xemilyx's review against another edition
3.0
The lack of concern the white characters in this book have for black people is staggering. Also, possibly realistic, but it makes it hard to recommend the title to other readers. The murder plot is simpler and makes more sense than last time around. The characters' internal monologues are fascinating and weird. I feel a little guilty for liking this series, but I will definitely be reading book #3. I'm really, really hoping that Deandre will have more agency in the next installment!
rys_'s review against another edition
dark
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? N/A
4.5
foreveryoungadult's review against another edition
Graded By: Brian
Cover Story: Creepy
Drinking Buddy: No
Testosterone/Estrogen Level: Such Potential
Talky Talk: Where to Begin?
Bonus Factor: Mystery
Bromance Status: Car Wreck Witness
Read the full book report here.
Cover Story: Creepy
Drinking Buddy: No
Testosterone/Estrogen Level: Such Potential
Talky Talk: Where to Begin?
Bonus Factor: Mystery
Bromance Status: Car Wreck Witness
Read the full book report here.
lpcoolgirl's review against another edition
5.0
Another fantastic read and mystery, loved reading it! Though a bit sad that we aren't getting a book 3, most likely!
natisanti's review against another edition
3.0
It was a nice and fast read, but so many things were left in the air as of another book would be realize. So I’m confused as to why...
lilythebibliophile's review against another edition
5.0
I adore Maggie Thrash. Her writing is the funniest stuff I've ever read, yet it also manages to be poetic and beautiful.
As always, Benny and Virginia stole the freaking show. Their friendship makes me laugh and simultaneously wish I could join it. Every single character had so many layers, and the story had a ton of mini-mysteries built into it. I still don't know so many things! There has to be another book. THERE HAS TO.
I felt like I was just hanging out with the characters until the book ended. I love all the obscure humor.
I'm happy that this book didn't have such a weird ending, although I still loved [b:Strange Truth|34228316|Strange Truth|Maggie Thrash|https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1503828691s/34228316.jpg|45258682] despite its abnormal conclusion.
@Maggie Thrash GIVE ME MORE.
As always, Benny and Virginia stole the freaking show. Their friendship makes me laugh and simultaneously wish I could join it. Every single character had so many layers, and the story had a ton of mini-mysteries built into it. I still don't know so many things! There has to be another book. THERE HAS TO.
I felt like I was just hanging out with the characters until the book ended. I love all the obscure humor.
I'm happy that this book didn't have such a weird ending, although I still loved [b:Strange Truth|34228316|Strange Truth|Maggie Thrash|https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1503828691s/34228316.jpg|45258682] despite its abnormal conclusion.
@Maggie Thrash GIVE ME MORE.
sistershelves_fasya's review against another edition
2.0
The story is all over the place. A lot of side characters' pov and it doesn't even put anything to the plot. The hero slightly irritates me. The heroine actually kinda a fun character. I still don't get the dynamic between them. I don't get Calvin's motivation toward Virginia. Also, I wasn't a fan of the open ending.
Spoiler
Explain to me how a 15-year-old boy runaway out of the country with a 15-year girl with nothing but just a passport and two bottles of oxy?hollowspine's review
3.0
I liked this book, the oddity of Thrash's characters, and this just slightly off from realistic world. Although I don't think this book will appeal to all teenagers, I think it might be one that will appeal both to adults as well as teenagers, but I can also see that there are some areas of the book that would be problematic.
The book is a dark comedy and often uses the racist, sexist, ignorant and often disgusting opinions of the characters to portray life in a small Southern town. That said, many of the characters are deeply unsympathetic. Although I felt that the two main characters did grow during the course of the novel, shedding some of their biases or at least figuring out that their previously held views based on gender/race etc. might be wrong. However, the majority of the characters in the novel aren't given much chance to grow, or even show that there might be more to them than the stereotype, this was especially true for the jocks and cheerleaders here.
While I believe the author was coming from a place of wanting to represent realistic attitudes that exist in some places, it was at times hard to read. One section of the novel features the coach giving a 'sensitivity' lecture to the football team. It's pretty offensive. He constantly refers to women as 'the ladies' and tells the team to consider what it must be like to be weak and scared all the time. The cheerleaders are pretty much interchangeable, which I thought was a real shame and a missed opportunity.
Overall, while I liked the mystery aspect of the novel and some of the more unique characters, I felt the author missed out on giving it a strong message to go with the slightly caricaturist portrayals of many of the characters. I enjoyed that Thrash was willing to show characters who were ignorant, sexist and bigoted, but I felt more needed to be done to bring in the other side of that message, to condemn those characters rather than just represent them.
One other thing that I really enjoyed in this novel, the creepy mascot suit that kept reappearing. That was well done and gave the novel a bit of a horror edge to add to the dark comedy.
The book is a dark comedy and often uses the racist, sexist, ignorant and often disgusting opinions of the characters to portray life in a small Southern town. That said, many of the characters are deeply unsympathetic. Although I felt that the two main characters did grow during the course of the novel, shedding some of their biases or at least figuring out that their previously held views based on gender/race etc. might be wrong. However, the majority of the characters in the novel aren't given much chance to grow, or even show that there might be more to them than the stereotype, this was especially true for the jocks and cheerleaders here.
While I believe the author was coming from a place of wanting to represent realistic attitudes that exist in some places, it was at times hard to read. One section of the novel features the coach giving a 'sensitivity' lecture to the football team. It's pretty offensive. He constantly refers to women as 'the ladies' and tells the team to consider what it must be like to be weak and scared all the time. The cheerleaders are pretty much interchangeable, which I thought was a real shame and a missed opportunity.
Overall, while I liked the mystery aspect of the novel and some of the more unique characters, I felt the author missed out on giving it a strong message to go with the slightly caricaturist portrayals of many of the characters. I enjoyed that Thrash was willing to show characters who were ignorant, sexist and bigoted, but I felt more needed to be done to bring in the other side of that message, to condemn those characters rather than just represent them.
One other thing that I really enjoyed in this novel, the creepy mascot suit that kept reappearing. That was well done and gave the novel a bit of a horror edge to add to the dark comedy.
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