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Witch
She Was A Good Witch.Julia is a young woman with extraordinary powers. She has the ability to heal people with her touch. She also knows things that are happening in far-off places when she looks in water that has sunlight shining on it. She comes from a tradition of witches -- good witches. But before Julia's mother died, she warned her daughter never to look in water that had moonlight shining on it.
Unfortunately, almost by accident, Julia does. What she sees is a vision of the future, a scene in which a young man she doesn't know is shot in a hold-up and dies in her arms. Only later, when Julia attends a football game at school, does she meet the young man.
He is her girlfriend's new boyfriend.
Julia immediately falls for the guy, but it is an ill-fated love. He does not belong to her and he is supposed to die. Or does he have to die? Julia doesn't know if her vision of the future is set, or if it can be changed. She doesn't know why the gunman in her vision evokes such hatred in her, and why she feels she must destroy him at all costs. But using the supernatural powers at her command, and risking her own life plus the lives of her friends, Julia will find the answers to all these questions, at a terrible cost.
Unfortunately, almost by accident, Julia does. What she sees is a vision of the future, a scene in which a young man she doesn't know is shot in a hold-up and dies in her arms. Only later, when Julia attends a football game at school, does she meet the young man.
He is her girlfriend's new boyfriend.
Julia immediately falls for the guy, but it is an ill-fated love. He does not belong to her and he is supposed to die. Or does he have to die? Julia doesn't know if her vision of the future is set, or if it can be changed. She doesn't know why the gunman in her vision evokes such hatred in her, and why she feels she must destroy him at all costs. But using the supernatural powers at her command, and risking her own life plus the lives of her friends, Julia will find the answers to all these questions, at a terrible cost.
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First published December 1, 1990
43 people are currently reading
1451 people want to read
About the author
Christopher Pike
262 books5,478 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 183 reviews
May 2, 2012
Such a long time ago I read this (I was 14 - my God, I feel old!). It stuck in my mind as one of the ones I loved the most. There was a compassionate feel about the story, which became apparent towards the end. I remember really liking the female lead .. and her green eyes, lol! I was a huge Christopher Pike fan. His other titles that stick in my mind are Remember Me (I think there are three books) and the one about the female Vampire - The Last Vampire, was it?
I'm not sure how the books will read nowadays - I've not gone back to read them. But I totally loved them at the time, and would certainly have recommended them then. I think they will hold the test of time.
I'm not sure how the books will read nowadays - I've not gone back to read them. But I totally loved them at the time, and would certainly have recommended them then. I think they will hold the test of time.
October 7, 2018
Oh Pike and his overwriting. I mean, in hindsight I think all of his books are overwritten. I just didn’t like WITCH as much as I liked, say, THE LAST VAMPIRE so I noticed it more. But ugh. So much extraneous detail. And man, does he love paragons of perfection that everyone fawns over. Julia is just the tits as far as everyone around her is concerned. Amy, her best friend, worships the ground she walks on, as does every single one of Amy’s boyfriends. But she doesn’t harbor any resentment. Really? I mean I get it. Julia can’t help her looks and how people are attracted to her. And it’s not like she chases Amy’s boyfriends or ever reciprocates any of their affections. But after, like, boyfriend number five I’d probably lose my shit.
I don’t think WITCH is really the right title for the book. It’s a bit of a stretch to associate Julia’s powers with witchcraft, or for her to call herself a witch. She has visions and she’s learned to divine a little bit with bodies of water. But no real practice of anything. And oh my god was her mom a walking god of perfection, per every single memory Julia has of her. Omnipotent in her knowledge, and the wisest wise person you’ve ever met. I get it. Her mom just died three months prior in the storyline. But still.
I liked the basic premise of Julia getting a vision of someone’s death and the trying everything in her power to keep it from happening. Except it doesn’t work and she ends up trading one life for another. It’s pretty neat. I think Julia losing her mind to revenge was a bit much. I actually wouldn’t have minded it if it was explained as her breaking under the stress of losing her mom recently. But it wasn’t. She just has a dark side, apparently.
Not Pike’s best showing, I don’t think. This one just didn’t resonate with me like other books of his have. Reading it I just couldn’t help but think how ridiculous it all was. Add in the insta-love once Julia goes on her revenge kick and the eyeballs kept rolling. Meh. Skip this one. You’re not missing much. Check out my recap posting tomorrow over on The Devil’s Elbow.
2
I don’t think WITCH is really the right title for the book. It’s a bit of a stretch to associate Julia’s powers with witchcraft, or for her to call herself a witch. She has visions and she’s learned to divine a little bit with bodies of water. But no real practice of anything. And oh my god was her mom a walking god of perfection, per every single memory Julia has of her. Omnipotent in her knowledge, and the wisest wise person you’ve ever met. I get it. Her mom just died three months prior in the storyline. But still.
I liked the basic premise of Julia getting a vision of someone’s death and the trying everything in her power to keep it from happening. Except it doesn’t work and she ends up trading one life for another. It’s pretty neat. I think Julia losing her mind to revenge was a bit much. I actually wouldn’t have minded it if it was explained as her breaking under the stress of losing her mom recently. But it wasn’t. She just has a dark side, apparently.
Not Pike’s best showing, I don’t think. This one just didn’t resonate with me like other books of his have. Reading it I just couldn’t help but think how ridiculous it all was. Add in the insta-love once Julia goes on her revenge kick and the eyeballs kept rolling. Meh. Skip this one. You’re not missing much. Check out my recap posting tomorrow over on The Devil’s Elbow.
2
October 23, 2013
I brought this book with me last week when I went away on Christmas vacation to a cabin in the middle of nowhere and I'm so glad I did. It's the only Pike book on my shelf I hadn't read yet - I don't even remember where I got it; I always try and pick his books up where I can find them - and it has rekindled my love for his storytelling. He is so talented at crafting suspenseful and unpredictable plots that get me turning pages faster than most authors can, YA fiction and Adult fiction alike. His dialogue can be utterly atrocious sometimes but I have never once guessed the end to one of Pike's books in all my 15 years of reading his work. He was very influential for me growing up, and reading him again now so many years later, I wish I could congratulate my 11-year-old self on having good taste. Can't wait to hunt down more of his books I haven't read, and to re-read the ones I already have!
April 6, 2022
Last year I read Whispers Of Death from Christopher Pike .It was one of my favorite reads of 2021. Will Christopher pike strike twice with Witch ? Let's find out .The story begins with Julie our main protagonist who knows she's a witch. How does she know she's a witch? Her mom told her, who was also a witch right before she passed away .Her mom became a witch at birth which is how you receive the "gift" .Her mom could heal people of all kinds of sickness and injuries ,but with every miracle she performed ,she took a little with her. For example If you had a lung desease she gets a bad cough .Well her mom died after she help saved a girl in a motorcycle accident that had a ton of head injuries .her mom ended up dieing of a cerebral hemorrhage .Julie is still greifing over her loss ,not wanting to go out with friends and stuff like that. We find out how Julie learned that she had the gift by her looking into a pond behind her house at a young age and could see all kinds of stuff happening around the world which I thought was really cool. She ends up seeing a guy dieing in her arms wearing a red jacket at a liquor store .One night while hanging with her friends they end up going to get drinks and she tries to prevent her vision from happening. It ends up happening anyway ,but to someone else. The book ends up turning into a Ned Zone like book. Remember the Simpsons episode ? I've never seen the Dead Zone ,or read the book. I'm assuming it's the same. After somebody gets shot in a hold up Julia vows revenge, and this book turns into now a revenge story ,which I liked. Unfortunately this subplot has a very weak solution and it takes forever to get there.There are some other flaws I have as well .The characters didn't really feel like the did in Whispers Of Death other then Julia the rest were very cardboard in my opinion .I also didn't like the pacing. The story started off very intriguing ,slowed down and then we got the revenge subplot the main driving force of this book for me and the conclusion of that felt like a waste. This book also didn't feel at all like a horror novel. It felt like a dramatic thriller.The only scary thing in this book is the group of witches. However the ending of this book was absolutely amazing . I'd be crazy not to give it 4 stars at least for that alone .Witch wasn't as good as Whispers Of Death but it still made me want to read more from pike.
October 1, 2022
I may have to rethink my plan to read all the Christopher Pike books that will comprise the TV adaptation of The Midnight Club. They keep making me cry!
Julia Florence considers herself a witch. Her mother was a witch also, and she had special healing powers, which she has passed on to Julia. Her mother recently passed away. Julia also has visions. She can see where other people are and what they are doing. And when she gazes into a pond that has moonlight shining on it, she can see into the future, something her mother had always warned her against doing.
When Julia inadvertently does this, she sees a boy getting shot and dying in her arms. She doesn't know who the boy is. Yet. But hours later when she attends a football game, she discovers that the boy is Jim Kovic, and he is the new boyfriend of her best friend, Amy. Julia tries desperately to stop the future from coming true, but that just brings about more horrible consequences. (As is usually the case in this genre!)
While this was a product of it's time, such as Scott and Randy's rape culture attitude and the girls' acceptance of it, this was an effective emotional thriller. It doesn't have the same gut-wrenching emotional punch that The Midnight Club, but it still left my teary-eyed. Pike really knows how to write a conversation between characters that can get give your tear ducts a good workout! Also, unlike The Midnight Club, Witch remembers that it's also a thriller, with solid suspense as Julia's situation gets continually and increasingly out of control, and Julia herself becomes quite the bad-ass heroine.
Emotional, suspenseful, memorable, enjoyable. I'm looking more and more forward to seeing Netflix's The Midnight Club, of which this book will comprise one of the episodes.
Julia Florence considers herself a witch. Her mother was a witch also, and she had special healing powers, which she has passed on to Julia. Her mother recently passed away. Julia also has visions. She can see where other people are and what they are doing. And when she gazes into a pond that has moonlight shining on it, she can see into the future, something her mother had always warned her against doing.
When Julia inadvertently does this, she sees a boy getting shot and dying in her arms. She doesn't know who the boy is. Yet. But hours later when she attends a football game, she discovers that the boy is Jim Kovic, and he is the new boyfriend of her best friend, Amy. Julia tries desperately to stop the future from coming true, but that just brings about more horrible consequences. (As is usually the case in this genre!)
While this was a product of it's time, such as Scott and Randy's rape culture attitude and the girls' acceptance of it, this was an effective emotional thriller. It doesn't have the same gut-wrenching emotional punch that The Midnight Club, but it still left my teary-eyed. Pike really knows how to write a conversation between characters that can get give your tear ducts a good workout! Also, unlike The Midnight Club, Witch remembers that it's also a thriller, with solid suspense as Julia's situation gets continually and increasingly out of control, and Julia herself becomes quite the bad-ass heroine.
Emotional, suspenseful, memorable, enjoyable. I'm looking more and more forward to seeing Netflix's The Midnight Club, of which this book will comprise one of the episodes.
May 19, 2012
'Witch' was a book I read in my teenage years, and held onto it because of the great involvement I used to have with Christopher Pike. I read this story again to see if I could get anything more out of it, before I give it away.
I like Pike's writing techniques, in the way that he writes short-ish stories of around 200 pages, and within the page-constraints he develops an involving and believable story. The characterisation is cleverly squeezed into a few paragraphs, as well as using passages from the main characters' points of view. At the same time, it was a simple plot, with few characters and very simple reasoning.
The plot itself was fairly moving, for a young girl to want to save her best friend's life. It dealt with topics such as vengeance and morality, and everyone ended up doing the right thing and the baddies got caught. It was a pleasant read, but I will not be keeping this book. I understand that I would've enjoyed it far more as a teen.
I like Pike's writing techniques, in the way that he writes short-ish stories of around 200 pages, and within the page-constraints he develops an involving and believable story. The characterisation is cleverly squeezed into a few paragraphs, as well as using passages from the main characters' points of view. At the same time, it was a simple plot, with few characters and very simple reasoning.
The plot itself was fairly moving, for a young girl to want to save her best friend's life. It dealt with topics such as vengeance and morality, and everyone ended up doing the right thing and the baddies got caught. It was a pleasant read, but I will not be keeping this book. I understand that I would've enjoyed it far more as a teen.
May 31, 2022
This was my first Pike book in many, many years, and I was a bit curious to see what I think of them now as an adult. I know I read at least a couple of them in my younger-years but I barely remember them. I picked this one up at a used book store a while back, and, seeing as how I'm a fan of witchcraft within the horror genre, I figured this would be a good one to reintroduce myself to Pike - it also seems to be a more popular one from what I've noticed.
In Witch, our narrator, Julia, is a seventeen year old girl who explains that she uses her "white magic" to help and heal others, like her mother did before she tragically died of a hemorrhage three months ago. She learned all about her powers from her mother, which include the ability to heal others' wounds as well as see a little bit into the future.
One day, when Julia is peeking around with her visionary ability, she witnesses a young man die in a hold-up at a liquor store / gas station / something of that sort. She's terrified by this vision and is determined to prevent it from coming true when she learns that the young man in question happens to be her best friend's new boyfriend.
Julia ends up diverting fate, but not exactly as she planned, and with her interference comes grave consequences. One of the people responsible for the hold-ups becomes the target of Julia's rage as she seeks revenge, further putting herself and others in harm's way. What will become of this diverted and distorted future she's caused?
Going into this, I was expecting a rather straightforward horror story with more of a focus on actual witchcraft. While there is a bit of explanation in the beginning by Julia in regards to the source of her powers and how they function, her identity of being a witch is actually just a plot-point of this novel, and not the primary one.
I actually was engaged almost from the start - I was surprised to see how smooth and competent Pike's writing is. It's nothing fancy or poetic but his style flows well and is very readable. Maybe not so much of a surprise with this one, but the characters were slightly more layered and believable than you'd typically find in a Fear Street book. (Sorry Stine)
There's also some nice humor in here in the form of dialogue, which is a bit raunchy at times (Pike doesn't restrain himself like Stine, to say the least), but altogether convincing.
Pike came out of the gate with a lot of potential for this book and I was interested to see where it went. Unfortunately, it became clear early on that this is without a doubt NOT a horror novel, and not the one I was looking for.
Once stuff goes down at the gas station/store from Julia's vision, the tension begins to ramp up and the story turns into a revenge thriller, that, while I admit, was very action-packed and even gripping at times (I read this book in a day), it felt a little odd and out of place to be having gunfights and such. Definitely not what I was expecting. As the book progresses upon this new plot point of Julia hellbent on getting revenge, the violence (and body-count) continues to mount rapidly until the story becomes too ambitious for its own good. Yes, it's tense and enthralling, but it's also a bit ridiculous and unconvincing. Characters are dumb; they act in unbelievable ways, going against what we knew about them in the first half; logic takes a backseat in favor of action and violence; there's also a bit of "plot armor" or "plot convenience" in the second half that further stains the story's credibility. Now, being a 90's YAhorrorthriller book, you might say one couldn't expect it to be too realistic, and you're right - but this one goes a bit over the top for me, so much so that it never comes back down to ground level.
The story escalates quickly and then keeps moving at a breakneck pace; character development and reasoning be damned.
Once we do get to the climax of the story, the witch aspect comes back around and plays into the denouement in a big way. I won't say too much because spoilers and stuff, but it's (supposed to be) very spiritual and emotional and... it ends up (in my eyes) being very melodramatic and hard to take seriously. It didn't help I was already a bit detached from all the wild fast-and-furious type action we got just moments ago. The ending itself was okay, nothing wrong with it but at the same time it didn't appeal much to me simply because I didn't care all that much what happened.
Summary:
Solid first half, and some very engaging/thrilling moments throughout, but unless you're good at shutting off part of your brain and forgiving the author for the moments of "shocking" violence... you'll likely find, like I did, that the unrealistic nature of it takes you right out of the story. Some of the plot twists and reveals don't fully make sense, and you just have to go with it.
I got some enjoyment out of this book, for sure, but I feel like I've been a little duped. Pike's writing is solid and the book started out with promise, but unfortunately he chose sensationalism over sense, and a clusterf**k of ideas are crammed together in the guise of this suspense/thriller.
Overall I give this one a 3 / 5 - I liked it but not enough to make me seek out more works by Pike. I might try another one of his books in the future but I'm in no hurry for that and I'll be more careful about which one I pick up next.
In Witch, our narrator, Julia, is a seventeen year old girl who explains that she uses her "white magic" to help and heal others, like her mother did before she tragically died of a hemorrhage three months ago. She learned all about her powers from her mother, which include the ability to heal others' wounds as well as see a little bit into the future.
One day, when Julia is peeking around with her visionary ability, she witnesses a young man die in a hold-up at a liquor store / gas station / something of that sort. She's terrified by this vision and is determined to prevent it from coming true when she learns that the young man in question happens to be her best friend's new boyfriend.
Julia ends up diverting fate, but not exactly as she planned, and with her interference comes grave consequences. One of the people responsible for the hold-ups becomes the target of Julia's rage as she seeks revenge, further putting herself and others in harm's way. What will become of this diverted and distorted future she's caused?
Going into this, I was expecting a rather straightforward horror story with more of a focus on actual witchcraft. While there is a bit of explanation in the beginning by Julia in regards to the source of her powers and how they function, her identity of being a witch is actually just a plot-point of this novel, and not the primary one.
I actually was engaged almost from the start - I was surprised to see how smooth and competent Pike's writing is. It's nothing fancy or poetic but his style flows well and is very readable. Maybe not so much of a surprise with this one, but the characters were slightly more layered and believable than you'd typically find in a Fear Street book. (Sorry Stine)
There's also some nice humor in here in the form of dialogue, which is a bit raunchy at times (Pike doesn't restrain himself like Stine, to say the least), but altogether convincing.
Pike came out of the gate with a lot of potential for this book and I was interested to see where it went. Unfortunately, it became clear early on that this is without a doubt NOT a horror novel, and not the one I was looking for.
Once stuff goes down at the gas station/store from Julia's vision, the tension begins to ramp up and the story turns into a revenge thriller, that, while I admit, was very action-packed and even gripping at times (I read this book in a day), it felt a little odd and out of place to be having gunfights and such. Definitely not what I was expecting. As the book progresses upon this new plot point of Julia hellbent on getting revenge, the violence (and body-count) continues to mount rapidly until the story becomes too ambitious for its own good. Yes, it's tense and enthralling, but it's also a bit ridiculous and unconvincing. Characters are dumb; they act in unbelievable ways, going against what we knew about them in the first half; logic takes a backseat in favor of action and violence; there's also a bit of "plot armor" or "plot convenience" in the second half that further stains the story's credibility. Now, being a 90's YA
The story escalates quickly and then keeps moving at a breakneck pace; character development and reasoning be damned.
Once we do get to the climax of the story, the witch aspect comes back around and plays into the denouement in a big way. I won't say too much because spoilers and stuff, but it's (supposed to be) very spiritual and emotional and... it ends up (in my eyes) being very melodramatic and hard to take seriously. It didn't help I was already a bit detached from all the wild fast-and-furious type action we got just moments ago. The ending itself was okay, nothing wrong with it but at the same time it didn't appeal much to me simply because I didn't care all that much what happened.
Summary:
Solid first half, and some very engaging/thrilling moments throughout, but unless you're good at shutting off part of your brain and forgiving the author for the moments of "shocking" violence... you'll likely find, like I did, that the unrealistic nature of it takes you right out of the story. Some of the plot twists and reveals don't fully make sense, and you just have to go with it.
I got some enjoyment out of this book, for sure, but I feel like I've been a little duped. Pike's writing is solid and the book started out with promise, but unfortunately he chose sensationalism over sense, and a clusterf**k of ideas are crammed together in the guise of this suspense/thriller.
Overall I give this one a 3 / 5 - I liked it but not enough to make me seek out more works by Pike. I might try another one of his books in the future but I'm in no hurry for that and I'll be more careful about which one I pick up next.
March 3, 2019
I absolutely hated this book in every. sorry. way.
It was pro-sexual assault culture, the romance completely bizarre, the whole "witch" thing was unresearched and not even a central plot to this book, all of the characters are horrible, several times in the book I was so shocked at how poorly the plot was conceived and enforced... Ugh. I have Literally never read a worse novel.
It was pro-sexual assault culture, the romance completely bizarre, the whole "witch" thing was unresearched and not even a central plot to this book, all of the characters are horrible, several times in the book I was so shocked at how poorly the plot was conceived and enforced... Ugh. I have Literally never read a worse novel.
June 1, 2022
It's a new month which means our next read in my Pike marathon. This one I've been interested based on the cover and concept. Thanks to one blog, I had an idea of what to expect this time and I was curious going it. The result is one that was a tad mixed but honestly one of the better ones I've read so far. It almost rivals Chain Letter but doesn't quite make it in the end.
Our protagonist Julia is a witch, he known it since her birth and her mother is too. Her mom passed her a while ago. See, they have healing powers but the illnesses and such carry over to them. They usually can just have a mild case of it and get past it, but one of mom's attempts to save someone ended up killing her. Julia is getting over this but starts having visions regarding some gunmen in a liquir store. Soon she must face them and find out how they are tied to her mom.
That's the basic idea. I like having a protag who is a witch from the start, from page 1 we get thrust into this. Pike's take on witches is interesting. They don't have the typical stuff, and here they are mainly helpers and healers. Mom especially was the type to say a lot of deep stuff. We start with her dead but thanks to flashbacks she won't shut up.
Julia is a solid lead. There's good emotional stuff as she deals with her mom. I did feel her for. We get into more metaphysical stuff and of the ones that dip into this, this does it the best so far. The writing help a bit more clean here and Pike can sell these deeper moments without getting too pretentious...mostly, we'll get to that.
It was an effective read, and it is at its strongest when direcctly exploring Julia, her powers, and all that. The plot itself works alright. In the end the 225 pages don't feel too padded. It's still sloggy for me to read as ever but at least the story felt tight. Things connect well, and make enough sense. some things get not as explored, some bits are predictable but it's not as mystery focused as others.
It gets pretty action-y later on, which I like. It actually feels like a thriller at times, even if it's not "scary" per say. Also, we get another Spooksville name dip with a Sally. There's this friend Amy that Julia has and they are super gay. Like, of course they don't go that route but they feel more romantic than anything else in this. Their bond is nice and I ship it. (Happy Pride Month?)
But then comes the flaw. We once again get asshole boys with Scott and Randy. Typical sleezebags who we're meant to like anyway for reasons. Randy is especially bad but he doesn't change and while he does things, you could still cut him out. Scott is a bigger issue as a large part revolves around him possibly dying. He sucks so I didn't care.. This becomes an issue in the end..
We get something that on its own, is daring and rather effective. But with the full context and given who this is being done for, it becomes rather iffy to me. Also, this manages to be more religious than Twelve Candles club. So many God/Bible references and that even ties into the ending. It's rather preachy in a way that I didn't care a ton for.
It's not a bad ending, just one with flaws that hold it back. If you fixed that, this would be my new favorite as it has plenty going for it. But the ending isn't that strong, especially compared to Chain Letter. That said, it's still a solid Pike book. Sadly not totally great but it was interesting to see his take on Witches. It has some solid characters, and deep moments as well action.
The ending doesn't totally shit the bed, it at least gets to the bathroom first, but it does hold it back. But overall, it's pretty good. If you can look past the flaws, it has enough to offer. So yeah, I liked it well enough.
Next time...well next week or so Netflix will have annoumcenets regaridng The Midnight Club series. At this point they only thing we could get is a release date. They usually announce that stuff about a month before release. All signs point it July being when we'll get it. And I said I'd cover that when the series comes so if I'm right...yep, next month the big one that I'm doing all this for.
I don't know if I'll keep this up after that, I'll wait until the Midnight Club review next month, and that's if I'm right. I won't say if I hit the wheel anyway or not, it'll be a surprise. Anyway, see ya next month for that, again if I'm, right.
See ya then.
Our protagonist Julia is a witch, he known it since her birth and her mother is too. Her mom passed her a while ago. See, they have healing powers but the illnesses and such carry over to them. They usually can just have a mild case of it and get past it, but one of mom's attempts to save someone ended up killing her. Julia is getting over this but starts having visions regarding some gunmen in a liquir store. Soon she must face them and find out how they are tied to her mom.
That's the basic idea. I like having a protag who is a witch from the start, from page 1 we get thrust into this. Pike's take on witches is interesting. They don't have the typical stuff, and here they are mainly helpers and healers. Mom especially was the type to say a lot of deep stuff. We start with her dead but thanks to flashbacks she won't shut up.
Julia is a solid lead. There's good emotional stuff as she deals with her mom. I did feel her for. We get into more metaphysical stuff and of the ones that dip into this, this does it the best so far. The writing help a bit more clean here and Pike can sell these deeper moments without getting too pretentious...mostly, we'll get to that.
It was an effective read, and it is at its strongest when direcctly exploring Julia, her powers, and all that. The plot itself works alright. In the end the 225 pages don't feel too padded. It's still sloggy for me to read as ever but at least the story felt tight. Things connect well, and make enough sense. some things get not as explored, some bits are predictable but it's not as mystery focused as others.
It gets pretty action-y later on, which I like. It actually feels like a thriller at times, even if it's not "scary" per say. Also, we get another Spooksville name dip with a Sally. There's this friend Amy that Julia has and they are super gay. Like, of course they don't go that route but they feel more romantic than anything else in this. Their bond is nice and I ship it. (Happy Pride Month?)
But then comes the flaw. We once again get asshole boys with Scott and Randy. Typical sleezebags who we're meant to like anyway for reasons. Randy is especially bad but he doesn't change and while he does things, you could still cut him out. Scott is a bigger issue as a large part revolves around him possibly dying. He sucks so I didn't care.. This becomes an issue in the end..
We get something that on its own, is daring and rather effective. But with the full context and given who this is being done for, it becomes rather iffy to me. Also, this manages to be more religious than Twelve Candles club. So many God/Bible references and that even ties into the ending. It's rather preachy in a way that I didn't care a ton for.
It's not a bad ending, just one with flaws that hold it back. If you fixed that, this would be my new favorite as it has plenty going for it. But the ending isn't that strong, especially compared to Chain Letter. That said, it's still a solid Pike book. Sadly not totally great but it was interesting to see his take on Witches. It has some solid characters, and deep moments as well action.
The ending doesn't totally shit the bed, it at least gets to the bathroom first, but it does hold it back. But overall, it's pretty good. If you can look past the flaws, it has enough to offer. So yeah, I liked it well enough.
Next time...well next week or so Netflix will have annoumcenets regaridng The Midnight Club series. At this point they only thing we could get is a release date. They usually announce that stuff about a month before release. All signs point it July being when we'll get it. And I said I'd cover that when the series comes so if I'm right...yep, next month the big one that I'm doing all this for.
I don't know if I'll keep this up after that, I'll wait until the Midnight Club review next month, and that's if I'm right. I won't say if I hit the wheel anyway or not, it'll be a surprise. Anyway, see ya next month for that, again if I'm, right.
See ya then.
December 5, 2022
I saw the adaptation presented on The Midnight Club via Netflix and decided since they aren't renewing it for a second season (boo!) to read the book that has been on my shelf for while.
All of the Pike novels I have read so far have been great but at this moment, Witch is my absolute favorite.
You read the back of the book and you pretty much know what to mostly expect. If you have watched enough movies you also know that trying to change well anything can only end in tragedy.
Julia Florence comes from a long line of women with special abilities: healing the sick, seeing visions, asserting control with their minds. Her mother worked at a hospital as a nurse and made teas to heal the sick, ones even more effective than modern medicine. Three months ago, she tried to heal a teenage girl involved in a motorcycle accident and failed to save her life.
The toll of it caused her to have a stroke and she died.
Julia has been on her own since then. She's almost eighteen but she refuses to live with her aunt, her mother's sister. The woman has her own followers and they creep Julia out. Julia has her friends to keep her from being completely alone, friends she has known for a long time but who do not know her secret.
Scott Hague has had a crush on Julia forever but she sees him as only a friend. Amy Belle has been her best friend and even despite all of Amy's boyfriends wanting to go out with Julia, she has been a loyal friend. They let Julia have some time to mourn her mother's death over the summer despite wanting her to go with them to L.A. but now Scott and Amy can't wait to see Julia at the first football game of the season.
Julia agrees to meet them at the game but before then she goes to the pond far back on the Florence property. See and her mother use to love walking in the forest and if they looked upon the lake with the sun shining down, both mother and daughter could see visions of the present of people and things they did not know.
Julia stares at the pond and she soon drifts off as the sun sets. She wakes and has a vision. Of the future. It was the one one thing her mother warned her never to do. Moonlight on the water will show you the future...a danger for anyone.
Julia sees a hold-up in a liquor store. A handsome boy she does not know dressed in a red varsity jacket is shot and he dies in her arms.
Julia is shaken. She's never done this before as she was warned not to and Julia has never seen something so horrible happen to a perfect stranger. Her horror grows when she meets the boy in her vision.
His name is Jim Kovic and he is Amy's new boyfriend, a football player on the rival team. The two of them feel a connection when they meet but Julia knows she can not do anything about the way she feels or that this boy is meant to die.
Julia tries everything she can to save Jim but when she intervenes...her whole world and that of her friends changes drastically.
We all know what it is like if we think we could stop someone we love from being taken from us but the cost could be too high so this story is very relatable...I don't think anyone who has lost anyone they care about could not like this book.
We learn some revelations along with our characters and I didn't see any of them coming. I knew what to expect slightly after watching The Midnight Club and the things they changed were still impactful but nothing beats the original storytelling in this book.
Witch's premise is almost identical to how See You Later talks about changing fate and destiny and love but more in the supernatural/paranormal realm than science fiction.
This is a top tier Christopher Pike book and if you have not read it, I highly recommend it.
All of the Pike novels I have read so far have been great but at this moment, Witch is my absolute favorite.
You read the back of the book and you pretty much know what to mostly expect. If you have watched enough movies you also know that trying to change well anything can only end in tragedy.
Julia Florence comes from a long line of women with special abilities: healing the sick, seeing visions, asserting control with their minds. Her mother worked at a hospital as a nurse and made teas to heal the sick, ones even more effective than modern medicine. Three months ago, she tried to heal a teenage girl involved in a motorcycle accident and failed to save her life.
The toll of it caused her to have a stroke and she died.
Julia has been on her own since then. She's almost eighteen but she refuses to live with her aunt, her mother's sister. The woman has her own followers and they creep Julia out. Julia has her friends to keep her from being completely alone, friends she has known for a long time but who do not know her secret.
Scott Hague has had a crush on Julia forever but she sees him as only a friend. Amy Belle has been her best friend and even despite all of Amy's boyfriends wanting to go out with Julia, she has been a loyal friend. They let Julia have some time to mourn her mother's death over the summer despite wanting her to go with them to L.A. but now Scott and Amy can't wait to see Julia at the first football game of the season.
Julia agrees to meet them at the game but before then she goes to the pond far back on the Florence property. See and her mother use to love walking in the forest and if they looked upon the lake with the sun shining down, both mother and daughter could see visions of the present of people and things they did not know.
Julia stares at the pond and she soon drifts off as the sun sets. She wakes and has a vision. Of the future. It was the one one thing her mother warned her never to do. Moonlight on the water will show you the future...a danger for anyone.
Julia sees a hold-up in a liquor store. A handsome boy she does not know dressed in a red varsity jacket is shot and he dies in her arms.
Julia is shaken. She's never done this before as she was warned not to and Julia has never seen something so horrible happen to a perfect stranger. Her horror grows when she meets the boy in her vision.
His name is Jim Kovic and he is Amy's new boyfriend, a football player on the rival team. The two of them feel a connection when they meet but Julia knows she can not do anything about the way she feels or that this boy is meant to die.
Julia tries everything she can to save Jim but when she intervenes...her whole world and that of her friends changes drastically.
We all know what it is like if we think we could stop someone we love from being taken from us but the cost could be too high so this story is very relatable...I don't think anyone who has lost anyone they care about could not like this book.
We learn some revelations along with our characters and I didn't see any of them coming. I knew what to expect slightly after watching The Midnight Club and the things they changed were still impactful but nothing beats the original storytelling in this book.
Witch's premise is almost identical to how See You Later talks about changing fate and destiny and love but more in the supernatural/paranormal realm than science fiction.
This is a top tier Christopher Pike book and if you have not read it, I highly recommend it.
December 31, 2025
One step closer to reading all Christopher Pike's book.
A girl who can see the future saves her best friend's boyfriend from dying. But the course of things is interrupted and she has to set things straight.
I so don't like dream sequences.
There was no other outcome possible, I know. Still. But the last scene in the forest was very beautiful.
A girl who can see the future saves her best friend's boyfriend from dying. But the course of things is interrupted and she has to set things straight.
I so don't like dream sequences.
There was no other outcome possible, I know. Still. But the last scene in the forest was very beautiful.
January 16, 2023
3.5 stars rounded down for GR. This was a zany little vintage YA book, but I didn't like it quite as much as some of the other Christopher Pike books that I've read. I had a little trouble connecting with the characters in this one. Overall, it's still a fun read.
May 9, 2020
This did not age well, but I understand why it was popular in the 90s.
April 5, 2022
3.5/5
This was an entertaining read for the most part. There was a lot of action going on and it starts off pretty fast. The relationship between Julia and Jim was unrealistic in many ways, but other than that the characters were well written. There were definitely some cool concepts in this story and I would recommend it to others.
This was an entertaining read for the most part. There was a lot of action going on and it starts off pretty fast. The relationship between Julia and Jim was unrealistic in many ways, but other than that the characters were well written. There were definitely some cool concepts in this story and I would recommend it to others.
November 13, 2025
Had this on my “never to open again” shelf and wanted to give it another chance. Yeah, my gut was right. The story I hoped to read just wasn’t there. The second half of the book went wild and was overwritten.
April 12, 2022
Witch is one of the Pike books I know I read back in the day but have no real memory of beyond the cover and Julia and the pond. Which is also on the cover so not all that helpful. I have vague memories of liking it but that's about it.
A few months ago I got the brilliant idea to re-read it and since my copy was stolen back in HS along with a bunch of other Pike books, I had to hunt it down again.
Ehhhh. Without any real nostalgia to cling to, I found myself wondering why so many people cite this in their top five (and a lot usually put it in top 3) Pike books. We get a split story with Julia and Amy both getting chapters of action, but after Scott gets hurt we don't really spend enough time with Julia for it to truly feel like her story. And Julia and Amy both have massive blindspots that enable the story to happen.
Amy knows there's something special, magical even, about Julia and her mother, but it never occurs to her that the healing touch she brags about Julia having is literal. Which is dumb as hell because she encourages Julia to touch Scott after he's been hurt, so on some very close to the surface level she realizes what Julia can do and immediately after Julia says she can't do it again or she'll die. Pretty sure even back then Amy would've been able to assemble those clues and finish the puzzle.
On the flipside, Julia is so consumed with wanting revenge that she doesn't even entertain the notion of calling the liquor store that's about to be robbed and telling them so. I mean the cover would be obvious: pretend to be the idiot's gf who just found out what knucklehead was up to and wanted to save everyone from a big mistake. FFS, Jim has to mention the idea of calling and Julia's like nope, revenge is better. Which sure, sure she's being consumed with rage/hatred and that's bad, kids but also Julia? Honey? You know what happens to a nice white jacket when you get shot? It's gonna turn red... just like that vision you've been running from.
Overall, this felt like a short story that was fleshed out some but not enough to justify a book. The Julia Amy is friends with is rarely on screen and even taking into consideration the late 80's and early 90's of it all, Scott doesn't seem worth dying for and Jim's a cute cardboard cutout of a character.
My biggest issue is Julia's unnamed aunt telling Amy that Julia was the best of them all... how? In what way? We never see this.
It wasn't bad but it also wasn't good. That said, if one were to assemble a team of Pike's characters for a ragtag crew to save the world, Julia would make a decent addition considering how powerful she is when she's mad. Her healing properties could use a little work.
A few months ago I got the brilliant idea to re-read it and since my copy was stolen back in HS along with a bunch of other Pike books, I had to hunt it down again.
Ehhhh. Without any real nostalgia to cling to, I found myself wondering why so many people cite this in their top five (and a lot usually put it in top 3) Pike books. We get a split story with Julia and Amy both getting chapters of action, but after Scott gets hurt we don't really spend enough time with Julia for it to truly feel like her story. And Julia and Amy both have massive blindspots that enable the story to happen.
Amy knows there's something special, magical even, about Julia and her mother, but it never occurs to her that the healing touch she brags about Julia having is literal. Which is dumb as hell because she encourages Julia to touch Scott after he's been hurt, so on some very close to the surface level she realizes what Julia can do and immediately after Julia says she can't do it again or she'll die. Pretty sure even back then Amy would've been able to assemble those clues and finish the puzzle.
On the flipside, Julia is so consumed with wanting revenge that she doesn't even entertain the notion of calling the liquor store that's about to be robbed and telling them so. I mean the cover would be obvious: pretend to be the idiot's gf who just found out what knucklehead was up to and wanted to save everyone from a big mistake. FFS, Jim has to mention the idea of calling and Julia's like nope, revenge is better. Which sure, sure she's being consumed with rage/hatred and that's bad, kids but also Julia? Honey? You know what happens to a nice white jacket when you get shot? It's gonna turn red... just like that vision you've been running from.
Overall, this felt like a short story that was fleshed out some but not enough to justify a book. The Julia Amy is friends with is rarely on screen and even taking into consideration the late 80's and early 90's of it all, Scott doesn't seem worth dying for and Jim's a cute cardboard cutout of a character.
My biggest issue is Julia's unnamed aunt telling Amy that Julia was the best of them all... how? In what way? We never see this.
It wasn't bad but it also wasn't good. That said, if one were to assemble a team of Pike's characters for a ragtag crew to save the world, Julia would make a decent addition considering how powerful she is when she's mad. Her healing properties could use a little work.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
September 25, 2024
Read this when I was about 12, reread at 38. I remembered parts of it but a lot was new. I think this was mismarketed as horror in the 90’s, it’s really more of a YA supernatural thriller.
The romance subplot is a bit silly and overly dramatic, the MC and love interest (her best friend’s boyfriend) decide they are in love with each other after spending less than a day together. I guess it’s pretty standard to have a romance plot in book like this but it really wasn’t needed.
I understand why my tween self read this in one sitting but I don’t think it really holds up.
The romance subplot is a bit silly and overly dramatic, the MC and love interest (her best friend’s boyfriend) decide they are in love with each other after spending less than a day together. I guess it’s pretty standard to have a romance plot in book like this but it really wasn’t needed.
I understand why my tween self read this in one sitting but I don’t think it really holds up.
June 5, 2022
What is this mess? Honestly, what the hell? How was this written *after* such masterpieces like Spellbound, Scavenger Hunt and Remember Me? I'm positive that Pike just used a draft for this novel from his Slumber Party/Weekend period, because Witch is a nonsensical, weird, extremely misogynistic fever dream of a book.
July 20, 2009
An old favorite of mine in middleschool. After several months of searching, found it for a dollar!
I was a stupid kid. This book is terrible.
I was a stupid kid. This book is terrible.
October 16, 2017
I think it was a fortune cookie that once informed me, "Man often meets his destiny on the path he takes to avoid it." Omnious, yes. Perhaps I should have thrown out that leftover szechuan chicken.... Anyway, Julia would have done well to heed the words of this wise and tasty (albeit mildly stale) dessert treat.
Who's Julia? Our main character. She's a witch...and a total Hufflepuff of a witch too. Not that this is a bad thing. Even though I am a Slytherin, I totally respect Hufflepuffs and their just-too-nice ways that come so naturally. In fact, I often tell myself I must try to adopt more of the traits that made the members of this under-rated house what it is. But then I behave as myself and forget. I wouldn't say I'm mean. Just...efficient, I guess. And this is why Pottermore (and three other quizzes) sorted me into Slytherin and not into Hufflepuff.
But I won't mince any more words debating Hogwarts houses. I had a lengthy and philosophical conversation with a patron just last week about the pros and cons of sorting, and I've already said my piece on the matter (albeit it not here on Goodreads).
Anyway, Julia is a witch and just a nice person. All her friends say so. . She also has sparkling green eyes. WTH is up with the author and green-eyed girls? This is the second book in the three I've recently re-read where the female lead has green eyes. I think the author has a fetish... Like her mother before her, Julia can heal the sick. She can also see the visions by gazing into sunlit water. However, before her mother died , she warned Julia to never look into moonlit water. So what does Julia immediately do? Exactly what her mother warned her against.
This is the part of the movie where we are screaming at the scantily-clad character to NOT investigate the strange noise she heard coming from the dark, dark cellar. Because, of course, that's where the chainsaw-welding maniac is lurking. Of course they don't listen. Because of course they can't hear us.
In this vision, Julia witnesses a brutal shootout where death is the outcome. And only a few hours later, she meets the subject of this vision. The dude in question is her BFF's new boyfriend, whom Julia immediately is attracted to and can't help but flirt with despite the fact the guy is with her friend (perhaps the girl has a bit of Slytherin in her...although not enough to be sorted as such). When she tries to prevent the guy from going into where the shootout will happen, another of her friends is shot instead.
I forgot how effing violent this story is. How LOTS of Pike's stories are.
Well...Julia pretty much goes bezerk at this point and vows vengence on the gunman, who has his own weird legacy and twisted logic for behaving the way he does. Turns out he and Julia have a sort of history.
The ending is appropriately tragic, and, OK, I squeezed some feels out of it. Mr. Pike seems to like killing off his Protags, especially the pretty female ones, in strange and sad ways...much like Mr. Shakespeare (although Pike's writing is much more user-friendly). I suppose as a Modern Grrl I should be offended by this. And were it a book written within the past 5 years, I would be. But I must put it into the proper context of early 1990s, an era when standards and expectations for YA Literature weren't as high (It was also an era where people in general were far less paranoid and willing to take offense over the least little thing...but that's a whole other can of worms I don't feel like cracking open now)
Verdict: Entertaining, but not particularly memorable. In fact, I'm pretty sure I read this one as a teen, but I can't be positive.
Who's Julia? Our main character. She's a witch...and a total Hufflepuff of a witch too. Not that this is a bad thing. Even though I am a Slytherin, I totally respect Hufflepuffs and their just-too-nice ways that come so naturally. In fact, I often tell myself I must try to adopt more of the traits that made the members of this under-rated house what it is. But then I behave as myself and forget. I wouldn't say I'm mean. Just...efficient, I guess. And this is why Pottermore (and three other quizzes) sorted me into Slytherin and not into Hufflepuff.
But I won't mince any more words debating Hogwarts houses. I had a lengthy and philosophical conversation with a patron just last week about the pros and cons of sorting, and I've already said my piece on the matter (albeit it not here on Goodreads).
Anyway, Julia is a witch and just a nice person. All her friends say so. . She also has sparkling green eyes. WTH is up with the author and green-eyed girls? This is the second book in the three I've recently re-read where the female lead has green eyes. I think the author has a fetish... Like her mother before her, Julia can heal the sick. She can also see the visions by gazing into sunlit water. However, before her mother died , she warned Julia to never look into moonlit water. So what does Julia immediately do? Exactly what her mother warned her against.
This is the part of the movie where we are screaming at the scantily-clad character to NOT investigate the strange noise she heard coming from the dark, dark cellar. Because, of course, that's where the chainsaw-welding maniac is lurking. Of course they don't listen. Because of course they can't hear us.
In this vision, Julia witnesses a brutal shootout where death is the outcome. And only a few hours later, she meets the subject of this vision. The dude in question is her BFF's new boyfriend, whom Julia immediately is attracted to and can't help but flirt with despite the fact the guy is with her friend (perhaps the girl has a bit of Slytherin in her...although not enough to be sorted as such). When she tries to prevent the guy from going into where the shootout will happen, another of her friends is shot instead.
I forgot how effing violent this story is. How LOTS of Pike's stories are.
Well...Julia pretty much goes bezerk at this point and vows vengence on the gunman, who has his own weird legacy and twisted logic for behaving the way he does. Turns out he and Julia have a sort of history.
The ending is appropriately tragic, and, OK, I squeezed some feels out of it. Mr. Pike seems to like killing off his Protags, especially the pretty female ones, in strange and sad ways...much like Mr. Shakespeare (although Pike's writing is much more user-friendly). I suppose as a Modern Grrl I should be offended by this. And were it a book written within the past 5 years, I would be. But I must put it into the proper context of early 1990s, an era when standards and expectations for YA Literature weren't as high (It was also an era where people in general were far less paranoid and willing to take offense over the least little thing...but that's a whole other can of worms I don't feel like cracking open now)
Verdict: Entertaining, but not particularly memorable. In fact, I'm pretty sure I read this one as a teen, but I can't be positive.
August 24, 2018
***Actual Star Rating: 2.5 Stars***
This was one of those books that I had received from my sister. And as I have often told many people before there is a guy whose writings are much scarier than King and his works are normally more geared towards a much younger crowd than King's. With this said I chose to introduce my husband to said author - Christopher Pike.
Unfortunately out of all his books this was the one I had around that hadn't been read yet. Unlike some of his other YA books this one didn't start really sounding like a Pike read and so it was with some misgivings that I continued to read on.
Most of the Pike elements started to slowly show - a group of high school friends, classic stereotypes from school, small town, paranormal and then slowly the gruesome portions. Although it was much cleaner than some of his other works it still was dark and violent.
The story surprisingly kept my husband's attention and he was riveted at the end. We did have some laughs such as the rent-a-VCR and with some of the jokes but there were definitely more incredulous moments where the story was totally fiction, which is the reason why I gave it such a low star rating in the end.
In the end it was a decent read and a quick one. For those who are looking to graduate from Goosebumps, Pike may be the best route to go but there is a warning label since he can be gruesomely descriptive and dark all combined together.
This was one of those books that I had received from my sister. And as I have often told many people before there is a guy whose writings are much scarier than King and his works are normally more geared towards a much younger crowd than King's. With this said I chose to introduce my husband to said author - Christopher Pike.
Unfortunately out of all his books this was the one I had around that hadn't been read yet. Unlike some of his other YA books this one didn't start really sounding like a Pike read and so it was with some misgivings that I continued to read on.
Most of the Pike elements started to slowly show - a group of high school friends, classic stereotypes from school, small town, paranormal and then slowly the gruesome portions. Although it was much cleaner than some of his other works it still was dark and violent.
The story surprisingly kept my husband's attention and he was riveted at the end. We did have some laughs such as the rent-a-VCR and with some of the jokes but there were definitely more incredulous moments where the story was totally fiction, which is the reason why I gave it such a low star rating in the end.
In the end it was a decent read and a quick one. For those who are looking to graduate from Goosebumps, Pike may be the best route to go but there is a warning label since he can be gruesomely descriptive and dark all combined together.
April 21, 2023
Witch had a few things I appreciated. The shift in perspectives from chapter to chapter kept things interesting. I liked the theme of power coming at a great cost. I enjoyed many of the side characters, from Sally the dumb waitress to the station wagon full of creepy old lady witches. In fact, I kinda wanted a story that focused exclusively on the station wagon full of old ladies. Beyond that, Witch bears the unfortunate distinction of being one of Pike’s blandest works that I have read. It delivered some of the expected brutal violence but took the narrative in a more somber and serious direction than I would have liked. While it didn’t come anywhere near the sanctimonious preaching of Remember Me 2, it still got cheesy. The whole book felt like Pike was playing it safe. I like Pike best when he goes unapologetically weird while still delivering an emotional throughline. I think Witch was trying to be like Road to Nowhere, but it lacked the twist and the heart to land that sort of punch. Compared with his other books, Witch just felt kinda forgettable. It’s not bad, there are no glaring flaws or anything. It’s just… meh.
Score: 3
For my snark-filled, spoiler-laced, deep-dive review; check out my blog:
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Score: 3
For my snark-filled, spoiler-laced, deep-dive review; check out my blog:
Blog Review I Instagram I Twitter
April 3, 2025
Julia is a healer, a witch, no one knows not even her best friends, Amy and Scott. Just before a football match at school she has a premonition of a boy being killed and later when she meets Amy’s new boyfriend, Jim, she recognises him as the victim. What will the cost be of saving him?
Ok this was better than the only other Pike I’ve read but still something is off! The story is overwritten, I mean I love descriptive storytelling but it is not needed here. Julia is too perfect and this is emphasised over and over again. Then there’s the insta-love and the perfect Julia switching from an angel everyone adores to a vengeful lunatic.
In the midst of all that is a decent story warning of the danger of trying to change fate. Even if your intentions are good. you can never know the result of your intervention until it is too late. Hoping for third time lucky with a Pike I like!
Ok this was better than the only other Pike I’ve read but still something is off! The story is overwritten, I mean I love descriptive storytelling but it is not needed here. Julia is too perfect and this is emphasised over and over again. Then there’s the insta-love and the perfect Julia switching from an angel everyone adores to a vengeful lunatic.
In the midst of all that is a decent story warning of the danger of trying to change fate. Even if your intentions are good. you can never know the result of your intervention until it is too late. Hoping for third time lucky with a Pike I like!
Read
September 28, 2018Vintage Teen Horror Challenge Book 7
Julia is a Helper, a Witch with special healing abilities. If she looks at still, sunlit water she can see visions of the future. Still, moonlit water, however, her mother had warned her never to look at. When she witnesses a vision of a boy being shot, she intervenes to help him- with disastrous consequences.
There is a scene in this book were two teenagers walk into a sporting goods store in a mall and buy 2 handguns. No background investigation. The clerk tells them he bought a gun for his 10 year old daughter. Crazy
Memorable Quotes
“You’re neat. Did anyone ever tell you that?”
“It was impossible to have a death wish and not want to die.”
“Amy closed her eyes and it was dark inside.”
Julia is a Helper, a Witch with special healing abilities. If she looks at still, sunlit water she can see visions of the future. Still, moonlit water, however, her mother had warned her never to look at. When she witnesses a vision of a boy being shot, she intervenes to help him- with disastrous consequences.
There is a scene in this book were two teenagers walk into a sporting goods store in a mall and buy 2 handguns. No background investigation. The clerk tells them he bought a gun for his 10 year old daughter. Crazy
Memorable Quotes
“You’re neat. Did anyone ever tell you that?”
“It was impossible to have a death wish and not want to die.”
“Amy closed her eyes and it was dark inside.”
July 19, 2020
My ratings on Christopher Pike books are in a class of their own. These are not fantastic pieces of literature, but they are something special (and by special, I mean HOW did these get published, WHY did I love them as a kid, WHY am re-reading these now as an adult, and WHY are they endlessly riveting?!).
_Witch_ features Julia, a "good" witch, who has bright red hair, emerald green eyes (terrifying), and super powers of sight, inadvertent boyfriend stealing, healing, and making the world's worst choices. She is also filled with murderous vengeance. As one expects in any CP novel, Julia does, says, and thinks an array of outrageous stuff, and this is also the case for every single ancillary character: every one.
NOTHING makes sense in this novel. I couldn't put it down at 10 or at 40.
_Witch_ features Julia, a "good" witch, who has bright red hair, emerald green eyes (terrifying), and super powers of sight, inadvertent boyfriend stealing, healing, and making the world's worst choices. She is also filled with murderous vengeance. As one expects in any CP novel, Julia does, says, and thinks an array of outrageous stuff, and this is also the case for every single ancillary character: every one.
NOTHING makes sense in this novel. I couldn't put it down at 10 or at 40.
December 21, 2021
Barring the Witch World and Alosha series, I have read all of Pike's YA books. This one easily snags a spot in my top five.
I know that, as with most slasher flicks, retro YA horror routinely pop teenagers into its gory maw like so much candy. Characterization takes a back seat to the plot, which should feature creatively grisly deaths and unexpected twist/s in the climax. You'd know that a book is particularly bad when you wish to eliminate the entire dramatis personae through gruesome Goldbergian mechanisms as a way of punishing them for boring you.
Thankfully, Witch is anything but. I liked the leads a lot, even if they did make some pretty questionable choices. Being basically good-hearted kids who were thrust in extraordinary situations that challenge their moral codes, it's not hard to root for them.
I noticed that the most exceptional Pike books evoke a particular melancholy - that of promising youth cut off in its prime. As in Pike's best works, the interactions here give off a dreamy, halcyon vibe, which made the bitter ending all the more powerful.
It does have some faults, though none are deal-breakers. Maybe it's because I've read quite a bit from the genre, but some of the reveals didn't surprise me, seeing them coming from a mile away. Thankfully this does not apply to the ending, although I do wish the author presented a happier alternative. Our characters also made some head-scratchingly inane decisions.
Even if you've read it before, it is very much worth another look. Though I'd like to flatter myself that my taste in books has improved over the years, I'm glad that at least for me, this one aged quite well.
8/10; 4 stars.
I know that, as with most slasher flicks, retro YA horror routinely pop teenagers into its gory maw like so much candy. Characterization takes a back seat to the plot, which should feature creatively grisly deaths and unexpected twist/s in the climax. You'd know that a book is particularly bad when you wish to eliminate the entire dramatis personae through gruesome Goldbergian mechanisms as a way of punishing them for boring you.
Thankfully, Witch is anything but. I liked the leads a lot, even if they did make some pretty questionable choices. Being basically good-hearted kids who were thrust in extraordinary situations that challenge their moral codes, it's not hard to root for them.
I noticed that the most exceptional Pike books evoke a particular melancholy - that of promising youth cut off in its prime. As in Pike's best works, the interactions here give off a dreamy, halcyon vibe, which made the bitter ending all the more powerful.
It does have some faults, though none are deal-breakers. Maybe it's because I've read quite a bit from the genre, but some of the reveals didn't surprise me, seeing them coming from a mile away. Thankfully this does not apply to the ending, although I do wish the author presented a happier alternative. Our characters also made some head-scratchingly inane decisions.
Even if you've read it before, it is very much worth another look. Though I'd like to flatter myself that my taste in books has improved over the years, I'm glad that at least for me, this one aged quite well.
8/10; 4 stars.
December 28, 2022
This is honestly one of the worst books I’ve ever read. There were only two characters that were even remotely likeable and one of them ended up dead. The story made me wonder if the author has ever met a teenager.
Don’t waste your time.
Don’t waste your time.
August 4, 2019
Just re-read this for Teenage Scream podcast (lovingly dissecting the best and worst of 90s teen horror):
https://soundcloud.com/teenagescream
https://soundcloud.com/teenagescream
April 7, 2021
An absolute fever dream that goes from zero to 100 in about 20 pages.
July 6, 2022
Oh, hell yes! 👏🏻
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