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Remember Me #1
Remember Me
SHE DIDN'T UNDERSTAND THAT SHE WAS DEAD.
When Shari Cooper awoke at home after being at her girlfriend's birthday party, her family acted like she wasn't there. They didn't hear a thing she said. They wouldn't even look at her. Then the call came from the hospital. Her father and brother paled. Her mother started to cry. Shari didn't know what was wrong. Not until she followed them to the hospital. There she found herself lying on a cold slab in the morgue. The police said that it was suicide.
When Shari Cooper awoke at home after being at her girlfriend's birthday party, her family acted like she wasn't there. They didn't hear a thing she said. They wouldn't even look at her. Then the call came from the hospital. Her father and brother paled. Her mother started to cry. Shari didn't know what was wrong. Not until she followed them to the hospital. There she found herself lying on a cold slab in the morgue. The police said that it was suicide.
Shari knew she had been murdered. Making a vow to herself to find her killer, Shari embarks on the strangest of all criminal investigations: one in which she spies on her friends, and even enters their dreams -- where she comes face-to-face with a nightmare from beyond the grave. The Shadow -- a thing more horrible than death itself -- is the key to Shari's death, and the only thing that can stop her murderer from murdering again.
230 pages, Paperback
First published April 1, 1989
166 people are currently reading
10661 people want to read
About the author
Christopher Pike
261 books5,468 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 829 reviews
May 2, 2021
Not my favorite Pike but gets an extra star because Remember Me 2 is so totally awful that I figure this kind of thing must be harder than it looks.
October 30, 2010
When I was teen, Christopher Pike was the first author I searched for in the book stores. If he had a new book out, I would do anything to make sure I had it. In fact, years later, I still have those books. Remember Me, though, stands out among his books. Just the idea of a girl telling her story as a ghost who was murdered. I loved it. When I think about Pike's books, this is the first one that comes to mind. I know they recently re-released this book, and I think even though it's an old book, it's still relevant to today's teens. Pike is a master when it comes to understanding the kind of social pressures and relationships of teens. He doesn't write down to his readers. Plus, he's great at getting the adrenaline pumping! I always loved his portrayal of different kinds of relationships when I was a teen, and my goal as a writer is to tap into the kind of stories he used to tell.
Want to read
May 15, 2023Me: Do I need to buy this entire trilogy with the newly updated covers? I mean, is that really what I need to be spending my money on right now?
Also Me:
Also Me:
March 17, 2017
I loved the absolute SHIT out of Christopher Pike books when I was a teenager. They were like the next step up from Goosebumps in terms of creepiness and language, but they felt waaaaaay more mature because the characters, like, had sex and went to parties with alcohol and all that shit.
For some incredibly stupid reason, I decided to reread this, a good 20 years (ohgod I'm so old) after I last read a Christopher Pike book.
And.........this was fucking terrible, you guys.
Shari, the main character? Is basically Jessica Wakefield. She's pretty much a stuck up bitch who's constantly talking about how pretty she is compared to other girls. Her parents gave her a Ferrari as a high school graduation present(!?!?!?! Meanwhile, her older brother drives a station wagon??). She has perfect, California surfer girl hair without being a surfer girl. She's super popular. Etcetera.
And then she gets murdered. Ordinarily, I would say this is the best damned thing ever because if ever a character deserved to get murdered for being the actual worst, it's Shari. But nooooo. Shari becomes a ghost, determined to solve her own murder.
But she's not a ghost who can walk through walls and shit because that would be too fucking easy. Instead, she has to climb in windows and up drainpipes and wait for someone to open the door before she can get into rooms or cars or whatever.
And honestly, the story behind her murder and the climax of the book? Is HILARIOUSLY FUCKED UP.
Add in the whole "Wait, you were in love with me? *I* was in love with *YOU*!!" thing with Peter the Ghost Boy, and I'm honestly surprised I didn't hurl this book across the room. I did snort laugh really loudly while taking a year 10 reading class though, so...there's that.
One star for the story, one star for the nostalgia value.
For some incredibly stupid reason, I decided to reread this, a good 20 years (ohgod I'm so old) after I last read a Christopher Pike book.
And.........this was fucking terrible, you guys.
Shari, the main character? Is basically Jessica Wakefield. She's pretty much a stuck up bitch who's constantly talking about how pretty she is compared to other girls. Her parents gave her a Ferrari as a high school graduation present(!?!?!?! Meanwhile, her older brother drives a station wagon??). She has perfect, California surfer girl hair without being a surfer girl. She's super popular. Etcetera.
And then she gets murdered. Ordinarily, I would say this is the best damned thing ever because if ever a character deserved to get murdered for being the actual worst, it's Shari. But nooooo. Shari becomes a ghost, determined to solve her own murder.
But she's not a ghost who can walk through walls and shit because that would be too fucking easy. Instead, she has to climb in windows and up drainpipes and wait for someone to open the door before she can get into rooms or cars or whatever.
And honestly, the story behind her murder and the climax of the book? Is HILARIOUSLY FUCKED UP.
Add in the whole "Wait, you were in love with me? *I* was in love with *YOU*!!" thing with Peter the Ghost Boy, and I'm honestly surprised I didn't hurl this book across the room. I did snort laugh really loudly while taking a year 10 reading class though, so...there's that.
One star for the story, one star for the nostalgia value.
August 20, 2016
It's nice to know what Regina George would have done if that bus had killed her.
March 24, 2010
I read this book more than half of my life ago, but it still haunts me as one of the best books I've ever read. For a thirteen year old girl interested in "the other side", this book was the cat's pajamas. I don't remember much about it despite the main character Shari's plea not to forget (har har), but I do remember reading it multiple times and feeling a little like I could cry when the book was over. I will always have a soft spot for this book, and for Christopher Pike.
March 14, 2024
"I was young when I died. I didn't have a chance to make my mark in the world. I didn't do anything unique, nothing that will change the course of history. But I wasn't a bad girl. I don't want to be forgotten. I want people to remember me.”
― Christopher Pike, Remember Me
I read this one awhile ago and unlike with many of Pike's books, I did not do a reread yet on it. As a result, details are a bit fuzzy and I feel I cannot do a complete review until I reread.
As I recall, I did not follow the whole series. This may have been the point when I stopped following Pike's work as much. I was a fan or his earlier works.
As I recall I enjoyed the mystery element in this but it got steadily crazier and I started losing interest. That is most likely why I did not go on to read the next in the series.
Will have to do a reread of this as it will be interesting to see how I feel about it now.
― Christopher Pike, Remember Me
I read this one awhile ago and unlike with many of Pike's books, I did not do a reread yet on it. As a result, details are a bit fuzzy and I feel I cannot do a complete review until I reread.
As I recall, I did not follow the whole series. This may have been the point when I stopped following Pike's work as much. I was a fan or his earlier works.
As I recall I enjoyed the mystery element in this but it got steadily crazier and I started losing interest. That is most likely why I did not go on to read the next in the series.
Will have to do a reread of this as it will be interesting to see how I feel about it now.
May 24, 2020
3.5 stars
Teenager Shari falls from a balcony at a party. It is thought to be suicide but Shari's ghost is still roaming the earth and she knows she was killed.
This was some classic Pike craziness! Overall I really enjoyed it but there were a couple of things that let it down a bit for me. One, I found it a bit much when the story went into religion and the afterlife. And two, the reason behind what happened didn't really make a ton of sense. But it was still a good story and well worth reading for the bonkers stuff Pike comes up with!
Teenager Shari falls from a balcony at a party. It is thought to be suicide but Shari's ghost is still roaming the earth and she knows she was killed.
This was some classic Pike craziness! Overall I really enjoyed it but there were a couple of things that let it down a bit for me. One, I found it a bit much when the story went into religion and the afterlife. And two, the reason behind what happened didn't really make a ton of sense. But it was still a good story and well worth reading for the bonkers stuff Pike comes up with!
May 13, 2013
First off, I must say that I did enjoy the book...at first.
((The spoiler actually contains spoilers, you've been warned.))
((The spoiler actually contains spoilers, you've been warned.))
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
November 9, 2014
Rating: 4.5/5
Remember Me is the story of Shari, and it all begins the night she falls of a balcony. Shari was at a firends house for her birthday party. When most of the guests had left the remaining kids decided to call up the dead. Everything liked they were actually talking to a spirit when all of a sudden Shari decided to break the connection and walked to the balcony for some fresh air. A few minutes later she was found lying at the ground, two floors beneath the balcony. Was it murder or suicide? Shari wakes up the next morning in her bed not sure of what happened. Soon she will figure out she is a ghost. Even though it seems like she is not alone in this world between dead and alive she can't leave until she figures out what happened to her.
This was a great ghost/murder-mystery story. It had everything I love in those kind of stories. The friends who all seemed suspicious. It was really hard to figure out how anyone would have killed Shari by their stories. As I kept on reading and guessing, I was surprised that after a few revelations things started making sense, terrifying sense. There is a big secret that readers will unveil by the end of this book that really shocked me. It was a great twist. This book was dark and twisted. Yet, Shari is a character that, to me at least, seemed very pure and good-hearted. I felt sad for what happened to her and by the end of this book I really admired her strength.
Remember Me is the story of Shari, and it all begins the night she falls of a balcony. Shari was at a firends house for her birthday party. When most of the guests had left the remaining kids decided to call up the dead. Everything liked they were actually talking to a spirit when all of a sudden Shari decided to break the connection and walked to the balcony for some fresh air. A few minutes later she was found lying at the ground, two floors beneath the balcony. Was it murder or suicide? Shari wakes up the next morning in her bed not sure of what happened. Soon she will figure out she is a ghost. Even though it seems like she is not alone in this world between dead and alive she can't leave until she figures out what happened to her.
This was a great ghost/murder-mystery story. It had everything I love in those kind of stories. The friends who all seemed suspicious. It was really hard to figure out how anyone would have killed Shari by their stories. As I kept on reading and guessing, I was surprised that after a few revelations things started making sense, terrifying sense. There is a big secret that readers will unveil by the end of this book that really shocked me. It was a great twist. This book was dark and twisted. Yet, Shari is a character that, to me at least, seemed very pure and good-hearted. I felt sad for what happened to her and by the end of this book I really admired her strength.
July 6, 2025
I first read this book as a young adult, and it was one of those stories that stayed with me for the rest of my life, up to now. I finally decided to reread for posterity and nostalgia and I’m glad I did. I always loved Christopher Pike books and I’m happy to report that I still do.
Shari is your average teenager…pretty but think she could be prettier, rich enough to not be concerned with materialistic things since there is no lack thereof, and excited for a party with her boyfriend. Of course, it happens to be at Beth’s house, who she hates. Beth likes her boyfriend, and Shari is pretty sure Dan likes her back. Anywho, they go with her friend Amanda, her best friend Jo, and Beth’s boyfriend Jeff and decide to mess with the metaphysical…the next thing Shari knows, she’s dead.
Shari teams up with Peter, her friend who died a year previously, to sleuth and figure out who killed her. Shari knows, no matter that people are saying, that she didn’t commit suicide. Turns out, nothing was really as it seemed. So yes, this is an easy quick read, but one that I was so happy to immerse myself back into. Off to go read the sequel!
Shari is your average teenager…pretty but think she could be prettier, rich enough to not be concerned with materialistic things since there is no lack thereof, and excited for a party with her boyfriend. Of course, it happens to be at Beth’s house, who she hates. Beth likes her boyfriend, and Shari is pretty sure Dan likes her back. Anywho, they go with her friend Amanda, her best friend Jo, and Beth’s boyfriend Jeff and decide to mess with the metaphysical…the next thing Shari knows, she’s dead.
Shari teams up with Peter, her friend who died a year previously, to sleuth and figure out who killed her. Shari knows, no matter that people are saying, that she didn’t commit suicide. Turns out, nothing was really as it seemed. So yes, this is an easy quick read, but one that I was so happy to immerse myself back into. Off to go read the sequel!
August 17, 2021
This book is about a ghost. It's 700 pages long and reading it. You were interacting with other characters like you are alive or reliving the story. But, your a ghost and are just with them. It's a very mellow type writing style.
January 14, 2024
I've always been fascinated with horror. As a teen, I tried to get my hands on as many books as I could.
It was mainly a mix of Point Horror, though I do distinctly remember reading this Pike novel.
It's got such a cool concept (and title!).
It makes sense that it stood out...
The idea that Shari soon realises that she is a ghost and that someone had murdered her at a friend's party is such a hook.
The police believe it was suicide after falling from a balcony, but with plenty of suspects that help propell the mystery - it's down to Shari to discover the culprit.
Pike seems to stand out from other YA author's of the time due to the subject matters tackled.
His not afraid to include drugs or sex in his stories.
The mystery was fun and Shari's motives of just wanting to be remembered was nice, though the ending certainly took an unexpected turn.
It was mainly a mix of Point Horror, though I do distinctly remember reading this Pike novel.
It's got such a cool concept (and title!).
It makes sense that it stood out...
The idea that Shari soon realises that she is a ghost and that someone had murdered her at a friend's party is such a hook.
The police believe it was suicide after falling from a balcony, but with plenty of suspects that help propell the mystery - it's down to Shari to discover the culprit.
Pike seems to stand out from other YA author's of the time due to the subject matters tackled.
His not afraid to include drugs or sex in his stories.
The mystery was fun and Shari's motives of just wanting to be remembered was nice, though the ending certainly took an unexpected turn.
December 4, 2013
Remember Me..... ohhh, a very good book...
It starts off with Shari Cooper - the main character - retelling her life from the other side. She starts off to the night before she went to her friend Beth's party. Little did she know that it would be her last night. She was shoved off the balcony that night and she's determined to find her killer from the other side as she teams-up with Peter - her long-dead friend who died in a motorcycle accident, shows up at her funeral and offers to help her crossover.
When the killer was revealed, I couldn't have thought that it would be her. The twists were excellent and the story was hard to predict. Who could have known that Amanda was the real sister of Jimmy and that her and Shari were swapped when they were little?
I really love this book. It shows a lot of good values and some universal truths that we could all live by. And you just have to love Garret and his witty moves and remarks.
Witty characters, unpredictable events - a total page-turner. What more could you ask for?
Overall, this story is AMAZING!!
Always,
keilynn, D.N.
It starts off with Shari Cooper - the main character - retelling her life from the other side. She starts off to the night before she went to her friend Beth's party. Little did she know that it would be her last night. She was shoved off the balcony that night and she's determined to find her killer from the other side as she teams-up with Peter - her long-dead friend who died in a motorcycle accident, shows up at her funeral and offers to help her crossover.
When the killer was revealed, I couldn't have thought that it would be her. The twists were excellent and the story was hard to predict. Who could have known that Amanda was the real sister of Jimmy and that her and Shari were swapped when they were little?
I really love this book. It shows a lot of good values and some universal truths that we could all live by. And you just have to love Garret and his witty moves and remarks.
Witty characters, unpredictable events - a total page-turner. What more could you ask for?
Overall, this story is AMAZING!!
Always,
keilynn, D.N.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
January 14, 2011
Do you remember what the supernatural used to be like before the world of Vampires and Werewolves and even Zombies took over our world of modern day literature ?
Ghosts were the scary thing, things going bump in the night, spirits being summoned out of Ouija Boards and seances occuring. In Christopher Pike's Remember Me, it brought back some good memories of a time when scary stories just had ghosts and a simple storyline-nothing more as according to the cover, at the time released this book was scary as it stated on the cover and when I read it the other day, it was more corny and along similar lines of books that Ive read rather than giving off a scary aura.
The novel revolves around the death of Shari, who at a party with people who are supposed to be her friends , she is found dead - fallen off a balcony. Was she pushed or did she jump ? . Prior to her death, Shari and her friends were performing a seance which resulted in Jeff's brother Peter's spirit being awoken. Now Shari and Peter are on a mission to find out the truth about Shari and who exactly killed her as one things for sure Shari did not jump , watch out for a number of twists as three suspects stand out more than the others and read as we find out the cause of her death and why she had to be the one to die.
Ghosts were the scary thing, things going bump in the night, spirits being summoned out of Ouija Boards and seances occuring. In Christopher Pike's Remember Me, it brought back some good memories of a time when scary stories just had ghosts and a simple storyline-nothing more as according to the cover, at the time released this book was scary as it stated on the cover and when I read it the other day, it was more corny and along similar lines of books that Ive read rather than giving off a scary aura.
The novel revolves around the death of Shari, who at a party with people who are supposed to be her friends , she is found dead - fallen off a balcony. Was she pushed or did she jump ? . Prior to her death, Shari and her friends were performing a seance which resulted in Jeff's brother Peter's spirit being awoken. Now Shari and Peter are on a mission to find out the truth about Shari and who exactly killed her as one things for sure Shari did not jump , watch out for a number of twists as three suspects stand out more than the others and read as we find out the cause of her death and why she had to be the one to die.
January 11, 2010
One thing I learned from my Christopher Pike obsession was several ways to kill people. For example, this book taught me that if you inject an air bubble into a vein, it'll stop your heart. ***The more you know***
This is the story of a ghost trying to solve her own murder. She can't remember how she died--did she jump from the balcony, or was she pushed? She tries to recreate the events of the party that led up to her death, going over and over who was in which room, who had the opportunity to kill her, and who had the motive.
That's the basic plot, but there's a lot more going on here. You get Attending Your Own Funeral, Switched At Birth, Accidental Incest, Flying, Ghosts In Love, Afterlife 101, and more delicious tropes. It has sequels, too, but they're not as good as the original.
I still remember my favorite passage. It had to do with Shari's life flashing before her eyes. She sees herself at five years old, with "a spark in her eyes that she'd lose the following year when she entered school." This totally blew my mind in middle school, and it's stayed with me ever since.
This is the story of a ghost trying to solve her own murder. She can't remember how she died--did she jump from the balcony, or was she pushed? She tries to recreate the events of the party that led up to her death, going over and over who was in which room, who had the opportunity to kill her, and who had the motive.
That's the basic plot, but there's a lot more going on here. You get Attending Your Own Funeral, Switched At Birth, Accidental Incest, Flying, Ghosts In Love, Afterlife 101, and more delicious tropes. It has sequels, too, but they're not as good as the original.
I still remember my favorite passage. It had to do with Shari's life flashing before her eyes. She sees herself at five years old, with "a spark in her eyes that she'd lose the following year when she entered school." This totally blew my mind in middle school, and it's stayed with me ever since.
November 11, 2018
Rating: 3.5
This is so bad it's good!
Christopher Pike's teenagers were everything R.L Stine's Fearstreet's teenagers wanted to be but never could be :P
This is so bad it's good!
Christopher Pike's teenagers were everything R.L Stine's Fearstreet's teenagers wanted to be but never could be :P
May 11, 2021
Was a solid 3 star or 2 star until the ending. The fact that the mother and father are fine that their switched at birth "daughter" killed the child they raised for 18 years is INSANE. On top of that the reason she was killed was the murderer wanted to commit INCEST with her own brother. The book claimed later that the mother was just glad to have a daughter again, when she finds out the murderer was her switched at birth daughter. I couldn't believe that any mother would be happy to claim a child they didn't even know who ALSO murdered her own daughter just because it was a switched a birth situation and she's happy her "daughter" is still alive. HUH? Nobody in that family seemed overly upset that Shari was murdered by somebody they are now helping after the fact. Even providing lawyers to help in court! This book ending literally haunts my nightmares I cannot.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
June 9, 2012
BOOK OF MY CHILDHOOD. Explaining the appeal of Christopher Pike novels to someone who never read them as a preteen is, I find, much like trying to explain the awesomeness of something like Grease 2 to a 30-something adult who never watched the movie as a child. It's so wrapped up in nostalgia and how unique it felt like when you were young, sheltered, and hyper-emotional.
Of all of his novels, though, I think that Remember Me still stands up the best (alongside Fall Into Darkness and Last Act), as a YA suspense novel that actually could probably make a great romantic suspense movie if someone would just adapt it into a modern script and polish off the rough edges. The ideas are THERE, if not always well executed, and it's a huge oversight in my opinion when you look at some of the mediocre stuff that's been recycled on the big screen lately.
I have no interest in the later sequels to this book though. The story ended perfectly, right where it should have.
Of all of his novels, though, I think that Remember Me still stands up the best (alongside Fall Into Darkness and Last Act), as a YA suspense novel that actually could probably make a great romantic suspense movie if someone would just adapt it into a modern script and polish off the rough edges. The ideas are THERE, if not always well executed, and it's a huge oversight in my opinion when you look at some of the mediocre stuff that's been recycled on the big screen lately.
I have no interest in the later sequels to this book though. The story ended perfectly, right where it should have.
June 12, 2017
What started off as a fairly good concept quickly turned into a downhill story with ridiculous twists and turns that came completely out of nowhere about a shallow, stuck up girl who suddenly has a change in morals after she dies and finds out who killed her. There were few aspects of this book that I found enjoyable. Probably the most interesting character, Jo, was left out of a large majority of the story. I found it hard to really connect with any of the characters or to find the reactions of those characters to the events of the story realistic at all. The plot was fairly decent until about two thirds of the way through when random facts started pouring in that had little to no foreshadowing.
May 6, 2021
Oh, the nostalgia...
I vlogged myself reading this book. I have a lot of thoughts.
I vlogged myself reading this book. I have a lot of thoughts.
August 3, 2021
I read this book as part of a Trash Bag book club with my colleagues and it totally fulfilled its purpose ;)
June 28, 2022
Excerpt from my review - originally published at Offbeat YA.
Pros: Likeable lead. Interesting set of characters. Emotions ring true. Story sucks you in.
Cons: Not the glamorous, imaginative afterlife you find in nowadays novels, since lead still walks the Earth. Very little action (if you prefer a faster pace).
WARNING! Moderate sex references (if they upset you at all).
Will appeal to: Everyone who doesn't care for very fast-paced books or romance-centered ones.
My first review had to be about the book that introduced me to YA Lit in my adult age...
First off, RM was published long before "dead girl books" became all the rage. Shari's story may sound simpler and less glamorous than the most recent ones about girls in the same predicament as hers. There's no fancy afterlife scenery - you could say there's no real afterlife scenery at all. Like most dead girls in YA Lit, Shari was beautiful, popular and rich in life - but the narration doesn't really dwell upon that. She doesn't come across as a spoiled little brat with a lesson to learn...on the contrary, she's a lively, likeable, lifelike character (OK, I didn't plan on describing her with an alliteration and a bunch of parent words, but it sounds clever on my part, doesn't it? LOL just kidding). She has a truth to unveil though: how she ended up dead. She feels compelled to know, despite her fellow ghost-friend Peter's efforts to steer her toward the Light. Can you blame her?
Pondering about it, the real magic of this book is not in the story itself. The final denouement may surprise you (it did surprise me, though it's not that unpredictable. I probably let the book suck me in to the point where I couldn't see the killer's imprints anymore!), but it's not like Pike came out with a highly original scenario. It's simply a new twist of one of the oldest themes in literature. So, you know, the real magic in the book comes out of Shari. You gotta love her. You follow her and see the world through her eyes, like you were in her shoes. You care for her, dead or alive. You love her brother Jim through her. And so on. [...]
Whole review here.
Pros: Likeable lead. Interesting set of characters. Emotions ring true. Story sucks you in.
Cons: Not the glamorous, imaginative afterlife you find in nowadays novels, since lead still walks the Earth. Very little action (if you prefer a faster pace).
WARNING! Moderate sex references (if they upset you at all).
Will appeal to: Everyone who doesn't care for very fast-paced books or romance-centered ones.
My first review had to be about the book that introduced me to YA Lit in my adult age...
First off, RM was published long before "dead girl books" became all the rage. Shari's story may sound simpler and less glamorous than the most recent ones about girls in the same predicament as hers. There's no fancy afterlife scenery - you could say there's no real afterlife scenery at all. Like most dead girls in YA Lit, Shari was beautiful, popular and rich in life - but the narration doesn't really dwell upon that. She doesn't come across as a spoiled little brat with a lesson to learn...on the contrary, she's a lively, likeable, lifelike character (OK, I didn't plan on describing her with an alliteration and a bunch of parent words, but it sounds clever on my part, doesn't it? LOL just kidding). She has a truth to unveil though: how she ended up dead. She feels compelled to know, despite her fellow ghost-friend Peter's efforts to steer her toward the Light. Can you blame her?
Pondering about it, the real magic of this book is not in the story itself. The final denouement may surprise you (it did surprise me, though it's not that unpredictable. I probably let the book suck me in to the point where I couldn't see the killer's imprints anymore!), but it's not like Pike came out with a highly original scenario. It's simply a new twist of one of the oldest themes in literature. So, you know, the real magic in the book comes out of Shari. You gotta love her. You follow her and see the world through her eyes, like you were in her shoes. You care for her, dead or alive. You love her brother Jim through her. And so on. [...]
Whole review here.
July 31, 2010
ummm okay. I found this book at walmart and reading the back cover, it sounded like a good read. It is a reprint of Pikes Remember me, but it is an omnibus, containing the entire trilogy in one. But sadly the omnibus isnt listed on goodreads so ill review them all here.
The first book, Remember me, was real good. It's about a girl, Shari who falls off a balcony and dies, and comes back as a ghost I guess you would call it. She doesnt know she is dead. I dont wanna give too much of the story away.
The second book, The return was rather strange. You have to read it to know what I mean. Shari returns to the living in a way.
The third book, The last story, was pretty boring. I found myself skipping through a lot of this book,just to reach the ending. I mean I liked it, the first one a lot, but it got kinda boring and was a bit too weird, with the characters feelings being so, I guess I'll say, Different. Overall it was a usual Christopher Pike story. I have read a few of his other titles back in the days.
The first book, Remember me, was real good. It's about a girl, Shari who falls off a balcony and dies, and comes back as a ghost I guess you would call it. She doesnt know she is dead. I dont wanna give too much of the story away.
The second book, The return was rather strange. You have to read it to know what I mean. Shari returns to the living in a way.
The third book, The last story, was pretty boring. I found myself skipping through a lot of this book,just to reach the ending. I mean I liked it, the first one a lot, but it got kinda boring and was a bit too weird, with the characters feelings being so, I guess I'll say, Different. Overall it was a usual Christopher Pike story. I have read a few of his other titles back in the days.
June 16, 2012
I'm pretty sure I read this for the first time in about 6th grade...and hundreds of times since then. I haven't read it in years (sold my original at a garage sale I'm guessing), but I realized as I re-read it that I still have huge chunks of it memorized. Yikes.
Happily, I feel like the story still pretty much holds up. I remember loving it as an 11-year-old, and I love it still as a nostalgic not-so-11-year-old. This was my favorite of the series. I liked the second one (The Return?) okay, but the 3rd was just bizarre. I think Shari (or whoever's body she's inhabiting...doesn't she possess the girl in the 2nd book or something? details are fuzzy) starts trying to write some novel and I remember HUGE chunks of said novel appearing in the book. Also pretty sure Pike went on to publish it separately (The Starlight Chrystal, I want to say?), and even at 11/12, the whole thing felt less like the conclusion of a trilogy and more like a test drive for a new novel. But this one still makes me happy...like comfort food in book form.
June 16, 2017
It was meh. Okay. Honestly, it was my least favorite Christopher Pike book I have read. I usually enjoy his books but this one did nothing for me. The plot dragged, I felt there was way too much filler materiel and conversations about a whole lot of nothing. None of the characters were likable nor was I able to relate in any way. Frankly Shari annoyed me and that is hard to not like the protagonist. Even if it is a "I like to hate" type of feeling. I need to feel SOMETHING. But this was dull.
While it wasn't badly written, I felt no drive. I was literally just reading to read and say I did.
While it wasn't badly written, I felt no drive. I was literally just reading to read and say I did.
October 29, 2014
I've read this book like years ago...it was a good one !
August 15, 2021
Non mi è piaciuto… si sarebbe potuto sviluppare la trama in modo carino, ma è risultata solo banale e scontata
November 21, 2021
My next book club is centered on picking a YA book from our youth, then a current day one to compare content and themes. I immediately thought of this one from the past, as I was deeply affected by it. Re-reading it as an adult was very interesting, as there are specific moments in the book that have stayed with me for almost 30 years, and I was transported back to being 13 in the early 90s, in my peach coloured room with awful lace (peach) curtains, where I'd read for hours on end.
Remember Me by Christopher Pike still held my interest, this time read on my comfy corner couch in my own home and with a drink in my hand, no peach colours to be found anywhere. Shari Cooper's untimely death was woven into a decent YA tale that straddles the fascinating realm of the living and the dead. Are there problems with the story? Oh hell yes. The MC is not a nice person, she is narcissistic and wooden, not much is given in the way of actual feelings. She remains this way throughout. There are laugh out loud moments that are utterly ridiculous. There's cringe-worthy grossness between couples and family members. There are horrible parents. Nevertheless, remember the audience here and suspend some of your disbelief.
Remember Me by Christopher Pike still held my interest, this time read on my comfy corner couch in my own home and with a drink in my hand, no peach colours to be found anywhere. Shari Cooper's untimely death was woven into a decent YA tale that straddles the fascinating realm of the living and the dead. Are there problems with the story? Oh hell yes. The MC is not a nice person, she is narcissistic and wooden, not much is given in the way of actual feelings. She remains this way throughout. There are laugh out loud moments that are utterly ridiculous. There's cringe-worthy grossness between couples and family members. There are horrible parents. Nevertheless, remember the audience here and suspend some of your disbelief.
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November 1, 2025I'm not sure how many times I read this after it was released in 1989. The paperback I somehow still have is pretty beat up, but it's now been 30+ years since my last pass. (A friend and I were discussing our adolescent-favorite books/authors a few weeks ago, which led to this reread.)
I can see what past me loved about Pike—he's great at suspense and teen angst, and the way he developed the mystery made it easy to devour quickly. However, I didn't like the protagonist as much as I remember doing as a kid. The characterization lacked dimension, across the full cast actually. It probably took another 10 years in my reading life before I started caring far more about character development than plot, so it's fortunate that I found this at the (YA) time I was supposed to. 😆
5 stars from teen Moony, scant 3 stars now
I can see what past me loved about Pike—he's great at suspense and teen angst, and the way he developed the mystery made it easy to devour quickly. However, I didn't like the protagonist as much as I remember doing as a kid. The characterization lacked dimension, across the full cast actually. It probably took another 10 years in my reading life before I started caring far more about character development than plot, so it's fortunate that I found this at the (YA) time I was supposed to. 😆
5 stars from teen Moony, scant 3 stars now
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