A review by outsmartyourshelf
#murdertrending by Gretchen McNeil
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