A review by minimicropup
One of Us is Dead by Jeneva Rose

dark funny lighthearted slow-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Plot
  • Strong character development? No
  • Loveable characters? No
  • Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.5

Narration 👍: Lots of POVs so different narrators helped for keeping track while listening. The narrators were suited to (or shaped) the characters and weren’t annoying. I only had a bit of trouble telling Karen and Shannon apart. 
 
Main POVs 😵‍💫: First-person narration heavy on observation and dialogue
  • An entrepreneur whose business is their motivation, but now that they have success they are wishing for a partner to share it with
  • A grudge-holding, insecure, egotistical, likely psychopathic ‘frenemy’
  • A temporarily but dramatically unhinged outcast
  • A seemingly sweet, naïve newcomer
  • A peace-keeping, people-pleasing parent
 
Atmosphere 🫥: Antagonistic, disparaging, humorous
  • Set in a rich suburb (I think near Atlanta, Georgia) mainly in the exclusive local salon and salon members’ homes and parties.
 
Cred Rating 🍸🤑: OTT campy  
  • Simple, potentially fun read that is best taken at face-value. Not meant for overthinking or realistic, deep reading moments, but does touch on some serious issues. 
 
Growls, Howls, and Tail Wags 🐺🐕: 
  • The characters and their spouses were almost caricatures and just…a LOT. They start off as walking stereotypes ranging from asshole to insufferable to dense, but somehow, they started to grow on me as the story progressed. 
  • I had multiple “get to the point!” DNF moments on this one that I managed to fight off. It was just so long to me sometimes. Twists/reveals start off as small, scintillating relationship and frenemy drama and progress to more serious criminal enterprises. The trouble was that each reveal seemed so drawn out because we see almost every happening from all five POVs before we can progress to more of the story. I stuck with it because I was curious. 
  • I get overly frustrated by dialogue-driven existential crisis plots, but now that it has ended I kinda miss these characters (er, some of them). I'm also relieved to be rid of them!
  • I appreciate how the author pulled off an OTT character drama that didn’t rely on the tropes typical to rich people/domestic thriller-dramas. There wasn’t a single “hold-back, if only you knew”, “it's impossible to be childfree-by-choice”, “my children are my entire reason for existing (and therefore whiny and insufferable)”, “suspense through conversation interruptions” trope in this story!
 
Reading Journey 🥴: Watching one of those rich housewife reality shows to kill time on the plane heading to a vacay destination.   
 
Mood Reading Match-Up:
  • Dialogue-driven narratives
  • Rich people behaving badly
  • OTT housewives reality show can’t-look-away energy
  • Amateur frenemy crime-fighting suspense
 
Vibes: 🫠🤪🤭
 
Content Heads-Up: Misogyny. Misandry. Outing. Bullying. Possible good bisexuality rep. 
 
Format: Audible
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