A review by hunni_reads
Make Sure You Die Screaming by Zee Carlstrom

funny lighthearted reflective fast-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? It's complicated
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.25

3.25 ⭐️

Thank you to NetGalley and Flatiron Books for granting me early access to an eARC in exchange for a review.

Make Sure You Die Screaming follows an unnamed nonbinary narrator as they go on a roadtrip (alongside their new garbage-goth bestie) to Arkansas in order find their missing MAGA-loving, conspiracy theorist father. However, the duo is on the run, and there are several different threatening characters who could be chasing them, including the cops. 

This book is a lot of fun and took me very little time to get through. Zee Carlstrom definitely has a great sense of humor that really developed the voice for our MC. However, there is a lot - and I mean a LOT - of drinking and driving in this book. Which is fine, as it becomes very clear as the story progresses that our narrator is struggling with addiction and needs help, but it was so excessive and almost redundant that I truly have no idea how they made it to their destination without causing major harm to themselves or someone else (not a spoiler, because SO many OTHER things happen during their journey) . Just when I would really start to like MC, it would all get erased by the atrocious decisions that they and their reckless passenger were making (this could also just be an issue for me due to personal experience- others may be able to relax a bit more when reading about this. I usually love characters who make questionable choices).  That part felt a little unrealistic, but I really enjoyed the other aspects of the book. The characters were quirky and well developed, and there was some great commentary on gender/sexuality, family, the insane fandom of the Republican Party, and America’s current political climate.

At the end of the day, although the tone gets a bit scattered and the story takes some HARD left turns, Make Sure You Die Screaming is a fun, unique little book that I am not mad about reading. It reads like a first novel, and that is okay. It gives us a good introduction to Zee Carlstrom, their writing style, and the themes they want to explore. I’ll definitely keep an eye out for Carlstrom’s future work- I’m super curious as to what they’ll do next, and I do think they could grow into being a great new voice in the world of comedic queer lit.
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