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itzbrianna's review against another edition
hopeful
mysterious
sad
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.0
14 Ways to Die is a tense and emotional mystery where the protagonist, Jess, agrees to do a reality show in the hopes of finding her mother’s murderer.
This book has been on my btr list for awhile, and I’ve heard great things about Vincent Ralph’s work. 14 Ways to Die overall was an interesting mystery and definitely kept me intrigued despite some grievances.
This book has short and choppy chapters and this is the biggest mistake by the editing team (whoever is responsible) for this novel. A lot of the chapters could’ve been combined because they were a continuation from the previous chapter. I don’t think there was much strategy involved when it came to breaking chapters up.
I read this alongside the audiobook (which I have to do these days) and the narrator definitely took me out of the story at times. Her voice was monotone and whiny.
The mystery itself was the best part about this novel. And the plot hit close to home for many reasons but I still found a way to find this story enjoyable. There were many moments where I thought I knew who the killer was, but my third guess was absolutely correct. I never would’ve guessed the why though.
If you enjoy slow paced mysteries that have an emotional storyline then you’ll enjoy this. Just beware if the audiobook.
This book has been on my btr list for awhile, and I’ve heard great things about Vincent Ralph’s work. 14 Ways to Die overall was an interesting mystery and definitely kept me intrigued despite some grievances.
This book has short and choppy chapters and this is the biggest mistake by the editing team (whoever is responsible) for this novel. A lot of the chapters could’ve been combined because they were a continuation from the previous chapter. I don’t think there was much strategy involved when it came to breaking chapters up.
I read this alongside the audiobook (which I have to do these days) and the narrator definitely took me out of the story at times. Her voice was monotone and whiny.
The mystery itself was the best part about this novel. And the plot hit close to home for many reasons but I still found a way to find this story enjoyable. There were many moments where I thought I knew who the killer was, but my third guess was absolutely correct. I never would’ve guessed the why though.
If you enjoy slow paced mysteries that have an emotional storyline then you’ll enjoy this. Just beware if the audiobook.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Kidnapping, Death of parent, and Murder
Moderate: Bullying, Domestic abuse, and Self harm
Minor: Child abuse and Emotional abuse
reillywills's review against another edition
dark
emotional
mysterious
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.5
The short chapters were a bit jarring for me. I think it may have been part of why I didn’t connect with the characters much. By the end of the book, I really don’t know much about the character beyond the fact that she likes to have carrot cake on her birthday, and, of course at her mom was killed by a serial killer. The premise of the social media/vlog context was interesting. I’m not sure how they found enough of the main character’s daily life in high school to make a video reel that would realistically go viral on social media. While I had a hard time reading at first, I did get used to it. I did want to know who the serial killer was and that’s what kept my interest. I was disappointed that the author planted seeds for a red herring pretty early on and then the murderer was someone we only met right before the book ended .
Content Warnings
Graphic: Child abuse, Death, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Physical abuse, Vomit, Kidnapping, Grief, Suicide attempt, Death of parent, Murder, and Alcohol
honeybunchesofoats06's review against another edition
dark
emotional
mysterious
sad
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
2.0
I was going to give 14 Ways to Die a 4/5 star rating in the beginning but as the book went on I got more and more disappointed. To start, the “chapters” are very short, which makes it a quick read but with most chapters being a page, page and a half long there wasn’t a lot of description. This made the characters feel very one dimensional. I thought the plot could have been very good but it was just poorly executed. I also didn’t like Jess’s character about how she thought she was the only one that could experience grief, there was only one type of grief and that fact that her character was kind of all over the place. I do agree this book is very hooking and pulls you in but I think it could have been done way better. I thought the twist in the end was a bit random too. Although you were meant to be miss led the whole time and were meant to keep guessing who the Magpie man was we didn’t get much on Mr. Farrell and Bernie’s life until the very end so to me Mr. Farrell was just a random character which made the twist less shocking
Content Warnings
Graphic: Bullying, Cursing, Death, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Mental illness, Suicide, Blood, Vomit, Kidnapping, Grief, Stalking, Suicide attempt, Death of parent, and Murder
zoepagereader's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
emotional
mysterious
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
2.5
This MC drove me insane. I get the whole wanting justice for you mom’s murder thing, but chasing after the person you suspect is the serial killer down a dark alley? By yourself? At night? And then going into their house? That’s not being brave, as the MC gets called so many times in this book, that just being stupid. 2.5⭐️
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Physical abuse, Violence, Grief, Suicide attempt, Death of parent, and Murder
dakotahrey's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
mysterious
sad
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
I really didn't expect much out of this book, but I was really wrong about it. It's fast-paced and really doesn't feel like a YA novel. The main character really has to face who she is and how her trauma has impacted the relationships around her and more importantly her relationship with herself. I finished the book in three nights so it only took 4-6 hours, and on night 2 I couldn't put the book down. The mystery and thrills had me hooked!
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Mental illness, Panic attacks/disorders, Violence, Grief, Death of parent, and Murder
Moderate: Bullying, Emotional abuse, Physical abuse, Suicide attempt, Alcohol, and Injury/Injury detail
rs22's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
mysterious
reflective
sad
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
5.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Cursing, Death, Emotional abuse, Toxic relationship, Blood, Kidnapping, Grief, Stalking, Death of parent, Murder, and Gaslighting
Moderate: Mass/school shootings and Pregnancy
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