Book Review: Spellbound

If you've read this blog then you know that I have had the urge to read some Christopher Pike and I have recently done just that.  This is a spoiler free review. 

Spellbound
Archway Paperback first printing April 1988, 211 pages.

The story takes place in the fictional town of  Timber, Wyoming and like most of Pike's stories features high school students as the main characters.

Principal Characters

Cindy Jones: senior, main character of the story, girlfriend of Jason Whitfield

Jason Whitfield: senior, alleged murder suspect of Karen Holly

Alex Jones: Cindy's younger brother, love interest of Joni Harper, runs track

Joni Harper: new girl in town, native of England, living with her Aunt after the mysterious death of her parents

Pam Alta: Cindy's best friend, bit of a slut

Bala: Foreign exchange student from Africa, grandfather was a Shaman, is living with Pam and her family

Ray Bower: Alex's friend, runs track, also love interest of Joni Harper, former boyfriend of Pam Alta, add and R to his last name and you have Ray Brower the dead kid from Stephen King's Stand By Me

Karen Holly: Dead girl, former best friend of Pam Alta, was friends with Joni Harper, used to date Ray, was the girlfriend of Jason Whitfield at the time of her death

Cindy has only been dating Jason a few weeks, after Karen had died of course.  Some people don't believe Jason's story that a Grizzly Bear killed Karen while at the same time the don't think Jason did, but he's hiding something.

As these characters are all in high school the setting of a majority of the story is centered around the school, during lunch time, at a track meet, at the big football game.  The story itself takes place over a couple weeks from the first page to the last.

Like most stories with law enforcement procedures I'm critical of how they play out in the fictional universe.  This one is no different, when Cindy is called as a character witness for Jason during his hearing it never would have unfolded the way it did in this book.

Overall I enjoyed the book, it's not one of my favorite stories of his but it's not his worst in my opinion.  What I enjoy most about Pike's books are they are simple and quick to read and primarily offer a decent story.

I just got me order that has Chain Letter and the Final Friends series in it yesterday.  I'll probably start with Chain Letter next.

Until Next Time!