By Eian M., Old Mill High School
A fun, campy and fast-paced novel about the ever entertaining plot of teens murdering each other. The story revolves around Dee Guerra as she is wrongfully convicted for the murder of her step-sister and sent to the dystopian prison island, Alcatraz 2.0, where the prisoners are hunted down by government sanctioned serial killers. Like the Hunger Games, the prison is live-streamed and has millions watching from home. She not only has to survive but discover the true killer of her step-sister.
The action and plot is non-stop, there was never a slow moment where I thought to abandon Dee’s adventure. The character’s are sometimes one-note, but drawn out enough to where I care if they live or die. While some may think the premise and concepts are cheesy, I appreciate the light heartedness McNeil brings into this story. Not every series must be emotionally taxing, and this is not only light, but humorous with a plethora of pop-culture references in the executioners, all while artfully touching on the effects of desensitizing teens to violence. Despite the campiness, the violence itself was also very real, proving that humor does not need to detract from its horror elements. Overall if you are someone who needs an action-packed book about child murderers to get out of a reading slump, pick up #murdertrending.
Click here to check out #murdertrending by Gretchen McNeil.