Alcatraz 2.0 off of San Francisco is where they send criminals for a Hunger Games reality show type of thing. Except everyone seems to really be innocent. A LOT of graphic violence.

Three words to describe this book: "I gave up"

Dude, this book made me kinda sick. Very horror, with a good dose of conspiracy and a dash of romance just to make sure it hits that YA genre spot on. I predicted and was wrong, then predicted again, and was completely off base. Not for the faint of heart - as I mentioned, it kinda made me sick. Very graphic depictions of murder and all that fun stuff. Still, super well done and I really enjoyed it, though the author does kinda plop you into the middle of the story from the very beginning so you are kinda playing catch up. I liked that - definitely made me not want to put the book down the entire time I was reading it.

I don't know about you, but I feel like reality TV "jumped the shark" a while ago.  It seems like a lot of what the producers are trying to pawn off as "reality" is about as unrealistic as you can get.  So, it didn't even seem like too much of a stretch to think that this story could actually come true.  Convicted killers being sent to an island prison [Alcatraz 2.0] where they would be hunted down by government-sanctioned killers and live streamed on an app called The Postman?  Why not, right?!?  I mean, especially when the beginning of the story mentioned that the President was a former reality star and used his clout to make this show happen.  I actually though to myself, "I really hope no reads this story and decides to treat it like a proposal."

While I was horrified by the comments made by people who watched the murders via The Postman app, I wasn't terribly shocked.  Society has already gotten to the point where many people are desensitized to violence, and plenty of people already make callous remarks on social media because the anonymity and distance that the internet provides.  So, if people in this near-future honestly believed that the inhabitants of Alcatraz 2.0 were convicted killers who "deserved" to die...  Yeah.  But what if they didn't deserve it?  Dee swears that she didn't kill her step-sister, and some of the other young inmates have similar tales of being framed.  Is there any chance that they can prove themselves innocent?  Who can they turn to?  Will anyone even attempt to listen to what they have to say?  And how can they possibly trust each other enough to try and team up when their very survival means that they shouldn't trust anything or anybody?  Talk about an edge-of-your-seat thriller.

P.S. It's hilarious, too!

Happy Reading!

Shallow and vapid. All of the characters were flat and cartoonish. Dee was awfully chill with murdering people -- no sane seventeen year old would actually accept having to do that even if the people they were murdering were murderers themselves. Just a disappointing book overall.

NO: juvenile, poorly written, unbelievable characters. Other than the gore, feels like a chapter book. Most interesting parts were the tweets at the end of the chapters. A little heavy-handed re: political theater. Not list worthy.

Set in the near future, eighteen year old Dee has been convicted of murdering her stepsister, and is sentenced to a new type of prison, known as Alcatraz 2.0, run by a mysterious figure known as The Postman. Located on an island, Alcatraz 2.0 is always under surveillance, and the public can tune in at any time to watch the live feeds of the prisoners. What makes this prison different is the fact that there are killers on the island, who, allowed by the government, torture and kill the convicted felons that end up there. The audience can watch the murders and place bets on who they think the killer will be for each inmate.

Dee swears she's innocent, and refuses to become one of the island's next victims. She forms a group of friends, nicknamed by the public the Death Row Breakfast Club, and together they try their best to stay alive day by day. Dee is determined to find a way off of the island to prove her innocence, but in doing so, has placed herself right in the The Postman's line of sight.

As soon as I read the blurb for #MurderTrending, I knew I had to read it! I am a huge fan of books that incorporate social media into the plot, given how prevalent social media is for most people these days. Reading the book was an interesting experience, because while we know from the beginning that Dee says she's innocent, you can't help but rooting for not just her, but her entire posse of friends, even knowing that they've all been sentenced to the island because they are convicted killers (regardless of whether or not they say they are innocent). 

Another element to the book that I loved was the mysterious character, known as The Postman - a former reality TV producer, who no-one knows the identity of, but who runs the island. There are a few chapters that are told from The Postman's point of view, which made him even more intriguing. 

If you are a fan of books like The Hunger Games and 1984, movies like The Purge and Untraceable, and shows like Big Brother, I think you'll be a fan of this book. There are elements of survival, voyeurism, social media, dystopia, and corrupt governments and legal systems, and I think some of these things are really relevant to today's society, just on a smaller scale. 

All in all, this was a perfect YA thriller for me, and exactly what I needed to read at the moment. Because it's YA, it was quick and easy to get through, but didn't skimp on the gore or reveals. I also loved the ending of the book - it did a great job wrapping up this story so the reader doesn't feel like they got ripped off, while leaving it open just enough to leave room for a sequel (which comes out next year!). I'd like to thank Freeform for my copy of the book. It was my pleasure to provide an honest review. 

4.5

I absolutely love this book,but some parts of it are sort of cringe.

I actually didn’t think I’d like this so much since it’s not my usual genre. But daaaaang. What a wild ride