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hxayys's review against another edition
dark
emotional
mysterious
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? N/A
3.5
At times it was really slow and just had no exciting bits, it wasn’t predictable to me but i dont really try and predict it because it ruins the experience for me, this took me approximately 3 days to read. But if you want a murder mystery that’s fairly similar to Holly Jackson’s books, I recommend this one.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Bullying, Child abuse, Domestic abuse, Gore, Hate crime, Physical abuse, Self harm, Violence, Vomit, Grief, Stalking, Death of parent, and Murder
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
loverofvenus's review against another edition
dark
emotional
mysterious
sad
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
2.5
jess, the main character, wasn't the *most* likeable. i could very easily make the same mistakes as her but that doesn't make it less irritating. also, it doesn't come up much in the book—& we all know that unless stated otherwise the character is white & cishet—but there are moments that it is painfully obvious the author is both of those things. i will say, all in all, it was an enjoyable book. albeit, there was a scene when her competitors gave up their opportunities to tell their viewers to follow her & it *did* felt like a cop out. also, her director/friend, danny, was implied to be crushing on her but like?? she was seventeen & he was in his twenties?? ew??
Content Warnings
Graphic: Body horror, Bullying, Cancer, Child death, Chronic illness, Cursing, Death, Domestic abuse, Gore, Physical abuse, Self harm, Suicide, Toxic relationship, Violence, Blood, Vomit, Grief, Stalking, Suicide attempt, Death of parent, Murder, Fire/Fire injury, Alcohol, and Injury/Injury detail
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
spearly's review against another edition
dark
mysterious
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.75
Mom was thirty-two when she died, the first victim of a man they still haven’t caught. Number one on a list that now stretches to thirteen.
So if you ask why I want to be one of the five people to star in a new online show about them and only them, it’s pretty simple.
I want to catch the Magpie Man, and this is how I’m going to do it.
What a ride! Honestly, I LOVED the blurb of this on NetGalley, and only realized when I saw the other additions of the novel on Goodreads that I've actually had this on my TBR since last year, when it was called Are You Watching?. Clearly I didn't feel to motivated to read it then. What a difference a trendy cover and new title can make!
Thank you NetGalley and Sourcebooks Fire for the eARC for review!
This was a fun take on a YA thriller. I loved the incorporation of social media and online sensationalism to catch a killer. I wouldn't be surprised if something like this actually happened (or has already happened!)
There were a lot of red herrings. Every time a new character was introduced, especially a male one, I found myself suspicious. It was really fun trying to parse out the real clues from the trolls, the set-ups, and the anonymous tips. I thought Jessica was a great protagonist; a girl defined by her mother's murder, who essentially also lost her dad when he lost his wife, a girl determined to solve the crime no matter what. She toed the line between brave and reckless perfectly.
Was this the perfect mystery? No. I found the final clue that set off the final chain of events to be a bit flimsy, some of the red herrings weren't explained the best, and I didn't feel much of a payoff when things finally come together (except for the very end. iykyk!) Nonetheless, it was a fun read!
Content Warnings
Graphic: Violence, Grief, Suicide attempt, Death of parent, and Murder
Minor: Child abuse, Physical abuse, Suicide, and Vomit
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