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3.33 AVERAGE
3.33 AVERAGE
Thanks to NetGalley for the ARC. Loved the title and the cover, but I really didn't care for this book. The humour wasn't funny to me, and the switching of timelines across chapters didn't have the tension-building effect that it can have when used well. It almost felt laborious to read to the end just to know for sure whodunnit. I've given it two stars because it wasn't bad, per se; it was just too bland for my liking.
medium-paced
Thank you Net Galley for the ARC! đ
This is the epitome of a small town murder mystery. The cast of characters was good, and the inclusion of the WhatsApp messages was great at building suspense. This was a decent quick read for me but I was a little disappointed with the ending even though it absolutely did make sense! I'm not sure if this book was a tongue in cheek poke at the genre or if that was unintentional, but it was quite amusing!
I liked everything about this book except the ending (might have given it an extra star if it played out differently!)
This is the epitome of a small town murder mystery. The cast of characters was good, and the inclusion of the WhatsApp messages was great at building suspense. This was a decent quick read for me but I was a little disappointed with the ending even though it absolutely did make sense! I'm not sure if this book was a tongue in cheek poke at the genre or if that was unintentional, but it was quite amusing!
I liked everything about this book except the ending (might have given it an extra star if it played out differently!)
I donât particularly love thrillers. Or comedies. And I didnât really like how the two worked together here.
I did love the town, seems like a character in itself.
I was just really irked by the misogynistic undertones of the female characterisation. Putting two women against each other, contrasting a young hot woman to a âpast itâ out of touch woman in her late twenties. Just feels very like a man writing the female experience which is reductive and shallow, her thoughts are just about men and how much she hates her looks.
Lots of the twists also didnât seem entirely to make sense.
I think Iâm not the audience for this book.
I did love the town, seems like a character in itself.
I was just really irked by the misogynistic undertones of the female characterisation. Putting two women against each other, contrasting a young hot woman to a âpast itâ out of touch woman in her late twenties. Just feels very like a man writing the female experience which is reductive and shallow, her thoughts are just about men and how much she hates her looks.
Lots of the twists also didnât seem entirely to make sense.
I think Iâm not the audience for this book.
fast-paced
As someone who has grown up in the age of social media, the title of this book immediately caught my attention and I wasnât disappointed. âEveryone in the Group Chat Diesâ is a fun, modern, small town murder mystery with plenty of twists and turns.
The book is told with two alternating timelines: 12 months ago, and the present day. In the first, we see aspiring reporter Kirby investigate the disappearance of her new flatmate Esme, who had arrived less than 24 hours beforehand with the intention of investigating a decades old murder.
In the present day, Kirby and her former flatmates have dispersed and drifted apart following the events of the previous year. Their group chat is idle, until a message from the supposedly-dead Esme wakes it up. Now, one by one, Kirbyâs friends start turning up dead, and sheâs determined to find out why.
With a chatty, first person narrative and a fast pace, itâs a quick and easy read which could definitely be started and finished in a single sitting.
dark
mysterious
reflective
tense
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
Part slasher horror, part thriller. A group of flatmates/friends drift apart after an incident with their surprise flatmate Esme, until a year later when a mysterious message in their group chat brings them back together to investigate. Until they start leaving the group chat just before they die. The twists and turns along the way kept me guessing how it would end and it was not the ending I would have predicted. There were themes around the death of print journalism, the rise in social media, civilian investigators and true crime junkies. It was a fairly light hearted read so even so it didn't delve very deep into social commentary. The story jumps between past and present as the mysteries unravel. It was a nice easy read and an entertaining story overall.
Thanks to the Aria & Aries team and Netgalley for the advance reader copy in exchange for my honest review.
Thanks to the Aria & Aries team and Netgalley for the advance reader copy in exchange for my honest review.
I loved DONâT SWIPE RIGHT but this one wasnât as enjoyable.
It had such an interesting concept and I did enjoy the story, but it dragged on for way too long. I felt like the ending was a bit flat though after all the build up that had been done throughout the book.
dark
funny
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
This was interesting. Somewhat annoying at times but interesting.
It was twisty and it kept me reading to the end. I loved the vibes of the town it was set in, Crowhurst. And there were some truly amazing camp scenes- claw machine anyone?
But sometimes it veered into too cringe territory. I hated the way some chapters ended with âand she turned around and came face to face with xâ and the the following chapter will start âA wax model of X anywayâ. I donât know why but it just drove me crazy.
I also thought there would be more of a commentary around spreading misinformation on the internet. I thought perhaps it would play into false accusations and cancel culture a little but it didnât.
Kirby the main character made some of the most annoying decisions of any main character in a slasher ever. Donât even get me started on some of the side characters who were only there as 2D plot points.
With that said, there is definitely something here. Chilton can definitely up the creep factor when he wants to and I was here for it.
I received an eARC from NetGalley not set for release until 2025.
It was twisty and it kept me reading to the end. I loved the vibes of the town it was set in, Crowhurst. And there were some truly amazing camp scenes- claw machine anyone?
But sometimes it veered into too cringe territory. I hated the way some chapters ended with âand she turned around and came face to face with xâ and the the following chapter will start âA wax model of X anywayâ. I donât know why but it just drove me crazy.
I also thought there would be more of a commentary around spreading misinformation on the internet. I thought perhaps it would play into false accusations and cancel culture a little but it didnât.
Kirby the main character made some of the most annoying decisions of any main character in a slasher ever. Donât even get me started on some of the side characters who were only there as 2D plot points.
With that said, there is definitely something here. Chilton can definitely up the creep factor when he wants to and I was here for it.
I received an eARC from NetGalley not set for release until 2025.
dark
mysterious
sad
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
funny
mysterious
sad
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
N/A
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes