#Murdertrending by Gretchen McNeil | Creepy, Gross, but still keeps you glued

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#Murdertrending by Gretchen McNeil
#MurderTrending #1
Published by Freeform on August 7, 2018
Age Group & Genres: Mystery/Thriller, Young Adult
Format: eBook
Source: Publisher

WELCOME TO THE NEAR FUTURE, where good and honest 8/18 citizens can enjoy watching the executions of society’s most infamous convicted felons, streaming live on The Postman app from the suburbanized prison island Alcatraz 2.0.

When eighteen-year-old Dee Guerrera wakes up in a haze, lying on the ground of a dimly lit warehouse, she realizes she’s about to be the next victim of the app. Knowing hardened criminals are getting a taste of their own medicine in this place is one thing, but Dee refuses to roll over and die for a heinous crime she didn’t commit. Can Dee and her newly formed posse, the Death Row Breakfast Club, prove she’s innocent before she ends up wrongfully murdered for the world to see? Or will The Postman’s cast of executioners kill them off one by one?

A copy of the book was provided for review purposes - thank you! Receiving a copy does not guarantee a positive review and therefore does not affect the opinion or content of the review.

#Murdertrending is both creepy and engrossing at the same time, and I don’t know if this is related to the deepest horrors of human psychology.

I found myself reading this quicker than I normally would have (if we’re not counting the days I procrastinated), and while I should have turned away from this book in horror instantly, I didn’t. Maybe that says something about me or human nature in general. 🙈

#Murdertrending gives off Hunger Games vibes

We have Dee Guerrera, a girl who is supposedly guilty of murdering her stepsister and is sent to Alcatraz 2.0, a prison for those who are convicted of murdering someone. The entire prison is full of killers, and they never know when they’ll be the next person whose murder will be publicized for all to see. It’s Hunger Games without fighting amongst the inmates, or rather capital punishment for the entertainment of millions of people.

(And Death Row Breakfast Club, which is a fitting name for Dee and her friends.)

I can’t tell if I’m disappointed in the last few scenes.

#Murdertrending gave off that video game vibe sometimes – Press X and get a reagent! – as Dee found herself facing off against the government-sanctioned killers who are in charge of killing the inmates one by one. Fortunately for Dee and the reader’s cruel enjoyment, she still has some obstacles in her way.

To be honest, this felt tied to current politics in the US

Maybe this is me being very critical and overthinking, but McNeil’s latest book felt really relevant to what is currently going on today (added on with the social media snippets). Only this one is more fictionalized and brutal with a lot more death and blood. And heads rolling, among other disturbing things.

#Murdertrending is very plot-driven

If you’re looking for character development, there won’t be much of it. McNeil’s latest novel is plot-driven to the core, fast-paced and action-packed.

That ending though…

I did NOT see that coming – I mean, I should have, but I didn’t. McNeil kept me distracted from what was really going on in the story – there is so much going on that I didn’t focus on being a step ahead and putting it all together before the story came together on its own.

This smells of a sequel?!?!?!

I have no clue if this is true or not (sounds like it is according to various sources and Google searches), but I am all for a sequel if it happens since I am immensely curious about what happens to the characters who survive the first novel. (Do I sound like a horrible person now?)

#Murdertrending is deliciously dark and twisted – it’s very plot-driven and action-packed that will keep you turning the pages despite how gross it may make you feel.