Loved the concept of this book, but I expected the stories to be a bit more interesting - I struggled with this one. I love short stories and stories where characters are connected, but this was really boring and I gave up towards the end.

(actual rating: 2.5/5)

'Everyone Dies Famous in a Small Town' is a series of short stories about how different small towns are connected in ways that you would never imagine, told through the perspectives of different characters, each dealing with their own issues and lives, and unknowingly affecting many others'.

I'm going to be honest here and say that as well-written as this was, it was quite boring. Yes, I went into this book knowing that there wouldn't be a set plot and that I shouldn't anticipate much action because it's largely character-based. But at the same time, I didn't realize just how boring it actually would be, especially because the synposis I read seemed to hype this book up a lot more than I think it needed to.

I really do think that this book was well-written. It managed to connect the characters who mostly had nothing to do with one another in really creative ways, while also weaving in various social issues in a way that never felt blatantly intrusive.

That being said, I think that the reason this book is rather dull is because of the sheer amount of stories that were being presented. Each of the characters were individual and almost completely different from the others, living in different circumstances and experiencing different things. As a result, not one of the stories or characters was extremely developed, making the book and its individual characters rather forgettable. It also made the book feel like it was dragging on, despite how short it is.

The best thing that this book does is weave all of the stories together. I enjoyed getting to the end of the chapter and seeing how it was connected to the overarching story, as well as the resonant themes of family and teenage emotion.

Overall, this wasn't as enjoyable as I was hoping it would be, but it did make for an interesting read. I would probably only recommend this if you're interested in this style of storytelling, because while the concept is intriguing, it can become a bit tedious if not boring.

As a general rule, Sophie tries to avoid adding books to her frighteningly long TBR because they have pretty covers or for other purely aesthetic reasons, but she has to admit that in the case of Everyone Dies Famous in a Small Town by Bonnie-Sue Hitchcock, she requested it simply because the lyrical title appealed so much.

This is a collection of nine interwoven short stories all focused on the lives of teenagers in Alaska, Colorado, and other Western states. While each story is a snapshot of life in small towns, they all connect with one another. In one, a young couple fights over the boy’s recent cheating with another girl at their high school while the next story focuses on that girl’s past and how she came to live in her current town. Other characters appear in multiple stories such as Coyote Jones – a local weather guy running a pirate radio station. Also linking the stories together is the threat of fire as summer dries out the land and makes it reflect the people who live there, both tense and ready to catch alight at the smallest provocation.

Sophie ended up absolutely loving this book, even if some of the content was uncomfortable to read (the actions of a pedophile Catholic priest have repercussions throughout the whole book and several stories are linked to the disappearance of a young girl). She did find it tricky to figure out a timeline as several of the stories seemed to leap forward or back in time without warning, but in many ways, this simply added to the interest of figuring out how the latest tale was connected to everything else.

This was a surprisingly fast yet interesting and heartwrenching book that provides a fascinating window into life in small-town America in the mid-1990s.

This book is written beautifully but too boring. According to the synopsis the stories are related to each other, however, I didn't see any connection. The only relation I found was the name of some characters; for example, in one story "Lillian" was mentioned, and then in the next one "Lillian" appears; but her story is very different.

I also didn't understand very well the development of the plot or the purpose of the stories. I only understood one because it affected the city since no one believed in the victims of the abuser.

Anyways, I really don't recommend this book; but if someone is interested, give it a try.

TW: sexual abuse (mention).

Bonnie-Sue Hitchcock has written a collection of threaded short stories, each of which makes a passing statement on small towns, one of which became the title. Themes of belonging, of acceptance, of empowerment are rife in these pages.

A wildfire is growing, and through the various installments the reader can glean more insight into its impact and even its origin.

(I received a digital ARC from the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for my honest review.)

Everyone Dies Famous in a Small Town is a story collection of nine linked third person narratives that take place in small towns from Alaska to Colorado. The common thread throughout involves a devastating wildfire and the disappearance of a young girl. Gina is grieving her dead mother; Kelsey feels out of sync with her basketball obsessed community; Delia is looking for revenge on a pedophilic priest; other characters experience heartbreak and healing, but all are connected by the wildfire and missing girl. Although some of the stories are stronger than others, all have a strong sense of place and relatable characters, who experience the suffocating social expectations of small rural communities. Readers will enjoy recognizing overlapping locations and secondary characters, as well as solving the mystery of the missing girl.

It wasn’t for me, this book is short and yet it felt like it was dragging me around town. The pace was all over the place and was quite dissatisfied with this one.
This might be a good book but for my adhd brain it couldn’t hold my attention

I was not a fan of this! I wanted to like it, the description was cute, but it just was not what I was expecting, I guess? I didn't like the writing style or the POV style of changing the characters (despite it being connected) at all. That's honestly all I can say, I just did not like the writing style or how the story was told, or how the story unfolded. It just wasn't my personal taste!

This is my second book by Bonnie-Sue Hitchcock and it had the same vibe her other book did. Several people’s point of view of life that all connect somehow yet they don’t actually cross lives. This is an easy read in the young adult section. I really had a hard time keeping up with the characters but I think that might be the point. I recommend to older teens and adults.

I am not usually a fan of short story books, but Bonnie=Sue Hitchcock does well at weaving the stories together and hitting you in the feels. Definitely a quicker read but enjoyable!

Thank you to Netgalley, and those affiliated with this book for the opportunity to read it for an honest review.

This is one of those marvelously inter-woven stories where everything connects, randomly at first, but then coming together later on. The author does a fantastic job of providing details and descriptions without bogging the reader down. I especially loved descriptions of hard-to-envision places that just seemed to make sense, without needing to have loads of backstory to help us make sense of them.

I thought that this book was wonderful. It holds a collection of sad and emotional stories that left me reflecting upon my experiences of living in small towns. Hitchcock does a wonderful job of depicting emotions and the reality of living in small communities, I really liked the fact that the stories were intertwined. Not many short story books are like that, and it made me want to continue reading to get a grasp of the full story Hitchcock was trying to tell.

Oh man, I had wished to love this one as I did The Smell of Other People’s Houses but I just didn’t connect the same. It was my lack of connection that lead to my failed enjoyment of these stories of these characters.

This was an interesting read, so much so that I wanted to start it again from the beginning so that I could better experience all of the overlapping stories that are going on. There is a lot going on in this book, and it honestly doesn't become completely clear until the very end.

This book is an example of "You never know what someone is going through". Capturing the gossip that comes with living in a small town, and the pretenses that come with everyone always knowing who you are.

The multiple perspectives were a bit of a struggle to catch up to at first, but you get used to it and it definitely was a fun story (even if the title can discourage you!) I admire this author's style of writing, with characters so well created, they feel like people in real life. It's been a while since I've read characters that I can really relate to or even characters that are realistic and complex, but Hitchcock did an excellent job with this book!

What can I say? But I'm pretty sure I'm a huge fan of Bonnie Sue. Her first book, The Smell of Other People's Houses, is one of my top 5 favorite all time books. So when I received an invitation to read a few pre-releases, I saw her as one of the author's and I had to pick it. Everyone dies Famous consists of multiple short stories. Bonnie Sue is the queen of multiple narrators and the stories all connected in a really cohesive and interesting way. It wasn't as complete of a narrative as her debut novel but I still enjoyed it nonetheless. And I'm a huge fan of novels set in Alaska. She captures the feel of the setting. It's an interesting novel and I would for sure check out. Can't wait to see more from her!

This is a super fun read. I really enjoyed this one!

Many thanks to the author, the publisher, and Netgalley for my ARC. All opinions are my own.

I have always adored this author since /The Smell of Other People's Houses/ and this did not disappoint. I love that the author chose to go in the direction of a short story compilation.

5 stars
I loved the stories and the way they connected to each other. Her characters are so real and well written. I read it in one day and I can't wait for the next book.!

This was a fast read that I think will pull in reluctant readers. It’s a series of interconnected short stories and I enjoyed guessing how the characters would intersect and how the mystery of the missing girl and the wildfire would come together. My favorite story was Delia’s. Her story was heartbreaking and devastating and I think readers will welcome the content warning for sexual abuse.