Do you remember receiving those Scholastic book catalogs during your elementary years? Or attending the yearly school book fair?
I sure do remember them, as this is when I was introduce to many new authors, including those who wrote under the Point Horror title. I read these books vigorously, introducing me to the works by R.L. Stine, Diane Hoh, Richie Tankersley Cusick, Christopher Pike, and Caroline B. Cooney. The plots of Point Horror were similar to the horror movies from the 1980s, where typically a female teenager must battle some sort of bad guy, like an ex-boyfriend, a stalker, a serial killer, a ghost, a vampire, etc. Yes, the books were heavily criticized, but teenager readers loved reading them. The books became even more popular during the 90s' with ten books or more being released yearly, but toward the beginning of the 21st century the genre almost disappeared. After an eight year absence, new Point Horror titles returned in 2013.
One of the newest Point Horror releases, Wickedpedia (224 pages; ISBN: 978-0545415873) by Chris Van Etten, arrived in bookstores back in June from Scholastic Inc., and follows the similar horror premise of the original Point Horror books, except for the fact that the plot is more updated with today's trends and technology.
Wickedpedia centers on an aspiring teenage chef Cole Redeker and his best-friend Gavin. Cole has never gotten over the breakup with his ex-girlfriend Winnie, as he is still in love with her, but she already has a new boyfriend, the know-it-all Josh. It is no secret that Josh uses Wikipedia to research his class reports. Cole and Gavin thought it would be funny to alter those pages, so Josh would get into trouble. What starts out as a little harmless joke turns into murder!