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A review by labunnywtf
Killing Mr. Griffin by Lois Duncan
3.0
Let's start with the positives. This is an excellent story. Lois Duncan is a truly masterful author of horror and thrillers for the YA set. I need to read more by her.
This premise is so simple, the story is so simple. A group of teenagers are fed up with their hard-ass teacher, so they decide to "scare him". And oops, he's dead, and now they have to try to cover up their crime.
So simple, but there are so many amazing undertones to the story. Each character's perspective is well done, including the characters who simply need a good punch in the mouth. Betsy, I'm looking at you.
Now, all of that being said.
This book was published in the late 70's. And it didn't take me long to realize that this edition had been "updated". "Modernized". "Ruined to fuck".
Small things, like substituting CD players for record players. Throwing in a reference to an iPod, or that "old band", The Grateful Dead.
This does. not. work. In fact, it is so poorly done, it is JARRING. A mother at a friend's house, and that friend gets a call on their LANDLINE TELEPHONE, so the mother whips out her cell phone to call her daughter back. What? Why wouldn't you just go pick up the landline? How does this even work?
Cell phones a plenty, except Susan gets phone calls on her landline, and has to look up a phone number in a directory.
No one can get in touch with each other in this cloak and dagger expedition, yet cell phones exist in this world and only one of the characters is poor. What?
This does. not. work. And should never have been done. I'm docking points for updating.
This premise is so simple, the story is so simple. A group of teenagers are fed up with their hard-ass teacher, so they decide to "scare him". And oops, he's dead, and now they have to try to cover up their crime.
So simple, but there are so many amazing undertones to the story. Each character's perspective is well done, including the characters who simply need a good punch in the mouth. Betsy, I'm looking at you.
Now, all of that being said.
This book was published in the late 70's. And it didn't take me long to realize that this edition had been "updated". "Modernized". "Ruined to fuck".
Small things, like substituting CD players for record players. Throwing in a reference to an iPod, or that "old band", The Grateful Dead.
This does. not. work. In fact, it is so poorly done, it is JARRING. A mother at a friend's house, and that friend gets a call on their LANDLINE TELEPHONE, so the mother whips out her cell phone to call her daughter back. What? Why wouldn't you just go pick up the landline? How does this even work?
Cell phones a plenty, except Susan gets phone calls on her landline, and has to look up a phone number in a directory.
No one can get in touch with each other in this cloak and dagger expedition, yet cell phones exist in this world and only one of the characters is poor. What?
This does. not. work. And should never have been done. I'm docking points for updating.