HEART-SHAPED LIES

When a social media prankster is found dead, his love interests become suspects.

High schooler Thomas Harding is a popular internet personality, but in the last year, a number of his pranks have gone wrong, causing scandal and controversy. Tommy, who’s white, is determined to stage a comeback, however, by pulling off “the greatest prank of the century” during the senior class trip to Sunny World Resorts and Park. But a night that starts off with drinking and drugs at a secret party in the theme park ends in Tommy’s murder—and the top suspects are the three young women who just found out they were all dating him. Kiara is the class valedictorian and the girlfriend Tommy’s fans know about. As an up-and-coming beauty vlogger, Priscilla was Tommy’s frequent social media co-star, and behind the scenes they’d made plans to be together. Nevaeh is the pastor’s daughter whom Tommy corrupted. Although the three Black girls have little in common, they decide to work together to solve the murder before it’s too late. While Tommy is the book’s central focus, his character is barely developed prior to his death. Because the story is told in viewpoints that alternate among the girls, readers get to know Kiara, Priscilla, and Nevaeh intimately, yet their reasons for remaining loyal to an abusive and manipulative partner are not sufficiently explored.

Fans of social media drama may enjoy this lightly characterized murder mystery.