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Fall Into Darkness
The trial is for murder. Ann Rice is dead. Her best friend, Sharon McKay, stands accused. But there is no body. And the three witnesses to the crime only heard what happened, and did not see it. Nevertheless, the prosecution is almost certain of victory. Ann was alone in the dark with Sharon on top of the cliff when Ann fell the 500 feet into the torrential river that claimed her life. There was only one route leading to the cliff, and all the witnesses can remember hearing the girls arguing before the fall occurred. Sharon's only defense is that Ann committed suicide. But everyone who knew Ann, including Sharon, said she was not the suicidal type.
And they were right.
Ann was much more than suicidal.
She was obsessed.
And they were right.
Ann was much more than suicidal.
She was obsessed.
224 pages, Mass Market Paperback
First published January 15, 1990
19 people are currently reading
1541 people want to read
About the author
Christopher Pike
258 books5,432 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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Displaying 1 - 30 of 164 reviews
February 5, 2018
“You five made an interesting group. I wonder if you knew who loved who. Or who loved what.” — Attorney John Richmond to Sharon McKay
This is so good it’s difficult to know where to begin. Christopher Pike wrote this in 1990 and I have no qualms about calling this a young adult classic. Even that seems a slight, because Fall into Darkness is so entertaining, so enthralling, perhaps the term classic shouldn’t be prefaced by the young adult label. This is really that good, I kid you not.
In many ways, this plays out like a very old soft noir, black and white drama from the Golden Age of film. The only difference is that here, the setting is updated, and the characters are younger, just on the cusp of real adulthood — if they survive. Fall into Darkness begins with a bang, with Sharon McKay on trial for the murder of her best friend, Ann Rice. Sharon is poor but talented, so talented musically that she has been accepted to Juilliard. Ann was the beautiful and rich one. If you think you already see where this one is headed, boy are you wrong.
The “witnesses” are all friends of the girls in one way or another. Most attended Wonderwood High together in Utah. True to life at this age, romances and loyalties are fluid among the friends, and also true to life at their age, they often blame Heaven for woes they’ve brought upon themselves by their own actions. When Pike wrote for this particular age group, he always seemed to be writing for the slightly smarter, slightly more “experienced” teenagers, and it gives his characters a bit of bite, and realism. When they do stupid things, it’s because that’s how they would really act in a particular situation, and it rings true.
The narrative is mesmerizing, floating back and forth between the trial, and Sharon’s memories of everything that led up to the event in question. Though on trial for a murder she didn’t commit, everyone saw Ann and Sharon go for a walk near the cliffs. But it’s what everyone heard that is at the root of the murder charge, since Ann’s body has not been found. Ann screamed “Don’t!” and then she was gone. But what really happened, and why?
I really need to tiptoe around all the secrets slowly revealed as Sharon’s suave and astute attorney, John Richmond, — who may want a little more in “payment” than Sharon has planned — questions the young men about what happened, about the history of the girls in relation to the boys, and about the suicide of Ann’s brother. It is obvious to the reader that Richmond has figured out what happened, and has a plan to get at the truth. But even if he does get an acquittal for Sharon, is that the end, the real truth?
I wish I could say more, but this one has more than one twist, including some unexpected violence, and an ending that’s so, so…Well, you’ll have to read it to believe it. I can’t recall the last time I couldn’t put a book down, no matter how good. This one had me up half the night because I had to know how it all ended. Fall into Darkness has a page-turning narrative and terrific movement. The characters are written as real young adults of the time, giving this an edge. Everything about this courtroom thriller filled with flashbacks is top-tier. Loved this, and can’t imagine anyone not loving it. Highly recommended.
This is so good it’s difficult to know where to begin. Christopher Pike wrote this in 1990 and I have no qualms about calling this a young adult classic. Even that seems a slight, because Fall into Darkness is so entertaining, so enthralling, perhaps the term classic shouldn’t be prefaced by the young adult label. This is really that good, I kid you not.
In many ways, this plays out like a very old soft noir, black and white drama from the Golden Age of film. The only difference is that here, the setting is updated, and the characters are younger, just on the cusp of real adulthood — if they survive. Fall into Darkness begins with a bang, with Sharon McKay on trial for the murder of her best friend, Ann Rice. Sharon is poor but talented, so talented musically that she has been accepted to Juilliard. Ann was the beautiful and rich one. If you think you already see where this one is headed, boy are you wrong.
The “witnesses” are all friends of the girls in one way or another. Most attended Wonderwood High together in Utah. True to life at this age, romances and loyalties are fluid among the friends, and also true to life at their age, they often blame Heaven for woes they’ve brought upon themselves by their own actions. When Pike wrote for this particular age group, he always seemed to be writing for the slightly smarter, slightly more “experienced” teenagers, and it gives his characters a bit of bite, and realism. When they do stupid things, it’s because that’s how they would really act in a particular situation, and it rings true.
The narrative is mesmerizing, floating back and forth between the trial, and Sharon’s memories of everything that led up to the event in question. Though on trial for a murder she didn’t commit, everyone saw Ann and Sharon go for a walk near the cliffs. But it’s what everyone heard that is at the root of the murder charge, since Ann’s body has not been found. Ann screamed “Don’t!” and then she was gone. But what really happened, and why?
I really need to tiptoe around all the secrets slowly revealed as Sharon’s suave and astute attorney, John Richmond, — who may want a little more in “payment” than Sharon has planned — questions the young men about what happened, about the history of the girls in relation to the boys, and about the suicide of Ann’s brother. It is obvious to the reader that Richmond has figured out what happened, and has a plan to get at the truth. But even if he does get an acquittal for Sharon, is that the end, the real truth?
I wish I could say more, but this one has more than one twist, including some unexpected violence, and an ending that’s so, so…Well, you’ll have to read it to believe it. I can’t recall the last time I couldn’t put a book down, no matter how good. This one had me up half the night because I had to know how it all ended. Fall into Darkness has a page-turning narrative and terrific movement. The characters are written as real young adults of the time, giving this an edge. Everything about this courtroom thriller filled with flashbacks is top-tier. Loved this, and can’t imagine anyone not loving it. Highly recommended.
June 5, 2016
Another relatively strong mystery from Christopher Pike. He was excellent at mixing thriller with whodunnit stories. This one wasn't as good as the one I read before it, but still worked by starting with a trial and then flipping back and forth between that and the backstory. At first I was worried it wouldn't work, but it actually did. The motive was a bit weak, really, and the mystery didn't hold strong long since the author explained it by mid book. The point was mainly seeing the trial unfold, be discovered, and the events which followed afterward.
I especially loved the bizarre lawyer as a character. Not conventional, but fun. The heroine with her addiction to music wasn't fully fleshed out, but she worked well for what she needed to be in the story. The baddies had weak motives that only work so far. This is more of a plot-drive tale than a character-enriched one, as in standard with most mysteries and YA.
Easy to get into, hard to put down, but not particularly nail-biting with tension, suspense, or intrigue. When reading the book it's enjoyable, yet won't be something you'll remember much a year after reading it. Pike is an excellent author who has written a good book here, but if you looked at his other library of offerings, you'd be more impressed.
I especially loved the bizarre lawyer as a character. Not conventional, but fun. The heroine with her addiction to music wasn't fully fleshed out, but she worked well for what she needed to be in the story. The baddies had weak motives that only work so far. This is more of a plot-drive tale than a character-enriched one, as in standard with most mysteries and YA.
Easy to get into, hard to put down, but not particularly nail-biting with tension, suspense, or intrigue. When reading the book it's enjoyable, yet won't be something you'll remember much a year after reading it. Pike is an excellent author who has written a good book here, but if you looked at his other library of offerings, you'd be more impressed.
April 24, 2012
I'm not sure why I hadn't already put this on my 1993-1997 read shelf, because as soon as I started reading I remembered this book. This will be a lot spoiler-y, given the scant description of the plot on the back of the book.
A summary of the plot based on the back of the book: Sharon stands accused of murder. While on a camping trip, she and her best friend Ann hiked to the top of a cliff. Their friends heard Ann scream "Don't" and heard her screams as she fell over the side of the cliff, but her body was never found. No one, not even Sharon, thinks Ann was suicidal, so that leaves Sharon as the only suspect.
Okay, so that was the PROLOGUE. Almost immediately we are taken back to Ann plotting how to frame Sharon for her murder - with a nod to Gimme a Kiss as a book Ann read which gave her this idea. Why does Ann want to make Sharon suffer? It's all because of her brother Jerry's suicide a year ago. Jerry had liked Sharon, and all he left behind was a note that says, "I loved her." Ann believes Sharon was the reason.
Ann gives boyfriend Paul her villain monologue about how she is going to attach a rope/bungee cord to a hidden harness when Sharon walks away, then jump off the cliff after screaming "Don't!" The only thing Paul needs to do is remove the pin Ann is going to place in the cliff face. It's a risky plan, and things go wrong almost immediately. She hits the side of the cliff and barely survives the fall.
The novel moves back and forth between Ann's predicament and the trial, where Sharon's lawyer deftly gets Paul to admit his part in the plan. But Ann hasn't contacted him yet... so where is she? Here's where I'm going to have to block the spoilers...
So... lots of twists and turns. I definitely had no clue who the real killer was. I think rock climbing is a bit more complicated than all this... honestly I have no idea how Sharon managed to do anything she did at the very end (most girls - or guys - can't climb up a rope like I can, especially not when they're hanging over the edge of a cliff). Over all, it was an interesting murder mystery even though through half the book I wasn't even sure a murder had occurred.
Funny name things: seriously, Christopher Pike picks the most boring names ever. In fact, having recently read Gimme a Kiss, I noticed that a character from that book was also named Sharon. And Ann's last name was Rice. As in Ann Rice. Which made for some interesting sentences... But Paul, Chad, and Fred (who was Fred? Honestly, no one that mattered)... so cookie-cutter. And yet I know Christopher Pike is capable of naming his characters after ancient Sanskit goddesses, etc., so I am at a loss for the blandness of these characters' names.
A summary of the plot based on the back of the book: Sharon stands accused of murder. While on a camping trip, she and her best friend Ann hiked to the top of a cliff. Their friends heard Ann scream "Don't" and heard her screams as she fell over the side of the cliff, but her body was never found. No one, not even Sharon, thinks Ann was suicidal, so that leaves Sharon as the only suspect.
Okay, so that was the PROLOGUE. Almost immediately we are taken back to Ann plotting how to frame Sharon for her murder - with a nod to Gimme a Kiss as a book Ann read which gave her this idea. Why does Ann want to make Sharon suffer? It's all because of her brother Jerry's suicide a year ago. Jerry had liked Sharon, and all he left behind was a note that says, "I loved her." Ann believes Sharon was the reason.
Ann gives boyfriend Paul her villain monologue about how she is going to attach a rope/bungee cord to a hidden harness when Sharon walks away, then jump off the cliff after screaming "Don't!" The only thing Paul needs to do is remove the pin Ann is going to place in the cliff face. It's a risky plan, and things go wrong almost immediately. She hits the side of the cliff and barely survives the fall.
The novel moves back and forth between Ann's predicament and the trial, where Sharon's lawyer deftly gets Paul to admit his part in the plan. But Ann hasn't contacted him yet... so where is she? Here's where I'm going to have to block the spoilers...
So... lots of twists and turns. I definitely had no clue who the real killer was. I think rock climbing is a bit more complicated than all this... honestly I have no idea how Sharon managed to do anything she did at the very end (most girls - or guys - can't climb up a rope like I can, especially not when they're hanging over the edge of a cliff). Over all, it was an interesting murder mystery even though through half the book I wasn't even sure a murder had occurred.
Funny name things: seriously, Christopher Pike picks the most boring names ever. In fact, having recently read Gimme a Kiss, I noticed that a character from that book was also named Sharon. And Ann's last name was Rice. As in Ann Rice. Which made for some interesting sentences... But Paul, Chad, and Fred (who was Fred? Honestly, no one that mattered)... so cookie-cutter. And yet I know Christopher Pike is capable of naming his characters after ancient Sanskit goddesses, etc., so I am at a loss for the blandness of these characters' names.
April 9, 2009
I read many of Christopher Pike's books when I was a teen. This is the one that sticks out in my mind the most. Christopher Pike was an author who made me want to read!! Any author who can get young people interested in reading has achieved a great feat!!!
May 20, 2019
Convoluted courtroom Pike-ness, very similar to GIMME A KISS, but not as much fun. Ends with girl realizing that she has to have sex with her lawyer because he did a good job.
February 8, 2020
“Sharon dropped to her knees and reached her hand over the edge. The gesture was supposed to be a sign of support. ”
― Christopher Pike, Fall Into Darkness
I think this was one of Pike‘s best books. I love Fall into darkness. It is a fun little mystery!
Sharon is a great heroin as was the setting in mountainous Utah.
Anne and Sharon are best friends and have been for years. The two of them, along with some other friends, decide to go on a camping trip in the mountains.
However during the camping trip, tragedy occurs when Ann takes a tumble off the mountain and is killed. Sharon is being tried for her murder.
Sharon says she’s innocent but how could she be? The two girls had taken a walk and were alone. And all her friends heard Ann scream the word "don’t!" before going off the mountain.
NOBODY else was there. So there is no more to the story ..or is there?
I loved LOVED this book and I think anyone of any age can read it as long as one enjoys mysteries . The characters in this book are unforgettable particularly Johnny, Sharon's hilarious, smug young attorney who I loved reading about.
There were several twists this book takes, not all of which I saw coming. This is Pike at his best .
― Christopher Pike, Fall Into Darkness
I think this was one of Pike‘s best books. I love Fall into darkness. It is a fun little mystery!
Sharon is a great heroin as was the setting in mountainous Utah.
Anne and Sharon are best friends and have been for years. The two of them, along with some other friends, decide to go on a camping trip in the mountains.
However during the camping trip, tragedy occurs when Ann takes a tumble off the mountain and is killed. Sharon is being tried for her murder.
Sharon says she’s innocent but how could she be? The two girls had taken a walk and were alone. And all her friends heard Ann scream the word "don’t!" before going off the mountain.
NOBODY else was there. So there is no more to the story ..or is there?
I loved LOVED this book and I think anyone of any age can read it as long as one enjoys mysteries . The characters in this book are unforgettable particularly Johnny, Sharon's hilarious, smug young attorney who I loved reading about.
There were several twists this book takes, not all of which I saw coming. This is Pike at his best .
January 15, 2011
This is perfect Christopher Pike - well paced, intricately plotted, full of twists...and yet in the end you wonder, "Why would any of these people do any of these things in even the craziest fantasy world?" because it essentially makes no sense. Also, I would say that if a third of your book takes place in a courtroom, you should maybe do some research into what people in a courtroom might actually say. I'm not an expert in murder trials, but I'm pretty sure the lawyers don't spend the whole time yelling "Shut up!" at each other. Guess we'll find out when I frame someone for my murder by bungee jumping off a cliff, as this book has taught me is TOTALLY NORMAL AND LOGICAL. I cannot wait to read the next one of these.
August 10, 2016
I had entirely too much fun re-reading this book. I always thought Christopher Pike was a much better writer than most of the other "teen horror" authors, and that is definitely still the case.
However, how did I miss the fact that this was made into a movie back in the day? I would have never known that if it wasn't for Goodreads, and now I really want to somehow track down this movie. It even features Jonathan Brandis, my childhood crush!
However, how did I miss the fact that this was made into a movie back in the day? I would have never known that if it wasn't for Goodreads, and now I really want to somehow track down this movie. It even features Jonathan Brandis, my childhood crush!
August 27, 2015
I was happy to reread this book for my reading challenge "a book from my childhood" category. Of all the books I read growing up Christopher Pike's thrillers stand out, Fall Into Darkness in particular. I remember where I was when I first read it and it blew me away at the time. So 5 stars then, 3 stars today. I still liked it!
May 3, 2021
The plot twist is WILD- but great read. But who gets the money???
July 31, 2018
Okay everyone, I've finished the first of the 40 cent Christopher Pike teen thriller paperbacks I bought at Bramble Books a while back, and I, naturally, have a bulleted review for you!
FALL INTO DARKNESS
- This is the story of Sharon, a teen on trial for the murder of her best friend, Ann. It seems that Sharon pushed Ann off a cliff, even though there are no eyewitnesses, no physical evidence, and most importantly, no body. So... real strong case for the D.A. here.
- Ann's last name is Rice. Ann Rice. A horror author seemingly unironically killed a woman named Ann(e) Rice in his book.
- HAHAHAHAHA, and her brother's name is Jerry. Jerry Rice.
- Good Lord, they describe the D. A. as a despicable human being just because she has the nerve to be physically unattractive.
- The hotshot lawyer's (Pike's words) opening statement boils down to him basically snap-pointing at the jury and saying "Maybe she didn't do it!"
- There are two HARD drug use references in the prologue. Let's just let those tweens know what they're getting into right up front.
- Hotshot lawyer is a public defender, which is why I find the amount of legwork he did on this case to be completely insane. On-site visits, knocking on the doors of witnesses and talking to them casually, performing illegal searches and seizures. Sharon is getting the real Michael Petersen treatment here, for free.
- Maybe when I was a teen this didn't bother me as much, but I can't tell you how uncomfortable it is to read two teens trying to drop sexual innuendo on each other for 4 straight paragraphs. I mean, to express sexual frustration, Sharon complains that even male mosquitoes won't bite her chest. WOW, dude.
- Quote "His voice was as weak as an owl with laryngitis..." WHAT? Why not a caterpillar with laryngitis? A Madagascar day gecko? Owls are pretty resonant to begin with, so I have no idea how weak or not-weak this character sounds right now. Pike, help me out here!
-I can't help but feel that Pike was lazy about his character name choices: Ann, Sharon, Jerry, Paul, Chad, John...
- PLOT UPDATE: We now know that Ann wasn't murdered, but instead planned to throw herself off the cliff all along to frame Sharon for her murder. Why? Because Jerry (Rice) killed himself last summer, and Ann blames Sharon for the suicide (long dumb story). Since she can't prove her suspicion, she'll stage her own death, effectively sending Sharon up the river one way or the other.
-Ann has this whole thing planned. She wears a harness under her clothes, and stashes a rope up at the top of the cliff. She specifically takes a walk with Sharon on a moonless night while the guys stay back at the campfire. Ann yells "DON'T!" before hurling herself over the side. Criminal mastermind?
- So, look, Pike comes off as a bit of a goober when he's writing dialog, but I have to hand it to him... the scene of Ann jumping off the cliff was some genuinely good writing. There. Gold star.
- As courtroom procedurals go, this book is especially egregious. Hotshot responds to the D.A.'s objection by yelling "Shut up!" at her, before badgering a witness - who has no legal representation - into confessing something he isn't on trial for.
- To keep the titillation meter pegged, the public defender is now implying that Sharon should pay him in... certain favors. I suppose teens weren't supposed to know that defendants don't pay public defenders at all.
- Back to Ann's daring plan. You guys, it's BONKERS! When I first read that she was jumping off a cliff with a rope tied to her, I figured she'd be going down about 25 feet and dangling for a while before sneaking away. NOPE!
- She got a running start, leapt into nothingness, and let 450 feet of rope spool out behind her before snapping to a dead stop. This young woman would be toothpaste in a jacket at this point.
- Also, what kind of ship cordage did she use to withstand that kind of snapping strain? And did she carry that massive weight to the top?
- There's a throwaway line here meant to prove how tough Ann is. "She routinely refused Novocaine when getting fillings." Like, holy crap, which Little Shop of Horrors dentist is on board with THAT plan? Which insurance company will roll with an adult practitioner drilling a child's teeth without pain management? And where are her parents? Off to the side boiling water behind their covered wagon and pouring her two fingers of rye?
- She's not done falling yet guys! She switches ropes, falls another 50 feet, then lands in only 10 feet of water. You can't even go off a diving board elevated 24 inches off a pool deck without the water being 12 feet deep, so again, I am assuming Ann's already shattered body has now been fully atomized.
- Now she's talking about winding up 500 feet of wet rope and carrying it to her car!
- Yes, I'm having way too much fun fact-checking a 28-year-old teen paperback.
- So, Pike did at least make her injured somewhat after her fall. She's bleeding badly from her head and has a broken arm.
- Another quote "She must not weigh as much without her blood." Let's be generous here and say she lost 3 pints. That's a difference of three pounds. Easily made up by the drowning weight of her clothes, the harness, and her down jacket which have all been waterlogged after her plunge.
-Oh man, the twist has arrived! Jerry (Rice) didn't kill himself after all! It was this obsessed stalker who did it. And he did it all because he's in love with Ann. And now Ann realizes she's about to frame her best friend for murder for no reason, but she can't warn Sharon, because the stalker has her trapped on a rope bridge with a knife.
- The metaphor of the book right here, folks: "She felt as if the man in the moon was putting out his cigar between her eyes." Pike, where do you come up with these wonderfully zany analogies? Have we reached the poetry coffee house portion of the book?
- Yadda, yadda, yadda, time passes, Sharon is acquitted, innocent dude is arrested, and crazy stalker takes Sharon on a romantic walk to the SITE WHERE HER BEST FRIEND ACTUALLY DIED.
- Yep, Ann's dead for real, crazy stalker guy did it, Sharon finds the body, and now the chase is on.
- I feel like Pike's publisher gave him permission to use 10 curse words in the book, and he's cashing them all in for the finale.
-Sharon and stalker make it to the top of the same cliff, stalker tries to push Sharon, but she lowers herself down onto a ledge below. There's a fight, they both almost fall several times, and finally the crazy stalker proves his craziness by jumping to his death, leaving an eerily familiar crime scene behind.
- Next scene: Sharon is in the back of a police car again, this time going up for the murder of the stalker. The cops think she's a serial killer, and the book ends with her wondering what kind of rapey situation she'll find herself in with her - again - public defender who wishes to be paid in sex.
THE END!
I guess I should come up with a rating system... I'm going to give this book 3 screaming skulls out of five. The scene of Ann jumping gets two skulls on its own, and the 20-gambit pileup at the twist where Ann and stalker both come to realize their respective insanities gets the other skull.
Two skulls taken away for the ending which I'm pretty damn sure was lifted wholesale from one of the lazier Twilight Zone episodes.
Also, I seem to recall Christopher Pike enjoying the downer ending. I wonder if I'm in for more.
FALL INTO DARKNESS
- This is the story of Sharon, a teen on trial for the murder of her best friend, Ann. It seems that Sharon pushed Ann off a cliff, even though there are no eyewitnesses, no physical evidence, and most importantly, no body. So... real strong case for the D.A. here.
- Ann's last name is Rice. Ann Rice. A horror author seemingly unironically killed a woman named Ann(e) Rice in his book.
- HAHAHAHAHA, and her brother's name is Jerry. Jerry Rice.
- Good Lord, they describe the D. A. as a despicable human being just because she has the nerve to be physically unattractive.
- The hotshot lawyer's (Pike's words) opening statement boils down to him basically snap-pointing at the jury and saying "Maybe she didn't do it!"
- There are two HARD drug use references in the prologue. Let's just let those tweens know what they're getting into right up front.
- Hotshot lawyer is a public defender, which is why I find the amount of legwork he did on this case to be completely insane. On-site visits, knocking on the doors of witnesses and talking to them casually, performing illegal searches and seizures. Sharon is getting the real Michael Petersen treatment here, for free.
- Maybe when I was a teen this didn't bother me as much, but I can't tell you how uncomfortable it is to read two teens trying to drop sexual innuendo on each other for 4 straight paragraphs. I mean, to express sexual frustration, Sharon complains that even male mosquitoes won't bite her chest. WOW, dude.
- Quote "His voice was as weak as an owl with laryngitis..." WHAT? Why not a caterpillar with laryngitis? A Madagascar day gecko? Owls are pretty resonant to begin with, so I have no idea how weak or not-weak this character sounds right now. Pike, help me out here!
-I can't help but feel that Pike was lazy about his character name choices: Ann, Sharon, Jerry, Paul, Chad, John...
- PLOT UPDATE: We now know that Ann wasn't murdered, but instead planned to throw herself off the cliff all along to frame Sharon for her murder. Why? Because Jerry (Rice) killed himself last summer, and Ann blames Sharon for the suicide (long dumb story). Since she can't prove her suspicion, she'll stage her own death, effectively sending Sharon up the river one way or the other.
-Ann has this whole thing planned. She wears a harness under her clothes, and stashes a rope up at the top of the cliff. She specifically takes a walk with Sharon on a moonless night while the guys stay back at the campfire. Ann yells "DON'T!" before hurling herself over the side. Criminal mastermind?
- So, look, Pike comes off as a bit of a goober when he's writing dialog, but I have to hand it to him... the scene of Ann jumping off the cliff was some genuinely good writing. There. Gold star.
- As courtroom procedurals go, this book is especially egregious. Hotshot responds to the D.A.'s objection by yelling "Shut up!" at her, before badgering a witness - who has no legal representation - into confessing something he isn't on trial for.
- To keep the titillation meter pegged, the public defender is now implying that Sharon should pay him in... certain favors. I suppose teens weren't supposed to know that defendants don't pay public defenders at all.
- Back to Ann's daring plan. You guys, it's BONKERS! When I first read that she was jumping off a cliff with a rope tied to her, I figured she'd be going down about 25 feet and dangling for a while before sneaking away. NOPE!
- She got a running start, leapt into nothingness, and let 450 feet of rope spool out behind her before snapping to a dead stop. This young woman would be toothpaste in a jacket at this point.
- Also, what kind of ship cordage did she use to withstand that kind of snapping strain? And did she carry that massive weight to the top?
- There's a throwaway line here meant to prove how tough Ann is. "She routinely refused Novocaine when getting fillings." Like, holy crap, which Little Shop of Horrors dentist is on board with THAT plan? Which insurance company will roll with an adult practitioner drilling a child's teeth without pain management? And where are her parents? Off to the side boiling water behind their covered wagon and pouring her two fingers of rye?
- She's not done falling yet guys! She switches ropes, falls another 50 feet, then lands in only 10 feet of water. You can't even go off a diving board elevated 24 inches off a pool deck without the water being 12 feet deep, so again, I am assuming Ann's already shattered body has now been fully atomized.
- Now she's talking about winding up 500 feet of wet rope and carrying it to her car!
- Yes, I'm having way too much fun fact-checking a 28-year-old teen paperback.
- So, Pike did at least make her injured somewhat after her fall. She's bleeding badly from her head and has a broken arm.
- Another quote "She must not weigh as much without her blood." Let's be generous here and say she lost 3 pints. That's a difference of three pounds. Easily made up by the drowning weight of her clothes, the harness, and her down jacket which have all been waterlogged after her plunge.
-Oh man, the twist has arrived! Jerry (Rice) didn't kill himself after all! It was this obsessed stalker who did it. And he did it all because he's in love with Ann. And now Ann realizes she's about to frame her best friend for murder for no reason, but she can't warn Sharon, because the stalker has her trapped on a rope bridge with a knife.
- The metaphor of the book right here, folks: "She felt as if the man in the moon was putting out his cigar between her eyes." Pike, where do you come up with these wonderfully zany analogies? Have we reached the poetry coffee house portion of the book?
- Yadda, yadda, yadda, time passes, Sharon is acquitted, innocent dude is arrested, and crazy stalker takes Sharon on a romantic walk to the SITE WHERE HER BEST FRIEND ACTUALLY DIED.
- Yep, Ann's dead for real, crazy stalker guy did it, Sharon finds the body, and now the chase is on.
- I feel like Pike's publisher gave him permission to use 10 curse words in the book, and he's cashing them all in for the finale.
-Sharon and stalker make it to the top of the same cliff, stalker tries to push Sharon, but she lowers herself down onto a ledge below. There's a fight, they both almost fall several times, and finally the crazy stalker proves his craziness by jumping to his death, leaving an eerily familiar crime scene behind.
- Next scene: Sharon is in the back of a police car again, this time going up for the murder of the stalker. The cops think she's a serial killer, and the book ends with her wondering what kind of rapey situation she'll find herself in with her - again - public defender who wishes to be paid in sex.
THE END!
I guess I should come up with a rating system... I'm going to give this book 3 screaming skulls out of five. The scene of Ann jumping gets two skulls on its own, and the 20-gambit pileup at the twist where Ann and stalker both come to realize their respective insanities gets the other skull.
Two skulls taken away for the ending which I'm pretty damn sure was lifted wholesale from one of the lazier Twilight Zone episodes.
Also, I seem to recall Christopher Pike enjoying the downer ending. I wonder if I'm in for more.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
July 29, 2024
Was für eine abstruse Story! Pike will den Leser nicht mit Charakteren und glaubwürdigen Motiven überzeugen, sondern häuft Schippe um Schippe immer abgedrehterer B-Thriller-Elemente aufeinander. Es geht um Atemlosigkeit und Spannung, und obwohl der Roman nichts anderes zu bieten hat, hat er mich doch so gefesselt, dass ich ihn durchgelesen habe. Das lag auch daran, dass sich FiD sehr schnell liest und nur 220 Seiten hat.
Fastfood Suspense-Futter, kann man zwischendurch mal lesen. Muss man ja nicht weitererzählen ... 😂
Fastfood Suspense-Futter, kann man zwischendurch mal lesen. Muss man ja nicht weitererzählen ... 😂
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September 21, 2021ADULT VERDICT: Just under 2 stars.
Teen mystery/thriller with a possible murder and a twist or two. Not without some entertainment value, even though suspension of disbelief was impossible for me. The dialogue was especially atrocious.
CONS: Laughably unrealistic everything: character dialogue, actions, reasoning, motivations, and reactions. Also, in this universe, apparently teenagers have no parents.
PROS (I'm digging here): published ~1990; story contains no social media, cell phones, or pandemics.
Teen mystery/thriller with a possible murder and a twist or two. Not without some entertainment value, even though suspension of disbelief was impossible for me. The dialogue was especially atrocious.
CONS: Laughably unrealistic everything: character dialogue, actions, reasoning, motivations, and reactions. Also, in this universe, apparently teenagers have no parents.
PROS (I'm digging here): published ~1990; story contains no social media, cell phones, or pandemics.
April 4, 2023
Ann Rice is dead. Her best friend, Sharon McKay, is on trial for her murder. Nobody saw Sharon push Ann over the cliff. Their friends only heard them arguing, before Ann shouted, “Don’t!” and screamed as she fell. Sharon insists she must have committed suicide, but the truth is far more twisted. Trigger warnings: character death, dead body (on page), suicide, severe injury, violence, guns/knives, eye horror, blood, police.
Rereading books I read in high school is always such a ride. I remembered the overall premise of this book but little else about it, including the end. After reading it again, it’s pretty clear to me why that happened, since the premise is the strongest thing about it. There’s something so compelling about Ann’s revenge plot, and I enjoyed the way Pike set it up as a back and forth of court room scenes and the actual night to maximize the suspense. Sharon’s lawyer is less a character than a funny, useful device for delivering plot twists, and it works.
Pike does a nice job setting up Sharon and Ann’s friendship and motivations. Despite the extremeness of Ann’s plan, I always felt like I knew exactly why she was doing what she did, and it makes it easier to suspend disbelief. Unfortunately, this isn’t the case for the real villain of the novel. The book hangs on to that surprise for so long that, not only did I not remember who it was, I had no idea why they were doing any of the totally bonkers things they were doing. Well-developed villains are imperative in horror/thrillers for me, but it’s a fun ride overall, if a bit silly by the end.
I review regularly at brightbeautifulthings.tumblr.com.
Rereading books I read in high school is always such a ride. I remembered the overall premise of this book but little else about it, including the end. After reading it again, it’s pretty clear to me why that happened, since the premise is the strongest thing about it. There’s something so compelling about Ann’s revenge plot, and I enjoyed the way Pike set it up as a back and forth of court room scenes and the actual night to maximize the suspense. Sharon’s lawyer is less a character than a funny, useful device for delivering plot twists, and it works.
Pike does a nice job setting up Sharon and Ann’s friendship and motivations. Despite the extremeness of Ann’s plan, I always felt like I knew exactly why she was doing what she did, and it makes it easier to suspend disbelief. Unfortunately, this isn’t the case for the real villain of the novel. The book hangs on to that surprise for so long that, not only did I not remember who it was, I had no idea why they were doing any of the totally bonkers things they were doing. Well-developed villains are imperative in horror/thrillers for me, but it’s a fun ride overall, if a bit silly by the end.
I review regularly at brightbeautifulthings.tumblr.com.
August 17, 2014
It's the trial of Shannon Mckay vs the state in the death of one Anne Rice. Shannon is being accused of pushing Anne off the side of a cliff while out camping with friends. The only "ear" witness account of the incident are from her friends who heard Anne scream "DON'T" just before she went over. In FALL INTO DARKNESS, we recount the events that led up to Anne's apparent homicide. With the help of Shannon's quick witted (and questionably predator like qualities; this observation has nothing to do with the plot, he's just a bit douchey in his arrogance)lawyer, she hopes against all odds that the courts will see that Shannon had no motive or ill will towards Anne, her best friend. But exactly what Anne felt for Shannon, is not of the same affection. Desperately trying to convince, the jury, her friends, and the judge of her innocence, Shannon must put ALL the pieces together of her friendship with Anne and their past.
LOVED this book too! I liked that the book goes back and forth from the perspective of Anne and Shannon as well as flash forwards to the happenings in the court room as she stands trial. PIKE is still awesome and despite these characters usually never going over the age of 18, he has a superb voice for the genre that surpasses the Young Adult subgenre.
LOVED this book too! I liked that the book goes back and forth from the perspective of Anne and Shannon as well as flash forwards to the happenings in the court room as she stands trial. PIKE is still awesome and despite these characters usually never going over the age of 18, he has a superb voice for the genre that surpasses the Young Adult subgenre.
December 30, 2023
Honestly though. I’m not sure who the hell is gonna risk their life for such a stupid elaborate dangerous setup, but I guess teenage revenge knows no boundaries 🤣🤣
This book contains:
Lots of rock climbing explanations: Really all you’ve ever wanted to know (or didn’t care to know) about how to do so safely. If you’ve read Pike’s book “Bury Me Deep”, he gives lengthy descriptions and how-tos for scuba diving as well, so I suppose he loves to teach us new things 😆😆
Lots of courtroom drama: Starring a hotshot cocksure lawyer who makes creepy sexual overtures at his teenage client/our protag. Eww!! Also Pike couldn’t resist referencing another one of his books in this book…while not mentioned by name, “Gimme a Kiss” is presented in the courtroom as evidence 😆😆
Lots of horndog teens: A Pike isn’t a Pike without them!! We get lines such as “Hey what about you? Tell me about your sex life” 🤣🤣🤣
This one was silly good ridiculous fun. Gotta watch the made-for-TV movie next!! 🙌
This book contains:
Lots of rock climbing explanations: Really all you’ve ever wanted to know (or didn’t care to know) about how to do so safely. If you’ve read Pike’s book “Bury Me Deep”, he gives lengthy descriptions and how-tos for scuba diving as well, so I suppose he loves to teach us new things 😆😆
Lots of courtroom drama: Starring a hotshot cocksure lawyer who makes creepy sexual overtures at his teenage client/our protag. Eww!! Also Pike couldn’t resist referencing another one of his books in this book…while not mentioned by name, “Gimme a Kiss” is presented in the courtroom as evidence 😆😆
Lots of horndog teens: A Pike isn’t a Pike without them!! We get lines such as “Hey what about you? Tell me about your sex life” 🤣🤣🤣
This one was silly good ridiculous fun. Gotta watch the made-for-TV movie next!! 🙌
May 8, 2020
3.5 stars
I'm not a big fan of courtroom dramas, but for Christopher Pike it was an interesting setting and a great way to kick off this multiple murder mystery. The trial is just one timeline, as Pike also delves into the past, into a Utah-set camping trip gone wrong when Ann Rice disappears over a cliff-edge and into a 500-foot drop.
Fall into Darkness bears Pike's signature 90s teen dialogue, highly sexualized, equal parts serious, joking and insightful, and also his signature twist-on-a-twist that dips just slightly into the supernatural.
I hadn't read this one in the past, and it was a lot of fun.
I'm not a big fan of courtroom dramas, but for Christopher Pike it was an interesting setting and a great way to kick off this multiple murder mystery. The trial is just one timeline, as Pike also delves into the past, into a Utah-set camping trip gone wrong when Ann Rice disappears over a cliff-edge and into a 500-foot drop.
Fall into Darkness bears Pike's signature 90s teen dialogue, highly sexualized, equal parts serious, joking and insightful, and also his signature twist-on-a-twist that dips just slightly into the supernatural.
I hadn't read this one in the past, and it was a lot of fun.
August 21, 2014
I probably read this book 20 times when I was a young teen. Christopher Pike was one of my absolute FAVORITE authors and this book was one of my all time favorites of his. I had no clue what was going to happen and couldn't figure out who the real murderer actually was. That last scene had me on pins and needles, something I always loved about his writing. SO good.
March 6, 2025
Reread from my youth. My first introduction into why I believe murder books are the only books.
September 9, 2020
Christopher Pike is great at twisted plots, and Fall Into Darkness more than delivers on that front. It kept me guessing until about halfway through. I was indifferent to the courtroom drama and creepy lawyer aspect of it. My favorite scenes were the ones from Ann’s perspective. I think he really nailed an archetype with Chad’s “nice guy” character. There was nothing too supernatural or weird about it, which I suppose is what made it easy to adapt to a made-for-TV movie. The second half of the book lost some steam once the central mystery of “that night” was unearthed. I guess you could say I liked but didn’t love this book. When it comes to Pike, I prefer the weird. Despite its twists, Fall Into Darkness didn’t show me anything I hadn’t seen before.
Score: 3
Full blog review with spoilers, plus a bullet review of the movie adaptation:
https://www.danstalter.com/fall-into-...
Score: 3
Full blog review with spoilers, plus a bullet review of the movie adaptation:
https://www.danstalter.com/fall-into-...
November 26, 2021
-Spoilers-
So the end was very bleak. It turns out the real monster is misogyny. The killer killed to basically own the woman he loved. There is a Cop who (for no reason)hates the main character, and assumes she’s the killer of the actual murderer. So the main character is arrested twice for murders she didn’t commit! It ends with her realizing she’ll probably have to sleep with her lawyer. Yeah, the lawyer who proved her innocence originally. He is known for making women pay for his services with sex and, she is out of funds after the first trial.
A decent plot and more cohesive than prior pike stories. Just a very frustrating finish.
So the end was very bleak. It turns out the real monster is misogyny. The killer killed to basically own the woman he loved. There is a Cop who (for no reason)hates the main character, and assumes she’s the killer of the actual murderer. So the main character is arrested twice for murders she didn’t commit! It ends with her realizing she’ll probably have to sleep with her lawyer. Yeah, the lawyer who proved her innocence originally. He is known for making women pay for his services with sex and, she is out of funds after the first trial.
A decent plot and more cohesive than prior pike stories. Just a very frustrating finish.
October 19, 2014
UMMMM THIS WAS SO ENTERTAINING AND RIDICULOUS AND ACTUALLY MADE MY PALMS SWEAT. I was juuuuust too young to really enjoy Christopher Pike books when I was a kid going through my thriller/horror phase, thus all the Fear Street books. But it was nice to return to this and actually enjoy it even from an adult perspective (kind of like how you'd enjoy a soap opera), which is tough to do with most books one reads as a child.
July 26, 2015
This was my favorite Christopher Pike book as a young teenager. I reread it recently (along with Gimme A Kiss, Scavenger Hunt, Chain Letter, Remember Me, Slumber Party and Spellbound) when I rescued a box of books my Mom kept for me. It was a fun week, by no means intellectually challenging, but fun.
February 17, 2022
Between Valentine's Day, Super Bowl Sunday and a close to terrible two year old...I'm surprised I finally finished Fall Into Darkness!
I missed this one Christopher Pike book a long time ago and I don't remember watching the NBC movie of the week version of it around 1996 so I went into the book completely blind except for the information on the back.
Sharon McKay is on trial for the murder of her friend Ann Rice (I wonder if that was a purposefully done homage by Pike?) accused of pushing her off a 500ft cliff. Sharon's boyfriend Fred Banda, Ann's fiancé Paul Lear and his half brother Chad say they heard Ann scream "Don't!", that the girls fought, but Sharon insists it wasn't so.
The year before, Ann's brother Jerry killed himself...did his death become too much for Ann? Was this the only way to end her pain? The darkness eats at everyone involved but who will be the one to actually take...the final fall?
I like how we kind of go back and forth to how we got here and learn the truth after every swerving twist and turn. There's a nice shoutout to another Pike novel in the pages (one I have yet to read but I still won't spoil it here) and the simplicity of no supernatural or other-worldly element is nice yet still thrilling.
I like the complex web of human relationships Pike weaves: love, hate, pain, loss, revenge and letting go. For awhile, I couldn't ever tell who the real villain was and I realize that it was actually just life. Humans committed heinous acts in the book and I don't defend who the monster really is and it gives the ending such a truly depressing not even bittersweet ending.
I recommend Fall Into Darkness if you haven't read it. If you by chance can find Fall Into Darkness on YouTube (which I'm curious about now after finishing the book...) I'd read the book first.
I know that it stars Sean Murray from NCIS, Tatyana Ali and the late Jonathan Brandis and knowing how Jonathan committed suicide at 27...I'd say my opinion is tragically on the nose.
I missed this one Christopher Pike book a long time ago and I don't remember watching the NBC movie of the week version of it around 1996 so I went into the book completely blind except for the information on the back.
Sharon McKay is on trial for the murder of her friend Ann Rice (I wonder if that was a purposefully done homage by Pike?) accused of pushing her off a 500ft cliff. Sharon's boyfriend Fred Banda, Ann's fiancé Paul Lear and his half brother Chad say they heard Ann scream "Don't!", that the girls fought, but Sharon insists it wasn't so.
The year before, Ann's brother Jerry killed himself...did his death become too much for Ann? Was this the only way to end her pain? The darkness eats at everyone involved but who will be the one to actually take...the final fall?
I like how we kind of go back and forth to how we got here and learn the truth after every swerving twist and turn. There's a nice shoutout to another Pike novel in the pages (one I have yet to read but I still won't spoil it here) and the simplicity of no supernatural or other-worldly element is nice yet still thrilling.
I like the complex web of human relationships Pike weaves: love, hate, pain, loss, revenge and letting go. For awhile, I couldn't ever tell who the real villain was and I realize that it was actually just life. Humans committed heinous acts in the book and I don't defend who the monster really is and it gives the ending such a truly depressing not even bittersweet ending.
I recommend Fall Into Darkness if you haven't read it. If you by chance can find Fall Into Darkness on YouTube (which I'm curious about now after finishing the book...) I'd read the book first.
I know that it stars Sean Murray from NCIS, Tatyana Ali and the late Jonathan Brandis and knowing how Jonathan committed suicide at 27...I'd say my opinion is tragically on the nose.
May 11, 2023
Sharon has everything going for her. Until her best friend fakes her death, and Sharon gets blamed for it!
In my opinion this was just eh. Okay. It was like a 2.5 stars, rounded up to 3 to be nice. It really dragged in boring aspects of the book that didn't need to drag so much, and then in good parts, it really was sped up too much and felt rushed. Overall it just didn't feel like a good balance, and I was pretty disappointed with the the end result.
There were also some big misses and I feel that if the author had really thought it through he would have noticed that. For instance Also
I remember loving Christopher Pike in my early teens, but this just didn't hit the spot like I was hoping it would.
In my opinion this was just eh. Okay. It was like a 2.5 stars, rounded up to 3 to be nice. It really dragged in boring aspects of the book that didn't need to drag so much, and then in good parts, it really was sped up too much and felt rushed. Overall it just didn't feel like a good balance, and I was pretty disappointed with the the end result.
There were also some big misses and I feel that if the author had really thought it through he would have noticed that. For instance Also
I remember loving Christopher Pike in my early teens, but this just didn't hit the spot like I was hoping it would.
March 26, 2019
I haven't read a Christopher Pike book since I was in high school in the 90's. I wanted to pick one up for nostalgia sake and didn't expect to love it. But I thoroughly enjoyed myself reading this. The book was fast paced with plenty of twists. I loved the way we followed both the court proceedings in the present and the camping trip in the past where the tragedy occurred. The only reason I gave it 4 stars was that towards the end it got pretty ridiculous and also the rock climbing elements seemed to be physically impossible. I will be reading more of his books though to revisit my middle school favorites now that I enjoyed this one so much.
February 28, 2021
I had read this one for the first time as a teenager and I decided to read it again. Christopher Pike does not disappoint. This was a fast paced and engaging story. Even though the author revealed parts of the mystery a little too soon, there were other parts that were saved for later. I do think he still revealed things a bit too early, but it didn't take away from my enjoyment of the story.
February 21, 2021
This was an indulgent reread, revisiting my teenage years. Not great writing, but I enjoy the little escape.
May 9, 2025
Girl hatches stupid plan to frame her best friend for her murder and ends up dead for real. So, a top contender for the most normal plot Pike has ever come up with.
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