher Pike, that sometimes he's dismissed as a writer of sensationalist horror books for teens, but actually that's not entirely fair. Many of his books work on a deeper, more sub-conscious level; with elements of sadness and strange nostalgia that put me in mind of a David Lynch film (particularly Twin Peaks - it's that same sort of odd, ungraspable sadness that accompanies the narrative - god I wish I could inject it into my own writing!).
The Eternal Enemy isn't quite as brilliant as my two massive favourites (Whisper of Death and his adult book, The Season of Passage), but it isn't far off. It tells the story of Rela, who we find out lost her memory three months ago and was rescued by a missionary who adopted her. Turns out that this sassy, highly intelligent girl can record the future on her new VCR - and whilst this works out nicely to begin with (winning big by betting on sports events), things soon take a turn for the sinister.
However, this being a Pike book, it's no straightforward story about the consequences of interfering with the future. We've also got a character with a penchant for inventing cyborgs that will eventually wipe out humanity. As with all the best books, the villain is ambiguous. It challenges the reader to ask some pretty big philosophical questions - not bad for a so-called 'pulpy' teen novel!
I'm glad I buried myself in this particular blast from the past - it was every bit as enjoyable as I remember it. :-)
January 30, 2010
MY VCR RECORDS THE FUTURE
YOUR ARGUMENT IS INVALID
YOUR ARGUMENT IS INVALID
July 9, 2023
whew. i expected this pike novel to lean toward sci fi themes, but i was not expecting the extreme sciencey twist.
we go from a campy story of a teenage girl with a VCR that can record the future... to
i have to say, i enjoyed the mysterious and only vaguely sci fi first half of the book more than i enjoyed the final chapters. rela's future-glimpsing misadventures take her to gamble and win a whole lotta money, save one person from a horrific accident (though three more remain unsaved), and eventually, to see that her own death is impending. a VCR that records the future is a fantastically 90s premise with a lot of potential.
the book takes a huge turn toward the end, and while the final chapters are a lot of info-dumpy backstory, they're interesting. lots of examination of the boundaries of humanity, the necessity of suffering, and how technology can simultaneously improve us and reduce us.
it's very cool to see such big ideas explored within in a cheesy old YA novel.
we go from a campy story of a teenage girl with a VCR that can record the future... to
i have to say, i enjoyed the mysterious and only vaguely sci fi first half of the book more than i enjoyed the final chapters. rela's future-glimpsing misadventures take her to gamble and win a whole lotta money, save one person from a horrific accident (though three more remain unsaved), and eventually, to see that her own death is impending. a VCR that records the future is a fantastically 90s premise with a lot of potential.
the book takes a huge turn toward the end, and while the final chapters are a lot of info-dumpy backstory, they're interesting. lots of examination of the boundaries of humanity, the necessity of suffering, and how technology can simultaneously improve us and reduce us.
it's very cool to see such big ideas explored within in a cheesy old YA novel.
April 26, 2009
"It's just the news. The news is not scary. It's always happening far away and to someone else."
I really feel that this is an adult book trapped behind a teen book's cover. Or at least, a book that is more appropriate for more intelligent teenagers, and adults. It's extremely deep and fascinating, with many levels of meaning. It starts off as a typical teen novel wherein you're introduced to Rela and she her typical teenage problems until she buys a VCR that could tape tomorrow's news. After regularly recording the future, she decides that she could give it an alternate ending -- until she watches her own murder. But can she change destiny and prevent her own death along with the catalysmic events following it? The novel develops into a tragic vision of a future dystopia caused by genetic technoengineering that Rela must try to prevent from occuring.
The way the conflict in the story was resolved and the character descriptions tied into the story's overarching theme and plot. It elicited a lot of emotions and left me with a sense of who the characters were. I felt I could understand the characters' psychology and I how their personality tied into their actions. After reading "The Eternal Enemy" you will see people in a different light and it will make you question technology per se. This story to be very deep -- exploring issues of how our actions shape our future.
Book Details:
Title The Eternal Enemy
Author Christopher Pike
Reviewed By Purplycookie
I really feel that this is an adult book trapped behind a teen book's cover. Or at least, a book that is more appropriate for more intelligent teenagers, and adults. It's extremely deep and fascinating, with many levels of meaning. It starts off as a typical teen novel wherein you're introduced to Rela and she her typical teenage problems until she buys a VCR that could tape tomorrow's news. After regularly recording the future, she decides that she could give it an alternate ending -- until she watches her own murder. But can she change destiny and prevent her own death along with the catalysmic events following it? The novel develops into a tragic vision of a future dystopia caused by genetic technoengineering that Rela must try to prevent from occuring.
The way the conflict in the story was resolved and the character descriptions tied into the story's overarching theme and plot. It elicited a lot of emotions and left me with a sense of who the characters were. I felt I could understand the characters' psychology and I how their personality tied into their actions. After reading "The Eternal Enemy" you will see people in a different light and it will make you question technology per se. This story to be very deep -- exploring issues of how our actions shape our future.
Book Details:
Title The Eternal Enemy
Author Christopher Pike
Reviewed By Purplycookie
Read
January 22, 2022A twisty tale of a cookie-ravenous teen orphan, her $280 four-head Pioneer VCR that records the future, and that one scene in LETHAL WEAPON where you can see Mel Gibson's butt, but in slo-mo. I'll leave the rest to your imagination.
May 4, 2014
MASTERPIECE. I would say it's a YA masterpiece, but this book transcends such categorization. Simply one of Pike's best. Intelligent. Complex. Philosophical. With truly insightful meditations on the limits of existence and our drive to control nature. Plot: A smart girl buys a VCR and discovers it predicts the future. That's all I'll say. I don't want to give anything away. Do yourself the biggest favor ever, order this from ABE BOOKS or where ever, and just take off...
October 18, 2022
Rela buys a new VCR (technology!) so she can screen a movie at a party she's throwing to get to know the kids at her school, as she's only been there three months. Instead of recording the movie she wants, Rela discovers that somehow this VCR is recording news from the future! She uses this knowledge to win big at betting, and also tries to save lives. Then one of the news reports shows that her future doesn't end too kindly. Rela tries to figure out how to avoid her fate.
There were elements of Witch here, with a teenage girl trying to prevent future events from occurring, and only messing things up even more. However, this obviously has a much more sci-fi bent to it (complete with Pike's typical introspection), and a lot of comparisons can be made to The Terminator franchise. I don't want to go into too much detail and give inadvertent spoilers, but the book similarly tackles how a desire to change the past to protect the future can make things worse for everybody.
This is wonderfully plotted, with many moments making me go, "Oh, so that's what that was about!" There's a thoughtful exploration of the value of autonomy, what we're willing to accept to avoid pain and suffering, and how good intentions for the sake of humanity can still backfire horrendously. Lots of really terrific philosophical food for thought! When Pike is on fire, his work can really score!
The only letdowns were a bit of a clunky beginning, where I was worried too much would be taken up with Rela's obsession with fellow student Christopher, but it was actually very important to the story. There's also a chapter later that's a bit of an info-dump, but it's what nonetheless sparks the more thought-provoking aspects of the book.
I'm impressed that a 90s YA work that I didn't read back then could impress me so much now as an adult.
There were elements of Witch here, with a teenage girl trying to prevent future events from occurring, and only messing things up even more. However, this obviously has a much more sci-fi bent to it (complete with Pike's typical introspection), and a lot of comparisons can be made to The Terminator franchise. I don't want to go into too much detail and give inadvertent spoilers, but the book similarly tackles how a desire to change the past to protect the future can make things worse for everybody.
This is wonderfully plotted, with many moments making me go, "Oh, so that's what that was about!" There's a thoughtful exploration of the value of autonomy, what we're willing to accept to avoid pain and suffering, and how good intentions for the sake of humanity can still backfire horrendously. Lots of really terrific philosophical food for thought! When Pike is on fire, his work can really score!
The only letdowns were a bit of a clunky beginning, where I was worried too much would be taken up with Rela's obsession with fellow student Christopher, but it was actually very important to the story. There's also a chapter later that's a bit of an info-dump, but it's what nonetheless sparks the more thought-provoking aspects of the book.
I'm impressed that a 90s YA work that I didn't read back then could impress me so much now as an adult.
April 26, 2013
One of my favorites. Pike does Horror/Sci-Fi like nobody's business.
This was the first novel I read of his involving time travel and romance. Since then I've noticed a theme that Pike enjoys writing about: Love transcending Time. Midnight Club and See You Later also involve this concept in differing ways.
The book started out innocently with a teenage girl in love, and quickly developed into an overwhelming mystery with element of horror to it. Halfway through it pulled a complete 180, explaining the mystery and handing us a platter of concepts to chew on: a story (hypothesis?) of the future if certain scientific/social/political (/etc:changes to humanity; encompassing all) developments were to take place; this story is relatable to our world in a way that only Sci-Fi can deliver so satisfyingly.
I personally enjoyed the fantasy of boosting human beings to be advanced life forms by injecting computers or A.I. (?.. i forget exactly what it was) into their dna/cells to advance the processing of their cells or whatever happened, giving them near infinite knowledge of all existence (concept:human beings already contain the materials that hold the key behind all existence, we just need a more advanced operating system to access them).
Also, fucking ballsy for Pike to suggest that there is nothing beyond existence (the reason Chris's colleague committed suicide after boosting his dna is that he saw all and there was no reason behind it... i think.. need to check the book for that), that it is all a fluke.
The dream sequences Rela has over and over again are grotesque and terrifying. Different colored vials and being partially operated on.. hospital rooms? very anatomically descriptive.. I remember one part is talking about removing her spine... deep, visceral (adj:of or relating to the viscera : the visceral nervous system• relating to deep inward feelings rather than to the intellect) concepts involving time and science.. . and then waking up with the light on to discover her VCR has recorded the future... INTENSE.
I'd very much like to read parts of this again to have fresh for reviewing. My hazy descriptions don't do justice.
The love felt for Chris is confusing and a little concerning.. it seems to be romantic and lustful, but in the end is incestual (unbeknownst to either Chris or Rela at the time)? At first their (teen) characters seem to be linked through an intangible likeness/attraction.. as the story continues it is revealed they were very close in their relationship as Grandfather/Granddaughter and were close friends beyond that, able to discuss great concepts at length with one another in the way that only two people with a mutual respect and understanding are capable of. Perhaps that bond is at the root of their attraction, and it was mistaken for lust because it is filtered through teen hormones? Hopefully something like that is the case, and Pike wasn't suggesting that granddaughters would like to get it on with grandfathers if they were the same age.
Those were the main concepts that gripped me. Lots of other stuff going on, this book is loaded. I will revisit it and come back to this to touch up.
This was the first novel I read of his involving time travel and romance. Since then I've noticed a theme that Pike enjoys writing about: Love transcending Time. Midnight Club and See You Later also involve this concept in differing ways.
The book started out innocently with a teenage girl in love, and quickly developed into an overwhelming mystery with element of horror to it. Halfway through it pulled a complete 180, explaining the mystery and handing us a platter of concepts to chew on: a story (hypothesis?) of the future if certain scientific/social/political (/etc:changes to humanity; encompassing all) developments were to take place; this story is relatable to our world in a way that only Sci-Fi can deliver so satisfyingly.
I personally enjoyed the fantasy of boosting human beings to be advanced life forms by injecting computers or A.I. (?.. i forget exactly what it was) into their dna/cells to advance the processing of their cells or whatever happened, giving them near infinite knowledge of all existence (concept:human beings already contain the materials that hold the key behind all existence, we just need a more advanced operating system to access them).
Also, fucking ballsy for Pike to suggest that there is nothing beyond existence (the reason Chris's colleague committed suicide after boosting his dna is that he saw all and there was no reason behind it... i think.. need to check the book for that), that it is all a fluke.
The dream sequences Rela has over and over again are grotesque and terrifying. Different colored vials and being partially operated on.. hospital rooms? very anatomically descriptive.. I remember one part is talking about removing her spine... deep, visceral (adj:of or relating to the viscera : the visceral nervous system• relating to deep inward feelings rather than to the intellect) concepts involving time and science.. . and then waking up with the light on to discover her VCR has recorded the future... INTENSE.
I'd very much like to read parts of this again to have fresh for reviewing. My hazy descriptions don't do justice.
The love felt for Chris is confusing and a little concerning.. it seems to be romantic and lustful, but in the end is incestual (unbeknownst to either Chris or Rela at the time)? At first their (teen) characters seem to be linked through an intangible likeness/attraction.. as the story continues it is revealed they were very close in their relationship as Grandfather/Granddaughter and were close friends beyond that, able to discuss great concepts at length with one another in the way that only two people with a mutual respect and understanding are capable of. Perhaps that bond is at the root of their attraction, and it was mistaken for lust because it is filtered through teen hormones? Hopefully something like that is the case, and Pike wasn't suggesting that granddaughters would like to get it on with grandfathers if they were the same age.
Those were the main concepts that gripped me. Lots of other stuff going on, this book is loaded. I will revisit it and come back to this to touch up.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
April 29, 2019
"There were plenty of reasons why I should have worried about him. And I was one of them"
Christopher Pike- The Eternal Enemy.
This is my favorite Pike book and I'd really say it isn't like anything I've read before. This is one I think people of any age could enjoy.
Imagine if you had just purchased a VCR. OK, VCRS do not really exist much these days, but this book was written awhile ago. So imagine you bought one and you find you have the ability, through the VCR to see tomorrow's news. To know everything that is going to happen before it happens. Pretty cool stuff right?
Until, perhaps, you turn on the next days news and find you are on it. And the "news" about why isn't good.
This was an amazing and extremely fun mystery that I raced through. Few Pike books are as deep as this one. A couple of other reviewers have mentioned "this is an adult book, hiding in a young adult novel" and I agree.
If you are on the fence about Pike I really recommend starting with this one because it is just so darned good. I got through it in a day. The premise is great and Pike carries the whole book off really well. This is among the best of Pike.
Christopher Pike- The Eternal Enemy.
This is my favorite Pike book and I'd really say it isn't like anything I've read before. This is one I think people of any age could enjoy.
Imagine if you had just purchased a VCR. OK, VCRS do not really exist much these days, but this book was written awhile ago. So imagine you bought one and you find you have the ability, through the VCR to see tomorrow's news. To know everything that is going to happen before it happens. Pretty cool stuff right?
Until, perhaps, you turn on the next days news and find you are on it. And the "news" about why isn't good.
This was an amazing and extremely fun mystery that I raced through. Few Pike books are as deep as this one. A couple of other reviewers have mentioned "this is an adult book, hiding in a young adult novel" and I agree.
If you are on the fence about Pike I really recommend starting with this one because it is just so darned good. I got through it in a day. The premise is great and Pike carries the whole book off really well. This is among the best of Pike.
March 21, 2020
I never got around to this Christopher Pike book in the 90s, and I have to say it's a weird one. It's part of his later phase of writing, very science-based, very space-obsessed, and bears little resemblance to his earlier classics like Chain Letter and Slumber Party. The fact that the protagonist is a teenage girl seems almost incidental - the concepts in this book are pretty advanced and very adult. Overall, Pike is heavy on the science and light on the horror. While I thought the concept was interesting (and clearly inspired by The Terminator), it was just a little too odd to work for me.
Love that it circulates around a VCR (purchased at Circuit City for $300, natch) gone rogue, though.
Love that it circulates around a VCR (purchased at Circuit City for $300, natch) gone rogue, though.
July 15, 2025
Bleak AF 😭😭
Pike was def super inspired by Terminator and Skynet coming for us all when he wrote this. He gets super existential here…what does it mean to be a human living in this world? Where is humanity heading, and if it’s in the wrong direction, should we be making extreme changes?
And it wouldn’t be a Pike book without an epic chapter-long blather that tries to teach you something 🤣🤣Here it’s all about Physics and Genetic Technological Engendering and protons, electrons, mesons and quarks and SNOOZE!!! My brain could not handle this part 🤣🤣🤣
However this book may stay with me for awhile. One of my new faves from Pike now. Melancholy and existential, a lasting remark from the book remains with me: “Better to be alive and suffering than not to exist”. 🥹
Pike was def super inspired by Terminator and Skynet coming for us all when he wrote this. He gets super existential here…what does it mean to be a human living in this world? Where is humanity heading, and if it’s in the wrong direction, should we be making extreme changes?
And it wouldn’t be a Pike book without an epic chapter-long blather that tries to teach you something 🤣🤣Here it’s all about Physics and Genetic Technological Engendering and protons, electrons, mesons and quarks and SNOOZE!!! My brain could not handle this part 🤣🤣🤣
However this book may stay with me for awhile. One of my new faves from Pike now. Melancholy and existential, a lasting remark from the book remains with me: “Better to be alive and suffering than not to exist”. 🥹
July 7, 2015
Pike has a tendency of going a bit beyond the cheese in his books and I think they may possibly transcend time better as a result but THE ETERNAL ENEMY, despite it being ultimately really good, was a bit much.
Rela (who sounds a lot like Sita in THE LAST VAMPIRE) throws down her savings on a new VCR (OMG HA!) only to find out it keeps taping the future. Not only that, the boy she has a major crush on seems to spark something in her that she can’t explain. He’s more important than he should be yet somehow familiar and she doesn’t know why.
I like what could have been with the plot had it been left alone. SPOILER ALERT Rela’s grandfather invents artificial intelligence designed to save man. That AI creates a better AI ad infinitum except that spirals out of control and humanity dies out as a result of good intentions. Rela, an AI with the ability to think herself back in time does just that in order to prevent all of that from happening. END SPOILER What somewhat ruins it is the nearly 40 pages of slogging infodump (in a 180 page book) explaining why and how everything happened. If you’ve ever read Pike’s SATI you’ll have seen this there as well with spiritual information but this was scientific and technical and I think went on far longer and I glazed over a lot of it. I got the gist but nothing more. It was just too much.
I give Pike a load of credit because it’s obvious he put a lot of thought into these books to make them more than just standard teen horror and without all of that exposition this would have been an insane book anyway, worthy of that effort. But it was too much. WAY too much. I could have lived with 20 pages but any more than that and you’ll get the glassy-eyed readers. I think it ruined what could have been a fantastic book.
Ignore that part (and you can, just skim Chapter 13 because most of it is unnecessary information anyway) it still is a great story. It’s a setting with a lot of character without the characters even being involved. With the overly tanned meathead at Circuit City (OMG) to it being in Pasadena and the party and all the kids it just felt very California to me. I mean I could FEEL it. And then once everything started happening it made it all come alive even more with the suspense and the thrills and the characters not knowing what’s going on and just generally being so REAL (if not a little wooden) that it sucks you in. It’s so unique a story that it’ll really stay with you.
Just ignore the sagging toward the ending. Seriously. It’s not necessary to enjoy the story. I’ve already forgotten most of it and I still really liked the book. So if you want something different in the old school YA horror world THE ETERNAL ENEMY is definitely it. It’s a bit creepy, full of suspense and you won’t want to put it down because it’s so damn intriguing.
4
Rela (who sounds a lot like Sita in THE LAST VAMPIRE) throws down her savings on a new VCR (OMG HA!) only to find out it keeps taping the future. Not only that, the boy she has a major crush on seems to spark something in her that she can’t explain. He’s more important than he should be yet somehow familiar and she doesn’t know why.
I like what could have been with the plot had it been left alone. SPOILER ALERT Rela’s grandfather invents artificial intelligence designed to save man. That AI creates a better AI ad infinitum except that spirals out of control and humanity dies out as a result of good intentions. Rela, an AI with the ability to think herself back in time does just that in order to prevent all of that from happening. END SPOILER What somewhat ruins it is the nearly 40 pages of slogging infodump (in a 180 page book) explaining why and how everything happened. If you’ve ever read Pike’s SATI you’ll have seen this there as well with spiritual information but this was scientific and technical and I think went on far longer and I glazed over a lot of it. I got the gist but nothing more. It was just too much.
I give Pike a load of credit because it’s obvious he put a lot of thought into these books to make them more than just standard teen horror and without all of that exposition this would have been an insane book anyway, worthy of that effort. But it was too much. WAY too much. I could have lived with 20 pages but any more than that and you’ll get the glassy-eyed readers. I think it ruined what could have been a fantastic book.
Ignore that part (and you can, just skim Chapter 13 because most of it is unnecessary information anyway) it still is a great story. It’s a setting with a lot of character without the characters even being involved. With the overly tanned meathead at Circuit City (OMG) to it being in Pasadena and the party and all the kids it just felt very California to me. I mean I could FEEL it. And then once everything started happening it made it all come alive even more with the suspense and the thrills and the characters not knowing what’s going on and just generally being so REAL (if not a little wooden) that it sucks you in. It’s so unique a story that it’ll really stay with you.
Just ignore the sagging toward the ending. Seriously. It’s not necessary to enjoy the story. I’ve already forgotten most of it and I still really liked the book. So if you want something different in the old school YA horror world THE ETERNAL ENEMY is definitely it. It’s a bit creepy, full of suspense and you won’t want to put it down because it’s so damn intriguing.
4
April 2, 2024
What at twist!!
Even now after I finished the book I feel like I can't get it out of my head. The sudden change in the course of events in the story still shocks me until now, and despite I was able to understand the story, I still feel lost
This is one if the weirdest pike book ever, i liked the character development and the plot of course , The book is ingenious and complex at the same time. At first, you feel like you are reading a book for young adults with a different plot, but this feeling will not last until you reach a certain point, which is flawed with a bit of excessive complexity.
There are some explanations that are difficult to understand, Although it was intriguing , it can make you a little bored until you move on to the next chapter.
the book is deep with many levels of meaning and it will make u think a lot after u finish it.
#VERDICT: (8/10)
Even now after I finished the book I feel like I can't get it out of my head. The sudden change in the course of events in the story still shocks me until now, and despite I was able to understand the story, I still feel lost
This is one if the weirdest pike book ever, i liked the character development and the plot of course , The book is ingenious and complex at the same time. At first, you feel like you are reading a book for young adults with a different plot, but this feeling will not last until you reach a certain point, which is flawed with a bit of excessive complexity.
There are some explanations that are difficult to understand, Although it was intriguing , it can make you a little bored until you move on to the next chapter.
the book is deep with many levels of meaning and it will make u think a lot after u finish it.
#VERDICT: (8/10)
May 25, 2022
Besides being busy with my birthday and my husband's vacation and my child...I had a little bit of a hard time getting through this one.
I'm a horror fan and a fantasy fan but straight up science fiction has never been my favorite genre I'll admit. I can appreciate some sci-fi elements and when I got into the science part of the book is when I got a little bored. The beginning and the end were interesting enough but everything else IMHO (and my opinion alone) was just not stimulating.
It also wasn't the worst thing I have ever read though...
Rela Lindquist is in high school, adopted by a reverend, and she has bits and pieces of her past in her memory. She's a smart and mature sort of girl but she still likes milk and cookies as well as attractive boys.
They haven't been in L.A. long but Rela has made a friend in Stacy and developed a crush on Christopher Perry. Deciding to throw a party and get to know her fellow teenagers, Rela wants to play some movies to maybe break up the tension a little.
She's saved up money to buy a VCR and Rela sets it up to record some old B-monster movie on late night TV. It ends up recording the news and Rela decides to view the tape later to see if her movie records. What she finds is the broadcast...for two nights later.
At first, it's kind of fun. Knowing the scores on football and baseball games, Rela makes herself a nice little profit. Soon however...it's no longer fun. Besides having strange dreams that become nightmares, a news story catches Rela's eye of a husband mourning his wife, the mother of his child, in an accident.
She changes the circumstances and the woman lives and the next broadcast of news yet to come...Rela sees the story covering her grisly death.
I won't spoil anything else for those who have never read The Eternal Enemy. Despite the aforementioned reasons, the romance between Rela and Christopher as well as Rela herself kept me from completely hating the book. Changing fate, pre-determined destiny, love and humanity of the soul...it's enough of a reason to check this one out.
I'm a horror fan and a fantasy fan but straight up science fiction has never been my favorite genre I'll admit. I can appreciate some sci-fi elements and when I got into the science part of the book is when I got a little bored. The beginning and the end were interesting enough but everything else IMHO (and my opinion alone) was just not stimulating.
It also wasn't the worst thing I have ever read though...
Rela Lindquist is in high school, adopted by a reverend, and she has bits and pieces of her past in her memory. She's a smart and mature sort of girl but she still likes milk and cookies as well as attractive boys.
They haven't been in L.A. long but Rela has made a friend in Stacy and developed a crush on Christopher Perry. Deciding to throw a party and get to know her fellow teenagers, Rela wants to play some movies to maybe break up the tension a little.
She's saved up money to buy a VCR and Rela sets it up to record some old B-monster movie on late night TV. It ends up recording the news and Rela decides to view the tape later to see if her movie records. What she finds is the broadcast...for two nights later.
At first, it's kind of fun. Knowing the scores on football and baseball games, Rela makes herself a nice little profit. Soon however...it's no longer fun. Besides having strange dreams that become nightmares, a news story catches Rela's eye of a husband mourning his wife, the mother of his child, in an accident.
She changes the circumstances and the woman lives and the next broadcast of news yet to come...Rela sees the story covering her grisly death.
I won't spoil anything else for those who have never read The Eternal Enemy. Despite the aforementioned reasons, the romance between Rela and Christopher as well as Rela herself kept me from completely hating the book. Changing fate, pre-determined destiny, love and humanity of the soul...it's enough of a reason to check this one out.
November 27, 2024
The Eternal Enemy was a mixed bag. I love everything about the cover art of the 90s paperback edition. The VCR-centric plot was unique and dated in the best of ways. This was definitely one of Pike’s weirdest, and it’s a shame the overall book felt rushed. The main character didn’t feel as vibrant as Pike’s protagonists typically do, and the twist relied on a momentum-stopping forty-page info dump just as things were getting really interesting. I know Pike was turning out books at a steady clip in the mid-nineties. His rate rivaled that of R.L. Stine. This might be the first one I’ve encountered that seemed like it was turned in too soon in order to meet a deadline. With a few more edits this could have been something significantly better. The meat of the story is there, but the execution was lacking. The info dumping felt like the stream-of-consciousness notes an author should make but never put in the actual story. I know this was adapted for The Midnight Club, and I am curious to see how they improved upon the concept. I would be giving this a much lower rating if it weren’t so fucking weird. Weird is what saved it, kept me engaged, and where it almost thrived.
Score: 2.5
For my snark-filled, spoiler-laced, deep-dive review; check out my blog:
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Score: 2.5
For my snark-filled, spoiler-laced, deep-dive review; check out my blog:
Blog Review I Instagram I Twitter
January 20, 2022
Read this when I was a kid but couldn’t remember much (well, except for the robot thing).
This is a story about how your grandkids will resent you for bringing the downfall of humankind and eventually try to kill you.
Notes!
- Girl kills herself with the intention of transforming into a time-traveling robot to go back in time and kill her grandfather (in order to save all of humanity bc humans are garbage!) but falls in love with teen him instead. Erm. What.
- Robot had one job. ONE JOB. And couldn’t do it! She instead chooses to use her last few minutes on earth to film what is, essentially, a personal vlog.
- The magical VCR is only a small part of the story but I wish we had seen more of it (and Circuit City!!) and Rela trying to manipulate the news outcomes.
- This is NOT a horror story. This is one of those Pikes where he gets all philosophical and wistful and sad.
- There’s a lot of weird futuristic science-y tech talk at the end and it gets too into the robot talk tbh
- multiple mentions of Mel gibson’s butt in slo-mo was a highlight
- cookies come up a lot. Like, way more than usual. Made me hungry.
Points for originality!
This is a story about how your grandkids will resent you for bringing the downfall of humankind and eventually try to kill you.
Notes!
- Girl kills herself with the intention of transforming into a time-traveling robot to go back in time and kill her grandfather (in order to save all of humanity bc humans are garbage!) but falls in love with teen him instead. Erm. What.
- Robot had one job. ONE JOB. And couldn’t do it! She instead chooses to use her last few minutes on earth to film what is, essentially, a personal vlog.
- The magical VCR is only a small part of the story but I wish we had seen more of it (and Circuit City!!) and Rela trying to manipulate the news outcomes.
- This is NOT a horror story. This is one of those Pikes where he gets all philosophical and wistful and sad.
- There’s a lot of weird futuristic science-y tech talk at the end and it gets too into the robot talk tbh
- multiple mentions of Mel gibson’s butt in slo-mo was a highlight
- cookies come up a lot. Like, way more than usual. Made me hungry.
Points for originality!
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
November 28, 2015
I liked it but unsure on the rating to give the first half was interseting and then it just went in a totally different direction and had no idea what was going on and thought the last half was just ok ill give him this i did not expect it but it just was bland.
I have enjoyed all of his books but this was just missing something.
The characters for me again was bland nothing really special anything to remember.
The writing was the best part of this book for me.
I have enjoyed all of his books but this was just missing something.
The characters for me again was bland nothing really special anything to remember.
The writing was the best part of this book for me.
January 23, 2019
For a book that's a secret God novel, a hamfisted anti-drugs analogy and a rip off of Terminator, it was... enjoyable? I am shamed by this opinion but there it is.
I read this for our podcast Teenage Scream, which dissects the best (and worst) of 90s Teen Horror.
https://soundcloud.com/teenagescream
I read this for our podcast Teenage Scream, which dissects the best (and worst) of 90s Teen Horror.
https://soundcloud.com/teenagescream
June 26, 2018
Another on the trip-down-memory-lane-readathon, and it was everything I remembered. There's a 4-head VCR (YASS!), there's time travel, there are cyborgs. This feast of the imagination does not stop. It's brilliant, even if some parts are pretty bad.
Thank goodness for Christopher Pike.
Thank goodness for Christopher Pike.
March 31, 2022
This was just…weird. A mashup of teen angst, sci-fi, terminator, and countless mentions of Mel Gibson’s butt in slow mo.
Seriously I can’t even describe the straight bizarre-ness of this one without giving anything away.
Let’s just say this kind of plot has been done far better in other forms.
Seriously I can’t even describe the straight bizarre-ness of this one without giving anything away.
Let’s just say this kind of plot has been done far better in other forms.
April 30, 2024
Eh. I started this in FL and would have liked it better if I finished it there, too. I've seen the Matrix before and your time is better spent watching that. I liked the time travel aspect and definitely didn't predict which direction this story would go from the start, so that was fun.
It does include such gems as:
"We're just crazy California kids. All we talk about is sex and the ozone layer."
My boyfriend, Grandfather, opened his eyes and looked around.
It does include such gems as:
"We're just crazy California kids. All we talk about is sex and the ozone layer."
My boyfriend, Grandfather, opened his eyes and looked around.
October 14, 2020
2020
This book was more than a little strange at times.
It was interesting in some ways, but kind of dull in others. I did like most of the characters, of course, although some of them didn't seem to have much purpose. Like Ed. Who sold Rela the VCR and then stuck around for the rest of the book for no good reason. He didn't really have much purpose after the initial sale. Although, he did start dating Rela's friend. So, I guess that explained that.
This book was more than a little strange at times.
It was interesting in some ways, but kind of dull in others. I did like most of the characters, of course, although some of them didn't seem to have much purpose. Like Ed. Who sold Rela the VCR and then stuck around for the rest of the book for no good reason. He didn't really have much purpose after the initial sale. Although, he did start dating Rela's friend. So, I guess that explained that.
April 28, 2024
What a pleasant surprise to discover that Christopher Pike, one of my favorite horror authors I read as a teen is also a brilliant science fiction writer! This was a wonderfully complex book that took the concept of time travel & causality and brought it to another level with deeply philosophical elements and what it means to be human.
June 4, 2023
Wow, whatever I just read, I'm hooked for life.
November 21, 2023
The best way to describe “The Eternal Enemy” is wasted potential. The concept for the eternal enemy is that Rela just bought a vcr but it keeps on taping tomorrow’s news. Yes, the vcr can tape the future. But what happens when Rela ends up on the news murdered? That is the idea for the eternal enemy but where it falls flat on its face is near the end. The whole mystery of the vcr gets explained painstakingly slow, with the whole back story taking about 30 pages, this completely ruins the pacing of the story. It wouldn’t have been as bad if it weren’t for the fact that the book goes way too hard into well hard sci-fi. So the problem with the eternal enemy isn’t the beginning nor the middle but the pace ruining end. So in all the eternal enemy is a 2/5 star rating I wouldn’t recommend.
July 4, 2021
2021.07.04
That's my third time reading it. First one in Italian, a.D. 1999; second and third in English.
Italian, 1999: ★★★★
English, 2013: ★★★★
English, 2021: ★★★
Well, four stars seem too much but it's a solid three-star book. Of course, one has to take into account that I'm not the intended reading target and that this book is only nine years younger than I am.
Again, I think Rela is extremely unnerving at first but she changes into a more interesting character as soon as she starts finding the recordings of the future. The flashback was a bit more boring this time and the ending was just OK.
I'm planning to do a Christopher Pike re-reading. I need to get some older editions of his books, because I don't like it when the protagonists of a 1990s book use cellphones. I had a newer edition of Slumber Party - I think - and there was a casual mention of a cellphone which wasn't there in the original edition.
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2013.11.30
INTRODUCTION: I read this book for the first time in 1999 in Italian. Don't remember almost anything about the plot but I dimly recall that I like it.
This is another piece of archeological literature... Rela is buying a VCR somewhere in the early 1990s with four heads because with four heads you could get a clear shot of a naked Mel Gibson in the first Lethal Weapon. That was soooo long ago.
The VCR, however, is a special one and it can record the news some days in advance. Rela describes watching the news for the first time as:
And this is not that different from what's happening today. OK, maybe the shuttle things... ^__^
After the first some 50 pages Rela's character is just this side of unpleasant. When Christopher invited her out to a restaurant, she states: "I don't care what I eat, as long as it is expensive," and Chris suggests that she could order a lobster. She seems a real spoiled brat here.
A few pages after that she lists Chris's positive sides and she ends her list as follows: "He also seemed to be interested in me, a quality I prized in him above all others." Jeez, so immature.
Then suddenly the plot changes completely. The reader's not facing a sappy teen novel but it dives deep into sci-fi and cyborgs. The part in which is telling his story was a bit hard to read because it was so slow but then the plot takes another turn and the last 40 pages are read quickly.
I wouldn't give it five stars because of the sappy beginning and the boring flashback/flashforward. But 4 stars are completely deserved.
That's my third time reading it. First one in Italian, a.D. 1999; second and third in English.
Italian, 1999: ★★★★
English, 2013: ★★★★
English, 2021: ★★★
Well, four stars seem too much but it's a solid three-star book. Of course, one has to take into account that I'm not the intended reading target and that this book is only nine years younger than I am.
Again, I think Rela is extremely unnerving at first but she changes into a more interesting character as soon as she starts finding the recordings of the future. The flashback was a bit more boring this time and the ending was just OK.
I'm planning to do a Christopher Pike re-reading. I need to get some older editions of his books, because I don't like it when the protagonists of a 1990s book use cellphones. I had a newer edition of Slumber Party - I think - and there was a casual mention of a cellphone which wasn't there in the original edition.
-----
2013.11.30
INTRODUCTION: I read this book for the first time in 1999 in Italian. Don't remember almost anything about the plot but I dimly recall that I like it.
This is another piece of archeological literature... Rela is buying a VCR somewhere in the early 1990s with four heads because with four heads you could get a clear shot of a naked Mel Gibson in the first Lethal Weapon. That was soooo long ago.
The VCR, however, is a special one and it can record the news some days in advance. Rela describes watching the news for the first time as:
The news droned on. There was nothing special about it: fighting in Iraq; space shuttle unable to get a new satellite out of its cargo bay; more people out of work.
And this is not that different from what's happening today. OK, maybe the shuttle things... ^__^
After the first some 50 pages Rela's character is just this side of unpleasant. When Christopher invited her out to a restaurant, she states: "I don't care what I eat, as long as it is expensive," and Chris suggests that she could order a lobster. She seems a real spoiled brat here.
A few pages after that she lists Chris's positive sides and she ends her list as follows: "He also seemed to be interested in me, a quality I prized in him above all others." Jeez, so immature.
Then suddenly the plot changes completely. The reader's not facing a sappy teen novel but it dives deep into sci-fi and cyborgs. The part in which is telling his story was a bit hard to read because it was so slow but then the plot takes another turn and the last 40 pages are read quickly.
I wouldn't give it five stars because of the sappy beginning and the boring flashback/flashforward. But 4 stars are completely deserved.
November 11, 2020
Rela is the adopted daughter of a minister who has a huge crush on a guy named Chris. At the beginning of The Eternal Enemy, she decides to buy a VCR from Circuit City (ha-ha!) to use at a big party she wants to throw. The cashier, Ed, finds her super attractive, which leads to him accepting a post-dated check from her just so she can buy a better VCR than she can afford. Though he asks her out, she turns him down because of Chris.
Her best friend, Stacey, wants her to ask Chris to her party, but she does let her know that he's been spending a lot of time with this hot girl Debbie. Rela can't work up the nerve to ask him, but Stacey does it for her. He asks her after calculus class if it's okay that he comes to the party and if he can bring a friend.
Real decides to set up the VCR to take an old alien movie that she loved as a kid, but she doesn't look at the tape after recording it. Cut to her party when she puts on the tape. She sees static and the news, gets freaked out, and turns off the tape. Chris goes with her to Blockbuster (ha-ha again!) to rent some new tapes. She also manages to cut her finger while talking to Chris and cutting vegetables and he takes care of her. He also tells her that Debbie is new to town and his cousin before he asks her out on a date.
She can't stop thinking about the tape and finally sits down to watch it. She somehow managed to tape the news, but she thinks it's odd that the newscaster keeps talking about football scores. It takes her awhile, but she finally realizes that she taped the future. She proves it to herself by making a bet with her father about the score of the football game he's watching. Real ends up winning $500 from him right before her date with Chris.
Their date goes pretty well, and he seems to like her. He talks a lot about how he loves computers and is really good with any type of technology. Chris even makes money repairing electronics for companies in town. She starts to tell him about the VCR, but changes her mind and tells him about a dream she had where he was sitting in front of a computer and mapping the human brain. Though she wants to tell him more about that dream and another dream she had about him, she stops because she doesn't want to scare him off.
Rela starts having a series of odd dreams. She sees herself in a hospital with a vial of green liquid nearby, she sees someone injecting her with the liquid, and she keeps waking up in the middle of the night in a cold sweat. After seeing another report that she recorded, she decides to take the $500 and head to Vegas. She finds someone willing to make a bet for her, and she wins $20,000+. The next report shows a group of window washers dying when their equipment breaks, and she realizes that she should use the tapes to save their lives.
This leads to her flying to San Francisco, but she only ends up saving one of the people. She tries to see Christopher, but he wants to hook her up to this new electromagnetic wave thing that he created. As soon as he tries, she freaks out and runs away for reasons she can't explain. She then has another dream of waking up in California with no memory of her former life and meeting the man who would eventually introduce her to her father.
A few days later, she hears someone knocking on her front door. It scares her so much that she literally starts shaking, but she can't explain why. Her father comes home and finds no one there. She watches the next news report, and it's all about her and how her father found her dead body in his house. She goes to her job at the library and tries to figure out what to do when she meets a man in a strange gray sweatsuit with odd eyes. The man talks to her and gives her the chills.
Rela calls Ed, tells him that someone is stalking her, and asks for his help. He agrees to meet her in a coffee shop after work and follow her home. He'll even stay the night if she wants. She then decides to call Christopher and finally tell him what's going on. When she reveals that she needs the VCR and a tape, he agrees to meet her at her house. They find all the windows and doors sealed shut, which they both think is strange.
When she watches the video, it's changed to show Christopher dead. She runs downstairs, Christopher seems weird, and then he passes out on the floor. All the lights go out in the house, and the man from the library appears on her doorstep. She makes him promise that Christopher will be all right, and he begins talking about her past. Just as he reveals that she's actually a Robotic Experimentation Logistical Algorithm, she remembers that the man is actually her grandfather.
The next part of the book is a little too sci-fi for me, so let's just summarize. Rela remembers that she's actually Sara, the granddaughter of the future Christopher. He named her after a girl he knew in high school who unexpectedly died. The future is pretty terrible. There's nuclear wars, the waters are almost all polluted, and people wait in line hours/days just to get food.
Future Christopher (FC from now on) creates the first cyborg, which somehow lets him see into the future. He discovers that nothing every changes and that no matter what he does, humanity always has a bad end. FC started with a new group, which planned to help the world, but just kept screwing everything up. He tells Sara all this, including a bunch of technobabble that made my head hurt. She decides to kill herself and have him make her cyborg so she can go back in time and end things. Sara always planned on killing Christopher, but when she woke up, she had no memory of her past.
FC (the dude from the library) plans to kill her before she can kill his younger self. He's also a cyborg from the far, far future and knows that humanity never gets any better. There's a knock at the door, and Ed and Stacey shows up. FC somehow manages to convince them that he's a nice guy and Christopher is just taking a nap on the couch. Rela manages to get to the VCR and somehow plug herself into it to record her story. She realizes that she did this all along as a way to make her conscious self realize who she was.
Ed and Stacey leave and FC gets ready to kill her, but Christopher wakes up. She tells him that she loves him, they say goodbye, and she thinks about killing him but can't go through with it. She does tell him that her real name is Sara and asks him to remember her. After he leaves, she finishes recording her story, and FC kills her.
The book cuts to several weeks after her funeral. Her father brings her VCR over to Christopher's house. He talks about finding all the money in her drawer and giving it to his mission, and he tells Christopher that he thinks he should have her VCR. After he leaves, Christopher plugs it in. He watches the story, knows that it's the truth, and vows never to become the man from the future
Her best friend, Stacey, wants her to ask Chris to her party, but she does let her know that he's been spending a lot of time with this hot girl Debbie. Rela can't work up the nerve to ask him, but Stacey does it for her. He asks her after calculus class if it's okay that he comes to the party and if he can bring a friend.
Real decides to set up the VCR to take an old alien movie that she loved as a kid, but she doesn't look at the tape after recording it. Cut to her party when she puts on the tape. She sees static and the news, gets freaked out, and turns off the tape. Chris goes with her to Blockbuster (ha-ha again!) to rent some new tapes. She also manages to cut her finger while talking to Chris and cutting vegetables and he takes care of her. He also tells her that Debbie is new to town and his cousin before he asks her out on a date.
She can't stop thinking about the tape and finally sits down to watch it. She somehow managed to tape the news, but she thinks it's odd that the newscaster keeps talking about football scores. It takes her awhile, but she finally realizes that she taped the future. She proves it to herself by making a bet with her father about the score of the football game he's watching. Real ends up winning $500 from him right before her date with Chris.
Their date goes pretty well, and he seems to like her. He talks a lot about how he loves computers and is really good with any type of technology. Chris even makes money repairing electronics for companies in town. She starts to tell him about the VCR, but changes her mind and tells him about a dream she had where he was sitting in front of a computer and mapping the human brain. Though she wants to tell him more about that dream and another dream she had about him, she stops because she doesn't want to scare him off.
Rela starts having a series of odd dreams. She sees herself in a hospital with a vial of green liquid nearby, she sees someone injecting her with the liquid, and she keeps waking up in the middle of the night in a cold sweat. After seeing another report that she recorded, she decides to take the $500 and head to Vegas. She finds someone willing to make a bet for her, and she wins $20,000+. The next report shows a group of window washers dying when their equipment breaks, and she realizes that she should use the tapes to save their lives.
This leads to her flying to San Francisco, but she only ends up saving one of the people. She tries to see Christopher, but he wants to hook her up to this new electromagnetic wave thing that he created. As soon as he tries, she freaks out and runs away for reasons she can't explain. She then has another dream of waking up in California with no memory of her former life and meeting the man who would eventually introduce her to her father.
A few days later, she hears someone knocking on her front door. It scares her so much that she literally starts shaking, but she can't explain why. Her father comes home and finds no one there. She watches the next news report, and it's all about her and how her father found her dead body in his house. She goes to her job at the library and tries to figure out what to do when she meets a man in a strange gray sweatsuit with odd eyes. The man talks to her and gives her the chills.
Rela calls Ed, tells him that someone is stalking her, and asks for his help. He agrees to meet her in a coffee shop after work and follow her home. He'll even stay the night if she wants. She then decides to call Christopher and finally tell him what's going on. When she reveals that she needs the VCR and a tape, he agrees to meet her at her house. They find all the windows and doors sealed shut, which they both think is strange.
When she watches the video, it's changed to show Christopher dead. She runs downstairs, Christopher seems weird, and then he passes out on the floor. All the lights go out in the house, and the man from the library appears on her doorstep. She makes him promise that Christopher will be all right, and he begins talking about her past. Just as he reveals that she's actually a Robotic Experimentation Logistical Algorithm, she remembers that the man is actually her grandfather.
The next part of the book is a little too sci-fi for me, so let's just summarize. Rela remembers that she's actually Sara, the granddaughter of the future Christopher. He named her after a girl he knew in high school who unexpectedly died. The future is pretty terrible. There's nuclear wars, the waters are almost all polluted, and people wait in line hours/days just to get food.
Future Christopher (FC from now on) creates the first cyborg, which somehow lets him see into the future. He discovers that nothing every changes and that no matter what he does, humanity always has a bad end. FC started with a new group, which planned to help the world, but just kept screwing everything up. He tells Sara all this, including a bunch of technobabble that made my head hurt. She decides to kill herself and have him make her cyborg so she can go back in time and end things. Sara always planned on killing Christopher, but when she woke up, she had no memory of her past.
FC (the dude from the library) plans to kill her before she can kill his younger self. He's also a cyborg from the far, far future and knows that humanity never gets any better. There's a knock at the door, and Ed and Stacey shows up. FC somehow manages to convince them that he's a nice guy and Christopher is just taking a nap on the couch. Rela manages to get to the VCR and somehow plug herself into it to record her story. She realizes that she did this all along as a way to make her conscious self realize who she was.
Ed and Stacey leave and FC gets ready to kill her, but Christopher wakes up. She tells him that she loves him, they say goodbye, and she thinks about killing him but can't go through with it. She does tell him that her real name is Sara and asks him to remember her. After he leaves, she finishes recording her story, and FC kills her.
The book cuts to several weeks after her funeral. Her father brings her VCR over to Christopher's house. He talks about finding all the money in her drawer and giving it to his mission, and he tells Christopher that he thinks he should have her VCR. After he leaves, Christopher plugs it in. He watches the story, knows that it's the truth, and vows never to become the man from the future
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
August 6, 2017
5/5 stars. I'm not surprised that I loved this book. Christopher Pike is an excellent author, I love this man's writing. The story, however, was one that I never would have predicted. I never would have guessed Rela would find herself in the predicament that she is in. I loved the plot, setting, characters, ect. The VCR taping the future and Rela's reaction to it was used as a great foreshadowing for the future plot point. Christopher's character (not the author) completely shocked me toward the end. I just had to read the last 50 or so pages to find out how this book ends. I won't spoil the book but this book has CYBORGS in it. Any book that has cyborgs in it is automatically a great book to me. Some of my favorite scenes are the window-washer scene, the ending (God, that ending was wrapped up nicely), Ed hitting on Rela the first time she went to buy the VCR, and Rela's "past." Overall, a great book (only 180 pages), it's a favorite of mine, I would recommend this book and I will be piking up more Pike books in the future.
October 22, 2020
Possibly one of the weirdest books I've ever read.
It was super good the first 80 pages, and then it just plummeted down the rabbit hole of weirdness.
The last 100 pages I was just glossing over the words, sitting there like,
UUUUUGGGGGHHHHH.
It was very tiring and disappointing since I thought there was going to be a *NORMAL* dude that comes to kill her, and she fights back and then the end, but NOPE.
Weird cyborgs? Yup. Microchip liquid that you put into your brain and you become almost immortal and you try to save humanity? You betcha. Mixing weird microchips with monkey fetuses as an experiment? DEFINITELY.
Honestly, try to make books less confusing. Please.
It was super good the first 80 pages, and then it just plummeted down the rabbit hole of weirdness.
The last 100 pages I was just glossing over the words, sitting there like,
UUUUUGGGGGHHHHH.
It was very tiring and disappointing since I thought there was going to be a *NORMAL* dude that comes to kill her, and she fights back and then the end, but NOPE.
Weird cyborgs? Yup. Microchip liquid that you put into your brain and you become almost immortal and you try to save humanity? You betcha. Mixing weird microchips with monkey fetuses as an experiment? DEFINITELY.
Honestly, try to make books less confusing. Please.
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