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Final Friends #3
The Graduation
It was his last chance to find the answer.
The last day of school had finally arrived, six months after the homecoming dance and the ruin of a princess, and nine months after the big party and the death of an angel. It is to be a busy day; there is the graduation ceremony in the afternoon in the football stadium, and then the senior all-night party aboard a cruise ship heading to Catalina.
But for Michael Olson, it is not a time to celebrate. It is a day to finish an investigation that may cost him his life. It is also a final chance to let the girl of his dreams, Jessica Hart, know his feelings for her.
But the last day will not last long enough.
For Michael or Jessica.
The cruise ship will never reach its destination.
The truth will turn out to be a lie.
The last day of school had finally arrived, six months after the homecoming dance and the ruin of a princess, and nine months after the big party and the death of an angel. It is to be a busy day; there is the graduation ceremony in the afternoon in the football stadium, and then the senior all-night party aboard a cruise ship heading to Catalina.
But for Michael Olson, it is not a time to celebrate. It is a day to finish an investigation that may cost him his life. It is also a final chance to let the girl of his dreams, Jessica Hart, know his feelings for her.
But the last day will not last long enough.
For Michael or Jessica.
The cruise ship will never reach its destination.
The truth will turn out to be a lie.
238 pages, Paperback
First published December 10, 1988
About the author
Christopher Pike
238 books5,296 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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July 4, 2021
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FINALLY! After three books of build-up, I finally get the closure I've desperately been seeking. The Final Friends trilogy has a pretty unique formula in that the first book is an introduction to a murder mystery with more and more build-up and character development until you get to book three and realize what's really going on.
It's been a while since I read through a series like this in chronological order in a short burst like this. It's strangely invigorating, like chugging shots or running a marathon. I couldn't really put it down. Even though it's trashy as all get-out, I loved how gritty it was and how much time was spent on developing the characters. A lot of these YA pulps feel pretty stock but it's clear that Pike spent time and care making sure all of the details lined up and showing how everyone was connected.
Regarding the solution to the murder-- I loved the parlor mystery ending and even though I'm not sure how I feel about some of those twists, I think the author made it work. THE GRADUATION is the darkest book yet in the series with some pretty graphic depictions of self-harm and gore, and a lot of sexual content. More so than I can remember seeing in one of these YA paperbacks for teens. It was shocking, to say the least!
Anyone who digs Point Horror and Z-Fave, and other vintage YA imprints will probably enjoy this trilogy.
4 stars
August 6, 2012
So here's the conclusion at last. In that respect, The Graduation felt more pulled-together than the second part. Pike explains the leap from the homecoming dance straight to the graduation ceremony by giving most of his characters reasons to have gone away; and isn't it the least he could do after two tragedies hit this group of Tabb High seniors? Following through as if nothing had happened is what would have been suspicious. At any case, the end of the year has finally come. With it the final friends will meet again for one last time, one last occasion to sort out the puzzle of the two "accidents" that happened.
Pike's foray into YA proves wrong so many things I keep hearing about writing from people who have never even been published. How you can't make a compelling heroine out of a typical wealthy, pretty girl. How you can't make multidimensional characters based on stereotypes. How you can't save every character's life without going overboard with the HEA, etc. Characterization in Final Friends is amazing; the author knows how to play with teenagers' perceptions of each other, reputations, expectations and secret weaknesses. He manages to make us fall for characters we have all reasons to dislike. Jessica, who would be perfect if she was a little less vain and superficial. Sara, who would be nice if she was less hysterical and bossy. Bubba, who would be fun if he was more transparent. Bill, who would be attractive if he was less boring.
The end was both surprising enough and fully satisfying. Final Friends is very much in line with a book such as Weekend, just pure YA. They're great if you like romance; they all get married in the end, or so we're led to believe. Is that realistic? Who cares? I certainly didn't when I closed the book. I just felt fine. Mighty fine. And I wanted to listen to the Beatles.
One of the problems with people thinking you're smart is you eventually begin to believe it. I remember all the times in class―how restless I would be for the teacher to get on with the lesson. I've grasped the concept, I used to think, why haven't the rest of the kids? What I didn't realize then is that learning something doesn't just mean figuring it out. It's also the pleasure you get from the knowledge. I didn't appreciate that the teacher would sometimes dwell on a particular subject because he or she loved it. I got mostly A's but now I wish I'd had more fun doing it.
Pike's foray into YA proves wrong so many things I keep hearing about writing from people who have never even been published. How you can't make a compelling heroine out of a typical wealthy, pretty girl. How you can't make multidimensional characters based on stereotypes. How you can't save every character's life without going overboard with the HEA, etc. Characterization in Final Friends is amazing; the author knows how to play with teenagers' perceptions of each other, reputations, expectations and secret weaknesses. He manages to make us fall for characters we have all reasons to dislike. Jessica, who would be perfect if she was a little less vain and superficial. Sara, who would be nice if she was less hysterical and bossy. Bubba, who would be fun if he was more transparent. Bill, who would be attractive if he was less boring.
Her mouth was a wonder, so soft and warm, tasting like―well, she tasted like toothpaste, which was fine with him. From now on, he knew, whenever he brushed his teeth, he would remember this moment.
The end was both surprising enough and fully satisfying. Final Friends is very much in line with a book such as Weekend, just pure YA. They're great if you like romance; they all get married in the end, or so we're led to believe. Is that realistic? Who cares? I certainly didn't when I closed the book. I just felt fine. Mighty fine. And I wanted to listen to the Beatles.
April 23, 2024
There are spoilers ahead for Final Friends: The Party and Final Friends: The Dance (or Until the End, as they’ve been repackaged). Graduation is approaching quickly, and Sara has her hands full as student body president in organizing the graduation party at an all-night celebration on a boat to Catalina. Michael is still determined to find Alice’s killer, and he feels that time is running out. If he doesn’t discover the truth before the graduation party, he worries that tragedy will strike a third time. Trigger warnings: death, suicide, guns, bombs, severe injury, drowning, explosions, blood, ableism, some NSFW content (mostly off-page).
This is an overall series rating as much as a reflection of this particular book, and in spite of a couple of the problems I have with the representation. (I know Pike always means well, but we’ve come a long way in the twenty years since this was published. More after the spoilers mark.) In all though, these are some of my favorite Pike novels and overall murder mysteries in general. I think the mystery aspect holds up well, and even though I know the answers, I still enjoy watching Michael take us through the night Alice died. It’s convoluted, but mainly in a way that ultimately makes sense, as most of the cleverest mysteries are.
The characters are still the major strength of the book. They’re smart, funny, and insecure, they make stupid mistakes, and some of them are more heroic than they first appear. I enjoyed the realistic portrayals of Jessie and Sara preparing to lose their virginity, which is far more comical (and occasionally humiliating) than it is sexy. This is undoubtedly the most “thrilling” novel in the series, with some very tense scenes in the second half of the book. However, it’s in no way a horror novel, and I found the ending particularly moving. I suspect they’ll always be some of my favorite books.
SPOILERS SPOILERS SPOILERS. TURN BACK BEFORE IT’S TOO LATE.
There are a couple sticky spots on the disability representation in this book, firstly being Maria. Her paralysis and how she deals with it aren’t examined closely on the page, and I can’t decide whether it’s an instance of a “magical cure” that she’s able to walk by the end. In any case, it’s used for shock value, which is a little sketchy. It’s at least something to be aware of going into this book. The other is Polly’s mental illness. I have some reservations about mental illness being used in thrillers at all, since it tends to reinforce the idea that mentally ill people are dangerous, but it’s especially problematic when she turns out to be the villain. On the other hand, Polly didn’t actually murder her sister or anyone else, and the end seems positive with getting her some proper treatment. It’s a mixed bag at best, but again, something to be aware of.
I review regularly at brightbeautifulthings.tumblr.com.
This is an overall series rating as much as a reflection of this particular book, and in spite of a couple of the problems I have with the representation. (I know Pike always means well, but we’ve come a long way in the twenty years since this was published. More after the spoilers mark.) In all though, these are some of my favorite Pike novels and overall murder mysteries in general. I think the mystery aspect holds up well, and even though I know the answers, I still enjoy watching Michael take us through the night Alice died. It’s convoluted, but mainly in a way that ultimately makes sense, as most of the cleverest mysteries are.
The characters are still the major strength of the book. They’re smart, funny, and insecure, they make stupid mistakes, and some of them are more heroic than they first appear. I enjoyed the realistic portrayals of Jessie and Sara preparing to lose their virginity, which is far more comical (and occasionally humiliating) than it is sexy. This is undoubtedly the most “thrilling” novel in the series, with some very tense scenes in the second half of the book. However, it’s in no way a horror novel, and I found the ending particularly moving. I suspect they’ll always be some of my favorite books.
SPOILERS SPOILERS SPOILERS. TURN BACK BEFORE IT’S TOO LATE.
There are a couple sticky spots on the disability representation in this book, firstly being Maria. Her paralysis and how she deals with it aren’t examined closely on the page, and I can’t decide whether it’s an instance of a “magical cure” that she’s able to walk by the end. In any case, it’s used for shock value, which is a little sketchy. It’s at least something to be aware of going into this book. The other is Polly’s mental illness. I have some reservations about mental illness being used in thrillers at all, since it tends to reinforce the idea that mentally ill people are dangerous, but it’s especially problematic when she turns out to be the villain. On the other hand, Polly didn’t actually murder her sister or anyone else, and the end seems positive with getting her some proper treatment. It’s a mixed bag at best, but again, something to be aware of.
I review regularly at brightbeautifulthings.tumblr.com.
July 6, 2011
At last the Final Friends gets a conclusion and finally the work done in seeing the crafting of the many central characters unfold is richly rewarded with this clever and wonderfully paced climax. As I said in my review of Book 1, this is really a single novel split into three parts.
The Graduation begins as Book 2 did, skipping a few months ahead from the end of the previous and finding the entire book's action taking place in a single day, the last day of school. Granted, I don't know of many schools that have a day of school, a graduation ceremony and a grad night party all on the same date, but whatever. It works for the sake of the plot.
Michael Olson stands out here as an 18 year-old investigator, determined to make the puzzle fall into place. You see his potential as a detective even before the characters in the story point out to him how good he is at this, and I would be amused and interested to see a follow-up story written that features Michael as an adult detective (perhaps amateur sleuth). His narrowly-missed relationship with Jessica is in full scream-at-the-book "Just get together!" mode here, triumphantly. Bubba is at his most sleazy, Nick feels justifiably redeemed from his early misfortune, even as he exerts nobility in his struggle with Maria's wheelchair-bound condition. Secondary characters like The Rock, Bill and Clair pass in and out of suspicion as the revelations come quickly throughout the book and the twin enigmas of Clark and Polly are become even more mysterious and, perhaps, sinister.
The final confrontation below decks in the cruise ship is pure whodunnit gold: Accusations, revelations, connect-the-dots reconstruction and the perpetrator lashing out once backed into a corner. It's taut and so well done it makes up for any sluggishness that may have plagued the first two novels. There is one minor nitpick in that the whole graduation party yacht felt a bit forced, as if it existed just to be a more potentially dangerous situation than, say, a cabin party. It felt very much like a writer's construct as opposed to something the characters would have actually done, but that little gripe aside this sequence was a huge highlight and an excellent way to cap off a somewhat surprisingly good tale.
The pat ending may have been a bit schmaltzy (a bit of gravity could easily have been added by having either Bill or The Rock find escape impossible, even a small hook for a later story could have been added if one of the bodies was never found) for my particular taste, but it's hard to complain when you finish a book with a smile on your face.
The Graduation begins as Book 2 did, skipping a few months ahead from the end of the previous and finding the entire book's action taking place in a single day, the last day of school. Granted, I don't know of many schools that have a day of school, a graduation ceremony and a grad night party all on the same date, but whatever. It works for the sake of the plot.
Michael Olson stands out here as an 18 year-old investigator, determined to make the puzzle fall into place. You see his potential as a detective even before the characters in the story point out to him how good he is at this, and I would be amused and interested to see a follow-up story written that features Michael as an adult detective (perhaps amateur sleuth). His narrowly-missed relationship with Jessica is in full scream-at-the-book "Just get together!" mode here, triumphantly. Bubba is at his most sleazy, Nick feels justifiably redeemed from his early misfortune, even as he exerts nobility in his struggle with Maria's wheelchair-bound condition. Secondary characters like The Rock, Bill and Clair pass in and out of suspicion as the revelations come quickly throughout the book and the twin enigmas of Clark and Polly are become even more mysterious and, perhaps, sinister.
The final confrontation below decks in the cruise ship is pure whodunnit gold: Accusations, revelations, connect-the-dots reconstruction and the perpetrator lashing out once backed into a corner. It's taut and so well done it makes up for any sluggishness that may have plagued the first two novels. There is one minor nitpick in that the whole graduation party yacht felt a bit forced, as if it existed just to be a more potentially dangerous situation than, say, a cabin party. It felt very much like a writer's construct as opposed to something the characters would have actually done, but that little gripe aside this sequence was a huge highlight and an excellent way to cap off a somewhat surprisingly good tale.
The pat ending may have been a bit schmaltzy (a bit of gravity could easily have been added by having either Bill or The Rock find escape impossible, even a small hook for a later story could have been added if one of the bodies was never found) for my particular taste, but it's hard to complain when you finish a book with a smile on your face.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
April 6, 2019
So a lot of this book hasn't aged well (the fact that Bubba sees women as less and it's played for laughs), but it's surprisingly progressive (for its time) in other ways, like "hey there's a gay character who's neither evil or bullied/suicidal who slowly comes to terms with his sexuality in the background of this teen horror trilogy". Go figure. I remembered what the reveal was so it's hard to gauge how realistic it is. I feel like I was shocked when I originally read this, but I was also 11 at the time. Also, Was this a trend in teen books? Or is that just what teenagers did in the late '80s?
September 4, 2024
The best of the series.
And the pharmacy scene was as funny as the pharmacy scene in The Golden girls - hilarious mixed in with the darkness in this one.
And the pharmacy scene was as funny as the pharmacy scene in The Golden girls - hilarious mixed in with the darkness in this one.
December 26, 2020
2 stars. This series is not gripping for adults, but I remember really loving this conclusion. It's spotty and the wrap-up was disappointing and inconsistent. Review to come.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Original thoughts from 2009: The Graduation is the last book in the Final Friends trilogy and is a shocker. The book was suspenseful and I had fun reading it.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Original thoughts from 2009: The Graduation is the last book in the Final Friends trilogy and is a shocker. The book was suspenseful and I had fun reading it.
December 31, 2019
A great conclusion. The last third of the book plays like a non-stop action sequence.
June 8, 2022
Does everything that a final book in a series should do. It wraps up all the loose ends and the reveal was something that was heavily hinted at throughout the series, but not super obvious. Just like, "Oh, I think this is what's happening, but not sure of all the details." I just felt that Pike's signature snark was missing from this trilogy, so it felt almost lifeless to me.
July 31, 2011
The end is SOOOO cute! I love how Jessie keeps teasing Mike about him trying to bring her to Vegas to get married...And I'm SO glad that Alice wasn't really murdered! And Polly wasn't the murderer! But the hallucinations of Clark? That's kinda weird..poor girl though! She probably freaked with all this death around her! Wow..Maria, she's really smart! Who woulda thought! So Claire really was pregnant and had an abortion! And Bubba WAS the father..AND they're getting married! That's too cute. And even Maria and Nick are getting married! Almost UNBELIEVABLE! I'm so glad that Sara and Russ got over their issues and can finally just LOVE each other! The end was TOO awesome! AND the Rock and Bill got out just fine! haha, poor Bill. When Bill left the room that night, it was probably because Claire tried to seduce him too! But he's gay! I like how Jessica showed true friendship to Polly when she needed it the most even though she wasn't really there the entire year; and saved them both from a terrible mistake (aka the bomb. <---true friendship! But I'm glad that it ended with Jessie and Claire on good terms..'cause well, their signigicant others ARE friends! This trilogy was simply amazing!
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
January 21, 2009
The whole "Final Friends" series was great at hooking you into the plot and not letting go. I found myself DREAMING about the book because I had such a desire to know what happened in the end!!! I truly love that at the end (in this book, the third) it was all explained.
May 11, 2024
Overall this was the best book in the series. I wished it had been one book though instead of stretched out slowly through 3 books.
June 30, 2023
Idk what chemicals these books release in my brain. Not happy ones. But they make me feel alive.
This was the best of the trilogy, for sure. Honestly, the conclusion made a lot more sense than I was expecting, and the clues were decently set up. It was super close to diving into the weird Pike rebirth stuff, but was actually v straightforward, funky dreams aside.
This was the best of the trilogy, for sure. Honestly, the conclusion made a lot more sense than I was expecting, and the clues were decently set up. It was super close to diving into the weird Pike rebirth stuff, but was actually v straightforward, funky dreams aside.
March 29, 2015
Finally the end of the Final Friends sereis. I finished this in one night. It was very intruging and I loved it just as much as the first two. I did have my suspisions all along on who I thought did it, and I am proud to say that I was correct. This book took place a few months after the dance. Pike really tried to make Jessica likable in this book. After the second she was one of my least favourite characters. Maria was up there with them, after she screamed at Jessica, but once again, he really tried to make her likable. Sara was my favourtie character. She was sarcastic, funny and very easy to like. Micheal was very admirable for never stopping to find Alice's killer. Nick was also admirable for never leaving Maria. The one person I couldn't stand was Polly. I hated her ever since she tried to take Russ. Anyways, this book wasa very good. I wish it didn't end there. This was one of my favourite series for the year. Great job Pike!
Rating: 8.5/10
Parental Rating: 14+
Rating: 8.5/10
Parental Rating: 14+
May 26, 2023
My four star rating is for the trilogy as a whole. For this final book in Final Friends, I give it a three star rating. Details to come as to why and of course, spoilers ahead.
At the end of the second book, Maria was voted Homecoming Queen over Jessica and Clair. Her night of being queen and having her parents and Nick's dad meeting for the first time started happy but ended with the float collapsing underneath her.
There was damage to her spinal cord and it looked as if she would never walk again. In the shock and bitterness, Maria told Jessica it should have been her and that she never wanted to see her again.
The Tabb High School Varsity tree (don't ask me we never had one?) was chopped down with an axe that crashed into the snack bar of the school. Russ' fingerprints were on the handle so he was arrested.
Jessica told Michael to stay away from her. Her guilt over treating him poorly, lying about Clair having an abortion to hedge her chances on winning Homecoming Queen and all of the stuff involving Alice's death convincing her she is a horrible person for him to be around (in Jessica's opinion and frankly, mine too.)
Polly's Aunty died in her sleep while Polly was at the dance. She arrived home to see Clark driving away on his motorcycle...did he kill the old woman? Just like he did Alice?...
We pick up the day of graduation for the senior class at Tabb High so this is months later.
Michael Olson had enough credits I guess to go ahead and leave for the semester being so smart. He is still graduating with his class but he has been working at a better paying job after leaving the 7-11.
Jessica had a breakdown of sorts after Maria's awful accusation and her overwhelming guilt. She missed coming in for school but got her work done for her classes to still graduate with a C average.
Jessica had no idea that Michael even left school and was saddened to find him gone but in great denial about her actual feelings for him. Jessica has been sort of dating Bill Skater but they haven't done much except kiss. Nice but nothing hot and heavy which is now starting to be very obvious to us readers as to why...
Russ has been locked up in Juvie but he is still graduating with his class on a weekend pass sort of thing thanks to Sara bailing him out so to speak. Their relationship has been letters back and forth yet no calls and it seems to have stalled to where it was before he was gone.
Sara has rented a boat called Haven to host an all-night senior party as they sail to Catalina but it has also been happening thanks to her being entangled with Bubba and the cost of things. They are getting in debt with cash and if things don't turn around financially, Sara will have to keep up her part of the bargain. Bubba wants Sara to sleep with him on the trip to Catalina...
Maria has been at rehabilitation to try and get her walking again even if the chance is slim but to still keep the muscles working. Nick goes to pick her up and they are stale on conversation, Maria even more quiet than before. Her parents were deported back to El Salvador with their citizenship status uncovered thanks to her accident but she is receiving medical care here but who knows for how long...
Michael has been using all of his time not working still trying to find out who murdered Alice at the party and who was responsible for Maria's awful accident. He's been trying to get more out of Polly but ever since her last surviving family member died, she has been in a very bad place mentally.
There is one silver lining in that Michael has found out Clark's last name and where he lives and he is going to go and find out some answers. Thanks to help from Bubba and Kats, Michael is ready to employ desperate measures with some cold, hard persuasion.
Everything is very tense but there is some light-hearted fun to be had as well sprinkled her and there even if to a teenager it is still a big deal.
Clair and Bubba seem to have gotten very close which in a way is kind of cute. A leopard can't change his spots but I think she is having a good influence on Bubba and he may just surprise anyone once you get to this book.
Sara and Jessica are extremely ready to not be virgins anymore and the hilarity of even such a life-changing event reminds me of sitcom worthy laughs.
There are some hints sprinkled through the books to eventually lead us to the reveal of just who killed Alice McCoy. It seems like a stretch to go the route Pike has chosen but I'm not at all surprised given some of his later material.
I'm not a big fan of that particular ending but I am a fan of all the other loose ends being tied up between the characters. Most get a deserved happy ending after being sent through the wringer for three books but others just seem to get no real reward, not even like an Animal House or even a Stand By Me glimpse of the future.
Tame compared to other Pike works but still filled with suspense, dark elements that edge toward horror even if in a more psychological vein and thrilling action. It touches on love, friendship, jealousy, pride, envy, forgiveness, maturity and dealing with consequences.
If you have yet to read The Final Friends Trilogy, I recommend it especially as a starting point into discovering Christopher Pike. His standalone books are fine too but out of the "series" you won't be disappointed with this one.
At the end of the second book, Maria was voted Homecoming Queen over Jessica and Clair. Her night of being queen and having her parents and Nick's dad meeting for the first time started happy but ended with the float collapsing underneath her.
There was damage to her spinal cord and it looked as if she would never walk again. In the shock and bitterness, Maria told Jessica it should have been her and that she never wanted to see her again.
The Tabb High School Varsity tree (don't ask me we never had one?) was chopped down with an axe that crashed into the snack bar of the school. Russ' fingerprints were on the handle so he was arrested.
Jessica told Michael to stay away from her. Her guilt over treating him poorly, lying about Clair having an abortion to hedge her chances on winning Homecoming Queen and all of the stuff involving Alice's death convincing her she is a horrible person for him to be around (in Jessica's opinion and frankly, mine too.)
Polly's Aunty died in her sleep while Polly was at the dance. She arrived home to see Clark driving away on his motorcycle...did he kill the old woman? Just like he did Alice?...
We pick up the day of graduation for the senior class at Tabb High so this is months later.
Michael Olson had enough credits I guess to go ahead and leave for the semester being so smart. He is still graduating with his class but he has been working at a better paying job after leaving the 7-11.
Jessica had a breakdown of sorts after Maria's awful accusation and her overwhelming guilt. She missed coming in for school but got her work done for her classes to still graduate with a C average.
Jessica had no idea that Michael even left school and was saddened to find him gone but in great denial about her actual feelings for him. Jessica has been sort of dating Bill Skater but they haven't done much except kiss. Nice but nothing hot and heavy which is now starting to be very obvious to us readers as to why...
Russ has been locked up in Juvie but he is still graduating with his class on a weekend pass sort of thing thanks to Sara bailing him out so to speak. Their relationship has been letters back and forth yet no calls and it seems to have stalled to where it was before he was gone.
Sara has rented a boat called Haven to host an all-night senior party as they sail to Catalina but it has also been happening thanks to her being entangled with Bubba and the cost of things. They are getting in debt with cash and if things don't turn around financially, Sara will have to keep up her part of the bargain. Bubba wants Sara to sleep with him on the trip to Catalina...
Maria has been at rehabilitation to try and get her walking again even if the chance is slim but to still keep the muscles working. Nick goes to pick her up and they are stale on conversation, Maria even more quiet than before. Her parents were deported back to El Salvador with their citizenship status uncovered thanks to her accident but she is receiving medical care here but who knows for how long...
Michael has been using all of his time not working still trying to find out who murdered Alice at the party and who was responsible for Maria's awful accident. He's been trying to get more out of Polly but ever since her last surviving family member died, she has been in a very bad place mentally.
There is one silver lining in that Michael has found out Clark's last name and where he lives and he is going to go and find out some answers. Thanks to help from Bubba and Kats, Michael is ready to employ desperate measures with some cold, hard persuasion.
Everything is very tense but there is some light-hearted fun to be had as well sprinkled her and there even if to a teenager it is still a big deal.
Clair and Bubba seem to have gotten very close which in a way is kind of cute. A leopard can't change his spots but I think she is having a good influence on Bubba and he may just surprise anyone once you get to this book.
Sara and Jessica are extremely ready to not be virgins anymore and the hilarity of even such a life-changing event reminds me of sitcom worthy laughs.
There are some hints sprinkled through the books to eventually lead us to the reveal of just who killed Alice McCoy. It seems like a stretch to go the route Pike has chosen but I'm not at all surprised given some of his later material.
I'm not a big fan of that particular ending but I am a fan of all the other loose ends being tied up between the characters. Most get a deserved happy ending after being sent through the wringer for three books but others just seem to get no real reward, not even like an Animal House or even a Stand By Me glimpse of the future.
Tame compared to other Pike works but still filled with suspense, dark elements that edge toward horror even if in a more psychological vein and thrilling action. It touches on love, friendship, jealousy, pride, envy, forgiveness, maturity and dealing with consequences.
If you have yet to read The Final Friends Trilogy, I recommend it especially as a starting point into discovering Christopher Pike. His standalone books are fine too but out of the "series" you won't be disappointed with this one.
June 12, 2010
This book is super good!!! Its a good ending for the series to though.
I cant believe Polly thought the bad Clark was real and it was really her all along, trying to cover up that she actually did it...
I cant believe Polly thought the bad Clark was real and it was really her all along, trying to cover up that she actually did it...
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
December 18, 2020
The final instalment of this series ties up all the loose ends nicely. Although the ending is a little bit too ideal for the real world, and for a Christopher Pike book, it's nice to know the mystery is solved. Also, nice inclusion of the minorities and LGBTQ+ people in the book. To be honest, I think it's a very liberal book considering the time it was written. Points for Christopher Pike there.
I would have given it 4 stars if it did not have the same problem that the previous two books had - the editing was, honestly, very shite. Spelling errors, punctuation mistakes, unfinished sentences. Not as much as the first book but noticeable nonetheless, and since I was already annoyed by the bad editing in the first 2 books, I can't take another error, even a small one.
I would have given it 4 stars if it did not have the same problem that the previous two books had - the editing was, honestly, very shite. Spelling errors, punctuation mistakes, unfinished sentences. Not as much as the first book but noticeable nonetheless, and since I was already annoyed by the bad editing in the first 2 books, I can't take another error, even a small one.
June 2, 2022
Wow, what a ride!
There was a part of my brain (which is usually way more smart than poor ol' me) which sort of predicted what was going on. . It turned out I was quite right. Also I could feel there was something wrong with .
Some characters managed to redeem themselves in this last volume. I still don't like Bubba, but he can be sweet, too. It was a surprise for me. Even poor Russ, which was ill-treated in the previous volumes, got his chance to shine. Jessica turned out to be a good person, despite what she did to poor Clair. Not sure about Maria, though.
I devoured it. Christopher Pike knew what he was doing with his writing.
There was a part of my brain (which is usually way more smart than poor ol' me) which sort of predicted what was going on. . It turned out I was quite right. Also I could feel there was something wrong with .
Some characters managed to redeem themselves in this last volume. I still don't like Bubba, but he can be sweet, too. It was a surprise for me. Even poor Russ, which was ill-treated in the previous volumes, got his chance to shine. Jessica turned out to be a good person, despite what she did to poor Clair. Not sure about Maria, though.
I devoured it. Christopher Pike knew what he was doing with his writing.
September 25, 2018
This final book in the trilogy ties everything together nicely. The part where the mystery is explained was not full of revelations, as I'd guessed most of what was revealed. Thankfully, the characters were developed well enough that following them through their respective dramas was the reason for the journey.
I'm glad to have finally taken the journey through some of Christopher Pike's writing. I wish I'd dipped my toes into this earlier in my life, as the writing was substantially better than R. L. Stine. But Fear Street was ubiquitous. Love him though I do for Goosebumps, his greatest asset was marketing, not the writing itself.
I'm glad to have finally taken the journey through some of Christopher Pike's writing. I wish I'd dipped my toes into this earlier in my life, as the writing was substantially better than R. L. Stine. But Fear Street was ubiquitous. Love him though I do for Goosebumps, his greatest asset was marketing, not the writing itself.
April 30, 2021
Years ago, when I was more the age range for Christopher Pike, I adore this book. Mostly because of the love story that comes to a head, but also because the way everything is wrapped up.
I will say that this book didn't totally age well. This book was originally published in 1988, and certain things, such as a character who's a womanizer and thinks of women as lesser than, has not aged well. However, another character comes out as gay, and is accepted by his friend group for exactly who he is. So I try to let this slide because as we grow and learn and things change, we can't go after the things from the past that weren't yet learned.
Moving on.
This book definitely brings the Final Friends trilogy together. And it all takes place in the span of a day.
What I remember most about this book is feeling emotional during certain points, and that definitely still happened for me this time around. I think Pike did a good job of taking stereotypical characters and making them more than who they are.
What I didn't anticipate if that I didn't know the ending exactly. I remember who the killer was, but I missed a very important element. Despite having read this book several times when I was younger, it still managed to surprise me.
I loved every moment of this trilogy, and aside from the fact that it could use a little modern day glam up, it still have my heart.
I will say that this book didn't totally age well. This book was originally published in 1988, and certain things, such as a character who's a womanizer and thinks of women as lesser than, has not aged well. However, another character comes out as gay, and is accepted by his friend group for exactly who he is. So I try to let this slide because as we grow and learn and things change, we can't go after the things from the past that weren't yet learned.
Moving on.
This book definitely brings the Final Friends trilogy together. And it all takes place in the span of a day.
What I remember most about this book is feeling emotional during certain points, and that definitely still happened for me this time around. I think Pike did a good job of taking stereotypical characters and making them more than who they are.
What I didn't anticipate if that I didn't know the ending exactly. I remember who the killer was, but I missed a very important element. Despite having read this book several times when I was younger, it still managed to surprise me.
I loved every moment of this trilogy, and aside from the fact that it could use a little modern day glam up, it still have my heart.
May 21, 2019
This Trilogy was incredible and definitely some of the best books I’ve ever read! I found myself not wanting to read the final book simply because I didn’t want it to end, yet I needed to know what happened! I love the slice of life parts of the story as well as the suspenseful parts. I was sad when it ended and part of me wished I could experience it all over again. 10/10, definitely recommended!
September 7, 2020
A satisfying end to the Final Friends trilogy, though by now the truth wasn't much of a surprise. I will warn that Pike writes about a gay teen, a woman with a physical disability, and a black teen from "the barrio" (Pike's words), and at times it gets clunky at best by today's standards. It reads as though he is trying his hardest to be diverse and good to these characters, but this was written in the 80s so the language he uses is outdated and it often doesn't hit right.
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March 27, 2022MY ONLY MEMORY OF CHRISTOPHER PIKE IS SOME BOOK ABOUT MURDER ON A CRUISE SHIP OR SOMETHING AND THERE WAS A TITILLATING SEXY SCENE AND SOMETHING INVOLVING SOMEONE’S BLOND HAIRS IN A HAIRBRUSH? ALSO MAYBE SOMEONE FELL OFF A LADDER? IS THIS REAL?
March 3, 2019
The expected ending to the trilogy but there isn’t much more you can expect from a young adult trilogy...it was as catching as the two previous books
October 9, 2019
Although these books maybe a bit predictable, I thought that Final Friends #3 was a great end to the saga.
September 26, 2020
This book is life-changing. The narrative is excellent. The character development is great. 5/5!
November 18, 2020
3 "this is why I wrongly remember this series with such fondness and I shall not make that mistake again" stars
May 21, 2021
A great conclusion to a great series.
June 26, 2021
This series really could’ve been one bad book.
September 3, 2022
I read this when I was in High School some 25 years ago. Just recently found the books in my wife's stuff a little while back. Always good stuff to read!
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