Road to Nowhere

by Christopher Pike

A Dark and Stormy Night.

Teresa Chafey is running away from home. Driving north along the California coast, she picks up two mysterious hitchhikers: Poppy Corn and Freedom Jack. Together the three of them tell stories: Teresa of her devastating relationship with her boyfriend, Poppy of a sad young woman she once knew, and Freedom of a talented young man with a violent temper.

Yet as they talk, a darker story unfolds around them. A story of life and death, of redemption and damnation. It will be the longest night of Teresa's life.

Maybe the last night of her life.

Genres: Young Adult, Horror, Fiction, Thriller, Teen, Paranormal, Fantasy

224 pages, Mass Market Paperback

First published February 1, 1993

About the author

Christopher 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.

Reviews

[Erin · Rating 4 out of 5]

I bought this book when I was 10 years old at my school's book fair(Man I miss those). I loved this book as a 10 year old so I decided to reread as an adult.

OMFG! This book is a lot darker than I remember.

Teresa Chaffey has had a very very shitting night and is running away from home. While driving late at night Teresa decides to do something SUPER STUPID. She picks up two hitchhikers Poppy Corn & Freedom Jack(I know the name are something). To pass the time they decide to tell some "true" stories. These stories are dark as fuck!

Road to Nowhere is a dark and heavy little novel. Some of the subject matters covered include cheating, drug abuse, suicide and murder.

All the things I love in a story!

I need to go buy some more Christopher Pike because I really enjoyed this retro read. Road to Nowhere is the perfect book to read on cool October night.

[Lucy Banks · Rating 5 out of 5]

Just as fun as I remembered, though rather religious!

I used to devour Christopher Pike's books as a teen, and to be honest, I probably wouldn't have got into writing if I hadn't been so inspired by his stuff (him and a few others authors). Recently, I treated myself to a few of his books to see if they'd managed to stand the test of time... with this being one that I remembered as being particularly good.

It's fair to say that, despite my advanced years (ho ho), I enjoyed it every bit as much as I did back in the day. I started it this morning, then voila, before I knew it, I'd finished it only a few hours later. It made for an addictive read!

It's about Theresa, a teen girl on the run from her no-good cheating boyfriend and her best friend. She picks up two hitchhikers; Freedom Jack, a magician with a wicked outlook on life, and Poppy Corn, a miserable girl who spends most of the journey chain-smoking in the back. To keep themselves amused, they take turns to tell stories. Theresa tells the story of her own sad, failed love affair, and Free and Poppy tell her about friends of theirs, John and Candy.

As the trip goes on, things get weirder. They stop off to see Free's mum, who happens to live in a horror story castle and is a fortune teller. Likewise, Poppy's dad is a priest. As the road goes on, it becomes apparent that this isn't your normal road trip, and that things are going to end badly unless there's a bit of divine intervention at some point...

As with all Pike's fab teen books, this was a compulsive read. He has an uncanny knack of pulling you right in - I personally think this is his greatest skill. Sure, it's a little over-dramatic in places; but hey, this is for a teen audience, and back then I lapped this sort of thing up. The ending was far more religious than I remembered, but it didn't cause me any particular problems. After all, it's a book that deals with some fairly weighty emotions, so it doesn't seem unreasonable that religion might sneak in there somewhere.

A very enjoyable trip down memory lane, and one that I'd recommend to teenagers now (or perhaps people like me who liked them the first time around!).

[Claire · Rating 5 out of 5]

I read this when I was 13. That following Christmas, my parents surprised me with a tower of his books. I still read this book every so often. Oh that's right, there I said it.

[Steph · Rating 3 out of 5]

this surreal road novel isn't particularly thrilling, as most of it consists of stories told among our main character, teresa, and the two hitchhikers she picks up, poppy and free. the three take a long rainy night drive, and each gradually tell a true dark story.

i'm still kicking myself for not predicting the entirety of the big twist, because it is painfully obvious. (SPOILERS) they are not actually driving through the night, but they are in a sort of limbo, as teresa has attempted suicide and is currently alone in a bathtub on the brink of death. poppy and free, with their preposterous names, are actually candy and john, the doomed characters in their respective stories. now they act as guardian angels, giving teresa the opportunity to save her life. i predicted their identities, but not the angel stuff! nothing is real, bro!

i certainly didn't predict the religious bent on the final chapters, where teresa visits a priest, experiences the big reveals, then has a conversation with her guardian angels about why god sent them. i'm reminded of pike's see you later, which also features a male-female pair of mysterious angels who are slow to reveal their identities. incidentally, road to nowhere and see you later both share their titles with excellent songs, from talking heads and heatmiser. i wonder if pike is a fan.

[Sabrina · Rating 5 out of 5]

What can i say about this book? Another amazing Christopher Pike book. This book is suspensful and leaves you wanting more. Some stuff was predicatable but it was still so so so so so good!!
Spoilers:
I love how she was almost dead the whole book, and Free and Poppy where the characters from their story, Candy and John. I wished she did kill her ex and friend, but he did save her at the end. I also loved how she ends up meeting Candy's son when she is awake and alive at the hospital really cute, but i wished she remembered the time she spent with Poppy (Candy) and Free (John)

This book was overall another terrific read by the one and only christopher pike!!! <3

[Bren fall in love with the sea. · Rating 4 out of 5]

I loved this gritty little book when I was younger but, unlike with many other Pike b ooks, I've yet to do a reread so I cannot do much of an in depth review on this one. Will wr ite more after I do a reread as lately I am on a Pike reread fest!

PS: It is good though, that much I remember!

[Kia · Rating 5 out of 5]

I read this book when I was about 11. And I remember telling my dad as he was driving me to school one morning that I liked Christopher Pike books because they were profound. He really made me think about things. At that time I had never read any books with the subject matter that some of his books contained. They had life, death, and religion. What I remember most about the YA horror/suspense/supernatural books at the time were that they were the slasher type where kids got together and got killed in various ways. That could be because those were the only kind I really read. Christopher Pike sometimes just seemed to have more meaning...for an 11 year old.

[Shirley · Rating 5 out of 5]

We have a number of Christopher Pike novels in our junior high school library. A student who is an avid reader mentioned that he was really surprised that these books are on our shelves. I checked all of them out to read over the summer.
The plot in Road to Nowhere contains sex, drugs, and some mild profanity. Though the plot seems predictable through most of the book, the conclusion has some great twists and turns that were entirely unexpected. The book combines suspense, mystery, and teen romance.
Follett gives it a "Young Adult" rating. It is intended for an upper grade audience of 9th. grade and above.
This was a quick and enjoyable read for me. I look forward to reading the rest of our Pike novels before asking if the high school library would like to have them.

[Aimee · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really liked this book, although i feel like a dork (which i am) when i read these teen books. But i used to love them so much, i go back every now and then and find some of my old favorites.

What i did not like about this book was its predictability. I had it figured out, except for a few minor adjustments, pretty much to a tee from the beginning. Also, Teresa is a songwriter. I see why Christopher Pike writes books and not songs from this book. There are around 4 full songs with lyrics in this book that my 7 year old sister could have written. They were pretty annoying.

That being said, this is a really good book though. I really like the story, its very involving. You really do feel for the characters.

[Katie (DeathByPaperbacks) · Rating 3 out of 5]

I really enjoyed the overall feel of this story. It had all the cheesy teenage drama mixed with some darker themes and mystery. Definitely a slow burn read but still captivating. Unfortunately the religious take kind of killed it for me at the end.

[Austin Smith · Rating 3 out of 5]

I liked this early on, but the story relied too much upon the big twist, which became more and more predictable as the story progressed. This was fine, overall. Solid 3⭐

[Karol · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book was amazing. I think the events were entertaining, and the fact that something kept nagging at me from the back of my brain that something was off. This all unfolded quite interesting. I really like how the book was written, as it made me feel as I were in a trance, reading this book and clinging to every work. Very few writers succeed in doing that to. The ending left me wanting a second book, but I still like how I could imagine the ending. It lets me fulfill my unrealistic dream that there should be a happy ending. The book left me questioning something, as it was a little of a cliffhanger, but I'd just like keeping the ending I made with me. Very good book.

[Mehreen · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is another of my guilty pleasures. I read this when I was 14. The idea to just pack and leave was quite a charming escape. It seemed very appealing. This story is about Teresa who is running away from home because there is no one who she can go back to. On the road she meets two strangers and a journey unfolds that might just save her life later on.

I loved the theme of this story: that life is worth fighting for. Always. Life is worth living for.

One of Christopher's best books.

[Meconopsis Lingholm · Rating 4 out of 5]

I'm re-reading this as part of my 90s nostalgia week. I am happy to report that I still rather enjoy this one (whisper of death was my other fav which I dont much care for now (cf my review earlier this week). it's certainly predictable and a little depthless but it's YA, very few authors can pull that off with such grace that it's truly ageless (the giver is one such example).

[Angie · Rating 3 out of 5]

October isn't complete without a nostalgic read by Christopher Pike!!
Enjoyable but typical Pike book. Spooky with a moral twist. It isn't one I'd read before, and Won't be one of my favorites of his. But definitely liked it. I still like to occasionally read his books that were so important to me in my early teens

[Shauna · Rating 5 out of 5]

I read this book many many moons ago. So I don't remember every detail anymore. That being said, it was something I needed to read at that time in my life. Even as an adult now, it means something to me. I loved Christopher Rice books from 12 yrs old and on.

[Michaela Hayes · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved this book, it has such an amazing twist at the end! those who are reading this book it may go slow, but towards the end it gets absolutly wonderful!

[Anidict13 IsTheName · Rating 5 out of 5]

I like it. Not in a AHHHHHH!!! I'M SO SCARED SHITLESS!!! kind of way, but in a "Woah... what just happened? That was disturbing..." kind of way.. You know, when you think about it over and over and you can't get it out of your mind, and all the while you feel tingles and goosebumps running up and down on your arms?? That kind of feeling...?

Well, that's what I felt anyway. I'm not really a fan of horror genres or paranormal stuff, because, frankly? I don't like getting scared shitless just for fun. But this definitely caught me by surprise, and I'm starting to wonder if there are more books that have plots like this.(Can anyone recommend me some?)

It's been, what? 4? 3 years? I think I read this only once back in my 5th or 6th grade year and the events in the book really stuck to my mind(probably because it was the first paranormal/suspense stuff I've ever read in my whole life that I actually liked).

I can still remember the Time when the girl(i forgot her name) was driving in her car in the beginning and loved the feel of the cool, wet drops of rain and wind against her hot skin and the damp and was it mossy? smell of the air since it was raining. The part when she picked up two people; boy and girl, who told her a story that is actually about their past, and when they went to the convenient store on their way to somewhere north, was it? I still remember the ending, the boyfriend-cheated-me-for-my-bestfriend-so-I-committed-suicide and etc.

Yeah... Anyway, I love it and so should you.

Totally recommend for those of low-tolerance when it comes to horrors, but loves a good amount of mystery and psychological mind stuff. Just don't read the spoilers I wrote lol

[Erin *Proud Book Hoarder* · Rating 3 out of 5]

Usually Pike's tempting words whirl me up into a state of orgasmic reading bliss, but here the release didn't match the build up. The traditional Pike strengths are here in their usual trimmings - strong characters, a bizarre and twisted story, a strange ending - but the pizazz existing in some of his other works is watered down.

For one thing the pace wasn't as strong. It's not a slow book by a stretch, and there's a scene or two in there that's mystifying, but the road to nowhere left me on the road to drowsiness. The constant talking, thinking back, and thinking forward in bizarre terms made it harder to sympathize with the protagonist. I liked her, but she's not especially admirable.


Pike's writing style is always welcomed, celebrating every stories strength. There can be no fault found there. A right amount of tension is present, keeping the pages turning, and it's hard to get away from the book, even if it's not perfect. The ending was as powerful as most of his other works, leaving on a good note for a change, if not a little dramatic. So, overall it's certainly worth a read, but it doesn't live up to the greats of his other stuff.

[Daniel Stalter · Rating 5 out of 5]

I first read Road to Nowhere when I was 10, and oh boy was I way too young to handle significant parts of this subject matter. I just remember seeing an awesome book cover on a classmate’s desk and seeking it out at the library. I was thrilled when I came across the (very minor) swearing. All of that context aside, this is a really good book and one of Christopher Pike’s best. It’s a bit of a slow mover, but the ending is more than worth it. I really liked all of the main characters, both the ones in the car and the ones in the stories they were telling. The “campfire” style of the narrative allowed for each story to take its time and resonate. There was also a really powerful message here aimed at the teenage target audience that I think was tastefully done. I appreciated that it wasn’t too heavy-handed with themes that could easily get sappy and sanctimonious. In total, Road to Nowhere scratched my nostalgic itch, turned out better than I had remembered, and made me want to dive even deeper into Christopher Pike’s twisted canon.

My full review with a recap, observations, and memes can be found on my blog:
https://www.danstalter.com/road-to-no...

[Dr. K · Rating 4 out of 5]

I love a good road trip story. And I love a good ghost story. And I love a good "main character works through big feelings" story.

Theresa picks up two hitchhiker's, and the book follows their nighttime drive up the Californian coast. They take turns telling each other stories: Theresa of a love gone sour, and the hitchhiker's of a similarly doomed love. The stories are told dramatically, the way I remember whispering stories to friends in middle school libraries or around campfires - especially stories that we weren't supposed to be telling.

I read this after watching Mike Flanagan's amazing adaptation of it (one episode in his YA miniseries adaptation of The Midnight Club). Enough was changed and I'd also forgotten enough of the episode to fully enjoy reading this one.

Recommended if you want nostalgic, pulpy, excessive and un-self-conscious YA. 4 stars.

[Jill · Rating 4 out of 5]

Over the summer my mom and I hit a few garage sales. I was eager to find something that would possibly entice my 13 yr. old nephew to get into reading and I remembered these books from when I was his age and how much I loved reading them. So, back to the garage sale. It was a very large Church garage sale and, to my surprise, I found stacks and stacks of these books. I had a hard time finding them anyplace other than ebay so I grabbed a whole bunch. And as much as I wanted my nephew to try them, he ended up not liking them so in between regular adult books I will ocassionally read one of these as a buffer, to absorb the last book.

They're cheesy, easy reading and just plain good fun. I had forgotten how much fun they were to read until I read this one. I'm not even sure that I read this one when I was younger, I didn't remember it at all and I liked the twist at the end of the book, too. All in all, good fun if you're looking for a little break from the day to day.

[Leah · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book was really good. It was one of those book where you think you know what is going on and then all of a sudden you realize that you had it all wrong. It was definatly not a hard book to read either, I finished it in a half a day, so if you want something thats going to last you all the way from New York to California on a road-trip stuck in the car with your six brothers and sisters then I recomend you read this another time. If you want something interesing and quick then this is the book for you.

[Alex · Rating 4 out of 5]

I always loved Christopher Pike's books when I was a kid, and I was so excited when I saw that my library suddenly had some on the shelves. It's been a long time since I've read one of these!

I remembered this book only vaguely, so I had a great time re-reading it. The twist at the end was fantastic, and I remember most of his books having crazy endings like that. I will be re-reading the other ones my library has soon.

[Tasha-Lynn · Rating 4 out of 5]

Pike is a great writer. Not only did he write a story, he wrote two stories within that story! The more pike I read the more I realize he has quite a few "God/ devil, heaven/hell" references in his books. But not in an annoying in your face way. I had this story figured out pretty early on but it still kept my attention and I really enjoyed it.

[Amanda · Rating 4 out of 5]

For about the first half, I was wondering where this book was going, if anywhere. But it has one of the coolest endings I ever remember reading in a Christopher Pike book, and that makes it well worth the fast read. I really enjoyed this book.

[Diana · Rating 5 out of 5]

Well, as some people previously stated, this book is not a perfect novel , not even close., I gave it 5 stars because I read it about 10 years ago, in that time it was like the best book ever for me. I recommend it for tween-teens who like to read thriller or mistery stories.

[Kris Lugosi · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book was fucking fantastic on soo many levels.
I love the story within the story. I love the twist at the end. I saw some of it coming but the way Pike pulls the explanation together is way than I bargained for!

[Sarah · Rating 5 out of 5]

As with most Christopher Pike books, the twist in the storyline is almost a definite must. I read this book back when I was a pre-teen but I can still remember the anger I felt when the storyline goes a certain way and the satisfaction of the ending. Well, this deserved 5 stars for me.

[Lori Kircher · Rating 5 out of 5]

5/5 stars. This book was amazing, the plot kept me guessing and there's a major plot twist at the end that I would never have predicted. Two of the characters were a bit predictable, but other than that it was a thrilling, spine-tingling book. I would definitely recommend this book and reread it.