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The Crush II
Regaining his freedom after being framed for a series of murders, Michael Warden returns home to try to rebuild his life, only to have a new string of killings, bearing a startling resemblance to the earlier crimes, complicate his life. Original.
- GenresYoung Adult
256 pages, Paperback
First published September 1, 1994
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Displaying 1 - 7 of 7 reviews
February 14, 2024
A tad salacious and very goofy. Feels like if Saved By the Bell were a slasher. But with cussing and PG-13 sexy moments. These do not feel like real teen characters and some of the storylines border on cartoonish/surreal. Like, characters are getting ~discovered and casted in commercials and landing talent agents. There’s even a makeover. It’s all very Hollywood Teen Fantasy. But with a high body count and fabulous outfits.
Did I guess the twist early on? Yes.
But I still liked it.
I have questions!!
How is Covers still open? Your staff and patrons are getting murdered but I guess these magic and juggling acts really are money-makers. Clean up the blood. The show must go on.
WHAT is it about this Michael guy that all the girls are DYING (literally) to hook up with him?? He gets released from a mental institution after being accused of being a serial killer (!) but they’re all fawning over him anyway. I get that he wears silk shirts and has this swoony tortured artist thing going for him but dude was literally just committed.
I was a little annoyed at how we don’t see the rest of the ending play out (it jumps forward to the epilogue), and there’s a bit of another cliffhanger situation.
Did I guess the twist early on? Yes.
But I still liked it.
I have questions!!
How is Covers still open? Your staff and patrons are getting murdered but I guess these magic and juggling acts really are money-makers. Clean up the blood. The show must go on.
WHAT is it about this Michael guy that all the girls are DYING (literally) to hook up with him?? He gets released from a mental institution after being accused of being a serial killer (!) but they’re all fawning over him anyway. I get that he wears silk shirts and has this swoony tortured artist thing going for him but dude was literally just committed.
I was a little annoyed at how we don’t see the rest of the ending play out (it jumps forward to the epilogue), and there’s a bit of another cliffhanger situation.
June 1, 2023
This book was all over the place.
We set up our killer in the opening chapter, and there's no twist so that's kind of boring.
The middle of the book involves a movie set and a makeover and it feels like a completely different story.
More girls are picked off one by one by the Cupid Killer until no victims are left. When a new character was introduced with only about 25 pages left, only to die immediately, I realized this book wasn't for me.
It ended and I was like, oh? That's it?
A disappointing sequel.
We set up our killer in the opening chapter, and there's no twist so that's kind of boring.
The middle of the book involves a movie set and a makeover and it feels like a completely different story.
More girls are picked off one by one by the Cupid Killer until no victims are left. When a new character was introduced with only about 25 pages left, only to die immediately, I realized this book wasn't for me.
It ended and I was like, oh? That's it?
A disappointing sequel.
March 16, 2022
There's a reason The Crush II falls one star short of its predecessor and I will get there with perhaps some spoilers if I can control myself but no promises...I type what I think when I think it.
After reading The Crush, I don't think I have ever picked up the sequel to a book as fast as I did this one because I just had to know what happened. I have this review under the original but I read it in the omnibus of both books titled as Obsessed and I couldn't be satisfied until I did.
It was fairly open that Judy Lampert was behind killing her five female co-workers at Covers to try and get Michael Warden to love her instead. Completely and clearly having some screws loose, Judy framed Michael and he's been in a mental institute instead of going to jail because Judy made a plea for it instead of hard time.
Michael gets a free pass to come home for the weekend because he's been making progress and the doctor believes being around family will do him good. Judy is not too happy when she notices a party being held next door for Michael that she was clearly not invited to on purpose. The only reason Michael is better is because Judy was barred from visiting him since each time she saw him...Michael regressed back to an agitated state and needed shock therapy.
When the party's over, Judy gets Michael alone and tries to make moves on him but he's smart and gets out of there to go off for a drive. Later that evening, Judy doesn't show up to work and the staff receives a call...Judy's dead.
Carla and Andy head to the scene of a car accident and meet Michael there where he identifies the car and the body belonging to Judy. The lead detective in the case finds a note written by Judy where she confesses to killing the other girls and framing Michael, clearing his name and getting him released from the hospital.
Michael starts working at Covers again but some of the new employees that have been hired in the meantime still gossip about Michael and how he might still be the dubbed Cupid Killer, Judy now his latest victim and the apparent suicide note she left being one she wrote under coercion from Michael who obviously had a gun to her head.
The old regulars begin to lose their own doubts when...the killings start happening again. Any woman that gets close to Michael finds themselves a target and they start dropping like flies once more. The only one who is on Michael's side is Carla and she begins to start falling hard for Michael and has he driven another woman insane to pick up where Judy let off?
Answer: No but that's what I was beginning to think and I think that's how Gibson intended it. That all goes out the window when we find out that food is going missing from the kitchen and petty cash is being taken out...its obvious that Judy faked her death.
That didn't make me mad...no it wasn't that. The girls that we get introduced to who soon meet their ends in a sort of repetitive plot didn't tick me off either. The reasons they were killed off were very justified for none of them were sympathetic at all and before the "ghost" started showing up, it gave us reasons to question either Michael or Carla's sanity.
I was also quite a fan of Michael developing romantic feelings for Carla. It sounds like a big dismissal to why he didn't feel anything for Judy but it's set up that Carla clearly has no self-esteem in herself and never really tried to stand out. Judy is clearly a narcissist and a psychopath and a sociopath who feels entitled because she's rich.
One of the mean girls is the daughter of a movie producer who clearly tries to set Carla up for embarrassment when Heidi states Carla would be perfect to act with Michael in his audition for a part in her father's movie. They do her hair, make-up, dress her in more flattering clothes and give Carla contacts and, cliché as it is, she's gorgeous. Everyone is stunned, Michael is clearly impressed and it blows up in Heidi's face.
When it seems like everyone has given up on Michael after four more women meet their end, Carla is still by his side and he realizes just how much he has come to love her. That's of course when Judy shows up to kill Carla because she's alive but Carla is smart.
She uses the club's equipment to record Judy confessing to every detail she did of framing Michael, plays dead when Judy does stab her for real with a kitchen knife but has dumb luck keep her from being done in by the arrow as Judy goes off to kill Michael. Carla is able to call Michael to warn him and then we get an ending which is what really made me infuriated.
No, not the fake out that we think Carla died but turns out she's alive and then ending seems as if the worst is over.
No it's the fact that Judy's neglectful but rich adopted parents keep HER from going to jail, she ends up in a sanitarium and plays all of the nurses and doctors so that she just COMPLETELY WALKS OUT AND ESCAPES! Judy is also planning on coming back and killing off Carla and Michael and we get an ending with an opening so big A FREAKING SEMI COULD DRIVE THROUGH IT!
Since there is no The Crush III we basically got like one or two seasons of a show that end on a cliffhanger right before being cancelled! As someone who watched the Sarah Michelle Gellar television return that was Ringer on the CW that got the same treatment, I finished this book entertained and livid at the same time. If not for the disappointing ending, I would have given this five stars but as it stands...four out of five.
After reading The Crush, I don't think I have ever picked up the sequel to a book as fast as I did this one because I just had to know what happened. I have this review under the original but I read it in the omnibus of both books titled as Obsessed and I couldn't be satisfied until I did.
It was fairly open that Judy Lampert was behind killing her five female co-workers at Covers to try and get Michael Warden to love her instead. Completely and clearly having some screws loose, Judy framed Michael and he's been in a mental institute instead of going to jail because Judy made a plea for it instead of hard time.
Michael gets a free pass to come home for the weekend because he's been making progress and the doctor believes being around family will do him good. Judy is not too happy when she notices a party being held next door for Michael that she was clearly not invited to on purpose. The only reason Michael is better is because Judy was barred from visiting him since each time she saw him...Michael regressed back to an agitated state and needed shock therapy.
When the party's over, Judy gets Michael alone and tries to make moves on him but he's smart and gets out of there to go off for a drive. Later that evening, Judy doesn't show up to work and the staff receives a call...Judy's dead.
Carla and Andy head to the scene of a car accident and meet Michael there where he identifies the car and the body belonging to Judy. The lead detective in the case finds a note written by Judy where she confesses to killing the other girls and framing Michael, clearing his name and getting him released from the hospital.
Michael starts working at Covers again but some of the new employees that have been hired in the meantime still gossip about Michael and how he might still be the dubbed Cupid Killer, Judy now his latest victim and the apparent suicide note she left being one she wrote under coercion from Michael who obviously had a gun to her head.
The old regulars begin to lose their own doubts when...the killings start happening again. Any woman that gets close to Michael finds themselves a target and they start dropping like flies once more. The only one who is on Michael's side is Carla and she begins to start falling hard for Michael and has he driven another woman insane to pick up where Judy let off?
Answer: No but that's what I was beginning to think and I think that's how Gibson intended it. That all goes out the window when we find out that food is going missing from the kitchen and petty cash is being taken out...its obvious that Judy faked her death.
That didn't make me mad...no it wasn't that. The girls that we get introduced to who soon meet their ends in a sort of repetitive plot didn't tick me off either. The reasons they were killed off were very justified for none of them were sympathetic at all and before the "ghost" started showing up, it gave us reasons to question either Michael or Carla's sanity.
I was also quite a fan of Michael developing romantic feelings for Carla. It sounds like a big dismissal to why he didn't feel anything for Judy but it's set up that Carla clearly has no self-esteem in herself and never really tried to stand out. Judy is clearly a narcissist and a psychopath and a sociopath who feels entitled because she's rich.
One of the mean girls is the daughter of a movie producer who clearly tries to set Carla up for embarrassment when Heidi states Carla would be perfect to act with Michael in his audition for a part in her father's movie. They do her hair, make-up, dress her in more flattering clothes and give Carla contacts and, cliché as it is, she's gorgeous. Everyone is stunned, Michael is clearly impressed and it blows up in Heidi's face.
When it seems like everyone has given up on Michael after four more women meet their end, Carla is still by his side and he realizes just how much he has come to love her. That's of course when Judy shows up to kill Carla because she's alive but Carla is smart.
She uses the club's equipment to record Judy confessing to every detail she did of framing Michael, plays dead when Judy does stab her for real with a kitchen knife but has dumb luck keep her from being done in by the arrow as Judy goes off to kill Michael. Carla is able to call Michael to warn him and then we get an ending which is what really made me infuriated.
No, not the fake out that we think Carla died but turns out she's alive and then ending seems as if the worst is over.
No it's the fact that Judy's neglectful but rich adopted parents keep HER from going to jail, she ends up in a sanitarium and plays all of the nurses and doctors so that she just COMPLETELY WALKS OUT AND ESCAPES! Judy is also planning on coming back and killing off Carla and Michael and we get an ending with an opening so big A FREAKING SEMI COULD DRIVE THROUGH IT!
Since there is no The Crush III we basically got like one or two seasons of a show that end on a cliffhanger right before being cancelled! As someone who watched the Sarah Michelle Gellar television return that was Ringer on the CW that got the same treatment, I finished this book entertained and livid at the same time. If not for the disappointing ending, I would have given this five stars but as it stands...four out of five.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
November 3, 2016
Even worse than the first one! Judy fakes her death, Michael gets set free.
When the girls he likes start to die again, the book tries to pretend it's not completely obvious Judy is behind it all.
I mean, JUDY FAKED HER DEATH FOR FREAK'S SAKE! Who else could it be?
This sort of writing insults the intelligence!
When the girls he likes start to die again, the book tries to pretend it's not completely obvious Judy is behind it all.
I mean, JUDY FAKED HER DEATH FOR FREAK'S SAKE! Who else could it be?
This sort of writing insults the intelligence!
August 1, 2025
A very unnecessary sequel, where the “twist” is obvious in the first chapter.
March 27, 2015
Not much improved from the first book.
It has the same structure of Michael being fussed by girls and later on the girls get alone and they died.
Despite the fact the killer's identity is revealed in first book, the sequel is trying to be murder mystery but it's pretty easy to know who the killer is.
Also, there's the part when Carla and Michael are casted into movie but all this part does is talk about technical stuff of movie making and have some drama of one girl trying to trip Carla with tricks so she can Michael. That whole part seems unnecessary, especially since it's never brought up later on and should have been cut down.
The only improvement of the book so far are the main characters. Carla is the main character and she's the smart and not so vain girl. She's not interesting but she's the best female character in this whole series as she's not jerk or shallow and I do support her getting Michael.
Michael is still boring but at least he showed a little character development as he doesn't date girls continuously(thought the girls launched themselves to him) and sees girls more of their character rather than their beauty.
The female victims in this book are still scheming/jerks/shallow. I was hoping for at least one...
The sequel is barely over an improvement over the first one that if there's those who don't enjoy the first book, don't bother with this one. To the others, then I would recommend this book since I found little improvement in characters.
Also, the book still has the bad ending. Bleh, another reason for not liking this book.
It has the same structure of Michael being fussed by girls and later on the girls get alone and they died.
Despite the fact the killer's identity is revealed in first book, the sequel is trying to be murder mystery but it's pretty easy to know who the killer is.
Also, there's the part when Carla and Michael are casted into movie but all this part does is talk about technical stuff of movie making and have some drama of one girl trying to trip Carla with tricks so she can Michael. That whole part seems unnecessary, especially since it's never brought up later on and should have been cut down.
The only improvement of the book so far are the main characters. Carla is the main character and she's the smart and not so vain girl. She's not interesting but she's the best female character in this whole series as she's not jerk or shallow and I do support her getting Michael.
Michael is still boring but at least he showed a little character development as he doesn't date girls continuously(thought the girls launched themselves to him) and sees girls more of their character rather than their beauty.
The female victims in this book are still scheming/jerks/shallow. I was hoping for at least one...
The sequel is barely over an improvement over the first one that if there's those who don't enjoy the first book, don't bother with this one. To the others, then I would recommend this book since I found little improvement in characters.
Also, the book still has the bad ending. Bleh, another reason for not liking this book.
March 20, 2016
This is a simply, but smartly written young adult thriller.
Its plot twist kept me guessing until near the end.
The fact that I'm far past its intended age group in no way inhibited my enjoyment of it.
Also worth noting that this was a sequel to an earlier book,but the events of the earlier novel were well and consciously explained so the reader never felt left out or lost if they hadn't read the first one.
Its plot twist kept me guessing until near the end.
The fact that I'm far past its intended age group in no way inhibited my enjoyment of it.
Also worth noting that this was a sequel to an earlier book,but the events of the earlier novel were well and consciously explained so the reader never felt left out or lost if they hadn't read the first one.
Displaying 1 - 7 of 7 reviews