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Scavenger Hunt
School was almost over. A secretive club on campus had organized a scavenger hunt for the entire senior class. In small groups, and with the help of cleverly planted clues, the kids are led throughout the city, and then deep into a nighttime desert. The sponsoring club has promised a wonderful prize for the first group to reach the goal of the hunt. But for Carl Timmons, a troubled young man who has recently lost his best friend, the hunt will become a nightmare. Led astray by his love for a strangely beautiful girl, he will wander far from the others, and back into a haunted past, where the line between hte living and the dead is blurred and broken.
215 pages, Mass Market Paperback
First published June 10, 1989
15 people are currently reading
2274 people want to read
About the author
Christopher Pike
261 books5,470 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 165 reviews
December 24, 2024
absolutely bonkers. i fucking love christopher pike. most of his teen scream novels start off feeling like r.l. stine, just a group of 90s adolescents in a spooky situation that could certainly progress in a predictable, formulaic manner. but pike's deranged creativity is on an entirely different plane of existence than his YA horror contemporaries.
a mysterious competitive scavenger hunt, a protagonist carrying the guilt of his best friend's past death, and a strange pair of siblings who showed up in town a few months before and became instantly popular. all this in the scorching desert just north of mexico.
reveals from pike's see you later and the eternal enemy quickly clued me into the idea that the mysterious siblings
last year i was on a big christopher pike kick, but i took a break from his work after watching the mike flanagan series. not sure why - a pike book is always a wildly entertaining ride.
a mysterious competitive scavenger hunt, a protagonist carrying the guilt of his best friend's past death, and a strange pair of siblings who showed up in town a few months before and became instantly popular. all this in the scorching desert just north of mexico.
reveals from pike's see you later and the eternal enemy quickly clued me into the idea that the mysterious siblings
last year i was on a big christopher pike kick, but i took a break from his work after watching the mike flanagan series. not sure why - a pike book is always a wildly entertaining ride.
The blow had in no way injured him, but no human being could have twisted living flesh into such an expression of pure hatred and been called human. His face was the face of the lost creature that lay hidden inches below the surface of the world's last undiscovered cesspool, preserved in unrelenting misery through a hundred ages, waiting for its day. Tracie recoiled in horror.
October 14, 2014
so, i reread this for a podcast my friends are doing. it's called worst bestseller. i am...kind of an insanely big fan of christopher pike, and have been for 19 (!!!) years. i'm pretty excited about doing the podcast with them, but i'm a little worried about my overwhelmingly positive feelings. (this is all to say, you should probably take any review i write for a christopher pike book with a grain of salt because i think the man is a genius and you will never change my mind.)
this was better than i remembered it being. pike's writing is definitely more utilitarian than what we expect from ya today, but when this came out that was the standard. (book lengths were MUCH shorter, so they couldn't really afford to waste words.) his story is still batshit but has internal logic, and some of the characters gave me a lot of feelings. the ending was kind of strange and open-ended, but i think that was pretty typical for him. i would like to spend some time discussing the similarities in characterization between cessie and sati, but as i am pretty sure i'm the only person in the universe who is interested in this, it will have to wait. (i would also love to discuss how pike uses lizard people in his books, and gender roles, and revenge. and probably many other things. honestly, i have topics written down for at least ten thesis papers i could write on pike's canon.)
uh, anyway: weird! creepy! will definitely keep you guessing! if you buy the other edition, it will also serve as porn for the blind (tm renata)!
this was better than i remembered it being. pike's writing is definitely more utilitarian than what we expect from ya today, but when this came out that was the standard. (book lengths were MUCH shorter, so they couldn't really afford to waste words.) his story is still batshit but has internal logic, and some of the characters gave me a lot of feelings. the ending was kind of strange and open-ended, but i think that was pretty typical for him. i would like to spend some time discussing the similarities in characterization between cessie and sati, but as i am pretty sure i'm the only person in the universe who is interested in this, it will have to wait. (i would also love to discuss how pike uses lizard people in his books, and gender roles, and revenge. and probably many other things. honestly, i have topics written down for at least ten thesis papers i could write on pike's canon.)
uh, anyway: weird! creepy! will definitely keep you guessing! if you buy the other edition, it will also serve as porn for the blind (tm renata)!
January 12, 2021
"It all began in minutes, but it might just as well have ended then, too."
Scavenger Hunt
by Christopher Pike
My Review:
Scavenger Hunts are quite fascinating.
At least I've always thought so. And I am also a huge Pike fan so there's two reasons for me to have read this book right there.
For those not familiar with Pike.....he writes Young adult horror. I adored his books. Still do although I do not follow him anymore. I do frequent rereads of some of my old favorites though.
What differentiated him from other YA Horror authors were several things. First off, his books always...well...usually..contained a bit of a spiritual side. Some of them were haunting, others were j just clever but all of them were different.
And as an adult I do like to do rereads. And I have reread many of his books. They hold up well over time. Most of them.
Some of my favorites by him include:
Weekend.
Last Act.
Fall into Darkness.
Slumber Party.
The Eternal Enemy
The Chain Letter
Strange Girl (this is actually more of an adult novel)
But he's had a few stinkers as well. I was not crazy about Die softly even though I rated it a three. I loathed Gimme a kiss, a book I do not recommend. And I was mostly confused by The Visitor, a book that made no sense to me as a kid and does not make sense as an adult .
This one...Scavenger Hunt.....is somewhere in the middle. It is about a group of friends who go on a scavenger hunt that goes terribly wrong. It also has many supernatural themes.
This was not my favorite of Pike's books but I wouldn't call it bad. It maybe worth reading if you like YA Super natural. There is also gore and many things that made no sense.
It started out strong. The whole Scavenger Hunt angle is incredibly compelling and there are strange vibes between all these friends. You know things are not as they appear to be. For much of the book I was into it but kind of lost interest as it got closer to the middle and the end.
Scavenger Hunt got a bit "out there" for me and that is all I will say. Well...I will also say that growing up, as time went on, Pike's books did get darker and he sort of lost me as a reader. I was not so into the dark and supernatural books. And in Scavenger Hunt, at first, it is fun, easy to read, with a compelling cast and lots of unrequited love. There is not much of a hint how bizarre things are going to get.
But it lost me as it really went the way, not of young adult horror/mystery but of straight out Batshit crazy.....to crazy for me. I really had a tough time with it and I find the best Pike books or the ones I enjoy the most are the ones that just focus on the characters. Because Pike has a gift of being able to create such depth of characters. Even after all this time,with Scavenger Hunt, I remember how Sassy Paula was Loved her) and how sweet Tracy was and Carl, the main character was so interesting too.
With Pike there are certain themes I prefer to others and I think this one is maybe one I just did not care deeply as it went in a direction I did not care for.
It was however creepy and dark and sure atmospheric so it works even though I prefer some of his others more. And if you like scavenger hunts, caves and the supernatural, chances are you will dig this one more than I did.
PS: If you are new to Pike and just want a non supernatural but fun mystery I'd go for Last Act which is about a group of students who put on a play when one of the actors gets killed on stage. It's a real who done it and a great Pike book to start with.
But if you like Bizarre...and make no mistake this one is CRAZY....Then dive in! One thing I can assure you, it isn't a book you will forget easily.
Scavenger Hunt
by Christopher Pike
My Review:
Scavenger Hunts are quite fascinating.
At least I've always thought so. And I am also a huge Pike fan so there's two reasons for me to have read this book right there.
For those not familiar with Pike.....he writes Young adult horror. I adored his books. Still do although I do not follow him anymore. I do frequent rereads of some of my old favorites though.
What differentiated him from other YA Horror authors were several things. First off, his books always...well...usually..contained a bit of a spiritual side. Some of them were haunting, others were j just clever but all of them were different.
And as an adult I do like to do rereads. And I have reread many of his books. They hold up well over time. Most of them.
Some of my favorites by him include:
Weekend.
Last Act.
Fall into Darkness.
Slumber Party.
The Eternal Enemy
The Chain Letter
Strange Girl (this is actually more of an adult novel)
But he's had a few stinkers as well. I was not crazy about Die softly even though I rated it a three. I loathed Gimme a kiss, a book I do not recommend. And I was mostly confused by The Visitor, a book that made no sense to me as a kid and does not make sense as an adult .
This one...Scavenger Hunt.....is somewhere in the middle. It is about a group of friends who go on a scavenger hunt that goes terribly wrong. It also has many supernatural themes.
This was not my favorite of Pike's books but I wouldn't call it bad. It maybe worth reading if you like YA Super natural. There is also gore and many things that made no sense.
It started out strong. The whole Scavenger Hunt angle is incredibly compelling and there are strange vibes between all these friends. You know things are not as they appear to be. For much of the book I was into it but kind of lost interest as it got closer to the middle and the end.
Scavenger Hunt got a bit "out there" for me and that is all I will say. Well...I will also say that growing up, as time went on, Pike's books did get darker and he sort of lost me as a reader. I was not so into the dark and supernatural books. And in Scavenger Hunt, at first, it is fun, easy to read, with a compelling cast and lots of unrequited love. There is not much of a hint how bizarre things are going to get.
But it lost me as it really went the way, not of young adult horror/mystery but of straight out Batshit crazy.....to crazy for me. I really had a tough time with it and I find the best Pike books or the ones I enjoy the most are the ones that just focus on the characters. Because Pike has a gift of being able to create such depth of characters. Even after all this time,with Scavenger Hunt, I remember how Sassy Paula was Loved her) and how sweet Tracy was and Carl, the main character was so interesting too.
With Pike there are certain themes I prefer to others and I think this one is maybe one I just did not care deeply as it went in a direction I did not care for.
It was however creepy and dark and sure atmospheric so it works even though I prefer some of his others more. And if you like scavenger hunts, caves and the supernatural, chances are you will dig this one more than I did.
PS: If you are new to Pike and just want a non supernatural but fun mystery I'd go for Last Act which is about a group of students who put on a play when one of the actors gets killed on stage. It's a real who done it and a great Pike book to start with.
But if you like Bizarre...and make no mistake this one is CRAZY....Then dive in! One thing I can assure you, it isn't a book you will forget easily.
Read
January 27, 2012Christopher Pike is a sicko. That's why he's great. For example:
"The bottle exploded over the back of Davey's head, the tequila drenching his shirt and pants. but it did not knock him out. He whirled upon Tracie, his face unrecognizable. The blow had in no way injured him, but no human being could have twisted living flesh into such an expression of pure hatred and been called human. His was the face of the lost creature that lay hidden inches below the surface of the world's last undiscovered cesspool, preserved in unrelenting misery through a hundred ages, waiting for its day." (page 202) Gotta love it.
"The bottle exploded over the back of Davey's head, the tequila drenching his shirt and pants. but it did not knock him out. He whirled upon Tracie, his face unrecognizable. The blow had in no way injured him, but no human being could have twisted living flesh into such an expression of pure hatred and been called human. His was the face of the lost creature that lay hidden inches below the surface of the world's last undiscovered cesspool, preserved in unrelenting misery through a hundred ages, waiting for its day." (page 202) Gotta love it.
October 3, 2012
Hell yeah, I'm reading a Christopher Pike book. Call it nostalgia. Or just call it me not feeling like reading above a sixth-grade reading level lately.
Update: I really got into the story and flew threw this book. But then Pike ruined the ending by, first of all, making it stupid and, second of all, not fully fleshing out the weak denouement. I guess this is why he is the writer he is.
(Hell yeah, I used a big word like "denouement" for a Christopher Pike book.)
Update: I really got into the story and flew threw this book. But then Pike ruined the ending by, first of all, making it stupid and, second of all, not fully fleshing out the weak denouement. I guess this is why he is the writer he is.
(Hell yeah, I used a big word like "denouement" for a Christopher Pike book.)
April 5, 2021
Well, that was bonkers.
March 11, 2024
One of those early Christopher Pike books that goes into strange territory that is terrifyingly thrilling.
All of the other late 80s Pike books are more mysteries that dip into horror but Scavenger Hunt leans more toward what Pike did with Remember Me (one I have yet to read but I know enough) and would continue to do with his later early 90s books.
As I continued to read this book, I was getting flashbacks to reading Monster even though that one came later, I had the pleasure of reading it first before deciding to give this one a go.
We get a prologue that is about a young man coming across a church and going inside. It is a Catholic church and he goes about lighting a candle and praying to The Virgin Mary before entering the confessional.
Once inside, he admits to the priest that he killed someone. The older man is shocked by that admission but even more so when he starts talking about the devil and saying that the murder he has committed is not as important as everything that has brought him to this point...
A year ago, Carl Timmons and his best friend Joe Travers went hiking in the nearby desert and a flood ended up washing Joe's body away. It wasn't found until months later and Carl has had terrible nightmares about it ever since.
He tried to save Joe but Carl got banged up and almost drowned too but he survived and the guilt of surviving has brought about reliving the incident but this time the dream is different. They are young kids again on tricycles and the flood comes from cracks in a great dam bringing about water tinted red with blood.
A call on the phone wakes Carl from the dream and he answers to hear the voice of a girl on the other end but not just any girl...it is Cecilia "Cessy" Stepford.
She and her brother Davey are new to the school but seniors just like Carl, one week away from graduation, and Carl has had the hots for her since he saw her. With her curly dark hair, blue eyes, cheerfully free spirited ways and not to mention an amazing body, Cessy is good friends with Carl's other friend, Tom Barrett.
Tom suffered a concussion playing football last year and Carl is protective of his friend because even though it didn't paralyze or diminish his intelligence, Tom has a tendency to wander off and lose his train of thought. The reason Cessy called is to convince Carl to be on their team for a special scavenger hunt arranged for the seniors by a teacher named Mr. Partridge and his exclusively secret "club".
Carl has the phone passed from Cessy to Tom and he says he will come and take the two of them to school but mostly because Cessy's last words to Carl are that she plans to go swimming in her pool naked.
Oh and to be a part of their team along with her brother...naturally. Before leaving, Carl finds a message on the answering machine and it is from another girl named Tracie White.
He met Tracie when they were both freshmen and he had a sort of crush on her but their paths never really crossed. Carl works at a gas station fixing cars and Tracie's got a scholarship to go to Berkley and get out of their small town of Express, California. Her message is an invitation to join her own group with her best friend Paula Morrow and her brother Rick, a genius who is graduating high school at only fifteen.
Carl doesn't call Tracie back but not just because he has already accepted joining Tom and Cessy's group...there is another problem. Paula was Joe's girlfriend before his death and she was never really a fan of Carl before but is very angered that he survived while the boy she loved did not.
On his way to Cessy's house, Carl almost runs a red light and almost runs into Rick Morrow...literally. Rick has the misfortune of being crippled since he was five due to muscular dystrophy but despite the wheelchair, he is a cheerful person besides being intelligent enough to skip grades and be at the top of the senior class.
We switch in the second chapter to Tracie White.
Tracie has indeed had a crush on Carl since the first time they met on the first day of freshman year when he helped her out. They talked and had lunch at school and even shared ice cream after a movie they were both leaving separately one serendipitous Saturday yet it just fizzled out.
By the time junior year arrived and Tracie got the courage to admit she might even be in love with Carl unrequitedly, Joe Travers died and things changed even more. Paula, her best friend, was devastated and just as angry as Carl at Joe's death but she blamed Carl and Tracie could tell they both had bad blood between them.
Yet now that school was to be over in one week, Paula admitted to Tracie that she should call Carl and tell him how she feels about him. Paula also admitted that it was wrong to blame Carl or have Tracie keep away from him to appease her...bygones be bygones and all that.
Senioritis at its finest point...we all get that need to forgive.
Tracie isn't very happy when Rick tells her that he basically blew off joining their group and she isn't very happy to see Carl arriving with Tom and Cessy. Tracie and Carl talk awkwardly and then Tracie leaves to go and find Rick with Paula.
Since Joe died, Paula went from being a girl with wavy hair and a blonde cheerleader type to having short hair and wearing torn Levi jackets as well as riding on the back of motorcycles with the worst types of guys and girls the town had to offer. Paula now cursed, drank beer and chain-smoked cigarettes in a way that Tracie was afraid one day she would get a call that her best friend was in jail...or dead out of recklessness.
Paula's morality pet is her brother. Paula makes sure that Rick is self-sufficient and doesn't baby him because he can't walk as it appears that her parents don't give a damn about either one of them. Tracie knows it hurts Paula to be so cruel to be kind to her brother despite her edge and that she feels even worse because Rick adores her.
The assembly about the scavenger hunt begins and we learn there are of course clues to direct the groups to the things they need to find. All ten items must be collected and the teams are encouraged not to help each other or be disqualified according to Mr. Partridge.
The team that completes the scavenger hunt will be given an all expenses paid trip to Hawaii for a whole week and I'm already calling the red flags. Yet teens aren't meant to be smart even if it is established that in this book both Rick and Tracie and Davey are all very intelligent.
Carl, Tom and even Cessy have their moments of lightbulbs going off over their heads to figure out these clues while Paula isn't dumb yet not as excited as her brother or bestie. The two teams of our main characters end up getting ahead and on the way, Davey brings up conversation about an article he saw in a newspaper mostly because he thinks it will be of interest to Rick, his intellectual equal.
It is said to be about a gold mine out in the desert not far from town that goes by the name of Valta back during the time of the big San Francisco Gold Rush even though their town is closer to San Diego. It brought a bank manager to Express to locate the mine where it is said that four people died in a cave-in to locate more gold after dropping the first batch in a San Francisco bank when they didn't directly come back.
The manger found two of the bodies once he cleared the way into the mine as well as a diary clutched within the grasp of a skeleton but no more gold in sight. The writer claimed that the mine was haunted with his final thoughts in the journal and the bank manger returned to find the gold gone and himself the the prime suspect of stealing it.
He disappeared and left behind a daughter who all these years later revealed all in the paper Davey found and he wants Rick to figure out if the Valta mine really exists. If he can then they will spilt the gold evenly.
It seems like a silly side game at first when there is already a trip to Hawaii as a prize but now looking for gold out in the desert? It is clearly another red flag to us reading the book but again...greedy teens be stupid or there is no story.
Everything after that goes completely crazy and off the rails with some reveals and twists so out there it delves into sci-fi territory but doesn't lose that aspect of horror with a few of the things that happen.
A theme in later Pike books that pops up in Scavenger Hunt is a slight tangent on religion. We start the book at a church and go into some topics that may bristle a few readers but if you are a fan of Christopher Pike, you would already know that.
Despite the creepiness, there is also some heartbreaking scenes dealing with grief and loss and love and forgiveness. Pike has a strange way of weaving a web of human emotions and otherworldly horrors that is beautiful as it is terrifying and if you haven't read Scavenger Hunt, it is worth hunting down your own copy.
All of the other late 80s Pike books are more mysteries that dip into horror but Scavenger Hunt leans more toward what Pike did with Remember Me (one I have yet to read but I know enough) and would continue to do with his later early 90s books.
As I continued to read this book, I was getting flashbacks to reading Monster even though that one came later, I had the pleasure of reading it first before deciding to give this one a go.
We get a prologue that is about a young man coming across a church and going inside. It is a Catholic church and he goes about lighting a candle and praying to The Virgin Mary before entering the confessional.
Once inside, he admits to the priest that he killed someone. The older man is shocked by that admission but even more so when he starts talking about the devil and saying that the murder he has committed is not as important as everything that has brought him to this point...
A year ago, Carl Timmons and his best friend Joe Travers went hiking in the nearby desert and a flood ended up washing Joe's body away. It wasn't found until months later and Carl has had terrible nightmares about it ever since.
He tried to save Joe but Carl got banged up and almost drowned too but he survived and the guilt of surviving has brought about reliving the incident but this time the dream is different. They are young kids again on tricycles and the flood comes from cracks in a great dam bringing about water tinted red with blood.
A call on the phone wakes Carl from the dream and he answers to hear the voice of a girl on the other end but not just any girl...it is Cecilia "Cessy" Stepford.
She and her brother Davey are new to the school but seniors just like Carl, one week away from graduation, and Carl has had the hots for her since he saw her. With her curly dark hair, blue eyes, cheerfully free spirited ways and not to mention an amazing body, Cessy is good friends with Carl's other friend, Tom Barrett.
Tom suffered a concussion playing football last year and Carl is protective of his friend because even though it didn't paralyze or diminish his intelligence, Tom has a tendency to wander off and lose his train of thought. The reason Cessy called is to convince Carl to be on their team for a special scavenger hunt arranged for the seniors by a teacher named Mr. Partridge and his exclusively secret "club".
Carl has the phone passed from Cessy to Tom and he says he will come and take the two of them to school but mostly because Cessy's last words to Carl are that she plans to go swimming in her pool naked.
Oh and to be a part of their team along with her brother...naturally. Before leaving, Carl finds a message on the answering machine and it is from another girl named Tracie White.
He met Tracie when they were both freshmen and he had a sort of crush on her but their paths never really crossed. Carl works at a gas station fixing cars and Tracie's got a scholarship to go to Berkley and get out of their small town of Express, California. Her message is an invitation to join her own group with her best friend Paula Morrow and her brother Rick, a genius who is graduating high school at only fifteen.
Carl doesn't call Tracie back but not just because he has already accepted joining Tom and Cessy's group...there is another problem. Paula was Joe's girlfriend before his death and she was never really a fan of Carl before but is very angered that he survived while the boy she loved did not.
On his way to Cessy's house, Carl almost runs a red light and almost runs into Rick Morrow...literally. Rick has the misfortune of being crippled since he was five due to muscular dystrophy but despite the wheelchair, he is a cheerful person besides being intelligent enough to skip grades and be at the top of the senior class.
We switch in the second chapter to Tracie White.
Tracie has indeed had a crush on Carl since the first time they met on the first day of freshman year when he helped her out. They talked and had lunch at school and even shared ice cream after a movie they were both leaving separately one serendipitous Saturday yet it just fizzled out.
By the time junior year arrived and Tracie got the courage to admit she might even be in love with Carl unrequitedly, Joe Travers died and things changed even more. Paula, her best friend, was devastated and just as angry as Carl at Joe's death but she blamed Carl and Tracie could tell they both had bad blood between them.
Yet now that school was to be over in one week, Paula admitted to Tracie that she should call Carl and tell him how she feels about him. Paula also admitted that it was wrong to blame Carl or have Tracie keep away from him to appease her...bygones be bygones and all that.
Senioritis at its finest point...we all get that need to forgive.
Tracie isn't very happy when Rick tells her that he basically blew off joining their group and she isn't very happy to see Carl arriving with Tom and Cessy. Tracie and Carl talk awkwardly and then Tracie leaves to go and find Rick with Paula.
Since Joe died, Paula went from being a girl with wavy hair and a blonde cheerleader type to having short hair and wearing torn Levi jackets as well as riding on the back of motorcycles with the worst types of guys and girls the town had to offer. Paula now cursed, drank beer and chain-smoked cigarettes in a way that Tracie was afraid one day she would get a call that her best friend was in jail...or dead out of recklessness.
Paula's morality pet is her brother. Paula makes sure that Rick is self-sufficient and doesn't baby him because he can't walk as it appears that her parents don't give a damn about either one of them. Tracie knows it hurts Paula to be so cruel to be kind to her brother despite her edge and that she feels even worse because Rick adores her.
The assembly about the scavenger hunt begins and we learn there are of course clues to direct the groups to the things they need to find. All ten items must be collected and the teams are encouraged not to help each other or be disqualified according to Mr. Partridge.
The team that completes the scavenger hunt will be given an all expenses paid trip to Hawaii for a whole week and I'm already calling the red flags. Yet teens aren't meant to be smart even if it is established that in this book both Rick and Tracie and Davey are all very intelligent.
Carl, Tom and even Cessy have their moments of lightbulbs going off over their heads to figure out these clues while Paula isn't dumb yet not as excited as her brother or bestie. The two teams of our main characters end up getting ahead and on the way, Davey brings up conversation about an article he saw in a newspaper mostly because he thinks it will be of interest to Rick, his intellectual equal.
It is said to be about a gold mine out in the desert not far from town that goes by the name of Valta back during the time of the big San Francisco Gold Rush even though their town is closer to San Diego. It brought a bank manager to Express to locate the mine where it is said that four people died in a cave-in to locate more gold after dropping the first batch in a San Francisco bank when they didn't directly come back.
The manger found two of the bodies once he cleared the way into the mine as well as a diary clutched within the grasp of a skeleton but no more gold in sight. The writer claimed that the mine was haunted with his final thoughts in the journal and the bank manger returned to find the gold gone and himself the the prime suspect of stealing it.
He disappeared and left behind a daughter who all these years later revealed all in the paper Davey found and he wants Rick to figure out if the Valta mine really exists. If he can then they will spilt the gold evenly.
It seems like a silly side game at first when there is already a trip to Hawaii as a prize but now looking for gold out in the desert? It is clearly another red flag to us reading the book but again...greedy teens be stupid or there is no story.
Everything after that goes completely crazy and off the rails with some reveals and twists so out there it delves into sci-fi territory but doesn't lose that aspect of horror with a few of the things that happen.
A theme in later Pike books that pops up in Scavenger Hunt is a slight tangent on religion. We start the book at a church and go into some topics that may bristle a few readers but if you are a fan of Christopher Pike, you would already know that.
Despite the creepiness, there is also some heartbreaking scenes dealing with grief and loss and love and forgiveness. Pike has a strange way of weaving a web of human emotions and otherworldly horrors that is beautiful as it is terrifying and if you haven't read Scavenger Hunt, it is worth hunting down your own copy.
October 31, 2019
Look for this review and others at https://www.thebabblingbookblog.com
This review contains minor spoilers.
While I was not reading Christopher Pike books in 1989, I dabbled with them, and R.L Stein books in the early nineties. My thirst for the things that go bump in the night started quite early and they haven't let up. I can say that I have become more of a chicken in my older years. I blame it on the intensity of horror nowadays. Some of that stuff is terrifying!
Scavenger Hunt begins in a wonderfully creepy way right off the bat in the first chapter. The reader is hooked as you are drawn into the intense emotion so excellently penned by Pike. A boy is fleeing an undescribed antagonist and he seeks refuge inside a church. Desperate, he huddles in the confessional, pleading with the priest to save him from the evil that tracks him.
In an instant, the story is propelled back in time to just earlier that day when a group of teens embarks on a scavenger hunt arranged by the odd and exclusive club, the even more strange Mr. Partridge heads.
The protagonist of the story is Carl Timmons, a troubled teen plagued by the recent loss of his best friend. Carl is enamored with a classmate named Cecilia “Cessy” Stepford, who invites him to be on her scavenger hunt team. Naturally, he accepts much to the dismay of Tracie White who has a crush on Carl and asked him to be on her team. I am convinced that this love triangle is the basis for the song “Love Stinks”. Yeah, yeah. Now you have that song in your head.
The two teams inadvertently join forces to solve the clues and make it to the end of the scavenger hunt, all seeking the promised prize of an all-expenses-paid trip to Hawaii. Now if that wasn’t enough of a prize they also decide to pursue finding the truth behind the local lore of a gold mine where people were known to disappear or perish. Greedy little buggers.
After the intense first chapter, the story moves along quite slowly for at least the rest of the first half, until the plot twists and the adventure begins. In laments terms, the story gets really weird really fast. As always, I won’t spoil it for you. Much. *cough* *lizard people* Sorry, I had something in my throat. What I will tell you is Scavenger Hunt is not one of the best Christopher Pike books. I really can't recall if I read it in the past, so clearly, it did not leave a lasting impression on me if I did. What was interesting, however, to realize how relevant his books, or at least this one, remain. It was hardly dated in its description, and really could be picked up and read by any young adult now. That is if you wanted to pick this one up, but I don't recommend it. With all of the Christopher Pike books out there, this one is not a gem. There are better ones out there I assure you. Give one of those a try.
This review contains minor spoilers.
While I was not reading Christopher Pike books in 1989, I dabbled with them, and R.L Stein books in the early nineties. My thirst for the things that go bump in the night started quite early and they haven't let up. I can say that I have become more of a chicken in my older years. I blame it on the intensity of horror nowadays. Some of that stuff is terrifying!
Scavenger Hunt begins in a wonderfully creepy way right off the bat in the first chapter. The reader is hooked as you are drawn into the intense emotion so excellently penned by Pike. A boy is fleeing an undescribed antagonist and he seeks refuge inside a church. Desperate, he huddles in the confessional, pleading with the priest to save him from the evil that tracks him.
In an instant, the story is propelled back in time to just earlier that day when a group of teens embarks on a scavenger hunt arranged by the odd and exclusive club, the even more strange Mr. Partridge heads.
The protagonist of the story is Carl Timmons, a troubled teen plagued by the recent loss of his best friend. Carl is enamored with a classmate named Cecilia “Cessy” Stepford, who invites him to be on her scavenger hunt team. Naturally, he accepts much to the dismay of Tracie White who has a crush on Carl and asked him to be on her team. I am convinced that this love triangle is the basis for the song “Love Stinks”. Yeah, yeah. Now you have that song in your head.
The two teams inadvertently join forces to solve the clues and make it to the end of the scavenger hunt, all seeking the promised prize of an all-expenses-paid trip to Hawaii. Now if that wasn’t enough of a prize they also decide to pursue finding the truth behind the local lore of a gold mine where people were known to disappear or perish. Greedy little buggers.
After the intense first chapter, the story moves along quite slowly for at least the rest of the first half, until the plot twists and the adventure begins. In laments terms, the story gets really weird really fast. As always, I won’t spoil it for you. Much. *cough* *lizard people* Sorry, I had something in my throat. What I will tell you is Scavenger Hunt is not one of the best Christopher Pike books. I really can't recall if I read it in the past, so clearly, it did not leave a lasting impression on me if I did. What was interesting, however, to realize how relevant his books, or at least this one, remain. It was hardly dated in its description, and really could be picked up and read by any young adult now. That is if you wanted to pick this one up, but I don't recommend it. With all of the Christopher Pike books out there, this one is not a gem. There are better ones out there I assure you. Give one of those a try.
April 21, 2018
I thought “Scavenger Hunt” was very interesting at first. The plot seemed unique and honestly unlike anything I have read. I enjoyed the way the clues were setup and how the team started to decipher them. Even though it was originally published in 1989, the story did not feel outdated. The characters also showed unique and varied qualities and it was fun reading how they reacted to the clues. I really thought this was going to be a great read. However, it all turned out to be a BIG disappointment in the second half.
There are three reasons I gave this an average rating, the first reason being that I hated Carl’s character. This guy is such a wimpy protagonist who keeps getting in trouble with the wrong crowd. He chooses the wrong team only because he thinks Cessy is hot. He’s a coward for not saving Joe and he admits it. Frequently I was put off having to deal with reading him whining over his inner conflicts. The list for me disliking him goes on. Davey was also a bit annoying. He comes off as your typical mustache-twirling villain without any complexity. Cessy is much more interesting, but she is not given much focus. My favorite character here is Tracie. I loved that she figures out what is happening and risks everything to save Carl. I also liked Paula and Rick and wished that there was more written about them.
My second reason for removing an additional star is the plot holes. I still have questions after finishing this book, such as:
– Who was that person (or creature) in the purple house?
– What happened to the other groups who did the Scavenger Hunt? Why didn’t Davey choose people from other groups as well?
– Why did Pike bring in a random alcoholic priest into the story who didn’t add any value?
– When I look at the cover of the original US edition (that I read), I still don’t know who these three people are.
Now for the third reason. I always felt like reading a Pike book was better than a Stine book because it was more profound. The author usually adds some deep philosophical texts about the universe and mankind in his books. Scavenger Hunt did not have any of that! The climax towards the end is just cartoony and I just felt ‘meh’ after reading this book. Pike has written better stories than this, and the fallout to this suspenseful plot is disappointing. Overall, if you want to read a vintage Christopher Pike novel, you can dismiss this one and pick up “Whisper of Death” or “Road to Nowhere”.
There are three reasons I gave this an average rating, the first reason being that I hated Carl’s character. This guy is such a wimpy protagonist who keeps getting in trouble with the wrong crowd. He chooses the wrong team only because he thinks Cessy is hot. He’s a coward for not saving Joe and he admits it. Frequently I was put off having to deal with reading him whining over his inner conflicts. The list for me disliking him goes on. Davey was also a bit annoying. He comes off as your typical mustache-twirling villain without any complexity. Cessy is much more interesting, but she is not given much focus. My favorite character here is Tracie. I loved that she figures out what is happening and risks everything to save Carl. I also liked Paula and Rick and wished that there was more written about them.
My second reason for removing an additional star is the plot holes. I still have questions after finishing this book, such as:
– Who was that person (or creature) in the purple house?
– What happened to the other groups who did the Scavenger Hunt? Why didn’t Davey choose people from other groups as well?
– Why did Pike bring in a random alcoholic priest into the story who didn’t add any value?
– When I look at the cover of the original US edition (that I read), I still don’t know who these three people are.
Now for the third reason. I always felt like reading a Pike book was better than a Stine book because it was more profound. The author usually adds some deep philosophical texts about the universe and mankind in his books. Scavenger Hunt did not have any of that! The climax towards the end is just cartoony and I just felt ‘meh’ after reading this book. Pike has written better stories than this, and the fallout to this suspenseful plot is disappointing. Overall, if you want to read a vintage Christopher Pike novel, you can dismiss this one and pick up “Whisper of Death” or “Road to Nowhere”.
June 23, 2014
HOly crap I LOVED this book! I now understand why my generation prefers Pike over Stine. NOT SAYING I DON'T LOVE MY STINE CLIFF HANGERS BUT...Pike def. knows how to write a bit more maturely.
SCAVENGER HUNT is absolutely surprising. Carl is grieving over the death of his best friend Joe, who he wasn't able to save from drowning. After the tragedy all Carl wants is some form of normality but living with his guilt makes that hard. When the senior class decides to participate in an organized scavenger hunt, Carl teams up with the mysterious yet bubbly Cessy and the class president Davey (who also happens to be Cessy's brother)instead of teaming up with his semi crush Tracie, her friend Paula, and Paula's brother Rick. Cessy has never shown interest in Carl before so the invitiation to join their team came at a surprise. The real surprise is the alterior motives this brother and sister duo have in store.
Deep in the desert, an ancient evil lurks, and it's up to Carl to stop the reign of evil and close the portal to other hells. How many people have to die in order to escape the evil? Can Carl combat his demons and find solace in his guilt? What you think you know...you don't. What you think is real...it isn't. All comes to a head in the final conclusion and it's fucking fantastic!
Loved this book. Taking a Stine break and reading more Pike!
SCAVENGER HUNT is absolutely surprising. Carl is grieving over the death of his best friend Joe, who he wasn't able to save from drowning. After the tragedy all Carl wants is some form of normality but living with his guilt makes that hard. When the senior class decides to participate in an organized scavenger hunt, Carl teams up with the mysterious yet bubbly Cessy and the class president Davey (who also happens to be Cessy's brother)instead of teaming up with his semi crush Tracie, her friend Paula, and Paula's brother Rick. Cessy has never shown interest in Carl before so the invitiation to join their team came at a surprise. The real surprise is the alterior motives this brother and sister duo have in store.
Deep in the desert, an ancient evil lurks, and it's up to Carl to stop the reign of evil and close the portal to other hells. How many people have to die in order to escape the evil? Can Carl combat his demons and find solace in his guilt? What you think you know...you don't. What you think is real...it isn't. All comes to a head in the final conclusion and it's fucking fantastic!
Loved this book. Taking a Stine break and reading more Pike!
February 19, 2021
This one was weird. The desert, aliens, a church.
July 15, 2019
This book begins with a cryptic scene of a young man running from something, possibly either a demon or a cult. He takes refuge in a church, where he tells the priest his story. Then the book switches over to Carl, a young man living in a nearly dead desert town. His best friend Joe was killed in a freak flood nearly a year ago, and he's basically just been existing since then. The only reason he's at all excited about the scavenger hunt that's about to begin is because Cessy, a sexy newcomer, has asked him to be on her team.
Tracie would have liked to have had Carl on her team, but unfortunately Cessy managed to ask him first. Tracie has had a crush on Carl for a while, but she's shy, and then Joe's death happened, and she and Carl just sort of drifted apart. The scavenger hunt at least gives them one last chance to interact before she leaves for college, although some of their team members make things awkward.
Carl's team consists of Cessy, her brother Davey, and Tom (Carl's brain-injured former football player friend). Tracie's team consists of Paula (Joe's girlfriend, who's been angry since his death), and Rick (Paula's genius younger brother, who's in a wheelchair due to muscular dystrophy). Both teams get off to a strong start, but it isn't long before they become aware that there's something odd about this scavenger hunt.
This is technically another one of my nostalgia reads, but only insofar as it's another book by Christopher Pike. I honestly don't think I read this when I was a teen. I'm pretty sure I would have remembered at least some of the stuff at the end.
I figured out one of the book's twists only 40 or so pages in. I thought I had the rest of it figured out by the halfway point, but, as usual, Pike just kept on making things weirder. I can't even say it was the good kind of weird. It was like Pike pulled a few nouns out of a hat and crammed them into one big plot twist.
I hated how things turned out with And the scene with the dog was awful, even though it happened off-page.
All in all, this definitely wasn't Pike's best work. I wouldn't be surprised to learn that I did read this when I was a teen, but just forgot about it.
(Original review posted on A Library Girl's Familiar Diversions.)
Tracie would have liked to have had Carl on her team, but unfortunately Cessy managed to ask him first. Tracie has had a crush on Carl for a while, but she's shy, and then Joe's death happened, and she and Carl just sort of drifted apart. The scavenger hunt at least gives them one last chance to interact before she leaves for college, although some of their team members make things awkward.
Carl's team consists of Cessy, her brother Davey, and Tom (Carl's brain-injured former football player friend). Tracie's team consists of Paula (Joe's girlfriend, who's been angry since his death), and Rick (Paula's genius younger brother, who's in a wheelchair due to muscular dystrophy). Both teams get off to a strong start, but it isn't long before they become aware that there's something odd about this scavenger hunt.
This is technically another one of my nostalgia reads, but only insofar as it's another book by Christopher Pike. I honestly don't think I read this when I was a teen. I'm pretty sure I would have remembered at least some of the stuff at the end.
I figured out one of the book's twists only 40 or so pages in. I thought I had the rest of it figured out by the halfway point, but, as usual, Pike just kept on making things weirder. I can't even say it was the good kind of weird. It was like Pike pulled a few nouns out of a hat and crammed them into one big plot twist.
I hated how things turned out with And the scene with the dog was awful, even though it happened off-page.
All in all, this definitely wasn't Pike's best work. I wouldn't be surprised to learn that I did read this when I was a teen, but just forgot about it.
(Original review posted on A Library Girl's Familiar Diversions.)
July 6, 2017
I have never really been a fan of Pike and in a sense he may be the reason why I don't really like the horror genre (yep King is way more mild in a sense than Pike ever was and King's audience is adults lol). But basically you get your horror milk teeth possibly with Goosebumps but the hardcore intro is most definitely Pike.
So first of all I either hadn't read Pike in a really long time or this is more off of a beaten path but this particular book being passed to me by my sister wasn't actually a surprise as it has a really strong yet not so strong religious theme. Although it doesn't seem like it the book focuses on being told from within a church while focuses on the ideas of man-made deities versus possible evolutionary mutations.
Second of all Pike keeps the whole weird vibes going so that you have no idea how this crazy book is going to turn out. Completely disgusting surprises all along the way to go with barely relatable characters who can be so bland.
All in all it did turn out to be okay although following my sister on her reading habits I think there may be better Pike books out there. For those who need a quick read and don't mind the monsters than this book is for you.
So first of all I either hadn't read Pike in a really long time or this is more off of a beaten path but this particular book being passed to me by my sister wasn't actually a surprise as it has a really strong yet not so strong religious theme. Although it doesn't seem like it the book focuses on being told from within a church while focuses on the ideas of man-made deities versus possible evolutionary mutations.
Second of all Pike keeps the whole weird vibes going so that you have no idea how this crazy book is going to turn out. Completely disgusting surprises all along the way to go with barely relatable characters who can be so bland.
All in all it did turn out to be okay although following my sister on her reading habits I think there may be better Pike books out there. For those who need a quick read and don't mind the monsters than this book is for you.
January 18, 2021
I always enjoy Pike’s work.
This one started kind of slow, and there aren’t many horror elements until the end of the book.
Everything ramps up at the end of the book.
There’s so much tell, villains laying out their plans, their life stories, and it all feels a bit rushed.
Christian mythos gets tied in at the very end as well, and almost plays too prominent a role in the closing.
There were a lot of characters to juggle as well early on.
It seemed like a slow burn that, at the end, the author realized burned a bit slower than it should have.
Still it was fun, and I always appreciate that the author’s work dives into strange and unexpected places.
I think this year I’m going to try to burn through a few more of his books that look interesting.
This one started kind of slow, and there aren’t many horror elements until the end of the book.
Everything ramps up at the end of the book.
There’s so much tell, villains laying out their plans, their life stories, and it all feels a bit rushed.
Christian mythos gets tied in at the very end as well, and almost plays too prominent a role in the closing.
There were a lot of characters to juggle as well early on.
It seemed like a slow burn that, at the end, the author realized burned a bit slower than it should have.
Still it was fun, and I always appreciate that the author’s work dives into strange and unexpected places.
I think this year I’m going to try to burn through a few more of his books that look interesting.
September 3, 2015
Ugh I love a good (or bad) Christopher Pike book. And this was not a good one lol. He's much better at writing women than he is at writing men! Which is puzzling to me. All my favourites from him have had a strong female lead and all the worst have whiny boys. This was not the best but not the worst so no regrets - I don't even know where I got it? It was just on my book shelf? Maybe it's haunted!
April 10, 2018
Read this out of nostalgia and trying to clear out my bookshelves. Pike’s always had a little more horror to his books than other YA authors of his era, with a little sci-fi thrown in. Definitely plan on reading anything else of his that I can find!
November 16, 2019
If you find yourself pining for a teen horror with a sci-fi edge from 1989 with angsty teen romance thrown in, look no further.
C. Pike is a master. His books are so retro, kitschy and awful. But they are GREAT.
C. Pike is a master. His books are so retro, kitschy and awful. But they are GREAT.
November 24, 2024
Eesh. What a clusterfuck.
July 6, 2025
This was the first Christopher Pike I read, and I fell in love with his books as a kid. They were creepy but also dealt with issues somewhat relatable for teens.
July 13, 2024
This was my first ever Christopher Pike novel (and also one of my first forays into YA horror from the 80s and 90s) and I have to say: I had a fun time with it!
I’ve heard Pike’s novels are wild and the synopsis almost never tells you the full story of what you’re in for, but I can attest now that this was a wild ride. It does revolve around a scavenger hunt and a group of teens embarking on it, but that’s where the synopsis and the plot start to differ and the book evolves from there.
This was a fun novel with a lot of oddly complex themes for a YA book from back in the day. I have a feeling Christopher Pike will be an exciting author for me to continue to delve into. This book was a solid entry point without being absolutely mind blowing. I’d give it a solid 3 or maybe a 3.25 stars!
I’ve heard Pike’s novels are wild and the synopsis almost never tells you the full story of what you’re in for, but I can attest now that this was a wild ride. It does revolve around a scavenger hunt and a group of teens embarking on it, but that’s where the synopsis and the plot start to differ and the book evolves from there.
This was a fun novel with a lot of oddly complex themes for a YA book from back in the day. I have a feeling Christopher Pike will be an exciting author for me to continue to delve into. This book was a solid entry point without being absolutely mind blowing. I’d give it a solid 3 or maybe a 3.25 stars!
July 26, 2022
Back to slowly read my way through all Christopher Pike's book in chronological order.
This was a first time. And it was so good... I really love the beginning and all the scavenger hunt part. I sort of guessed who , but this didn't stop me from enjoying the book.
There was a lot to unpack in only 215 pages. Maybe a bit too much. And the very spiritual ending was a bit disappointing but jeez, the guy can write!
This was a first time. And it was so good... I really love the beginning and all the scavenger hunt part. I sort of guessed who , but this didn't stop me from enjoying the book.
There was a lot to unpack in only 215 pages. Maybe a bit too much. And the very spiritual ending was a bit disappointing but jeez, the guy can write!
November 30, 2018
Pretty good. Quick read. Had a good creep factor.
April 17, 2021
Rated 3.5 really.
RTC
RTC
March 29, 2023
I just... I can't.
My functioning brain cells are withering as my primordial lizard mind has a field day.
My functioning brain cells are withering as my primordial lizard mind has a field day.
Read
April 29, 2025I was not expecting this wild of a ride.
March 11, 2020
I really enjoyed re-reading this. It was suspenseful and creepy and surprisingly heart-string-pulling.
November 10, 2020
Found it exciting
July 28, 2019
A fun, nostalgic pool read.
May 14, 2023
I read this as a tween and thought I’d give it another chance as an adult.
Nope, still not a favorite. What a black, goopy mess.
It’s almost entirely exposition, and the story itself is slow and meandering. I was halfway through and nothing had even happened. It felt like they were wandering through the desert and cave for weeks, but I think it takes place over a single day. Even the climax feels never-ending.
Weirder and hornier than usual. When the protag isn’t ogling the mysterious hot girl, he’s thinking about her naked.
Also…
- Lizard girl makes out with her lizard brother and I feel like the non-lizard people should’ve Noped out right there, but they all get over it pretty quickly and still think they should continue the Scavenger Hunt against better judgement.
- Lizard girl straight up kills Paul, the disabled guy, then tells his sister “hey, no worries, he didn’t feel a thing and now he can ~travel the universe like he always wanted.” Like…wait, no, he literally can’t do anything anymore because you killed him. And then we’re supposed to buy her quasi-redemption arc?
- While Cess (lizard girl) is basically a manic pixie dream girl, she’s the only character with any personality, which is ironic bc she’s not even human
- ANCIENT LIZARD ALIEN PEOPLE. C’mon now.
I just can’t with this one, sorry
Nope, still not a favorite. What a black, goopy mess.
It’s almost entirely exposition, and the story itself is slow and meandering. I was halfway through and nothing had even happened. It felt like they were wandering through the desert and cave for weeks, but I think it takes place over a single day. Even the climax feels never-ending.
Weirder and hornier than usual. When the protag isn’t ogling the mysterious hot girl, he’s thinking about her naked.
Also…
- Lizard girl makes out with her lizard brother and I feel like the non-lizard people should’ve Noped out right there, but they all get over it pretty quickly and still think they should continue the Scavenger Hunt against better judgement.
- Lizard girl straight up kills Paul, the disabled guy, then tells his sister “hey, no worries, he didn’t feel a thing and now he can ~travel the universe like he always wanted.” Like…wait, no, he literally can’t do anything anymore because you killed him. And then we’re supposed to buy her quasi-redemption arc?
- While Cess (lizard girl) is basically a manic pixie dream girl, she’s the only character with any personality, which is ironic bc she’s not even human
- ANCIENT LIZARD ALIEN PEOPLE. C’mon now.
I just can’t with this one, sorry
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
November 14, 2021
God, that was just terrible. The worst thing is that for about 50% of the book I was into it - like 4 stars into it.
And then the last third or so happened, and it descended into nonsensical bullshit - with a weird and hefty dose of religion right at the end.
I love a scavenger hunt and I love a game-based horror. But I like it even more when they make sense. And this did not. There were evil god-lizards from millions of years ago who could sort of bring people back from the dead but not really. And then random bodies that didn't really exist but sort of did. And a whole school who didn't care about two incestuous lizard people. And the incest was just so... what the hell.
And at the end they say a prayer and it's sort of all good, except for poor Rick, who I really liked.
Don't waste your braincells on this one.
And then the last third or so happened, and it descended into nonsensical bullshit - with a weird and hefty dose of religion right at the end.
I love a scavenger hunt and I love a game-based horror. But I like it even more when they make sense. And this did not. There were evil god-lizards from millions of years ago who could sort of bring people back from the dead but not really. And then random bodies that didn't really exist but sort of did. And a whole school who didn't care about two incestuous lizard people. And the incest was just so... what the hell.
And at the end they say a prayer and it's sort of all good, except for poor Rick, who I really liked.
Don't waste your braincells on this one.
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