Chain Letter
Chain Letter; The Ancient Evil
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4.4 • 30 Ratings
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- $10.99
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- $10.99
Publisher Description
Two favorite thrillers from #1 New York Times bestselling author Christopher Pike are now available in one bone-chilling collection.
When Alison first got the chain letter signed “Your Caretaker,” she thought it was a sick joke. But then it became clear that someone, somewhere knows about that awful night when she and six friends committed an unthinkable crime. And now that person is determined to make them pay.
One by the one, the chain letter comes to each of them, demanding dangerous, impossible deeds. No one wants to believe that this nightmare is really happening, but then the accidents start. And the deaths.
Finding the truth behind the stalker’s identity seems to be the only option, but even that might not be enough. The Caretaker has a prodigy who is even more frightening than the first, and this time he wants more than retribution. He’s out for blood.
PUBLISHERS WEEKLY
Following the success of Slumber Party and Weekend, Pike's latest thriller is instantly engaging, as a chain letter forces seven teenagers into bizarre and dangerous activities. A year earlier, they were involved in a car accident in which a man was killedbut they covered up the crime. Now, "Your Caretaker,'' the author of the letter, threatens to expose them, and assigns each of them a task. If it's fulfilled, they will be left alone. If it's not, the consequences are terrifying. One teen who defies the Caretaker disappears, leaving behind a blood-soaked bed; another is burned in a fire that consumes his home. But just as the reader thinks the teens will confess to their original crime, the author finds a convenient, though unconvincing, way to get them off the hook. Pike's story begins promisingly but leads into implausible motives and a feeble resolution. There are also formulas that crop up from his earlier books: teenagers thought to be dead reappear; alcohol figures heavily in all the plots; people with handicaps or terminal illnesses go ``over the edge.'' Despite these drawbacks, Pike handles suspense well, and has a good ear for dialogue. (12-upst)
Customer Reviews
I love both books!
I haven’t read this special edition of Chain Letter and Chain Letter 2, the volume that collects both books, but I HAVE read both books, which is why I can make the honest recommendation of buying this book, if you like collecting books that are collections of your favorite books and their sequels. The simple fact that both books are great horror stories makes it worth it for fans who would like to collect this series this way, either as an iBook or a print book. I own both books as individual paperbacks because I like reading Christopher Pike’s older books, the YA horror novels that were originally published in the 80s and 90s. I own 13 of them, all in paperback, and all as original 90s editions, featuring the covers they had back then. In my opinion, the first Chain Letter was the best, telling the genuinely scary tale of Allison and her friends, guilt-ridden teens who, a year earlier, had been involved in a car accident that killed a stranger. Feeling horrible about what happened, but also terrified of the possible consequences, they disposed of the body in the dessert and vowed to keep the secret from then on. Now they are horrified by the delivery of a chain letter to one person’s house, written by a stranger who calls himself (or herself) “Your Caretaker”,a sinister individual who reveals that they know the group’s secret. This unknown stalker then forces the group to perform dangerous tasks, threatening to harm them, maybe even kill them, if they refuse. Who is this horrifying predator? Is it one of them? Is it a student from their high school, one they might have offended? Could it be one of the dead man’s relatives, a relative who somehow found out about the accident and wants revenge? This terrifying mystery will definitely keep you guessing, right up until the shocking finale! A year and a half later, the terror returns in Chain Letter 2: The Ancient Evil. Once again, the group is being sent a series of chain letters by someone who knows their secret and insists that they perform dangerous, even downright cruel deeds, or else. This time, the culprit simply warns that he will kill anyone who refuses to perform the deeds he asks them to commit. They know, however, that the last “caretaker” died! So who is sending THESE letters?? Allison soon realizes that the more appropriate question should be: WHAT is sending the letters? As the chilling plot unfolds, she receives a visit from the ghost of a deceased friend who warns her that what’s stalking she and her friends is not only something supernatural, it’s a demon! Can Allison, her boyfriend, Tony, and the others find a way to defeat this powerful evil before it destroys them all? For first-time readers who would like to read these books, this might be the best way to collect them both. This way, if you like the first book, you don’t have to wait to read the sequel! By the way, I would love to see Christopher Pike’s older books published as iBooks. Not that I really care since I like buying paperback books, but other fans might just love being able to read digital editions of classics like Fall Into Darkness, Slumber Party, and Weekend. If enough people make this request, I hope iBooks makes it happen.
Wonderful!
I love this book as well as the author! So amazing great read 5stars!!!!!!!!!!!