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starklinqs's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.5
Would have been a 3.5 if not for the final act, which seemed like a plot twist for the sake of being a plot twist. I guess if anything this book kind of has the feel of a Halloween special, ghost of Halloween past thing, which maybe if it were characters I cared about or in a show I was watching, might be fun as a non-canon thing, but in a book that I was trying to enjoy? Eh. I think this book tried really hard to be meta and tongue and cheek but it felt a bit forced and I don’t think it was executed (pun not intended) properly.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Murder
Minor: Adult/minor relationship
sandysmith's review against another edition
dark
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.0
A young adult slasher horror book, which was read as a bookclub read. Horror is so not my comfort zone but this was written accessibly and I could manage to read it. Alice is the only witness in her sister Claires murder trial, when she is knocked out she wakes up a year earlier when the murder took place. I did think the references to scary movies, which I'd never watch, as to scared to do so was excessive. The premise and story line and time travel was good, so what would happen if I saved my sister and she didnt die, but some of the writing was just not believable but can't say what as to trying to avoid spoilers. A mixed bag, with others either loving or hating the book. For me it was just meh .. sorry
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Murder, Grief, and Blood
bekah1210's review against another edition
dark
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.25
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Blood, and Murder
Minor: Infidelity, Grief, Adult/minor relationship, Alcoholism, and Car accident
lyssak's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
mysterious
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
Content Warnings
Graphic: Gore, Murder, Violence, Injury/Injury detail, and Death
Moderate: Adult/minor relationship and Infidelity
Minor: Racism and Car accident
danileah07's review against another edition
dark
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Murder and Child death
avidreaderandgeekgirl's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
reflective
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.25
Another HIGHLY predictable "thriller" I saw 75% of the twists coming at least an hour before they happened, most at least 2 hours.
Most of the characters were flat, and I didn't really care much when they died because we didn't know that much about them.
It did have some good quotes though. And the narrator was excellent.
Most of the characters were flat, and I didn't really care much when they died because we didn't know that much about them.
It did have some good quotes though. And the narrator was excellent.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Murder, Violence, and Stalking
Moderate: Alcohol, Infidelity, Adult/minor relationship, Vomit, and Car accident
aliciawhatsthestory's review against another edition
dark
mysterious
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
2.0
A book for people who loved Scream and Happy Death Day? I thought this would basically be written FOR me. (Is anyone else declaring it Halloween already?) And, while it did not have nearly as much of the comedy/meta commentary element present in Scream or Happy Death Day, How to Survive Your Murder did keep me up until 6 am to finish it.
Then, sadly, I read the ending, which is TRASH. There is no conclusion to any of the major plot points, despite the fact that this is supposed to be a standalone. Even after sleeping on it for 7 hours, I’m still mad about about it. If there is a sequel, I would be fine with it and give a couple of stars back. But given this is advertised as a standalone, I just cannot say it was a good book. The last three pages really did not work for me so long as there is no follow up to actually create an ending instead of the biggest cop out ending since Lost (or so I’ve heard—I’ve never actually watched Lost because I’ve heard so many people complain about the ending).
This book is good for a few thrills and it does really bring the horror and gore elements of a slasher. But if you want any kind of conclusion to your stories or really any explanation of the events AT ALL, probably don’t pick this up, unfortunately. If the author had taken the time to write a real ending that actually wrapped up this story, this could have been a four star review. As things stand, I simply cannot comprehend the number of five star reviews for this book on Goodreads.
Then, sadly, I read the ending, which is TRASH. There is no conclusion to any of the major plot points, despite the fact that this is supposed to be a standalone. Even after sleeping on it for 7 hours, I’m still mad about about it. If there is a sequel, I would be fine with it and give a couple of stars back. But given this is advertised as a standalone, I just cannot say it was a good book. The last three pages really did not work for me so long as there is no follow up to actually create an ending instead of the biggest cop out ending since Lost (or so I’ve heard—I’ve never actually watched Lost because I’ve heard so many people complain about the ending).
This book is good for a few thrills and it does really bring the horror and gore elements of a slasher. But if you want any kind of conclusion to your stories or really any explanation of the events AT ALL, probably don’t pick this up, unfortunately. If the author had taken the time to write a real ending that actually wrapped up this story, this could have been a four star review. As things stand, I simply cannot comprehend the number of five star reviews for this book on Goodreads.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Murder, Violence, Injury/Injury detail, and Blood
Moderate: Alcohol
Minor: Adult/minor relationship, Police brutality, and Sexual assault
boiler_bookworm's review against another edition
dark
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.5
Perfect Scary October Read!
*Thank you to Razorbill Publishing and author Danielle Valentine for the copy "How to Survive Your Murder" that this review is based on
First off, love that cover! As I started to read the book, I realized just how perfect the cover is for the book, Cat ears, lipstick, pocket knife, and blood spatter perfectly represent the YA horror/thriller feel that is this book. While reading it, I felt like I was reading a slasher film. I can see where this could easily be made into a movie. I loved the horror film and actor references that were throughout the book. I enjoyed looking up the exact scenes/clothing references that Valentine mentioned and for me it just added another dimension to the story. The Sidney Prescott look alike character that appears throughout the book is a perfect fit for the story.
Overall, loved this one! After completing the whole book, I'm tempted to go back and retrace the author's steps to see if I can find more clues about the murder's identity.
*Thank you to Razorbill Publishing and author Danielle Valentine for the copy "How to Survive Your Murder" that this review is based on
First off, love that cover! As I started to read the book, I realized just how perfect the cover is for the book, Cat ears, lipstick, pocket knife, and blood spatter perfectly represent the YA horror/thriller feel that is this book. While reading it, I felt like I was reading a slasher film. I can see where this could easily be made into a movie. I loved the horror film and actor references that were throughout the book. I enjoyed looking up the exact scenes/clothing references that Valentine mentioned and for me it just added another dimension to the story. The Sidney Prescott look alike character that appears throughout the book is a perfect fit for the story.
Overall, loved this one! After completing the whole book, I'm tempted to go back and retrace the author's steps to see if I can find more clues about the murder's identity.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Murder
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