Death Prefers Blondes

by Caleb Roehrig

Teenage socialite Margo Manning leads a dangerous double life. By day, she dodges the paparazzi while soaking up California sunshine. By night, however, she dodges security cameras and armed guards, pulling off high-stakes cat burglaries with a team of flamboyant young men. In and out of disguise, she’s in all the headlines.

But then Margo’s personal life takes a sudden, dark turn, and a job to end all jobs lands her crew in deadly peril. Overnight, everything she’s ever counted on is put at risk. Backs against the wall, the resourceful thieves must draw on their special skills to survive. But can one rebel heiress and four kickboxing drag queens withstand the slings and arrows of truly outrageous fortune? Or will a mounting sea of troubles end them—for good?

Genres: Young Adult, Mystery, LGBT, Contemporary, Fiction, Queer, Thriller

442 pages, Hardcover

First published January 29, 2019

About the author

Caleb Roehrig is a writer and television producer originally from Ann Arbor, Michigan. Having also lived in Chicago, Los Angeles, and Helsinki, Finland, he has a chronic case of wanderlust, and can recommend the best sights to see on a shoestring budget in over thirty countries. A former actor, Roehrig has experience on both sides of the camera, with a résumé that includes appearances on film and TV—as well as seven years in the stranger-than-fiction salt mines of reality television. In the name of earning a paycheck, he has: hung around a frozen cornfield in his underwear, partied with an actual rock-star, chatted with a scandal-plagued politician, and been menaced by a disgruntled ostrich.

Reviews

[Chelsea (chelseadolling reads) · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was completely unlike anything else I've ever read and it was SO. MUCH. FUN.

[Caleb Roehrig]

I'm really going to have to finish writing this now

EDITED TO ADD: I have finished writing it

[Dennis · Rating 4 out of 5]

Rupaul's Drag Race meets Ocean's 8 in Caleb Roehrig's upcoming Death Prefers Blondes . This upcoming YA novel was really fun to read, folks. The non-stop action at times was slightly overwhelming, but overall Death Prefers Blondes is a fun, fast-paced, multidimensional read, that will be perfect for those seeking a light mystery with a little flair.



I'm not going to dive into the plot with this review, because I feel like it's best to go in with no expectations. Margo Manning, the protagonist, is a socialite by day, criminal mastermind by night. Breaking into museums, stealing diamonds from banks, you name it—Margo can do it. Margo teams up with her best friends, a group of men who like to partake in drag culture. #werk

What a spin! With the group's attempts growing more and more difficult, Margo and team must decide if this life of crime is actually worth it—before it catches up to them. This novel was very reminiscent to the Bling Ring that happened in California circa 2008-2009. I think there was a movie about it as well...oh yes, with Emma Watson and crew. If you enjoyed that movie, I think you'll love Death Prefers Blondes .



Death Prefers Blondes is not going to be for everyone. In fact, if I wasn't so saturated with psychological thrillers, I may not have been able to pick this story up. It's non-stop action 24/7, which can get grating for those looking for more character development. This dialogue based novel really polarize readers, and I think it will! I really enjoyed the humor, mixed with mystery in this novel, and I also really enjoyed how non-young adult Death Prefers Blondes was, without it deviating too adult.

Caleb Roehrig, Death Prefers Blondes was a fabulously fun novel and I expect to see more from you in the future.

[Madalyn (Novel Ink) · Rating 5 out of 5]

This review originally appeared on Novel Ink.

I received this book for free in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.

As soon as I saw Death Prefers Blondes being pitched as Ocean’s 8 meets RuPaul’s Drag Race, I was all in. (Because if there’s one thing I love more than queer YA, it’s queer YA that ALSO involves drag queens). And, friends, this one did NOT disappoint. Not only did the action scenes keep me on the edge of my seat the entire time I was reading, but I couldn’t help but fall lace-front head over six-inch heels for this whole cast of characters.

I won’t go into any specifics about plot in this review, since Death Prefers Blondes is so action-packed from start to finish. However, I will say that we follow a main character named Margo Manning, a Hollywood socialite by day and LA’s most capable criminal by night. Along with her team of drag queen accomplices (and a little help from her own drag persona, Miss Anthropy), she pulls off some of the toughest, most high-profile break-ins around the city. We’re talking everything from stolen jewel heists to stealing priceless art from a well-guarded museum. One day, though, Margo’s fence offers her a sum of money she’s only ever dreamed of– but it would require her team to pull off a seemingly impossible job. Everything takes off from there, and the mystery at the heart of the book becomes increasingly more personal to Margo as new information is revealed.

As a very character-driven reader, I sometimes struggle with plot-driven stories. However, in Death Prefers Blondes, even though I honestly could not care less about the elaborate action sequences– although, let me be clear, they are objectively VERY well-written– I was still 100% invested in the story because of how much I cared about the characters. Each queen in Margo’s crew has very specific motivations for their involvement in organized crime. There are Axel Moreau, AKA Leisl von Tramp, and Joaquin Moreau, AKA Anita Stiffwon, two brothers trying to keep their family afloat after their Hollywood royalty father landed in jail due to stealing money from the entire who’s-who of Los Angeles. There’s Leif Darby, AKA Electra Shoxx, who needs money to pay his dance school tuition in order to remain in LA, far from his homophobic family. There’s Davon Stokes, AKA Dior Galore, who is forced to pay off the drug dealers who his drag mother can’t stop paying visits to. And, of course, there’s Margo herself, who has her own myriad reasons for her involvement in LA’s criminal underbelly.

In so many ways, Death Prefers Blondes was a love letter to found families and to queer culture. Every queer person will tell you that you naturally seek out other queer folks for understanding and acceptance, and nowhere is this more evident than in drag sisterhoods. In addition to all of our leading men in this book being queer, Margo is also bisexual, which is representation I was so not expecting but that made my heart SIIIIIING. This label is explicitly stated on page, and we also see her involved in relationships with people of multiple genders. There is also nonbinary rep in a side character, another wonderful surprise! And 3/5 main characters are POC, as is the love interest. Basically, Death Prefers Blondes proves that drag is not just for white, cis gay men. As a huge fan of drag, but a not-so-huge fan of RPDR and mainstream drag’s frequent disdain for trans, nonbinary, and bio queens– and also the RPDR fandom’s racist tendencies– this book was a much more inclusive portrayal of drag, which felt so much more true to the queer community that *I* know and love. Fans of drag will recognize a lot of the colloquialisms commonly associated with the community, which made me smile every time they appeared.

Death Prefers Blondes also features a romance that I adored, between Margo and Henry Yang, a half-Asian, half- Hispanic law student who begins an apprenticeship with the Manning family’s lawyer. I especially appreciated how sex positive this book was in general, but particularly in regards to Margo and Henry’s relationship. Also, there was witty banter galore between these two. And if you’re going into this book looking for a cute #ownvoices m/m romance, you also will not be disappointed on that front! A romance develops between Leif and Joaquin, as well as the budding chemistry between Axel and Davon.

As I already mentioned, the action sequences in this book, while not something I particularly cared about, were so well-described. Each high-stakes scenario had me on the edge of my seat. Really, the adrenaline never left me while reading Death Prefers Blondes, because there was always some looming threat on the horizon. The story is full of twists and turns that keep you on your toes. I also loved how dialogue-heavy this book was, mostly because the dialogue was extremely well-written.

Overall, if you’re looking for a queer YA mystery with no shortage of thrilling twists and turns, Death Prefers Blondes is the book for you. It may be long, but it will keep you engaged and flipping the pages the entire way through, and you’ll totally fall for these characters.

[Dahlia]

Extremely fun and successful at everything it's aiming for - definitely going to be my #1 rec for people who ask for books like Ocean's 11 or 8, which is actually a really common request.

[Stacee · Rating 4 out of 5]

A heist-y book with drag queens, I’m here for it.

I liked Margo and her friends. They’re smart and fierce af and absolutely loyal to each other. I enjoyed getting their own stories and that everyone had a specific and different reason for participating. And hooray for all of the representation: queer, bi, non-binary, and POC characters.

Plot wise, it was a bit of a struggle at first. It took some time to get invested in what was happening, but once I was in, I was 100% in. This book starts off with a bang and doesn’t let go and it was quite a roller coaster. Yes, I’m being vague because I think it’s better to go into this story without a lot of info.

Overall, the characters kept me reading. The ending definitely left an opening and I’m curious if there will be more.

**Huge thanks to Feiwel & Friends for providing the arc free of charge**

[Logan Fenner · Rating 2 out of 5]

Oh man this book had so much potential. It’s got a great premise! Heists! Drag queens! Elaborate schemes! Revenge! All things I adore! But alas, it didn’t hit the mark. Here’s why:

- The premise was great, but the execution didn’t come off smoothly. I am such a sucker for heists, yall. I love them so much. They just didn’t land here, though. The action was confusing, the tension and pacing were misplaced, I didn’t get that page-turning thrill from any of it.

- I’m very here for canon, on-the-page queerness, which this book delivered nicely, but there are some…holes. I was particularly pleased with Georgia and her gender journey, I think I really wanted more of that. This was an easy opportunity to slip at least one trans girl into the main cast, but all four drag queens were cis boys. Most of the people I know in drag use their drag names with their community, for example – even cis ones – and I was surprised that drag seemed little more than a costume to these characters.


- This is a New Adult book disguised as YA. None of the characters felt like they were in high school, and every time an age was mentioned it took me out of the moment trying to reconcile my mental image of them with what the page said. This might have been fixed by grounding them in their school environment at all, even a little bit, but nope. Margo didn’t feel seventeen, she felt 23. Joaquin was at least 20, even though he’s supposed to be fifteen.

- A lot of it was really unbelievable. I know! Books are supposed to be fun! Not everything has to be realistic! There were a lot of things I was happy to suspend my disbelief for (I’m a fantasy writer, for heaven’s sake, you have to work hard to make me not believe you), but the problem was that there were no reasons for a lot of the stretchy things. Weird acrobatic fighting? Who flew the helicopter? Margo says the last heist is a six-person job, but Dallas doesn't leave her side the whole time, what did they need him for? Joaquin is a contortionist because his mother taught him? But we only see her on-page once and his “trained acrobat” skills exist only for heists and don’t affect his character at all?? This leads into another bigger thing, though:

- Everyone was flat. To the point that I had trouble telling the characters apart. They were carbon copies of the same template with different motivations slapped on. I didn’t care deeply about literally any of them as people, because if one of them got caught we still have four more of the exact same person. None of their backstories affected their actions. There were even little bits of dialogue, five or six lines at a time, without tags, and I had no idea who said what. That’s a pretty good measure for bad characterization.

- The world didn’t feel real. It’s LA! But…you almost have to work even harder to bring the world to life when it’s the real world. You, as a writer, have to distinguish your LA from real-life LA. Having never been to LA, I wanted to be sold on the feel of the city. But I wasn’t, because there was no feel. This could have taken place literally anywhere, even with all the place names that clearly carried meaning for people who know the Los Angeles area.

- You know me, I have to gripe about the prose a little bit. Though I feel a little more justified this time. Sure, it lacked the lyricism I love so much, but it’s not just that. This book is full of attempted and failed metaphors. The kissing scenes grossed me out a bit, because he used gross words. So many weird dialogue tags (“panted,” “stated,” “exclaimed,” etc). A lot of the dialogue was cliché and obvious. (And everyone said exactly what they meant all the time! In plain words! Never have I ever seen such boldfaced honesty in my life. It was boring).

- Big time Lavender Unicorn Syndrome. Oh my god so much of it, it gets its own entry. Lavender Unicorn Syndrome is when, instead of using a character’s name or pronoun, you constantly refer to them by other descriptors. So we have a lot of “the girl,” and “the boy,” even (and especially) among our main characters. (Not just those ones, either – they were just the most common. It was practically a different one every time). Descriptors are for when the characters and/or the reader don’t know another character’s name. If you use descriptors in reference to your MCs, you’ve fucked up. Just use their names! It’s way harder than it looks to overuse their names, and you shouldn’t worry about it even a little bit. Don’t reduce them to descriptors, it’s profoundly annoying.

- So the heist in the blurb doesn’t even happen until almost halfway through the book. Sure, it opens on a heist, but it’s a different heist. The “job that turns their lives upside down” does not occur until page 160. Which means the story doesn’t even start until after that. What on earth he was doing with all those pages is beyond me, because it certainly wasn’t character development.

- Oh, Shakespeare. Yall. I love Shakespeare. I majored in Shakespearean study in college, that’s how much I love Shakespeare. And usually I love Shakespeare references, but they were just so out of place here. The very occasional referential line thrown in every now and then, and the four-act structure with Shakespeare quotes as titles – it just didn’t scan. There was nothing about the story that suggested Shakespeare, and the book felt like it wanted to be more structured than it was. It would have been better without trying to appeal to Bardic language.

All in all, this one just didn’t do it for me. I wanted it to be at least 20% shorter and about 70% less flat. Although I appreciated the queerness, it wasn’t enough to make up for the rest.

[francis · Rating 5 out of 5]

Full review: https://bookpeopleteens.wordpress.com...

Overall, I love Caleb Roehrig’s work, and getting to see his writing develop over the years is amazing, this being his third book and his best so far. Death Prefers Blondes knocks the basic idea of a good YA novel out of the park crossing genres and providing a fabulous heist story mixed with the ever-popular themes of found families and reasonable teenage rebellion. Rating: five best friend cat burglars/five.

For Fans Of: Six of Crows by Leight Bardugo, The Gentleman's Guide to Vice and Virtue by Mackenzi Lee, Heist Society by Ally Carter

Favorite Quotes:
- “If these past few weeks have taught me anything, it’s that sooner or later we all run out of time… Safe choices are fine, but if my clock hits zero tomorrow, I don’t want any regrets. I don’t know how long I’ll be in Italy, or what the world will look like when I come back; all I know is that we’re here now, and there’s no reason why we shouldn’t have what we want.”
- “You shouldn’t doubt yourself, you know. Your father has a habit of making everyone feel like a failure so they’re forever struggling to do better; but you deserve to be proud of yourself - to believe in yourself. Don’t let men or tabloids or even your father’s ghost make you question your greatness.”
- “Drag wasn’t a disguise or an illusion; it was armor. When he stepped onstage, Axel became someone fierce and untouchable, a force of nature that gave no fucks and couldn’t be bothered. He brought hecklers to their knees, read homophobes until they needed the Da Vinci Code to piece their dignity back together, and faced the worst with a smart remark and a tongue pop. Lisel was both shield and weapon, the only refuge he’d had from these ugly years.”

[Completely Melanie · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was a reread for me. It was 5 stars the first time I read it (it was my favorite book of 2019) and it was 5 stars again when I reread it. I love this book so much and recommend this to everyone. It is amazing!!!

[Jay G · Rating 5 out of 5]

Want to see more from me? Check out my youtube channel: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCfer...

*I received a copy of this book from the publisher in exchange for my honest review*

Video review: https://youtu.be/rNqa0hZSoUU

Margo Manning lives a double life. By day, she is a teenage socialite with a reputation for trouble. But by night, with the help of four Drag Queens, she pulls off some of the toughest heists imaginable. But, when bad news regarding Margo's personal life comes to light and a job goes wrong, Margo needs to decide what to do and who to trust before she puts those she loves in danger.

The book is pitched as RuPaul's Drag Race meets Ocean 8 and if you know anything about me, you know that I FREAKING LOVE DRAG QUEENS so ass-kicking Drag Queens? EVEN BETTER. I was beyond excited to pick this one up and it DID NOT disappoint. The book is so fast-paced and action-packed it keeps you on the edge of your seat the entire time. I love d all the heist and fight scenes and the twists I didn't see coming. I think the book was very well-written in a way that made you fully invested in the story, its characters and the secrets they were hiding. I really loved the alternating perspectives between paragraphs, I think it was a really unique and fun way to tell the story!

The book has such an amazing diverse cast. You can't help but becoming fully invested in each Queen and their backstories. Each Queen has a reason why they've joined Margo's crew of thieves and you root for each one. Axel Moreau (AKA Leisl von Tramp) and Joaquin Moreau, (AKA Anita Stiffwon) are brothers trying to keep their family afloat. Leif Darby (AKA Electra Shoxx) is trying to pay his tuition for an elite ballet school and Davon Stokes (AKA Dior Galore) who is trying to pay off the debt his Drag Mama has wracked up with her pill habit. Then you have Margo Manning (AKA Miss Anthropy) who is not only fierce but extremely loyal as well. The relationships explored between all of these characters were so well done. The brother relationship, romantic relationships between certain Queens as well as all the friendships formed were so carefully executed and I loved every second of it. The diversity in this book is so well done as well. 3 out of the 5 crew members are persons of colour, and Margo is bisexual and appears in relationships with multiple genders, including a person of colour as well! There is a non-binary side character which I was so happy to see the representation for.

I absolutely loved Margo's love interest, Dallas. He is so sweet and the banter between the two of them is hilarious. I also loved the two relationships that formed between the four queens. I think that the book was very sex positive and I loved seeing that in a YA novel.

If I had to give ONE complaint for the book, it would be that it did drag on a bit in the middle (clocking in at almost 500 pages), but I was so invested in these characters and the story line that it didn't affect me too much.

I could go on and on about how much I love this book, but I really think you should pick it up for yourself and be immersed in this amazing cast of loveable Queens.

[Creya Casale | cc.shelflove · Rating 1 out of 5]

DNF @ 33%. We follow a group of teenagers, which includes one socialite/heiress and four drag queens. Needless to say, I didn't feel a connection to any of these characters. There wasn't any suspense either; we simply follow the group as they complete heists and make mega millions. Meh.

[Erica Henry · Rating 5 out of 5]

I have many thought which I have compiled into a diary vlog on my channel if you want to go check that out. My channel is called All About Erica.
https://youtu.be/Auj0AWUNd4I

[Forever Young Adult]

Graded By: Brian
Cover Story: Kind of a Drag
Drinking Buddy: Hell Yes
MPAA Rating: Intense Action Sequences, Some Violence, Some Sexuality
Talky Talk: Ultimate Heist Book
Bonus Factors: Drag, Heist
Bromance Status: You go, girls!

Read the full book report here.

[Samantha (WLABB) · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book is making the rounds right now, and I keep seeing a bunch of the same comparisons. It's a little RuPaul's Drag Race, a little Ocean's 11/8, a little Hamlet, and a little Bling Ring, and I say, YES! to all of it.

• Pro: I say this EVERY time I finish a Roehrig book. He does such an amazing job blending a myriad of different story elements. This book was a mystery, but it also had a little romance, a bunch of action, lots of family drama, and most importantly, a fantastic friendship.

• Pro: Each of the main characters had such a compelling backstory, and their reasons for seeking a life of crime varied widely, but I truly fell in love with each and every one of them. I was super invested in their futures, and needed them to pull off their last, big heist.

• Pro: So FUN! I am a fan of Roehrig's brand of humor, and once again, he had me laughing, giggling, and smiling widely.

• Pro: I am not a huge action/adventure type reader, I am pretty much all about the characters, but I was fascinated by the intricacies of the heists this crew pulled off. There was integration of some really fantastic gadgets and science too, which totally piqued my interest.

• Pro: This little band of misfits shared quite a special bond, and I am a sucker for a great friendship story. I got to witness some really beautiful moments and adored the way they went out on a ledge and made sacrifices for one another.

• Pro: I am a character driven reader, and I really appreciated the way Roehrig gave us a strong plot, while still pulling us into the heads of each of the main characters. I wanted to know their emotions, feeling, and thoughts, and it was all there for me to enjoy.

Overall: A wild and crazy heist adventure filled with family, friends, humor, and even some romance. I am hoping Roehrig considers continuing their story, because I would love to read more stories starring this rag-tag group of thieves.

*ARC provided in exchange for an honest review.

BLOG | INSTAGRAM |TWITTER | BLOGLOVIN | FRIEND ME ON GOODREADS

[Allyson · Rating 2 out of 5]

So many stereotypes, so little time. Death Prefers Blondes is yet another promising premise failing to live up to its potential. There are a few things that are great about this book but they aren’t enough to lift it out of the morass. Drag queens, socialites, robbery, and revenge should be a winning combination, a fresh twist on a tired genre, but Roehrig fails to deliver. Switching POV from one paragraph to the next is only one of several major faults in this work, jarring the reader out of the narrative and leaving them scratching their head. There’s nothing wrong with internal monologues but in this case the inconsistent shifts, coupled with telling, rather than showing the reader the significance behind words and actions, took a great deal of fun out of the narrative. And the generic characterizations, barring the drag queen aspect, were just that: generic and boring. Add ten or even twenty years to each of the stated ages of the characters, and almost nothing in the story would be any different. Their interactions, the problems they face, their dialogue, everything with the exception of high school attendance, would be exactly the same and it wouldn’t change the story at all. Substitute college or job and it’s still exactly the same motivations and relationships. There’s really nothing that sets these characters or their worlds apart. Tired tropes of “poor little rich girl,” “misunderstood loner,” and “little-brother-fighting-for-recognition” have all been done before, and much better. It’s sad when a story that could be great has a stumbling start and never succeeds in rising to the occasion. Two stars (one for the premise and one for pity.) Thanks to NetGalley for providing an e-copy of this book in exchange for my honest review. Sorry I didn’t like it.

[Anniek · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book is fabulous from start to finish, and it's exactly what I hoped for (and more)! There's a diverse, all-queer cast of characters, all of which have a clearly developed back story, and the plot itself is incredibly well-paced. I was expecting this to be a fun action-packed story (Ocean's 8 meets RuPaul's Drag Race is NOT overselling it, I promise!), but there was plenty of emotional depth as well. I could hardly put it down! I'm really rooting for a sequel here!!

[Darque Dreamer · Rating 4 out of 5]

Coming out of a reading slump, this was the perfect book to read! I found it comedic and exciting, and I couldn't put it down! It not only helped cure my reading slump, but reminded me why I love reading at all!

I was hooked from chapter one! The plot was fast paced and intense. It was a little unbelievable at times because it seemed more like an unrealistic daydream, but, behind the facade of teenage dreams and fantasies was the struggle of rebellion, hormones, coming to terms with one's identity, sexuality, and the fight to be seen and heard amidst the battles of unhappy home lives and absent parents.

Even though most of the plot seemed pretty out there, it was highly entertaining! It was like Ocean's Eleven and Dumplin' came together to form an explosive love child. It had humor, hijinx, emotion, and drag queens! And, I just loved that it really boasted a message about the inner character of a person and not judging them by their appearance, or their reputation!

[Misty · Rating 4 out of 5]

I had positives and negatives about this book (including what I felt was a pretty major plothole), but for the most part, I really enjoyed this and thought it delivered what I was expecting from it.
Full (video) review here: http://www.thebookrat.com/2019/02/dea...

[Lorilin · Rating 4 out of 5]

Margo Manning is a teenage socialite who acts like Lindsay Lohan by day and James Bond by night. To most people she’s just another useless spoiled and entitled rich kid. But what only a select few know is that Margo is also a thief—and a damn good one. She may have started small, just looking for something to distract her from the monotony of her privileged (but somehow dull) life. But now, with help from a small crew of friends—who all happen to be drag queens—she’s pulling off big jobs, stealing thousands of dollars worth of artwork, jewelry, cars, and the list goes on.

Margo’s life is chaotic but nothing she can’t handle. Most of the time, she prefers the excitement of risk to the boredom of playing it safe. But when her father dies unexpectedly under suspicious circumstances AND one of her con jobs goes terribly wrong (landing her on the ish-list of a notorious mob boss), even Margo starts to feel the heat. She and her team have to figure out how to take down her father’s murderer and get the mob boss off their backs, all without getting caught or blowing their cover. If you can’t already guess, much latex will be required.

This book is ridiculous. The premise that a bunch of mostly gay acrobatic teenagers go around like Ocean’s Eleven robbing museums and mansions without getting caught is insane. But I’ll tell you what, I loved this book! It is so fun and “out there.” It’s not anything like what I typically read, and while I wish the writing were a little tighter (I could have done with about 50% fewer adjectives and metaphors…), I still loved being swept along on this journey with Mallory and her friends.

I also thought it was interesting to see the romantic relationships between the boys develop. I don’t usually read books with homosexual relationships as the focal point, so that was different for me. Mallory gets a little love from her quasi-boyfriend, but the only (mild) sex scenes are between guys. So that was new.

I loved Death Prefers Blondes beginning to end. And I was even more happy to see author Caleb Roehrig already setting the scene for book two. I can’t wait. Bring on the latex, ladies!

[Adam Sass · Rating 5 out of 5]

This. Was. So. Exciting. Bored teen socialite Margo gets her bb drag queen friends together to protect her family's company from a literal Bond villain. It's elegant spy fiction for young readers. All the fabulous globe-hopping Margo does, and the book is essentially a love letter to the city of Los Angeles. I want to reread this by pool in an enormous, bejeweled pair of sunglasses!

[Stephanie · Rating 5 out of 5]

Modern genderbent Hamlet retelling with heists and drag queens? Yes please.

[Erica · Rating 5 out of 5]

I have a diary vlog for this on my channel with all my thoughts.
This book has become one of my favorite books of all-time. 😍

[Dev · Rating 4 out of 5]

I've been trying to think of something to say about this for the past week other than just 'it's good, I liked it' but ...it's good ...and I liked it. I mean it's a fun heist book filled with diverse characters, what's not to like? I would definitely recommend it and I can't wait for the next one!

[kelly {BookCrushin} · Rating 5 out of 5]

tl;dr:
Unabashedly queer and diverse, full of the importance of found familes, and a little bit about stealing from the rich to give to the poor!

Death Prefer Blondes was a hell of a ride! Drag queens, art heists, found families, and of course some drama. The high stakes, and thrilling adventure is reason enough to read, but the exploration of themes of finding yourself within your community and being accepted for who you are and not just who your parents might have been really seal the deal.

Ok let’s be honest, I love books, you know what I love more? Books about queer characters with unabashedly queer situations. If you haven’t figured this out yet, but there are drag queens in this book! DRAG QUEENS. Yes, the group of rebellious older teens dress in drag when they go on their heists, but some also perform at a night club. Hell to the yes! The book has been comp’d as RuPaul’s Drag Race and Oceans 11. So much yes, and so much more.

Each person in the crew has their own backstory, some tragic, some are less than ideal, but they all have their reasons for becoming master theives. For Margo Manning, she may be considered “Mad Margo” by the media, but inside she’s a real life Robin Hood. Growing up rich, doesn’t mean she has it all. She doesn’t need the money she gets, like her cohorts, but she has been funding projects for the less fortunate. There is one thing Margo is, and that is fierce. She’s taking control of her life, even when it seems she’s out of control.

We also have Axel and Quino, two brothers who were born into hollywood wealth, but lost everything when their father stole from his clients. The brothers bring their own level of drama, but they are both so necessary. Leif is risking his life to stay in LA and to pay tuition to his regal dance school and to finally be somewhere away from his homophobic family and community. And last but not least, Davon, who is helping pay off his drag mother’s debts.

Each member of the crew has their specialities and their own reasons for being involved. I loved the fast paced, action packed heists.

Let’s also talk about the representation in this book. Every main character is queer, and most are men of color. Margo is our token rich white socialite, but she is bisexual and finds herself interested in another person of color. So much rep that just made everything matter so much more to me while reading. Plus, I read some of the queerest phrases in this book that I kept screen shotting for my friends while reading! Because not often do I see things like this phrase in any book, but I am here for it! I literally laughed so loud.

“And nobody says ‘floozy’ anymore. You’re in America. We say ‘thot’ now.”

Death Prefers Blondes is full of thrilling adventure, sassy drama, high stakes, and all the wittiness you expect from Caleb’s books. I don’t care if you are straight or queer, read this book for a look into queer culture, importance of found families, and stay for the banter, romance and adventure!

[TJ · Rating 4 out of 5]

FINISHED: 1/24/19

Thank you to Macmillan for an advanced reading copy! I was a big fan of Caleb’s White Rabbit (I’m still meaning to read Last Seen Leaving), so Death Prefers Blondes was something I’ve been looking forward to. And, I mean, with a title like that, who isn’t intrigued?! This one took a while for me to get immersed in, and I think that’s because it’s plot driven, whereas Caleb’s other novels are debatably character driven. The characters in DPB are all extremely colorful and diverse — and their dialogue is FANTASTIC — but this is in no way a character driven novel, and I think that’s usually my personal preference.

So that said, I probably wouldn’t have picked this up if it weren’t written by Caleb, but I’m glad I did. It was nice to step out of my reading comfort zone and try something different. Caleb obviously is a huge 90’s fanboy and loves the same things I do; his main protagonist, Margo, is on the level of Buffy Summers and Veronica Mars. And you can’t go wrong with drag queens thrown in the mix! If you’re looking for a super queer and fun YA heist, with some Veronica Mars and James Bond textures, look no further. 4/5 stars.

[Jamie Canaves · Rating 5 out of 5]

If Robin Hood Were A Rich Teen Girl With A Crew Of Drag Queens! (TW addiction)

This novel is a heist thriller with a murder mystery starring Robin Hood–if Robin Hood were a rich teenage girl with a crew of drag queens. I adored it! Margo Manning is a socialite whose father has more money then a person can spend in a lifetime so naturally she steals from the rich. And I mean she has a full-on operation with a fence, and help with gadgets, and a crew of teenage drag queens. The heist scenes are kick-ass, and read like scenes from awesome thriller movies–but this novel is far from just flashy fun scenes. Rather than stereotypical drag queen characters used just for fun quips we get to know the entire crew, including their personal lives and the how and why they ended up as thieves. The novel is about birth families, found families, trying to make the best out of terrible situations, social justice, and the wrong path for the believed right reasons. I absolutely loved every second of this ride Roehrig took me on. And if that isn’t enough of a sell, think of this book like Ocean’s 11 dated RuPaul’s Drag Race and the wedding reception got crashed by Hamlet.

--from Book Riot's Unusual Suspects newsletter: https://link.bookriot.com/view/56a820...

[Andrea Johnson · Rating 4 out of 5]

Take a feisty socialite heiress, add a handful of drag queens, sprinkle in a bit of jewel thievery, a hefty dose of Ocean's Eleven, a diverse cast, bi and gay romance subplots, and some Hamlet allusions, and you've got yourself DEATH PREFERS BLONDES.

The pacing is a touch uneven at times, with a few action sequences seeming to be in a different voice than the rest of the narration, and awkward use of phrases like "the man," "the girl," and the like instead of names or pronouns making some passages a little clunky.

The Hamlet framework was at times closely followed and at others not apparent. I don't think it was necessary to the story, and found that, once the allusion was established, I was distracted by things that didn't match up clearly.

However, I think readers of DEATH PREFERS BLONDES would be best served to take a little advice from Mystery Science Theater 3000: "Repeat to yourself, 'It's just a [book]. I should really just relax.'" Suspend your disbelief, sit back, and enjoy this delightful snack of a book.

[Layla Crowie · Rating 3 out of 5]

2.5/3 stars.

I struggled so hard to get into this story. It had the premise of everything I love - espionage and drag queens - and yet, it fell short for me. I picked up and put this book down over and over again, if it hadn't been perfect for a readathon prompt, I may not have tried to pick it up again until next year.

I can see this being far more engaging if it were made perhaps into a cheesy movie, or a tv series. It just didn't do it for me, the writing tone at times was so juvenile, and it kept trying to be more adult by including as many casual sex/genital references as possible.

I loved that there was a wide variety of ethnicities, sexualities and gender identities. But the execution of it, really fell flat. The vast majority of the characters lacked any depth at all, especially the main character.

[Carol · Rating 4 out of 5]

I was immediately hooked at the premise of a heist novel starring teenage drag queens, and it only went up from there.

There's love, sex, violence, friendship, redemption, and huge helpings of both snark and bonding. If you're looking for a fast-paced wild ride of a novel--look no further.

I received an advance copy from the publisher for review consideration.

[TEMI]

am i in a slump or something?? everything is boring to me