What's the Name of That Book??? discussion

Topic: Young Adult novel, horror in genre. Bunch of friends head to a drive-in one night and catastrophe occurs when some blast, I believe alien in nature, occurs. Everyone is trapped in the drive-in. There are some mutations amongst many there.

Time frame: I recall reading this book between the years of 1986-1989. It was in paperback form, purchased from a B. Dalton bookstore (remember when they had those?) and discovered in the YA section. However, the subject matter was fairly graphic, so it could have been a horror novel.

I lent the book to a friend a long time back and was planning on buying another copy at some point but forgot. Now I no longer remember the name of the book or the author's name, but am still trying to figure those out so I can track it down. Thank you for any help you can provide.

SPOILER WARNING:

I recall there being a passage in the book in which one of the young people vomits up popcorn and as everyone is scrambling to eat it, the lead character picks up a kernel, looks at it closely, and sees an eyeball in its center.

Creature Features? This was published in the 90s, however.

Zara, do you remember how they got locked in a Drive-In, since those are outdoors? Was there a fence around it? Or, maybe they were stuck in the building that the drive-in workers work in?

Thanks so much but I don't believe that's it. I know that it was an outdoors theater but it wasn't haunted. Redneck type characters all go to the drive-in, I also recall there being a gruesome mutation where two teen boys are fused together, one with a popcorn tub on his head.

It sounds so weird, but I KNOW I read it.

It's been a long time since I read it so I'm not sure if all the details fit, but your description reminds me of The Drive-In. There was a sequel, and you can get them in an omnibus version.

WOOT!!

That's it! Thank you so so much Donna!

*doing dance*

Congrats Zara. I've shelved it and moved this down to Solved for you.