need help IDing a book in which the narrator dies in a car wreck

[OpalCat]

Someone on Facebook asked me the following question:

"You or Dominic ever read a book, narrator wrecks a 68 mustang fastback on a roadtrip, end of the book we learn he died in the wreck. it would be pre 1999, its young adult, and i'm not finding the title anywhere"

I told him I'd ask here. Sound familiar to anyone?

[OpalCat]

I've asked him if he has any more info to go on. I'll report back if he does.

[montag01]

Two vague possibilities might be "Threading the Needle" by Clay Reynolds (PW review at http://www.publishersweekly.com/978-0-89672-498-3) and "Dead End" by John Peel (no review; everything I've seen of it suggests its a YA knock-off of "Christine" using a Mustang Fastback). The plot of "Threading the Needle" vaguely reflects the details we have so far, but its post-1999 and there doesn't seem to be a road trip in it. Still, I'm offering it as a suggestion just in case . . .

[OpalCat]

My friend says it may also be a short story.

[tanstaafl]

Probably not it, but there's a Larry Niven story (the title of which escapes me) which involved a guy who is in a car wreck who was planning on killing his ex-wife. She winds up being the one who picks him up and he confesses his plan, then collapses. It turns out he was dead all along and it was a test in the afterlife to see if he really would have gone through with killing her.

Sadly, I can't pull out the title right now.

[kaylasdad99]

Sounds like the sort of think Christopher Pike might have written, but I haven't read all of his works.

[Andy L]

Probably not it, but there's a Larry Niven story (the title of which escapes me) which involved a guy who is in a car wreck who was planning on killing his ex-wife. She winds up being the one who picks him up and he confesses his plan, then collapses. It turns out he was dead all along and it was a test in the afterlife to see if he really would have gone through with killing her.

Sadly, I can't pull out the title right now.

"Dry Run"

[Andy L]

The book the OP is looking for might be "The Runaway's Diary" by Marilyn Harris (see description here (way down the page) http://logan.com/harriett/solved-qr.html

[OpalCat]

Two vague possibilities might be "Threading the Needle" by Clay Reynolds (PW review at http://www.publishersweekly.com/978-0-89672-498-3) and "Dead End" by John Peel (no review; everything I've seen of it suggests its a YA knock-off of "Christine" using a Mustang Fastback). The plot of "Threading the Needle" vaguely reflects the details we have so far, but its post-1999 and there doesn't seem to be a road trip in it. Still, I'm offering it as a suggestion just in case . . .

It was "Dead End" by John Peel. Thanks everyone for your help!

[montag01]

Awesome! I'm a librarian and the "can you help me remember a book I read 30 years ago"-type of questions are always my favorite.

[OpalCat]

Thanks for your help :D

[kaylasdad99]

Awesome! I'm a librarian and the "can you help me remember a book I read 30 years ago"-type of questions are always my favorite."It had a red cover, and it turned out they were twins."