SOLVED. 90’s Young Adult Horror - “Jake” left for dead by high school kids from a dare. Spoilers ahead. [s]

[Tim]

Thanks in advance. Spoilers ahead.


Things I remember from this important book from my adolescence -

Main character was named “Jake Summers” or something to that effect.
He was left for dead by a clique of kids, presumably on a dare of some sort.

He comes back to school as a “new kid” wearing a black leather jacket and sunglasses. None of the kids recognize him. He befriends them and slowly seeks his revenge by killing them all one by one.

One of the most memorable ways he killed was by helping spot a kid weightlifting and encourages him to try more and more weight. He struggles and “Jake” stops helping and let’s the weight crush the kid but not before revealing who he is at the last moment.

I also think there was a repeated saying every time he killed one of the kids. A chant or something the kids said when they left him to die.

I hope this helps! I have been searching for far too long for this book without finding ANYTHING. THANKS!

[Kris]

Please note you can bump your thread (post a comment) every 30+ days - or sooner if you remember more information - because this group is so large.

Tips for posting a book request: https://www.goodreads.com/topic/show/...

[Tab]

Do you remember the cover?
Part of a series?

When in the book is it revealed that the "new kid" is actually Jake?

[Tim]

The cover looked a lot like the Christopher Pike type of young adult horror books. I can’t remember specifics unfortunately.

The reader knows the whole time who the “new kid” is but the group that he gets revenge on doesn’t realize it until the moment right before their death. He reveals himself as they are dying.

[Kate]

This sounds so much like something I've read. I love 90s YA horror books.

These don't really seem to match fully but thought I'd throw them out there:

The Executioner by Jay Bennett has a murderer killing off high school kids who were involved in the death of a classmate, and I seem to recall he had something he said after each murder.

The New Boy by R.L. Stine was the first book I thought of, but the description doesn't sound quite right.

Nightshade: Attitude Problem by Andrew Coleman has a new kid who wears a leather jacket, but it doesn't have the murder aspect.

I'll keep looking, I'd be interesting in reading this too!

[Tim]

Thank you for jumping in! This was definitely one that stood out to me in the genre, I loved that genre growing up also. Still one of the best IMO.

The Executioner storyline seems close but my book is a revenge type story because the group of kids tricked the antagonist and then left him to die.

The “chant” is a recurring item in the book after each murder and I believe it has something to do with what they said when they left him for dead.

I think you’re on the right track Kate! Thank you!

[Kate]

I can't recall if I ever read this one, but maybe
The New Year's Party?

P.J. wasn’t supposed to die. It was just a practical joke, no big deal. But P.J. had a bad heart…

The kids at Reenie’s Christmas party couldn’t tell the police what they’d done, so they hid the body…and then it disappeared.

Now someone is killing them, one by one. Someone is taking P.J.’s revenge…but who?

By midnight they’ll know. Because when the clock chimes, they’ll all get a kiss. The kiss of death.

[Kate]

Or maybe this one:



When two new guys start at Jess's high school, she thinks the year is really looking up. What she can't know is that there is a connection between them. One has been given a new identity by the government. The other is seeking revenge. Jess doesn't know whom she can trust. Will she be the next victim?

[Ayshe]

Someone was searching for series with similar plot: https://www.goodreads.com/topic/show/... (she also mentions gym and weights) and it turned out to be Scared to Death trilogy by Ted Pickford. Maybe one of them?

[Tim]

Ayshe wrote: "Someone was searching for series with similar plot: https://www.goodreads.com/topic/show/... (she also mentions gym and w..."

This was it!!! The book was I was thinking of is Bobbys Back Book 2! I bought it as a kid originally I think because I was drawn to all the blood on the cover and thought that was so “cool”.

I can’t thank you enough!!! I have been trying to find this book for so long. Sorry I was off with the name so poorly! Samsonite!

Thank you all so much! I love each and every one of you.