Review: The Wave

Title: The Wave

Author: Todd Strasser

Release Date: October 1^st, 1981

Series: None

Number of Pages: 138

Publisher: Ramdom House

Source: Bought

The Wave is based on a true incident that occured in a high school history class in Palo Alto, California, in 1969.

The powerful forces of group pressure that pervaded many historic movements such as Nazism are recreated in the classroom when history teacher Burt Ross introduces a "new" system to his students. And before long "The Wave," with its rules of "strength through discipline, community, and action, " sweeps from the classroom through the entire school. And as most of the students join the movement, Laurie Saunders and David Collins recognize the frightening momentum of "The Wave" and realize they must stop it before it's too late. 

The main reason I bought this book is because I saw the movie based on this book last year and I completely loved it. The main thing that really hit me after reading it is that it could have been so much longer, to really make us feel the how deep the students were into this group.

The book is based on real event, as crazy as it sounds. For once, I really preferred the movie to the book. There is something in seeing it that makes it even more powerful. I also like that the movie take place in the 21^st century, which makes us realize that it could still happen today. (People tend to think that they are to smart to fall for that. The book shows the opposite.)

I wish I could have known more about the characters. Everything felt a little superficial.

I would recommend the movie before the book, because it was amazing to me. Loved it. Here’s the trailer of the German movie, if you want to check it out!

Review: Wish You Were Dead

Title: Wish You Were Dead

Author: Todd Strasser

Release Date: October 13^th, 2009

Series: “Thrill”-ogy

Number of Pages: 236

Publisher: Egmont USA

Source: Bought

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Str-S-d:

I’ll begin with Lucy. She is definitely first on the list. You can’t believe how it feels to be in the cafeteria and turn around and there she is staring at me like I’m some disgusting bug or vermin. Does she really think I WANT to be this way? I hate you, Lucy. I really hate you. You are my #1 pick. I wish you were dead.

The day after anonymous blogger Str-S-d wishes the popular girl would die, Lucy vanishes. The students of Soundview High are scared and worried. Especially frightened and wracked with guilt is Madison Archer, Lucy’s friend and the last person to see her the night she disappeared.

As days pass with no sign of the missing girl, even the attention of Tyler, an attractive new student, is not enough to distract Madison from her growing sense of foreboding. When two more popular students disappear after their names are mentioned on Str-S-d’s blog, the residents of Soundview panic.

Meanwhile, Madison receives anonymous notes warning that she could be next. Desperate to solve the mystery before anyone else disappears, Madison turns to Tyler, but can she trust him when it becomes clear that he knows more than he’s sharing?

The clock is ticking. Madison must uncover the truth behind the mysterious disappearances . . . before her name appears in Str-S-d’s blog.

In the spirit of stories like I Know What You Did Last Summer, Todd Strasser updates the teen thriller for the techno age with Wish You Were Dead, the first installment in a new “thrill”-ogy.

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I picked up this book on a whim, simply because the cover made me curious. I hadn’t really heard about Wish Your Were Dead, but I knew that Todd Strasser had written The Wave, a book that I had heard so many great things about (and also I’ve seen the German movie based on it… Loved it..)

The story caught me off guard at first. I wasn’t really sure at first, with the three kind of point of view (Blogger, Madison, and the killer) Yet, once I got in the story, I was captivated. You want to understand who is behind all that. You want to know what will happen to the kidnapped teenagers. Then, the ending is just perfect. Not too happy, not too horrible, just perfect.

The characters were great. I liked Madison. She was a nice character most of the time, but she was still nicer than most other popular characters. Courtney annoyed the crap out of me. She was just too superficial most of the time. I liked Tyler. He was just awesome. I want more from him. I want to see him more. He made me curious. I wasn’t sure what to expect.

The writing was good. I really want to read more from him. I have to get The Wave. Soon…

I would give it a 3.5/5, because I enjoyed it. Still, it is not the best thriller I have ever read.