This book is the 'updated' versions of both Chain Letter and Chain Letter 2: The Ancient Evil. The updates were out of place at times. Don't introduce cell phones just to have their battery die. The dialog was updated but I felt it was more readable than Pike usually is because of it. The first is a standard teen slasher. The second is a standard teen slasher with an interesting twist. If you read Pike for the batshit crazy that finds it's way into his books you have to wait until almost the end of the second book for it to appear.