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confessionsofabibliophile's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.0
Upon reading the first few chapters of this book, I was sucked in. It gave me Pretty Little Liars vibes with a splash of The Breakfast Club thrown in. Unsure if in the future when the "Bayview Four" are named the Murder Club if this was McManus paying homage to the 80s classic, even if it wasn't a little Easter Egg it made me laugh.
The book takes place in an area of California, I know all too well. Which gave me the ability to immerse myself more into the read. We follow in the first few chapters 5 students: Bronwyn Rojas; very girl next door, top of the class and squeaky clean or so we think, she reminded me of Molly Ringwalds character in The Breakfast Club. Adelaide "Addy" Prentiss; miss popularity dating star athlete the perfect pair, everyone knows who she is by name and by who she is dating but not who ADDY is which let me tell you at the start I really didn't care too much for her she seemed like filler until her story and personal development begins to unfold. She gave me a mix of Hannah from PLL. Cooper Clay; all American golden boy, with the perfect life, grades, MLB scouts pick and the perfect girl, but Coop is hiding a secret that he is worried might end his perfect facade. He is the male counterpart to Emily from PLL. Next, we have Nathaniel "Nate"' Macauley; is the bad boy, down on his luck, guy from the other side of the tracks the only one without a squeaky clean past. He screams a hybrid of Caleb Rivers (PLL) and John Bender (TBC)! Lastly we have Simon Kelleher, he is the school gossip app specialist, secret digger and lie detector. The homecoming court prince that no one seems to think much of. Simon screams A from PLL!!! We start with 5 then someone dies and then the Bayview Four is born and our Murder Club strangers become the unlikely friends that solve the mystery behind the murder.
The characters were well written and I felt connected to them. I think Addy was one of the best character development progressions I have seen for a character set up like Addy. The plot flowed well with no holes that I could find. The story had a good pace, it felt smooth and effortless as it progressed and you begin to unravel the truth about the murder and the Bayview Four. With that being said the ending that was supposed to be a twist and shock, it was to an extent but I had thought about the possibility earlier on in the story, though it didn't change my Oh My God moment.
All in all it was a great quick read that took about a day. Definitely going to read her other books in the series and absolutely will watch the tv show! I totally recommend this YA murder mystery/thriller with a slice of life setting!
Moderate: Bullying, Murder, Death, Toxic relationship, Toxic friendship, and Physical abuse
Minor: Cancer, Mass/school shootings, Homophobia, Abandonment, Addiction, Classism, Cursing, Emotional abuse, Gaslighting, Grief, Alcoholism, and Domestic abuse
ev3lin's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Moderate: Suicide, Suicide attempt, and Suicidal thoughts
Minor: Addiction, Cancer, Death, Cursing, Alcoholism, Gun violence, Bullying, Abandonment, Death of parent, Drug use, Homophobia, and Gaslighting
hypofocus's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Moderate: Toxic relationship, Terminal illness, Emotional abuse, Toxic friendship, Alcoholism, Cancer, and Child abuse
Minor: Misogyny and Gaslighting
sebradley29's review against another edition
4.0
Graphic: Homophobia, Gaslighting, Child death, Car accident, Alcohol, Violence, Drug use, Mental illness, Toxic relationship, Physical abuse, Outing, Murder, Suicide, Suicide attempt, Emotional abuse, Injury/Injury detail, Infidelity, Hate crime, Death, and Bullying
violetbentbackwards1036's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.75
Graphic: Blood, Abandonment, Alcohol, Cancer, Death, Alcoholism, Drug use, Drug abuse, Emotional abuse, Injury/Injury detail, Suicidal thoughts, Terminal illness, Toxic friendship, Grief, Outing, Gaslighting, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , Murder, Suicide, Death of parent, Homophobia, Violence, Bullying, Car accident, Domestic abuse, Cursing, Addiction, Infidelity, Medical content, Racism, and Toxic relationship
josiebug's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.0
Graphic: Murder, Physical abuse, Grief, Abandonment, Homophobia, Suicide attempt, Toxic relationship, Bullying, and Mental illness
Moderate: Alcoholism, Mass/school shootings, Emotional abuse, Infidelity, and Gaslighting
hannnahk's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
Moderate: Drug abuse, Suicidal thoughts, Cursing, Gaslighting, Sexual content, Suicide, and Suicide attempt
sassyram's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.25
Moderate: Sexism, Outing, Bullying, Homophobia, Drug abuse, Mental illness, Gaslighting, Toxic friendship, Death, Drug use, Injury/Injury detail, Suicide, and Toxic relationship
Minor: Mass/school shootings
kshertz's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
Minor: Homophobia, Murder, Gaslighting, Bullying, Infidelity, Toxic relationship, Violence, Death, Abandonment, and Mass/school shootings
taelights's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
Graphic: Gaslighting, Mental illness, Murder, Outing, Suicidal thoughts, Bullying, Child death, Cursing, Emotional abuse, Grief, Cancer, Drug use, Drug abuse, Homophobia, Infidelity, Death, Suicide, and Terminal illness
Moderate: Violence and Mass/school shootings