johnsnowwasright's review against another edition
adventurous
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.0
This book was kind of stupid and predictable. I guessed the ending within the first third of the book.
The story wasn't original and full of cliches. All of the characters were one dimensional and annoying. The producer of the documentary was basically a mustache twirling villain and caricature of a Hollywood executive.
Also the premise of the book makes zero fucking sense once you know the twist.
My only reason for giving this 2 stars instead of 1 is the format of the book which I did find creative.
But yeah pass on this, there are better murder mysteries.
The story wasn't original and full of cliches. All of the characters were one dimensional and annoying. The producer of the documentary was basically a mustache twirling villain and caricature of a Hollywood executive.
Also the premise of the book makes zero fucking sense once you know the twist.
My only reason for giving this 2 stars instead of 1 is the format of the book which I did find creative.
But yeah pass on this, there are better murder mysteries.
jasminerk's review against another edition
mysterious
tense
fast-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
4.0
eggcatsreads's review against another edition
5.0
I jokingly called it from the beginning, so I feel proud of myself for being like, "I KNEW that's how it was going to end!" at the end reveal.
The format can take some getting used to, but I personally liked it as it felt much more like I was also experiencing the show they were making, as well as the media happening around that time. I recently read a paranormal investigation book called Episode Thirteen that had a similar format, so getting the hang of it in this book didn't take long. It's written much more like you're reading the show notes and script, (as well as including newspaper clippings, phone calls, emails, and fan forum discussions) and less like a straight novel, so if that format doesn't appeal to you, I wouldn't suggest reading this book. (Also, I'm unsure how well it would adapt to an audio format.)
I really enjoyed how every single person seemed to have motive, and even with the "backstage" information we receive of personal emails and texts, at no point are you certain of the outcome. And yet, as can be a pitfall in many mystery whodunit novels, it doesn't feel shoehorned in for shock value, or like a few threads are dropped to make the reveal make sense. Even when you think you know who did it, they bring you back with "but remember these inconsistencies?"
I did really like how the book is broken up in the "episodes," as if we are also watching this show be produced and watched in real time. The "after episode" responses by fans also lead to this, as you could see the fan response and discussions as they went through the show. (Also, I liked how they were all relevant because there were a few fan comments that pointed things out that I myself hadn't picked up on.)
I think if you're looking for a relatively fast-paced mystery novel, where there are surprising reveals and many times you learn information at the same time as everyone in the book, this would be a fun book to read. It's entertaining to make your own bets about who actually was the murderer, and while all the clues fit for the ending, at no point does this book handfeed you the ending before it connects all the dots for you.
(I'd definitely flip through some of the pages first, though, to make sure the format is something you could read since it IS written very differently from a typical mystery novel.)
I also think this book would be a fun adaptation to actually doing its own 8 part true crime mockumentary. I'd watch it.
The format can take some getting used to, but I personally liked it as it felt much more like I was also experiencing the show they were making, as well as the media happening around that time. I recently read a paranormal investigation book called Episode Thirteen that had a similar format, so getting the hang of it in this book didn't take long. It's written much more like you're reading the show notes and script, (as well as including newspaper clippings, phone calls, emails, and fan forum discussions) and less like a straight novel, so if that format doesn't appeal to you, I wouldn't suggest reading this book. (Also, I'm unsure how well it would adapt to an audio format.)
I really enjoyed how every single person seemed to have motive, and even with the "backstage" information we receive of personal emails and texts, at no point are you certain of the outcome. And yet, as can be a pitfall in many mystery whodunit novels, it doesn't feel shoehorned in for shock value, or like a few threads are dropped to make the reveal make sense. Even when you think you know who did it, they bring you back with "but remember these inconsistencies?"
I did really like how the book is broken up in the "episodes," as if we are also watching this show be produced and watched in real time. The "after episode" responses by fans also lead to this, as you could see the fan response and discussions as they went through the show. (Also, I liked how they were all relevant because there were a few fan comments that pointed things out that I myself hadn't picked up on.)
I think if you're looking for a relatively fast-paced mystery novel, where there are surprising reveals and many times you learn information at the same time as everyone in the book, this would be a fun book to read. It's entertaining to make your own bets about who actually was the murderer, and while all the clues fit for the ending, at no point does this book handfeed you the ending before it connects all the dots for you.
(I'd definitely flip through some of the pages first, though, to make sure the format is something you could read since it IS written very differently from a typical mystery novel.)
I also think this book would be a fun adaptation to actually doing its own 8 part true crime mockumentary. I'd watch it.
becca_s_reads's review against another edition
adventurous
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.0
sunflowers_reading_corner's review against another edition
dark
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.0
lydiasheneman's review against another edition
dark
mysterious
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
lostinthepages20's review against another edition
mysterious
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.0
bea2001's review against another edition
mysterious
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? N/A
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.75
reyna_writes's review against another edition
dark
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
This book was a lot of fun; it got me out of a reading slump, so I thank it greatly for that.