Status
Available
Call number
Publication
Laurel Leaf
Pages
199
Description
Four teen-agers who have desperately tried to conceal their responsibility for a hit-and-run accident are pursued by a mystery figure seeking revenge.
Description
Last summer, four terrified friends made a desperate pact to conceal a shocking secret. But now, someone has learned the truth and is determined to get even.
The horror is starting again. There is an unknown avenger out there who is stalking them in a deadly game. Will he stop at terror-or is he out for revenge?
The horror is starting again. There is an unknown avenger out there who is stalking them in a deadly game. Will he stop at terror-or is he out for revenge?
Collection
Language
Original language
English
Original publication date
1973
Physical description
199 p.; 6.6 inches
ISBN
0440228441 / 9780440228448
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User reviews
LibraryThing member ALelliott
On the same day she gets admitted to her dream college of Smith, Julie James receives a mysterious envelop in the mail. Opening it, she finds a simple note reading, I KNOW WHAT YOU DID LAST SUMMER. In a panic, she gathers the other three teens who know what happened last summer. Ray, Barry, Helen,
At first, the foursome try to play the note off as a prank. But when Barry is shot outside his dorm room, it becomes clear that something much more sinister is at play. What is the dark secret that they all share? Who else knows their secret? And is this person out for revenge?
Perhaps this book was frightening in 1973, when it was originally written, but nowadays, it probably wouldn't scare kids who are used to the gore and creepiness of books like Cirque du Freak and The Hunger Games. Still, it did offer a little mystery and a series of clues that kids will enjoy following. Julie and Ray, the two teens who want to reveal their secret, are decent kids who are clearly caught up in a situation that is over their heads. Barry is the brash football king who makes them all swear to a pact to keep the secret, but it is Helen, the seemingly shallow beauty queen, who is the most intriguing character. Helen hasn't had life easy, and that makes her more driven and ruthless than she might have been otherwise. It would have been interesting to get the story more from Helen's point of view, rather than stereotypically virtuous cheerleader Julie.
I have a friend who loved Lois Duncan when she was a teenager, and she recently bought and reread all the books for nostalgia's sake. Apparently, they have been "updated" to include modern technology like the Internet and cell phones, and the effect was ghastly. Because the thrill comes from the characters' isolation, a lot of the updates were why so and so left their phone at home. Lame. Sorry for the bird walk, but I think today's teens can still appreciate this story as a hallmark of the time it was created in.
In any case, this book is a nice distraction during the...summer... Don't worry, if you read it then, I won't tell. There are a couple scenes of tense violence, but nothing too gory, unlike the cheesy movie I saw in high school. I would like to read more Duncan books, provided I can get my hands on the originals.
For grades 8 and up.
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and Julie have a secret, it seems, and now it turns out someone else may know their secret as well.At first, the foursome try to play the note off as a prank. But when Barry is shot outside his dorm room, it becomes clear that something much more sinister is at play. What is the dark secret that they all share? Who else knows their secret? And is this person out for revenge?
Perhaps this book was frightening in 1973, when it was originally written, but nowadays, it probably wouldn't scare kids who are used to the gore and creepiness of books like Cirque du Freak and The Hunger Games. Still, it did offer a little mystery and a series of clues that kids will enjoy following. Julie and Ray, the two teens who want to reveal their secret, are decent kids who are clearly caught up in a situation that is over their heads. Barry is the brash football king who makes them all swear to a pact to keep the secret, but it is Helen, the seemingly shallow beauty queen, who is the most intriguing character. Helen hasn't had life easy, and that makes her more driven and ruthless than she might have been otherwise. It would have been interesting to get the story more from Helen's point of view, rather than stereotypically virtuous cheerleader Julie.
I have a friend who loved Lois Duncan when she was a teenager, and she recently bought and reread all the books for nostalgia's sake. Apparently, they have been "updated" to include modern technology like the Internet and cell phones, and the effect was ghastly. Because the thrill comes from the characters' isolation, a lot of the updates were why so and so left their phone at home. Lame. Sorry for the bird walk, but I think today's teens can still appreciate this story as a hallmark of the time it was created in.
In any case, this book is a nice distraction during the...summer... Don't worry, if you read it then, I won't tell. There are a couple scenes of tense violence, but nothing too gory, unlike the cheesy movie I saw in high school. I would like to read more Duncan books, provided I can get my hands on the originals.
For grades 8 and up.
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LibraryThing member bushybabe
Really good book! I really enjoyed it. Is way better than the movie and was actually interesting! I would deff. read it again! =]
LibraryThing member JaredS8
I love this book! If you the kind of person who loves horror and mystery, I Know What You Did Last Summer is the book to read...
LibraryThing member kettykat
This thriller is really good because young adults can really relate to the characters. They are all high school students preparing for graduation and celebrating with reckless abandon. The story show serious consequences for drinking and driving and the possibilities of what could really happen
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should you decide to get behind the wheel. I think its an exciting book and I think young adult readers would really love it. Show Less
LibraryThing member vle045
I read this way back in 1988, but I remember that I loved the book. From what I recall, the book was very different from the movie... but it's been a LONG time since I read the book.
LibraryThing member hsreader
Its about this girl named Julie and her boyfriend name Ray. They were and the car with there friends helen and Barry. Barry hit a man when he was driving. Ray rans out of the car and calls 911. They leave the body there and the next summer someone starts to haunt for there lifes. I do not recommend
S.P.
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this ook because it was boring and i think the movie was better. S.P.
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LibraryThing member ERMSMediaCenter
Four teenagers who have desperately tried to conceal their responsibility for a hit-and-run accident are pursued by a mystery figure seeking revenge.
LibraryThing member dfitzgerald
This book was a re-read for me. I remember reading this book while I was in my teen years and truly loving it. I have to say, it is still a thrill and I enjoyed the book from beginning to end. I think there are a number of important lessons in the book, as well as it filled with suspense, romance
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and sadness and more. Show Less
LibraryThing member gwen.ashworth
A novel that appeals to teenagers with an important message---don't drink and drive. The plot revolves around four teenagers, Julie, Ray, Helen and Barry, who share a horrifying secret that haunts them. Someone is threatening to reveal their secret. But who? Eventually everyone must own up to their
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sins and mistakes. The novel is told from the third person omniscient point of view. There is a little something for everyone---murder, revenge, mystery, suspense and romance. Show Less
LibraryThing member mscoopsyalist
Julie has just been accepted to an Ivy League school. She is pretty and young with a loving mother and her whole life ahead of her but she cannot get past what happened when a car she was riding in with her friends hit a young boy and killed him. The teens left the scene but called in the accident
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at a pay phone down the road. However, someone knows what happened and is determined to make them pay. Show Less
LibraryThing member Luv4Duckies
Four friends, along for a joyride, hit a person walking along the road. At first glance they think the person is dead, but as the story continues the suspect is out for revenge against the four friends.
LibraryThing member hoffer30380
This book was outstanding! The book contains a ton of suspense and action. An absolute "must read"!
LibraryThing member butler41600
Easy to read book, only a little scary at the end.
LibraryThing member MMChat
It is about 4 teenagers who made a pact not to talk about an incident that happened last summer and someone finds out.
LibraryThing member hollyhox
I am 38, and I read a LOT of Lois Duncan growing up. When the movie version of this came out, I had no idea it was based on this book. This is a suspense novel, not a horror one. There isn't much violence, and if you know where the story is going, it's pretty easy to spot the clues along the way.
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The teens run over a 10-year-old boy, not a hook man, and it's his Vietnam-veteran stepbrother who seeks revenge for his death. This is not my favorite Duncan book. I think she does best with her supernaturally-based novels. The first few chapters are hard to get through because she hits you over the head with clunky exposition, but once that's over, the pacing is great, until it comes to an abrupt, crashing halt at the end. Show Less
LibraryThing member jordyn_gymnast
I really liked this book. It was very scary, and you didn't find out the secret killer until the end.
LibraryThing member Sullywriter
The book is totally different and so much better than that dreadful movie.
LibraryThing member Shelby_Kuzma
I Know What You Did Last Summer is the story of 4 high school students trying to forget a horrible mistake they made the previous summer. While they are far from succeeding, one year later they are forced to relieve the experience when mysterious notes and pictures begin appearing, suggesting that
This book was short, but it kept me entertained the entire time. However, I felt as though the author divulged the teenagers' secret to the readers very early on in the story. While the rest of the novel was captivating, it would have been more suspenseful had the audience been kept in the dark.
I also found the ending a little predictable. Lois Duncan gave a lot of clues leading up to the discover of the man who was terrorizing these four young people. It bothered me that none of the characters could figure that out.
The fate of several of the characters was also rather ambiguous. While this is not always terrible to have in a story, I would have liked more details at the end, especially regarding the character of Helen.
All in all, I enjoyed reading this book. I especially loved the ending. It was so romantic and sweet, and gave the novel a happy tone for the end.
This is a really good mystery book. Having not read a great deal of the mystery genre, I cannot compare it to any other adult books. However, it did remind of R. L. Stine's "Point Horror" series for teens.
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someone else may be privy to their awful secret.This book was short, but it kept me entertained the entire time. However, I felt as though the author divulged the teenagers' secret to the readers very early on in the story. While the rest of the novel was captivating, it would have been more suspenseful had the audience been kept in the dark.
I also found the ending a little predictable. Lois Duncan gave a lot of clues leading up to the discover of the man who was terrorizing these four young people. It bothered me that none of the characters could figure that out.
The fate of several of the characters was also rather ambiguous. While this is not always terrible to have in a story, I would have liked more details at the end, especially regarding the character of Helen.
All in all, I enjoyed reading this book. I especially loved the ending. It was so romantic and sweet, and gave the novel a happy tone for the end.
This is a really good mystery book. Having not read a great deal of the mystery genre, I cannot compare it to any other adult books. However, it did remind of R. L. Stine's "Point Horror" series for teens.
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LibraryThing member hazysaffron
This book started out on the wrong foot with me as the mom is chiding her daughter for studying too hard...It pretty much went downhill from there. It would've made a fine short story as the actual content could've been squeezed down into 30 to 50 pages. I am used to reading tomes but this book,
Also, it was completely obvious who the stalker/killer was from the first time he made an appearance. Why did the girl trust him enough to be driven around by him after she JUST met him?!
This one goes back to the give-away shelf at the library where I found it.
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short though it was, was too long.Also, it was completely obvious who the stalker/killer was from the first time he made an appearance. Why did the girl trust him enough to be driven around by him after she JUST met him?!
This one goes back to the give-away shelf at the library where I found it.
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LibraryThing member Y2Ash
Technically, the movie introduced me to Lois Duncan but reading this book made me a devoted fan of hers! I absolutely loved the book more than the movie, which to be honest, confused me a bit with the whole Ben Willis/David Egan thing.
I liked the characters more in the book and felt that it took
I thought it was better that the four main characters actually killed a child and how the consequences had a ripple effect. Sure, there were some cliches like how Helen's older sister, Elsa, was jealous of her beauty which caused the friction in their relationship. This book was written in 1974 so I cut it some slack.
All in all, it was defintely a good read!
I liked the characters more in the book and felt that it took
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more chances like with taking away Barry's livelihood rather than just gutting him like a fish and Helen jumping out of a window just to get away from the killer.I thought it was better that the four main characters actually killed a child and how the consequences had a ripple effect. Sure, there were some cliches like how Helen's older sister, Elsa, was jealous of her beauty which caused the friction in their relationship. This book was written in 1974 so I cut it some slack.
All in all, it was defintely a good read!
Show Less
LibraryThing member Y2Ash
Technically, the movie introduced me to Lois Duncan but reading this book made me a devoted fan of hers! I absolutely loved the book more than the movie, which to be honest, confused me a bit with the whole Ben Willis/David Egan thing.
I liked the characters more in the book and felt that it took
I thought it was better that the four main characters actually killed a child and how the consequences had a ripple effect. Sure, there were some cliches like how Helen's older sister, Elsa, was jealous of her beauty which caused the friction in their relationship. This book was written in 1974 so I cut it some slack.
All in all, it was defintely a good read!
I liked the characters more in the book and felt that it took
Show More
more chances like with taking away Barry's livelihood rather than just gutting him like a fish and Helen jumping out of a window just to get away from the killer.I thought it was better that the four main characters actually killed a child and how the consequences had a ripple effect. Sure, there were some cliches like how Helen's older sister, Elsa, was jealous of her beauty which caused the friction in their relationship. This book was written in 1974 so I cut it some slack.
All in all, it was defintely a good read!
Show Less
LibraryThing member lkmuir
Four teen-agers who have desperately tried to conceal their responsibility for a hit-and-run accident are pursued by a mystery figure seeking revenge.
LibraryThing member Arkrayder
Nice bit of fluff.
LibraryThing member ToniFGMAMTC
This is a pretty entertaining whodunit aimed at teens. I think I watched the movie, but I couldn't remember exactly who turned out being the one so I don't know if the book is different. It isn't difficult to figure out who is doing it in the book.
LibraryThing member ToniFGMAMTC
This is a pretty entertaining whodunit aimed at teens. I think I watched the movie, but I couldn't remember exactly who turned out being the one so I don't know if the book is different. It isn't difficult to figure out who is doing it in the book.
Subjects
Awards
Call number
YA B Dun