literarycavy's review
dark
funny
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.75
Content Warnings
Graphic: Injury/Injury detail, Gore, Grief, Blood, Death, Gun violence, Kidnapping, Murder, and Violence
outsmartyourshelf's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
dark
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? N/A
4.25
17-year-old Dee Guerrera wakes up on the ground of a dimly lit warehouse & realizes with growing horror that she is about to star in the reality TV hit, Alcatraz 2.0. Justice has been outsourced to the private sector & a shadowy figure, known only as The Postman, is the controller of a show where convicted killers are shipped to Treasure Island in San Francisco's Bay area & picked off one by one by a group of masked serial killers who act as executioners. Everything is streamed live to the outside world & is unbelievably popular. Dee was found guilty of murdering her stepsister & people want to see her pay - only Dee is innocent, she didn't kill Monica & as she gets to know some of the others on the island, it seems that she may not be only innocent person there.
Well this was a blast! From the off there's a blistering pace, nonstop action, & lots of over the top violence. The premise neatly skewers the fascination with reality TV & why so many people believe everything they see is the gospel truth. I think the popularity of many reality shows, except for maybe Love Island & Strictly, has waned a little now but it still holds up. Dee is a great main character, one who the reader can identify with & get behind. Can she trust the other members of the "Death Row Breakfast Club" (Nyles, Griselda, Ethan, & Mara)? I thought they were good too although Ethan was a bit more of a caricature than the others with his obsession with quoting lines from action films. I also thought the ending was little bit too convenient which is why I haven't given it full marks.
Well this was a blast! From the off there's a blistering pace, nonstop action, & lots of over the top violence. The premise neatly skewers the fascination with reality TV & why so many people believe everything they see is the gospel truth. I think the popularity of many reality shows, except for maybe Love Island & Strictly, has waned a little now but it still holds up. Dee is a great main character, one who the reader can identify with & get behind. Can she trust the other members of the "Death Row Breakfast Club" (Nyles, Griselda, Ethan, & Mara)? I thought they were good too although Ethan was a bit more of a caricature than the others with his obsession with quoting lines from action films. I also thought the ending was little bit too convenient which is why I haven't given it full marks.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Kidnapping, Death, and Violence
Moderate: Cannibalism
kiraxx's review
dark
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
2.75
The premise was interesting and it was a very fast read, providing entertainment during a longer train ride. The characters are pretty one dimensional and behave more like theatrical caricatures. Many of the happenings in the story require you to just take them for what it is, any further thought into the why or how make the book's flaws quite obvious. The twist in the end was especially far-fetched and ruined the book for me.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Violence and Murder
speterson47's review
dark
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
1.0
I'd recommend this to those that are looking for a more violent/gory thriller. I had to suspended my disbelief at much of the plot, but could understand how the "action" might be entertaining to some.
Dee is sent to a "justice" island, where those convicted of murder, are murdered by professional serial killers with "superhero" personas for social media. However, she is innocent, but it seems that everyone on the island says that. Dee has the added complication that she has a dark past, when she was kidnapped and kept in a windowless/doorless room as a playmate. Who can Dee trust on the island? And can she find out who actually killed her sister? Because she knows it wasn't her.
Dee is sent to a "justice" island, where those convicted of murder, are murdered by professional serial killers with "superhero" personas for social media. However, she is innocent, but it seems that everyone on the island says that. Dee has the added complication that she has a dark past, when she was kidnapped and kept in a windowless/doorless room as a playmate. Who can Dee trust on the island? And can she find out who actually killed her sister? Because she knows it wasn't her.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Gore, Murder, and Violence
mels_reading_log's review
dark
mysterious
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? Yes
4.25
I don’t normally read horror books but this one was the perfect amount of scary for me. No jump scares, a really creepy premise and a lot of mystery. The main premise is that the US has decided to turn Alcatraz into a town where death row inmates live until they are theatrically murdered by masked seri killers. The whole thing is filmed and shown to the country as the ultimate reality show. The main character, Dee, is convicted of murdering her step sister and sent there to live out her sentence. But she says she didn’t do it, and so do all the other young, beautiful people there. Is something weird going on?
Content Warnings
Graphic: Forced institutionalization, Grief, Injury/Injury detail, Kidnapping, Fire/Fire injury, Blood, Physical abuse, Violence, Body horror, Death, Gore, Mental illness, Murder, Stalking, and Torture
Minor: Cannibalism
calamitywindpetal's review
challenging
dark
emotional
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Torture, Death, Gun violence, Murder, Violence, Fire/Fire injury, Kidnapping, and Injury/Injury detail
Moderate: Cannibalism and Sexual harassment
Minor: Suicide
rachelmarie667's review
adventurous
dark
emotional
funny
mysterious
sad
tense
fast-paced
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
4.5
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Violence, Murder, Gaslighting, Injury/Injury detail, and Gun violence
Moderate: Fire/Fire injury
Minor: Kidnapping
lovelymisanthrope's review
dark
emotional
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.0
I have had this book on my shelves for YEARS and finally picked it up.
"#Murdertrending" follows a cast of young characters, people who have been convicted of various crimes, and all sentenced to serve out their prison sentences on an island. This island was created by the newly elected President of the United States who is also a huge internet celebrity. He created this island of games as entertainment for the world. There are cameras everywhere and murder is encouraged, and in fact there are people who have been hired to murder the prisoners in over-the-top ways. These criminals are faced with their greatest challenges yet: surviving. But the island is much more sinister than it seems, because everyone imprisoned might not be guilty of the crimes they were convicted of.
I think this story was good in theory, and I might have enjoyed it more if I had read it when I originally got a copy, but it was kind of a flop for me in the present. The whole social media craze has always been a bit odd to me but seeing it in this context really makes me question us as a society and the value we place on internet fame.
I think this book has an audience, but unfortunately this series is not for me.
"#Murdertrending" follows a cast of young characters, people who have been convicted of various crimes, and all sentenced to serve out their prison sentences on an island. This island was created by the newly elected President of the United States who is also a huge internet celebrity. He created this island of games as entertainment for the world. There are cameras everywhere and murder is encouraged, and in fact there are people who have been hired to murder the prisoners in over-the-top ways. These criminals are faced with their greatest challenges yet: surviving. But the island is much more sinister than it seems, because everyone imprisoned might not be guilty of the crimes they were convicted of.
I think this story was good in theory, and I might have enjoyed it more if I had read it when I originally got a copy, but it was kind of a flop for me in the present. The whole social media craze has always been a bit odd to me but seeing it in this context really makes me question us as a society and the value we place on internet fame.
I think this book has an audience, but unfortunately this series is not for me.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Torture, Trafficking, Forced institutionalization, Murder, Stalking, and Violence
hwilliams's review against another edition
dark
emotional
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
3.5
Content Warnings
Graphic: Violence
gabgon2597's review
adventurous
dark
funny
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.5
Content Warnings
Graphic: Cannibalism, Injury/Injury detail, Forced institutionalization, Violence, Kidnapping, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , Death, and Mental illness