#murdertrending by Gretchen McNeil; a Review by Emily Shunk
#murdertrending
Written by Gretchen McNeil
Review written by Emily Shunk
The worst of the worst get what they deserve... perfectly legitimate right?
Dee, at age 17, is sent to Alcatraz 2.0 after she's accused of her sister's murder. The island's rules are simple: have a job, make money, buy food, and avoid at all costs the serial killers known as the Paniacs. Hired by the Postman, and somehow encouraged by the government, the Paniacs hunt down Alcatraz 2.0's inmates and put on a gruesome show for the entire world to watch on the Postman app. With all the cameras on her, Dee reverses the cards on Prince Slayer, killing him and winning the internet's title of #CinderellaSurvivor.
With her every move broadcasted on the app, and with all of the Postman's attention, Dee needs to survive on the island, away from the grasp of the Paniac's gory performances. Haunted by the memories of a childhood kidnapping, Dee starts to put together pieces that seem too impossible to be true. Suddenly, everything seems to be too connected to be a coincidence.
Her goal seems simple: survive long enough to prove her innocence and find her sister's true killer. Will she survive long enough to see it through?
I adore this book. It's fantastic. Amazing. I was up till approximately 2:41 am on a Saturday in order to finish it. The writing is amazing- truely stunning. The story reveals the perfect bit of information, without giving away too much. Till the very end, the plot is unexpected and full of twists that make it so exciting to read. I was slightly confused at one of the plot twists- it does kinda like a loop in the story- but that could also completely just being me at 1:30-ish in the morning with the mental capacity of a drunken hermit crab. Either way, I loved the ending and the addition of a 'THE END?'. I think the ending wraps up the story, without leaving you dissatisfied (there's a second book which I will definitely be reading) or displeased. I love the addition of the outside world and the interaction between the inmates of Alcatraz 2.0 and the Postman's live comment thread- it seems very thoughtfully put together and truly offers a whole new prospective for the reader to look at.
I think #murdertrending is a very thoughtfully put together book, with the perfect amount of twists and turns to keep you on your toes as you dive further and further into the story. I love it, and I think this book might be making my top 5 books list. I would absolutely recommend this book to anyone who can handle a little gore and is absolutely okay with staying up till 4 am because they simply cannot put down the book. 100/10.
TL;DR: go read this book.
Wow. This is probably the most optimistic blog post that I have read so far. I thought your summary was great, as it had suspense at the end to entice the readers. I also liked how you talked about your experience in reading the book, especially the part about how you stayed up till 2:41. I don't think I'll be reading this book any time soon (I don't like scary stuff), but I appreciate your blog post, and I look forward to more of your reviews.
ReplyDeleteThis seems like a pretty intense book that would be a cool read. I liked how enthusiastic you were about the book (I think 100/10 is the highest rating that I have ever seen) since it made the review fun to read while also offering insight into how good the book is. I liked your summary since it definitely made me want to read the book. Great review!
ReplyDeleteWow! Congrats on writing one of the most enthusiastic reviews I have seen! #murdertrending doesn't look like the sort of book I would pick up on my own, but your review makes it sound like it is definitely worth the read. Awesome job providing a detailed and interesting summary balanced out with a specific, entertaining review/opinion section. I look forwards to reading this!
ReplyDeleteI know this is repetitive, but seriously, your review is very positive! It definitely helps my opinion on this book (though I haven't read it....yet) that this book managed to make your top five list of books. I for one know how hard it is to find a book good enough to make a personal list of great books, so your review has really encouraged me! I think that I will definitely be reading this book as soon as I can get my hands on it.
ReplyDeleteI really enjoyed your review! It was fun to read with just enough humor to be funny but not enough that it was overwhelmingly so. Your description of the book was also very helpful and gave me quick but immersing overview of the book. I can definitely tell by the way you talked about this book that you really loved it!
I'm not sure if this is right, but I got the feeling that this book is a bit similar to the Hunger Games. I'm just curious whether that's true or if I'm totally reading too much into it.
Great review on what seems like a great book!
Fantastic review! You describe the book in a way that makes it sound gripping and engaging. The illustration you give on the character and plot entices all types of readers including those who might not even be interested in that sort of genre. Your summary is great and your review is even more entertaining. #murdertrending seems to be the type of book I would tend to gravitate to when wandering through a library, but now I do not have to wander. Great job!
ReplyDeleteNice review! This book sounds really exciting and unique, and I usually enjoy murder mysteries, so this seems like the type of book I would like. I really enjoyed reading this review because it was so enthusiastic, and I will definitely check out this book sometime.
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