POINT-OF-VIEW: CHRISTOPHER PIKE

     A taste of adventure, suspense, and some deep philosophy— get it from Pike, bookworms.

     One of my favorite novel writers is Christopher Pike. His stories saw teenage life in a much serious matter in comparison to my other favorite writer, R.L. Stine. (Although you should take murders seriously, of course!)

     When I like light teenage characters, I read Fear Street or some other teen books. When I want more matured-thinking teenagers, I go to Pike’s stories.

     There is something about his stories you’ll love. Yes, it isn’t as time-friendly as you think. I usually take a day or two to finish one book but after you read one, ahh, you feel intrigued you want to re-read it again, but then again, you will get scared that you’ll get more intrigued and do it again. He always leave me like that with his stories— intrigued, puzzled, wondering. I kept on asking myself things related to the stories he wrote. A lot of what ifs. And for me, a great writer should leave me like that with his every story’s ending— stunned. Having all the details but still curious. It was like being inside a deep hole and being put down a long rope but I still couldn’t get out of it. That is Christopher Pike’s stories, in general, for me.

     How I started reading Pike’s stories are as intriguing as those books, I do not remember when but it was on my college days, of course. I just grabbed a book of his and read and then I liked it!

PEN NAME: Christopher Pike

REAL NAME: Kevin Christopher McFadden

ADDRESS: Los Angeles

PERSONAL TIDBITS: He like Astronomy (No wonder!) and meditating. He seems to have a close bond with his family. (Condolences to his dad who just passed away). He also got his pen name from a character in Star Wars.

HOW TO STAY IN TOUCH WITH HIM: Check out his Facebook page. Someone else Admins the page but Pike himself takes a visit and uses the page personally to keep in touch and update his fans. (Believe me!)

GENRE: Adult, Teen and (some) children's books, Non-Fiction, Suspense, Thriller, Mystery, Sci-Fi, Fantasy, Horror

SERIES: Remember Me, The Last Vampire, Chain Letter, The Final Friends, Thirst, Spooksville, Alosha and Witch World (Most of his works are stand-alone stories.)

MY FAVORITE SERIES: Remember Me

HOW I’LL DESCRIBE HIS WORKS IN THREE WORDS: Enlightening.Thrilling.Intriguing.

HIS STORIES IN GENERAL: Always has in-deep and philosophical realizations from his characters.

ABOUT REMEMBER ME: Amazing series. It took me, literally, two years to decide reading the two Remember Me books that I bought. But then, I have to find the third book. It gives readers an insight about life and death. That's intriguing? It's more intriguing to be a traveler, to be a soul using someone else's body!

IN HIS WRITING: Pike is a very detailed writer. That's how you understand the plot so well, At the same time, that's why the twists get so twisted in your head! He is critical, philosophical and knows how to dig deep into his characters and their feelings to express it in the stories he wrote.

MY SUGGESTION: Should I suggest that he write something lighter? Something less mature? Nah. I think, I already love his varying style! I salute this guy!

MY TOP FIVE CHRISTOPHER PIKE SUGGESTIONS:

1. THE MIDNIGHT CLUB

          Five friends. Five stories. One destination— death.

2. DIE SOFTLY

          Why is it hard to read who she really is from her face?

3. STARLIGHT CRYSTAL

          Is it a travel through space or a travel through time? A love distanced by space… or time?

4. REMEMBER ME 2

          If given a second chance, you must remember what the chance is for. At least, try to remember...

5. GIMME A KISS

          What is real and what is what you just made up? Figure out before you forget what the truth really is.

P.S. I only suggest those what I liked best from what Christopher Pike books I have already read.

Sources:

Christopher Pike’s List of Books Series and Personal Tidbits: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Christopher_Pike_(author), The Midnight Club, About The Author (all of his other books must have some details about him and his astrology and meditating hobbies) and https://www.facebook.com/ChristopherPikeBooks

POINT-OF-VIEW: R.L. STINE

     There is something about the way he writes— it’s exciting.

     Thrill, horror, suspense. For children and teenage stories that revolve around these genres, it’s R.L. Stine you should try to check out. Well, my pure point-of-view about his works are here.

     The mastermind behind the Fear Street and Goosebumps series knows how to blend everything in one pot— terror, suspense, psychos, monsters and mystery. The mixture for a bloody spell that will leave you hoodwinked on who’s the real culprit and what will happen next?

     As a child, I grew up very fond of books. And it was a little too late for me to find myself holding a Goosebumps book and reading it. I forgot my first one, but hell, I really loved it. It made me read one Goosebumps after another! But since I cannot always pull my parents to buy me every series, the Goosebumps habit wears off. That is also when I started reading thicker books like Roald Dahl’s, Enid Blyton’s… Oh, by the way, on my first year in college, I can finally roam the shopping malls alone so definitely, I had my freedom to buy books too. That’s when the Goosebumps habit returned.

But hey, I started to fall out-of-place with Goosebumps. When I found my first Fear Street book, that’s when I realized that it is simply because Goosebumps is not for my age anymore! Funny that it’s too late for me to realize that!

     So that’s when my Fear Street adventure began. And oh, boy, I loved it more! Until my collection grew and it keeps on growing! (And I’ll keep it growing!)

     Since it is all about R.L. Stine, I made an easy to read review about him!

PEN NAME: R.L. Stine

REAL NAME: Robert Lawrence Stine

ADDRESS: New York City (Near Central Park, The ABOUT THE AUTHOR parts of Fear Street books say so)

PERSONAL TIDBITS: He is married to Jane and has a son named Matt. This writer has no idea where his ideas come from, but know for sure he has more scary stories to write!

HOW TO STAY IN TOUCH WITH HIM: Check out his Wattpad and Twitter accounts! (Yes, I'm his follower too!)

GENRE: Adult, Teen and children's books, Non-Fiction, Horror, Suspense, Thriller, Mystery

SERIES: Goosebumps, Fear Street, Fear Street Saga Trilogy, Fear Street Super Chiller, 99 Fear Street: The House of Evil, Cataluna Chronicles, Fear Street Seniors, Fear Street Nights, New Fear Street, Cheerleaders, The Baby-Sitter I-IV, Halloween Night (Other works are stand-alone stories especially those from Point Horror)

MY FAVORITE SERIES: Fear Street Series

HOW I’LL DESCRIBE HIS WORKS IN THREE WORDS: Thrilling.Exciting.Surprising.

HIS STORIES IN GENERAL: Has psychos, murder, terror, suspense and mystery. Too redundant eh?

ABOUT GOOSEBUMPS: The series are  children-friendly(or maybe, I should have second thoughts about that, eh? Can every children take the scare?) My favorite Goosebumps is about this boy who has a doppelganger.

ABOUT FEAR STREET: My favorite series! I love how he created the world of Fear Street and how the characters in it relate (or not)with each other and with the places in Fear Street that they have been. Fear Street is all about the mysteries in this place and the people in it. Too many interesting myths, histories, beliefs, plots and of course, characters! 

IN HIS WRITING: He's my super man of thrillers. Stine definitely knows how to keep me hooked in a book. Maybe, these really fit on what age bracket you belong(KIDS = Goosebumps, TEENS = Fear Street)Even if some the themes in his stories seem similar,(the fact that there's always this person who wants to kill the other…) the difference in the twist is totally a great adventure ride.

MY SUGGESTION: Maybe, he should try to put more magic in the mysterious world of Fear Street, eh? Mostly are about murders. Why not something like "The Sleepwalker" where there's a hypnotist, “The Secret Bedroom” where there is a restless ghost and her ghoul parents... Those kinds of magic are what I am talking about.

MY TOP FIVE R.L. STINE SUGGESTIONS:

       1. SWITCHED

          Two girls tried to see if a Fear Street legend is true and will add excitement to their lives. Is it really true or some kind of hallucination that you can switch bodies with someone else?

      2. THE BABY-SITTER III

          She still thinks Mr. Haagen is still after her. Or maybe, she’s still after their memories, eh?

      3.THE SLEEPWALKER

          What with all the sleepwalks? Is it caused by a witchcraft or some unconscious guilt?

      4.  THE FIRE GAME

          A little playing-with-the-fire isn't that harmful eh? Not until it starts to back fire...

      5. THE SECRET BEDROOM

          What’s behind the door? Will Lea stop the urge to find out or let her curiosity kill her? Literally kill her.

P.S. I only suggest those what I liked best from what R.L. Stine books I have already read.

Sources:

R.L. Stine’s List of Books Series: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/R._L._Stine

Personal Tidbits: Fear Street: Switched, About The Author (It can also be found in all of his other books)

Featured: You & Me by Martine Kindermans

"You & Me"

Martine Kindermans

(English Text by Sasha Quinton)

Definitely one of my favorite poems in a children's book. :)

All we need is you and me,
to be as happy as can be.
And no matter where we go,
I will always love you so.

We could cross the oceans wide
to see what's on the other side.
We could play upon the beach
and dream of stars within our reach.

Then rest beneath the tallest tree
for all we need is you and me.
So many places to discover,
step by step we guide each other.

And no matter what we meet,
we'll always land upon our feet.
We stand together, strong and tall-
you are my love, my live, my all.

And when we're back home safe, you'll know,
that no mater where we go...
to be as happy as can be,
all we need is you and me.