Book Review: #MurderFunding by Gretchen McNeil



**Disclaimer: I received a free electronic ARC from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.**
Genre: YA, Mystery
Release Date: August 6, 2019 
Description:
"WELCOME TO WHO WANTS TO BE A PAINIAC?, the latest reality TV show on the hunt for the next big-hit serial killer. But don't worry-no one is actually going to murder anyone, as real as the fake gore and pretend murder may appear . . . uh, right? 
Seventeen-year-old Becca Martinello is about to find out. When her perfectly normal soccer mom dies in a car crash, a strange girl named Stef appears and lets Becca know that her deceased mom was none other than one of Alcatraz 2.0's most popular serial killers-Molly Mauler. Soon, Becca ends up on Who Wants to Be a Painiac? to learn the truth about her mom's connection to Molly, but things turn sinister when people are murdered IRL. Will Becca uncover dark secrets and make it out of the deadly reality show alive? Or will she get cut?"

This book is the second book of the #MurderTrending series. To be frank with you, I did not read the prequel to this book because I was not aware that this was part of a series, as the premise of the book did not give any indication of this fact. Luckily the majority of the series was told in a new character perspective and the returning characters from the previous books only had a chapter every now and then. Granted, I most definitely would have enjoyed this book more if I had read the prequel, but reading this book alone was able to allow me to grasp the overall theme the series has and let me tell you this, it's definitely not something I'm interested in. The gruesome deaths, while not written in explicit details, still managed to be a brutal read. The characters also didn't seem to be anything special, though I did find the development between Becca and Stef pretty interesting, but that gets cut short not long after taking off. 

 I clearly didn't approach this book in the best way and readers who have read the prequel will most likely enjoy this sequel, as I was unable to enjoy it to its full extent. Overall, this story carries a unique mystery, but at the same time, its got a touch of The Hunger Games for violence. 

Overall rating:  2/5

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Book Review: Northranger by Rey Terciero, Bre Indigo (Illustrator)

Image
  **Disclaimer: I received a free electronic ARC from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.** Genre:  Graphic Novel, YA, Romance, Contemporary, Horror, LGBT Release Date: June 6, 2023   Description: " In this swoony and spooky teen summer romance graphic novel set on a Texas ranch, sixteen-year-old Cade Muñoz finds himself falling for the ranch owner’s mysterious and handsome son, only to discover that he may be harboring a dangerous secret. Cade has always loved to escape into the world of a good horror movie. After all, horror movies are scary—but to Cade, a closeted queer Latino teen growing up in rural Texas—real life can be way scarier. When Cade is sent to spend the summer working as a ranch hand to help earn extra money for his family, he is horrified. Cade hates everything about the ranch, from the early mornings to the mountains of horse poop he has to clean up. The only silver lining is the company of the two teens who live there—in particular, the ruggedly handsom
Read more

Book Review: Kyle's Little Sister by BonHyung Jeong

Image
**Disclaimer: I received a free electronic ARC from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.** Genre:  Graphic Novel Release Date: June 22, 2021   Description: " My name is Grace, not "Kyle's little sister!" Having a good-looking, friendly, outgoing older brother sucks—especially when you're the total opposite, someone who likes staying home and playing video games. Your parents like him better (even if they deny it!), and everyone calls you "Kyle's little sister" while looking disappointed that you're not more like him. I was really hoping I'd get to go to a different middle school, but no such luck. At least I have my friends...until he finds a way to ruin that, too...! Argh! What do I have to do to get out of his shadow?! " The art style worked really well with the story. The story itself was a good representation of middle school life, as friendships can become complex and fragile over the smallest things. Heck, I still see some
Read more

Book Review: Coral by Sara Ella

Image
**Disclaimer: I received a free electronic ARC from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.** Genre: Fantasy, Retelling, Romance, YA Release Date: November 12, 2019  Description: "  There is more than one way to drown. Coral has always been different, standing out from her mermaid sisters in a society where blending in is key. Worse yet, she fears she has been afflicted with the dreaded Disease, said to be carried by humans—emotions. Can she face the darkness long enough to surface in the light? Above the sea, Brooke has nothing left to give. Depression and anxiety have left her feeling isolated. Forgotten. The only thing she can rely on is the numbness she finds within the cool and comforting ocean waves. If only she weren’t stuck at Fathoms—a new group therapy home that promises a second chance at life. But what’s the point of living if her soul is destined to bleed? Merrick may be San Francisco’s golden boy, but he wants nothing more than to escape his con
Read more