#THE WISHING STONE HOURS SERIES#

McFadden was born in New York but grew up in California where he stills lives in today. Librarian Note: There is more than one author in the GoodReads database with this name. He is a bestselling author of young adult and children's fiction who specializes in the thriller genre.

#THE WISHING STONE HOURS SERIES#

I would avoid, personally, unless the Spooksville series of books are your unadulterated fave book series.moreĬhristopher Pike is the pseudonym of Kevin McFadden. The first few chapters are enjoyable enough, but it eventually fades into said passable novel. Therefore, it's an inconspicuous paperback from the 1990's that has no real reason to exist but be a perpetual all-time low for an apparently bestselling series (cough, cough.mammoth of a lie).

There's no realistic characters(just annoying ones) and that unnecessarily villainous antagonist (a blooming space lizard described as ugly several times) annoys immensely. The first fe The Wishing Stone, laden with pop culture references and a truly abscessed premise, is passable. The Wishing Stone, laden with pop culture references and a truly abscessed premise, is passable. Overall, 'The Wishing Stone' was highly eventful.more

As usual, the four friends fought tooth and nail for one another. I really liked the way Sally kept thinking on her feet, as well as her pluckiness and determination despite having all odds against her. Then the sci-fi element and seriousness kicked in, with the dominant setting being a desert planet called Amacron Thirty-seven. This started off light and fun, what with Sally and Cindy making over-the-top wishes and Watch testing the limits of the mysterious stone. Her wish is granted but this instant gratification is indeed too good to be true. After taking it, she grumbles about her shoes and wishes for a new pair. Then the sci-fi element and seriousness kicked in, with the dominant setting bei In 'The Wishing Stone', Adam and co are hiking in the woods when Sally spots an extraordinary sculpted hand clutching a stone. In 'The Wishing Stone', Adam and co are hiking in the woods when Sally spots an extraordinary sculpted hand clutching a stone. It’s a cute read, but ultimately not one of my favorites in the series. There’s plenty of action, a little grit, and a lot of luck. I admire Sally’s quick thinking and the way she never gives up even in the face of almost certain defeat, along with Adam and Watch’s abilities to discover loopholes in the universal justice systems. The book follows a familiar pattern of Adam having doubts, Sally getting the group into trouble, and various combinations of the group scheming to get them out of it. Pike does sci-fi well when it comes to other dimensions or time travel, but I’m less fond of his space explorations (think The Tachyon Web–not his best.) The Wishing Stone dives straight into science fiction territory, much like Aliens in the Sky, and I’m not really a fan. All the books have elements of horror in them, and most are blended with science fiction or fantasy or both, to varying effects. Not surprisingly, I like the Spooksville books best when they’re straightforward horror, which this certainly isn’t. Before long, they realize that everything comes with a price, and some prices are too high to be paid. Everything they wish for appears immediately. It turns out the stone has even greater powers: it grants wishes. Though Adam has reservations, Sally and the others decide to take it, thinking they’ll be able to study or sell it.

Not surprisingly, I like the Spooksville books best when they When Adam and his friends are hiking in the woods near Spooksville, they discover a sparkling crystal stone. When Adam and his friends are hiking in the woods near Spooksville, they discover a sparkling crystal stone.

The wishing stone hours