Carver Pike’s Grad Night takes us into the dangerous world of DS High. In a town where violent crime is on the rise, even the high school kids are starting to get out of hand. Students are acting out more gratuitously than ever before, and at the heart of it all is a mysterious student named James Bender. All the teachers are a bit afraid of him, and everyone is secretly glad he isn’t in their class. On graduation night, the graduated seniors throw a party, and invite certain teachers as guests of honor. With James Bender watching from the shadows, the teachers are treated to one hell of a night.
Grad Night was my first venture into the worlds of Carver Pike, and I am an instant fan. Pike has the ability to plop you directly into the mind of his characters. You get their thoughts, their emotions, and their memories. While you’re reading through the eyes of one of Pikes characters, you become them. The story seamlessly switches between characters, each one with its own unique style. You’re invited inside the minds of Charlie and Lauren, the two main teachers in the story. Pike perfectly captures each of their separate characters and personalities so well, it’s as if two different authors wrote each part.
Speaking of the mind, Carver Pike possesses one beautifully twisted mind. The plot of Grad Night is unique and interesting, and hints to a larger world including Pike’s other works. The various situations that Pike puts his characters through are brilliantly brutal. As the Grad party wears on, Pike continually ups the ante with plot twists and surprises. Every scenario the teachers face is increasingly more and more twisted, and Pike pulls no punches. You never know who will survive at any given moment. Those that don’t survive meet their ends in some crazy, bloody ways. The violence is gorey and brutal, but well written. That all-important gore-to-story balance is excellently kept. Pike doesn’t have to rely on shock factor alone to keep his readers entertained, but he isn’t afraid to sprinkle it on heavily.
One particularly engrossing factor of Grad Night is the way the students rationalize their behavior. Without spoiling anything, I’ll just say that Pike makes their argument very well. When the students begin explaining why they do the things they do, it almost makes you wonder if they aren’t somewhat justified. Of course, their reactions are extremely out of proportion, but still. It makes you consider their motives a bit. That’s a rare thing in the horror world. Usually, antagonists are the Big Bad, and there’s not much grey area or wiggle room. Here, though, Pike shows us a collection of interesting and dynamic antagonists. The students all have various reasons for acting the way they do. Some of them are more justified than others. Pike does make us wonder, however, how things would have gone without James Bender’s evil influence. It’s an interesting and somewhat sad question.
I don’t usually like to throw around cliches like “a real page-turner” or “impossible to put down”. I feel like those phrases have a tendency to be overused, and it dilutes their meaning. That being said, Grad Night is a real page-turner, and impossible to put down. Right from the start, Pike draws you into his world. He masterfully builds the suspense while exploring the inner workings of both the good and bad characters. When things start to boil over, they go absolutely insane. Pike is a mastermind of creative brutality, weaving an engrossing tale of horror and revenge. Keeping you guessing right up to the end, you won’t be able to tear yourself away from Grad Night.
Home Grown Horror 