What do you think?
Rate this book
Last Act
A group of high school seniors put on a play about murder. When one of the leading ladies is shot, another actress must ferret out the killer.
ISBN 0-671-73683-3
ISBN 0-671-73683-3
Paperback
First published January 1, 1988
11 people are currently reading
1126 people want to read
About the author
Christopher Pike
261 books5,466 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.
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 30 of 141 reviews
March 2, 2020
"We're ALL in the play. It goes on ALL the time".
Last Act by Christopher Pike
I love this book so much it’s unbelievable. I grew up reading Christopher Pike and some of his books are better than others but I would say this rates at the top unequivocally.
I guess the best way to describe it would be Agatha Christie for young adults. The main story centers around a group of high school kids in a drama club who decide to put on a play and during the playing murder occurs. Who did it?
Obviously different people like different books and if you’re not a fan of mysteries you may not like this. I happen to love mysteries among other genres and last act is one of the best young adult mysteries that I read in my youth.
And it holds up good through time also. This is the kind of book you can reread and find something new.
Spoilers:
I love the Scrabble concept especially since I love to play scrabble and I love the development of the characters particularly the doomed Rindy. It is genuinely difficult to know who the guilty party is in this book. I also think last act is a great book for anyone just discovering Pike who wants their first pike book to be a quality read. You’ve got that here.
Last Act by Christopher Pike
I love this book so much it’s unbelievable. I grew up reading Christopher Pike and some of his books are better than others but I would say this rates at the top unequivocally.
I guess the best way to describe it would be Agatha Christie for young adults. The main story centers around a group of high school kids in a drama club who decide to put on a play and during the playing murder occurs. Who did it?
Obviously different people like different books and if you’re not a fan of mysteries you may not like this. I happen to love mysteries among other genres and last act is one of the best young adult mysteries that I read in my youth.
And it holds up good through time also. This is the kind of book you can reread and find something new.
Spoilers:
I love the Scrabble concept especially since I love to play scrabble and I love the development of the characters particularly the doomed Rindy. It is genuinely difficult to know who the guilty party is in this book. I also think last act is a great book for anyone just discovering Pike who wants their first pike book to be a quality read. You’ve got that here.
July 18, 2022
Pike again visits the typical small-town, high school teenage angst of a young female itching to fit in with her peers. From the beginning where the lead-up is focused primarily on character introduction to the semi-unrealistic ending, the story is a bit slower than some of his other stuff, a little less interesting, but still enjoyable. Plot-wise, it's a straight-out mystery, devoid of supernatural or science-fiction elements. The mystery itself is a decent enough one, where I had an idea of who the culprit may be but no clue on what the motive was. The wrap-up at the climax was satisfyingly done, with the characters staying in their skin and showing off some deranged psychological twists.
As a main character in a young adult novel, Melanie was a decent one. Seeming real enough and not irritatingly naive, she and the rest of the 'cast' helped propel everything forward. There was enough mystery left to some of the red herrings to keep suspicions and curiosity levels blooming. The villain's motives made a bizarre sense, even if how she got away with certain elements (while creative) were stretching things a little much. It's thankfully no simple ride where you have the killer pegged for certain, and kudos to Pike for introducing enough other suspects to keep the ball rolling.
There's not much romance in the story, nothing that's really hormone enriched, but it's there in the typical cute, young way. Unlike some of his other works, that doesn't dominate this story. His writing was less poetic than, say, Whisper of Death, here but it still flowed smoothly. Pacing wasn't air tight but it was still engrossing.
Will this be one of those that translates well to all ages? I'd say it's enjoyable for all age levels, but a little too young in subject to truly satisfy most adult readers. The younger audience should get a clever kick out of it, however, with it's twist-filled mystery, semi-suspenseful scenes, and compassionate characters.
As a side note, while browsing for cover artwork, I stumbled upon this quiz for fans of the book.
As a main character in a young adult novel, Melanie was a decent one. Seeming real enough and not irritatingly naive, she and the rest of the 'cast' helped propel everything forward. There was enough mystery left to some of the red herrings to keep suspicions and curiosity levels blooming. The villain's motives made a bizarre sense, even if how she got away with certain elements (while creative) were stretching things a little much. It's thankfully no simple ride where you have the killer pegged for certain, and kudos to Pike for introducing enough other suspects to keep the ball rolling.
There's not much romance in the story, nothing that's really hormone enriched, but it's there in the typical cute, young way. Unlike some of his other works, that doesn't dominate this story. His writing was less poetic than, say, Whisper of Death, here but it still flowed smoothly. Pacing wasn't air tight but it was still engrossing.
Will this be one of those that translates well to all ages? I'd say it's enjoyable for all age levels, but a little too young in subject to truly satisfy most adult readers. The younger audience should get a clever kick out of it, however, with it's twist-filled mystery, semi-suspenseful scenes, and compassionate characters.
As a side note, while browsing for cover artwork, I stumbled upon this quiz for fans of the book.
April 29, 2022
This was so so sad and yet soooo good! Melanie and Rindy were done dirty, but life and death and murder actually have emotional consequences in Pike's books and I love him for it. Also the absolute genius of how he used the story within a story to tie the crime together.
April 11, 2025
Don’t piss off a theater kid bc they will absolutely plan out an insane meta murder plot ON STAGE, frame you a little bit, and come after you too, all the while delivering a dramatic speech and thinking too hard about ways to anagram their name and not enough about how to not get caught or incriminate themself.
Love the melodramatic ending lol
Love the melodramatic ending lol
August 12, 2010
I recently re-read several Christopher Pike books, and Last Act is really the only one that I thought was just as good as when I read it as an 11 year old. It's a solid murder mystery with interesting characters and a likable protagonist.
October 10, 2011
I had already read Last Act once before, and it was honestly better the second time I read it. The book is about a high-school drama club putting on a play about a murder. The main character, Melanie, is approached by the director of this play. Melanie was chosen to play the lead. All seemed to be going well for her: she had people actually talking to her, good grades, and the drama club. That is, until a friend was shot, and all fingers pointed at Melanie. To guarantee her freedom, Melanie must solve the mystery herself, or suffer the consequences.
The book wasn't what I was expecting at all. The cover makes it seem like an old fashioned book, and not really exciting. The story also took time to accelerate, but once it did, it captured me. The main characters were given lives of their own. I would have enjoyed the story line even more if he had shown into the minds of the other characters, instead of only Melanie. It did add mystery to the plot, but personally, I like to be able to see into the criminal's mind.
This isn't the kind of book that I would typically read. It is a good book, with an interesting setting and startling conclusion, but it was very simple to read. I think Christopher Pike is an excellent writer, but with this book, it seems like he didn't have much interest in the story line in the beginning. It was closer to the end chapters that I got into the story and could actually imagine it happening. The way he concluded the book amazed me; it had to be the part I like the most. I do have to hand it to him, the story was woven together well. Despite a few punctuation and grammatical errors that were probably fixed in newer editions, I really like the book. I would reccomend it to anyone that enjoys a good mystery.
The book wasn't what I was expecting at all. The cover makes it seem like an old fashioned book, and not really exciting. The story also took time to accelerate, but once it did, it captured me. The main characters were given lives of their own. I would have enjoyed the story line even more if he had shown into the minds of the other characters, instead of only Melanie. It did add mystery to the plot, but personally, I like to be able to see into the criminal's mind.
This isn't the kind of book that I would typically read. It is a good book, with an interesting setting and startling conclusion, but it was very simple to read. I think Christopher Pike is an excellent writer, but with this book, it seems like he didn't have much interest in the story line in the beginning. It was closer to the end chapters that I got into the story and could actually imagine it happening. The way he concluded the book amazed me; it had to be the part I like the most. I do have to hand it to him, the story was woven together well. Despite a few punctuation and grammatical errors that were probably fixed in newer editions, I really like the book. I would reccomend it to anyone that enjoys a good mystery.
April 20, 2022
I like how subdued earlier Christopher Pike books seem to be. They don't rely on something crazy to be the focal point or a lot of gore and sex. Last Act is a murder mystery in a late 1980s high school setting even if the play within the story is set after WWII when Noir films were very big.
Melaine Martin is new to Careville, Iowa and hasn't made many friends yet until the day she helps Susan Trels in their mathematics class. They seem to hit it off and Susan convinces Melaine to try out for the play she is directing for their drama club to perform, Final Chance. Melaine is a little hesitant but once she finds out that the boy she's crushing on, Marc Hall, is already cast for the play...she reconsiders.
Melaine does well at the audition and meets a few other faces: Carl, Tracy, a girl named Heidi going for the same part as herself and Jeramie, the best actor in the school. That nervousness returns when three things occur: 1) Melaine beats out Heidi for the part of Melissa and it pisses Heidi off, 2) they are going to be using AN ACTUAL GUN WITH BLANKS because a character gets shot and 3) the girl playing the lead is Rindy Carpenter.
Melaine got in a fender bender with Rindy and the rich girl was clearly snobby and she's been trying to avoid her like the plague. Time goes by for rehearsals and a Sadie Hawkins dance to occur before opening night and Melaine can feel that there is something heavy between all the people she has met before she arrived but also, she and Rindy start to become friends when Melaine realizes there is something behind the rich girl's façade.
On opening night, everything goes fine until the second act...and the dead body upon the stage is very real. Melaine now finds herself accused of murder and she has to find out who the real culprit is before it's curtains for her...
You get a very good pool of suspects and get to see the good, bad and the ugly side of each one to find their motive. We get background on the secret tying everyone together and I think Melaine is a very good main character, she's by no means a whiny weak girl. The reveal of the villain is quite impressive and there are some beautiful twists in the climax with a lovely ending, bittersweet yet funny.
There are some parts that have not aged well but other than that...Last Act is an excellent book and a perfect example of Christopher Pike I recommend you read.
Melaine Martin is new to Careville, Iowa and hasn't made many friends yet until the day she helps Susan Trels in their mathematics class. They seem to hit it off and Susan convinces Melaine to try out for the play she is directing for their drama club to perform, Final Chance. Melaine is a little hesitant but once she finds out that the boy she's crushing on, Marc Hall, is already cast for the play...she reconsiders.
Melaine does well at the audition and meets a few other faces: Carl, Tracy, a girl named Heidi going for the same part as herself and Jeramie, the best actor in the school. That nervousness returns when three things occur: 1) Melaine beats out Heidi for the part of Melissa and it pisses Heidi off, 2) they are going to be using AN ACTUAL GUN WITH BLANKS because a character gets shot and 3) the girl playing the lead is Rindy Carpenter.
Melaine got in a fender bender with Rindy and the rich girl was clearly snobby and she's been trying to avoid her like the plague. Time goes by for rehearsals and a Sadie Hawkins dance to occur before opening night and Melaine can feel that there is something heavy between all the people she has met before she arrived but also, she and Rindy start to become friends when Melaine realizes there is something behind the rich girl's façade.
On opening night, everything goes fine until the second act...and the dead body upon the stage is very real. Melaine now finds herself accused of murder and she has to find out who the real culprit is before it's curtains for her...
You get a very good pool of suspects and get to see the good, bad and the ugly side of each one to find their motive. We get background on the secret tying everyone together and I think Melaine is a very good main character, she's by no means a whiny weak girl. The reveal of the villain is quite impressive and there are some beautiful twists in the climax with a lovely ending, bittersweet yet funny.
There are some parts that have not aged well but other than that...Last Act is an excellent book and a perfect example of Christopher Pike I recommend you read.
March 3, 2023
I absolutely love jeramie. Actually, all the characters were solid and enjoyable.
This is the best Pike book I've read so far, objectively and subjectively speaking (yes, it even beat out the emotional rollercoaster Remember Me sent me on). I liked the subtle supernatural touch near the end, without it going overboard. And the murder mystery was EXCELLENT. I really liked how it mimicked the play and reflected the characters.
This is the best Pike book I've read so far, objectively and subjectively speaking (yes, it even beat out the emotional rollercoaster Remember Me sent me on). I liked the subtle supernatural touch near the end, without it going overboard. And the murder mystery was EXCELLENT. I really liked how it mimicked the play and reflected the characters.
January 19, 2021
Quite possibly the worst Pike book and one of his early ones. A boring murder mystery with a :shocker: happy ending. It’s a typical teen novel for the first 100 pages and then things finally get going.
December 19, 2025
Rereading my favorite books in 2024 (8/10) Christopher Pike had to appear somewhere on the list, since he heavily influenced my love of reading as a teen - and my appreciation for mysteries and thrillers. Still fun to revisit.
April 19, 2015
Was Awesome!!!!I liked how all the parts came together in the end...
October 28, 2020
DNF'd @ 10%
Okay, I know 10% isn't a lot, and it's nothing really against the book, but I can just tell right off the bat that this writing style is not going to be for me. Usually I will give a book a bit more of a chance, but unfortunately I can just tell right now that this just isn't meant to be, so I'm not going to push myself through it having recently pushed myself through a few other "bad" books.
Okay, I know 10% isn't a lot, and it's nothing really against the book, but I can just tell right off the bat that this writing style is not going to be for me. Usually I will give a book a bit more of a chance, but unfortunately I can just tell right now that this just isn't meant to be, so I'm not going to push myself through it having recently pushed myself through a few other "bad" books.
May 27, 2017
Quite a slow start. Things don't really get going intil halfway through. But the climax more than makes up for that.
3.5 stars
3.5 stars
June 27, 2019
Definitely not the story I thought it was but an epic mystery nonetheless. I loved these books as a teen and suffice it to say the love is still alive & well 💜
April 30, 2021
I had an impossible time getting through this.
July 25, 2021
This one has some bad dude writing, and it took way too many pages to explain who the bad guy was and why, but the mystery was fun.
I talk about this book in this wrap up video.
I talk about this book in this wrap up video.
May 22, 2022
3.5 (very good.) Unique take on the who done it. Pacing was fine overall, but the ending dragged a bit. Still a good read.
June 3, 2025
A emotionally charged character driven , drawn out mystery thriller from Christoper Pike! Really enjoyed this one. The characters were really well written and complex. Melanie, Susan and Rindy , the three “leading ladies “ were especially memorable!
October 15, 2025
More of a mystery than a horror book, this was still a great fast read. After a little bit of setup with all the characters, it moves at a really fast pace that had me interested. Fun school play setup.
July 30, 2022
Re-read. This twisty mystery is just what I remember of "peak Pike": an ensemble of shady yet surprisingly mature teens, dialogue that delights in interrogation, some preposterous but unarguably entertaining high-drama scenes, and the faintest whiff of the supernatural just at the end. This was a satisfyingly quick re-read.
Story is that Melanie Martin is the new girl in small-town Iowa, a somewhat shy actress that gets roped into the school's production of an obscure murder mystery play, Final Chance, by classmate and play's director - and new friend? - Susan. It doesn't take long to notice that the play's characters and story line bears more than passing resemblance to the people chosen to play the roles - which includes beautiful but stand-offish girl Rindy, with whom Melanie has already had an unfortunate run-in and is a rival for former jock Marc's affections. When an on-stage murder becomes a real murder and Melanie is accused, she realizes she has to take on the investigation of her castmates herself.
I had no hope of unraveling who the real killer was by clues left in the narrative. Maybe I'm just not good at solving puzzles, or maybe Pike just likes to really keep readers guessing. I had a sense of who it was based on fuzzy memory of my first read, but certainly I don't think it's ever obvious until right before the climactic scene. This means the end of the book is a little explain-y (both the villain and the police captain that becomes something of an ally to Melanie in the investigation get their own monologues to explain their hows and whys).
And oh the drama! Not just because this is high school theater, either. The emotions revealed toward the end between some of the characters is soap opera-worthy. But by that point you're too sucked in to roll your eyes at the over-the-topness.
One thing I had to shake my head about: the idea that these kids would get permission to put on a play with an actual gun in it. Written far pre-Columbine for sure. Also that the police would allow a reenactment of the play, just so Melanie can have a think about who the murderer might be from a different perspective. LOL, but also: I can appreciate the drama.
LAST ACT is, as far as my Googling can tell, one of Pike's earliest novels. I'm trying to re-read them in publication order, but when the author in question publishes sometimes 3-4 novels a year, some of them in series and some standalone, it gets confusing.
Nonetheless this book reminded me why I became such a superfan of Pike in the first place. A fun mystery with a healthy dose of teen romance and interpersonal drama, and a hint of supernatural. *chef's kiss*
Story is that Melanie Martin is the new girl in small-town Iowa, a somewhat shy actress that gets roped into the school's production of an obscure murder mystery play, Final Chance, by classmate and play's director - and new friend? - Susan. It doesn't take long to notice that the play's characters and story line bears more than passing resemblance to the people chosen to play the roles - which includes beautiful but stand-offish girl Rindy, with whom Melanie has already had an unfortunate run-in and is a rival for former jock Marc's affections. When an on-stage murder becomes a real murder and Melanie is accused, she realizes she has to take on the investigation of her castmates herself.
I had no hope of unraveling who the real killer was by clues left in the narrative. Maybe I'm just not good at solving puzzles, or maybe Pike just likes to really keep readers guessing. I had a sense of who it was based on fuzzy memory of my first read, but certainly I don't think it's ever obvious until right before the climactic scene. This means the end of the book is a little explain-y (both the villain and the police captain that becomes something of an ally to Melanie in the investigation get their own monologues to explain their hows and whys).
And oh the drama! Not just because this is high school theater, either. The emotions revealed toward the end between some of the characters is soap opera-worthy. But by that point you're too sucked in to roll your eyes at the over-the-topness.
One thing I had to shake my head about: the idea that these kids would get permission to put on a play with an actual gun in it. Written far pre-Columbine for sure. Also that the police would allow a reenactment of the play, just so Melanie can have a think about who the murderer might be from a different perspective. LOL, but also: I can appreciate the drama.
LAST ACT is, as far as my Googling can tell, one of Pike's earliest novels. I'm trying to re-read them in publication order, but when the author in question publishes sometimes 3-4 novels a year, some of them in series and some standalone, it gets confusing.
Nonetheless this book reminded me why I became such a superfan of Pike in the first place. A fun mystery with a healthy dose of teen romance and interpersonal drama, and a hint of supernatural. *chef's kiss*
April 13, 2022
"Last Act" received THREE stars.
The novel gained *stars* for these items:
* gained for: "The book caught my interest in the first five pages."
* gained for: "I thought about the book when I was forced to set it down and re-enter society."
* gained for: "There were no info dumps, poor writing, or copy edit mistakes that jerked me out of the story."
The novel failed to gain stars for this item:
NO STAR gained for: "I was sad when the book ended. I wanted more!"
NO STAR gained for: "That's it. I'm hooked on this author. I will automatically try anything she/he/they writes."
The novel gained *stars* for these items:
* gained for: "The book caught my interest in the first five pages."
* gained for: "I thought about the book when I was forced to set it down and re-enter society."
* gained for: "There were no info dumps, poor writing, or copy edit mistakes that jerked me out of the story."
The novel failed to gain stars for this item:
NO STAR gained for: "I was sad when the book ended. I wanted more!"
NO STAR gained for: "That's it. I'm hooked on this author. I will automatically try anything she/he/they writes."
April 15, 2019
Basic Plot: Melanie moves to a new town and gets a part in the school play, which is great until someone dies.
As a theatre kid and a horror fan, this was one of my favorites for a long time because it appealed to those two great loves of mine. I remember it having a good build, fun twists, and decent re-read value.
As a theatre kid and a horror fan, this was one of my favorites for a long time because it appealed to those two great loves of mine. I remember it having a good build, fun twists, and decent re-read value.
March 31, 2021
My favorite Christopher Pike book. He is a master suspense storyteller. I grew up reading his books as a teen and young adult, and this is probably his best yet. The plot and storyline are superb. Reminds me of how masterfully the Saw film series (though very gory) were put together. If you don't read any of Pike's other books, you'll wanna read this one.
January 14, 2024
My interest in Christopher Pike was renewed by the show The Midnight Club. I read a bunch of his books when I was a teenager and I remembered the basics of this story. This book was hard to find, as my library doesn’t have it and it seems to be out of print, so I got a second hand book. The murder mystery of this story still holds up, decades later.
December 27, 2020
Read this one for an episode of The PikeCast!
January 27, 2024
Two of the stars are simply for nostalgia. A half a star is for being reminded of reading this at my grandma’s house. It’s so much better in my memory.
November 20, 2025
I read many Christopher Pike books in my pre-teen/middle school years. I remember taking at least two of them to college with me: Remember Me and Last Act. I wish I knew what happened to those books, but I don't and probably never will. They could be somewhere at my mom's house OR they were read-to-death by me and those that came after me (my nieces and nephew) OR they were all sold in a yard sale OR traded-in to a bookstore. I truly have no idea. So instead I turned to eBay and found about 20 of my favorites significantly overpriced for books that retailed at $3.99 and are not in the best condition. I kick myself every time I buy used books from eBay or ThriftBooks because they always have difficult-to-remove stickers and/or are not in a condition I would call good but eBay's definition of good loosely applies. In the lot I bought of 16 books, the first one I read (Slumber Party) has a piece of...cupcake, maybe...chillin' in the spine with some kind of growth that has spread to multiple pages in either direction. Definitely not a book condition I would call good or even acceptable, but this seller thought it worth selling.
So back to Last Act. This has a lot of elements that a young-me enjoyed: 1) my name! 2) a story within a story 3) a mystery 4) chocolate cake. The book centers around a new-ish-to-town teen, Melanie, that lands a lead (as Melissa) in a school play directed by new friend Susan and starring Marc, a boy Melanie has a crush on. Melanie's character, Melissa, shoots Ronda (played by Rindy) and the last act of the play is the characters discovering who killed Ronda. BUT (SPOILER ALERT) on opening night shit goes sideways and Melanie ends up arrested for murder. The second half of the book is Melanie's attempt to prove she did not kill Rindy -- either on purpose or by accident. I can remember making my own list of suspects along with Melanie when I was a kid and I remembered the anagram of Stan Russel/Susan Trels as soon as I saw his name on page 36. Interesting to note that, like in Slumber Party, someone is always ordering a chocolate cake, does Mr Pike like chocolate? Fortunately not as much weird focus on body image and negative self-talk in this one, although Melanie is a little insecure and compares herself to the beautiful Rindy an awful lot, especially when talking to Marc. I'd forgotten all about Clyde though so that was a twist I didn't see coming.
I am 99% certain that I read The Catcher in the Rye because it is mentioned in this book (the ducks!) and while young-me probably had no questions about it, adult me is wondering why the ducks wouldn't migrate? Wouldn't they be fine even if Sam didn't bundle them up in his barn? Unless they are domesticated Mallards and Sam brought them there in the first place thus should be responsible for them because their migratory instincts were bred out of them?
So back to Last Act. This has a lot of elements that a young-me enjoyed: 1) my name! 2) a story within a story 3) a mystery 4) chocolate cake. The book centers around a new-ish-to-town teen, Melanie, that lands a lead (as Melissa) in a school play directed by new friend Susan and starring Marc, a boy Melanie has a crush on. Melanie's character, Melissa, shoots Ronda (played by Rindy) and the last act of the play is the characters discovering who killed Ronda. BUT (SPOILER ALERT) on opening night shit goes sideways and Melanie ends up arrested for murder. The second half of the book is Melanie's attempt to prove she did not kill Rindy -- either on purpose or by accident. I can remember making my own list of suspects along with Melanie when I was a kid and I remembered the anagram of Stan Russel/Susan Trels as soon as I saw his name on page 36. Interesting to note that, like in Slumber Party, someone is always ordering a chocolate cake, does Mr Pike like chocolate? Fortunately not as much weird focus on body image and negative self-talk in this one, although Melanie is a little insecure and compares herself to the beautiful Rindy an awful lot, especially when talking to Marc. I'd forgotten all about Clyde though so that was a twist I didn't see coming.
I am 99% certain that I read The Catcher in the Rye because it is mentioned in this book (the ducks!) and while young-me probably had no questions about it, adult me is wondering why the ducks wouldn't migrate? Wouldn't they be fine even if Sam didn't bundle them up in his barn? Unless they are domesticated Mallards and Sam brought them there in the first place thus should be responsible for them because their migratory instincts were bred out of them?
November 17, 2024
“Last Act” is a novel by Christopher Pike. I am currently rereading some of Pike’s novels to aid me on my nano wri mo project, available here as a completely selfless plug:
https://dashingdon.com/play/starchild...
Of the four Pike novels I’ve reread recently, I think this is one of the best. This seems a master work of plotting, placement of details, symbolism and parallelism with incredibly interesting, moving characters.
Our protagonist, Melanie, being 18, is actually one of the older prots we’ve had, but there’s something about the innocence and sympathetic notes of her character that makes her seem younger - I feel like her diologues reflect that as well. Her role as the new girl in school makes her a great gateway character, linking her to the reader and reinforcing sympathy. The characters we meet through her are intriguing and are written with enough mystery and question marks to keep us guessing as to what’s going on underneath.
I felt like this is an incredibly detailed work with some details being there to bring vibrancy to the scene and others to help plant clues and heighten the mystery. I’d raise to many spoilers if I delved, but I felt like this was well done.
The play within the play and links between scenes is also key and striking, and I think this parallelism is a key note for Pike, as I noticed similar plot aspects in “Weekend” and “Witch” as well. Not just symbolism is what I’m talking about, but rather representational parallelism, if that hopefully makes sense.
As with some of Pike’s others works your left with some true feels and echoes of the story continuing on. *spoiler* I did wonder with the photos in the end; what if Rindy had been in one of the group photos? Just a thought with how Jeremy tore them up after taking them. Then again, wouldn’t he have kept it if she had been? But he was kind of a weird guy, so I don’t know.*end spoiler*
Overall, as stated, this was one of the better novels I’ve reread so far. I think it flirts with a 5 but I doubt it’ll be impactful on me years later, which is kind of one of my criteria for a 5, where it resonates that much. Still, I gladly give it 4 out of 5 ducks.
https://dashingdon.com/play/starchild...
Of the four Pike novels I’ve reread recently, I think this is one of the best. This seems a master work of plotting, placement of details, symbolism and parallelism with incredibly interesting, moving characters.
Our protagonist, Melanie, being 18, is actually one of the older prots we’ve had, but there’s something about the innocence and sympathetic notes of her character that makes her seem younger - I feel like her diologues reflect that as well. Her role as the new girl in school makes her a great gateway character, linking her to the reader and reinforcing sympathy. The characters we meet through her are intriguing and are written with enough mystery and question marks to keep us guessing as to what’s going on underneath.
I felt like this is an incredibly detailed work with some details being there to bring vibrancy to the scene and others to help plant clues and heighten the mystery. I’d raise to many spoilers if I delved, but I felt like this was well done.
The play within the play and links between scenes is also key and striking, and I think this parallelism is a key note for Pike, as I noticed similar plot aspects in “Weekend” and “Witch” as well. Not just symbolism is what I’m talking about, but rather representational parallelism, if that hopefully makes sense.
As with some of Pike’s others works your left with some true feels and echoes of the story continuing on. *spoiler* I did wonder with the photos in the end; what if Rindy had been in one of the group photos? Just a thought with how Jeremy tore them up after taking them. Then again, wouldn’t he have kept it if she had been? But he was kind of a weird guy, so I don’t know.*end spoiler*
Overall, as stated, this was one of the better novels I’ve reread so far. I think it flirts with a 5 but I doubt it’ll be impactful on me years later, which is kind of one of my criteria for a 5, where it resonates that much. Still, I gladly give it 4 out of 5 ducks.
June 28, 2024
Yikes! I feel I need to put in a trigger warning about school shootings for this book!
Major *cringe* factor here, people! Major!!
Basically Of course the real culprit is caught in the end ("And they would've gotten away with it too..."), so all's well that ends well.
I guess.
Wait... WHAT?!?!?
I have SO many issues with this book I cannot even begin to count them. There's the cliché characters, of course. There's the predictable plot, the flat dialogue, and, overall, the simply awful writing. Par the course for Pike books. Which absolutely DO NOT hold up after 30-some years. But this one is the worst of all because *begin rant* I mean, what the actual hell?!? There is SO much wrong with this book that I cannot even!! *end rant*
This was a decades-later revisit. Admittedly I forgot 99% of it and thought I was getting into reading a different book (Pike books tend to blend together). Had I not already read this one as a teenager, I'd have DNF in a second.
Awful!! Obviously this one DOES NOT hold up and likely wouldn't even be published in today's world.
p.s. On a side note, I'm nostalgic for the 80s and early 90s when the plot wouldn't have triggered me like this.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 141 reviews