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Trick or Treat
Exactly one year ago, on Halloween night, Elizabeth Bedford had been murdered in the very same room now occupied by Martha, and now, after receiving threatening phone calls, Martha is scared out of her wits.
209 pages, Paperback
First published October 1, 1989
About the author
Richie Tankersley Cusick
48 books747 followersRichie Tankersley Cusick is the bestselling young adult author of over 25 titles, including two adult horror titles, Scarecrow and Blood Roots. Her popularity grew at the height of the horror/YA boom in the late '80s/early '90s, particularly with books like Lifeguard , Trick or Treat and Teacher's Pet, just to name a few, allowing her to keep company on the bestseller paperback lists with the likes of R.L. Stine and Christopher Pike. Her fan base expanded about the time she changed publishers to Archway/Pocket Books with titles like Vampire and Someone at the Door.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 346 reviews
July 21, 2021
3.5 Stars ⭐️
Mel 🖤🐶🐺🐾
Mel 🖤🐶🐺🐾
October 31, 2023
Very stabulous! 🔪🩸
Disclaimer: I use the term ‘old’ to describe the books I was looking to pick up. In no way am I implying anyone is ‘old’. I tried many different words in place of it. None of which described the word I was looking for more than ‘old’. I apologize in advance to whomever I offend with this verbiage.
After an October-filled vintage Halloween movie binge, I decided to pick up some old books to get that authentic 80s/90s feel reading that current books can’t quite accomplish. I found the ‘Point’ paperbacks on EBay and bought a bunch to get my fix. 🧡
These books are definitely short! About 200 pages and very easy to read in a day or two.
Although this didn’t have the intense shock value, it was super fun to sit and read on a nice fall day. I loved the fact that cell phones and the internet couldn’t fix their problems and you had to figure things out the old-fashioned way. You can’t really rely on that anymore in books nowadays (unless they take place pre-cellphones and internet).
There were a handful of loose ends I wish we’re tied up and I wish it were a little more halloween-y throughout instead of just at the end. The MC also had some creepy chemistry with her stepbrother who she just met and her Dad and stepmom let live together alone for a couple weeks. That was weird…but otherwise it was fun book!
About to start my next book from the point paperback collection! 🎃
3.5 ⭐️ rounding up.
Disclaimer: I use the term ‘old’ to describe the books I was looking to pick up. In no way am I implying anyone is ‘old’. I tried many different words in place of it. None of which described the word I was looking for more than ‘old’. I apologize in advance to whomever I offend with this verbiage.
After an October-filled vintage Halloween movie binge, I decided to pick up some old books to get that authentic 80s/90s feel reading that current books can’t quite accomplish. I found the ‘Point’ paperbacks on EBay and bought a bunch to get my fix. 🧡
These books are definitely short! About 200 pages and very easy to read in a day or two.
Although this didn’t have the intense shock value, it was super fun to sit and read on a nice fall day. I loved the fact that cell phones and the internet couldn’t fix their problems and you had to figure things out the old-fashioned way. You can’t really rely on that anymore in books nowadays (unless they take place pre-cellphones and internet).
There were a handful of loose ends I wish we’re tied up and I wish it were a little more halloween-y throughout instead of just at the end. The MC also had some creepy chemistry with her stepbrother who she just met and her Dad and stepmom let live together alone for a couple weeks. That was weird…but otherwise it was fun book!
About to start my next book from the point paperback collection! 🎃
3.5 ⭐️ rounding up.
October 14, 2010
I read this when I was a teenager and just reread it. I didn't remember anything about the story, but I did remember the cover well... used to love that picture of the old house! So spooky-looking! FYI, I pretty much give 5 stars to all my old favorties from back in the day, b/c I remember how much I loved them at the time. Rereading this one today, at 33 years old, it wasn't nearly as exciting or "scary" as it was when I was a teenager, but it was still a fun and good read. Happy Halloween! :D
September 1, 2016
Martha's Dad has just remarried, and his new wife, Sally, has found a perfect house for them to move into. When Martha and her Dad arrive at the house, which is isolated in the woods, Martha really hates the house. It's dark and creepy with shadows in the corners, her bedroom is abnormally cold, and she feels as if she's being watched. Also living in the house is Sally's son, (Martha's stepbrother) Conor, who is a year older than sixteen-year-old Martha. After Martha makes some friends at school she finds out that her new home (the old Bedford house) is supposedly haunted. A young girl was murdered there a year ago on Halloween---in her bedroom! The worst part is Martha bears a resemblance to the dead girl. And she's starting to receive threatening phone calls. One night, a scarecrow is found hanging outside her bedroom window with a knife in its head. Then her Dad gets a phone call and he has to go work on an assignment in Hawaii, and goes with wife Sally, leaving Martha alone with Conor in the creepy house.
This was an enjoyable read, it started and ended well, even though the middle was a bit slow. It had a dark, spooky house, a cemetery/mausoleum out back (in the woods), whispers and cries in the night, and surprisingly, a little/slight romance. There wasn't much Halloween in the book, except for the last couple chapters. This was an okay young-adult suspense story.
This was an enjoyable read, it started and ended well, even though the middle was a bit slow. It had a dark, spooky house, a cemetery/mausoleum out back (in the woods), whispers and cries in the night, and surprisingly, a little/slight romance. There wasn't much Halloween in the book, except for the last couple chapters. This was an okay young-adult suspense story.
June 26, 2023
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RTC is one of my favorite YA horror authors. She's a little bit up and down in terms of quality but for the most part, she writes exactly the sorts of stories that I went. The best ones have multiple hot guys, gothic elements, and some dramatic one-liners that wouldn't be out of place in a dark romance.
TRICK OR TREAT is set during Halloween. Martha's father has just remarried and they've moved to a big house out in the countryside and she has a hot and brooding stepbrother named Conor. But pretty soon, things get kind of weird. Apparently there was a murder in their house, and the girl who used to live there looked a lot like Martha.
As the book goes on, Martha starts receiving creepy phone calls and feels like she's being watched. Just like Elizabeth did before she was murdered by her ex-boyfriend... who was never found. Is it her stepbrother who has a secret passageway that leads into her room? The sexy young creative writing teacher with boundary issues? The golden boy? Or someone else?
This is one of the better RTC books I've read but the ending falls into a twist that I've seen this author do at least three times. Now I almost always see it coming and it kind of spoils the surprise. Also, I wish more had come from the stepbrother element. I thought that was kind of risque for a YA novel. If this had had a stronger ending and a better twist, I would have given it a five.
3.5 stars
April 12, 2019
Martha moves into a new house, the old Bedford house, together with her new step mother and her step brother. The house was the scene of murder and seems to be evil. Now Martha receives mysterious calls and she feels quite frightened in her new home. The murderer from back then, Dennis, is missing. Martha resembles the victim, Elizabeth. It's a youth orientated story, girls romanticizing certain boys, highschool surrounding, well and then there's Halloween just round the corner. The killer wants to strike at Halloween and see Martha dead. Who is he? Overall professionally and well written, okay a bit tedious in the middle of the book, but to my taste a bit too youth orientated. It was like watching one of those teen horror movies. I'm a bit through with that genre. If you don't mind 'Trick or Treat' is certainly worth a second look as there definitely are some eerie moments and stunning twists.
September 7, 2021
This Point Horror has a great set up, but with the main protagonist Martha being really annoying. I also the second of the novel not really paying off, this seemed like a miss hit by Cusick.
With her father remarrying Martha moves into the Bedford house with him. She soon learns of the houses informs history as the previous Halloween a young girl was murdered in Martha’s bedroom.
I absolutely loved the location, I could get a real sense of Martha’s isolation. It was just a shame that she was really irritating.
Not one of Cusick’s best, but it was nice to revisit this again.
With her father remarrying Martha moves into the Bedford house with him. She soon learns of the houses informs history as the previous Halloween a young girl was murdered in Martha’s bedroom.
I absolutely loved the location, I could get a real sense of Martha’s isolation. It was just a shame that she was really irritating.
Not one of Cusick’s best, but it was nice to revisit this again.
August 22, 2019
3,5
Ojo, me tomó por sorpresa. Lo esperaba más juvenil, más infantilón, pero me encontré con un libro de terror que a veces tocaba el thriller, lo sobrenatural, y tenía vueltas que confundían. Me gustó mucho, aunque el final no fue el ideal. Pero para una lectura rápida de Halloween, viene como anillo al dedo.
Ojo, me tomó por sorpresa. Lo esperaba más juvenil, más infantilón, pero me encontré con un libro de terror que a veces tocaba el thriller, lo sobrenatural, y tenía vueltas que confundían. Me gustó mucho, aunque el final no fue el ideal. Pero para una lectura rápida de Halloween, viene como anillo al dedo.
December 13, 2017
It was a fun Halloween book but not a great read. You have to go into it knowing it’s probably not going to be that great. My full review will be on my booktube channel at http://Youtube.com/peterlikesbooks
February 4, 2019
This is a milestone for me.
My first YA Point Horror read ever! I have a few more Point Horror’s and other YA horror books to read and I am definitely looking forward to reading them.
I am in my 40’s so not really the intended audience for this story and I read the book within this context. It is YA. I am middle aged. So why read these books? Well, for a start they have fantastic covers. I find these books during my book hunting and they leap out at me. Finding old horror books is rare so I will grab these off the shelf. They are people’s favourite books of their youth and opened up the world of horror to them. I am curious to read these YA books which I did not experience as a YA.
After reading this book the biggest reason for doing so is this.
Time Travel.
When reading this book I felt like I was travelling through time to my YA youth. It took me back to my younger self. I can just imagine my YA self interacting with the characters.
Martha’s dad has just remarried to Sally who has a son, Connor. He is around Martha’s age but they are not the best of friends. The new family move into a isolated house which is in the middle of the woods, has a cemetery out back and has a recent nasty incident haunting it which the local community know about. It is also a few days from Halloween.
Martha receives threatening phone calls, finds a scarecrow hanging outside her bedroom and is being stalked. A creepy, spooky, haunted mystery which reminded me of the Halloween movie. Who is this Michael Myers type of killer?
A great YA read.
My first YA Point Horror read ever! I have a few more Point Horror’s and other YA horror books to read and I am definitely looking forward to reading them.
I am in my 40’s so not really the intended audience for this story and I read the book within this context. It is YA. I am middle aged. So why read these books? Well, for a start they have fantastic covers. I find these books during my book hunting and they leap out at me. Finding old horror books is rare so I will grab these off the shelf. They are people’s favourite books of their youth and opened up the world of horror to them. I am curious to read these YA books which I did not experience as a YA.
After reading this book the biggest reason for doing so is this.
Time Travel.
When reading this book I felt like I was travelling through time to my YA youth. It took me back to my younger self. I can just imagine my YA self interacting with the characters.
Martha’s dad has just remarried to Sally who has a son, Connor. He is around Martha’s age but they are not the best of friends. The new family move into a isolated house which is in the middle of the woods, has a cemetery out back and has a recent nasty incident haunting it which the local community know about. It is also a few days from Halloween.
Martha receives threatening phone calls, finds a scarecrow hanging outside her bedroom and is being stalked. A creepy, spooky, haunted mystery which reminded me of the Halloween movie. Who is this Michael Myers type of killer?
A great YA read.
October 7, 2023
Martha moves into the creepy Bedford House, a place where a murder took place on Halloween last year. She receives some creepy phone calls that end with the phrase "trick or treat" and starts to believe that Dennis, the man who killed Elizabeth on Halloween night is still alive. Although I didn't really enjoy the ending and found it to be extremely forced, I give this 4 out of 5 stars due to the unsettling dialogue and the creepy imagery that Richie Tankersley Cusick paints in the reader's mind. (hidden entrances into the home, spooky woods, a mausoleum, etc.) I wish there were more Halloween vibes other than a costume party and the repeated phrase "trick or treat," but I would still recommend this to young-adult horror fans.
May 30, 2012
I wish they still made audiobooks like this! it felt like was listening to a movie. I listened to "Trick or Treat" on YouTube(link here: http://www.youtube.com/user/WrappedIn...) and I was enthralled. I have never listened to an audiobook where nearly 9 different voice actors are included and sound effects such as rain, music, bells, and birds were used. If you love YA Horror, you need to grab a pair of headphones and listen to Trick or Treat now. Richie is a wonderful writer and the actors, though a little cheesy, were believable and kept me wanting to carry on with the story. One thing you have to remember going to these "The Point Horror Tapes" is that they were recorded in the 90's. But I still enjoyed this one. I will be listening to more since there are about five more on that youtube page. I love 90's YA horror, I wish authors still came out with stuff like this, some do, but it's rare. I loved the suspense in this book and the ending was awesome.
-R.D.
-R.D.
October 4, 2019
Wow. Not too much to say except for the most part this was enjoyable. The book drags at times and the character development beyond a few people wasn't really there, but this was a good representation of young adult horror books from the late 80s/90s.
So "Trick or Treat" follows 16 year old Martha. Martha's father has recently got married and is now moving him and Martha to move in with his new wife and his stepson in the town of Bedford. Martha hates the scary old house that they move into, and when she finds out that almost a year ago (Halloween day to be exact) a young girl was murdered in her bedroom, she's ready to move back to Chicago. A voice keeps calling Martha and saying "Trick or Treat' and telling her she's going to die.
So Martha at times I thought was bratty. I get it though. Her father got married without even telling her and moved her and him from Chicago to a small town in the middle of nowhere. The house is a mess, her stepmother can't cook, and her father then rushes off to Hawaii for an assignment and dumps the kids alone. I did laugh a few times how often it's mentioned the parents haven't called. I know this book was written in 1989, but seriously though, I can't imagine my parents taking a weeks long trip and not calling the house once. Martha is kind of hysterical though and tries to do some amateur sleuthing with her new stepbrother Conor when things keep happening in their home.
Conor is kind of annoying I thought, and at times it seems as if Cusick was implying that Martha had a crush on him and vice versa. Probably because Martha keeps calling Conor her stepbrother and correcting anyone that called him her brother.
Martha makes friends with the Chambers family which consists of Blake, Wynn, and Greg. Greg is a teacher at Bedford and hangs out way too much with his teen cousins, Blake and Wynn. So outside of these three people, Martha and Conor don't interact with anyone else in the town.
I got a creepy vibe from Blake and from Greg too. Who hangs out with teens and tells one of them how pretty they are?
The parents are barely developed beyond being selfish and we hear third hand accounts about the girl who was murdered and her ex-boyfriend who stands accused of killing her who disappeared.
I thought the writing was a bit disjointed in parts and the flow needed to be a bit cleaned up. That said, this is a different type of book and I rated it based on that. Young me who read this at the age of 9 (the age this was published) would probably have been scared to death the whole time and had nightmares for weeks.
The setting of Bedford was definitely creepy and hearing about the backstory of the Bedford family and the young girl who was murdered really set the mood for the book. I wish that Cusick had given us more details on Bedford. I am still puzzled if this is in the mid-west or not. I also wanted to know more about other people in the town adults, kids, etc. There was bare bones with regards to developing this past enough to keep readers engaged with Martha's story.
The ending was a surprise to me though and kind of gruesome. I think it definitely echoes the types of YA horror that was coming out that time though.
So "Trick or Treat" follows 16 year old Martha. Martha's father has recently got married and is now moving him and Martha to move in with his new wife and his stepson in the town of Bedford. Martha hates the scary old house that they move into, and when she finds out that almost a year ago (Halloween day to be exact) a young girl was murdered in her bedroom, she's ready to move back to Chicago. A voice keeps calling Martha and saying "Trick or Treat' and telling her she's going to die.
So Martha at times I thought was bratty. I get it though. Her father got married without even telling her and moved her and him from Chicago to a small town in the middle of nowhere. The house is a mess, her stepmother can't cook, and her father then rushes off to Hawaii for an assignment and dumps the kids alone. I did laugh a few times how often it's mentioned the parents haven't called. I know this book was written in 1989, but seriously though, I can't imagine my parents taking a weeks long trip and not calling the house once. Martha is kind of hysterical though and tries to do some amateur sleuthing with her new stepbrother Conor when things keep happening in their home.
Conor is kind of annoying I thought, and at times it seems as if Cusick was implying that Martha had a crush on him and vice versa. Probably because Martha keeps calling Conor her stepbrother and correcting anyone that called him her brother.
Martha makes friends with the Chambers family which consists of Blake, Wynn, and Greg. Greg is a teacher at Bedford and hangs out way too much with his teen cousins, Blake and Wynn. So outside of these three people, Martha and Conor don't interact with anyone else in the town.
I got a creepy vibe from Blake and from Greg too. Who hangs out with teens and tells one of them how pretty they are?
The parents are barely developed beyond being selfish and we hear third hand accounts about the girl who was murdered and her ex-boyfriend who stands accused of killing her who disappeared.
I thought the writing was a bit disjointed in parts and the flow needed to be a bit cleaned up. That said, this is a different type of book and I rated it based on that. Young me who read this at the age of 9 (the age this was published) would probably have been scared to death the whole time and had nightmares for weeks.
The setting of Bedford was definitely creepy and hearing about the backstory of the Bedford family and the young girl who was murdered really set the mood for the book. I wish that Cusick had given us more details on Bedford. I am still puzzled if this is in the mid-west or not. I also wanted to know more about other people in the town adults, kids, etc. There was bare bones with regards to developing this past enough to keep readers engaged with Martha's story.
The ending was a surprise to me though and kind of gruesome. I think it definitely echoes the types of YA horror that was coming out that time though.
November 4, 2021
Was I ever this innocent?
First up, let me make a disclaimer - I read and will review 'Trick or Treat' with its age in mind. Released in 1991 here in the UK (1989 US), if it were written now it probably wouldn't get published. But that's ok because the early 90s were a different time. A different world. Kevin Costner was Robin Hood, Robin Williams was Peter Pan and Chesney Hawkes was 'The One And Only'. Now that I've set the scene...
This book was a lot of fun. I missed it when it was finished because it was so easy and light to read (even for a 'horror' book, we've come a long way with desensitising the masses), and I'm looking forward to getting back into more Point Horror titles.
The story itself is straight forward and, even with just 5 characters, the actual whodunnit was mildly tricksy so it wasn't completely obvious until near the end. Our main character Martha is a TOTAL pain the arse and needed a good slap every time she opened her mouth, so thank god for the mysterious (step)brother Conor. The most pensive 17-going-on-70 guy to have ever existed. Loved him. So did Martha... a little too much. The 'almost-incesty' vibes were strong there for a minute.
There were some plot holes, but I've been told there may have originally been a sequel planned that would have probably tied up a lot of those. As it stands it's a bit odd and all came to a pretty abrupt stop.
I also can't wrap this up without mentioning how utterly creepy, icky and misogynistic our love interest is - and not even in an intentional way. Like I said, the early 90s were a different world. Our 'guidance councillor' come 'teacher' come 'double date attender' was pretty odd and just plain wrong as well. All of the inappropriate and cringe. No thank you, bad vibes from ALL males in this book except for Conor.
I'm giving it 3 stars purely for the nostalgia and enjoyment factor. The story itself isn't great by any means, but you know what you're going into with a Point Horror and it scratches an itch all of its own.
★★★☆☆
💬 Did you love Point Horror? Which do you remember most 💬
First up, let me make a disclaimer - I read and will review 'Trick or Treat' with its age in mind. Released in 1991 here in the UK (1989 US), if it were written now it probably wouldn't get published. But that's ok because the early 90s were a different time. A different world. Kevin Costner was Robin Hood, Robin Williams was Peter Pan and Chesney Hawkes was 'The One And Only'. Now that I've set the scene...
This book was a lot of fun. I missed it when it was finished because it was so easy and light to read (even for a 'horror' book, we've come a long way with desensitising the masses), and I'm looking forward to getting back into more Point Horror titles.
The story itself is straight forward and, even with just 5 characters, the actual whodunnit was mildly tricksy so it wasn't completely obvious until near the end. Our main character Martha is a TOTAL pain the arse and needed a good slap every time she opened her mouth, so thank god for the mysterious (step)brother Conor. The most pensive 17-going-on-70 guy to have ever existed. Loved him. So did Martha... a little too much. The 'almost-incesty' vibes were strong there for a minute.
There were some plot holes, but I've been told there may have originally been a sequel planned that would have probably tied up a lot of those. As it stands it's a bit odd and all came to a pretty abrupt stop.
I also can't wrap this up without mentioning how utterly creepy, icky and misogynistic our love interest is - and not even in an intentional way. Like I said, the early 90s were a different world. Our 'guidance councillor' come 'teacher' come 'double date attender' was pretty odd and just plain wrong as well. All of the inappropriate and cringe. No thank you, bad vibes from ALL males in this book except for Conor.
I'm giving it 3 stars purely for the nostalgia and enjoyment factor. The story itself isn't great by any means, but you know what you're going into with a Point Horror and it scratches an itch all of its own.
★★★☆☆
💬 Did you love Point Horror? Which do you remember most 💬
September 20, 2016
In my opinion, this was not Mrs. Cusick's best novel.
I did enjoy the descriptions of the weather. I'm a huge fan of meteorology. Weather descriptions (especially Fall and Winter) in books really set the mood and place me there.
I'll post more later.
March 29, 2020
"The body was hanging there, so close she could have touched it. She knew he was dead from the way he was swinging, a slow, crazy dance in the cold, cold wind. There was a carving knife through his head.... And as the moonlight fell across his slashed face, he grinned up at her."
These Point horror novels from the 90’s are bringing me back to life. They are so creepy and a bit disturbing. I don’t remember them being that way but glad that they are.
Trick Or Treat May have spooked me enough that I had a nightmare last night.... (Or it could have been the cold medicine I have been taking.) It’s better if I just blame the medicine!
These Point horror novels from the 90’s are bringing me back to life. They are so creepy and a bit disturbing. I don’t remember them being that way but glad that they are.
Trick Or Treat May have spooked me enough that I had a nightmare last night.... (Or it could have been the cold medicine I have been taking.) It’s better if I just blame the medicine!
October 5, 2021
I actually didn't see that ending coming.
September 14, 2018
Earlier this week, Alex from Hey Little Thrifter posted a video announcing a Halloween Point Horror readalong, featuring Trick or Treat by Richie Tankersley Cusick, and Halloween Night 1 & 2 by R. L. Stine. I didn't think I'd be able to participate in the readalong since my schedule gets pretty full this time of year, but I saw that Trick or Treat was available as a full-cast audiobook on YouTube. I was able to listen to it at my job while I worked in the office.
The audiobook, complete with music and sound effects, was produced in the early '90s. It is a nostalgic flashback that I totally would have checked out from the library as a kid. I enjoyed the whole production very much, cheesy voice acting and all. The story itself is standard Point Horror fare, with most of the same old twists and turns, but that's the charm of this series. They are quick, trashy, cozy reads that always feel familiar and welcoming. I wish this one would have been a little more Halloweeny, but it was still a breezy, autumnal story. I especially recommend checking out the audiobook, as well as the other audiobooks in the series. All are available on YouTube, complete and free of charge.
The audiobook, complete with music and sound effects, was produced in the early '90s. It is a nostalgic flashback that I totally would have checked out from the library as a kid. I enjoyed the whole production very much, cheesy voice acting and all. The story itself is standard Point Horror fare, with most of the same old twists and turns, but that's the charm of this series. They are quick, trashy, cozy reads that always feel familiar and welcoming. I wish this one would have been a little more Halloweeny, but it was still a breezy, autumnal story. I especially recommend checking out the audiobook, as well as the other audiobooks in the series. All are available on YouTube, complete and free of charge.
October 16, 2021
Trick or Treat was such a suspenseful read, and it’s perfect for spooky season. The story is filled with likable characters, a spooky house and small town setting, and a sense of paranoia throughout.
I love Cusick’s writing style and ability to paint terrifying scenes filled with dread and tension.
In addition, her characters act and speak like real teens, especially the female main character. I found myself really connecting with Martha and understanding her insecurities and motivations.
The romance plot was cringeworthy at times, but I think that is due in large part to me being an adult woman reading about teens haha.
The reveal at the end was surprisingly unsettling and disturbing. It was somewhat predictable, but it was still an enjoyable journey.
This is a quick read, perfect for fans of 90s teen horror!
I love Cusick’s writing style and ability to paint terrifying scenes filled with dread and tension.
In addition, her characters act and speak like real teens, especially the female main character. I found myself really connecting with Martha and understanding her insecurities and motivations.
The romance plot was cringeworthy at times, but I think that is due in large part to me being an adult woman reading about teens haha.
The reveal at the end was surprisingly unsettling and disturbing. It was somewhat predictable, but it was still an enjoyable journey.
This is a quick read, perfect for fans of 90s teen horror!
November 18, 2011
Here's the honest truth. My teenage self would have ravenously read this book, only to pick it up again a few weeks later and read it again. Why? Trick or Treat utilizes all of the classic (and slightly cliche) horror aspects that keep you turning pages at a manic pace. Creepy house? Check. Hot guy who takes the girl's attention? Yup! Add in a haunting back story to the house, a well situated honeymoon, and you've got yourself quite the set up for a good horror story. I ate up books like this back then, and I still do now even if it's at a slower pace.
I liked Martha for the most part. She fits the bill of a horror story protagonist perfectly. A little whiny, a little uncomfortable in her own skin, and afraid to share how she feels with others. However what impressed me most about her character was how much I really felt like I knew her. Without even realizing it, I had been introduced to Martha's character so deeply that I knew what she would do next. Cuisck pulls you in close. She lets you see everything that's happening and, if you're like me, you'll find yourself screaming "WHY WOULD YOU DO THAT?" at the book pages.
The setting too, is perfectly done. As I mentioned, you've got the haunted house! Martha's new hometown has that small town vibe. Everyone knows everything about everyone else. It's hard to hide a secret. Or is it? It's this setting that really helps make the story come alive. As I read I actually felt immersed in the book. It sucks you in and even if you know what's coming next, you'll keep reading. It's like waiting for something to spring from the shadows. You know it's coming, but you have to see it for yourself.
Sure I figured out the plot twist about 40 pages in. Yes, I realized that this was following the road of most teen centered horror movies. Keep in mind that this book was originally written when all of that was new, fresh, and expected. Plus there's something to be said for that classic plot line. We know it, we love it. Especially when it's done well. By the time I got to the end I was reading like a mad man. Cusick knows how to take what's been done hundreds of times, and do it well enough to give you the shivers. Don't read this before bed.
I liked Martha for the most part. She fits the bill of a horror story protagonist perfectly. A little whiny, a little uncomfortable in her own skin, and afraid to share how she feels with others. However what impressed me most about her character was how much I really felt like I knew her. Without even realizing it, I had been introduced to Martha's character so deeply that I knew what she would do next. Cuisck pulls you in close. She lets you see everything that's happening and, if you're like me, you'll find yourself screaming "WHY WOULD YOU DO THAT?" at the book pages.
The setting too, is perfectly done. As I mentioned, you've got the haunted house! Martha's new hometown has that small town vibe. Everyone knows everything about everyone else. It's hard to hide a secret. Or is it? It's this setting that really helps make the story come alive. As I read I actually felt immersed in the book. It sucks you in and even if you know what's coming next, you'll keep reading. It's like waiting for something to spring from the shadows. You know it's coming, but you have to see it for yourself.
Sure I figured out the plot twist about 40 pages in. Yes, I realized that this was following the road of most teen centered horror movies. Keep in mind that this book was originally written when all of that was new, fresh, and expected. Plus there's something to be said for that classic plot line. We know it, we love it. Especially when it's done well. By the time I got to the end I was reading like a mad man. Cusick knows how to take what's been done hundreds of times, and do it well enough to give you the shivers. Don't read this before bed.
May 5, 2019
I can't believe that finale. I was positive that I've pegged the actual perp since around the halfway mark, but I shouldn't have been so cocksure. This book ran scarlet, not with blood but with all the red herrings the author built like an impenetrable brick wall. It straddles a fine line between being ingenious and unsporting, but in the end it's all good.
Cusick can certainly create a menacing atmosphere, and the deadpan irony of her wittier characters can be hilarious. While I enjoyed this book, compared to her other works the quality seems to have flagged a little. I'm rating it 6.5/10 or 3 stars out of 5.
Cusick can certainly create a menacing atmosphere, and the deadpan irony of her wittier characters can be hilarious. While I enjoyed this book, compared to her other works the quality seems to have flagged a little. I'm rating it 6.5/10 or 3 stars out of 5.
October 23, 2017
First of my Point Horror re-read.
This book is ludicrous. I loved it. However, I can't possibly give it 5 stars because my loving something doesn't necessarily mean it is good. I love Take Me Out, I'm partial to a KFC and the last song I downloaded was Will2k.
Recap of the story - Martha and Conor are step siblings thrown together after their parents whirlwind romance; they've been moved out from Chicago to the town of Bedford and a ramshackled roaming house with "potential". They go to school, meet Blake and Wynn, Martha inevitably starts dating Blake, their parents disappear for weeks on end to Hawaii and then Martha begins to get the heebie jeebies about the house.
Turns out, Elizabeth, Blake's former girlfriend and Wynn's BFF, was murdered IN HER ROOM (OMG WTF ARGH!!!). Wynn found her and apparently has amnesia about the whole thing.
So... Problems.
The Parents. I'm not sure it is even legal to leave your 16 year old for that length of time, especially in the care of a sibling who isn't even of age yet. Obviously, the parents needed to be gotten rid of in the story early on. But still... It was very premature and frankly hilarious. They didn't even call! They are the worst.
Is it a murder story or a ghost story? Conor is drawn by an irresistible force to the mausoleum. The room is ice cold. There is fog everywhere.
Then it turns out it's just a girl who is pissed off because her friend gets all the guys.
Wynn... SO MANY CLUES. I've read reviews of this where adults have re-read and said they didn't guess. That's ridiculous. You're even told how she is exceptionally tall FOR A GIRL on at least three occasions to suggest the idea that she is physically capable of filling the window. She's clearly batshit. Her story doesn't fit with anyone else's version of events. And finally, she found the body and then FORGOT. It was only 11 months prior to the story, and yet no one thought to send her to a psychologist?
The action parts are very fast. I feel ridiculous admitting this but I had to re-read them as I found myself going, "hang on, where are they now?"
There are lots of problems with this story but I love it. I wish it was a daytime movie. I wish it had been made in the 90s and starred Charisma Carpenter.
This book is ludicrous. I loved it. However, I can't possibly give it 5 stars because my loving something doesn't necessarily mean it is good. I love Take Me Out, I'm partial to a KFC and the last song I downloaded was Will2k.
Recap of the story - Martha and Conor are step siblings thrown together after their parents whirlwind romance; they've been moved out from Chicago to the town of Bedford and a ramshackled roaming house with "potential". They go to school, meet Blake and Wynn, Martha inevitably starts dating Blake, their parents disappear for weeks on end to Hawaii and then Martha begins to get the heebie jeebies about the house.
Turns out, Elizabeth, Blake's former girlfriend and Wynn's BFF, was murdered IN HER ROOM (OMG WTF ARGH!!!). Wynn found her and apparently has amnesia about the whole thing.
So... Problems.
The Parents. I'm not sure it is even legal to leave your 16 year old for that length of time, especially in the care of a sibling who isn't even of age yet. Obviously, the parents needed to be gotten rid of in the story early on. But still... It was very premature and frankly hilarious. They didn't even call! They are the worst.
Is it a murder story or a ghost story? Conor is drawn by an irresistible force to the mausoleum. The room is ice cold. There is fog everywhere.
Then it turns out it's just a girl who is pissed off because her friend gets all the guys.
Wynn... SO MANY CLUES. I've read reviews of this where adults have re-read and said they didn't guess. That's ridiculous. You're even told how she is exceptionally tall FOR A GIRL on at least three occasions to suggest the idea that she is physically capable of filling the window. She's clearly batshit. Her story doesn't fit with anyone else's version of events. And finally, she found the body and then FORGOT. It was only 11 months prior to the story, and yet no one thought to send her to a psychologist?
The action parts are very fast. I feel ridiculous admitting this but I had to re-read them as I found myself going, "hang on, where are they now?"
There are lots of problems with this story but I love it. I wish it was a daytime movie. I wish it had been made in the 90s and starred Charisma Carpenter.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
October 7, 2023
Boring is the first word that comes to mind. Unfortunately, this had very little going for it, the reveal was very obvious throughout also and I don't know why it's called 'Trick or Treat' the title has nothing to do with the story bar the fact somebody says it twice on the phone.
September 10, 2021
Lately, I’ve been nostalgic for the 1990s, the decade which I grew up in. However, it didn’t occur to me until a few weeks ago to re-read the books of my childhood. So, in addition to watching Friends and Seinfeld, and listening to The Goo Goo Dolls and Liz Phair, I plunged into my childhood’s readings.
The Point Horror series was one of my favorites. I compulsively read them again and again until I discovered Stephen King. Here, in Quebec, Point Horror was called Frissons, and the names of the characters were changed to French names that sounded way too old-fashioned for teenagers.
I read Beach House in August, because I thought it would be perfect since it was summer. Yet, it was a bad idea since I’ve never loved R. L. Stine. Then I tried Trick or Treat, which I loved back in the 90s. And twenty-five years later, I enjoyed almost all of it; the old Victorian house lost in the woods where a young and pretty girl had been killed - cliché, but it works. The small-town atmosphere, the old cemetery, the gloomy fall days. The Chambers cousins. Oh, and the relationship between the main character Martha and her new stepbrother Conor. A thing that bothered me, though: there were a hell of a lot of suspension points.
The Point Horror series was one of my favorites. I compulsively read them again and again until I discovered Stephen King. Here, in Quebec, Point Horror was called Frissons, and the names of the characters were changed to French names that sounded way too old-fashioned for teenagers.
I read Beach House in August, because I thought it would be perfect since it was summer. Yet, it was a bad idea since I’ve never loved R. L. Stine. Then I tried Trick or Treat, which I loved back in the 90s. And twenty-five years later, I enjoyed almost all of it; the old Victorian house lost in the woods where a young and pretty girl had been killed - cliché, but it works. The small-town atmosphere, the old cemetery, the gloomy fall days. The Chambers cousins. Oh, and the relationship between the main character Martha and her new stepbrother Conor. A thing that bothered me, though: there were a hell of a lot of suspension points.
October 16, 2021
Wow. Martha. What a whiny and self-gaslighting protagonist. Nothing to like about her character at all IMO.
However I love RTC’s writing so much that I don’t mind not caring about her - the side characters make up for it.
However I love RTC’s writing so much that I don’t mind not caring about her - the side characters make up for it.
January 5, 2017
Perfectly creepy, perfect for Halloween! Short and sweet, totally unexpected ending. I love Point Horror books from back in the 80s. Great read!
September 3, 2021
The first stop on my nostalgia-fueled trip through the cheesy YA "horror" I loved as a middle-schooler (not to mention a brazenly shameless attempt to stay on track for this year's Reading Challenge), Trick or Treat is, I believe, the second effort from one of my favorite Point authors. I'd have preferred to start this retro reading adventure with Cusick's The Lifeguard, which I recall regarding as the peak of Point those thirty+ years ago, but this one fell back into my possession first, and I needed a quick read to finish out August, so here we are. I'm sure I loved this one as a pre-teen, so it definitely works for the target audience; but as a more cynical adult I was disappointed that despite its title and the climactic setting on the day itself, Halloween seems to be an afterthought, and Cusick never fully capitalizes on the rich, spooky potential of the horror-ready holiday. Also, the lead character Martha is completely devoid of any personality other than "constantly annoyed and/or scared of everything"; I'm curious to see if all the protagonists of these 80s/90s teen thrillers were so poorly developed. (It certainly didn't bother me at the time.) But these books ultimately lived or died by their final acts/big reveals, and this delivers a good one, making the reader guess and second- (and third-... etc.) guess whodunit before all the low-stake scares build to a grand, PG-13-intense finale. For about 3-4 years, I devoured books like this, before I graduated to the likes of Stephen King; I look forward to (re)reading more of these as a playful reminder of what my young, dorky self thought was the pinnacle of suspense. Fingers crossed that the ones I loved the most don't disappoint. Next stop: Remember Me by the prolific (and if I recall correctly, massively inconsistent) Christopher Pike.
October 20, 2020
Un libro ideal para leer en época de Halloween, que me ha recordado mucho a las típicas películas donde unos protagonistas adolescentes tienen unas vivencias y amores relacionadas con misterios y asesinatos. Tengo que decir que me atrapó desde el principio, pero aun así creo que hay algunos acontecimientos que no les he dado mucho sentido, ya que lo que empieza siendo algo paranormal y de fantasmas, acaba con un desenlace mucho mas realista que da un giro interesante aunque un poco predecible en mi caso. Un libro interesante para leer, aunque no tenga nada destacable ni diferente respecto a otros de este tipo de genero.
October 6, 2022
3.5/5 I felt like this story took a while to build up and that the end was cut a little short. You could tell who the killer was at about the halfway point of the novel, but it was still a good ending. Once it started to get going towards the later part of the novel, it became a page turner! Overall the story was entertaining, it just took a while to get going. I would recommend this to others.
July 3, 2023
This was a fun and quick read, but I didn't think Martha was well-developed as a character. She was just kind of there to be scared about things.
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