If The Hunger Games was written in 2018, it would be this book. A gory, twisting dystopian horror novel that's also strangely political. An ex-reality star as the incompetent President of the United States? Hmmmmmm.

CW: murder, gore, and more murder and gore. Don't read this if you can't stomach any Halloween movies at all.

In #MurderTrending, Dee is framed for her stepsister's murder and sent to an island where serial killers with secret identities can kill you at any moment, while the whole thing is televised for entertainment. Fandoms, cults, and pop culture form as the reality show takes off across America and is apparently the "solution" to the crime problem in the country. Dee and her friends form a Death Row Breakfast Club, or, as the followers irritatingly refer to it, #DRBC, to solve the mystery of the island and its true purpose. And yeah, I guessed almost every plot twist in the whole book.

I loved loved loved McNeil's Ten, another mystery thriller set in a creepily specific stranded island. I went into this deliciously unique novel expecting something similar... and was sorely disappointed. I've been hitting so many poor ARCs recently, and it's discouraging. This book took me so long to read, I couldn't understand it. It was a bit slow for the first 1/3 or so, but as it picked up I found myself wanting to read it more often--but then I would read and read and only a few pages would go by. I still don't understand how science explains that inconvenient and frustrating concept of reading. It's the worst, and did cause me to drop a star just for the unpleasant reading experience.

I think my least favorite part of the entire novel though was the ridiculous fandom part. I was reading an e-ARC with poor formatting to begin with, so I could not understand the stats, tweets, or any of the multi-media format. I'm not even sure it adds anything to the story besides red herrings or further expanding of the digital aspect of the island. And why all the ridiculous villains? It just didn't make much sense to me, and I don't care for confusing or unrealistic plots.

As for the characters, I didn't care about any of them at all, except for, ironically, Mara. The romance wasn't well-fleshed out either, and the ending was absolutely cheap and made me angry. Complete set-up for an unnecessary second book. So why the two stars? I found the middle to be actually interesting and paced well, so I read that in one sitting. The rest of the book took thirteen days. I wouldn't recommend this book, but Ten is excellent so read that instead. It has less of an appealing cover but won't feel like a waste of time afterwards.

Thank you to Netgalley and Freeform for sending me a digital ARC to review in exchange for my honest opinions.

It's some time in the near future and someone has come up with an app to live stream criminals getting killed in brutal ways by other killers for all to see. It's called the Postman App and it seems a lot of people like to watch this app.

There are two different stories that intertwine as the story progresses. Dee was kidnapped when she was eleven and has PTSD but things where going okay for her until her step sister is killed and she finds herself in Alcatraz 2.0. The only thing is is Dee knows she is innocent, she didn't killer her sister and it looks like Prince Slycer is coming for her, but she grabs something and wams him and he ends up dead.

Nobody kills the killers and it was done on live streaming and because of how she is dressed up she is called #cinderellasurvivor and in a whole lot of trouble. Nobody really wants anything to do with her but the ragtag bunch she works with (yes they have jobs) at I Scream the ice cream shop. They eventually get called the Death Row Breakfast Club because it's an oddball group.

Eventually Dee realizes that the postman wants to punish her by going after her new friends of sorts because can you really trust others in Alcatraz 2.0. The postman has an agenda and staying alive is not going to be easy.

So it's pretty much your typical slasher style read but there was times when I got super bored with it towards the middle and thought the author could have cut about 50 pages or so and made it a bit action packed. I wasn't a huge fan of any of the characters mainly because I was never sure if one was a bad guy and I kept thinking one is going to be bad, so I never allowed myself to like any of them. Especially since I knew somewhere going to die. They are your typical teen group, the jock, the nerdy guy, the macho girl, etc. Dee becomes sort of the leader of the bunch and I thought it was super amazing how she could take down all the killers who are adults and obviously been killing for a long time, but hey I went with it.  It was real easy to figure out who was doing things and I am not sure if it was meant to be that easy or I just read to many of these types of books. 

The ending was left open and at the time I was a bit confused about how it ended then I found out there will be a sequel called #murderfunding so that made the ending better. I will probably try the next one as I am curious what is going to happen to those left on the island. 

3.5 stars Don't have room on my blog this month so I am posting it next month but I will be mentioning it on my new booktube channel this week.

#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.

This was not my typical read, as I’d say it’s more in the YA horror vein, but it was really fast-paced and a lot of fun to read. Characters and backstory were a little underwhelming but the speed and interesting premise made up for it. Some of it was pretty cheesy but I couldn’t put it down so it fits in great with summer reads. I received an advance reader’s copy from Netgalley and Disney Book Group for my honest review. This book took me 4 hours to read.

I received #MurderTrending from the publisher via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review. Released August 7th, 2018.

I am going to do a quick review of this book, because it’s better to know very little when going into it.

#MurderTrending was so dang good! I was sucked in fairly quickly. It felt really fast paced, which I love. Lots of different things going on and a lot of mystery behind it. Some things I did figure out, but it was exciting saying “I knew it!!”. It also kept me guessing a lot too and that was fun. I loved the characters and was rooting for them the entire time. It gets pretty gory at times, but I actually like that kind of thing. #MurderTrending was right up my alley.

Overall, I had a lot of fun reading this one. I loved that it was fast pace, kept you guessing, and had great characters AKA the Death Row Breakfast Club. :P It was hard to put down and I would #HighlyRecommend reading this one.

Very cool concept, but very predictable. With some additional twists and turns, this would have been a wild ride.

Summary: Sometime in the future, Alacatraz 2.0 (former home to the original Alcatraz prison) is now an island where prisoners convicted of a heinous crime are shipped. AND they are killed off by serial killers released on the island. AND all these criminals running from serial killers on and island is also a reality show produced by someone known as "The Postman." When Dee Guerrero is wrongly convicted of murdering her stepsister and is shipped to Alcatraz 2.0, she knows that the conspiracy theorists must be right about Alcatraz 2.0 being a set up...because she knows she is innocent.
My initial reaction upon finishing: Holy #%@*! Somebody give me another book by this author.
Five reasons why I like this book:
1.) This is a truly original plot. Serial killers set loose to kill...other killers? Come on. When was they last time you heard that one? Not only that, but the serial killers all have a theme. For instance, there's the Barbaric Barista, who dresses like a hipster and kills in a coffee shop, and Molly the Mauler, who uses animals to aid in her atrocities...I could go on, but I don't want to spoil it.
2.) What happened to Dee in the past is just as creepy as Alcatraz 2.0.
3.) All of the characters are at least a little bit suspicious. It will keep you asking "Whodunit?" until the very end.
4.) Many chapters are preceded by fictional social media posts. While the story is definitely fictional, the trolls that abound in these particular posts are quite on point. It makes the reader feel more involved in the story as they start to take sides with the authors of the posts.
5.) Again, this is a pretty far-fetched story. (Hence, fiction). But! There is quite a bit of social commentary underlying the main story. For example, the decision to allow a wealthy, anonymous producer serve his own form of justice to convicted criminals comes from the POTUS and the Justice Department. #realitycheck.
Recommended Reader Age: 12 and up

Quick Summary:

This is a thriller set in the near future where a reality TV star is elected President and agrees to let a producer film executioners killing dangerous inmates sent to Alcatraz 2.0 and stream it live for the world to see. After being framed for killing her step sister and sentenced to the island our main character starts realizes theres more going on then justice being served. Now her only hope is to stay alive long enough to prove her innocence and get off the island, but will she able to stay focused once her past comes back to haunt her.

My Thoughts:

Once at the island our main character Dee is at a disadvantage having never watched the live killing of inmates. It reminded her too much of the time she was kidnapped as a child. While working through her trauma and anxiety she decides to get friendly with a couple other inmates to get more information about the island. Dee was resourceful and smart, but the other female characters werent very good. I know the producer wanted them to fit in certain roles, but we dont really get to see them develop past that. Besides the main character the love interest was probably the one who had the most personality.

I loved the concept with the different excutioners having their own unique style of killing. One of them uses animals to maul the inmates while another uses DIY stuff. It was all pretty unique. I also liked seeing what the watchers were saying in the chats. I thought it was interesting how all the inmates got their own house and job while on the island. I guess that makes for better entertaining then watching them in a cell all day. Theres all kinds of places they can work at like the grocery store or the ice cream store. If they want money to spend at these stores they need to show up for work. No money means no food.

For the most part, I thought the plot was compelling, if a bit too convenient. Things just worked out way too perfectly. I dont understand how characters could forget their only weapon or split up when their in a dangerous situation. I also ended up predicting the big twist which isnt really a good thing when reading a thriller. However there was some minor things I didn't expect. I did find myself wanting the story to hurry along at times so the pace wasnt super gripping. The writing was quick and easy. I didnt expect this to be a duology, but Im intrigued to see how the sequel will play out. With the way things are going politically it wouldnt surprise me if someone tried to make this happen which makes this story even creepier.

Oh man, did I hate this book. So many times I was tempted to give up and call it a day, but I am not a quitter when it comes to reviewing books. The synopsis of this novel caught my attention immediately when it was announced, and I was so excited to have been approved for the arc, but now I regret having wasted my time. The idea of changing the criminal justice system in this way stuck out to me as something that seems realistic in our future, but the tone and the setting were very much set a decade behind our times.

The story is told from a third-person narrative, which makes it less thrilling and more cliche. At the end of most chapters we get sneaks into the reality show aspect, showing tweets from viewers remarking on what had been streamed. Most of the time I skipped reading the comments because I found them unimportant to the development of the story, and I was already becoming so detached from the plot that I just didn’t care.

Our main character Dee is your typical character in a dystopian - starts off as unimportant and then of course she becomes the centre of everything and all of her friends give up their safety for hers. She was such a boring character to read that didn’t see any gradual development, and instead just seemed to change overnight. For the first while of the novel she was timid and shy, flying under the radar, and the next minute she’s leading her posse ready to start a jail break. There was no transition, so development, and no interest from me.

This novel was so unrealistic and over exaggerated, and the only reason it was so long was because the author used the same descriptive sentences over and over and over again. Overall, this was a terrible read and I have to (regrettably) say that I won’t be picking up another one of Gretchen McNeil’s works in the future. I was so looking forward to finding a young adult horror/thriller author, but this was beyond juvenile for my taste. I really wanted to enjoy this, but without the proper depth and development, it’s not worth the read.

Leave it to McNeil to deliver something as exciting as it is frightening. With her unique take on murder mysteries and exploring the unknown and most of the time, horrifying, I can always count on her for an action packed and somewhat bizarre read.

Set in a very much realistic time and place, #murdertrending was something that you could see happening today in a world full of social media and reality TV, which is also what made this such an interesting and hard to put down read.

With twists and turns and danger literally around every corner, this was something fun and thrilling and completely different and I couldn't get enough of it.

Fans and new fans alike, old and young, will all be able to get lost in this one and enjoy it up until the very last page.

Actual Rating: 4.5 Stars

How to summarize this book in one sentence:

The Purge meets Deadman Wonderland meets Saw meets the The Breakfast Club.

Despite reading and watching similar storylines in various forms on media (i.e. Btooom, Battle Royale, The Hunger Games, and all the ones previously mentioned), McNeil still manages to engage the reader with this gruesomely fun read. The fact that I had such a hard time putting this novel down is why it's deserving of such a high rating. I'm a sucker for themes revolving around prisons, convicts, and jigsaw kill schemes; I'm not quite sure what that says about me - but McNeil is a author after my heart after using all the horror tropes I approve of. She's become an #automaticbuy for sure.

#Murdertrending was refreshing, creepy, and suspenseful in just enough ways to have me on the edge of my seat (which doesn't happen to me often tbh). I do wish we could have seen more interactions with inmates outside of the #DeathRowBreakfastClub and had a more elongated ending, as it felt rushed compared to the rest of the novel. I also think scenes with the serial killers could have been amped up a bit to make the situation more challenging as they were kind of easy to circumnavigate toward the end.

I don't know if you caught on, but all my criticisms have to deal with wanting more from the novel because it was already that addicting.

I highly recommend this book to people in need of a fast-paced, action-packed, and tension-filled read. People who are squeamish about gory scenes should probably hold off on reading this though, just fyi.

Thank you, NetGalley for providing me with an ebook version of this story. Yet another awesome read urging me forth to purchase the actual physical copy.

#ReaderStruggles

Oh man, I loved this book, but I knew I would. Gretchen’s words are always a favorite and she writes murdery goodness like no one else.

I loved Dee. She’s smart and somehow levelheaded and much more of a bad ass than I would have been. The Death Row Breakfast Club is just as awesome. I loved Ethan’s movie quotes and Gris’s sarcasm, and Nyles had me at being British.

Plot wise it’s quite unique, yet also a bit of a commentary on current events. It was fast paced from the beginning and doesn’t let go until the end. I know this is fairly vague, but I don’t want to spoil anything.

Overall, it was a quick read with characters I was rooting for right from the start. The ending was satisfying and I’m wondering if there will be more. Regardless, I’m 100000% here for Gretchen’s words.

**Huge thanks to Freeform for providing the arc free of charge**

I enjoyed this book quite a bit! I think that teens can relate to the content regarding obsessions with social media/reality television. While Alcatraz 2.0 seems far-fetched, the idea can and should spark conversations about the dangers of reality television. I would have liked a pit more character development from the rest of the Death Row Breakfast Club but perhaps we'll get that in a sequel? Fingers crossed!

I was a little cautious going into this book because I wasn't sure about the description/premise of the story, sounded a little too far-fetched for me. However, even though it is a stretch, I did enjoy the book and the twists and turns it took. This is the kind of book that I will recommend to my students who want a true scary book. There is quite a bit of gore, but nothing that they don't see or hear anywhere else. I will be featuring this one in some of my back-to-school emails about new books.

This is a very dark book, very well written about young people who have committed murders and are sentenced to death at a new and improved Alcatraz. The teens fight for their lives and try to outwit their executioners. Thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for the opportunity to be an early reader in exchange for my fair and honest review.

I did not finish this book. It just wasn’t for me. I didn’t care for the language used (too much online lingo, acronyms, etc.) and the violent nature of the story.

Plot: Gretchen McNeil snapped with this one. In a not so distant future, the United States elected its first reality-star president who sold the Department of Justice off to an entertainment company. Thus was the end of due process and the beginning of Big Brother-style murders.

As a fan of McNeil's other thrillers, I was instantly drawn to the author's take on reality TV/The Breakfast Club/social media. The basis for the plot was fascinating, but the pacing was just a bit off for me. The first half was mostly Dee getting acclimated to Alcatraz 2.0 and then McNeil hit the ground running and didn't quite let up. While the ending was exciting, the wrap-up felt a bit far-fetched and rushed.

Characters: Dee had a hard life. Her father had to relocate them across the country, her stepsister was found murdered, and she was charged with said murder. I wouldn't say that Dee had much development, but I liked how McNeil slowly unraveled her past. My favorite characters were her fellow inmates at Alcatraz 2.0, some of them read like caricatures, but they were fun and brought some humor to the murder and social commentary.

Worldbuilding: What made #murdertrending so trippy was that it didn't feel too far-fetched. McNeil perfectly captured internet culture and how desensitized we've become to the horrors of the world. I wanted to explore the bizarre world of Alcatraz 2.0 where inmates worked 9-5 jobs and tried to outrun state-funded serial killers a bit more. The most we got was Dee's workplace (a delightful ice cream shoppe) and her home.

Short N Sweet: #murdertrending was a great idea but the execution didn't leave me feeling satisfied.

This book drew me in from the very first chapter and hooked me. It might have been the way Dee seemed like such a bad ass from her first encounter in Alcatraz 2.0. It could be the fact that Alcatraz 2.0 is something that doesn't seem that far out of reach for our current world. It was definitely the author's skill at creating a character you wanted to rally behind immediately. This book was incredible and I had the hardest time putting it down so I could sleep. Can I get some more of this world please?!

Dee Guerrera is the main character of this story. She was accused of killing her stepsister, quickly convicted on flimsy evidence, and then sent to Alcatraz 2.0 where she will be hunted by serial killers while being constantly available on the App that covers Alcatraz 2.0. In this near-future science fiction story, a man known as The Postmaster runs this part of the criminal justice system. Fans stream and comment on the gruesome deaths and form fanclubs for the killers.

Dee has to find a way to survive Alcatraz 2.0 and she would really like to find out who actually killer her stepsister Monica who was a big fan of Gucci Hangman who uses Gucci scarves to hang his victims. Being an Alcatraz 2.0 brings flashbacks of her kidnapping at age 11 when she was held prisoner in a white room by a fourteen-year-old psychopath. After her rescue, her father moved them both and changed their names.

Dee is met by Nyles who is the one assigned to show her around Alcatraz 2.0. Nyles is currently off the victim list as his case is being appealed and he has diplomatic immunity. Nyles introduces Dee to her new job at the local ice cream parlor where she meets Griselda and Blair. Blair tells her the rules to prolong her survival. The number one rule is to trust nobody.

Dee soon believes that her kidnapping has a direct relationship to her current situation. She and her friends are special targets of the killers.

I enjoyed this story despite the fact that the many murders were quite gruesome. I thought the comments from fans of the feed were interesting and adding a new viewpoint to the story. I liked that Dee was smart. I liked the way the kids managed to outwit the killer. The ending resolved most of the story but had enough of a cliffhanger to allow for more books.

This would be a great story for readers who are obsessed with social media and who want to read a mystery too.

Gretchen McNeil has done it again! #MurderTrending is outstanding effectively blending The Purge and The Hunger Games. The world building is strong creating an Alcatraz 2.0 and adding in a reality show. It is sure to be a hit with young adult readers. The plot is gripping and suspenseful. McNeil's writing is engaging. Highly recommended to readers who enjoy young adult horror.