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3.64 AVERAGE
3.64 AVERAGE
Omg!
Rich, mean girl version of agggtm
I listened to this book on audio, and damn. I enjoyed it so much. The suspense, the drama (it low key gave me a slice of gossip girl I have been yearning for since I finished that). Even though I really enjoyed it, I do think that it ripped agggtm of a lot
Rich, mean girl version of agggtm
I listened to this book on audio, and damn. I enjoyed it so much. The suspense, the drama (it low key gave me a slice of gossip girl I have been yearning for since I finished that). Even though I really enjoyed it, I do think that it ripped agggtm of a lot
I listened to the audio book. I am not sure why I listened to this book. It must have been on some list. I don’t think I was the intended audience.
This book is everything I love about YA thriller / mystery / drama filled novels!
dark
mysterious
reflective
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
A fun and enjoyable thriller but a bit too cozy for me. Recommended for people that like Mean Girls, PLL, CW, etc
The stuff I liked:
1-Unputdownabble, for real, compulsively read this and I hate YA teenage girl drama. The author put a spell on me.
2-Awesome depiction of the school, students, environments, and works. Felt very real and immersive.
3-Solid characterization and dialogue. It was very believable and distinct.
4-I knew who did it from the start but the author kept seeping doubt with the red herrings. Well done.
5- Loved how everyone is flawed yet redeemable( in a way) because I dislike goody-two-shoes in books.
6- Loved the way the author described the struggles of a poor family in a very upper-class environment.
Stuff I hated:
1- This suffered from The Silent Patient syndrome where it requires a lot of suspension of disbelief to work. Hard for me to swallow that the detective nonchalantly left items of a homicide victim in the hands of a meddling 18-year-old and then not asked about the information she retrieved until days later. The detective/police came off as completely incompetent, Olvia withheld info for too long, etc...
2- Every male character is an asshole, period. Penis=bad.
3- Very didactic (maybe because it is YA?) and trying to be preachy with left-wing American politics. Sometimes it didn't make sense and felt very forced. If a character is very Liberal/conservative I'd be fine with that but here it was pushed as if translating the author's bias. Hard to believe girls that ruin other student's futures, lie, catfish, blackmail, threaten, poison, make people fat, fake all about a BOMB would care about minorities, fat-shaming, slut-shaming, white privilege, and whatever...Pretty sure committing crimes and felonies are worse than making a fat/ stereotype joke.
4- The killer twist was nice, the motive was not. I couldn't get behind that reason, way too thin.
5-While I enjoyed the ride, I did not like the destination, specifically the climax and action scene. Loved the denouement though.
The stuff I liked:
1-Unputdownabble, for real, compulsively read this and I hate YA teenage girl drama. The author put a spell on me.
2-Awesome depiction of the school, students, environments, and works. Felt very real and immersive.
3-Solid characterization and dialogue. It was very believable and distinct.
4-I knew who did it from the start but the author kept seeping doubt with the red herrings. Well done.
5- Loved how everyone is flawed yet redeemable( in a way) because I dislike goody-two-shoes in books.
6- Loved the way the author described the struggles of a poor family in a very upper-class environment.
Stuff I hated:
1- This suffered from The Silent Patient syndrome where it requires a lot of suspension of disbelief to work. Hard for me to swallow that the detective nonchalantly left items of a homicide victim in the hands of a meddling 18-year-old and then not asked about the information she retrieved until days later. The detective/police came off as completely incompetent, Olvia withheld info for too long, etc...
2- Every male character is an asshole, period. Penis=bad.
3- Very didactic (maybe because it is YA?) and trying to be preachy with left-wing American politics. Sometimes it didn't make sense and felt very forced. If a character is very Liberal/conservative I'd be fine with that but here it was pushed as if translating the author's bias. Hard to believe girls that ruin other student's futures, lie, catfish, blackmail, threaten, poison, make people fat, fake all about a BOMB would care about minorities, fat-shaming, slut-shaming, white privilege, and whatever...Pretty sure committing crimes and felonies are worse than making a fat/ stereotype joke.
4- The killer twist was nice, the motive was not. I couldn't get behind that reason, way too thin.
5-While I enjoyed the ride, I did not like the destination, specifically the climax and action scene. Loved the denouement though.
Had a really hard time getting into this book, but once I did, it flew. Olivia is generally an unlikable protagonist and I struggle to care about these types of characters unless there is some major empathy-building. That was mostly absent until maybe mid-way through the book.
I do appreciate what Donne was trying to do with the book. There is a strong theme along with a pretty savvy plot, so I rated up from the 3.5 I was originally considering. I liked exactly 0 characters, though. The one I even thought I liked turned into a douche bag, so do with that what you will.
Overall, I think this is a fun option for choice reading or mystery lit circles. It's got a lot of twisty, turny goodness and enough drama to keep the teens turning the pages. I just had a hard time caring about it overall. Grades 9 and up.
I do appreciate what Donne was trying to do with the book. There is a strong theme along with a pretty savvy plot, so I rated up from the 3.5 I was originally considering. I liked exactly 0 characters, though. The one I even thought I liked turned into a douche bag, so do with that what you will.
Overall, I think this is a fun option for choice reading or mystery lit circles. It's got a lot of twisty, turny goodness and enough drama to keep the teens turning the pages. I just had a hard time caring about it overall. Grades 9 and up.
3.5 rounded up to 4.
A mystery that kept me guessing - I was totally off on the killer. A casual dip into academic admissions and the wealthy, though a lot of other things got in the mix. Overall, a pretty average story, one that I would recommend for fans of "A Good Girl's Guide to Murder" and other murder mystery fans, though definitely for older readers.
A mystery that kept me guessing - I was totally off on the killer. A casual dip into academic admissions and the wealthy, though a lot of other things got in the mix. Overall, a pretty average story, one that I would recommend for fans of "A Good Girl's Guide to Murder" and other murder mystery fans, though definitely for older readers.
Spoiler
contains underage drinking, references to teenage sex, lotta cursing, teacher/student sexual relationship (murder victim and her guidance counselor), lot of shady and underhanded stuff, and murder! obvs
dark
mysterious
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes