Rate this book

Clear rating

1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars

Wish You Were Dead (Thrillogy #1)

3.82 of 5 stars 3.82 · rating details · 1,599 ratings · 299 reviews

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

The day after anonymous blogger Str-S-d wish...more

Hardcover, 236 pages

Published September 22nd 2009 by EgmontUSA

more details... edit details

Get a copy:

More…

Friend Reviews

To see what your friends thought of this book, please sign up.

Lists with This Book

Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows by J.K. Rowling

YA Books Far Better than Twilight

357th out of 1,166 books — 2,142 voters

Once Upon Another Time by Rosary McQuestion

The Thirteenth Tale by Diane Setterfield

Best Unknown Books

116th out of 1,299 books — 1,045 voters

More lists with this book...

Community Reviews

(showing 1-30 of 3,000)

filter | sort: default (?) | rating details

Apr 02, 2013 Krystal rated it 4 of 5 stars

Weirdly Unpredictable *spoiler alert*

"Wish You Were Dead" by Todd Strasser is one of those books that you read the title of and get a sense of what its about. Definitely caught me off guard. It was a thriller/mystery where when your taken from the online blog to the story you try to peice things together. It really makes you think. At first the author clearly tries to get you to think that Tyler was the cause of all the disappearances, but does it in a way that is too obvious making him unable...more Weirdly Unpredictable *spoiler alert*

"Wish You Were Dead" by Todd Strasser is one of those books that you read the title of and get a sense of what its about. Definitely caught me off guard. It was a thriller/mystery where when your taken from the online blog to the story you try to peice things together. It really makes you think. At first the author clearly tries to get you to think that Tyler was the cause of all the disappearances, but does it in a way that is too obvious making him unable to be the culprit.
The weird relationship between Madison and Tyler was part of the reason I kept reading when the writer seemed to drag on the story. The romance was weird and didn't come together like most cliche relationships authors usually write about.
Madison is not the typical heroine. Sure, she falls for this oh so mysterious guy, but unlike most heroines she only half wants to put the peices of the puzzle together to find out who is kidnapping her friends. It takes until her best friend Adam gets kidnapped for her to become so concerned that she tries to put the peices together.
The plot in general has more plot twists than I expected. The person that slashed Madison's tires and has left the previous notes actually turns out to be someone who was trying to protect her who was on the trail of the serial kill. More than that as you re-read the blogs and look more into the character Maura you really do find out that she was the one who wished Lucy and Madison's friends would disappear but never did any of the kidnapping, and wasn't even aware of it until the near end. Just when you think the book is about to run out of pages it begins to wrap it up and you discover that their teacher Mrs.S was in fact the one who murdered Lucy and kidnapped her and Maddison's friends which was surprising considering all throughout the book she was the adviser for the program they all joined in for community service hours. As innocent as she may have looked, she was the culprit all along which was one of the stories more major twists.
Overall its a book that I really enjoyed because of the characters and especially the surprises as it led you to believe one thing and does the exact opposite. This book did have its spots where it looked like it had some 'fluff' in it just to fill in space, but I was satisfied with the book, the romances, and even the gruesome imagery it had that let your mind see what was occurring and continuously having the reader look closer and try to figure out who was doing what.(less)

like · see review

Jan 18, 2013 Monicag rated it 4 of 5 stars

I read a book “Wish you were dead” by Todd Strasser. This book explains about anonymous blogger Str-S-d writes about what happens to her and wishes someone dead. It wishes Lucy Cunningham dead because she’s popular and being rude so it has something to do with a past.”I hate you Lucy,I really hate you. you are my number #1 pick. I wish you were dead.” I think this book is amazing because it gives a suspense and a mystery. The main character is Madison, she’s different from Lucy.I don’t like Lucy...more I read a book “Wish you were dead” by Todd Strasser. This book explains about anonymous blogger Str-S-d writes about what happens to her and wishes someone dead. It wishes Lucy Cunningham dead because she’s popular and being rude so it has something to do with a past.”I hate you Lucy,I really hate you. you are my number #1 pick. I wish you were dead.” I think this book is amazing because it gives a suspense and a mystery. The main character is Madison, she’s different from Lucy.I don’t like Lucy because she has a bad attitude and being very low. But for Madison, she’s rich like Lucy but she’s a nice person.In a beginning, a anonymous blog explains that he/she wants Lucy dead. After a blog, Lucy Cunningham was kidnapped and was nowhere to be seen. A main character named Madison needs to figure out who it is and who is doing the kidnapping. I mostly enjoy the mystery because i’m anxiously wonder who it is and why someone would do that. Seven days later since Lucy was kidnapped, Adam Pinter, Madison’s childhood friend and Lucy’s ex boyfriend was missing. The another blog user Str-Sd also wished Adam should die, it got me curious to know who is writing a blog, at first i thought it might be a Ste-Sd kidnapping but in a book, but didn't know what’s going on. In a middle through a book, It reveals that it was Maura, a unpopular, timid girl think some people being rude to her, including Lucy, Adam and Courtney that are the top 3.
The book “Wish you were dead” is different, comparing to another book “The deadly sister”. “The Deadly sister” has an ending twist that a Main character is the killer to set up her sister, While the other book “Wish you were dead” has to be a teacher named Ms. Skelling. The first book is all about her sister Maya being accused of murder so Abby is helping her to prove she’s innocent but turns out she’s the one a killer. The second book i read last year is more different because it has a different plot of the story. Instead of one person murdered, It’s being kidnapped and being murder days or weeks later. One has the love relationship problems in a story while the other has to do something with bullying. I think i like “Wish you were dead” better than “The deadly sister” because i’m disappointed to read that a main character would set up sister in jail so she can protect herself.
I rate this book “Wish you were dead” a 4 because it gives more mystery and drama. It makes me anxiously to know what’s happening each time you read. I like this book but sometimes i feel sad when people died in a book.(less)

2 likes · like · see review

Jan 02, 2013 Tanja rated it 2 of 5 stars

Sie ist eine Außenseiterin. Das Ebenbild dessen, was man wohl niemals ausrotten wird, weil es immer Leute geben wird, die sie demütigen wollen. Doch zumindest hat sie einen Weg gefunden, ihrem Frust und ihrer Hilflosigkeit Luft zu machen – sie schreibt unter dem Pseudonym „an-G-kozzt“ einfach einen Blog über all das. Darüber, wie sehr sie Lucy und ihre Freunde für das hasst, was sie ihr antun. Ein guter Weg – bis Lucy und ihr Freund Adam plötzlich verschwinden …

Derweil geht Madison ihrem Leben...more Sie ist eine Außenseiterin. Das Ebenbild dessen, was man wohl niemals ausrotten wird, weil es immer Leute geben wird, die sie demütigen wollen. Doch zumindest hat sie einen Weg gefunden, ihrem Frust und ihrer Hilflosigkeit Luft zu machen – sie schreibt unter dem Pseudonym „an-G-kozzt“ einfach einen Blog über all das. Darüber, wie sehr sie Lucy und ihre Freunde für das hasst, was sie ihr antun. Ein guter Weg – bis Lucy und ihr Freund Adam plötzlich verschwinden …

Derweil geht Madison ihrem Leben nach. Sie hat sich verliebt und kann an niemand anders als Tyler denken … bis sie erfährt, dass ihre einst beste Freundin Lucy verschwunden ist. Automatisch kommen ihr wieder die anonymen E-Mails in den Sinn, die sie bereits seit einiger Zeit erhält. Ob Lucys Verschwinden mit den Mails in Zusammenhang steht?

Als dann auch noch Courtney, Madisons beste Freundin verschwindet, macht Madison sich auf eigene Faust auf die Suche nach Antworten für die Geschehnisse. Und stößt dabei auf eine ganz ähnliche Geschichte, die sich andernorts ereignet hat. Dass der Hauptverdächtige schließlich auch noch bei ihr auftaucht, ohne dass Madison weiß, was er eigentlich von ihr will, ist zunächst mehr als verwirrend. Doch dann erscheint plötzlich alles einen Sinn zu ergeben und sie macht sich gemeinsam mit Tyler auf, den Menschen, der hinter all dem und noch viel mehr steckt, zu überführen …

Ich muss wohl zugeben, dass ich jetzt schon eine Ewigkeit an Wish U Were Dead herumgelesen habe und jetzt richtig erleichtert bin, das Buch endlich beendet zu haben. Die Geschichte zieht sich einfach wie Kaugummi zum dann doch ziemlich verwirrenden und hektischen Finale hin. Einen Spannungsbogen vermisst man hier wirklich sehr. Zumal alles zunächst darauf hindeutet, dass es in der Geschichte nur darum geht, zu verdeutlichen, was passieren kann, wenn Mobbing aus dem Ruder läuft. Dass sich alles kurz vor Schluss doch noch in Richtung Krimi entwickelt, sorgt für meine Bewertung, nämlich …(less)

like · see review

Dec 08, 2012 Despair Speaking rated it 3 of 5 stars

Oh man. I have mixed feelings about this book. The mystery and the intrigue itself was good. The antagonist was unexpected and the true role of some of the characters of the series was well-hidden until the right moment without being totally random. But the main character, Madison, who I liked at first, ruined a lot of scenes that could have gone better. It's her POV so her actions affect the story. I also hated the ending. It was ANNOYING. (view spoiler)...more Oh man. I have mixed feelings about this book. The mystery and the intrigue itself was good. The antagonist was unexpected and the true role of some of the characters of the series was well-hidden until the right moment without being totally random. But the main character, Madison, who I liked at first, ruined a lot of scenes that could have gone better. It's her POV so her actions affect the story. I also hated the ending. It was ANNOYING. (view spoiler)

Taylor, Madison's love interest, was also annoying. Some of the points he made was idiotic (I think only one was good, the one about the death penalty... it's at least convincing a bit). In one class discussion, Adam (a popular guy) countered his argument correctly and what's his rebuttal? He mocks Adam in a childish, taunting manner! Honestly! And he always has to be in the other side, or the side that rebels! Does he really to do that? What does he have to prove? Is he that insecure? ANNOYING! And his constant presence in the story makes it worse. It would have been better if Dave was mentioned more. At least he was useful in the critical moment, but it doesn't make up for his faults. What was so appealing about him? Because you don't know him? AND?

Madison is one of those popular girls who is easy to talk to and treats everyone kindly. She isn't fake and is sincere with her concern to others. She is interested in Taylor, the mysterious "bad boy" in her school who moved in recently. Her life was close to perfect and she is happy with the way things are going. She lives in a good neighborhood where nothing bad happens except for the occasional break-in, a good school, and good parents who are willing to do anything for her.

But when her friend disappears without a trace, she realizes that there's no such thing as a place that's completely safe and sound. As she gets more and more involved in what's happening, she must find the one behind this revenge spree or the people she loves will be in grave danger...(less)

like · see review

Sep 03, 2012 nurmawati djuhawan rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: buku-eng, thriller, young-adult

gimana kalo tiba2 di suatu lingkungan yg aman dan banyak org kaya nya tinggal seorang gadis secara misterius menghilang ?
panik deh semua...apalagi si ce ini anak org berpengaruh walo sifatnya sama sekali jelek dan childish...
bitchy abis dan gak segan2 ngerebut pacar org demi dia bisa dapetin semua nya..
belom lagi suka memandang rendah org yg menurut dia gak keren..
kalo jadi gw mah biarin aja di culik atau di dismiss sekalian ...

so gak heran juga sebenernya kalo ada yg mau bunuh dia..
sampe perten...more

like · see review

Mar 07, 2012 Nenia Campbell rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: x-2009s, ya-baby-ya

High school is a dog-eat-dog world, where the pretty ones and the athletic ones are revered for nothing more than being blessed with their genetics. The unfortunates who don't fit the bill are shunned and often victimized. We've all been to high school. We all remember the pain of what it's like not to fit in. So does somebody in Soundview. But they've decided that they're going to do something about it.

The book opens with a blog. An anonymous student is miserable because he/she's unpopular and...more

2 likes · like · see review

Feb 21, 2012 Janie rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: issues, psychological, high-school-setting, 3-stars

The book starts with anonymous blogger writing about how she is mercilessly bullied in school and how much she wishes that those people were dead. Suddenly, those people start to disappear, one by one. The story progresses and it is evident that those people are abducted and kept in very undesirable conditions. It is narrated first person by a girl named Madison, whose friends are those being taken. Oh, and there’s a mysterious new kid that she likes who very obviously knows something, but is co...more

1 like · like · see review

Feb 12, 2012 Amy Y. rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: 2011-2012-advisory

The book "Wish You Were Dead" is a similar version of another story written by Lois Duncan, "I Know what you did Last Summer". Madison Archer, a student of Soundview High school suddenly gets mysterious death threats after her best friend had disappeared. In addition, a blogger called Str-s-d posts up blogs of how much he/she wants the popular kids to drop dead. Time is running out. Madison needs to find out who is behind this whole puzzle scheme before she is next!

This book was very interesting...more

2 likes · like · see review

Nov 05, 2011 KacieJoEh rated it 4 of 5 stars

Wish You Were Dead is about a girl, Madison Archer, who lives in a rich, safe town and comes from a wealthy family. She is living the life, until her close friends start disappearing one by one. The small city has never had anything like this before, so everyone is on high alarm. Madison is completely freaked and finds it even creepier when this new boy she is crushing on acts extremely suspicious and is definitely hiding something from her. To make things worse, she has a cyberstalker that know...more

1 like · like · see review

Oct 19, 2011 Jetlynn rated it 5 of 5 stars

The title of the novel that I read for this assignment is Wish You Were Dead by Todd Strasser. The thing that I liked most about this book is the fact that there are so many twists and turns. And although there are a number of twists and turns, the book is still easily followed. One thing that I didn't enjoy about this book was that there are some parts at the beginning where another character, besides the main character, was writing on their blog. The initial problem with this is that the read...more

1 like · like · see review

Oct 13, 2011 Faelyn rated it 2 of 5 stars

I think that Todd Strasser wrote this book purely for entertainment. It is a book geared towards teenagers and young adults. A few themes in the book are friendship, hatred, and deceitfulness. The book comes from a teenage girl's point of view, so the style is from a slightly juvenial perspective. Throughout the book, this girls tells you all about her school and home life as she sees it. This book was very affective if it wanted to influence me to be aware of stranger danger and think my teach...more

like · see review

Sep 18, 2011 Megan rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: a-good-scare

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here.

like · see review

Jul 28, 2011 Brina rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Alles beginnt mit einem Wunsch, der nie zur Realität werden sollte: „Ich wünschte, Du wärst tot“.
Auf ihrem Blog schreibt die Userin an-G-kozzt all ihren Frust nieder und lästert über all die schönen und beliebten Schüler, zu denen sie niemals gehören wird.
Ihre Emotionen kochen so weit hoch, dass sie ihren Mitschülern den Tod wünscht, doch was sie damit anrichtet, merkt sie erst, als die erste Mitschülerin spurlos verschwindet.
Und sie soll nicht die Einzige bleiben…

„Wish u were dead“ ist mal wied...more Alles beginnt mit einem Wunsch, der nie zur Realität werden sollte: „Ich wünschte, Du wärst tot“.
Auf ihrem Blog schreibt die Userin an-G-kozzt all ihren Frust nieder und lästert über all die schönen und beliebten Schüler, zu denen sie niemals gehören wird.
Ihre Emotionen kochen so weit hoch, dass sie ihren Mitschülern den Tod wünscht, doch was sie damit anrichtet, merkt sie erst, als die erste Mitschülerin spurlos verschwindet.
Und sie soll nicht die Einzige bleiben…

„Wish u were dead“ ist mal wieder ein Meisterwerk von Todd Strasser, der ebenfalls unter dem Namen Morton Rhue erfolgreich Jugendbücher veröffentlicht.

Das Hörbuch ist ein spannender Thriller, der mich von der ersten Minute an gepackt hat und für mich bis zum Schluss unvorhersehbar war. Nach dem Motto „Jeder kann es gewesen sein“ ist hier Spannung bis zum Schluss garantiert.

Die Geschichte ging mir sehr nahe und es entstand ein einziges Gefühlschaos. Wem kann man trauen, kann einem die Bloggerin leid tun? Was verspricht sich der Entführer von der Sache?

Die Geschichte wird aus drei Sichten erzählt, die allesamt spannend und spektakulär erscheinen.
Auch die Thematik ist interessant und vor allem sehr aktuell. Hier wird gut gezeigt, was man mit Wünschen und Blogs im Internet anstellen kann, wenn man mit bestimmten Texten die falschen Leute erreicht.

Die Charaktere blieben mir lange ein Rätsel und ich erfuhr viel weniger als erhofft über sie. Allerdings ist das nachträglich nichtmal schlimm, denn dadurch wirken alle geheimnisvoll und so wurde es nochmal kniffliger, zu erraten, wer wirklich hinter dem Psychopathen steckt.

Insgesamt neun Sprecher kommen bei „Wish u were dead“ zu Wort. Hauptsprecher sind hier Hans Löw, Wiebke Puls und Felix Knopp. Auf sehr eindringliche und sensible Art und Weise werden die Charaktere hier gesprochen.

Mit einer Länge von knapp 4 Stunden handelt es sich hierbei um die gekürzte Hörbuchfassung.

Todd Strasser ist eine Garantie für tolle Bücher, die unter die Haut gehen. Auch mit „Wish u werde dead“ hat er dies mehr als deutlich beschrieben. Jugendbuch- und Thrillerfans werden mit diesem Hörbuch ihre wahre Freude haben. Empfehlenswert!(less)

like · see review

Apr 16, 2011 Annie rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: 2011-books

This story is told through the eyes of Madison. A popular, nice, rich school in a neighborhood where nothing ever happens. So when Madison's friends start getting kidnapped, everyone freaks. This kidnapper targets the elite 'mean' kids in order to show them what it feels like to be bullied and unpopular.

To say it bluntly, this book just didn't scare me. I started it hoping to get scared and jump at each and every shadow I saw while reading this. It never delivered on that front. I went to bed af...more

like · see review

Feb 21, 2011 Gina Richardson/Mengarelli rated it 5 of 5 stars

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here.

1 like · like · see review

Oct 08, 2010 Jordyn rated it 5 of 5 stars

Wish You Were Dead

Wish You Were Dead explains a story about kids that go missing in one of the nicest towns. The main characters in this book are Madison, Lucy, Adam, Whitney, and Tyler. Lucy was the first one to go missing. It wasn’t long until the others started to disappear as well. It was only the popular kids who started to disappear, no one else. Nobody knows where the children have went, and Madison thinks it’s up to her to try and save them, until she becomes locked with the same situat...more

2 likes · like · see review

May 26, 2010 Sam rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: ya

I picked this up simply because it was a Strasser book and I'm fond of him. It wasn't a let down, but I am left kind of saying "Meh." Frankly, it's probably just coming from the fact that this book is targeted at a lower reading level (I'd say younger audience but frankly the subject matter is a bit too heavy for that).

This book is a bit of a hybrid; it switches between focusing on a blog written by one of the characters (we don't know who) complaining about the popular people at school and a na...more I picked this up simply because it was a Strasser book and I'm fond of him. It wasn't a let down, but I am left kind of saying "Meh." Frankly, it's probably just coming from the fact that this book is targeted at a lower reading level (I'd say younger audience but frankly the subject matter is a bit too heavy for that).

This book is a bit of a hybrid; it switches between focusing on a blog written by one of the characters (we don't know who) complaining about the popular people at school and a narrative focusing on Madison Archer, a rich, semi-popular girl who has always treated everyone nicely. The book is set in a quiet, private, affluent suburb with no crime or weird events. That is, of course, until the most popular and snotty girl in the school disappears shortly after she is dropped off by Safe Rides, a volunteer program that Madison works for. And wouldn't you know it? Our blogger just happened to wish that she would disappear...

Things get weirder and weirder- the anonymous blogster names names and then, poof, they're gone. Eventually, she gets scared that she's cursed- clearly someone is reading what she writes and acting on it. In the mean time, Madison is seeing people who she has been close to her whole life disappear and desperately trying to make the connection to who could be responsible. Worse than anything, she fears that her new man of interest who just moved into town mysteriously could be involved in some way. Not to mention she's been getting weird anonymous notes on the computer, and now she's finding messages left for her warning her that it's not safe. Clearly someone she knows is involved in this, but who?

It's a dark book that's written in a very light, easy to read way. This is good and bad. It's good because I can think of a few reading-challenged teens who could get into this. It's bad because I think this could have been a great in-depth story that I would have loved. It does have a nice twist ending which didn't let me down by falling into standard book stereotypes. Recommended if you need something nice and quick to chew on. (less)

1 like · like · see review

May 25, 2010 Sarah rated it 2 of 5 stars

Ugh, I did not enjoy this book. The premise of the story was interesting and had potential, but I felt the characters were flat, stereotypical, and I really didn't feel empathy for them at all! However, I thought it might catch the attention of reluctant readers, so I booktalked it at our winter booktalks. Lo and behold, it has been checked out ever since!

Here's my booktalk:

Str-S-d Blog Entry #1 (Pg 1)

“Today at school Lucy Cunningham looked at me like I was something the cat coughed up. I don’t...more

like · see review

Feb 27, 2010 Rachael rated it 3 of 5 stars

Lucy Cunningham is the most popular girl in school. Most other girls either want to be her—or hate her. Madison Archer doesn’t really fall into either of these categories, being a generally good person, but she does feel guilty when Lucy vanishes after Madison dropped her off at home. This mysterious disappearance shocks the entire town, especially Madison who begins to doubt everyone around her. Fear builds up as more students disappear, and when an anonymous blogger’s death wishes are linked t...more

like · see review

Jan 09, 2010 Rebecca rated it 4 of 5 stars

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here.

like · see review

Nov 24, 2009 Lesley rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: suspense, popularity

I'm always looking for more "scary" books to recommend and will add this one to the list. The scary parts are by far the best parts of the book: scenes in which the protagonist is alone and hears a noise or sees a shadowy figure, etc. The scenes in which the unknown abductor talks to the abductees are particularly chilling. And I liked the sections from a blog that give some insight into the motivations behind the abductions, plant some red herrings, and advance the theme of the resentment of th...more

like · see review

Nov 20, 2009 Karin rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: young-adult-fiction, mystery, suspense-thriller, horror, abduction, teenagers, teen-sleuths, high-school, popularity, borrowed-from-the-library, 2012-abe-lincoln-nominees

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here. The popular kids are disappearing, and no one knows what’s happening to them - first Lucy Cunningham, then Adam Pinter. Now Madison Archer is receiving threatening notes and emails. Does she have a stalker? Is someone after her, too? Can she put the pieces together before she becomes another statistic?

You will be torn over the evidence as it’s slowly revealed, pointing fingers at possible suspects: PBleeker (Madison’s online stalker), Tyler (the hot, but enigmatic transfer student – who both at...more

like · see review

Jul 30, 2009 Marjorie Light rated it 5 of 5 stars

Review:
WISH YOU WERE DEAD by Todd Strasser

Since the day I read Give a Boy a Gun, I’ve been a Todd Strasser fan. His writing is authentic and scary, sort of like that feeling you get when you are all alone and you think someone is watching you. You feel your hair standing up on your arms and little beads of sweat break out over your upper lip. “Is someone there? Hello?” His new novel, WISH YOU WERE DEAD keeps the chills coming.

From the first chapter, Strasser’s YA thriller sets us up for more sca...more Review:
WISH YOU WERE DEAD by Todd Strasser

Since the day I read Give a Boy a Gun, I’ve been a Todd Strasser fan. His writing is authentic and scary, sort of like that feeling you get when you are all alone and you think someone is watching you. You feel your hair standing up on your arms and little beads of sweat break out over your upper lip. “Is someone there? Hello?” His new novel, WISH YOU WERE DEAD keeps the chills coming.

From the first chapter, Strasser’s YA thriller sets us up for more scares than a Halloween haunted house. We cautiously turn the page ahead to the next chapter, readying ourselves for another shock. He makes sure the evil keep popping out at us, giving us fright after fright.

WISH YOU WERE DEAD features a blend of four narrations: an anonymous teen’s blog listing the kids she hates, a first person narrative by a nice girl named Madison from a wealthy community, a bit of omniscient narration, and strange ramblings from a possible psychopathic kidnapper. Strasser is able to pull off having this many different narrators through his talent as a writer and the use of font styles to indicate a change in narration.

The main character, Madison, is losing her close friends, one by one, and is receiving strange emails and notes warning her of each impending disaster. To compound matters, she is attracted to the new guy in school, but is unsure whether he is involved in the disappearances or not. When Madison decides to take matters into her own hands, we cringe, knowing no good can come out of a choice like that. The pace is fast and the end is shocking. As I sat curled up in my chair at 1:00 am, wanting to finish it, I was wishing I had started it earlier in the day…it was so dark outside and only a thin screen separated me from the noise on the porch…

Strasser’s WISH YOU WERE DEAD is published by Egmont USA and is due out late September 2008. Some language and violence, but nothing over the top for most teen readers. The themes of bullying, tolerance, and friendship are all ones to which students can relate. A perfect read for chill seekers…make plans to spend the wee hours of the night with this one.

(less)

like · see review

Oct 02, 2012 Audrey Hepburn rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: 2012-awesome-books, mystery-thriller-suspense, romance, young-adult, my-2012-book-reviews, 2012-favorites, library-books, awesome-protagonist, drama-adventure, sad-books, 2012-5-stars, realistic-fiction

This book is the best suspense thrilling book. It's like watching a Criminal Minds episode except you are reading it.

The day after anonymous blogger Str-S-d wishes the popular girl would die Lucy vanishes. Then the blogger wishes Adam, Lucy's boyfriend would die and he also disappears. Everyone starts getting panic and wonder if Soundview is safe anymore.

Madison has liked being popular but she starts distancing herself when her two friends disappear.

When her friend, Lucy, disappears after be...more

1 like · like · see review

Jun 14, 2012 Jacquy rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Inhalt:
Ein Mädchen, was den größten Teil des Buches unbekannt bleibt, schreibt auf ihrem Blog, dass sie bestimmten Leuten den Tod wünscht. Diese gehören alle zur In-Clique, den beliebtesten Leuten der Schule. Kurz nachdem die Blogeinträge veröffentlicht werden, sterben die benannten Leute.
Die Protagonistin (Hauptperson) des Buches, Madison, ist in den neuen an der Schule verliebt, Tyler. Die verschwundenen Schüler sind Freunde von Madison, denn auch sie gehört zur In-Clique. Madison und Tyler le...more

like · see review

Jan 07, 2012 Sarah rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: teen, suspense

Warning! This is one scary book! I ended up staying up to finish this book because I literally couldn't sleep. Str-S-d starts a blog complaining about the popular kids in their high school and even starts to talk about how they wish some of them would die. When these popular kids start disappearing no one in the comfortable suburb of Soundview can believe this is happening in their safe little community. In the first of many twists, the story is primarily told from the perspective of "nice" popu...more

1 like · like · see review

Jan 21, 2011 ♔ Shayna rated it 3 of 5 stars

Recommended to ♔ Shayna by: sister

The synopsis hooked me. New-age thriller? Bring it! But I feel a little mislead... I know synopses (there it is again! SO WEIRD!) are not supposed to reveal what actually happens, just tantalize you with all the juicy bits of the novel. In this one though, I was waiting for Madison to get jumped and I was just blindsided by the turn of events.

But not so fast, while I was expecting a certain turn of events, I got another just as good. Though it was creepy.... Anywhats, the pacing in this story fe...more

like · see review

May 01, 2010 Thomas rated it 3 of 5 stars

Lucy Cunningham is the most popular girl attending Soundview High. She is drop dead gorgeous and stunningly attractive - everyone wishes to stand in her shoes. That is, until one night Lucy is mysteriously kidnapped after receiving a ride home.

Madison Archer is wrecked by feelings of guilt and anxiety - after all, she was the last person to see Lucy before she disappeared. Thankfully, she has a new crush to keep her preoccupied. Tyler is the new, secretive guy at her school who always dons a bla...more

2 likes · like · see review

Apr 19, 2013 Mingwei rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: april-2013, mystery, young-adult, thriller, suspense, horror

Lucy Cunningham is the girl that everybody wants to be, she's rich, popular, and pretty but she treats anyone that she thinks not worthy of her attention like dirt. A victim that Lucy torments everyday, blogs anonymously on the internet where she talks about all the horrible things that Lucy does to her. Then one day, she finally couldn't take it any more, and blogged that she wished Lucy was dead. It doesn't seem like such a big deal right? Almost everyone in their lifetime might have made that...more

like · see review

Mar 17, 2013 Ash.Mehta rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: mystery, romance

Todd Strasser is a genuis. He really is. He is a master at writing cutting edge books. This is a story that will pull you in from the first page.

Lucy is a popular girl with a secret - she is bipolar. A school group called Safe Rides offers rides to students who are either under the influence and cannot drive or who just don't have a way of getting home as been formed at the wealthy suburban community of Soundview. A new English teacher runs this group. Lucy places a call to the Safe Rides office...more Todd Strasser is a genuis. He really is. He is a master at writing cutting edge books. This is a story that will pull you in from the first page.

Lucy is a popular girl with a secret - she is bipolar. A school group called Safe Rides offers rides to students who are either under the influence and cannot drive or who just don't have a way of getting home as been formed at the wealthy suburban community of Soundview. A new English teacher runs this group. Lucy places a call to the Safe Rides office and her former best friend, Madison and Madison's lastest crush Tyler pick her up. Lucy is drunk; she argues with Madison and Tyler and they give in to her demand to drop her off at her house without seeing her inside. That goes against the cardinal rule of Safe Rides.

Lucy never makes it home. By the next morning, the talk on the street has it that she disappeared. Nobody knows where or how she vanished. Tyler and Madison are blamed by their teacher for the disappearance of Lucy.

Madison, a wealthy only child delights in her brush with popularity that knowing Lucy gave her. Over time, she and Lucy part ways because Madison cannot stomach Lucy's mean spirited taunting of their less popular counterparts.

Rumors circle the school like buzzards. Did Lucy run away? Was there a boy involved? Was she kidnapped? Is she alive? Does she have anything do with the mysterious blogger called Str-s-d who posts death wishes against people whom the blogger feels has wronged Str-s-d.

Whoever Str-s-d is, this blogger does not mourn Lucy's disappearance. The anonymous blogger spews venom and anger across the Internet because Lucy looked down on others and had a sense of social entitlement. A few regular posters express a range of emotions, some sympathizing with Str-s-d and others slamming all over the blogger. Str-s-d admits to wanting Lucy to die, just as Str-s-d admits wanting popular people in general to perish.

Two more students vanish. Adam, a friend of Madison's since their early years and a bright, attractive girl named Courtney (Madison gives her the stupid nickname of "Courts") disappear shortly after Lucy. Adam appears to be the common thread. He was Lucy's boyfriend, but admitted to Madison, who was his good friend that Lucy saw him more as a trophy than a boyfriend and he was ready to call it off with her. He in fact did so at the party they both attended the night Lucy vanished. Adam and Courtney hook up, but could their disappearance be by their choice or did something happen to them? Did whoever Str-s-d is have anything do with their disappearance?

Tyler is a mysterious figure. He might have some insight into the disappearance of the three students. He also might be PBleeker, someone who IMs Madison and leaves cryptic messages on her computer. He is an interesting character who speeds the story along at a breakneck pace.

Todd Strasser is an extremely gifted writer. I am already looking forward to reading the next two books in the Soundview Series.

An interesting aside - the book cover bears a strong resemblance to Paul McCartney's "Driving Rain" CD.
(less)

like · see review

« previous 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 … 99 100 next »

new topic
Discuss This Book

topics	posts	views	last activity
Who did you think kidnapped Lucy, Adam, and Courtney before it was revealed that it was their teacher?	1	4	Oct 09, 2012 02:44pm

combine
Other Editions (11)

More editions...

Videos About This Book

Wish You Were Dead Todd Strasser Book Trailer

2 comments

Genres

Mystery

74 users

Young Adult

60 users

Thriller

24 users

Young Adult > Teen

21 users

Suspense

20 users

Horror

16 users

Young Adult > High School

10 users

Contemporary

9 users

Realistic Fiction

8 users

Academic > School

6 users

See top shelves...

Readers also enjoyed similar books

Blank Confession
by Pete Hautman
Food, Girls, and Other Things I Can't Have
by Allen Zadoff
Reality Check
by Peter Abrahams
Deadville
by Ron Koertge
Box Out
by John Coy

About Todd Strasser

Todd Strasser is an American author of more than 130 young-adult and middle grade novels and novelizations, some written under the pen names Morton Rue and T.S.Rue

Todd was born in New York City. When he was young his parents moved to Roslyn Heights, New York (Long Island). Todd went to the I.U. Willets Elementary school and then attended the Wheatley School for junior high and high school. His bes...more

More about Todd Strasser...

Books by Todd Strasser

More…

Share This Book

Facebook Twitter Your website

Trivia About Wish You Were Dead

3 trivia questions

More quizzes & trivia...

Quotes from Wish You Were Dead

“If you've never known someone your own age who's died, you can't imagine what it feels like. It's as if you were walking on a glass floor and it suddenly shatters and now you're falling and falling and there's broken glass in the air all around you and no bottom in sight.” — 2 people liked it

More quotes…

title link	preview: Wish You Were Dead
avg rating	preview: Wish You Were Dead Goodreads rating: 3.82 (1599 ratings)
small image	preview: click here [close]
med image	preview: click here [close]
BBCode	[url=http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/6249550-wish-you-were-dead?utm_medium=api&utm_source=blog_book][img]http://d.gr-assets.com/books/1320503629l/6249550.jpg[/img][/url] [url=http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/6249550-wish-you-were-dead?utm_medium=api&utm_source=blog_book]Wish You Were Dead by Todd Strasser[/url]

Wish You Were Dead (Thrillogy #1)

Friend Reviews

Community Reviews

Share This Book

Share This Book on Your Website