A hilarious, page-turning take on influencers and true-crime fandom.
Fyre Festival meets Lord of the Flies in this deliciously unhinged narrative.
Eighteen-year-old Rafi Francisco is proud to have her own podcast, Musical Mysteries, and will stop at nothing for a good true-crime story—including spending all her money on Fly Fest, a festival of nearly mythical proportions that has gone viral and promises to make headlines. Rafi isn’t there for the partying, the supermodels, or the yachts, though. She’s there for River Stone, one of the musical acts, hoping to uncover the real story behind what happened between him and his girlfriend, who disappeared years ago when both were 17. Rafi intends to prove that River is a murderer. When she arrives on the Caribbean island, though, she realizes no one from the festival is there to receive them. As it becomes increasingly obvious the whole event is a scam, Rafi’s desperation grows: She’s sure if they all stick around for longer, she’ll get an interview with River and her podcast will become a huge success. Full of humorous absurdities that mirror real-life subcelebrity culture and true-crime fandom, the story is a sarcastic and engaging modern take on William Golding’s classic. Rafi is, as another character puts it, a little unhinged; she is a delightful protagonist whose characterization makes the book a quick and compelling read. Names and other contextual details cue some diversity in the cast.
A hilarious, page-turning take on influencers and true-crime fandom. (Humorous thriller. 12-18)Pub Date: Aug. 30, 2022
ISBN: 978-1-250-23012-6
Page Count: 320
Publisher: Henry Holt
Review Posted Online: May 9, 2022
Kirkus Reviews Issue: June 1, 2022
PERSPECTIVES
Perhaps a more genuinely enlightened protagonist would have made this debut more engaging
Audrey Rose Wadsworth, 17, would rather perform autopsies in her uncle’s dark laboratory than find a suitable husband, as is the socially acceptable rite of passage for a young, white British lady in the late 1800s.
The story immediately brings Audrey into a fractious pairing with her uncle’s young assistant, Thomas Cresswell. The two engage in predictable rounds of “I’m smarter than you are” banter, while Audrey’s older brother, Nathaniel, taunts her for being a girl out of her place. Horrific murders of prostitutes whose identities point to associations with the Wadsworth estate prompt Audrey to start her own investigation, with Thomas as her sidekick. Audrey’s narration is both ponderous and polemical, as she sees her pursuit of her goals and this investigation as part of a crusade for women. She declares that the slain aren’t merely prostitutes but “daughters and wives and mothers,” but she’s also made it a point to deny any alignment with the profiled victims: “I am not going as a prostitute. I am simply blending in.” Audrey also expresses a narrow view of her desired gender role, asserting that “I was determined to be both pretty and fierce,” as if to say that physical beauty and liking “girly” things are integral to feminism. The graphic descriptions of mutilated women don’t do much to speed the pace.
Perhaps a more genuinely enlightened protagonist would have made this debut more engaging . (Historical thriller. 15-18)Pub Date: Sept. 20, 2016
ISBN: 978-0-316-27349-7
Page Count: 336
Publisher: Jimmy Patterson/Little, Brown
Review Posted Online: May 31, 2016
Kirkus Reviews Issue: June 15, 2016
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
A treat for mystery readers who enjoy being kept in suspense.
Everyone believes that Salil Singh killed his girlfriend, Andrea Bell, five years ago—except Pippa Fitz-Amobi.
Pip has known and liked Sal since childhood; he’d supported her when she was being bullied in middle school. For her senior capstone project, Pip researches the disappearance of former Fairview High student Andie, last seen on April 18, 2014, by her younger sister, Becca. The original investigation concluded with most of the evidence pointing to Sal, who was found dead in the woods, apparently by suicide. Andie’s body was never recovered, and Sal was assumed by most to be guilty of abduction and murder. Unable to ignore the gaps in the case, Pip sets out to prove Sal’s innocence, beginning with interviewing his younger brother, Ravi. With his help, Pip digs deeper, unveiling unsavory facts about Andie and the real reason Sal’s friends couldn’t provide him with an alibi. But someone is watching, and Pip may be in more danger than she realizes. Pip’s sleuthing is both impressive and accessible. Online articles about the case and interview transcripts are provided throughout, and Pip’s capstone logs offer insights into her thought processes as new evidence and suspects arise. Jackson’s debut is well-executed and surprises readers with a connective web of interesting characters and motives. Pip and Andie are white, and Sal is of Indian descent.
A treat for mystery readers who enjoy being kept in suspense. (Mystery. 14-18)Pub Date: Feb. 4, 2020
ISBN: 978-1-9848-9636-0
Page Count: 400
Publisher: Delacorte
Review Posted Online: Oct. 27, 2019
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Dec. 1, 2019
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