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Spooksville #3
La Cueva Embrujada
Descend into underground danger in this third book in New York Times bestselling author Christopher Pike's Spooksville series. There is a famous cave located just outside of Spooksville. A lot of stories surround the dark scary ones as well as exciting ones. Adam decides to explore the cave with his friends, Watch, Sally, and Cindy. But the moment they go into the cave, the entrance closes behind them. They are trapped. In the dark. They walk deeper into the cave, frantically searching for a way out. The batteries in their flashlights begin to run low. Then they realize something is following them. Something that has been in the cave for a long time. Something big, black…and hungry.
126 pages, Hardcover
First published January 1, 1995
21 people are currently reading
628 people want to read
About the author
Christopher Pike
261 books5,467 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 46 reviews
February 18, 2018
“Then they’re alive.” — Watch
“They’re alive for now. But the night is far from over. The Hyeets hunt at night. If they run into one of them, there’s no telling what will happen.” — Ann Templeton
The third book in Christopher Pike’s Spooksville series for younger kids has the same quirky humor and charm to blend with the weird happenings in the town as the first two entries. Cindy has now joined Adam, Sally and Watch, and the friction between the two girls for Adam’s affections continues. In this one, however, we see that deep down Cindy and Sally might actually like one another, which makes Sally’s grating snarkiness more palatable than in The Howling Ghost. Sally even saves Cindy’s life in the haunted cave.
There is some fun at The Frozen Cow as this one begins. Spooksville’s ice cream parlor advertises fifty flavors, but the grumpy owner will only serve vanilla! Well, this is Spooksville, after all. Soon there is talk of the Missing Link, and whether he might exist within the haunted caves where Bill Balley supposedly disappeared — kids have a way of just disappearing in Spooksville. Cindy wants to look, Sally doesn’t, and Adam isn’t so sure he wants to find out — or whether he believes all Sally’s wildly embellished stories. But finally they go check it out. Watch stands watch, ironically, as Adam, Cindy, and a reluctant Sally investigate the dark caves, which may hide more than bats. The caves apparently run directly beneath the town. There’s is also a river, but just as they decide they’ve seen enough for one day, the entrance closes on its own!
Watch goes to Bum for help, and learns of an old well at Mrs. Robinsons which may lead him to his friends. But Ann Templeton, descendent of the witch who founded the town, knows her “boys” are down there. Only her knowledge that Adam thinks she’s pretty, persuades her to give Watch and Bum a hint. It is via a riddle, however, and Watch must decipher it in order to find his friends and help them escape the caves, where the trio are having their own problems. Flashlight batteries going dead and trolls with spears may pale in comparison to the Hyeets. But legend may not match reality, and part of the cave may be a portal to somewhere else. But Adam has a plan…
Great fun for kids in the 8-10 age range especially, the Spooksville series is a good way to give kids a thrill which doesn’t go “too” far into the creepy or magical area, and is sprinkled with humor and charm. If I do have a very minor caveat as an adult, it’s that the few moments between Adam and his father in the first book were really nice, but since then, he’s disappeared. It’s mostly just the kids interacting with the strange and quirky townsfolk. It might have been nice to get a moment or two with Adam and his father, but this seems forgotten — at least so far. Overall, however, this is a really fun read which comes in at just over a hundred pages. A marvelous way to get kids interested in reading, and I’m certain I would have devoured these when I was a kid.
“They’re alive for now. But the night is far from over. The Hyeets hunt at night. If they run into one of them, there’s no telling what will happen.” — Ann Templeton
The third book in Christopher Pike’s Spooksville series for younger kids has the same quirky humor and charm to blend with the weird happenings in the town as the first two entries. Cindy has now joined Adam, Sally and Watch, and the friction between the two girls for Adam’s affections continues. In this one, however, we see that deep down Cindy and Sally might actually like one another, which makes Sally’s grating snarkiness more palatable than in The Howling Ghost. Sally even saves Cindy’s life in the haunted cave.
There is some fun at The Frozen Cow as this one begins. Spooksville’s ice cream parlor advertises fifty flavors, but the grumpy owner will only serve vanilla! Well, this is Spooksville, after all. Soon there is talk of the Missing Link, and whether he might exist within the haunted caves where Bill Balley supposedly disappeared — kids have a way of just disappearing in Spooksville. Cindy wants to look, Sally doesn’t, and Adam isn’t so sure he wants to find out — or whether he believes all Sally’s wildly embellished stories. But finally they go check it out. Watch stands watch, ironically, as Adam, Cindy, and a reluctant Sally investigate the dark caves, which may hide more than bats. The caves apparently run directly beneath the town. There’s is also a river, but just as they decide they’ve seen enough for one day, the entrance closes on its own!
Watch goes to Bum for help, and learns of an old well at Mrs. Robinsons which may lead him to his friends. But Ann Templeton, descendent of the witch who founded the town, knows her “boys” are down there. Only her knowledge that Adam thinks she’s pretty, persuades her to give Watch and Bum a hint. It is via a riddle, however, and Watch must decipher it in order to find his friends and help them escape the caves, where the trio are having their own problems. Flashlight batteries going dead and trolls with spears may pale in comparison to the Hyeets. But legend may not match reality, and part of the cave may be a portal to somewhere else. But Adam has a plan…
Great fun for kids in the 8-10 age range especially, the Spooksville series is a good way to give kids a thrill which doesn’t go “too” far into the creepy or magical area, and is sprinkled with humor and charm. If I do have a very minor caveat as an adult, it’s that the few moments between Adam and his father in the first book were really nice, but since then, he’s disappeared. It’s mostly just the kids interacting with the strange and quirky townsfolk. It might have been nice to get a moment or two with Adam and his father, but this seems forgotten — at least so far. Overall, however, this is a really fun read which comes in at just over a hundred pages. A marvelous way to get kids interested in reading, and I’m certain I would have devoured these when I was a kid.
March 11, 2022
The kids of Spooksville investigate a creepy cave in search of the 'missing link,' the half-ape half-human creature of evolutionary theory. Predictably, their adventure goes south when the cave closes itself, trapping them in darkness with dying flashlights and fiendish monsters.
There's not much complexity to this episode. They get trapped in the cave by the end of chapter two. It's clear right away that the rest of the book will involve their eventual escape. As such, the stakes feel low even as some of the cave beasties are actually spooky. A little B-plot would've jazzed things up, I think, but I get that books for young readers aren't driven by complexity.
The most memorable moments are actually character-driven. The relationship between the kids becomes more well-rounded at times. There's also enjoyable world-building. Through the adventure we gain insight into the town witch. We learn more about the previous Mayor who's now a bum with potentially supernatural powers.
Now three books into the series, I can say the signature appeal to Spooksville is its shared universe of adventures, the familiar characters and piecing together a complete map of all the horrific locales. It's like a book version of CandyLand I suppose.
This particular adventure leaves something to be desired, but it's certainly not bad enough to prevent me from continuing on to book 4.
There's not much complexity to this episode. They get trapped in the cave by the end of chapter two. It's clear right away that the rest of the book will involve their eventual escape. As such, the stakes feel low even as some of the cave beasties are actually spooky. A little B-plot would've jazzed things up, I think, but I get that books for young readers aren't driven by complexity.
The most memorable moments are actually character-driven. The relationship between the kids becomes more well-rounded at times. There's also enjoyable world-building. Through the adventure we gain insight into the town witch. We learn more about the previous Mayor who's now a bum with potentially supernatural powers.
Now three books into the series, I can say the signature appeal to Spooksville is its shared universe of adventures, the familiar characters and piecing together a complete map of all the horrific locales. It's like a book version of CandyLand I suppose.
This particular adventure leaves something to be desired, but it's certainly not bad enough to prevent me from continuing on to book 4.
July 25, 2021
This was the first book I've read of this series, and only the 3rd book in the series (out of 20 something) and already at times I felt lost because so many things were referenced from the previous 2 books. I find it strange that Pike apparently decided to use the same characters throughout the entire series, unlike Goosebumps, Deadtime, Shivers, etc. which use different characters and stories every book. So that was definitely a negative for me, and I also didn't care for the banter between the main characters at times, which surprised me, because I've read tons of Christopher Pike and have always loved them.
March 27, 2025
It's finally time to look at another Spooksville book !The third one in the series is called The Haunted Cave.I wanted to read this during the summer but I honestly couldn't wait any longer.The first two books aren't even considered the best and I liked both of them.The story follows Watch,Adam,Sally and their new friend Cindy.They are talking about evolution and how there is a missing link between what humans evolve from.What they mean by that is a Ape and human hybrid.They talk themselves into going on this adventure to the cave and they do.They end up going and watch stays behind incase anything bad happens and it does.The cave ends up magically closing and Adam,Cindy and Sally are trapped inside.They brought flashlights and start exploring they hear growls and things like that and Sally and Cindy bicker back and forth.We also learn this cave goes under the cemetry and they even find bodies.We have little chapters that take place from watches point of view and he is trying to find ways to help his friends.He goes to see Bum,who agrees to help but only for a meal.Watch pays for the meal and Bum informs him that the cave is inhabited by these things called Hyeets,which are basically big foot monsters.He says they eat kids and ate somebody that went photographing the caves.Bum informs Watch that he must find the town witch so she can tell the guys how to free his friends.We cut back to Adam Sally and Cindy.They are still exploring for a way out when they end up in a room where the door behind them seals shut with bars.They see these two troll like monsters on a bridge and it doesn't take long for them to realize these two things mean buisness.They throw this spear with a chain thing at the kids trying to end them in what is a genuinely terrifying scene.They end up escaping thanks to Adam and there is a sweet scene with Sally and Cindy.We do have some more chapters with Bum and Watch seeing Ann Templeton at the grocery store at midnight.Anne only goes shopping at midnight and make workers stay open.They get some clues about what exactly is going on.They find out the cave closes because somebody told it to.Watch thinks back and remembers Cindy and Shally arguing.One of them tell the other they wish they would shut up and that's why the cave closed.But the cave can't open the same way.It will open but it takes years,so Watch and bum must find another way inside the cave and Anne gives them another clue.This leads them to an old lady's house,who I hope we get more of a back story in later books.This lady lost her husband and now she never leaves the house.This is where the other opening to the cave is.She also gives them some words to recite.We cut back to the cave and the kids find this room surrounded by lava and Cindy ends up getting taken by a Hyeet.Thats all I'm going to say because I've already given way to much away.I heard from a fellow reader and pretty big fan of these books that's this series gets really good with book 4.I am going to counter that and say this got good here.I had alot of fun with this and I honestly have no complaints.The Sally and Cindy stuff never bothered me.It felt a little more realistic.The troll scene was absolutely scary and the way they escaped was very good.The scenes with Watch and Bum were engaging as well.I also want to mention a cute scene towards the end with Sally.I know this is crazy and a little controversial but I'm giving the Haunted Cave a five out of five stars.
August 7, 2022
Otra historia mas de Spooksville, de momento de mi menos favorita... no ha gustando nada como ponen a Adam como el gran líder y único salvado dentro del grupo, los personajes femeninos son sometidos al estereotipo de damisela en apuros y ya, incluso Sally queda muy desdibujada en ésta historia. Espero que no se vuelva algo habitual en la saga, pero bue son libros publicados en principios de los ´90s así que tampoco espero mucho de ese lado.
March 29, 2015
Not as good as the other I read in the series, but still fun because Pike rules at writing characters and humorous dialogue. The ending is a predictable enough turnabout, but it IS written for such a young audience this is the safer, better route. You don't get particularly deep characterization but you get great humor from them and their chemistry works. The witch was wickedly interesting and I enjoyed some of the science-fiction type suspense/tension put into the cave setting. Worth a read and kids should enjoy well without getting frightened.
April 8, 2019
When Adam, Watch, Sally, and Cindy go exploring in Spooksville’s haunted cave, they’re expecting ghosts or maybe a monster or two. What they’re not expecting is for the cave entrance to close up behind them, leaving them trapped in the dark with a couple of failing flashlights. The only one left outside, Watch has to scramble to find a way to help his friends, while Adam, Sally, and Cindy realize that they might not be alone in the cave after all. Trigger warnings: blood, mild violence, mild injury, drowning.
Much like the others, The Haunted Cave is cute and fairly straightforward. While supernatural elements abound in the Spooksville books, many of the greatest dangers lie in the sheer realism of the situations the characters find themselves in. Caves are dangerous all on their own, and Pike is quick to show that Adam, Sally, and Cindy are just as likely to get lost, fall in a cavern, or die of thirst as they are to get eaten by a monster. That’s not to say that there aren’t monsters aplenty, but children have always been well-equipped at facing those down. The book even interrogates, a little, when a monster isn’t always a monster.
The characters are still strong, and Watch is particularly in his element here. More than anything, they rely on cleverness and quick thinking to get them out of danger, and Watch is typically the cleverest. I’m still not enjoying Sally and Cindy’s constant in-fighting and jealousy, and if the book had been published a decade or two later, I think it would have been under more pressure to show a healthier girl/girl friendship. However, The Haunted Cave also takes a few lines to note that the girls are still protective of each other, however much they bicker. I’m hoping to see that improve over the course of the series. It’s a quick, fun, and mildly spooky read, but it doesn’t leave readers with a lot to think about.
I review regularly at brightbeautifulthings.tumblr.com.
Much like the others, The Haunted Cave is cute and fairly straightforward. While supernatural elements abound in the Spooksville books, many of the greatest dangers lie in the sheer realism of the situations the characters find themselves in. Caves are dangerous all on their own, and Pike is quick to show that Adam, Sally, and Cindy are just as likely to get lost, fall in a cavern, or die of thirst as they are to get eaten by a monster. That’s not to say that there aren’t monsters aplenty, but children have always been well-equipped at facing those down. The book even interrogates, a little, when a monster isn’t always a monster.
The characters are still strong, and Watch is particularly in his element here. More than anything, they rely on cleverness and quick thinking to get them out of danger, and Watch is typically the cleverest. I’m still not enjoying Sally and Cindy’s constant in-fighting and jealousy, and if the book had been published a decade or two later, I think it would have been under more pressure to show a healthier girl/girl friendship. However, The Haunted Cave also takes a few lines to note that the girls are still protective of each other, however much they bicker. I’m hoping to see that improve over the course of the series. It’s a quick, fun, and mildly spooky read, but it doesn’t leave readers with a lot to think about.
I review regularly at brightbeautifulthings.tumblr.com.
October 29, 2024
I really don't have much to say about this one. We're thrown almost immediately onto the action with our protagonists spending almost the entirety of this book trapped in a cave which is a fun setting and has it's moments but it never felt like this one ever really got going.
April 12, 2024
Another fun read! So far...all three books in this series have been solid. I liked this a bit more than book 2...but they've all been good. I'm having fun with these quick, nostalgic reads.
April 8, 2023
The Details:
Narrated by Adam Verner
Unabridged
I enjoyed seeing how the dynamic of the group changed with the addition of Cindy - Sally is so jealous, but it's in a strangely endearing way, much the same as her forced quirkiness.
I wasn't as hooked on this one as the previous two and my attention peerered out near the end, but still a fast and fun read.
Pick it up, give it a go & enjoy! >(^_^)<
Gén
Narrated by Adam Verner
Unabridged
I enjoyed seeing how the dynamic of the group changed with the addition of Cindy - Sally is so jealous, but it's in a strangely endearing way, much the same as her forced quirkiness.
I wasn't as hooked on this one as the previous two and my attention peerered out near the end, but still a fast and fun read.
Pick it up, give it a go & enjoy! >(^_^)<
Gén
January 23, 2015
It could have done with a little less wandering around and more monster action, but I liked it. There are a lot of really neat characters in this series and it's nice to see two female characters who (while they are a little jealous of their respective relationships with Adam) tease/argue with each other just to push buttons. No hidden motives or unnecessary b*itchiness, ftw!
December 9, 2016
que agradable es leer estas pequeñas historias <3. Son un descanso
January 25, 2018
una nueva aventura. Me encanta la manera en que el escritor narra lo que sucede y describe lo necesario para sumergirte en la historia
November 19, 2025
Retreating to the unfiltered series that is Spooksville, we have another semi-disappointing entry. My initial read for the series—the very first book—was fantastic, but for whatever reason, the quality has been taking a tumble since, though I will say this was better than the previous book… but not by much. This one had a fun B-plot with Watch trying to save the Adam and the girls, and I really liked it; it fed us more juicy tidbits on Bum and Ann Templeton, and was far more interesting than most of the cave plot. The big twist with the advertised monster of the story is the same as the one in the previous book, though I liked it more here, and it leads to a great scene. There’s some nice character moments in here, most notably between the two psychopaths that are Sally and Cindy, and I’m glad we got some depth outside of the fact that they’re both trying to have Adam be their bf. Y’all are prepubescent tweens—go watch The Land Before Time and suck your thumbs. There’s some cool moments in general, like the troll scene and such. Oh, and not to mention the exposition for the book is literally whether there should or shouldn’t be an ‘A’ in everyone’s theism. Gotta love it lol; hail Darwin. For what weighed this book down, I mean, it’s the same as last time: the arguing between Sally and Cindy is on the verge of driving me to ineffable insanity. It’s enough to make a newborn go senile, I kid you not. It isn’t as bad as last time—mostly—and I thank there merely because it takes a backseat near the end (respectfully so) and that it has some developments for the two characters here. Still don’t like it outside of the occasional hard-bar. The other retreaded issue is the pacing. It’s like riding a tricycle uphill, except you have no momentum and the hill is as steep as a flat wall. It feels like it could have cut thirty-forty out and jammed the same story with everything in it within the remainder without much issue; it just takes too long some times. There’s also some filler, some mildly rough writing here and there (though not much of note), and a plot that didn’t really go anywhere till the very end, and even then we find out there’s not much danger. It’s just a bit disappointing from a climatic regard. Overall, 6.5/10. It’s… decent, but nothing to rave about like the first. Praying the next one will be peak (IT’S GOT ALIENS! ZOOWEEMAMAKALAMAZOOBAYIPPINYOW!)
February 8, 2022
In 'The Haunted Cave', Adam, Sally, Watch and Cindy are curious about whether there are really creatures in a cave which is the last known location of Watch's friend. Their exploration leads to more than they bargained for.
The cave was a strong, creepy setting with typical elements such as darkness and strange sounds. Their flashlights provided a sense of security until the batteries began to run low. To make matters worse, three of them get trapped in there.
I enjoyed Watch learning more about the cave from Bum and them teaming up but could not say the same for Adam, Sally and Cindy being stuck together. The disagreements on which path to take and the low-key squabbles over Adam were too repetitive.
Overall, 'The Haunted Cave' was in need of more action rather than going over the same ground in terms of location and dialogue.
The cave was a strong, creepy setting with typical elements such as darkness and strange sounds. Their flashlights provided a sense of security until the batteries began to run low. To make matters worse, three of them get trapped in there.
I enjoyed Watch learning more about the cave from Bum and them teaming up but could not say the same for Adam, Sally and Cindy being stuck together. The disagreements on which path to take and the low-key squabbles over Adam were too repetitive.
Overall, 'The Haunted Cave' was in need of more action rather than going over the same ground in terms of location and dialogue.
March 17, 2025
I don't think I'll buy any more of these but I will probably pick them up via the library if I need short books for readathons in the future. They are perfectly fine and I think any normal mid-grade aged kid would like them but I find the MC's far too annoying to enjoy the spookiness of the book.
This has the same problem that I had with the Lockwood & Co series that when a second girl was introduced to the core group, the girls immediately started bickering about everything (especially boys) the second they hit the page. Note, both of these books were written by men writing pre-teen/teenage girls.
This has the same problem that I had with the Lockwood & Co series that when a second girl was introduced to the core group, the girls immediately started bickering about everything (especially boys) the second they hit the page. Note, both of these books were written by men writing pre-teen/teenage girls.
December 10, 2019
I did not remember those books to be that sexist and I'm really disappointed. Other than the two girls fighting over the hero (who's not that impressive) and being obsessed with dating said hero (they are twelve), this is basically seen as obvious that the guy has to be the leader (which makes no sense when you know the characters' personnalities) and he also has to stop the girls from fighting over him. Felt like a weird fantasy. Yikes.
I'll continue my re-read until The Cold People, because this was my favorite as a kid, but if things don't improve, I'll stop there.
I'll continue my re-read until The Cold People, because this was my favorite as a kid, but if things don't improve, I'll stop there.
November 30, 2020
My least favourite Pike so far. I think his middle grade work suffers from the fact that he can’t add any salacious drama because it’s for children and so it becomes quite flat. Also he constantly spoils the previous books! So apparently you can’t read these out of order which makes no sense because these are from the 90s when most of our reading was grabbing whatever book in a series happened to be available at the library.
There’s a character called Bum. He’s a bum. Probably wouldn’t fly these days.
There’s a character called Bum. He’s a bum. Probably wouldn’t fly these days.
January 4, 2024
This continues the adventures of the children who live in Spooksville, this time exploring a cave. I am a sucker for the journey format and this book does not disappoint. From giant spiders to vampire bats to trolls, the caves are full of scares and threats as the kids move through them. One note: I love the playful way Pike names his characters (shades of Dahl) but was not impressed with the homeless former mayor being called "Mr. Bum"; this dates this series somewhat. Otherwise, my favorite in the series so far.
June 6, 2022
Reading this book was like a roller coaster, one moment I’m enjoying myself and the next I’m confused about what else is being added. Because being trapped in a cave without any escape or even a reliable light source is not enough. We have to add vampire bats, Bigfoot, lava pools, giant water wells, and and doors to alternate dimensions. The only thing I kept asking was where are their parents and why are they hanging out with a guy in his 20’s and then I remember it was written in the 90’s and just allow myself to enjoy the absurdity.
It’s a fun little adventure that had some genuine stakes and fun consequences to all of the children’s choices. Which makes it a solid middle grade horror book.
It’s a fun little adventure that had some genuine stakes and fun consequences to all of the children’s choices. Which makes it a solid middle grade horror book.
July 10, 2024
The Haunted Cave had a great setting but was a bit slower paced than the previous two books.
While I love the creepy, darkness of the cave I wasn't a huge fan of how the story ended which I will avoid going into details to avoid spoilers. Overall though I wish the ending would have had a bit more action and spooky-ness.
While I love the creepy, darkness of the cave I wasn't a huge fan of how the story ended which I will avoid going into details to avoid spoilers. Overall though I wish the ending would have had a bit more action and spooky-ness.
June 23, 2022
The story is lacking a bit, but the development of the plot is good. Is the first time the group separates and they face adventures alone, thats why I liked it. But the adventure itself, was not that super interesting as the others.
August 6, 2018
I really like the characters and while the story isn´t really scary, the adventures are pretty good. I´ll sure buy the next books in the series.
June 8, 2020
The bickering between the two females leads was distasteful and distracting.
November 9, 2020
Relato infantil parecido a los de Pesadillas. Es entretenido pero tampoco para echar cohetes.
December 2, 2020
I get that i am NOT the target audience (32 year old male) but this for me was the weakest of the first three adventures so far.
September 25, 2022
Siento que la primera mitad no me gustó tanto, pero lo demás si me convenció. El final fue muy lindo.
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October 2, 2022ON TO THE NEXT LOVE HIS BOOKS
June 30, 2023
se pone a prueba la amistad de Watch cuando sus amigos son tragados por la cueva y todos son probados cuando encuentran al hyeet que necesita de su ayuda para regresar a su mundo.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
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