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The Grave
The grave is not the end of the story.
It begins with an innocent young man being led deep into the woods by a mysterious young lady. There he is attacked by a cruel cult, stripped of his clothes, thrown naked into a coffin, and buried alive to the sound of strange chants.
It continues with a pretty girl meeting a fascinating guy. A guy who is not like other guys. Who hardly seems to blink...or breathe, and who emits a cool presence even in the midday sun.
It ends in a nightmare. In a weird realm of existence where life and death mirror each other. Where the grave no longer promises any escape, from pleasure or pain.
It begins with an innocent young man being led deep into the woods by a mysterious young lady. There he is attacked by a cruel cult, stripped of his clothes, thrown naked into a coffin, and buried alive to the sound of strange chants.
It continues with a pretty girl meeting a fascinating guy. A guy who is not like other guys. Who hardly seems to blink...or breathe, and who emits a cool presence even in the midday sun.
It ends in a nightmare. In a weird realm of existence where life and death mirror each other. Where the grave no longer promises any escape, from pleasure or pain.
194 pages, Mass Market Paperback
First published September 1, 1999
8 people are currently reading
802 people want to read
About the author
Christopher Pike
261 books5,469 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 35 reviews
February 13, 2017
The Grave is imaginative but not Pike's best. I have to admit I still don't get all of it - it starts like a horror novel where a boy trusts the wrong girl and suffers for it in the worst possible way, skips to a tension filled twist as points of view shift to another troubled teen girl, and then finally the ending is a unique sci-fi, what-the-hell-just-happened wrap-up. It starts as a horror novel but ends as something completely different.
There's nothing wrong enough to put a precise finger on, but the story doesn't fully grab attention. Characters are fine, and I enjoyed how Pike put a troubled girl's mother in a unique situation that's rarely seen in YA novels (drug addiction). A lot of teens go through it but it's rarely covered. Keri isn't my favorite lead as she seems a little too impulsive, but I suppose by the length of the book some things were kind of rushed into.
From start to finish, the book has this grim feel overcoating it, even in the strange ending where things are kind of good again. Pike can't be faulted for not having imagination, even if this isn't a favorite of mine. I didn't see the twist ending and what it signified; it's not possible to guess it. The explanation of how the beings came to be brings his interest in science to the forefront. There's a mini heady battle between the bad and the good, but it's not so much about their internal war as it is for waiting to see what happens, what the eventual big reveal will be.
Overall it's a worthy read for Pike fans - it explores some questions and possibilities about life after death and where things begin/end.
June 23, 2019
It may well be the fault of the description on the back of the book but this story was not what I was expecting! It's hard to say much about it without giving spoilers so I'll put the rest of this review as a spoiler:
My favourite part was on page 30:
"We saw Kill the Cop by that new rap star Chrome Shoes. It was well written, a satire on ghetto violence. The audience clapped at the end. Some say it might get nominated for an Oscar."
My favourite part was on page 30:
"We saw Kill the Cop by that new rap star Chrome Shoes. It was well written, a satire on ghetto violence. The audience clapped at the end. Some say it might get nominated for an Oscar."
Read
September 15, 2015Horrible? Wonderful? I have no idea. All I know is that there are Christopher Pike books out there that I haven't read and I must read them all. Seriously, I thought I had read them all! Don't judge.
May 8, 2017
This book was stupid.. It started off somewhat interesting and deteriorated from that point on. This was probably the most disappointing book i've read by Pike and that's saying a lot, as I have always been a fan.
February 18, 2022
started off with a vague Lost Boys vibes which i liked but then turned into metaphysical scifi??? not into it.
November 4, 2024
Woo boy. I sent a paragraph to my roommate, and her response was, "What do you mean that's not one of your monsterfucker books??"
February 19, 2015
Was originally posted on Paranormal Sisters: http://paranormalsisters.blogspot.com...
I always assume that I know what's going to happen and how it'll play out but whenever I read page after page of Mr. Pike's works he always shows me how truly wrong I am. I think the reason I'm like this is because after reading so many books from one genre they can slowly all start to blend into one, following the same formula. I don't read a lot of suspense/thriller books so I shouldn't assume they'll follow the same way as young adult paranormal books haha.
The Grave was interesting, I was immediately hooked in by this mysterious girl that would soon lead Ted to his death. Then in the next chapter we meet our MC Keri. She's not like most teenagers, she has to work to pay her families bills and take care of her drug addict mother. She's got a lot going on so when Keri meets this mysterious college man she's instantly drawn to him, saying he isn't like the immature boys her age, and she sees him as a way of escape from her troubled reality. If she only knew she was going to get herself into more trouble.
Keri's character sometimes didn't think with her brain, the moment this mysterious guy walked into the record store where she worked all she thought about was stripping him of his clothes. She isn't someone that sleeps around. But she's done it a few times with her boyfriend and realized she wasn't satisfied and isn't really attracted to him in that way. Keri in the end is a cheater, in her head she broke it off with her boyfriend but she never truly sat him down and told him (that leads into trouble later on in the book) - which is why this character sometimes rubbed me the wrong way. Which is also why her sister says "You knew the guy wasn't normal. You were just lonely and horny that you went ahead and slept with him." Seriously you guys, so many red flags but Keri just wasn't thinking with her head.
Overall I truly did enjoy this, somethings may have rubbed me the wrong way- mainly Keri. But once the ball got rolling with her being kidnapped and then thrown into a freezer to die I just had to turn page after page to see what was going to happened next! As the mystery begin to unfold once Keri's changed happened I was shocked to find out how it all started, again I assumed in the beginning and it's never a good idea to assume haha. What she changed into was very interesting and with this she becomes stronger than ever so there are some bloody scenes, done really well I might add. Definitely brings the shock factor in! And I was constantly taken aback which kept me on my toes throughout the read! So if you enjoy suspense thriller reads that'll keep you guessing then this certainly is the book for you!
August 31, 2009
"The Grave" is an intriguing novel of immortality after death. Pike portrays his version of what a life after death would be like. At first a young man named Ted Lovett is lured into the woods by a mysterious woman that calls herself Dara. From there he is stripped naked and buried alive with a Satanic chant said over him.
Dara proves to be a stereotype of every other femme fatale that Pike had ever written about, her motives were there, and they held, but towards the second half of the book she became almost predictable. And you thought that your family had problems, try Dara's on for size. Try having a DNA harvesting father who screwed up making his terminally ill daughter immortal, who then killed her brother.
This one deals with some very interesting ideas about life an death and how they might not be as separate as we like to believe. The book really picked up for me during the conversation relating to the Lazarus9 formula. Modern fears about genetic engineering also play a big part, all mixed in with the usual high octane action and dynamic characters that always make his books a joy to read, no matter how shaky the storyline.
You will start out thinking you're reading a horror novel, but it will end on a mythological note of hope.
Book Details:
Title The Grave
Author Christopher Pike
Reviewed By Purplycookie
Dara proves to be a stereotype of every other femme fatale that Pike had ever written about, her motives were there, and they held, but towards the second half of the book she became almost predictable. And you thought that your family had problems, try Dara's on for size. Try having a DNA harvesting father who screwed up making his terminally ill daughter immortal, who then killed her brother.
This one deals with some very interesting ideas about life an death and how they might not be as separate as we like to believe. The book really picked up for me during the conversation relating to the Lazarus9 formula. Modern fears about genetic engineering also play a big part, all mixed in with the usual high octane action and dynamic characters that always make his books a joy to read, no matter how shaky the storyline.
You will start out thinking you're reading a horror novel, but it will end on a mythological note of hope.
Book Details:
Title The Grave
Author Christopher Pike
Reviewed By Purplycookie
January 7, 2024
This is the last book Pike published in quite a while, and what a note to end on.
This had nothing to do with ghosts, despite the cover. It's technically related to zombies, but feels much more like a vampire book.
Reactions, with spoilers, so i can remember what happened three months down the line:
Oh she's def pregnant
This is NOT what I expected
Stu's death is... something
Hlep pike should not talk about dna
I'm getting similar vibes to the last vampire (and twilight, of course. I rly should read anne rice to see if everyone is stealing from her).
"It makes you wonder if religious leaders of the past didn't understand this phenomena when they spoke of the need for the death of the flesh before the spirit could be reborn."
Keri nodded. "It makes me wonder if the authors of vampire stories didn't know what they were talking about."
Renesme 1.0
This was published years before Breaking Dawn but truly, nothing is new under the sun.
He was attracted to her because of how she smells?? I genuinely think Stephanie Meyer was a Pike fan.
She wills herself to dialate during the birth
He's Pan, not the devil, its all good, guys.
Listen I don't think Keri and Oscar/Ted are that compatible they're just trauma bonded
This had nothing to do with ghosts, despite the cover. It's technically related to zombies, but feels much more like a vampire book.
Reactions, with spoilers, so i can remember what happened three months down the line:
Oh she's def pregnant
This is NOT what I expected
Stu's death is... something
Hlep pike should not talk about dna
I'm getting similar vibes to the last vampire (and twilight, of course. I rly should read anne rice to see if everyone is stealing from her).
"It makes you wonder if religious leaders of the past didn't understand this phenomena when they spoke of the need for the death of the flesh before the spirit could be reborn."
Keri nodded. "It makes me wonder if the authors of vampire stories didn't know what they were talking about."
Renesme 1.0
This was published years before Breaking Dawn but truly, nothing is new under the sun.
He was attracted to her because of how she smells?? I genuinely think Stephanie Meyer was a Pike fan.
She wills herself to dialate during the birth
He's Pan, not the devil, its all good, guys.
Listen I don't think Keri and Oscar/Ted are that compatible they're just trauma bonded
September 19, 2020
Jeez. I love this goat-fucking sonofabitch.
June 7, 2024
The last of Christopher Pike's 1990s output after writing something almost every consecutive year since 1988.
I was just lucky to find this for a reasonable price...gift cards are nice for those used books that are just a little pricey.
You read the back of the book or you see the cover art and you believe you are in for a real horror fest and well...that is partly true. The nature of the plot is truly disturbing in some of its elements but of course Pike wouldn't be Pike without some sort of theological or scientific theme adjacent to teenage drama.
We get our first chapter of nineteen pages from the the omnipotent narrator telling us about Ted Lovett, doing an electrical job his first year of college studying engineering.
On said job he is asked for the time by a blonde babe we come to know as Dara Smith and Ted is hooked...love at first sight for the first time. Dara is calm, cool and collected but not so much that it would turn Ted off if she were a real bitch.
They go on a few dates and kiss and get to first base and a little of second but she isn't keen to meeting Ted's parents. He's an only child with older parents so you have to forgive his mother if she wouldn't notice that since Ted has been going out with Dara...he's changed.
Ted knows it too...odd dreams and trouble sleeping since they met and Dara is always telling him that he should stay away from her. If it is on the back of the book and in the first page that this girl is bad news I don't see any harm in telling you what happens...
Dara leads Ted into the woods and they are on the poor guy before Ted even knows what hit him as others strip him completely naked and then splatter him in fresh pig blood before nailing him into a coffin with Dara's face the last thing he sees alongside a young man who has an uncanny resemblance.
Ted hears some chanting and believes he is being sacrificed by Satanists before he meets his end.
The following chapter shifts focus to Keri Weir, seventeen in her last year of high school. Her family has never been California elite but she is not use to being so poor that she had to quit cheerleading to work full-time just to earn her own money working in a music store.
That's what happens when your dad runs off with another woman and gets married and has a new kid and your mother turns to drugs and prostitution in her depression. Keri's mother is so far gone on cocaine and alcohol that she could need a liver transplant the next time she passes out but her dad coughing up a dime would just go towards more drugs...
Keri could ask her boyfriend Clay Stanton for money but she doesn't want his charity because she's not sure she is even in love with him. He is nice and intelligent and devoted to Keri, he isn't fat or overweight but he could lay off the Dr. Peppers and Keri knows it would hurt him if she even mentioned being "just friends"...he is that sensitive.
Since middle school they have been dating but other guys hit on Keri all the time and she has to blow them off or else break Clay's heart. It doesn't help the day that the young man comes into the music store and just happens to look at the movies they have on sale...
Keri notices the intense, handsome looks of his lean and thin frame from his body to his hands and his face. This is the appearance of a tortured artist, sculptor or painter who gravitates to the old black and white classics that Keri can't help but strike up a conversation with him.
He introduces himself as Oscar and the conversation is brief with Keri even doubting if Oscar enjoyed talking to her at all or was just being polite. Oscar stays with Keri long after his physical body has left the store that when Clay comes to pick her up, Keri makes an excuse just to go home so she can think about why Oscar's voice sounds so familiar...
Taking another girl's shift to earn some extra money, Keri is excited to see Oscar come back to the store the following day but gives him space before approaching as he looks at more movies. He seems happy to see her and it leads to Keri agreeing to meet Oscar after her shift, the excuse to be that Keri wants to see Oscar's paintings.
Keri makes another excuse to Clay arriving like clockwork to pick her up and meets Oscar at the Starbucks. We do get to learn more about him: he paints in black and white because he is color-blind and that is all he sees. Keri also watches Oscar polish off three muffins with his coffee and learns his metabolism lets him eat like a pig and not gain any weight.
They do actually go back to his place and Keri sees that Oscar really is a talented artist and he earns money by selling his work to live in a condo and have a forty foot boat. They end up making love on that boat and we learn that it probably was not the best thing...
Keri gets home at dawn and finds Clay at her house but before they can even discuss where she has been inside, they find Keri's mother on the floor. Clad only in robe, barely breathing and a stream of blood out her nose...overdosed not on cocaine but heroin, confirmed once they get her to a hospital.
Her pusher and pimp switched up her cocaine for heroin as fault for not ponying up the money for her nose candy.
Keri's mother doesn't die but she has to stay in the hospital for observation and when that is done, Keri and Clay discuss what happened the night before. Upset but understanding, Clay leaves and they are no longer together so Keri is free to be with Oscar. Keri has no fear of being a one-night stand as Oscar calls her later and asks her to come to his place that evening.
What follows specifically might be a little triggering so I won't go into detail besides the fact that it would be hard not to spoil the rest of the plot...
Just imagine if your worst nightmare turned into something far worse but also brought about endless possibilities...for hope? Life and death, light and dark, good and evil, Heaven and Hell...that kind of thing.
I actually prefer it having a little bit of depth and gravitas instead of just blood and violence and sex even if they have become Pike's M.O. BUT after writing about it for almost ten years...who could blame him for switching up to more adult themes in his books for teens.
We all get older and I think it is actually BETTER to be my age now reading The Grave than having read it as a sixteen year old.
Am I alone in that assumption?
If you have never read The Grave, I wish you luck in finding it...I'm glad I did.
I was just lucky to find this for a reasonable price...gift cards are nice for those used books that are just a little pricey.
You read the back of the book or you see the cover art and you believe you are in for a real horror fest and well...that is partly true. The nature of the plot is truly disturbing in some of its elements but of course Pike wouldn't be Pike without some sort of theological or scientific theme adjacent to teenage drama.
We get our first chapter of nineteen pages from the the omnipotent narrator telling us about Ted Lovett, doing an electrical job his first year of college studying engineering.
On said job he is asked for the time by a blonde babe we come to know as Dara Smith and Ted is hooked...love at first sight for the first time. Dara is calm, cool and collected but not so much that it would turn Ted off if she were a real bitch.
They go on a few dates and kiss and get to first base and a little of second but she isn't keen to meeting Ted's parents. He's an only child with older parents so you have to forgive his mother if she wouldn't notice that since Ted has been going out with Dara...he's changed.
Ted knows it too...odd dreams and trouble sleeping since they met and Dara is always telling him that he should stay away from her. If it is on the back of the book and in the first page that this girl is bad news I don't see any harm in telling you what happens...
Dara leads Ted into the woods and they are on the poor guy before Ted even knows what hit him as others strip him completely naked and then splatter him in fresh pig blood before nailing him into a coffin with Dara's face the last thing he sees alongside a young man who has an uncanny resemblance.
Ted hears some chanting and believes he is being sacrificed by Satanists before he meets his end.
The following chapter shifts focus to Keri Weir, seventeen in her last year of high school. Her family has never been California elite but she is not use to being so poor that she had to quit cheerleading to work full-time just to earn her own money working in a music store.
That's what happens when your dad runs off with another woman and gets married and has a new kid and your mother turns to drugs and prostitution in her depression. Keri's mother is so far gone on cocaine and alcohol that she could need a liver transplant the next time she passes out but her dad coughing up a dime would just go towards more drugs...
Keri could ask her boyfriend Clay Stanton for money but she doesn't want his charity because she's not sure she is even in love with him. He is nice and intelligent and devoted to Keri, he isn't fat or overweight but he could lay off the Dr. Peppers and Keri knows it would hurt him if she even mentioned being "just friends"...he is that sensitive.
Since middle school they have been dating but other guys hit on Keri all the time and she has to blow them off or else break Clay's heart. It doesn't help the day that the young man comes into the music store and just happens to look at the movies they have on sale...
Keri notices the intense, handsome looks of his lean and thin frame from his body to his hands and his face. This is the appearance of a tortured artist, sculptor or painter who gravitates to the old black and white classics that Keri can't help but strike up a conversation with him.
He introduces himself as Oscar and the conversation is brief with Keri even doubting if Oscar enjoyed talking to her at all or was just being polite. Oscar stays with Keri long after his physical body has left the store that when Clay comes to pick her up, Keri makes an excuse just to go home so she can think about why Oscar's voice sounds so familiar...
Taking another girl's shift to earn some extra money, Keri is excited to see Oscar come back to the store the following day but gives him space before approaching as he looks at more movies. He seems happy to see her and it leads to Keri agreeing to meet Oscar after her shift, the excuse to be that Keri wants to see Oscar's paintings.
Keri makes another excuse to Clay arriving like clockwork to pick her up and meets Oscar at the Starbucks. We do get to learn more about him: he paints in black and white because he is color-blind and that is all he sees. Keri also watches Oscar polish off three muffins with his coffee and learns his metabolism lets him eat like a pig and not gain any weight.
They do actually go back to his place and Keri sees that Oscar really is a talented artist and he earns money by selling his work to live in a condo and have a forty foot boat. They end up making love on that boat and we learn that it probably was not the best thing...
Keri gets home at dawn and finds Clay at her house but before they can even discuss where she has been inside, they find Keri's mother on the floor. Clad only in robe, barely breathing and a stream of blood out her nose...overdosed not on cocaine but heroin, confirmed once they get her to a hospital.
Her pusher and pimp switched up her cocaine for heroin as fault for not ponying up the money for her nose candy.
Keri's mother doesn't die but she has to stay in the hospital for observation and when that is done, Keri and Clay discuss what happened the night before. Upset but understanding, Clay leaves and they are no longer together so Keri is free to be with Oscar. Keri has no fear of being a one-night stand as Oscar calls her later and asks her to come to his place that evening.
What follows specifically might be a little triggering so I won't go into detail besides the fact that it would be hard not to spoil the rest of the plot...
Just imagine if your worst nightmare turned into something far worse but also brought about endless possibilities...for hope? Life and death, light and dark, good and evil, Heaven and Hell...that kind of thing.
I actually prefer it having a little bit of depth and gravitas instead of just blood and violence and sex even if they have become Pike's M.O. BUT after writing about it for almost ten years...who could blame him for switching up to more adult themes in his books for teens.
We all get older and I think it is actually BETTER to be my age now reading The Grave than having read it as a sixteen year old.
Am I alone in that assumption?
If you have never read The Grave, I wish you luck in finding it...I'm glad I did.
September 6, 2015
I read this book when I was very young - probably too young for the subject matter, to be honest - and didn't always understand what the book was saying. However, the book really stuck with me. I remember the cover page and bits and pieces of the book so well, that now, at least 10 years later, I found myself googling it. The plot is unique and interesting, though it's more science fiction horror than just straight up horror. I can see where this book would not be for everyone, but I'm glad to have relocated it.
June 4, 2008
Nice little story. Weird ending and lots of little leaps in both plot and characterization that I found mildly off-putting, but it is what it is. Not Pike's best, but I've read far worse by other authors. Worth the 3 hours it took to read.
May 20, 2017
Action packed and a lot of fun. Classic Pike.
April 18, 2025
“She moved a step closer unexpectedly — it brought her pretty close indeed. He immediately noticed her breath, the smell of which was to remind him of Dara — peppermint candy kisses, all the promise just the smile of a pretty girl could bring to a lonely boy. He actually felt her breath on his cheek and wondered if she was interested in him. The thought, or something else, made him shiver.”
“The Grave” is a circa 1999 teen supernatural thriller by Christopher Pike. I actually had never read this one before, so I was pretty excited to have discovered it, one of his last YA horror novels before he moved onto other works; i.e. fantasy and adult horror apparently.
Pike’s use of language was just beautiful in this book. The imagery was top notch, the slow reveal of information gripping. A lot of the sentences seemed almost, to have perhaps, a wave form. Some sentences were simple statements. While many others weren’t. Indeed, there were many, that were broken up by commas, and that for me was the wave form. At least at times for me.
Anyway, digressing back to the beautiful and gripping language—here are a couple examples:
“‘Oh.’ She withdrew slightly and seemed sad. She stated at the sunlit ocean between the houses, glittering sunbeams on dreamy blue. She added,‘I haven’t eaten.’”
Or this bit:
“He hadn’t dated much and was clumsy around girls. Bit Dara didn’t seem to mind, although her gaze did stray back to the water. It seemed to hold a special fascination for her. A halo of melancholy clung to her — a wounded angel, he thought, hopefully one who needed his help.”
Beautiful bits in my opinion. Flashes of poetry or imagery wound about the banal inertia of the human social dance.
Of course, there is also plenty of philosophical and spiritual bits mixed in, as usual for Pike:
“In fact, if the world was any example, th gods were crazy. Love is seldom kind, he was to think later, when he was dying, choking on horror and slowly suffocating three feet under. Love killed more than it saved - it was a curse. When she touched him, although he did not know it, her curse entered into him and changed him forever.”
And then married to the strong writing, philosophic and spiritual flare is the perfect tension that Pike does so well, highlighted well here I think:
“‘You’re wrong. I know.’ She paused. ‘If you stay with me, you’ll die.’
He forced another laugh, although her words cut him cold. ‘How will I die?’
She turned and stared, the hateful moon in her eyes. ‘Horribly.’”
Intrigued? I know I was.
Having finished the work, I will state I’m not really sure what to think. It’s very different than what was expected from the beginning, not just in terms of story, but in genre. As with “Season of Passage” this seems to be where horror thrillers, fantasy, and sci-fi go to meet and throw a party. The brother sister duo also reminded me a bit of scavenger hunt, though I think Cessy and her brother were more well formed and written than Dara and her brother, at least from my take.
While some sections were very bold and forward thinking as far as the cultural consciousness that stories swim in is concerned, I kind of felt like some of it just didn’t jive as well as some of Pike’s more well known and beloved pieces. It started strong and it was interesting but … idk. *spoiler* it ended up reminding me of the novel “Vicious” more than anything in the last third, and I kind of wonder if this work helped inspire that work by a different author. If so, gotta respect the ideas in this story, ad Vicious is one of the best super hero stories I ever read. *end spoilers*
But for reviewing this story for what it is … I don’t know. I sort of felt like Dara’s character was inconsistent and there were some story and plot elements that came out feeling a bit silly at times. Not that it wasn’t enjoyable—it was a fast read and fun enough. I think I’ll give this one 3 out of 5 plot twists.
“The Grave” is a circa 1999 teen supernatural thriller by Christopher Pike. I actually had never read this one before, so I was pretty excited to have discovered it, one of his last YA horror novels before he moved onto other works; i.e. fantasy and adult horror apparently.
Pike’s use of language was just beautiful in this book. The imagery was top notch, the slow reveal of information gripping. A lot of the sentences seemed almost, to have perhaps, a wave form. Some sentences were simple statements. While many others weren’t. Indeed, there were many, that were broken up by commas, and that for me was the wave form. At least at times for me.
Anyway, digressing back to the beautiful and gripping language—here are a couple examples:
“‘Oh.’ She withdrew slightly and seemed sad. She stated at the sunlit ocean between the houses, glittering sunbeams on dreamy blue. She added,‘I haven’t eaten.’”
Or this bit:
“He hadn’t dated much and was clumsy around girls. Bit Dara didn’t seem to mind, although her gaze did stray back to the water. It seemed to hold a special fascination for her. A halo of melancholy clung to her — a wounded angel, he thought, hopefully one who needed his help.”
Beautiful bits in my opinion. Flashes of poetry or imagery wound about the banal inertia of the human social dance.
Of course, there is also plenty of philosophical and spiritual bits mixed in, as usual for Pike:
“In fact, if the world was any example, th gods were crazy. Love is seldom kind, he was to think later, when he was dying, choking on horror and slowly suffocating three feet under. Love killed more than it saved - it was a curse. When she touched him, although he did not know it, her curse entered into him and changed him forever.”
And then married to the strong writing, philosophic and spiritual flare is the perfect tension that Pike does so well, highlighted well here I think:
“‘You’re wrong. I know.’ She paused. ‘If you stay with me, you’ll die.’
He forced another laugh, although her words cut him cold. ‘How will I die?’
She turned and stared, the hateful moon in her eyes. ‘Horribly.’”
Intrigued? I know I was.
Having finished the work, I will state I’m not really sure what to think. It’s very different than what was expected from the beginning, not just in terms of story, but in genre. As with “Season of Passage” this seems to be where horror thrillers, fantasy, and sci-fi go to meet and throw a party. The brother sister duo also reminded me a bit of scavenger hunt, though I think Cessy and her brother were more well formed and written than Dara and her brother, at least from my take.
While some sections were very bold and forward thinking as far as the cultural consciousness that stories swim in is concerned, I kind of felt like some of it just didn’t jive as well as some of Pike’s more well known and beloved pieces. It started strong and it was interesting but … idk. *spoiler* it ended up reminding me of the novel “Vicious” more than anything in the last third, and I kind of wonder if this work helped inspire that work by a different author. If so, gotta respect the ideas in this story, ad Vicious is one of the best super hero stories I ever read. *end spoilers*
But for reviewing this story for what it is … I don’t know. I sort of felt like Dara’s character was inconsistent and there were some story and plot elements that came out feeling a bit silly at times. Not that it wasn’t enjoyable—it was a fast read and fun enough. I think I’ll give this one 3 out of 5 plot twists.
December 23, 2025
The first thing I was impressed about the book was the cover art. It was sinister and was creepy enough to make me buy it in the first place. But bear in mind, despite the cover and the title, there was nothing horrying about the plot. It leaned towards sci-fi over horror and because we knew the author was a fan of science fiction.
The plot was filled with plenty of gory scene that caught me by surprise evem for a teenage book. I would want to describe a scene where (in my own words) sounded like she kicked the guy in the nuts and ruptured his organ as he fell to the floor bleeding to death.
If you have read enough of Pike's YA book you would realized the habit of reserving a chapter to explain Crichton-style scientific breakthrough that explained the mystery behind everything.
Overall, this book was written like a low budget science fiction B-movie with limited cast and few areas for the casts to interact.
The plot was filled with plenty of gory scene that caught me by surprise evem for a teenage book. I would want to describe a scene where (in my own words) sounded like she kicked the guy in the nuts and ruptured his organ as he fell to the floor bleeding to death.
If you have read enough of Pike's YA book you would realized the habit of reserving a chapter to explain Crichton-style scientific breakthrough that explained the mystery behind everything.
Overall, this book was written like a low budget science fiction B-movie with limited cast and few areas for the casts to interact.
October 5, 2025
I'm not sure how it is that I don't go into Pike books expecting a formula I know he frequently uses....
The title almost never matters haha. There is oftentimes some seemingly off the wall sci fi piece.
Highlights:
Stupid horny 17 year old doing exactly the dumb horny stupid things a 17 year old will do.
An arm being ripped off.
Overdose.
Sometime almost rape-y and yes very gross/ick.
The DEVIL.
Birth. Ew.
Appalling parenting "skills".
Pike, I just can't quit you!
The title almost never matters haha. There is oftentimes some seemingly off the wall sci fi piece.
Highlights:
Stupid horny 17 year old doing exactly the dumb horny stupid things a 17 year old will do.
An arm being ripped off.
Overdose.
Sometime almost rape-y and yes very gross/ick.
The DEVIL.
Birth. Ew.
Appalling parenting "skills".
Pike, I just can't quit you!
March 10, 2019
Book started off great death in the first chapter characters were interesting then it happened... it turned into science fiction crap and the book was ruined for me. Ugh
September 30, 2020
love it. like just read it, it was so good I could not put it down.
November 14, 2021
Rated 2.5 really.
RTC.
RTC.
July 6, 2021
I probably read this in September 2001, when I was at the seaside after a trip to New York, where I tried to track down as many Christopher Pike books as possible. Didn't remember anything about it.
And now, thanks to Nenia's rereading project, I dug up my Christopher Pike books. He was the literary hero of my teen years... I loved his books so much. Alas, when I started traveling to English-speaking countries, it was already difficult to find his books in bookstores. But I managed to build quite a collection over time.
The first book I re-read was The Eternal Enemy, and now this. I had no expectations and yet it was sooooo good! And keep in mind I'm not the intended reading target.
The first chapter was so interesting that I kept turning page after page. It was so dark and... how can I explain this... while reading, you knew it would end badly and yet all you could do was read on. Then the focus shifts to Keri and the story changes.
Keri is living a difficult life: her mom's a drug addict and she
And now, thanks to Nenia's rereading project, I dug up my Christopher Pike books. He was the literary hero of my teen years... I loved his books so much. Alas, when I started traveling to English-speaking countries, it was already difficult to find his books in bookstores. But I managed to build quite a collection over time.
The first book I re-read was The Eternal Enemy, and now this. I had no expectations and yet it was sooooo good! And keep in mind I'm not the intended reading target.
The first chapter was so interesting that I kept turning page after page. It was so dark and... how can I explain this... while reading, you knew it would end badly and yet all you could do was read on. Then the focus shifts to Keri and the story changes.
Keri is living a difficult life: her mom's a drug addict and she
September 19, 2020
Read this a long time ago, but couldn’t remember any part of this story until nearly the end. Now I know why. Truly bizarre story with a very thin plot. What was the point of Dara’s sadistic undead army? Why the whole fake cult dramatics at the beginning? Superhuman zombie powers ?? A forced pregnancy ?? You gave birth to a fairy king who’s here to save the environment ? What is happening. Lazarus9 should’ve been a bigger part of the story imo. The ending is brief and fairly anticlimactic. So many pieces that don’t really fit together all that well.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
February 13, 2008
i read everything christopher pike wrote except a few books and am now on a mission to finish the rest. i read this on my plane ride and as always, it was great. love the horror/sci-fi with a twisted ending. cant wait to read the last few!
July 24, 2012
The Grave by Christopher Pike. A reread of a fun and gory story by my favorite writer. Interesting combination of horror with people coming back from the dead and an ending with an environmentally-conscious message.
July 7, 2008
Not as good as some of his others.
October 24, 2025
3.75 Amazing premise, meh characters, lacklustre ending.
Read
April 13, 2011This book was about a girl named Dara who ate peppermint constantly, which was also a fairly accurate description of me at the time that I read this.
March 3, 2017
I absolutely loved this and almost everything else by Pike that I read in middle school.
Read
July 1, 2011best book ever! it was super myseterious and i couldn't put it down
July 31, 2011
One of my favorite authors. Some stuff is brilliant, some is just bizarre.
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