“Kill the Lax Bro” by Charlotte Lillie Balogh isn’t just a book – it’s an emotional throwback to the ’90s, packed with suspense, wit, and a dash of nostalgia.

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The story is told from the perspectives of Jennifer, Naomi, Sassi, Tatum, and Andrew. Each character brings their own voice, depth, and motivation to the table. What ties them together? Their shared hatred for Troy Richards, the so-called king of the school. Together, they form a quirky group with clever—and sometimes hilariously absurd—plans to bring Troy down. But when Troy’s body is discovered, they have no choice but to band together to uncover the real killer—before they themselves become the prime suspects.

What I loved most are the incredibly layered characters. As the story unfolds, we get to know each of them and understand why they hated Troy so much. At the same time, it becomes clear what an awful person Troy really was. The character development feels so real and relatable, it’s impossible not to get hooked.

One of the standout details? The chapter titles are all named after ’90s songs. These little touches make the setting come alive. For someone like me, it was pure nostalgia: no smartphones, just cameras and Walkmans; VHS tapes and Blockbuster nights instead of Netflix.

The writing style is smooth, gripping, and sprinkled with just the right amount of dark humor. Not once did I feel bored—in fact, I couldn’t put the book down.

Kill The Lax Bro isn’t just a compelling #MurderMystery; it’s also a sharp commentary on high school dynamics and the toxic side of popularity. It stands out from other books in the genre and has all the potential to go viral.

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This is a must-read for anyone who loves thrilling stories with authentic characters and a touch of nostalgia. This book has it all: humor, suspense, and heart. I really hope it gets the attention it deserves—because it’s an absolute gem no one should miss!

Thanks as always to NetGalley, Random House Children’s, and Delacorte Press for the ARC! All opinions are my own.

“KTLB” offers up a “John Tucker Must Die” sort of energy, but without too much focus on the romance and with an added murder mystery aspect. And I absolutely loved it immediately for that concept alone.

Our story begins with meeting Jennifer Lee (the lax bro’s girlfriend) on the night of the senior class of 1999’s pre-graduation lock in. We are introduced to our other protagonists in this prologue as well; Sassi (the academic), Tatum (the rebel), and Naomi (the freshman nobody). But what the description doesn’t include is that there’s a fifth protagonist involved in our story: Andrew, the former best friend of the lax bro. Jennifer and Andrew discover the body of the lax bro (Troy) and that’s where our story truly begins.

From there, we jump into right after New Years, learning quickly that Andrew now has reasons to hate Troy, who has ‘ruined his life’. In the aftermath, Andrew gathers Tatum, Sassi, and Naomi, (all of whom hate Troy for one reason or another) and form a group determined to take Troy down and metaphorically “kill” the lax bro.

The story is told in alternating chapters between Andrew and his group over the course of a semester, while inter-cut with chapters from Jennifer’s POV of the present, as they try to determine what happened and who did it.

Kill The Lax Bro is a love letter to the 90s, first and foremost. With the chapter titles all various songs from the decade, and the references to puffy pens, Lisa Frank, and dial up internet…it’s an homage to the era. So as a 90s kid, I personally loved seeing the references and feeling nostalgic. I have to say that it really ticked a lot of boxes for me personally. I finished it within 8 hours, I couldn’t stop reading.

I really enjoy these mysteries that include interspersed bits of the present as the story unravels the past; it reminds the reader that there is still something at stake, that this all leads up to a murder. I really loved the characters, especially the girls, and they all felt fairly fleshed out. We got to see development and growth from them as we follow them over a six month period. Troy was perfectly charming and awful, making it obvious how he could be so loved but also have a list of people who would hate him.