“More than anything else, I believe it's our decisions, not the conditions of our lives, that determine our destiny.” This quote applies to Herb in the book Die Softly by Christopher Pike. A seemingly dumb decision to hide a camera in the girl's locker room changes his life forever.

Herb is a teenage boy who doesn't have many friends. He is unpopular and is called an “awkward loser.” He has one hobby though, photography. He loves taking pictures and it's the only thing he does. Herb also has a crush on a popular girl named Alexa Close. His friend hatched up a “brilliant” idea to use his camera to hide it in the girls shower room and take pictures. It took some persuading but Herb agreed. He went through with it. After it all was done, he developed the pictures and noticed something weird. Alexa Close was sneaking up on Lisa Barnscull with a baseball bat. But it gets even weirder. Lisa had died days later, but it was surfaced that she drove off a cliff. Herb was thinking Lisa may have been dead before the “accident.” And now Herb has to figure out what to do or else he might be the next victim.

The characters in Die Softly are: Herb Trasker: A high school nobody who doesn't have many friends. According to him his self-esteem was “non-existent.” He has never been on a date and he never asked a girl out. By the pictures he took, he could tell the mood the people were in. He had a real talent.

Alexa Close: She was a popular cheerleader in High School. She was very pretty. She had long dark brown hair, red lips, and large green eyes. Herb had a crush on her and thought she was “the only cheerleader worth giving a damn.” Her looks cover up her personality though. Deep down inside she is pure evil.

Theo Corbin is Herb's best friend. His brother died and since then he has been more sensitive. His grades also worsened after the death of his brother. His ethics were more conservative then Herbs. He wasted his sharp mind though and may not graduate in June. He gets drunk and says wise things, but Herb can see that it's all an act to cover up his pain.
sharp mind though and may not graduate in June. He gets drunk and says wise things, but Herb can see that it's all an act to cover up his pain.

Lisa Barnscull had died by what appeared to be a tragic accident. It looked like she accidently drove off a cliff that had the reputation of being a sharp turn. If someone died off of it, it wouldn't be a huge shock. But when Herb saw the pictures, Alexa was sneaking up on her with a baseball bat. Now Herb thinks she may have died a different way.

Sammie was Herb's best girl friend from pre-school, but nothing more. Sammie thinks she knows what's best for Herb and doesn't want him to get hurt. She cares about Herb. She hates the cheerleaders because they are all popular and pretty and skinny and she's not. They make fun of her and Sammie despises them.

Roger Corbin was Theo's older brother who had died. He had gone off a sharp cliff that had the reputation of being difficult to drive past. When he died, he had to grams of cocaine in his bloodstream. It was weird though because Theo swore to never use drugs.

The theme of this book is to be careful what you wish for. Herb wished to take pictures of naked girls. He got that, but he got so much more. There was a picture of death, which left Herb scared and worried. What he wished for came true, but there was a price to pay.

I think that this book is extremely thrilling. The author included every element of an electrifying book. His style was really great though. The way he ended each chapter left you longing for more. He uses excellent cliff-hangers that leave you wondering. He describes the characters thoroughly and deeply so we know what they are really like. He plots secrets throughout the book and as you go on, you uncover the answers. It was also cool how he set up the book so that the epilogue wasn't just at the end. The theme also makes sense with what the whole book is about. Be careful what you wish for is the theme because Herb wanted to take pictures of the girls in the shower, but he got so much more. I also thought that the plot was incredibly good. The order and way that the things happen is really exciting. Over all this was a really good book.
thought that the plot was incredibly good. The order and way that the things happen is really exciting. Over all this was a really good book.

I think that this book is great. It has mystery, suspense, and horror. You always want to keep reading to know what happens next. The plot is really good too. Each character has their own secrets and lies that make the book more exciting.

I think that this book would be good for teenagers and adults. They would understand it more and get more out of it then somebody younger. This book is perfect for anyone who likes loads of drama, secrecy, and commotion that leaves you on the edge of your chair the whole time. It isn't predictable and you can't tell what will happen next.

I would recommend this book to anyone who likes suspense mixed with mysteries and terror. It is a really thrilling, heart-pumping book that has twists and turns that you didn't see coming. You wouldn't suspect what happens next and that's what makes it great.