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The Immortal
Josie is on vacation in Greece with her friend, her father and his girlfriend. While visiting the sacred island of Delos, she stumbles upon a statue of a goddess. She takes it with her when she leaves the island. The trouble starts. The Goddess wants something from Josie she doesn't want to give.
233 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 1993
18 people are currently reading
1235 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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January 14, 2024
But I wanted to give him a taste, so that later, when I gave him the real thing, he would want to marry me.
The Immortal
by Christopher Pike
This is such a tough book to rate. Realistically, it isn't one of his best. But there were many things I did like about it.
So I did not enjoy this book as much as other books by this author. I do have an idea of why that is.
First the good. It takes place in Greece and Pike nails the atmosphere. It is so interesting to read about the stunning beaches, Mythological statues and such. You kind of feel like you are right there.
However, I also felt the book was really almost two books in one. On the one hand, you have a fun and carefree book, clearly geared toward YA, about two best friends and their toxic relationship, competing for the attention of one guy.
But you also have the Mythological element. And while I love Mythology, I just did not feel it worked here.
I felt like the book went off the rails a bit. It started out good but went in a rather loopy direction and although I love love LOVE..Mythology..I did not feel that the direction it went in suited the book.
And though I love mythology, in this book, those were the parts that bored me most. I just felt if it was going to go that route, be a bit longer. Josie's dreams and visions were a bit tedious to read about. It also changed its tone (the book) so quickly.
Just to be clear..it is still worth reading. It does not have the depth of some of his other books. the dialogue..sorry..it's a little corny. And the book starts out as a light beach mystery and then morphs into something else all together.
I originally rated this a 2 but changed my rating. Why? Because I have reread twice and one does not do multiple rereads of a book that's a two. Yet it frustrated me. I kind of wish there had been two books, one a YA mystery on friendship and romance and the other a Mythological story. Putting the two together in such a short book did not work for me.
I still moderately enjoyed it because I am just a fan of this writer's work. And I loved the tropical setting. Josie herself is an interesting character.
SPOILERS:
The ending lost me entirely. I really did not care for it.(the ending).
I wont say it is a bad book because I seem to keep rereading. But it isn't the best of the best of Pike in my humble opinion..
The Immortal
by Christopher Pike
This is such a tough book to rate. Realistically, it isn't one of his best. But there were many things I did like about it.
So I did not enjoy this book as much as other books by this author. I do have an idea of why that is.
First the good. It takes place in Greece and Pike nails the atmosphere. It is so interesting to read about the stunning beaches, Mythological statues and such. You kind of feel like you are right there.
However, I also felt the book was really almost two books in one. On the one hand, you have a fun and carefree book, clearly geared toward YA, about two best friends and their toxic relationship, competing for the attention of one guy.
But you also have the Mythological element. And while I love Mythology, I just did not feel it worked here.
I felt like the book went off the rails a bit. It started out good but went in a rather loopy direction and although I love love LOVE..Mythology..I did not feel that the direction it went in suited the book.
And though I love mythology, in this book, those were the parts that bored me most. I just felt if it was going to go that route, be a bit longer. Josie's dreams and visions were a bit tedious to read about. It also changed its tone (the book) so quickly.
Just to be clear..it is still worth reading. It does not have the depth of some of his other books. the dialogue..sorry..it's a little corny. And the book starts out as a light beach mystery and then morphs into something else all together.
I originally rated this a 2 but changed my rating. Why? Because I have reread twice and one does not do multiple rereads of a book that's a two. Yet it frustrated me. I kind of wish there had been two books, one a YA mystery on friendship and romance and the other a Mythological story. Putting the two together in such a short book did not work for me.
I still moderately enjoyed it because I am just a fan of this writer's work. And I loved the tropical setting. Josie herself is an interesting character.
SPOILERS:
The ending lost me entirely. I really did not care for it.(the ending).
I wont say it is a bad book because I seem to keep rereading. But it isn't the best of the best of Pike in my humble opinion..
August 21, 2015
The fish, of course, made me feel kind of horny.
Why I read The Immortal : This was one of my favorite books when I was younger. I wanted to see if it held up with time.
How did it go? : The read went great, actually. I really don't remember Josie being such a narcissistic twat, but it makes sense that she was the way that she was with the way the direction of the story headed. If she'd been a selfless saint, the outcome wouldn't have been nearly as satisfying.
Oh sure, the book was outdated as hell. Every time one of the love interests was called Ralphy-boy, it made me grin. And I'm pretty sure that this passage would be skewered to death by any reviewer if it were to show up in a present day book :
But I wanted to give him a taste, so that later, when I gave him the real thing, he would want to marry me. Ralph had asked me to marry him after we had sex the first time.
That said, there was one thing that The Immortal had going for it which helped nullify how outdated the book was, and that was a great concept. The recipe for success included one part romance, one part horror, one part vacation adventure, one part bitter rivalry, and one part mythology.
I love books which choose to showcase the charms of another country. I also love mythology retold. I also love
That scene is the one thing I remembered about this book from twenty years ago, outside of the Greek location. That's how
If I was picking up this book for the first time in 2015, I'm not sure how I'd rate it. Maybe I'd go 3 stars for being a little outdated and because I wouldn't have appreciated the main character. Maybe I would go 4 because the way that the book comes to a head is crazy. Knowing now how offbeat this book was for the time period that it was written, I feel it deserving of a 4. And I had so much fun reliving the past. Every time something happened which I'd forgotten, and I remembered it all over, it made me happy.
What did fish have to do with anything, and why did they make Josie horny? Beats me. That's why I added the quote to my review. It was just one more thing about this book that was both charming and bizarre.
Early Christopher Pike (Christina Pike? Part of me thinks a woman wrote these books, or does he/she use ghostwriters?) books really had a hold on me back in the day. Back in the day, I force-threatened (bullied) my friends into reading The Immortal, as well as Chain Letter. It might soon be time to revisit Chain Letter again.
August 24, 2017
A fun teen read, though different to how I remember it!
I recently went on a binge-spend on Amazon, buying all the Christopher Pike books that I devoured as a youngster. This was one that I remembered loving as a teen, so I was keen to see how it stood up against the test of time.
There was much that I still really enjoyed about this book. The setting is great, the link to ancient greek gods a nice touch - and I liked the story interwoven with the main narrative, of Syrope and Phythia. I also liked the film her father was trying to write - some people in past reviews said they felt it was superfluous to the novel, but I felt it added another dimension to it, contrasting the future (space age, sci-fi etc.) with the present and the ancient past.
However, one thing I'll say - I never realised what a godawful meanie Josie was until now. My word she's a badly behaved young lady! Also, it seemed strange that she and Helen hardly seemed to get along at the start of the book (let alone the end) - why then, would you take someone you didn't like on holiday with you? Confusing.
But these are minor points. I still enjoyed the book, though granted, I didn't devour it whole like Whisper of Death (which still remains my favourite teen Pike book by a long way). It's a good, fun read - ideal for teens.
I recently went on a binge-spend on Amazon, buying all the Christopher Pike books that I devoured as a youngster. This was one that I remembered loving as a teen, so I was keen to see how it stood up against the test of time.
There was much that I still really enjoyed about this book. The setting is great, the link to ancient greek gods a nice touch - and I liked the story interwoven with the main narrative, of Syrope and Phythia. I also liked the film her father was trying to write - some people in past reviews said they felt it was superfluous to the novel, but I felt it added another dimension to it, contrasting the future (space age, sci-fi etc.) with the present and the ancient past.
However, one thing I'll say - I never realised what a godawful meanie Josie was until now. My word she's a badly behaved young lady! Also, it seemed strange that she and Helen hardly seemed to get along at the start of the book (let alone the end) - why then, would you take someone you didn't like on holiday with you? Confusing.
But these are minor points. I still enjoyed the book, though granted, I didn't devour it whole like Whisper of Death (which still remains my favourite teen Pike book by a long way). It's a good, fun read - ideal for teens.
May 20, 2019
Teenage girls are vessels for the spirits of immortal Greek goddesses who want to steal each other's boyfriends and feed each other ground up glass. Sounds about right.
August 28, 2015
I absolutely love this book! It's definitely my favorite of all of Pike's novels. The storyline is very unique, and deliciously neo-pagan (whether or not he meant it to be).
June 28, 2024
I love Greek mythology so much, so this was a fun book to read! Two best friends, Josie and Helen, go to Greece with Josie’s father and his girlfriend. Helen went the year before and came back with all sorts of amazing tales about her time there. So when they land and start exploring, Josie has a built-in tour guide. Helen meets with Tom, who she had a brief vacation fling with last year, but is dismayed when it becomes apparent that Tom and Josie are hitting it off far more than they ever did. Luckily, he has his friend Pascal to even the group out.
Josie begins to have strange dreams and visions about a goddess named Sryope. She’s quite shocked, having never studied any Greek mythology in her life, and is perplexed by the complexity of the visions and dreams. Strange things begin happening to Josie, and the more they do, the more certain she is that this is her destiny, being here. What that destiny is, she’s not quite sure. I hated Helen’s guts the entire book, but I only hated Josie about 60% of the time. This was super boring at times, but overall I really enjoyed it! Took me back to high school when I read it the first time!
Josie begins to have strange dreams and visions about a goddess named Sryope. She’s quite shocked, having never studied any Greek mythology in her life, and is perplexed by the complexity of the visions and dreams. Strange things begin happening to Josie, and the more they do, the more certain she is that this is her destiny, being here. What that destiny is, she’s not quite sure. I hated Helen’s guts the entire book, but I only hated Josie about 60% of the time. This was super boring at times, but overall I really enjoyed it! Took me back to high school when I read it the first time!
May 18, 2012
Read this back in 2004 or maybe early 2005 when I was going through my Pike phase, and loved it (I didn't want to put it down!), but I know well enough not to reread books I loved as a preteen or else it'll ruin it! :P
December 14, 2017
I hated the main character so much. The only parts I enjoyed in this were the Greek mythology parts.
October 30, 2017
I...didn't get this one.
I love Christopher Pike as evidenced by my fawning review of The Midnight Club and I continue to believe he should be taken much more seriously as an author. Many of his books are surprisingly moving and deep considering they're sold on the same shelf as Fear Street.
But The Immortal while touching on many of the same themes Pike often explores in his books, life beyond death, spiritual connection, and reincarnation it really, really falls flat in terms of story and character.
We're introduced to Josie who is heading for a Greecian vacation with her best friend Helen, her screenwriter dad and her dad's new girlfriend Silk. Right out of the gate my biggest issue is Josie's general unpleasantness. Before they've even arrived in Greece she's picking fights with her father's girlfriend who's only crime appears to be being her father's girlfriend and its pretty obvious she and Helen don't really like each other much. Josie, it turns out, has a tendency to steal Helen's boyfriends and Helen is insanely jealous of the smarter, more sophisticated and generally cooler Josie. She's just very catty and judgmental. I wouldn't hang out with her.
Then there's the story. Josie and her posse are just sort of hanging out in Greece, Josie and Helen duke it out over a boy, and they wind up visiting the island of Delos where Josie has a weird connection to the ruins there. She touches a column and gets filled with some sort of weird energy and a sense that she belongs there. Then she starts having visions of a young woman named Sryope, a demigoddess, who was put on trial by the gods for killing another demigoddess.
Clearly we're meant to draw parallels between Sryope and Josie's stories and indeed they're similar in the sense that Sryope and the demigoddess Phthia who's she's accused of killing got into similar catfights over a boy but it all gets very murky as to whether Josie and Helen ARE the demigoddesses or just possessed by them and we don't spend enough time with the gods and goddesses storyline to really work out what's going on there and then it all sort of just abruptly ends.
This was very disjointed and read much more like a story treatment than an actual novel. Pike has told similar stories with far more grace and style. This one I can't recommend.
I love Christopher Pike as evidenced by my fawning review of The Midnight Club and I continue to believe he should be taken much more seriously as an author. Many of his books are surprisingly moving and deep considering they're sold on the same shelf as Fear Street.
But The Immortal while touching on many of the same themes Pike often explores in his books, life beyond death, spiritual connection, and reincarnation it really, really falls flat in terms of story and character.
We're introduced to Josie who is heading for a Greecian vacation with her best friend Helen, her screenwriter dad and her dad's new girlfriend Silk. Right out of the gate my biggest issue is Josie's general unpleasantness. Before they've even arrived in Greece she's picking fights with her father's girlfriend who's only crime appears to be being her father's girlfriend and its pretty obvious she and Helen don't really like each other much. Josie, it turns out, has a tendency to steal Helen's boyfriends and Helen is insanely jealous of the smarter, more sophisticated and generally cooler Josie. She's just very catty and judgmental. I wouldn't hang out with her.
Then there's the story. Josie and her posse are just sort of hanging out in Greece, Josie and Helen duke it out over a boy, and they wind up visiting the island of Delos where Josie has a weird connection to the ruins there. She touches a column and gets filled with some sort of weird energy and a sense that she belongs there. Then she starts having visions of a young woman named Sryope, a demigoddess, who was put on trial by the gods for killing another demigoddess.
Clearly we're meant to draw parallels between Sryope and Josie's stories and indeed they're similar in the sense that Sryope and the demigoddess Phthia who's she's accused of killing got into similar catfights over a boy but it all gets very murky as to whether Josie and Helen ARE the demigoddesses or just possessed by them and we don't spend enough time with the gods and goddesses storyline to really work out what's going on there and then it all sort of just abruptly ends.
This was very disjointed and read much more like a story treatment than an actual novel. Pike has told similar stories with far more grace and style. This one I can't recommend.
December 20, 2013
the first book i finished in 2005 was the immortal by christopher pike. i read it back in 1993 when i was way in to mr. pike and was buying all of his books. i really liked it then. it was a little creepy, a little hot, and a good story. it made me obsessed with greece and for years i read about greece and researched the place and planned on going there. i would still like to go of course, but i'm no longer obsessed. when i read it recently, twelve years later, i realized how incredibly poorly written it is. i mean, yes, it is for young adults, but still, the rules of good writing should still apply, shouldn't they? i mean, the story was still vaguely intriguing, but i was so distracted by the grammar and writing errors (and i'm pretty persnickity about shit like that) that i just couldn't enjoy the book as fully as i did when i was 13. i'm not sure what i'm going to start reading tonite, but i think it will be an adult book.
February 10, 2022
I still love this book so much. It was my favourite Pike as a teenager and it's still one of my absolute faves. Divine!!
November 23, 2014
First, the chronology of that blurb is off. Josie stumbles upon the statue after a few of those events already occur and she starts dreaming about the goddess. Second, personally, I think that blurb is a little misleading but once you start reading the story, it makes more sense in context. But from just reading the blurb, the story's not exactly how it sounds.
My biggest (and pretty much only) issue with this book was the voice. It makes me wonder about the difference in perception of the YA voice from 20 years ago against what it is now. There were just some parts that I felt were so contrived I couldn't help but laugh. Like when Josie was snorkeling and she saw some fish. She then thought to herself that they made her horny. I was so jarred by that I actually laughed out loud. Aside from the complete blindside of that statement, am I missing something? Are swimming fish supposed to be an aphrodisiac? Not to mention Josie isn't a very likeable character. Not that I wanted to stop reading about her, but her actions were on this side of bitchy and uncaring. She's a very self-centered chick but it all works itself out. There's a redemption of sorts to her actions.
While I feel the plot meandered a little too long at the beginning, fleshing out Josie's life up until things start happening, I felt like I was propelled through the story. I felt a little like I was on sea legs reading it. Things were a little choppy, a little discombobulated and some of them didn't make a lot of sense, but once things started to round themselves out, all the little seemingly uneven nuances pulled themselves together in a nice straight path.
I'm amazed by the ending. Pike has this uncanny ability to weave all of these little bits and bobs together to create a climax that'll blow you away. I'm so glad I picked up The Immortal first. It has a great balance of history and present, not eye-rollingly blended at all but convincing enough that maybe, just maybe, if you went to Delos, it might just happen to you. It weaves two seemingly unrelated plotlines together excellently, only coming together completely within the last few pages, leaving you salivating for more because while it ends nice and completely, it doesn't really end. Catch my drift?
The best part? Pike isn't afraid to royally screw with his characters. They will be put from one end of the ringer to the other and back again before the book is over and you will love every second of it. He's fearless and it makes the story all the better. If you have to start somewhere with Pike's work, make it The Immortal. You won't be disappointed. While it's not crazy spooky ooky horror, it's got a creep factor to it that may just leave you questioning your friends.
My biggest (and pretty much only) issue with this book was the voice. It makes me wonder about the difference in perception of the YA voice from 20 years ago against what it is now. There were just some parts that I felt were so contrived I couldn't help but laugh. Like when Josie was snorkeling and she saw some fish. She then thought to herself that they made her horny. I was so jarred by that I actually laughed out loud. Aside from the complete blindside of that statement, am I missing something? Are swimming fish supposed to be an aphrodisiac? Not to mention Josie isn't a very likeable character. Not that I wanted to stop reading about her, but her actions were on this side of bitchy and uncaring. She's a very self-centered chick but it all works itself out. There's a redemption of sorts to her actions.
While I feel the plot meandered a little too long at the beginning, fleshing out Josie's life up until things start happening, I felt like I was propelled through the story. I felt a little like I was on sea legs reading it. Things were a little choppy, a little discombobulated and some of them didn't make a lot of sense, but once things started to round themselves out, all the little seemingly uneven nuances pulled themselves together in a nice straight path.
I'm amazed by the ending. Pike has this uncanny ability to weave all of these little bits and bobs together to create a climax that'll blow you away. I'm so glad I picked up The Immortal first. It has a great balance of history and present, not eye-rollingly blended at all but convincing enough that maybe, just maybe, if you went to Delos, it might just happen to you. It weaves two seemingly unrelated plotlines together excellently, only coming together completely within the last few pages, leaving you salivating for more because while it ends nice and completely, it doesn't really end. Catch my drift?
The best part? Pike isn't afraid to royally screw with his characters. They will be put from one end of the ringer to the other and back again before the book is over and you will love every second of it. He's fearless and it makes the story all the better. If you have to start somewhere with Pike's work, make it The Immortal. You won't be disappointed. While it's not crazy spooky ooky horror, it's got a creep factor to it that may just leave you questioning your friends.
August 8, 2023
My wife recently reread this book, enjoyed it immensely, again, and insisted that I read it "to gain a better understanding of (her) as a teenager."
I read it, and now I have serious misgivings about our relationship. Can you believe this woman said Christopher Pike (not the Starfleet captain!) is a better author than Stephen King?! Sure, King can sometimes be repetitive, and a lot of his material seems dated, but the man has been consistently writing best sellers for, what? Half a century? And his stuff is clearly adult content written at an adult level. This feels like an author writing for middle schoolers with content for horny, morally bankrupt high schoolers with literacy issues.
Before this, I had only read one Christopher Pike book. I remember there were aliens who looked like humans, and a secret pit of acid where they sacrificed people to gain power or something. So I don't have the depth of knowledge of Pike's work that my wife enjoys, but if she wanted to convince me of the extent of his writing skill, this was not her best piece of evidence.
Chris, in case you read this, I'm certain that you're confident enough in your career that my review will mean nothing at all to you, but should you happen to see this at a low moment, I get it, man. One chapter in, I said, "this is really pulpy," and it's cool, I've read a lot of pulp. I enjoy it! In a campy, semi ironic way. You cranked out tons of books, and if it paid your bills, good for you. I never made it that far with anything I wrote.
But holy goats, I hated everyone in this book. Just awful, awful people making stupid, stupid, mean choices. (Post-epilogue note: if all this was to learn a lesson, how awful was she BEFORE??!!)
Pascal's ok.
I read it, and now I have serious misgivings about our relationship. Can you believe this woman said Christopher Pike (not the Starfleet captain!) is a better author than Stephen King?! Sure, King can sometimes be repetitive, and a lot of his material seems dated, but the man has been consistently writing best sellers for, what? Half a century? And his stuff is clearly adult content written at an adult level. This feels like an author writing for middle schoolers with content for horny, morally bankrupt high schoolers with literacy issues.
Before this, I had only read one Christopher Pike book. I remember there were aliens who looked like humans, and a secret pit of acid where they sacrificed people to gain power or something. So I don't have the depth of knowledge of Pike's work that my wife enjoys, but if she wanted to convince me of the extent of his writing skill, this was not her best piece of evidence.
Chris, in case you read this, I'm certain that you're confident enough in your career that my review will mean nothing at all to you, but should you happen to see this at a low moment, I get it, man. One chapter in, I said, "this is really pulpy," and it's cool, I've read a lot of pulp. I enjoy it! In a campy, semi ironic way. You cranked out tons of books, and if it paid your bills, good for you. I never made it that far with anything I wrote.
But holy goats, I hated everyone in this book. Just awful, awful people making stupid, stupid, mean choices. (Post-epilogue note: if all this was to learn a lesson, how awful was she BEFORE??!!)
Pascal's ok.
July 28, 2011
My friend told me that this was one of his favorite books of all-time that's why I borrowed and read it. The story was very simple and the flows was great! Not only that it also includes some great lessons about the Greek mythology.
March 7, 2020
This was so much weirder than I remember it being.
All I really remembered about this book was the glass part, but I didn’t remember who did it or why. I always think of Christopher Pike’s books as being so much better than the ones by other 90’s horror authors, but every now and then I pick one up and they’re just so WEIRD. Did I just never notice it as a kid?
Still, I enjoyed this simply for nostalgia’s sake.
All I really remembered about this book was the glass part, but I didn’t remember who did it or why. I always think of Christopher Pike’s books as being so much better than the ones by other 90’s horror authors, but every now and then I pick one up and they’re just so WEIRD. Did I just never notice it as a kid?
Still, I enjoyed this simply for nostalgia’s sake.
June 26, 2019
Another book I read years ago.
December 13, 2012
The Immortal, Christopher Pike
With all the deep novels out there that demand contemplation, sometimes you want a light read that takes your brain on a mini vacation. The Immortal, an aptly titled story for young adults, does just that as we follow two girls who are on their own vacation, one destined to change their lives. Josie’s screenwriter father pays the way to Greece for himself, his new girlfriend, his daughter, and her friend Helen. There, we taste Greece, the vibrant tourism, the steep hills, the nude beaches, the color of the sea, the heat and the sudden storms. The story centers on the two girls, who are probably eighteen or nineteen. Josie is recovering from a heart condition; Helen has survived a suicide. And both have survived a damaged love affair with the same boy. Perhaps they will find romance in Greece.
There are no subplots, only events that serve to round out the characters. Josie’s father is suffering from writer’s block, his girlfriend is an aspiring screen star, and Josie and Helen seek romantic adventure, as told from Josie’s perspective. The two friends are energetic, apparently shallow and spoiled, typical of many teenagers. Their hormones rage while their sense of responsibility has yet to mature. Josie and Helen have been best of friends most of their lives, yet at times Josie feels as if Helen is her enemy. Why? Jealousy over boys plays a role. It did in the past; it does in the present. While much is made of this past conflict, we don’t see its importance until we are well along in the story.
From the start, Helen has encouraged Josie and her father to vacation in Greece, having visited it previously herself. The place has power, she says, especially the sacred isle of Delos. It is an isle once inhabited by the gods. When Josie visits the power spot, she must agree. It’s even more powerful than she expected. She doesn't know to what extent Helen is touched, but Josie finds herself drawn into the power of a goddess, for good or evil. Right away we notice the boldness with which Josie and Helen use their sexuality. Is this typical of wild teens? Or have they surrendered to the ancient power of the gods? In fact do the gods still live? The obsession with Delos grows, changing these two friends in unexpected ways.
With all the deep novels out there that demand contemplation, sometimes you want a light read that takes your brain on a mini vacation. The Immortal, an aptly titled story for young adults, does just that as we follow two girls who are on their own vacation, one destined to change their lives. Josie’s screenwriter father pays the way to Greece for himself, his new girlfriend, his daughter, and her friend Helen. There, we taste Greece, the vibrant tourism, the steep hills, the nude beaches, the color of the sea, the heat and the sudden storms. The story centers on the two girls, who are probably eighteen or nineteen. Josie is recovering from a heart condition; Helen has survived a suicide. And both have survived a damaged love affair with the same boy. Perhaps they will find romance in Greece.
There are no subplots, only events that serve to round out the characters. Josie’s father is suffering from writer’s block, his girlfriend is an aspiring screen star, and Josie and Helen seek romantic adventure, as told from Josie’s perspective. The two friends are energetic, apparently shallow and spoiled, typical of many teenagers. Their hormones rage while their sense of responsibility has yet to mature. Josie and Helen have been best of friends most of their lives, yet at times Josie feels as if Helen is her enemy. Why? Jealousy over boys plays a role. It did in the past; it does in the present. While much is made of this past conflict, we don’t see its importance until we are well along in the story.
From the start, Helen has encouraged Josie and her father to vacation in Greece, having visited it previously herself. The place has power, she says, especially the sacred isle of Delos. It is an isle once inhabited by the gods. When Josie visits the power spot, she must agree. It’s even more powerful than she expected. She doesn't know to what extent Helen is touched, but Josie finds herself drawn into the power of a goddess, for good or evil. Right away we notice the boldness with which Josie and Helen use their sexuality. Is this typical of wild teens? Or have they surrendered to the ancient power of the gods? In fact do the gods still live? The obsession with Delos grows, changing these two friends in unexpected ways.
November 3, 2014
I read this when I was 11 or 12 and was recently discussing it with some friends. I read plenty of these kind of books as a teen, but weirdly enough this one stood out from the sea of bad teen horror novels. The burger scene seemed to be particularly etched in my memory. In any case, I decided to read it again to see if it stood the test of time.
Wow, this book really sucked. I mean, I'm sure I loved it as a pre-teen, and perhaps other pre-teens would enjoy it just as much. But as an adult reading this critically, it was just terrible. Christopher Pike's "girl" voice is awful, no teenage girl talks like that, but none of the characters are in any way believable so it probably would've been just as bad from a guy's POV. Most of the book is filler, there's a lot of saying and not a lot of showing. I swear there was 10 pages on just getting through the airport in Athens. Do we really need a descriptive scene of waiting in an airport?
Beyond that, the friendship between Josie and Helen was just absurd. These girls are not friends, and you don't take your frenemy on vacation with you to Greece. And yeah, in the end you realize that they're not who you think you are, but they're still stealing each other's boyfriends and backstabbing and just terrible people.
Also, Josie supposedly helps her dad write his screenplays, she's his "muse" (*hint hint nudge nudge*)and there are pages and pages of Josie and her dad going through some convoluted sci-fi story. Was that really necessary? We could've condensed that into 3 pages, maybe.
I realize this is quite a long review for a book I despised, and to give it SOME credit I did finish it. The "action" scenes were pretty decent. So yeah, 1 star.
Wow, this book really sucked. I mean, I'm sure I loved it as a pre-teen, and perhaps other pre-teens would enjoy it just as much. But as an adult reading this critically, it was just terrible. Christopher Pike's "girl" voice is awful, no teenage girl talks like that, but none of the characters are in any way believable so it probably would've been just as bad from a guy's POV. Most of the book is filler, there's a lot of saying and not a lot of showing. I swear there was 10 pages on just getting through the airport in Athens. Do we really need a descriptive scene of waiting in an airport?
Beyond that, the friendship between Josie and Helen was just absurd. These girls are not friends, and you don't take your frenemy on vacation with you to Greece. And yeah, in the end you realize that they're not who you think you are, but they're still stealing each other's boyfriends and backstabbing and just terrible people.
Also, Josie supposedly helps her dad write his screenplays, she's his "muse" (*hint hint nudge nudge*)and there are pages and pages of Josie and her dad going through some convoluted sci-fi story. Was that really necessary? We could've condensed that into 3 pages, maybe.
I realize this is quite a long review for a book I despised, and to give it SOME credit I did finish it. The "action" scenes were pretty decent. So yeah, 1 star.
August 19, 2008
I loved Christopher Pike in middle school and high school. My coworker found this in her attic and brought it to the office for me to have a stroll down memory lane. It was a fast read, but I didn't feel like Christopher Pike was really into this book. I feel like he took a vacation in Greece and was like, "Well, I might as well make some money off of it," and just wrote whatever came into his head, which was a bit silly. BUT I do still admire the man and want to read some of his other books b/c I really do remember him to be a good storyteller and I need to see if that still holds true after so much time. I also love how Christopher Pike never avoided writing about sex like some young adult authors did and do. Hurray.
May 25, 2013
Just the book I needed to help me through the long day before I go on vacation (to New York for BEA!). it reminds me of the good old days when I would get a new Pike book and just read and read until I was.done. Loved the Greek mythology and well drawn characters- its really amazing that Pike wasn't afraid to have his teen characters be interested in sex, especially since th majority of his Ya books were written in the late 80'a/early 90's. If you haven't had the chance to read the first book in the Witch World series, than you need to pick it up. Pike has lost none of his magic!
September 21, 2010
One of my all-time favorites. It was one of my first "grown-up" books as a teenager. I had spent my entire youth reading nothing but R.L. Stine's Goosebumps. This definitely made me want to branch out.
March 3, 2011
This is one of those books from my youth that I read over and over. I've always had an interest in ancient Greece, and Pike's fun style of writing made it a fantastic read for me. I read it again as an adult.
August 19, 2011
Not Shakespeare, but a definite guilty pleasure! I have read this book probably 15 times since I got it in middle school. A fun, sexy, Eurocentric plot woven together by R. L. Stine's only teen horror archnemesis.
June 19, 2023
This is the first Christopher Pike book I have actually read and it was very enjoyable.
I am familiar with his work thanks to the Teen Creeps podcast and it was a joy to experience it for myself.
I would recommend this book for anyone who loves some fun YA pulp fiction 😁
I am familiar with his work thanks to the Teen Creeps podcast and it was a joy to experience it for myself.
I would recommend this book for anyone who loves some fun YA pulp fiction 😁
October 19, 2009
This Book is about josie going on a vacation to Rome with her friend Helen.But when she finds a little statue of a goddess is when the goddess wants josies body.
February 11, 2012
I read this book in the 5th grade at Space Camp and remember telling the girl in the bunk next to me that "this book sure does talk about sex a lot". I loved it! I still have my original copy.
August 19, 2011
Oh Christopher Pike, my middle school love...you really don't hold up well in adulthood, as I've discovered with this reread. Still, thanks for the nostalgia!
July 31, 2014
It was pretty good
August 4, 2019
Just re-read this for Teenage Scream podcast (lovingly dissecting the best and worst of 90s teen horror):
https://soundcloud.com/teenagescream
https://soundcloud.com/teenagescream
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