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Reviews tagging 'Violence'

#murdertrending by Gretchen McNeil

22 reviews

casparquarius's review against another edition

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

3.5

this was exactly what I wanted it to be: an easy. quick, fun romp of a YA horror. the premise isn't necessarily my usual fare, but it's been a long time since I read YA horror and something about it caught my eye. I would have liked a little more character development, and some of the writing felt choppy, but the forum posts and betting sheets were really fun touches
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yoyoitsflo's review against another edition

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So far, so weird. Idk maybe it’s cause I’m not big on reality tv or maybe it’s cause it feels too reliant on incorporating both reality tv and social media together, but this is an odd set up. It feels…really hard to follow or believe? Which is weird cause I already know it’s fiction. I stopped when I got to the part where it talks about cameras in the bathroom. Like huh?? People mention graphic descriptions of murder but stuff like that is just strange. I can’t believe there are two more books in this series.
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princejello's review against another edition

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dark mysterious sad tense fast-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Strong character development? It's complicated
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.75

I wasn't sure how to feel about the book when I was first getting into it, but the more I read it, the more I came to like it. For me, it's a big plus that it's written in 3rd person as well since nowadays it feels like I run into too many 1st person books. Anyhow, I think the fast paced story really suits the plot and I came to enjoy a lot of the characters introduced throughout the book, and that made it all the harder when some didn't make it to the end. The twist wasn't too surprising, and it really felt like the ending was written as if it were a movie, but it wasn't awful. Might have to check the sequel out!
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hadleyc22's review against another edition

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adventurous emotional tense fast-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Character
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

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lindseyhall44's review against another edition

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dark medium-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

3.0

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literarycavy's review against another edition

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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

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outsmartyourshelf's review against another edition

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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.  
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nafsaila's review against another edition

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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.
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mels_reading_log's review against another edition

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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?
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calamitywindpetal's review against another edition

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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

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