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#MurderTrending by Gretchen McNeil (ARC) - Review


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I received an ARC from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

When eighteen-year-old Dee Guerrera comes to in a warehouse, she realizes she’s about to be the next victim of The Postman app, which allows citizens to stream the executions of convicts from Alcatraz 2.0, a suburbanized prison island. It's one thing knowing that the worst of the worst are facing justice at the hands of legalized serial killers, but Dee isn't going to pay the ultimate price for a crime she didn’t commit. Will Dee survive long enough to prove her innocence? Or will The Postman’s cast of executioners pick her off?

#Murdertrending is my first novel by Gretchen McNeil, but I liked it well enough with some minor snags. My favorite aspect of this story is that I felt like I should have been eating a big bag of movie theater popcorn while I was reading this action packed near future thriller. It's a fun and fast paced ride that feels like it meant for the big screen. I also particularly liked that it feels so current with the language, the app, and the social media usage. Plus, I have to admit that the dash of politics (and overall future world) we get don't come across as all that far fetched at the moment actually. The only place where it really stumbled for me was the character development - it's a bit lacking and everyone is little too flat for my taste - and that pacing is a bit choppy from chapter to chapter.

Overall, #Murdertrending by Gretchen McNeil is an over the top, bloody, and darkly hilarious YA mystery thriller. If you like The Running Man, Scream Queens, Battle Royale, The Hunger Games, and bloodshed with a side of Disney princess references, then you may want to try McNeil's newest release. I think I'll have to read for more her work in the future such as Ten and Relic.



I read this ARC from July 19 - 20, 2018 and my review is also on Goodreads#MurderTrending by Gretchen McNeil will be released on August 7th, 2018.

Comments

  1. Ooh I've been looking forward to this one for a while, and when I saw Gretchen McNeil was writing it I figured it would be over the top- in a good way!

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    1. It was certainly that. I hope you enjoy it when you pick it up, Greg!

      Thanks for coming over!

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  2. I have this one and can't wait to read it. I enjoyed Ten and Relic have another of hers but not read it but I keep saying I am going too!

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  3. I'll be reading this soon, so I'm glad to know you enjoyed it. I read Ten several years ago and felt pretty much the same way: it was over the top, bloody and ridiculous, but a good time anyway😁

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    1. Good luck with it, Tammy - and I'm glad you liked Ten as well. :)

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  4. I had DNFed a McNeil book. I think she may be too dark for my tastes (I like warm and fluffy), but I am glad you found it amusing.

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    1. That's too bad - I can definitely see how you may not like that tone. Not for everyone. :)

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  5. Hmmm this is really interesting-looking. I've been seeing the cover around the blogosphere and I have to say, it is very eye-catching. I'm sorry to hear the character development wasn't up to par for you :( I'm kind of hesitating on reading this mostly because of that (character driven stories are kind of my jam) but still, it sounds fun (in the darkest way possible) so maybe I'll give it a shot when I'm coming out of a slump. Lovely review, Lauren!

    Laura @BlueEyeBooks

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    1. It was that kind of fun - maybe you'll enjoy it too. :)

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  6. This one looks interesting, but I'm not sure it would be for me. The concept is so intriguing though. Just reading the synopsis does make me want to reach for some popcorn. But I'm not overly fond of flat characters. Maybe I will save this one for October. Great review!

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    1. Thanks Alicia! This would definitely be a good Halloween read. :)

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  7. Oh interesting! I'm hesitant about picking this one up... Great review!!

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  8. Hm while I wasn't a big fan of Ten, I may give this book a try if I find it at the library.


    The use of social media kinda sounds slightly like something from Black Mirror :)

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    1. I can't say I blame you there. I've heard about the Black Mirror comparison, but I haven't seen that yet - may have to look for it!

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