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jessikaboersbroek's review against another edition
adventurous
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
2.0
bookishends's review against another edition
2.0
It wasn’t a very enjoyable read, but I felt compelled to finish, so I could know who the killer was. The characters themselves felt more like caricatures than actually fleshed out characters. There wasn’t anyone I cared enough about, and I don’t know if Shelley’s poems or Dude’s use of “dude” was more insufferable. I also wasn’t too invested in Plum’s romance. I wanted to be on the edge of my seat or scared while reading, but I didn’t feel anything but disappointed when the killer was revealed. And the confrontation with the killer was so short and underwhelming. Overall, I would have been perfectly fine not reading this book, but I could see it being an enjoyable read for others with its quick chapters and killer festival plot.
*Thanks to the publisher for the ARC. All opinions are my own*
*Thanks to the publisher for the ARC. All opinions are my own*
penandswordinn's review against another edition
3.0
I do really like Ash Parsons writing. I think she can be an excellent writer but in my opinion needs more practice. My qualms with her writing are, she has to describe every aspect of her characters as soon as she is introduced. She describes race, family ties, and the characters backstory. This could be better thought out throughout the story then just a few pages of info dump.
If I were just getting in YA or looking for that kind of recommendation for a reader, I would recommend this. It talks a lot about the ways of social media and how being an influencer isn't all that, granted most influencers are sent to a murder island lol.
If I were just getting in YA or looking for that kind of recommendation for a reader, I would recommend this. It talks a lot about the ways of social media and how being an influencer isn't all that, granted most influencers are sent to a murder island lol.
assassinsreader's review
adventurous
challenging
dark
mysterious
tense
medium-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? No
4.0
Edit: second reread was better, extra half star.
Okay so this wasn't as bad as I thought it would be;
the beginning nearly lost me, I didn't, don't like any of the characters, especially the main Plum, she is up and down, she goes from being a leader to constantly saying sorry.
Something else that annoyed me was the introduction of each character it felt forced and unnatural.
Buuuuut it was a good horror, I didn't know who it was, I liked the influencers/festival theme, and the short chapters which are always a win for me.
Okay so this wasn't as bad as I thought it would be;
the beginning nearly lost me, I didn't, don't like any of the characters, especially the main Plum, she is up and down, she goes from being a leader to constantly saying sorry.
Something else that annoyed me was the introduction of each character it felt forced and unnatural.
Buuuuut it was a good horror, I didn't know who it was, I liked the influencers/festival theme, and the short chapters which are always a win for me.
feliciaannette's review against another edition
3.0
It took a little bit to get into the book, but once I was hooked it was good. For fans of horror films, since it is basically just a slasher movie in book form. Stays pretty consistent with the classic troupes.
tjlcody's review against another edition
1.0
Boring. Dull mystery sprinkled with the most aggravating virtue-signaling I think I've ever seen in a book that wasn't solely dedicated to it.
Additionally, I cannot emphasize enough how gutless I think it was to make Britlynn an obnoxious, stereotypical conservative "activist". Social media is currently full of obnoxious, toxic cry-bullies of the liberal variety, who seem to have a pass to harass and shame anyone they want without consequences because they're doing it for the "right" reasons.
Oh, but I forgot: This is a YA novel, and that means we have to signal the right virtues; and those virtues are "guns are bad, conservative women have "internalized misogyny" because they don't think and feel the way I do, gamers are all sexist dudebros, etc."
This was a waste of time.
Additionally, I cannot emphasize enough how gutless I think it was to make Britlynn an obnoxious, stereotypical conservative "activist". Social media is currently full of obnoxious, toxic cry-bullies of the liberal variety, who seem to have a pass to harass and shame anyone they want without consequences because they're doing it for the "right" reasons.
Oh, but I forgot: This is a YA novel, and that means we have to signal the right virtues; and those virtues are "guns are bad, conservative women have "internalized misogyny" because they don't think and feel the way I do, gamers are all sexist dudebros, etc."
This was a waste of time.
kjn1329's review against another edition
dark
emotional
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
librarianryan's review against another edition
dark
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
2.0
It is very obvious from the beginning that this is a parody of the Fyre festival that didn’t happen. The Fyre festival was supposed to be this big party on an island reminiscent of things like Coachella. However for this book they’ve turned it in to a murder mystery. Oh my god is this book boring and predictable. The first 130 pages are all about Plum. She feels inferior to her 10 years older influencer sister, and she wants a chance to just do something crazy. She steals her sister’s Pyre Festival ticket, turns it in for two business class tickets so she can take her friends with her to this party. However, from the minute they get on the boat the reader can tell something is wrong. None of the influencers are big influencers. They are people never heard of of by other characters. Then when they get to the island things are already odd. And it just goes on and on. The author tries to put in a love story between Plum and her friend but this reader was so sick of it by the time the first person died. I really wanted one of the girls to be the first to die. This book had potential it’s just not been met. The book spends so much time trying to set a scene, trying to set a murder, and trying to set a feeling, that none of it works. As an older reader, this screams of And Then There Were None by Agatha Christie. And by the middle of the book a character even says that this is that story. I really wanted this book to work it just didn’t. Am I glad I didn’t DNF it, however will this book be around in 20 years? No. I doubt it’s around in five years. If you really want a good mystery read the original. If you might want a horror novel try Clown in the Cornfield, or anything by Karen McManus to get a little horror and a lot of whodunit thrills.
freyawills's review against another edition
boring and didn’t get to any plot point after 12 chapters?