Bury Me Deep by Christopher Pike - Book Review
Release: January 8, 1991
Format: Paperback
Publisher: Pocket Books
Source: Amazon
Rating: 2 out of 5 stars
Synopsis: Jean flies to Hawaii for a week of fun, but a boy beside her dies during the flight.
Haunted by bloody dreams, Jean struggles to forget the gruesome incident.
In Hawaii, she reunites with friends Mandy and Michele, who have met scuba instructors Dave and Johnny.
Jean quickly befriends Johnny, while strange events threaten their island getaway.
Dave and Johnny recently lost a diving partner, whose body vanished without explanation.
Then Jean discovers Mike’s body—somehow moved, and seemingly still alive.
Goodreads
Amazon
About the Author Christopher Pike: Christopher Pike author biography
Christopher Pike is the pseudonym of Kevin McFadden, a bestselling author of young adult and children’s thrillers.
Librarian note: Several authors in the Goodreads database share this name.
McFadden was born in New York and grew up in California, where he still lives.
After dropping out of college, he worked in factories, painted houses, and programmed computers.
His early attempts to write science fiction and adult mysteries were unsuccessful.
An editor suggested he try writing a teen thriller, launching his successful career.
His first hit, Slumber Party (1985), follows teenagers facing bizarre, violent events during a ski weekend.
He followed it with Weekend and Chain Letter.
All three books became bestsellers.
A Promising Start That Quickly Loses Its Way
Christopher Pike has been one of my favorite authors since childhood, so I genuinely hate giving Bury Me Deep such a low rating. Unfortunately, this was a rather disappointing read that felt all over the place.
What Works:
The book starts on an intriguing note when Jean meets Mike during a flight and experiences a strange incident that leaves her shaken. It was an effective way to draw me into the story, and I initially had high hopes for the mystery that would follow.
While reading the book, I also liked Mandy and Mike, and found Michele interesting to an extent. Unfortunately, these characters don't get enough page time to make the most of their potential.
One thing I appreciated was Pike's inclusion of scuba-diving details. Although I've never tried the sport myself, I learned quite a bit about it through the book. It's clear that some effort went into explaining the activity and its safety precautions.
What Falls Short:
Unfortunately, once Jean reaches Hawaii, the pacing takes a serious nosedive. The scuba-diving explanations, while informative, become excessive, with an entire chapter seemingly devoted to the dos and don'ts of the sport. Considering the book has only thirteen chapters, this felt particularly unnecessary and took precious space away from the actual mystery.
The plot also feels increasingly directionless, with random nightmares thrown in to manufacture suspense. The ketchup-tub incident, in particular, struck me as ridiculous rather than frightening.
My biggest issue, however, was how easily Jean's hunches lead her towards solving the mystery. The story relies heavily on her dreams and intuition, without enough convincing investigation or groundwork to make her conclusions feel earned. As a result, several developments felt difficult to believe.
Verdict:
Bury Me Deep had an intriguing beginning, but the uneven pacing, unnecessary detours, and implausible plot developments ultimately let it down. It's disappointing to say this about an author I grew up loving, but this certainly isn't one of my favorites and is unlikely to be a book I'll revisit.
Perfect for: Christopher Pike completists and readers curious about his lesser-known works, though I'd recommend starting elsewhere if you're new to the author.
Bury Me Deep
by Christopher Pike
Synopsis
"Jean flies to Hawaii for a week of fun, but a boy beside her dies during the flight.
Haunted by bloody dreams, Jean struggles to forget the gruesome incident.
In Hawaii, she reunites with friends Mandy and Michele, who have met scuba instructors Dave and Johnny.
Jean quickly befriends Johnny, while strange events threaten their island getaway.
Dave and Johnny recently lost a diving partner, whose body vanished without explanation.
Then Jean discovers Mike’s body—somehow moved, and seemingly still alive."
Release
January 8, 1991
Format
Paperback
Publisher
Pocket Books
Source
Amazon
About the Author
Christopher Pike
Christopher Pike author biography
Christopher Pike is the pseudonym of Kevin McFadden, a bestselling author of young adult and children’s thrillers.
Librarian note: Several authors in the Goodreads database share this name.
McFadden was born in New York and grew up in California, where he still lives.
After dropping out of college, he worked in factories, painted houses, and programmed computers.
His early attempts to write science fiction and adult mysteries were unsuccessful.
An editor suggested he try writing a teen thriller, launching his successful career.
His first hit, Slumber Party (1985), follows teenagers facing bizarre, violent events during a ski weekend.
He followed it with Weekend and Chain Letter.
All three books became bestsellers.
My Review
A Promising Start That Quickly Loses Its Way
Christopher Pike has been one of my favorite authors since childhood, so I genuinely hate giving Bury Me Deep such a low rating. Unfortunately, this was a rather disappointing read that felt all over the place.
What Works:
The book starts on an intriguing note when Jean meets Mike during a flight and experiences a strange incident that leaves her shaken. It was an effective way to draw me into the story, and I initially had high hopes for the mystery that would follow.
While reading the book, I also liked Mandy and Mike, and found Michele interesting to an extent. Unfortunately, these characters don’t get enough page time to make the most of their potential.
One thing I appreciated was Pike’s inclusion of scuba-diving details. Although I’ve never tried the sport myself, I learned quite a bit about it through the book. It’s clear that some effort went into explaining the activity and its safety precautions.
What Falls Short:
Unfortunately, once Jean reaches Hawaii, the pacing takes a serious nosedive. The scuba-diving explanations, while informative, become excessive, with an entire chapter seemingly devoted to the dos and don’ts of the sport. Considering the book has only thirteen chapters, this felt particularly unnecessary and took precious space away from the actual mystery.
The plot also feels increasingly directionless, with random nightmares thrown in to manufacture suspense. The ketchup-tub incident, in particular, struck me as ridiculous rather than frightening.
My biggest issue, however, was how easily Jean’s hunches lead her towards solving the mystery. The story relies heavily on her dreams and intuition, without enough convincing investigation or groundwork to make her conclusions feel earned. As a result, several developments felt difficult to believe.
Verdict:
Bury Me Deep had an intriguing beginning, but the uneven pacing, unnecessary detours, and implausible plot developments ultimately let it down. It’s disappointing to say this about an author I grew up loving, but this certainly isn’t one of my favorites and is unlikely to be a book I’ll revisit.
Perfect for: Christopher Pike completists and readers curious about his lesser-known works, though I’d recommend starting elsewhere if you’re new to the author.
