A review by phantomparagrapher7
Then Things Went Dark by Bea Fitzgerald

adventurous challenging emotional mysterious reflective sad tense slow-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? Yes

3.0

 

A theme that I have always enjoyed reading for years is reality TV in books. I became a fan of this trope after reading years ago Dead Famous by Ben Elton which was a Big Brother-themed story with a murder. Ever since then, if I come across books with a similar theme I will give them a go. In Then Things Went Dark by Bea Fitzgerald which was a book exchange gift, we have six influencers or fifteen minutes of fame stars who need to either prove themselves or redeem themselves in society, and what better way to do that than on a reality TV set on a beautiful island and with an enticing prize pool of money. This show will push these contestants into revealing their deepest darkest secrets with the hope that the world will never hear them spying on their fellow contestants. On the island, there will be friendships formed, alliances made, sleeping with one another, and backstabbing of course. Nothing is sacred when the whole world is watching and money, fame, and redemption are all on the line. Even murder as by the end of the week, one of the contestants will be dead and the murder or accident - you decide, will be streamed on live television. As this book was a UK-based fiction, it is on the slower side of pacing, but if you love shows like Big Brother and thriller novels - then Then Things Went Dark by Bea Fitzgerald has something for everyone. 
 PS - I also have a cover crush on the above edition of this book.