What do you think?
Rate this book
Losing Christina #3
The Fire
Christina knows the Shevvingtons have left a trail of hollowed-out, lost girls in mental hospitals across the country, and she has seen the secret files that prove it. But the Shevvingtons are determined to destroy the evidence  and Christina. This time, they'll use fire. They stuff her pocketbook full of matchbooks, scribble flames over her class notes  anything they can do to make it look like Christina is obsessed with fire and a danger to herself and others. With summer vacation and safety just weeks away, Christina must make one last desperate attempt to keep her sanity  and her life. This is book three in the LOSING CHRISTINA series.
208 pages, Mass Market Paperback
First published January 1, 1990
27 people are currently reading
603 people want to read
About the author
Caroline B. Cooney
125Ìýbooks1,731ÌýfollowersCaroline Cooney knew in sixth grade that she wanted to be a writer when "the best teacher I ever had in my life" made writing her main focus. "He used to rip off covers from The New Yorker and pass them around and make us write a short story on whichever cover we got. I started writing then and never stopped!"
When her children were young, Caroline started writing books for young people -- with remarkable results. She began to sell stories to Seventeen magazine and soon after began writing books. Suspense novels are her favorites to read and write. "In a suspense novel, you can count on action."
To keep her stories realistic, Caroline visits many schools outside of her area, learning more about teenagers all the time. She often organizes what she calls a "plotting game," in which students work together to create plots for stories. Caroline lives in Westbrook, Connecticut and when she's not writing she volunteers at a hospital, plays piano for the school musicals and daydreams!
- Scholastic.com
When her children were young, Caroline started writing books for young people -- with remarkable results. She began to sell stories to Seventeen magazine and soon after began writing books. Suspense novels are her favorites to read and write. "In a suspense novel, you can count on action."
To keep her stories realistic, Caroline visits many schools outside of her area, learning more about teenagers all the time. She often organizes what she calls a "plotting game," in which students work together to create plots for stories. Caroline lives in Westbrook, Connecticut and when she's not writing she volunteers at a hospital, plays piano for the school musicals and daydreams!
- Scholastic.com
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 30 of 59 reviews
March 8, 2020
|| || || ||
This is the final book in the Losing Christina trilogy. The first book is THE FOG, the second book is THE SNOW, and the third book is THE FIRE. I read all of these in middle school; my school library had a little wooden bookshelf in the corner filled with Point Horror novels and other YA pulp, and I can't tell you how many times I went over to that corner and availed myself of the latest trash.
I still remember the first time I read THE FIRE. It was nearing summer and hot. I was a shy thirteen-year-old, about to start my first year of high school. I really admired Christina's bravery and how she stood up against all the bullies who were gaslighting her and trying to bring her down. She was such a romantic figure, and in between first loves and her coming-of-age, she had to fight against the sadistic and evil Shevvingtons: adults who got pleasure out of emotionally abusing children to the point that they "broke."
THE FIRE is probably the weakest book in the trilogy. Having read them all back to back, I would say that THE FOG is the strongest. The writing is lyrical and gorgeous and it features some truly unique metaphors and symbolism. THE SNOW is also quite good-- but THE FIRE falls back on the symbolism of previous books, to the point where it begins to feel a little repetitive. The advantage to this is that you can go right into THE FIRE, as I did as a kid, without reading the previous books.
In THE FIRE, the Shevvingtons have turned their focus on Christina. She was always their victim, but in THE FOG and THE SNOW, they had their eye on other girls. Now they're planning on leaving, and starting their evil anew in another city, but before they go, they want Christina to suffer as she never has before. The stakes have never been higher, and as Christina finds herself in rooms splashed with gasoline and carrying purses filled with matchbooks, she begins to realize that her end is not going to be one of ice, but one of fire.
I honestly really enjoyed rereading this trilogy. I'm revisiting a lot of my old favorites and some of them definitely don't hold up (*stares at R.L. Stine*). Cooney's work does, though, and I think these books in particular would make an excellent mini-series like Flowers in the Attic. They also seriously need to be rereleased with new and pretty covers, because I think she's a heroine to rival Katniss Everdeen in terms of sheer number of shit that gets thrown at her over the course of these books. In THE FIRE, she's broken down and getting tired, but I never stopped rooting for her. Not once.
I'm going to start Cooney's Vampire trilogy next and after being pleasantly delighted by the Christina trilogy, my hopes are very high regarding the rest of her work!
3.5 stars
May 4, 2012
Sometimes, I like to review classic books of the 90s, stuff from my earlier reading days that made a big impression on me. This one, unfortunately, I remember for all the wrong reasons. Fire's a psychological thriller and the third book in the Losing Christina series by the same author as Face on the Milk Carton. The first book, Fog is actually genuinely creepy, while Snow was one of those wrecks I just couldn't turn away from, so I just had to read Fire.
I wish I hadn't. The entire series is about bullying, specifically adults tormenting kids. The Shevvingtons are the husband and wife duo who make themselves out as this nice principal/teacher couple in a Maine town, but secretly mentally abuse the kids from an outlying island who have to room with them, Christina included. Unfortunately, none of the other adults in the town, not one, believes any of Christina's abuse claims, even though another girl ends up in a mental asylum in the first book, leaving Christina mostly alone to expose her tormetors. And when the Shevvingtons are finally exposed? Lots of excuses from those responsible adults, oh, we never noticed anything, weren't they nice people, bulls-. Adults being completely useless has always been one of the oldest tropes in young adult literature, and frankly I can never be thankful enough of the modern trend moving away from that direction.
And Christina's portrayal? She's so mentally fragile, it's like she's made of tissue paper, always on the verge of a breakdown. In the first book, it was necessary to the story, I didn't blame her, I understood, the Shevvingtons did some really nasty things that even creeped me out. In the second book, it started to get kind of old, but they had just claimed another victim and continued to target her, so my understanding didn't go away. But I didn't like how she kept being so weak, so powerless, here, even towards the end of the book when she's about to expose the Shevvingtons for who they really are. Part of a good psychological thriller's the victim figuring out how strong they really are in the face of abuse or afterwards, even if they bear the scars and need a good deal of recovery, but I never felt that from Christina, just wanted to shake her, don't be so indecisive, hopeless, and depressing when you're about to win! The only thing I actually liked were her few friends, who, while unreliable, supported her and came through for her when she really needed them.
Maybe this series would've worked better if it wasn't so darn repetitive, Christina always seconds away from falling victim to the Shevvingtons, that left the climax in this book just so unsatisfying. I'll admit the ending was sweet, but it doesn't nearly make up for how much I was pissed during the rest of this.
I wish I hadn't. The entire series is about bullying, specifically adults tormenting kids. The Shevvingtons are the husband and wife duo who make themselves out as this nice principal/teacher couple in a Maine town, but secretly mentally abuse the kids from an outlying island who have to room with them, Christina included. Unfortunately, none of the other adults in the town, not one, believes any of Christina's abuse claims, even though another girl ends up in a mental asylum in the first book, leaving Christina mostly alone to expose her tormetors. And when the Shevvingtons are finally exposed? Lots of excuses from those responsible adults, oh, we never noticed anything, weren't they nice people, bulls-. Adults being completely useless has always been one of the oldest tropes in young adult literature, and frankly I can never be thankful enough of the modern trend moving away from that direction.
And Christina's portrayal? She's so mentally fragile, it's like she's made of tissue paper, always on the verge of a breakdown. In the first book, it was necessary to the story, I didn't blame her, I understood, the Shevvingtons did some really nasty things that even creeped me out. In the second book, it started to get kind of old, but they had just claimed another victim and continued to target her, so my understanding didn't go away. But I didn't like how she kept being so weak, so powerless, here, even towards the end of the book when she's about to expose the Shevvingtons for who they really are. Part of a good psychological thriller's the victim figuring out how strong they really are in the face of abuse or afterwards, even if they bear the scars and need a good deal of recovery, but I never felt that from Christina, just wanted to shake her, don't be so indecisive, hopeless, and depressing when you're about to win! The only thing I actually liked were her few friends, who, while unreliable, supported her and came through for her when she really needed them.
Maybe this series would've worked better if it wasn't so darn repetitive, Christina always seconds away from falling victim to the Shevvingtons, that left the climax in this book just so unsatisfying. I'll admit the ending was sweet, but it doesn't nearly make up for how much I was pissed during the rest of this.
May 25, 2020
This Gothic horror trilogy is not just about evil. Christina experiences all kinds of emotions that most people can relate to...the fear when she has to move away from her family and friends...being nervous about making new friends...wanting a boyfriend... facing teachers and assignments. She is just a normal thirteen-year-old who unfortunately has to face something that most people of any age do not. This is the last book in the trilogy and it ends with more hope than the first two. Christina has grown and learned much more about evil. The story revolves around her getting involved in a terrifying psychological mind game with the two malicious Shevvingtons....who are supposed to be looking after her. The trilogy is really Young Adult material but it's an easy, quick read with some really different characters.
May 20, 2023
The last in the series. I came to love this story of Christina Romney, granite of burning fog isle.
The Shevvingtons are trying to set Christina up as arsonist, stuffing her with matchsticks and telling everyone how she loves to play with fire.
I liked that Benj came out of his shell and the whole description of her love feelings for Jonah, Blake and Benj. I think that's very authentic thirteen-year-old.
I didn't get so much why she nearly fell into the pit the Shevvingtons wanted her to fall. She was always so resilient and kind of suddenly gave up. This felt too much for dramatic purpose only.
Also, how did they know they were Mrs Shevvingtons finger prints? Were they in the database, why? How did the secretary know what to ask/look for when she was so smitten by Mr Shevvington?
But it was good to see that more people came through for her. Although, I would have loved to see the Shevvingtons going to trial, all their other victims coming to light and hopefully getting them help too. It would have also been better for all the people supporting them, to see it all come to light clearly in a trial. I'm afraid there will still be towns people believing in the Shevvingtons innocence.
The Shevvingtons are trying to set Christina up as arsonist, stuffing her with matchsticks and telling everyone how she loves to play with fire.
I liked that Benj came out of his shell and the whole description of her love feelings for Jonah, Blake and Benj. I think that's very authentic thirteen-year-old.
I didn't get so much why she nearly fell into the pit the Shevvingtons wanted her to fall. She was always so resilient and kind of suddenly gave up. This felt too much for dramatic purpose only.
Also, how did they know they were Mrs Shevvingtons finger prints? Were they in the database, why? How did the secretary know what to ask/look for when she was so smitten by Mr Shevvington?
But it was good to see that more people came through for her. Although, I would have loved to see the Shevvingtons going to trial, all their other victims coming to light and hopefully getting them help too. It would have also been better for all the people supporting them, to see it all come to light clearly in a trial. I'm afraid there will still be towns people believing in the Shevvingtons innocence.
August 24, 2021
The last one in the trilogy. Really enjoyed this one! Ending was confusing though.
May 16, 2020
Good, despite being ludicrous in places. Basically, a very Caroline B Cooney book and all the better for it.
December 13, 2007
Out of all three books from the series this was my favorite one. I think since I had been reading the books for so long I was able to connect more with the characters and have their emotions. The one thing I don't like is that the dialogue seems very childish even though at times I didn't understand all the vocabulary. As I read more Caroline B. Cooney books I've come to realize she writes very twisted ideas and I don't seem to understand why. The ending of the book was pretty pleasing and what I did like is that while I read I was part of the book. I became part of the world and like I was standing right next to the main character Chrissie. While I like reading Caroline B. Cooney books I feel that it's a bit childish since I've been reading her books for awhile now. As I've moved on to my next book I've realized how easy the book Fire and the series were compared to other texts that I should be reading. I think I need to save books like the ones by Caroline B. Cooney for reading after a hard book since they're easy to read and pretty easy to understand. The only thing I'm still wondering is if there were any deeper meanings in the book than what the text says. The book might contain morals but if I could, I'd ask the author if her intentions for writing the book go deeper that what was written.
August 25, 2013
As someone who was bullied, by both peers and a select number of adults, these books touched me in a way that no series ever will. I'm so grateful for them.
December 9, 2021
Bone-chilling! One cannot fight evil with silence or inaction.
January 21, 2019
In the past books of this series Christina works hard to save others from the Shevvingtons, but now Christina is the one who needs help. Who will help her? Who will make her push through it? Who will be her granite? Who will save her? In this series, In the process of saving Anya, saving Dolly, and now, Val, Christina wonders, were there girls before them? Before even before poor, innocent, Val? Christina must juggle all her questions, the worries of Shevvingtons, Val, and now, like a normal teenage girl, boys. Christina, under all the stress, all her worries, doesn't notice that she's going crazy.
February 7, 2023
I did not enjoy any of this trilogy, the characters were horrible. The sadistic teacher and head master made the most innocent girls fade & crazy. Christina was a brat who punched or slapped others, and she is the heroine.
I read all 3 to see if there would be justice. Also, because I bought the books at Half Price for $1.25 each. Let the buyer beware!
I read all 3 to see if there would be justice. Also, because I bought the books at Half Price for $1.25 each. Let the buyer beware!
October 28, 2007
Losing Christina Trilogy
-Fog
-Snow
-Fire
Story Summary
Fog:
Christina leaves her home on Burning Fog Isle, off the Maine coast, to go to school on the mainland. She can handle the work, she can handle the kids who scorn her. But there's one thing she can't handle.
The Evil.
Something very dangerous is going on in the home of the principal, Mr. Shevvington, and his wife where Christina boards with the beautiful, dreamy Anya. It's driving Anya mad. What will happen to Christina?
Snow:
The Snow is the second book of The Fog, The Snow, and The Fire trilogy. It's a really psychological trilogy. It deals with those difficult times when you're telling the truth and no one will listen or believe you.
Fire:
In the final book of this thriller trilogy, the evil Shevvingtons try to make Christina (and the town) believe she is obsessed with fire. Christina fights desperately for her sanity, but can she finally conquer the evil?
My Response to the Book[s]:
Losing Christina. The name alone intrigues you to want to read the book. Why 'lose' Christina? Who IS Christina?
In this book, the evil Mr and Mrs Shevvington was seen as good caring people in the eyes of parents and other teachers in the school. Only Christina thought that they were evil but no one was on her side, no matter how desperately she tries to gain the other's trust and support. It must be terrible, to know the truth yet no one is willing to listen to you. Much like our English Literature book 'The Enemy of the People'. Both talks about the truth that is smothered under layers of coating, and no one is willing to believe the truth even though it is evident. Only the closer friends, and those who's souls have been sucked away by Mr and Mrs Shevvington believed that Christina wasn't yarning. I pity Christina, for in all three books, she has been mistrusted, maligned and taunted by people, thinking that this island girl was insane, setting fires to burn her entire wardrobe, threatening to push Anya off the bridge, having weird tri-coloured hair. But she had been framed by the Shevvingtons, for they wanted her to lose her mind like all the others who had lived in the Candle Cove as tenants. Only Christina put up a tough fight and refused to back down like all the others. In a way, i admire her courage, and her stupidity to go against pure evil.
The good will always triumph over the evil. At first, Christina didnt believe in that. But the ending showed otherwise. The evil was destroyed and those who had lost their minds and souls stayed the way they were, but they were happy. All's well ends well i guess.
Great lines from 'Losing Christina':
'"The sea can smack the rocks like a hand smacking the cheek. It can hiss, or gurgle or even kiss. But when it wants, it can go quiet. And then," said Anya Rothrock, "you can hear the voices of the drowned."'
'Its not the Cove blowing out the candles, she thought, its here, in this house, someone having an eternal birthday, never getting the wish right, the candles lighting back up like evil magic tricks.'
-Fog
-Snow
-Fire
Story Summary
Fog:
Christina leaves her home on Burning Fog Isle, off the Maine coast, to go to school on the mainland. She can handle the work, she can handle the kids who scorn her. But there's one thing she can't handle.
The Evil.
Something very dangerous is going on in the home of the principal, Mr. Shevvington, and his wife where Christina boards with the beautiful, dreamy Anya. It's driving Anya mad. What will happen to Christina?
Snow:
The Snow is the second book of The Fog, The Snow, and The Fire trilogy. It's a really psychological trilogy. It deals with those difficult times when you're telling the truth and no one will listen or believe you.
Fire:
In the final book of this thriller trilogy, the evil Shevvingtons try to make Christina (and the town) believe she is obsessed with fire. Christina fights desperately for her sanity, but can she finally conquer the evil?
My Response to the Book[s]:
Losing Christina. The name alone intrigues you to want to read the book. Why 'lose' Christina? Who IS Christina?
In this book, the evil Mr and Mrs Shevvington was seen as good caring people in the eyes of parents and other teachers in the school. Only Christina thought that they were evil but no one was on her side, no matter how desperately she tries to gain the other's trust and support. It must be terrible, to know the truth yet no one is willing to listen to you. Much like our English Literature book 'The Enemy of the People'. Both talks about the truth that is smothered under layers of coating, and no one is willing to believe the truth even though it is evident. Only the closer friends, and those who's souls have been sucked away by Mr and Mrs Shevvington believed that Christina wasn't yarning. I pity Christina, for in all three books, she has been mistrusted, maligned and taunted by people, thinking that this island girl was insane, setting fires to burn her entire wardrobe, threatening to push Anya off the bridge, having weird tri-coloured hair. But she had been framed by the Shevvingtons, for they wanted her to lose her mind like all the others who had lived in the Candle Cove as tenants. Only Christina put up a tough fight and refused to back down like all the others. In a way, i admire her courage, and her stupidity to go against pure evil.
The good will always triumph over the evil. At first, Christina didnt believe in that. But the ending showed otherwise. The evil was destroyed and those who had lost their minds and souls stayed the way they were, but they were happy. All's well ends well i guess.
Great lines from 'Losing Christina':
'"The sea can smack the rocks like a hand smacking the cheek. It can hiss, or gurgle or even kiss. But when it wants, it can go quiet. And then," said Anya Rothrock, "you can hear the voices of the drowned."'
'Its not the Cove blowing out the candles, she thought, its here, in this house, someone having an eternal birthday, never getting the wish right, the candles lighting back up like evil magic tricks.'
February 12, 2021
I don’t know if I’ve ever read a book with a more satisfying ending. I felt so vindicated reading this book...I felt like Christina.
While the build up in this last volume was slow, then all of a sudden everything starts happening all at once. Just
when you think Christina is about to give up, she finds evidence of the Shevvingtons wrong doings, and finally confronts them about it and stands up to them, brave, strong and tall as a rock of granite! Then Finally...finally not just her supporters, but everyone came to learn the truth, that Christina was right!
I have never read a book with a more satisfying conclusion in my life!
While the build up in this last volume was slow, then all of a sudden everything starts happening all at once. Just
when you think Christina is about to give up, she finds evidence of the Shevvingtons wrong doings, and finally confronts them about it and stands up to them, brave, strong and tall as a rock of granite! Then Finally...finally not just her supporters, but everyone came to learn the truth, that Christina was right!
I have never read a book with a more satisfying conclusion in my life!
June 19, 2017
The author should have stopped at Book #2.
I was almost rooting for the Shevvingtons to win in this book, simply because the protagonist became increasingly incompetent, unlikeable, and bubble-headed as the book progressed. She treats her "friends" like crap, unless one of them can do something for her. She becomes immensely paranoid (why? shouldn't Book 2's ending reduce that paranoia?). The fact is that, unlike in the earlier books, Christina does absolutely nothing to triumph in this book. If she'd holed up in her room for the last 18 days and refused to come out, except to ask for info about the Shevvingtons past, the book would have ended in exactly the same way. The crowning stupidity for me came when she . Holy crap. If you're that stupid, then you really should lose. But fortunately, she's saved ... by a breeze. I'm not even joking here, it really was that dumb.
I was almost rooting for the Shevvingtons to win in this book, simply because the protagonist became increasingly incompetent, unlikeable, and bubble-headed as the book progressed. She treats her "friends" like crap, unless one of them can do something for her. She becomes immensely paranoid (why? shouldn't Book 2's ending reduce that paranoia?). The fact is that, unlike in the earlier books, Christina does absolutely nothing to triumph in this book. If she'd holed up in her room for the last 18 days and refused to come out, except to ask for info about the Shevvingtons past, the book would have ended in exactly the same way. The crowning stupidity for me came when she . Holy crap. If you're that stupid, then you really should lose. But fortunately, she's saved ... by a breeze. I'm not even joking here, it really was that dumb.
September 5, 2018
Do you like reading through an entire series only to find that the last book has no actual resolution at all? Well, howdy pals, cuz this is the book for you.
After constant mistreatment and slander at the hands of adults in authority positions, Christina has to prove that the adults in question are not what they appear or claim to be. It's a great setup but it becomes clearer as the story muddles on that the author didn't really have a plan for the ending. I loved the Janie series, having first read them as a preteen, and I hoped that this trilogy would have hit the same high notes with less uncomfortable age differences between the protagonist and her love interest. I got half of what I wanted, mostly.
I ended my reading of the Losing Christina trilogy and wondered to myself if all kids were really this ridiculously cruel in the late 80s.
After constant mistreatment and slander at the hands of adults in authority positions, Christina has to prove that the adults in question are not what they appear or claim to be. It's a great setup but it becomes clearer as the story muddles on that the author didn't really have a plan for the ending. I loved the Janie series, having first read them as a preteen, and I hoped that this trilogy would have hit the same high notes with less uncomfortable age differences between the protagonist and her love interest. I got half of what I wanted, mostly.
I ended my reading of the Losing Christina trilogy and wondered to myself if all kids were really this ridiculously cruel in the late 80s.
April 12, 2021
We get it, she has natural highlights. Big whoop. We really didn’t need to be reminded about her very special tri-colored hair every single page.
Not a very satisfying conclusion; this series started out promising but felt way too long. Christina becomes an unreliable narrator as she starts to see her peers give in to the evil.
I do think it was clever to make the reader question themselves as much as Christina questions herself. Just how much of it is real? How much of it is inside Christina’s head? Is there a paranormal element? I’m getting gaslit too, aren’t I?
I still had so many questions, but one thing remains clear: watch out for creepy adults who get a kick out of psychologically torturing children.
Oh, and Maine. Maybe stay out of Maine too. It’s cold and foggy and people sound mean (kidding, of course).
Not a very satisfying conclusion; this series started out promising but felt way too long. Christina becomes an unreliable narrator as she starts to see her peers give in to the evil.
I do think it was clever to make the reader question themselves as much as Christina questions herself. Just how much of it is real? How much of it is inside Christina’s head? Is there a paranormal element? I’m getting gaslit too, aren’t I?
I still had so many questions, but one thing remains clear: watch out for creepy adults who get a kick out of psychologically torturing children.
Oh, and Maine. Maybe stay out of Maine too. It’s cold and foggy and people sound mean (kidding, of course).
November 7, 2023
Final book in a trilogy so some spoilers expected...
Christina Romney was able to help her friends Anya Rothrock and Dolly Jayne from being victims of the despicable Shevvingtons.
An accident on the ski slopes that could have been meant for either one of them and been fatal was Christina's misfortune to experience. Anya's sweetheart and Christina's crush, Blake Lathem, was at the same resort to meet with Anya, her mind slowly coming back, and he ended up whisking her away to live with a kind aunt.
Dolly went missing in the snow but Christina found her down in the cellar where the mysterious and maddening giggles haunted her. They weren't figments of her imagination or a voice of insanity in her own head but those belonging to another.
The mentally troubled son of Arnold and Candy Shevvington. Hidden by his parents after taking him out of a psychiatric hospital to help do their dirty work when it was impossible for either one to do so. To rattle the girls and make them go crazy and then leave Dolly in the cellar to have the tide drag her out from his escape route and not be found until the snows melted.
Christina saved her friend and a humbled Dolly decided to return home to the island for schooling and the Shevvingtons' son was taken back to the institution indefinitely. Some of the blame for the crazy incidents was now shifted from Christina to the son but still...no one thinks the Shevvingtons can do no wrong.
Poor parents just trying to take care of their child but finding him a lost cause as he did terrible things to hurt innocent young children is all it was. Christina is lauded a hero for saving Dolly but so much damage has been done through slander to still leave her as the troubled island girl where everyone still gives her pity.
Now it is getting closer to the end of the school year and it will be summer vacation where Christina can return home to Burning Fog Isle and her parents and the place she loves. Christina will soon be fourteen and another bit of news to brighten the situation comes from her hearing the Shevvingtons talking to each other early in the morning.
They are planning on selling the Schooner Inne and leaving for Chicago, where Mr. Shevvington has found a new principal position. They have not been in Maine that long and they are leaving?
Strange but to Christina that is the most wonderful news of all...an early birthday present!
Still, there are eighteen days left to try and break Christina down or perhaps burn her down?
Candles in coffee cans in her room and matchbooks stuffed in the pockets of her clothes and the sanctity of her purse, spilling out for others to see. An earlier incident with a pile of burning clothes makes it seem as if Christina's "way out" might be by fire just as Anya almost slipped away into the fog and Dolly almost became buried underneath the snow.
Christina isn't completely alone even though the other girls escaped.
Jonah Bergeron is still smitten with Christina even if they fight over her "strange" isle ways and Robbie Armstrong knows the Shevvingtons did the same thing to his sister Valerie last year before it became Anya's turn. He visits her in a mental institute where his parents put her at the Shevvingtons' "advice" and sees nothing there of the older sister he loves.
A few of the mainland girls who are not "in" have given Christina a chance but the popular ones still loose their venom, especially under Mrs. Shevvington as their teacher. Dolly's brothers Michael and Benjamin are grateful that Christina saved their sister but Michael is a popular athlete his first year in the high school of the junior high.
He no longer holds any interest for Christina with his selfishness.
Benjamin, the oldest brother who is counting the days until he turns sixteen and can drop out, is beginning to actually school being in the school band. For the first time he is opening up and the only person to care is Christina. He might not believe Christina is telling the truth about the Shevvingtons being evil but as the days at school get closer to being over, old Benj can see that Christina is different...in many ways.
She's held on for this long and when it seems Christina has a new ally and proof to finally bring the Shevvingtons' cruel history to light...her own light is starting to grow dimmer.
Can a spark of friendship, of love, after a year of being caught up in the darkness of the Shevvingtons' web be enough to rekindle her spirit?
Or will Christina be lost forever?
It has to be hard for a thirteen year old girl when she has to go up against such reprehensible adults who only seem to love destroying others. Having been thirteen myself, it is already bad enough dealing with jerky boys and budding mean girls but to not even have one adult on your side...must be the epitome of emptiness.
Not even parents or teachers to stand up for you...maybe even have some of those teachers laugh at your expense as if they enjoy it?
Getting to the climax is, pun partially intended, a slow burn but it is worth it for each nail-biting, heart-pounding moment to bring about a deserving ending.
It seems as if everything will turn happy and positive but there is also a lot of healing and maybe even some inner damage that might not be reversed. Characters will have to look closer at themselves and deal with major guilt and for the younger ones, it might be easy.
For adults, it could be another matter. As an adult now, I can certainly understand how difficult it is to think you may be right and have trouble admitting you're wrong.
If you have yet to read the Losing Christina trilogy or haven't revisited it in awhile, it is a great example of how good Caroline B. Cooney is as a writer. It is certainly something worth reading for the first time or again for a slightly different perspective.
Christina Romney was able to help her friends Anya Rothrock and Dolly Jayne from being victims of the despicable Shevvingtons.
An accident on the ski slopes that could have been meant for either one of them and been fatal was Christina's misfortune to experience. Anya's sweetheart and Christina's crush, Blake Lathem, was at the same resort to meet with Anya, her mind slowly coming back, and he ended up whisking her away to live with a kind aunt.
Dolly went missing in the snow but Christina found her down in the cellar where the mysterious and maddening giggles haunted her. They weren't figments of her imagination or a voice of insanity in her own head but those belonging to another.
The mentally troubled son of Arnold and Candy Shevvington. Hidden by his parents after taking him out of a psychiatric hospital to help do their dirty work when it was impossible for either one to do so. To rattle the girls and make them go crazy and then leave Dolly in the cellar to have the tide drag her out from his escape route and not be found until the snows melted.
Christina saved her friend and a humbled Dolly decided to return home to the island for schooling and the Shevvingtons' son was taken back to the institution indefinitely. Some of the blame for the crazy incidents was now shifted from Christina to the son but still...no one thinks the Shevvingtons can do no wrong.
Poor parents just trying to take care of their child but finding him a lost cause as he did terrible things to hurt innocent young children is all it was. Christina is lauded a hero for saving Dolly but so much damage has been done through slander to still leave her as the troubled island girl where everyone still gives her pity.
Now it is getting closer to the end of the school year and it will be summer vacation where Christina can return home to Burning Fog Isle and her parents and the place she loves. Christina will soon be fourteen and another bit of news to brighten the situation comes from her hearing the Shevvingtons talking to each other early in the morning.
They are planning on selling the Schooner Inne and leaving for Chicago, where Mr. Shevvington has found a new principal position. They have not been in Maine that long and they are leaving?
Strange but to Christina that is the most wonderful news of all...an early birthday present!
Still, there are eighteen days left to try and break Christina down or perhaps burn her down?
Candles in coffee cans in her room and matchbooks stuffed in the pockets of her clothes and the sanctity of her purse, spilling out for others to see. An earlier incident with a pile of burning clothes makes it seem as if Christina's "way out" might be by fire just as Anya almost slipped away into the fog and Dolly almost became buried underneath the snow.
Christina isn't completely alone even though the other girls escaped.
Jonah Bergeron is still smitten with Christina even if they fight over her "strange" isle ways and Robbie Armstrong knows the Shevvingtons did the same thing to his sister Valerie last year before it became Anya's turn. He visits her in a mental institute where his parents put her at the Shevvingtons' "advice" and sees nothing there of the older sister he loves.
A few of the mainland girls who are not "in" have given Christina a chance but the popular ones still loose their venom, especially under Mrs. Shevvington as their teacher. Dolly's brothers Michael and Benjamin are grateful that Christina saved their sister but Michael is a popular athlete his first year in the high school of the junior high.
He no longer holds any interest for Christina with his selfishness.
Benjamin, the oldest brother who is counting the days until he turns sixteen and can drop out, is beginning to actually school being in the school band. For the first time he is opening up and the only person to care is Christina. He might not believe Christina is telling the truth about the Shevvingtons being evil but as the days at school get closer to being over, old Benj can see that Christina is different...in many ways.
She's held on for this long and when it seems Christina has a new ally and proof to finally bring the Shevvingtons' cruel history to light...her own light is starting to grow dimmer.
Can a spark of friendship, of love, after a year of being caught up in the darkness of the Shevvingtons' web be enough to rekindle her spirit?
Or will Christina be lost forever?
It has to be hard for a thirteen year old girl when she has to go up against such reprehensible adults who only seem to love destroying others. Having been thirteen myself, it is already bad enough dealing with jerky boys and budding mean girls but to not even have one adult on your side...must be the epitome of emptiness.
Not even parents or teachers to stand up for you...maybe even have some of those teachers laugh at your expense as if they enjoy it?
Getting to the climax is, pun partially intended, a slow burn but it is worth it for each nail-biting, heart-pounding moment to bring about a deserving ending.
It seems as if everything will turn happy and positive but there is also a lot of healing and maybe even some inner damage that might not be reversed. Characters will have to look closer at themselves and deal with major guilt and for the younger ones, it might be easy.
For adults, it could be another matter. As an adult now, I can certainly understand how difficult it is to think you may be right and have trouble admitting you're wrong.
If you have yet to read the Losing Christina trilogy or haven't revisited it in awhile, it is a great example of how good Caroline B. Cooney is as a writer. It is certainly something worth reading for the first time or again for a slightly different perspective.
March 13, 2014
I want to find copies of the series first before I write a full review. I want to be able to remember details I may be forgetting since these were a few of my favorite books ever.
January 2, 2018
Yeah, I didn't really get this series. I think I was too old to be reading it for the first time.
June 21, 2020
Re-read this for Teenage Scream podcast (lovingly dissecting the best and worst of 90s teen horror):
April 27, 2018
This is the last of the trilogy now marketed as "Losing Christina", which I'm re-exploring as an adult. When it first came out, I was remember being very excited for the culmination of the series, and I also remember being very disappointed in it.
The school year is almost over for Christina Romney; she has eighteen days left until summer break, and at the very beginning of the book she learns that the Shevvingtons are going to be leaving the school. This buoys her momentarily, but we're also informed that she's been sleepwalking in the interim between the books (which is questionable to the reader, since the Shevvingtons are the ones telling her about it?) and she finds a candle in a tin can outside of her bedroom door. She's become obsessed with fire (again, according to the Shevvingtones), which ties into her love of Burning Fog Island and her midwinter essay about wanting to burn all her clothes (which occurred, in the last books, allegedly at the hands of the Shevvington's insane son). Her purse is mysteriously stuffed with matches. Her doodles all involve flame. In shop class she's making a a wooden sculpture of fire. When it's time to plan the end-of-year seventh grade picnic, Christina pipes up about how a huge bonfire is the most important thing to have. This becomes the theme to the Shevvington's last-ditch effort to ruin Christina.
And it actually works. Christina, who's had so much strength in the last two books, is undermined within three weeks' time. She volleys between sane and insane, and the reader gets to realize that she's at her strongest when she's saving someone else. Luckily, in this book, she fights the insanity by helping Val, the Shevvington's last victim prior to Anya. She helps Val escape from an institution and houses her in the Shevvington's inn, and the two of them manage to ultimately bring down the evil adults. It was a strange, but satisfying end to the Shevvington's story, aided with the belief of an actual adult in the story. All of the adults (save one teacher, who was fired early on) believed the Shevvingtons over Christina, but luckily one was convinced. Off-page.
What really bothered me about this was the sudden forced romance between Christina and sixteen-year-old Benjamin Jaye, the oldest boy living with the Shevvingtons. He'd had limited interest in her in the prior books, and now (after she saved his sister in book 2, and getting her advice for a fundraiser) was suddenly keen on her. We get his own narration at one point (when Christina appears to have completely lost her mind) where he's thinking that he loves her, and it just... seemed like a bit much. And as a reader who was very invested in the Christina/Jonah relationship, it was incredibly jarring to suddenly have a rival on equal (if not advanced) terms who hadn't put nearly the same work into it. Jonah had been one of the people who actually believed Christina throughout, who helped her at times, who listened and warned her. In this book, he was limited to warning her not to get too cocky, being jealous over Benj, and then standing up to Mrs. Shevvington for all of five minutes. It was absolutely disappointing to lose a perfectly great established (and age-appropriate feeling) romance plotline in order to throw in a last-minute love triangle that actually added nothing to the story.
So, yeah... honestly, this would probably be a one-star review if my experience with the book wasn't laced with nostalgia, and my love of the overall trilogy plot wasn't so strong. It literally took me days to reread this book (that should only take an afternoon) because I kept putting it down. But man, do I love the world Cooney created.
The school year is almost over for Christina Romney; she has eighteen days left until summer break, and at the very beginning of the book she learns that the Shevvingtons are going to be leaving the school. This buoys her momentarily, but we're also informed that she's been sleepwalking in the interim between the books (which is questionable to the reader, since the Shevvingtons are the ones telling her about it?) and she finds a candle in a tin can outside of her bedroom door. She's become obsessed with fire (again, according to the Shevvingtones), which ties into her love of Burning Fog Island and her midwinter essay about wanting to burn all her clothes (which occurred, in the last books, allegedly at the hands of the Shevvington's insane son). Her purse is mysteriously stuffed with matches. Her doodles all involve flame. In shop class she's making a a wooden sculpture of fire. When it's time to plan the end-of-year seventh grade picnic, Christina pipes up about how a huge bonfire is the most important thing to have. This becomes the theme to the Shevvington's last-ditch effort to ruin Christina.
And it actually works. Christina, who's had so much strength in the last two books, is undermined within three weeks' time. She volleys between sane and insane, and the reader gets to realize that she's at her strongest when she's saving someone else. Luckily, in this book, she fights the insanity by helping Val, the Shevvington's last victim prior to Anya. She helps Val escape from an institution and houses her in the Shevvington's inn, and the two of them manage to ultimately bring down the evil adults. It was a strange, but satisfying end to the Shevvington's story, aided with the belief of an actual adult in the story. All of the adults (save one teacher, who was fired early on) believed the Shevvingtons over Christina, but luckily one was convinced. Off-page.
What really bothered me about this was the sudden forced romance between Christina and sixteen-year-old Benjamin Jaye, the oldest boy living with the Shevvingtons. He'd had limited interest in her in the prior books, and now (after she saved his sister in book 2, and getting her advice for a fundraiser) was suddenly keen on her. We get his own narration at one point (when Christina appears to have completely lost her mind) where he's thinking that he loves her, and it just... seemed like a bit much. And as a reader who was very invested in the Christina/Jonah relationship, it was incredibly jarring to suddenly have a rival on equal (if not advanced) terms who hadn't put nearly the same work into it. Jonah had been one of the people who actually believed Christina throughout, who helped her at times, who listened and warned her. In this book, he was limited to warning her not to get too cocky, being jealous over Benj, and then standing up to Mrs. Shevvington for all of five minutes. It was absolutely disappointing to lose a perfectly great established (and age-appropriate feeling) romance plotline in order to throw in a last-minute love triangle that actually added nothing to the story.
So, yeah... honestly, this would probably be a one-star review if my experience with the book wasn't laced with nostalgia, and my love of the overall trilogy plot wasn't so strong. It literally took me days to reread this book (that should only take an afternoon) because I kept putting it down. But man, do I love the world Cooney created.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
March 18, 2018
I do not have much to say about this. My problems with the previous books only worsened. There was once again a disconnected feeling from the last book, characters saying things about previous events that was different from what actually happened. On top of that one character that had previously only been around to remind us how not even her old friends would believe her, suddenly becomes more important in unbelievable and annoying ways. Characters continued to be irritating but the main character seemed to become more irritating as each chapter passed. The conclusion was unsatisfying.
The villains' demise was incredibly stupid considering how much this book emphasized them being able to think of every possibility. In general, the ending fell flat for me. Honestly, I came into this book thinking it would get worse. It turned out to have a poorer quality than even that expectation. I am disappointed with this series as a whole.
The villains' demise was incredibly stupid considering how much this book emphasized them being able to think of every possibility. In general, the ending fell flat for me. Honestly, I came into this book thinking it would get worse. It turned out to have a poorer quality than even that expectation. I am disappointed with this series as a whole.
June 18, 2020
Great series with a fairly satisfying ending.
I would to preface by saying that I enjoyed this series very much. The pacing is excellent, the characters are two dimensional at minimum, and the world is alive. After reading this, I'm satisfied. I'm satisfied, knowing that Christina Romney has triumphed over evil once and for all. This third installment however, didn't grab my attention as much as the other two and that really bummed me out because I was really looking forward to reading this one after the second one (which was my favorite in the series). It didn't fall flat, but it dipped a little bit. All in all, I would still highly recommend this series because it's a nice and immersive world andbthe characters are memorable and relatable.
I would to preface by saying that I enjoyed this series very much. The pacing is excellent, the characters are two dimensional at minimum, and the world is alive. After reading this, I'm satisfied. I'm satisfied, knowing that Christina Romney has triumphed over evil once and for all. This third installment however, didn't grab my attention as much as the other two and that really bummed me out because I was really looking forward to reading this one after the second one (which was my favorite in the series). It didn't fall flat, but it dipped a little bit. All in all, I would still highly recommend this series because it's a nice and immersive world andbthe characters are memorable and relatable.
December 1, 2024
Christina’s level of perception seems significantly lower in this book, even at the beginning. Later in the book there’s a reason for it, but at the start we’re expected to believe she’s the same when she clearly isn’t. The boys are finally beginning to recognise the issues with the Shevvingtons, but only when they choose to.
Again, this book was relevant to the title, as fire was a recurring (and somewhat obsessive) theme or mention throughout the book. Similarly, it’s impossible to go a few pages without hearing about Christina’s “special multi-coloured hair�. It would be one thing if her hair turned out to have magic powers and saved them all, but it didn’t. It’s just hair, and talking about it so incessantly gets tedious quite fast.
Again, this book was relevant to the title, as fire was a recurring (and somewhat obsessive) theme or mention throughout the book. Similarly, it’s impossible to go a few pages without hearing about Christina’s “special multi-coloured hair�. It would be one thing if her hair turned out to have magic powers and saved them all, but it didn’t. It’s just hair, and talking about it so incessantly gets tedious quite fast.
December 30, 2024
Probably the weakest of the trilogy, mostly because the author had to portray Christina slipping close to madness, which is a challenge for any author. As a result, she invests a sudden fascination with fire which wasn't in evidence in the first two books--it's implied there's been a slow grinding-down by the evil teachers, but there's really no time to show it in a YA book of this pace. There's some tricksy and fun unreliable-narrator material as well as a rather dull love triangle/square, which I did appreciate the author leaving open and not leaning toward a happy-ever-after ending.
(Crossposted from StoryGraph)
(Crossposted from StoryGraph)
March 16, 2020
The last book in the trilogy. It wraps up nicely (if a little conveniently). I never felt that this series was repetitive, even though I could certainly see others thinking that they are. Christina continues to be strong and willful. All of the adults continue to be blind to the truth or evil. Overall, I think this series holds up to a modern reading and I can definitely understand why teenaged me was obsessed with it.
Read
August 17, 2021I have decided to no longer use star ratings. They are too arbitrary to me. Instead, I will be ranking an author's books against their other books. This does not mean that I do NOT like their books, just in what order I enjoy them most.
1) Wanted
2) Fatality
3) Hush Little Baby
4) Driver's Ed
5) Enter Three Witches
6) Flash Fire
7) Burning Up
8) Twins
9) Code Orange
10) Losing Christina Trilogy
11) The Terrorist
1) Wanted
2) Fatality
3) Hush Little Baby
4) Driver's Ed
5) Enter Three Witches
6) Flash Fire
7) Burning Up
8) Twins
9) Code Orange
10) Losing Christina Trilogy
11) The Terrorist
January 8, 2025
I think that overall, this series is a very effective psychological thriller. The powerlessness of being a child and having everyone believe lying adults over you is very potent.
I think my one gripe with the series is the lack of motive from the Shevvingtons other than 'they're just evil'. Why are they doing this? Maybe the lack of motive makes it scarier?
I would recommend reading the entire series.
I think my one gripe with the series is the lack of motive from the Shevvingtons other than 'they're just evil'. Why are they doing this? Maybe the lack of motive makes it scarier?
I would recommend reading the entire series.
May 20, 2023
I know this is meant for younger audiences, but I feel like this is just bad writing. It jumps around and doesn’t describe things very well. Some things are described beautifully but then other things are rushed through as if simply trying to finish the book by a deadline and or had a page limit to stay under.
May 31, 2024
Well I really enjoyed the trilogy. It was a little more mature than a goosebumps book, but I couldn’t put it down until I found out what would happen to the Shevvingtons, Christina, Anya.. who was sane, and who was crazy?
Displaying 1 - 30 of 59 reviews
Can't find what you're looking for?
Get help and learn more about the design.