Okay, so I realized that I didn't have any spooky novels on my blog for some time, and for that I sincerely apologize to my horror fans. My first selection was this one, Grad Night. Although, Carver Pike has a great imagination, his story was overly graphically bloody and the sexual connotations were a bit much. Otherwise it was really great and it does make a fantastic point...kids need people who care not yell or embarrass them. A great horror novel, for a rainy day.
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This book was freaking twisted!

A small backstory:

Grad Night has arrived for the teenagers at DS High and they all decide to throw a party to celebrate. They decide to invite their teachers that have been with them for few years as they think their teachers should be invited to the party. There is one student that stands out from the crowd but the teachers do not seem to know him really and his name is James Bender, but it seems Bender is the leader of the some of the teenagers as they follow him around everywhere.

The teachers think it is strange though that the students decide to have the party in a park, but they all dismiss it and think nothing else of it....until things start to get weird and the sweet innocent teens are no longer acting "innocent". What the teens have planned for the teachers is way beyond their wildest dreams and what they have to endure is their own fight for survival as the teens with the help of their leader Bender turn into something beyond bullies as when the crap hits the fan the teachers are going to feel it!

What do the teens have planned for the teachers? Who is James Bender and how does he fit into the scheme of things? Do the teachers make it out of the park? No spoilers here as you will just need to read the book!

Thoughts:

This was a fast paced story with lots of twist and turns throughout the story as I made my way through the book. I could feel the evil deception of the students when I made it to the part in the story where the party starts in the park and from that moment on, the pace picked up and I found myself wanting to just stay within the book as I hurtled forward on a bullet train to the end of the book. There was a twist at the end of the book which I was not expecting but it ended perfect considering what happens within these pages. Five "Teacher Twisted" stars!

For more thoughts on this review, please see my blog:
https://crusader1515.blogspot.com/2021/04/grad-night-by-carver-pike.html ( )

"We were created with an animalistic side, a desire to kill rather than be killed. Only when we open ourselves up to our true nature, will we really be free. The world wasn't meant to be tamed. It's a mad world, and we're embracing it tonight."

Well, what can I say about this one? Let's start with creepy. Who is this weird kid that doesn't show his face but seems to have the whole student body flocking to him? Why, when he makes any kind of eye contact with you, do you have the most horrific visions? What's with the unsettling hum that seems to surround him? What is up with the book, The Maddening that all the kids are reading? High school kids don't read on their own, right?

Next? Let's go with gruesome. This book may have high school seniors in the starring role, but this is not for the faint of heart. The author is so skilled in his ability to paint the most terrifying, horribly gruesome scenes in such clarity that you can't ever get the image you, yourself concocted, out of your head. I highly suggest you not eat before reading this one , or at least stay away from anything red and oozy (not sure if that's a word, but I'm going with it). Don't get me wrong, I love a gory scene, and I love that this author has the ability to make the reader pull up such vivid images in their mind!

Lastly, it was ingenious! This had to contain the most creative ways for these kids to exact their revenge. I can just imaging this author developing these "games", as they're called, giggling to himself at his laptop. Frankly, I'm a little afraid of him now. (just kidding).

I have been reading this author on a binge-run lately and let me tell you, I am more and more creeped out with every book I finish. I absolutely love it!! I've read many horror books, and sure, they can be creepy too, but usually when I close the book at the end, that's it. It doesn't stay with me long. With Carver Pike? Yeah, I think I have a renewed fear of the dark.

Thanks for scaring me over and over! ( )

Grad Night by Carver Pike is a deep and brutal nail-biter with incredible tension and exquisite characterization. It is Extreme Horror at its finest.

I hit a point in the story that filled me with palpable dread, dread I felt in my throat and stomach. Did I want to do this to myself on a day of rest and relaxation? I realized my thoughts sounded a lot like one of the characters at that point. Yes, that kind of story immersion, that kind of building dread. Of course, I read on.

And the tension and dread only continued to build.

Grad Night is a story with depth as well as terror and gore. Deep inside the suspense and horror and mind-fornicating sequences is a mirroring of important sociological realities. The story is built around it. Pike’s expert wordsmithing combines real world horrors with realistic characters to create a truly terrifying foundation for this tale of demonic influence. Terrifying in its realism and speculation, its analytical bent on youth and social classes, its illustration of horrors we turn a blind eye to everyday, its dark and brutal cause and effect, this story will keep you up at night.

Grad Night was my first book by Carver Pike, but it will not be my last. It is one of those books where, upon reaching the end, I give the author a heartfelt FU followed by an equally heartfelt, “What else you got for me?” (which I did). I could write an analytical thesis on that ending if I recover from the impact of the read.

This shelf-worthy Extreme Horror Novel is highly recommended for hardcore horror fans!

Reviewer’s Notation: be sure and read the Afterword. ( )

So, the entire time I was reading this, the song “Teenagers” by My Chemical Romance played in my head.

“Teenagers scare
The living shit out of me
They could care less
As long as someone'll bleed”

This is a very fitting theme for this book.

DS High operates like any other high school. There are cliques, overzealous kids, and pure evil. James Bender is one student that gives all the teachers chills though none of them are really sure why. The student body rallies around him, and a few of the teachers do what they can to avoid him at all costs.

That is, until they receive their invitations to the Grad Night Party. It’s a party they won’t want to miss.

So this is my first book from Carver Pike, and oh, how I loved it.

This was such a refreshing take on horror, mob mentality, and the dangers of human nature. I loved the way the author gave each character a story, a driving motivation behind what they did. He also countered this by offering up countering POVs in which the characters didn’t know how far the consequences of their actions would reach.

With each passing scene and the amped up horror, I loved how the author was consistent to each character’s personality. I especially loved the twist at the ending. I had my suspicions about Josie and Bog, but I loved what they did (I don’t want to give away spoilers!)

So, all in all, if you like horror, and aren’t already terrified of teenagers, you’ll love this book! If you’re a teacher, read with caution.
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