A review by capriqueen
The Friend Scheme by Cale Dietrich

lighthearted tense fast-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Strong character development? No
  • Loveable characters? No
  • Diverse cast of characters? No
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

2.0

Incredibly boring for its interesting premise. The dialogue was stilted and awkward, and every interaction was so jam packed with pop culture references it was nauseating. The romance was dull

The plot was so linear and basic and rushed. The one plot twist wasn’t even exciting. I kept waiting for a final reveal, a final twist (
like that the grandfather wasn’t killed by the Donovans but by a Miller branch trying to take power idk
)… but nothing. It just sort of ended, and way too easily. I get that the intricacies of gang warfare and decades-old criminal families are hard to tackle in YA but the topic wasn’t given enough depth to do it justice.
Like you’re telling me a crime boss doesn’t have home security cameras? And that it’s that easy for the second son of said crime boss to just walk away? And we’re just gonna skate over the planned massacre of the Donovans??


I probably would’ve loved this book if I was a younger reader, but it was not for adult me sadly
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