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Remember Me #3
The Last Story
Someone did not like Shari Cooper writing her stories. Shari Cooper had died once, and then returned to Earth as a Wanderer -- a soul who had been given permission to take the place of another soul in a mature body. Shari has regained her memory of her previous life. More than that she has realized her purpose in returning to mortal life -- to write stories for young people to help them understand the immortal life that is to follow. Her talent is inspired, her destiny great, and it is not long before Shari and her books are known all over the world.
Then one special night a story of incomparable beauty and mystery comes to her. An ancient tale that speaks of the origin of mankind and the purpose of human life. Quickly, almost in a fever, Shari begins to write it down, sure that it is nothing more than a wonderful fable. But what Shari doesn't know is that her new book is true -- a mystical blueprint that warns of a great danger to humanity from creatures who despise all human beings, but who have a unique and terrifying hatred for Wanderers. Creatures who will go to any length to stop Shari's story from being published.
Creatures who wait unseen outside Shari's door.
244 pages, Mass Market Paperback
First published February 1, 1995
About the author
Christopher Pike
238 books5,327 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 100 reviews
March 10, 2012
Oh, Christopher Pike, why didn't you just stick with book one and end it there? I honestly feel that aside from the characters of Shari and Peter, the last two books were completely different and not in a good way. The writing felt off the entire time and the dialogue didn't feel true to the characters anymore. Anyone could have said their lines and the characters started to become flat an uninteresting as time went on. On top of that, the entire meditation/spiritual thing of the book felt forced and uninteresting and this is coming from someone who believe that meditation is a powerful tool in life. However, it felt more like the author was just shoving that story line at us and saying "Accept it as awesome" and then writing, very blandly I might add, all about it. To further it, the short stories that were inserted throughout the last two novels were unnecessary. I wanted to read a book about Shari Cooper and Peter Nichols (sometimes Jacobs), not a book about Shari's short stories. Even when one of the main characters died, it was kind of like "oh, well that's too bad. Moving on." The entire novel was forced and the passion a writer should feel for his work was just not there.
I feel like Christopher Pike had a great thing with the first novel and then continued down hill after that. The series is worth the read, but if you do not want to be dissapointed, stick with book 1 and book one only.
I feel like Christopher Pike had a great thing with the first novel and then continued down hill after that. The series is worth the read, but if you do not want to be dissapointed, stick with book 1 and book one only.
March 25, 2018
Crap. Utter crap. Garbage. I feel like poking my own eyes out as punishment for wasting time reading this absolute nonsense. Jean/Shari is a totally unlikable person. Self involved, superficial, liar, cheat, skank. What was the point of the character Jacob? He was blind, not mentally challenged, yet his character acted like he was 9, not 17. She took him on the same ride in Disneyland 6 times and he wasn't able to figure out that it was EXACTLY the same each time JUST because he was blind? Good grief. Lenny/Peter...who cares; first of all, most paraplegics are still capable of having sex so it seemed quite unrealistic that he wasn't. But I guess that was the excuse the skank needed to ''almost'' cheat on him with Roger....another unlikable creep. At this point I am only half way through the book but I needed to start writing this review just to take a short break from reading this drek. Back soon. Oh, and the story within the story....I have no words....all I can say is that Sarteen's occasional yelling for no reason reminds me of poor, crazy Eddie Redmayne's character in Jupiter Ascending. And if she and Jean/Shari don't stop kissing every Tom, Dick, and Harry on the cheek or forehead...I don't know what I'm going to go...I didn't think it was possible to get worse...but it did. Fat nut job Bob the actor just lost his mind and then his life...by getting eaten by sharks. Yup, that happened. Ok, many pages later we find out that Bob wasn't really crazy...he was only gullible and let the actual nut job, Roger, talk him into ''playing a joke on Jean/Shari"...that ended with him being eaten by sharks. Ok. Only 47 more pages...I can do it...I can do it...I can't take it....the police got worried and let her have a phone call BECAUSE SHE YELLED THAT SHE WAS A BEST SELLING AUTHOR??????????? In WHAT universe would that happen? None. That's what. I hate this book so much. The level of stupidity is exhausting me. 17 pages to go. Finally. It is finished. Going back to the earlier comment about Jean/Shari being self involved....I'm sure it really did her mother a whole LOT of good to go to her house and DIE in her daughter's bed. That must have made her feel MUCH better about losing her daughter. Much much better. I'm also really happy that Jean/Shari's original mission, to get to be alive again in order to help the Hispanic community was so successful. NOT.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
September 28, 2013
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There is nothing more that needs to be said.
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no
There is nothing more that needs to be said.
October 24, 2014
I was disappointed, Christopher Pike. -_-
First of all, I've got a lot of expectations for the end of this series. I expected everything to be solved, to be finished, everyone to be happy and fucking satisfied.
They probably did, the characters, I mean. But I obviously wasn't.
Why?
WHY?!
One - I hate the fact that SHARI COOPER succumbed to temptation (almost, really), just because Peter can't have sex.
Two - I hate the fact that SHARI COOPER took hold of Jean Rodrigues' life completely. I mean, I get it. She came back from the dead in a different body, but what the hell, Jean Rodrigues is still living inside of her. It was as if she forget where Jean really came from, her mother, even her best friend and what happened about her dream of making every Hispanics proud? Of restoring her community? She changed her name to Shari Cooper, she was known as Shari Cooper. That is obviously not Hispanic.
I can't believe Shari can be that selfish. Did she not learn anything when she died?
Three - I hate the fact that there were actually non-existent moments of her and Peter. Okay, there were some, but that was after Shari succumbed to temptation and realized that Peter is her actual and only one true love forever ever till death part them .
Four - I think it's better if Pike added a few scenes of Jimmy and Jean. I mean, they were very close. What happened to best sister anyone could ever have?
Five - Daniel? Bethy? Amanda? What happened to them? Give me closure, please. It was as if they didn't exist in book one.
Six - I HATE ROGER. HATE HIM HATE HIM HATE HIM. I know it's a given that everyone should hate him considering he's the antagonist, I just wanted to write that. I'm still fuming.
Seven - WHY DID GARRETT DIE?! Why did you let him die?! One moment he was there, the next thing he's gone, head splattered into the concrete floor, my goodness. I feel bad for her daughter. What would happen to her now, huh?! Go back to drugs?
I sometimes think this book was made in a rush. This was only made so that the series could be called a trilogy. It did not give me any answers whatsoever. It only made me more confused. I NEED A BETTER ENDING!!!!!!!!!!!!!
First of all, I've got a lot of expectations for the end of this series. I expected everything to be solved, to be finished, everyone to be happy and fucking satisfied.
They probably did, the characters, I mean. But I obviously wasn't.
Why?
WHY?!
One - I hate the fact that SHARI COOPER succumbed to temptation (almost, really), just because Peter can't have sex.
Two - I hate the fact that SHARI COOPER took hold of Jean Rodrigues' life completely. I mean, I get it. She came back from the dead in a different body, but what the hell, Jean Rodrigues is still living inside of her. It was as if she forget where Jean really came from, her mother, even her best friend and what happened about her dream of making every Hispanics proud? Of restoring her community? She changed her name to Shari Cooper, she was known as Shari Cooper. That is obviously not Hispanic.
I can't believe Shari can be that selfish. Did she not learn anything when she died?
Three - I hate the fact that there were actually non-existent moments of her and Peter. Okay, there were some, but that was after Shari succumbed to temptation and realized that Peter is her actual and only one true love forever ever till death part them .
Four - I think it's better if Pike added a few scenes of Jimmy and Jean. I mean, they were very close. What happened to best sister anyone could ever have?
Five - Daniel? Bethy? Amanda? What happened to them? Give me closure, please. It was as if they didn't exist in book one.
Six - I HATE ROGER. HATE HIM HATE HIM HATE HIM. I know it's a given that everyone should hate him considering he's the antagonist, I just wanted to write that. I'm still fuming.
Seven - WHY DID GARRETT DIE?! Why did you let him die?! One moment he was there, the next thing he's gone, head splattered into the concrete floor, my goodness. I feel bad for her daughter. What would happen to her now, huh?! Go back to drugs?
I sometimes think this book was made in a rush. This was only made so that the series could be called a trilogy. It did not give me any answers whatsoever. It only made me more confused. I NEED A BETTER ENDING!!!!!!!!!!!!!
April 21, 2011
Okaay.
So, I read the Remember Me series just recently. Honestly, I had no idea they were so old, which is a good thing, I guess; it shows how timeless this book can be. I usually never pick up a book written before the year 2000. This spooky little series caught my eye, though (maybe it was the 9.99 price tag for a collection of all three books. I dunno)
The first one was amazing, most of it taking place after Shari dies. There were a lot of dramatic scenes that turned your perspective upside down. I had high hopes for the second one, but was kind of dissapointed to find that philosophical theories of humanity and its destiny were beginning to take root in the storyline. All that jazz about Wanderers and the Rishi and divine love blah blah blah was just uninteresting to me. I also did not like how Shari and Peter get new bodies and stuff, but enough about that.
This last book takes just about everything I hate about the previous books and throws it in my face. I feel like for 98% of the book, Shari is just a lust-crazed millionaire, and she forgets the whole point of becoming a Wanderer. I mean, come on. Does she remember anything the Rishi told her? I seriously want to smack her in the beggining. She writes under a pen name; I thought one of her goals when returning to Earth was to promote HISPANIC achievments while in Jean's body. You know, to motivate minority kids growing up in bad neighborhoods. That bugged me. I get that Shari has to start off a certain way, and then grow as a character, realize her mistakes, and ultimately, change for the better. But, that doesn't happen until the VERY end. Meanwhile, just about every other chapter, you're being preached about divine love and how you must 'live like a blade of grass'. It was just so annoying how they shove this stuff down your throat. I'll be honest, I skipped all of the parts with the "Starlight Crystal" story. I didn't read anymore than a couple pages of it because I just COULD NOT get through it. It all seemed way too deep and conceptual for a young adult book.
Well, that's my opinion anyway. I barely made it through the book, and I will definitly never recommend it to anyone.
So, I read the Remember Me series just recently. Honestly, I had no idea they were so old, which is a good thing, I guess; it shows how timeless this book can be. I usually never pick up a book written before the year 2000. This spooky little series caught my eye, though (maybe it was the 9.99 price tag for a collection of all three books. I dunno)
The first one was amazing, most of it taking place after Shari dies. There were a lot of dramatic scenes that turned your perspective upside down. I had high hopes for the second one, but was kind of dissapointed to find that philosophical theories of humanity and its destiny were beginning to take root in the storyline. All that jazz about Wanderers and the Rishi and divine love blah blah blah was just uninteresting to me. I also did not like how Shari and Peter get new bodies and stuff, but enough about that.
This last book takes just about everything I hate about the previous books and throws it in my face. I feel like for 98% of the book, Shari is just a lust-crazed millionaire, and she forgets the whole point of becoming a Wanderer. I mean, come on. Does she remember anything the Rishi told her? I seriously want to smack her in the beggining. She writes under a pen name; I thought one of her goals when returning to Earth was to promote HISPANIC achievments while in Jean's body. You know, to motivate minority kids growing up in bad neighborhoods. That bugged me. I get that Shari has to start off a certain way, and then grow as a character, realize her mistakes, and ultimately, change for the better. But, that doesn't happen until the VERY end. Meanwhile, just about every other chapter, you're being preached about divine love and how you must 'live like a blade of grass'. It was just so annoying how they shove this stuff down your throat. I'll be honest, I skipped all of the parts with the "Starlight Crystal" story. I didn't read anymore than a couple pages of it because I just COULD NOT get through it. It all seemed way too deep and conceptual for a young adult book.
Well, that's my opinion anyway. I barely made it through the book, and I will definitly never recommend it to anyone.
June 20, 2017
Kind of bonkers, but still readable.
December 26, 2020
I DNF this one hard - I made it maybe 20 pages in. This feels so masturbatory and gross, and honestly I'm so done and exhausted with this series. Also, it has not aged well AT ALL by coming right out of the gate by knocking on those who are active participants in the Special Olympics - YIKES!
Save yourself the time and energy and don't even bother.
Save yourself the time and energy and don't even bother.
November 7, 2019
Il libro fa veramente pietà, deve essere uno scherzo dell'autore, non me lo spiego!
August 23, 2023
I feel extremely generous giving this 3 stars instead of 2, which it is sadly more deserving of. It was all over the place, way too many stories within stories, and just a bit messy. Remember Me would have probably been better off as a stand alone, as the 2nd and 3rd offerings were way too far out in left field.
September 20, 2017
There are spoilers ahead for Remember Me and Remember Me 2: The Return.
It’s been three years since Shari Cooper returned to Earth as a Wanderer in the body of Jean Rodriguez. In that time, she’s penned multiple famous novels and is now set to produce her first film adaptation of one of her more popular thrillers, First to Die. Shari knows that her stories are the reason she’s returned. They have the power to help people, but the demands of her career are leading her more and more off track. There are also those who hate Wanderers and try to keep them from their missions, and Shari is about to be tempted by a powerful adversary.
Like the second novel in the trilogy, Remember Me 3 doesn’t come close to the moving simplicity of the original, but that doesn’t mean it isn’t worth reading. Fans of Remember Me will have to adjust their expectations as the books move further into the spiritual. It can hardly be called a ghost story at this point, and characters from the previous novels barely feature in this one, but it’s interesting to see where Shari and Peter’s journey takes them.
I’ve always found it difficult to relate to Shari, even though I like her as a narrator. She’s cooler and sassier than I ever was as a teenager, but now that she’s matured some, I find myself relating to her more, specifically in the things that tempt her. Shari is drawn toward fame and making her mark on the world, even as she knows beyond a doubt that those things don’t matter once she’s dead. She has empirical evidence that most of us are lacking that chasing those ideals of a perfect life don’t have any impact on her spiritual path. I’ve found myself caught up in that mindset before and been knocked down a few pegs, and I feel like it made me more empathetic to Shari even as readers can see her making the wrong choices. Some part of her even knows she is, but that’s the nature of temptation, which is something the novel explores really well.
Plot-wise, it has more going for it than the second book as well. The villain is fairly obvious, as I think he/she is meant to be, but there are still some tense scenes as, in classic Pike fashion, some of the things from Shari’s novel start to come true. I was a little confused by the ending; it seems to run counter to some things that happen earlier in the series (more after the spoiler mark), but I was mostly satisfied with the way it wrapped up. Again, I have the feeling it isn’t necessary to read these to enjoy Remember Me, but they’re not bad for fans of Pike’s more mystical plots.
SPOILERS SPOILERS SPOILERS. TURN BACK BEFORE IT’S TOO LATE.
After the publication of Remember Me within the novel, Shari visits her mother, Mrs. Cooper, to ease the pain the book has rekindled over her death. I found this odd only because we know from the first novel that Mrs. Parish is actually Shari’s birth mother and that Mr. and Mrs. Cooper have stepped in to look after Amanda after this is discovered. That’s not to say Shari doesn’t still think of the woman who raised her as a mother, and vice versa, but I found it strange that she would go to her on her deathbed rather than Mrs. Parish, who always brought Shari more peace when she was alive. It felt a little like an emotional hijack, like the story needed something dramatic to end on, and that was the only option left to explore.
I review regularly at brightbeautifulthings.tumblr.com.
It’s been three years since Shari Cooper returned to Earth as a Wanderer in the body of Jean Rodriguez. In that time, she’s penned multiple famous novels and is now set to produce her first film adaptation of one of her more popular thrillers, First to Die. Shari knows that her stories are the reason she’s returned. They have the power to help people, but the demands of her career are leading her more and more off track. There are also those who hate Wanderers and try to keep them from their missions, and Shari is about to be tempted by a powerful adversary.
Like the second novel in the trilogy, Remember Me 3 doesn’t come close to the moving simplicity of the original, but that doesn’t mean it isn’t worth reading. Fans of Remember Me will have to adjust their expectations as the books move further into the spiritual. It can hardly be called a ghost story at this point, and characters from the previous novels barely feature in this one, but it’s interesting to see where Shari and Peter’s journey takes them.
I’ve always found it difficult to relate to Shari, even though I like her as a narrator. She’s cooler and sassier than I ever was as a teenager, but now that she’s matured some, I find myself relating to her more, specifically in the things that tempt her. Shari is drawn toward fame and making her mark on the world, even as she knows beyond a doubt that those things don’t matter once she’s dead. She has empirical evidence that most of us are lacking that chasing those ideals of a perfect life don’t have any impact on her spiritual path. I’ve found myself caught up in that mindset before and been knocked down a few pegs, and I feel like it made me more empathetic to Shari even as readers can see her making the wrong choices. Some part of her even knows she is, but that’s the nature of temptation, which is something the novel explores really well.
Plot-wise, it has more going for it than the second book as well. The villain is fairly obvious, as I think he/she is meant to be, but there are still some tense scenes as, in classic Pike fashion, some of the things from Shari’s novel start to come true. I was a little confused by the ending; it seems to run counter to some things that happen earlier in the series (more after the spoiler mark), but I was mostly satisfied with the way it wrapped up. Again, I have the feeling it isn’t necessary to read these to enjoy Remember Me, but they’re not bad for fans of Pike’s more mystical plots.
SPOILERS SPOILERS SPOILERS. TURN BACK BEFORE IT’S TOO LATE.
After the publication of Remember Me within the novel, Shari visits her mother, Mrs. Cooper, to ease the pain the book has rekindled over her death. I found this odd only because we know from the first novel that Mrs. Parish is actually Shari’s birth mother and that Mr. and Mrs. Cooper have stepped in to look after Amanda after this is discovered. That’s not to say Shari doesn’t still think of the woman who raised her as a mother, and vice versa, but I found it strange that she would go to her on her deathbed rather than Mrs. Parish, who always brought Shari more peace when she was alive. It felt a little like an emotional hijack, like the story needed something dramatic to end on, and that was the only option left to explore.
I review regularly at brightbeautifulthings.tumblr.com.
February 24, 2011
An interesting conclusion to the trilogy, and not one that I expected. I feel that the first "Remember Me" would have stood up well as a stand-alone book. The 2nd installment was good and I looked forward to seeing where it went.
"The Last Story" took me to unexpected places. I didn't enjoy them as much as the first 2 "Remember Me" installments, but it was imaginative and well-written. Also, I think I would have been entranced by "The Last Story" if I were among the intended YA audience. As an adult I still love YA, but some of the magic of YA thinking is lost with age and life experience.
The fact remains that this IS Christopher Pike and I have always gobbled up anything he writes.
"The Last Story" took me to unexpected places. I didn't enjoy them as much as the first 2 "Remember Me" installments, but it was imaginative and well-written. Also, I think I would have been entranced by "The Last Story" if I were among the intended YA audience. As an adult I still love YA, but some of the magic of YA thinking is lost with age and life experience.
The fact remains that this IS Christopher Pike and I have always gobbled up anything he writes.
September 19, 2020
For the first half of this book I thought I would give it 2 stars but it really picked up halfway through. Honestly this book and the second should have been combined.
Pros
The action. Shark attacks, being buried alive, being pushed off balconies. Much better than the last book where almost nothing happened.
The short story was actually relevant to the plot and not about pervy closet trolls. (Also interesting to see it was named the starlight crystal. I’ll have to read that soon to see if there’s any connection)
The returning characters. It was nice to see the detective and his daughter from the first book again.
The ending. It was bittersweet and wrapped up the series nicely.
Christopher Pike’s books are always fast, easy reads.
Cons
Disability cure plots are the bane of my existence. I could see it coming a mile off and it was honestly offensive.
The parts with the yogi were a little boring and it was a slow start.
Pros
The action. Shark attacks, being buried alive, being pushed off balconies. Much better than the last book where almost nothing happened.
The short story was actually relevant to the plot and not about pervy closet trolls. (Also interesting to see it was named the starlight crystal. I’ll have to read that soon to see if there’s any connection)
The returning characters. It was nice to see the detective and his daughter from the first book again.
The ending. It was bittersweet and wrapped up the series nicely.
Christopher Pike’s books are always fast, easy reads.
Cons
Disability cure plots are the bane of my existence. I could see it coming a mile off and it was honestly offensive.
The parts with the yogi were a little boring and it was a slow start.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
Read
July 19, 2022In my opinion, we could do or do without this story however in Pike fashion this is still a good story through and through, which I would read and have read multiple times. The reason I really didn't like this book was just the romance and the falling more than anything else. *Spoiler begins* I mean her relationship with both men because I like her original relationship plus I just felt like it took from the original plot line to have her slip the way she did plus the poo kid who she used just made me upset. *spoiler over* It just made me mad and I was annoyed but just at Shari which for me made me happy because it showed what an amazing writer Christopher Pike is because I really cared about their relationship. This wasn't my favorite but I certainly did overall enjoy it and I would recommend this overall.
July 9, 2024
LIZARD PEOPLE?!
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
May 28, 2020
For an enlightened being, Shari Cooper is the worst. Christopher Pike’s inability to replicate natural human dialogue is on full display. At least the story within the story has a function in this installment and doesn’t just seem like a way to pad the page count.
June 27, 2020
BAHAHAHAHHAHAHA I finally finished this series and no one will ever be able to convince me this wasn't a joke.
Alright friends, buckle up. I want to remind you of a few things about the first book Remember Me is about a teen girl named Shari falling off a balcony and coming back as a ghost who knows she didn't kill herself but who wants to know who did. Now, keeping in mind that's where we started I want to give you a few lines from The Last Story that I swear to god are literal. These aren't metaphors or dreams.
"Wait!" Bob cried. "Don't! The sharks! They--Eeehh!"
and And Roger, he was a lizard.
Now on with your regularity schedules review.
We open and Shari/Jean is now a bestselling author because she actually published the book Remember Me. If you read The Return you might recall that Shari was put into Jean's body specifically because her destiny was to gain fame from her writing and help the hispanic community but for some reason instead of publishing as Jean she adopts the very white pen name Shari Cooper? You CANNOT convince me this makes any sense because she literally lives in the same area she died as Shari Cooper and is apparently a bestseller for telling her life story using all the same character names and publishing AS SHARI. She's all like 'lol dw this can never hurt my original family they'll prob never read it' then when her original mother does and is deeply distressed by a book about her dead daughter ghosting around and having ghost sex with her ghost boy friend while talking about how she and her mum always had a bad relationship which is why she was switched at birth Shari's all "OOH WHAT A TWIST".
With The Return I talked about the gay-phobic opening but not to worry! Lesbian hispanic best friend from the first book is now a HEROINE ADDICT SO SHE DOESN'T HAVE TO MAKE AN APPEARANCE IN THIS ONE. Shari still gets to be a discriminator ass though. In this book's opening we're reintroduced to her by her reflecting on how she understand why fans are surprised she's dating Peter. Afterall she's curvy and hot and he's parapaligic. :):):):):) (don't worry it's totally needed this time. How else are we supposed to justify Shari wanting to bang another dude if she doesn't point out how Peter's inability to walk is so hard on her. Also friends, please remember Peter kinda deserves to be wheelchair bound because he originally suicided which means he can't properly get into heaven or back to earth because of how evil that was of him).
For god knows what reason we get to meet a SECOND DISABLED PERSON FOR THE NARRATIVE TO TREAT LIKE CRAP. That's right friends, in this book a random blind 17 year old named Jacob moves in with our leads to we get to spend the book watching everyone treat him like he also has a developmental disability. Jacob loves Disneyland and its super cute when Shari takes this 17 YEAR OLD BOY on the same ride 6 times without him noticing since he's blind. After all, we all know that without functioning eyes you lose all sense of distance and movement. This whole book everyone baby talk's Jacob and he's obviously just there to try and make Shari seem more sympathetic.
Moving past rep, the book sucks anyways! I mentioned before how the narrative abruptly stops so Shari can write a short story that we get to read every word of well that happens MULTIPLE TIMES IN THIS. At least a 5th of this book is us reading her manuscript. I can't even discuss the plot because it's such a mess but there are aliens and gods and monks and feeding people to sharks so I feel like that's enough, you know?
So glad to be done with this series, oh my god how does it have such a high rating curse goodreads for tricking me into buying the whole trilogy this has singlehandedly ruined doing that for me.
(Sorry if this review is a grammatical nightmare, this book ruined the english language for me)
Alright friends, buckle up. I want to remind you of a few things about the first book Remember Me is about a teen girl named Shari falling off a balcony and coming back as a ghost who knows she didn't kill herself but who wants to know who did. Now, keeping in mind that's where we started I want to give you a few lines from The Last Story that I swear to god are literal. These aren't metaphors or dreams.
"Wait!" Bob cried. "Don't! The sharks! They--Eeehh!"
and And Roger, he was a lizard.
Now on with your regularity schedules review.
We open and Shari/Jean is now a bestselling author because she actually published the book Remember Me. If you read The Return you might recall that Shari was put into Jean's body specifically because her destiny was to gain fame from her writing and help the hispanic community but for some reason instead of publishing as Jean she adopts the very white pen name Shari Cooper? You CANNOT convince me this makes any sense because she literally lives in the same area she died as Shari Cooper and is apparently a bestseller for telling her life story using all the same character names and publishing AS SHARI. She's all like 'lol dw this can never hurt my original family they'll prob never read it' then when her original mother does and is deeply distressed by a book about her dead daughter ghosting around and having ghost sex with her ghost boy friend while talking about how she and her mum always had a bad relationship which is why she was switched at birth Shari's all "OOH WHAT A TWIST".
With The Return I talked about the gay-phobic opening but not to worry! Lesbian hispanic best friend from the first book is now a HEROINE ADDICT SO SHE DOESN'T HAVE TO MAKE AN APPEARANCE IN THIS ONE. Shari still gets to be a discriminator ass though. In this book's opening we're reintroduced to her by her reflecting on how she understand why fans are surprised she's dating Peter. Afterall she's curvy and hot and he's parapaligic. :):):):):) (don't worry it's totally needed this time. How else are we supposed to justify Shari wanting to bang another dude if she doesn't point out how Peter's inability to walk is so hard on her. Also friends, please remember Peter kinda deserves to be wheelchair bound because he originally suicided which means he can't properly get into heaven or back to earth because of how evil that was of him).
For god knows what reason we get to meet a SECOND DISABLED PERSON FOR THE NARRATIVE TO TREAT LIKE CRAP. That's right friends, in this book a random blind 17 year old named Jacob moves in with our leads to we get to spend the book watching everyone treat him like he also has a developmental disability. Jacob loves Disneyland and its super cute when Shari takes this 17 YEAR OLD BOY on the same ride 6 times without him noticing since he's blind. After all, we all know that without functioning eyes you lose all sense of distance and movement. This whole book everyone baby talk's Jacob and he's obviously just there to try and make Shari seem more sympathetic.
Moving past rep, the book sucks anyways! I mentioned before how the narrative abruptly stops so Shari can write a short story that we get to read every word of well that happens MULTIPLE TIMES IN THIS. At least a 5th of this book is us reading her manuscript. I can't even discuss the plot because it's such a mess but there are aliens and gods and monks and feeding people to sharks so I feel like that's enough, you know?
So glad to be done with this series, oh my god how does it have such a high rating curse goodreads for tricking me into buying the whole trilogy this has singlehandedly ruined doing that for me.
(Sorry if this review is a grammatical nightmare, this book ruined the english language for me)
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
October 25, 2021
Remember me 3, The Last Story
Confesso che, in ricordo delle mie letture adolescenziali, non potevo non leggere avidamente questo libro, capitolo conclusivo delle vicende di Shari Cooper, già protagonista di "Ricordati di me" e di "La morte può attendere".
Con "Ancora tra noi", Pike gioca di più sui riferimenti della vita precedente di Shari, ormai reincarnata in Jean Rodriguez e scrittrice di successo. Eppure in questo terzo episodio ho avvertito una maggiore dose di amarezza e cinismo rispetto ai volumi precedenti... la stessa Shari sembra lasciarsi coinvolgere da personaggi insignificanti, come l'attore e belloccio di turno Roger, mettendo da parte il suo compagno di vita terrena e ultraterrena Peter, suo fratello Jimmy e la sua migliore amica Jo.
L'adolescente in gamba ed ironica che indagava sulla propria morte in "Ricordati di me" pare aver lasciato il posto ad una giovane donna superficiale e concentrata sulla propria carriera.
Mi chiedo se Pike abbia scritto questo finale veramente ispirato o pressato dai fan americani.
In conclusione è un libro che consiglio solo a chi è curioso di scoprire come termini questa trilogia "paranormale".
Confesso che, in ricordo delle mie letture adolescenziali, non potevo non leggere avidamente questo libro, capitolo conclusivo delle vicende di Shari Cooper, già protagonista di "Ricordati di me" e di "La morte può attendere".
Con "Ancora tra noi", Pike gioca di più sui riferimenti della vita precedente di Shari, ormai reincarnata in Jean Rodriguez e scrittrice di successo. Eppure in questo terzo episodio ho avvertito una maggiore dose di amarezza e cinismo rispetto ai volumi precedenti... la stessa Shari sembra lasciarsi coinvolgere da personaggi insignificanti, come l'attore e belloccio di turno Roger, mettendo da parte il suo compagno di vita terrena e ultraterrena Peter, suo fratello Jimmy e la sua migliore amica Jo.
L'adolescente in gamba ed ironica che indagava sulla propria morte in "Ricordati di me" pare aver lasciato il posto ad una giovane donna superficiale e concentrata sulla propria carriera.
Mi chiedo se Pike abbia scritto questo finale veramente ispirato o pressato dai fan americani.
In conclusione è un libro che consiglio solo a chi è curioso di scoprire come termini questa trilogia "paranormale".
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
October 1, 2015
{my thoughts} - This book made me sad. Sheri finally was able to come to terms. To remember who she really was. She got her books published, she became a well known author. But other people on Earth didn’t like her because she was a wanderer and she didn’t really belong. Because of that her life was once again taken from her but this time she was able to leave the world with a feeling of accomplishment. I think she was a very bright character and that she had proven that she had potential beyond her own means. I really enjoyed reading this series and am sad to see it end. But I know that sometime in the future I will probably pick it up and read it again.
{reason for reading} - I read these books because a friend had recommended them based on the fact that I had enjoyed the {thirst series} and I was not disappointed. I found a love for {christopher pike’s} writing style.
{reason for reading} - I read these books because a friend had recommended them based on the fact that I had enjoyed the {thirst series} and I was not disappointed. I found a love for {christopher pike’s} writing style.
February 21, 2020
This book was amazing! There were many twists and turns, which I loved. The only thing I didn't really like about the book was that there was parts were Jean was working on a short story called "The Starlight Crystal." These entries took up four pages each, and it was pretty irrelevant to the main story. Overall a great book, though!
December 11, 2022
Well. I like the way Mr. Pike ended this trilogy. What I dislike about the book is that through the other 2 books he spends all this time vomiting enlightened happiness and guru-riddled thoughts at us, but makes the main character whom is prattling the enlightened talk…an idiot. She makes so many dumb choices. All she really shows us is that humans are dumb and ruled by temptation and genitals. Wow. How enlightening. I suppose that MAY have been Pike’s message after all… Goodbye Shari Cooper and I hope you don’t stumble or reincarnate into any other books I pick up.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
July 30, 2011
snooze fest, don't bother and the story takes weird turns with a story within a story and it gets quite hard to keep reading. I actually skipped several pages and was able to pick up the story and not miss anything.
December 3, 2016
I've read this book literally hundreds of times. I've had to buy four copies of it. I love Pike and I love this story. My favourite teen story ever and now my adult guilty pleasure.
June 6, 2021
Why does this book exist? Who decided publishing this book would be a good idea? Also since I forgot to mention it in my review of book #2, both #2 and #3 have terrible white savior elements.
April 16, 2024
I will round this up to 2 stars.
In all honesty, Remember Me 2: The Return should have been the last story. The only reason I believe it was written beside the publisher pressuring Pike to do so and make a trilogy is because the way the last book was written...you would have some questions.
Do some of them get answered here?
Answer: Yes...and well, no.
The only reason you should not continue reading this review is if you don't want any spoiler because I don't know if I can NOT spoil them.
Shari Cooper has come back to Earth as a Wanderer, a spirit in the body of someone else. The someone else in this case is Jean Rodrigues, an eighteen year old Latina who suffered a similar fall from a balcony.
The only reason she is alive is because Shari is in her body but most of Jean is gone...only her looks are the same. The same can be said for Jean's boyfriend Lenny Mandez but in his case it is Peter Nichols in his body so that he can be with the love of his life...after life...current life...
The only thing is that Peter is in a body that is paralyzed from the waist down as it is sort of karma for his original death as if he had survived the accident, he would have been paralyzed.
Despite being in this body for three years, Peter and Shari love each other enough not to need to have sex. In that time, Shari reunited with her "brother" Jimmy Cooper and her best friend Jo so they are the only ones who know the real spirits in those bodies.
Shari's mission was to use Jean's body and try to improve her Hispanic neighborhood and the world.
How is that going?
Well, the way Shari is changing the world is by writing stories so that the readers of her books can understand life after death and all the same themes you read in Christopher Pike's own books.
She does this using "Shari Cooper" as her pen name and not as Jean Rodrigues however. Her latest book is called...Remember Me.
Names have been changed but it is still Shari's story. It is the newest best seller on the Young Adult book list and Shari is so rich that she was able to buy Peter a custom-made van for him to drive even though he can't walk and herself a red Ferrari.
The first book that Shari wrote is being turned into a movie and she has some creative control over the script and the casting. Shari is surprised to find Jimmy and Jo at the mall for her latest book signing since Jimmy tried to convince Shari not to publish Remember Me so that it wouldn't hurt his mother, the mother who raised and loved Shari for eighteen years.
Jo actually has a part in the movie and she is supposed to be going to the movie set with Shari. Peter is more interested in going to a lecture being held by a yogi because he believes he may be a Wanderer as well, an ancient Egyptian one he and Shari knew before returning to Earth or at least a true Master of all theological and religious...spirituality.
Jimmy is interested and decides to go with Peter while the ladies have the glamour of Hollywood to rush off to. It is there that the movie's producer Henry tells Shari in private while Jo mingles that they have found someone else to replace the male lead who has a slight problem with the nose candy.
Shari wants to meet him first and when the man walks into the room, she is immediately thirsting for the guy! His name is Roger Teller and he is tall, dark and handsome with a charisma and a charm so even though he does audition, he has already gotten the part.
You already know that this is going to be a conflict because at home, Shari has a guy who is loyal and looking for some way to walk again. It was never stated that "Lenny" couldn't walk again and boy, is he trying every spiritual way possible!
Peter also helps out with the Special Olympics and others who can not walk or hear or talk or see so you know he is going to get his heart ripped out.
All Shari really thinks about in this book is wanting to have sex with Roger and then she starts writing a story that is called The Starlight Crystal which takes up most of her time. You already know that Roger is not what he seems because he keeps having Shari blow off Peter and his desire for her to meet this yogi by wining and dining her...
Despite that Shari seems to have a small bit of her brain focused on a few of the "off" things about Roger to hire a private investigator to look into him. This happens to be the new line of work for a retired cop named Garrett who was in charge of Shari's "suicide" four years ago and uncovered it for the murder it actually was.
For him, Shari Cooper is a name he will never forget...one he will be wishing not to remember.
It sadly turns into one us as readers will be groaning about as well.
The only characters I feel bad for at all are ones that I don't want to spoil but Peter and Jimmy...oh man.
This is not the best of Pike's work that I have read and I suggest that reading The Last Story only be done by anyone out of sheer, morbid curiosity...
In all honesty, Remember Me 2: The Return should have been the last story. The only reason I believe it was written beside the publisher pressuring Pike to do so and make a trilogy is because the way the last book was written...you would have some questions.
Do some of them get answered here?
Answer: Yes...and well, no.
The only reason you should not continue reading this review is if you don't want any spoiler because I don't know if I can NOT spoil them.
Shari Cooper has come back to Earth as a Wanderer, a spirit in the body of someone else. The someone else in this case is Jean Rodrigues, an eighteen year old Latina who suffered a similar fall from a balcony.
The only reason she is alive is because Shari is in her body but most of Jean is gone...only her looks are the same. The same can be said for Jean's boyfriend Lenny Mandez but in his case it is Peter Nichols in his body so that he can be with the love of his life...after life...current life...
The only thing is that Peter is in a body that is paralyzed from the waist down as it is sort of karma for his original death as if he had survived the accident, he would have been paralyzed.
Despite being in this body for three years, Peter and Shari love each other enough not to need to have sex. In that time, Shari reunited with her "brother" Jimmy Cooper and her best friend Jo so they are the only ones who know the real spirits in those bodies.
Shari's mission was to use Jean's body and try to improve her Hispanic neighborhood and the world.
How is that going?
Well, the way Shari is changing the world is by writing stories so that the readers of her books can understand life after death and all the same themes you read in Christopher Pike's own books.
She does this using "Shari Cooper" as her pen name and not as Jean Rodrigues however. Her latest book is called...Remember Me.
Names have been changed but it is still Shari's story. It is the newest best seller on the Young Adult book list and Shari is so rich that she was able to buy Peter a custom-made van for him to drive even though he can't walk and herself a red Ferrari.
The first book that Shari wrote is being turned into a movie and she has some creative control over the script and the casting. Shari is surprised to find Jimmy and Jo at the mall for her latest book signing since Jimmy tried to convince Shari not to publish Remember Me so that it wouldn't hurt his mother, the mother who raised and loved Shari for eighteen years.
Jo actually has a part in the movie and she is supposed to be going to the movie set with Shari. Peter is more interested in going to a lecture being held by a yogi because he believes he may be a Wanderer as well, an ancient Egyptian one he and Shari knew before returning to Earth or at least a true Master of all theological and religious...spirituality.
Jimmy is interested and decides to go with Peter while the ladies have the glamour of Hollywood to rush off to. It is there that the movie's producer Henry tells Shari in private while Jo mingles that they have found someone else to replace the male lead who has a slight problem with the nose candy.
Shari wants to meet him first and when the man walks into the room, she is immediately thirsting for the guy! His name is Roger Teller and he is tall, dark and handsome with a charisma and a charm so even though he does audition, he has already gotten the part.
You already know that this is going to be a conflict because at home, Shari has a guy who is loyal and looking for some way to walk again. It was never stated that "Lenny" couldn't walk again and boy, is he trying every spiritual way possible!
Peter also helps out with the Special Olympics and others who can not walk or hear or talk or see so you know he is going to get his heart ripped out.
All Shari really thinks about in this book is wanting to have sex with Roger and then she starts writing a story that is called The Starlight Crystal which takes up most of her time. You already know that Roger is not what he seems because he keeps having Shari blow off Peter and his desire for her to meet this yogi by wining and dining her...
Despite that Shari seems to have a small bit of her brain focused on a few of the "off" things about Roger to hire a private investigator to look into him. This happens to be the new line of work for a retired cop named Garrett who was in charge of Shari's "suicide" four years ago and uncovered it for the murder it actually was.
For him, Shari Cooper is a name he will never forget...one he will be wishing not to remember.
It sadly turns into one us as readers will be groaning about as well.
The only characters I feel bad for at all are ones that I don't want to spoil but Peter and Jimmy...oh man.
This is not the best of Pike's work that I have read and I suggest that reading The Last Story only be done by anyone out of sheer, morbid curiosity...
February 25, 2021
Okay so this was so far out from what the first book was. I loved the first book. The second book while going in a different direction then I expected but I enjoyed the back and forth perspectives between Shari and Jean. Even the spots with her stories were okay to read.
That third one though I had to slog through a lot through the middle. Shari was not a likeable character at all. I hated her at times for the way she was treating Peter. Like do you not remember WHY you came back? And that he came back to be with you when he did have to? UGH
There was a lot eluded to with the dark wanderers and I wish that it was explained a bit more. I debated giving this two stars but near the end it picked up a bit so settle on three even though it just sort of ended.
That third one though I had to slog through a lot through the middle. Shari was not a likeable character at all. I hated her at times for the way she was treating Peter. Like do you not remember WHY you came back? And that he came back to be with you when he did have to? UGH
There was a lot eluded to with the dark wanderers and I wish that it was explained a bit more. I debated giving this two stars but near the end it picked up a bit so settle on three even though it just sort of ended.
October 28, 2022
Torn between a 3 and a 3.5 on this one. Sometimes I was totally into the story but than author would dive back into "The Master" part of the storyline and it irritated me. I mean I love the Idea of Rishi and appreciate all those messages he brings and that is beautiful and inspirational - but it was just too much in your face and too much of it. Than there is the story that Jean is writing that we get huge paragraphs from. I mean I get it but it was just jarring me out of the story. I know I am complaining about rambling and jarring jumps in thoughts which is funny as that is what my reviews are - but hey that is me. I do love that Pike treats his readers with respect and never dumbs down things. His books also have positive messages and deals in darker subject matter. Mostly I guess I am just too jaded these days and just not the intended audience.
Favourite Quotes
"You postpone you happiness until that perfect future date, but it never arrives." Be in the present moment. If you live fully now, tomorrow will take care of itself."
"No one waits on the other side to judge me. It's all a play. God is not impressed by our acts, only by how much we love'"
Favourite Quotes
"You postpone you happiness until that perfect future date, but it never arrives." Be in the present moment. If you live fully now, tomorrow will take care of itself."
"No one waits on the other side to judge me. It's all a play. God is not impressed by our acts, only by how much we love'"
April 28, 2024
As a teenager, I loved this series; I considered all of the books as five stars, after the first read. Rereading it as a teenager, the first book was always five stars but the other two were never five stars again.
And now, as an adult, I still think this book is terrible.
Main girl Shari willingly cheats on main boy Peter because he’s disabled and can’t have sex with her like she so desperately wants; girl, please, it’s not the end of the fucking world just because you don’t fuck your significant other. All the new characters from the previous book no longer exist or matter; and the people Shari and Peter took over no longer truly exist either. And the whole thing of Shari wanting to be a writer and stuff is just stupid, and having to read her novels and scripts is just annoying.
This was not a proper send off for these characters, who no longer even feel like the same characters from book one.
And now, as an adult, I still think this book is terrible.
Main girl Shari willingly cheats on main boy Peter because he’s disabled and can’t have sex with her like she so desperately wants; girl, please, it’s not the end of the fucking world just because you don’t fuck your significant other. All the new characters from the previous book no longer exist or matter; and the people Shari and Peter took over no longer truly exist either. And the whole thing of Shari wanting to be a writer and stuff is just stupid, and having to read her novels and scripts is just annoying.
This was not a proper send off for these characters, who no longer even feel like the same characters from book one.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
December 18, 2022
I absolutely hate to give one of my all time favorite authors less than a five star review, but I have to be honest. Don’t get my wrong, this is still a very good and entertaining book but I liked the first two a lot better and this one took the story on a path that I, personally, just didn’t care for. It is still and entertaining story and for fans of this series it is still a must read to find out what happens to the main characters. I’m sure others will read it and like the way it worked out and ended, however, I was disappointed in the ending because I loved the series so much, I wanted her story to continue.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
October 30, 2023
Not one of Pike's finest works, but not as bad as I feared it would be.
I sort of like the way how Pike described some of the inner mechanisms of book writing, and I like the ending. At the same time, I didn't like Shari/Jean at all at first. She slowly improves towards the end of the novel, though. And all the spiritual talk was a bit boring sometimes. And it takes up too much room, while the thriller part it's way too rushed.
I believe the next in line is Fall into Darkness. Will read it soon.
I sort of like the way how Pike described some of the inner mechanisms of book writing, and I like the ending. At the same time, I didn't like Shari/Jean at all at first. She slowly improves towards the end of the novel, though. And all the spiritual talk was a bit boring sometimes. And it takes up too much room, while the thriller part it's way too rushed.
I believe the next in line is Fall into Darkness. Will read it soon.
November 28, 2022
I feel like Christopher Pike probably should have left the Remember Me story alone before the third (maybe even before the second). The first was great. The next two not so much. The writing in The Last Story was extremely juvenile. The way Shari behaved was not at all the way she had previously. The story within a story was absolutely awful. It made little sense and was such a different genre that it felt more like an intrusion than anything else. It was not clever or insightful like the book seemed to think it was. While The Last Story has good points, it’s one to skip for sure.
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