Zack Strikes Back

Saved by the Bell #2

by Beth Cruise

The "Saved by the Bell" gang suffers from the mid-semester blues, until a prankster strikes at Bayside High

Genres: Young Adult

136 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1992

Reviews

[Ev · Rating 4 out of 5]

Oh, how I miss the 90s and Saved By The Bell.

Thankfully, the TV show novelizations exist. They are good for a quick laugh and journey down memory lane of when there were decent programs to watch on TV with wholesome characters and moral lessons.

[RM · Rating 4 out of 5]

Forget Quasimodo and Goethe's Werther. In this second of Beth Cruise's adaptations of that mainstay of melodrama, Saved By the Bell, Zack Morris joins the ranks of literature's great unrequited lovers. Haunted by his yearning for Kelly Kapowski, the working-class queen of Bayside High, for much of this novel Zack is reduced to writing her love letters signed by his main rival for her affections. His pathetic theory is that if he can't be with her, then at least she can fall in love with his words. Full of angst and pathos, Zack Strikes Back also plumbs the depths of AC Slater and Jessie Spano's tumultuous relationship as it is threatened like never before by an uncomfortable truth involving Jessie's hitherto-absent father, and then winds through an intriguing school mystery with an explosive (if mildly baffling) conclusion in which Screech plays a pivotal role. Funny, tragic and superb in almost every way, Zack Strikes Back is the Bell at its Saturday morning best.

[Judy Tarver · Rating 3 out of 5]

Better than the first. This one was more about Zack, who was my favorite character in the series. The characters aren’t written about as much like the ones in the show.

[Sophie Sternschuss · Rating 5 out of 5]

I really enjoyed this as my first saved by the bell read. Kelly thinks she’s found her true love with the popular surfer boy and Zack is trying to make her see otherwise. Meanwhile Zack is also trying to impress the new exchange student Delores. A second storyline runs through with Jessie introducing her father to Slater which causes one of their many riffs. Felt very true to the tv show and I can’t wait to read more .