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You're So Dead
An Agatha Christie-inspired YA thriller-comedy about three best friends who sneak into an influencers-only festival event (gone wrong), only to discover a killer is in their midst--and they have to uncover the truth and solve the mystery before it's too late.
Plum Winter has always come in second to her sister, the unbelievably cool, famous influencer Peach Winter. And when Peach is invited to an all-expenses paid trip to a luxurious art and music festival for influencers on a private island in the Caribbean, Plum decides it's finally her time to shine. So she intercepts the invite--and asks her two best friends Antonia and Marlowe to come along to the fest with her. It'll be a spring break they'll never forget.
But when Plum and her friends get to the island, it's not anything like it seemed in the invite. The island is run-down, creepy, and there doesn't even seem to be a festival--it's just seven other quasi-celebrities and influencers, and none of the glitz and glamor she expected. Then people start to die...
Plum and her friends soon realize that someone has lured each of them to the "festival" to kill them. Someone has a vendetta against every person on the island--and no one is supposed to leave the island alive. So, together, Plum, Antonia, and Marlowe will do whatever it takes to unravel the mystery of the killer, and fight to save themselves and as many influencers as they can, before it's too late.
Plum Winter has always come in second to her sister, the unbelievably cool, famous influencer Peach Winter. And when Peach is invited to an all-expenses paid trip to a luxurious art and music festival for influencers on a private island in the Caribbean, Plum decides it's finally her time to shine. So she intercepts the invite--and asks her two best friends Antonia and Marlowe to come along to the fest with her. It'll be a spring break they'll never forget.
But when Plum and her friends get to the island, it's not anything like it seemed in the invite. The island is run-down, creepy, and there doesn't even seem to be a festival--it's just seven other quasi-celebrities and influencers, and none of the glitz and glamor she expected. Then people start to die...
Plum and her friends soon realize that someone has lured each of them to the "festival" to kill them. Someone has a vendetta against every person on the island--and no one is supposed to leave the island alive. So, together, Plum, Antonia, and Marlowe will do whatever it takes to unravel the mystery of the killer, and fight to save themselves and as many influencers as they can, before it's too late.
400 pages, Hardcover
First published June 15, 2021
73 people are currently reading
6039 people want to read
About the author
Ash Parsons
6 books195 followersAsh Parsons is a graduate of Ringling Bros. and Barnum and Bailey Clown College as well as other, more traditional schools. She is a PEN America Literary Award Winner for the Phyllis Naylor Fellowship, and a Literary Arts Fellow for the Alabama State Council of the Arts. She previously taught English to middle and high school students, as well as teaching creative writing through Troy University’s ACCESS program and Media Studies at Auburn University. Ash has spent some time stumbling around as a zombie on The Walking Dead and lives in Alabama with her family.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 286 reviews
May 8, 2022
Reading vlog/review can be watched here: https://youtu.be/KFi_u2xV6Lw
September 9, 2023
Actual Stars 2.5
“Plum Winters never expected it to end this way. It being both her life and Pyre Festival. The festival was supposed to end with a celebrity packed booze cruise. As for her life’s end, Plum didn’t like to think about it. But when she did she always imagined being a really old lady who dies peacefully in her sleep. But here she was at the end of it all, and there were absolutely no boats, booze or beds.”
This is actually my second read of You’re So Dead. After my first go around too much time passed to do a valid review on my memory alone. Yup…it’s called the twilight years folks. For those of you who still have a memory enjoy it while it lasts! 😂
Seriously though I’m actually glad I reread it, because the first time I was ready to crucify it. I absolutely couldn’t stand it and considered YSD a piece of garbage in all honesty.
But after giving it another chance I appreciate the book more and I actually understand that this book (I think) and that it’s actually meant to be a kind of parody on social media and influencers. At least I truly hope so..lol. Whatever the case it has grown on me.
Plum Winters is taking her friends to Saint Vitus for Pyre Festival, an event celebrating Music, Art and New Media for Spring Break. There they hope to meet the biggest stars and influencers of their generation and have a Spring Break to rival everyone they know. And it’s all thanks to the invitation Pyre Signs sent to one P Winters. Never mind that the P on the invite was actually intended for her older sister Peach, who is a well know and popular Instagram influencer. Peach gets requests to attend all kinds of events and Plum is sure she won’t miss one little invitation.
When they arrive on the island something is not adding up. Nothing is like the brochure promised.
What Plum and her crew were expecting:
-A Huge Festival with the island at full capacity
-Decadent Food
-Famous and Notable Stars
-Beautiful and extravagant rooms
-Staff to wait on the whenever they need
-And of course a Fully Stocked Bar
What they really got:
-There are just under a dozen guests total
-Franks and Beans is the only food on the menu (yummy yummy 🤢)
-No well known stars or influencers
-The Villa is definitely not 5 star and unlike on the promotion it’s in ruins
-Their one and only waitstaff member is Wadsworth the virtual assistant, who is truly worthless
-The only drinks on the island are expired soda and to add insult to injury are generic 😱
The group begins to think they’ve been punked. But realization hits it’s beyond that when one by one they begin being taken down by a killer. It seems their mysterious host has a vendetta to settle with each and every one and there’s no way off the island. Lucky Plum and friends stepped into the middle of this nightmare when all they wanted was a good time. Can they rally together and fight, figure out who’s behind this and why they’ve become the targets before it’s to late?
Pro’s:
-This is a very quick and easy read.
-Even though the subject matter is murder it’s actually done in a comical way and pretty campy for the most part. So if that’s your thing this book may be for you.
-I actually wasn’t sure who the killer was. I think the author did a great job keeping readers guessing.
Con’s:
-At times the writing felt very immature
-I did not like ANY of the characters. Even Plum the MC who was very whiny and more interested in her love life than she should be with a killer on her heels
-The whole reason for the killings was just…WTF. But it does kind of work with the campy cheese factor.
This wasn’t terrible the second time around. But I do think this is meant for a younger reader, who will probably appreciate the writing and humor more than I did. Also I recommend YSD to readers who love camp and cheesiness, this will definitely be the book for you. 😁
Thank You Penguin Teen for my advanced copy in return for my honest review.
“Plum Winters never expected it to end this way. It being both her life and Pyre Festival. The festival was supposed to end with a celebrity packed booze cruise. As for her life’s end, Plum didn’t like to think about it. But when she did she always imagined being a really old lady who dies peacefully in her sleep. But here she was at the end of it all, and there were absolutely no boats, booze or beds.”
This is actually my second read of You’re So Dead. After my first go around too much time passed to do a valid review on my memory alone. Yup…it’s called the twilight years folks. For those of you who still have a memory enjoy it while it lasts! 😂
Seriously though I’m actually glad I reread it, because the first time I was ready to crucify it. I absolutely couldn’t stand it and considered YSD a piece of garbage in all honesty.
But after giving it another chance I appreciate the book more and I actually understand that this book (I think) and that it’s actually meant to be a kind of parody on social media and influencers. At least I truly hope so..lol. Whatever the case it has grown on me.
Plum Winters is taking her friends to Saint Vitus for Pyre Festival, an event celebrating Music, Art and New Media for Spring Break. There they hope to meet the biggest stars and influencers of their generation and have a Spring Break to rival everyone they know. And it’s all thanks to the invitation Pyre Signs sent to one P Winters. Never mind that the P on the invite was actually intended for her older sister Peach, who is a well know and popular Instagram influencer. Peach gets requests to attend all kinds of events and Plum is sure she won’t miss one little invitation.
When they arrive on the island something is not adding up. Nothing is like the brochure promised.
What Plum and her crew were expecting:
-A Huge Festival with the island at full capacity
-Decadent Food
-Famous and Notable Stars
-Beautiful and extravagant rooms
-Staff to wait on the whenever they need
-And of course a Fully Stocked Bar
What they really got:
-There are just under a dozen guests total
-Franks and Beans is the only food on the menu (yummy yummy 🤢)
-No well known stars or influencers
-The Villa is definitely not 5 star and unlike on the promotion it’s in ruins
-Their one and only waitstaff member is Wadsworth the virtual assistant, who is truly worthless
-The only drinks on the island are expired soda and to add insult to injury are generic 😱
The group begins to think they’ve been punked. But realization hits it’s beyond that when one by one they begin being taken down by a killer. It seems their mysterious host has a vendetta to settle with each and every one and there’s no way off the island. Lucky Plum and friends stepped into the middle of this nightmare when all they wanted was a good time. Can they rally together and fight, figure out who’s behind this and why they’ve become the targets before it’s to late?
Pro’s:
-This is a very quick and easy read.
-Even though the subject matter is murder it’s actually done in a comical way and pretty campy for the most part. So if that’s your thing this book may be for you.
-I actually wasn’t sure who the killer was. I think the author did a great job keeping readers guessing.
Con’s:
-At times the writing felt very immature
-I did not like ANY of the characters. Even Plum the MC who was very whiny and more interested in her love life than she should be with a killer on her heels
-The whole reason for the killings was just…WTF. But it does kind of work with the campy cheese factor.
This wasn’t terrible the second time around. But I do think this is meant for a younger reader, who will probably appreciate the writing and humor more than I did. Also I recommend YSD to readers who love camp and cheesiness, this will definitely be the book for you. 😁
Thank You Penguin Teen for my advanced copy in return for my honest review.
June 15, 2021
The darkness pressed against the windows. It was as if they, all lit up and inside, were onstage, visible to something or someone waiting in the darkness beyond the glass.
I thought this book was campy YA thriller goodness! Social media influencers of a wide variety are invited to an island for “Pyre festival” and start getting killed off one by one by some unknown murderer on the island. If you’ve ever watched the movie “CLUE” then imagine the twisty fun “whodunit” vibe of that, but modern times and hoodwinked influencers as the target. I think “You’re So Dead” did a perfect job with the mystery/murder parts. There is a romantic subplot, and it felt a little random and out of place most of the time. I think it would have worked better if the characters didn’t randomly muse about their feelings while trying to stay alive and find a murderer, that said it also kind of adds to the camp of it all. Like of course this group would be focused on superfluous things. If you don’t live none of this even matters, but alas I still enjoyed this read. It was fun and made me think a bit about how no matter how well intentioned your social media content is, it could be causing harm and maybe we should all be a little more thoughtful about what we post and how we utilize social media.
*ARC
AVAILABLE NOW!
I thought this book was campy YA thriller goodness! Social media influencers of a wide variety are invited to an island for “Pyre festival” and start getting killed off one by one by some unknown murderer on the island. If you’ve ever watched the movie “CLUE” then imagine the twisty fun “whodunit” vibe of that, but modern times and hoodwinked influencers as the target. I think “You’re So Dead” did a perfect job with the mystery/murder parts. There is a romantic subplot, and it felt a little random and out of place most of the time. I think it would have worked better if the characters didn’t randomly muse about their feelings while trying to stay alive and find a murderer, that said it also kind of adds to the camp of it all. Like of course this group would be focused on superfluous things. If you don’t live none of this even matters, but alas I still enjoyed this read. It was fun and made me think a bit about how no matter how well intentioned your social media content is, it could be causing harm and maybe we should all be a little more thoughtful about what we post and how we utilize social media.
*ARC
AVAILABLE NOW!
April 25, 2021
A Capital 'Y', tiny 'a', Read.
I was initially very intrigued and excited to read this novel. Unfortunately, it was aggressively immature. Along with a lacking back story for the murderer, this made for a lackluster finale. Additionally, there was a strong romantic YA theme and story point, which ultimately rivaled the actual murder theme for "page" time.
I don't mind any of the main themes personally. However, I do mind when the main plot advertised is not the main plot presented. This felt like false advertisement. People are being killed off one by one yet the story is more focused on a young woman's feelings for her best friend, and constant descriptions about 'tingly feelings' and how beautiful her crush is, blah, blah and more blah. Meanwhile, the crazy psycho trying to kill everyone becomes more like background noise.
It was most disappointing to have the stranded island, revenge killer theme put on the back burner, when that was what the reader was originally sold.
*Thank you to Penguin Publishing Group via Edelweiss+ for providing the advanced digital reader copy.
I was initially very intrigued and excited to read this novel. Unfortunately, it was aggressively immature. Along with a lacking back story for the murderer, this made for a lackluster finale. Additionally, there was a strong romantic YA theme and story point, which ultimately rivaled the actual murder theme for "page" time.
I don't mind any of the main themes personally. However, I do mind when the main plot advertised is not the main plot presented. This felt like false advertisement. People are being killed off one by one yet the story is more focused on a young woman's feelings for her best friend, and constant descriptions about 'tingly feelings' and how beautiful her crush is, blah, blah and more blah. Meanwhile, the crazy psycho trying to kill everyone becomes more like background noise.
It was most disappointing to have the stranded island, revenge killer theme put on the back burner, when that was what the reader was originally sold.
*Thank you to Penguin Publishing Group via Edelweiss+ for providing the advanced digital reader copy.
June 8, 2021
Agatha Christie meets social media influencers at a Fyre-type festival gone wrong? Sign me up! I should note that Ash Parsons seems to write campy, over the top stories that may not be everyone's cup of tea, but I get such a kick out of them. You're So Dead falls squarely in that category.
Plum Winter is envious of her semi-famous influencer older sister and in denial about having a crush on one of her best girl friends. When an invitation arrives for her sister Peach to the exclusive Pyre festival during spring break, complete with famous influencers, bands, and luxurious accommodations, Plum decides to take her sister's place and bring along her two best friends. (yes, including the one she's crushing on). But things take a turn for the worst once they arrive on the secluded island with only a handful of other people, one of whom may be a killer.
If you liked And Then There Were None by Agatha Christie and can get down with a campy, dramatic take on a retelling involved self-involved influencers and trolls, definitely give this a go. Clearly it isn't working for everyone, and part of the issue seems to be tone. So just know this is a YA book featuring young teen protagonists and some of it is kind of silly. That's sort of the point. And if you aren't into that, it's cool. This may not be the book for you. But I had a fun time with it. I received an advance copy of this book for review via NetGalley. All opinions are my own.
Plum Winter is envious of her semi-famous influencer older sister and in denial about having a crush on one of her best girl friends. When an invitation arrives for her sister Peach to the exclusive Pyre festival during spring break, complete with famous influencers, bands, and luxurious accommodations, Plum decides to take her sister's place and bring along her two best friends. (yes, including the one she's crushing on). But things take a turn for the worst once they arrive on the secluded island with only a handful of other people, one of whom may be a killer.
If you liked And Then There Were None by Agatha Christie and can get down with a campy, dramatic take on a retelling involved self-involved influencers and trolls, definitely give this a go. Clearly it isn't working for everyone, and part of the issue seems to be tone. So just know this is a YA book featuring young teen protagonists and some of it is kind of silly. That's sort of the point. And if you aren't into that, it's cool. This may not be the book for you. But I had a fun time with it. I received an advance copy of this book for review via NetGalley. All opinions are my own.
May 22, 2025
3.5 stars - reads like upper middle grade or lower YA in a good way!
September 11, 2021
This was so fucking dumb- it was advanced dumb. At one point I was expecting the chicken to be the killer and that would have been better than the actual clown ass ending.
You're So Dead is about a bunch of influencers who get invited to an exciting festival on a pirate island. The only thing is, Plum is not one: she stole the invite from her famous sister. Quickly it turns out the festival is all that was promised and then people start dying.
This was so bad ahhh. I get what it was trying to do (which was be And Then There Were None) but it did it so badly. All of these characters were so one-dimensional, shallow, and also stupid. Half of the book is spent on Plum coming to the realization that she's in love her best friend while the other half was everyone getting murdered and it was hilarious in how poorly done this entire book was. A literal CHICKEN gets more personality and page time than half of these characters that were interchangeable in how uninteresting they all were.
Then it just didn't make any damn sense because of how silly it was. It was so obvious who the killer was, it was just so boring, and such a joke. Nothing in this was original or exciting. Also, Pyre festival? Sounds so familiar hmmm.
YOU'RE SO DUMBBB BYE.
You're So Dead is about a bunch of influencers who get invited to an exciting festival on a pirate island. The only thing is, Plum is not one: she stole the invite from her famous sister. Quickly it turns out the festival is all that was promised and then people start dying.
This was so bad ahhh. I get what it was trying to do (which was be And Then There Were None) but it did it so badly. All of these characters were so one-dimensional, shallow, and also stupid. Half of the book is spent on Plum coming to the realization that she's in love her best friend while the other half was everyone getting murdered and it was hilarious in how poorly done this entire book was. A literal CHICKEN gets more personality and page time than half of these characters that were interchangeable in how uninteresting they all were.
Then it just didn't make any damn sense because of how silly it was. It was so obvious who the killer was, it was just so boring, and such a joke. Nothing in this was original or exciting. Also, Pyre festival? Sounds so familiar hmmm.
YOU'RE SO DUMBBB BYE.
July 1, 2021
Boring. Dull mystery sprinkled with the most aggravating virtue-signaling I think I've ever seen in a book that wasn't solely dedicated to it.
Additionally, I cannot emphasize enough how gutless I think it was to make Britlynn an obnoxious, stereotypical conservative "activist". Social media is currently full of obnoxious, toxic cry-bullies of the liberal variety, who seem to have a pass to harass and shame anyone they want without consequences because they're doing it for the "right" reasons.
Oh, but I forgot: This is a YA novel, and that means we have to signal the right virtues; and those virtues are "guns are bad, conservative women have "internalized misogyny" because they don't think and feel the way I do, gamers are all sexist dudebros, etc."
This was a waste of time.
Additionally, I cannot emphasize enough how gutless I think it was to make Britlynn an obnoxious, stereotypical conservative "activist". Social media is currently full of obnoxious, toxic cry-bullies of the liberal variety, who seem to have a pass to harass and shame anyone they want without consequences because they're doing it for the "right" reasons.
Oh, but I forgot: This is a YA novel, and that means we have to signal the right virtues; and those virtues are "guns are bad, conservative women have "internalized misogyny" because they don't think and feel the way I do, gamers are all sexist dudebros, etc."
This was a waste of time.
May 29, 2021
I love And Then There Were None. And Knives Out. And Clue. Basically, anything with a large group of people that could all possibly be murderers. So when I heard that there was a book coming out that featured the same idea but with a twist on influencer culture, I was beyond excited!
We live in an age saturated by entertainment, served up on dozens of silver platters, ready for us to consume until we can take no more. You’re So Dead handles the delicate topic of the dangers, the appeal, the gilded allure of influencer culture with ease. We have an eccentric, diverse cast of characters that have each achieved fame for various reasons: beauty, comedy, video games, true crime podcasts…you name it. Everyone that is, except for our main character Plum and her two friends Sofia and Marlowe. Plum’s older sister Peach Winter* is a big Instagram influencer, so Plum, feeling a little left out, steals her fancy invitation to a luxurious island music festival.
let’s talk about the mystery, shall we?
Someone is murdered. Yup. Mind blown. But really, I enjoyed my time with this mystery! It took me a while to guess who the killer was, and then it was only because I’m a bit of a true crime addict. Agatha Christie’s novels have an extraordinarily distinct format, and You’re So Dead followed it well. It truly does encapsulate the And Then There Were None* vibe so well. With that being said, it wasn’t always an…elegant vibe. Yes, I did in fact put those two words together.
*when renaming this book who the latte thought it would be a good idea to start it with a freaking conjunction. yes, i would like to lodge a complaint.
One of the aspects I most appreciated about the characters is that while they sometimes made dumb decisions (see gif above), most of their decisions were pretty clever and made a lot of sense. That was what made this story hit so hard: even when Plum and her friends did what everyone agreed was the most sensible, the killer still found ways to circumvent them. Sometimes, you don’t realize how important to a story good characters are until they stop splitting up and stomping off into dark woods on their own.
With that being said, Plum was kind of a boring character. Her friends were relatively boring as well. But it works, simply because it leaves the reader wondering one of the most important questions when it comes to a good thriller read: what lies beneath the surface? I also really appreciated the commentary on the Internet, Instagram, and how detrimental the world of influencer culture can actually be. It can be so easy to fall into the area of morally grey actions when it comes to the double-edged knife of internet fame. Parsons may have taken it a bit to the extreme with the whole “murder island” idea but that doesn’t stop the whole scenario from having a ring of truth to it. In fact, it made me sit back and dwell on just exactly how I’m using my platform when it comes to other people.
Although You’re So Dead touched on some extremely relevant themes, it wasn’t always serious. I was addicted, like any good mystery, and determined to find out what would happen next. It really does remind me of those mysteries you read at the beach: hard to put down, easy to forget. Which was actually perfect for me, since I didn’t want a heavy-hitting thriller I had to devote a ton of time and energy to reading at the end of finals!
That’s about where I want to leave my review because it’s almost always better to go in blind! Overall, I’d give this one a 3.5/5 stars, which sounds bad but really isn’t when it comes to this genre for me personally. If you want something deep, and psychologically tantalizing, maybe reconsider reading this one. On the other hand, if you’re looking for your next beach read, this is it!
pre-review:i’m not going to lie, this was surprisingly entertaining. i also liked the commentary on the dangers of social media/influencers and how they affect the individual mindset. i did guess the killer!! but that’s mostly due to (a) my true crime brain and (b) the main character herself. anyways, i did actually enjoy this quite a lot, full rtc!
a huge thank you to penguin teen for the e-ARC in exchange for an honest review!
June 14, 2021
I didn't vibe with the vapid, silly writing and the way that a persons race/skin color is their first and sometimes only significant descriptor to introduce them. Wasn't for me.
September 7, 2022
I don't knoOow... 2.5 stars?
I absolutely HATE, HATE, HATE it when I read and love a book blurb, add the book to my TBR list, let months pass, forget most of the details from said blurb, then start reading that book with completely different expectations.
Does that happen to anyone else? No? Just me?
Because I was expecting this to be a full-blown Fyre Festival with a murdered on the loose, and not retelling of "And Then There Were None".
Well, my bad.
Anyhow... "You're So Dead" was mediocre. Slightly unbelievable and juvenile, with over-the-top and cringy ending. Also, characters weren't the smartest.
It's just...if you're going to do write an Agatha Christie retelling, you better make it mind-blowing! You know everyone is going to compare your book to the original; why set yourself up for a failure?
I'm slightly disappointed.
If anyone is interested in a pretty good "And Then There Were None" YA retelling, I recommend "Ten" by Gretchen McNeil.
Because this book wasn't it.
But if you're looking for a fast, cheesy, somewhat gory YA, you might actually enjoy this one.
I absolutely HATE, HATE, HATE it when I read and love a book blurb, add the book to my TBR list, let months pass, forget most of the details from said blurb, then start reading that book with completely different expectations.
Does that happen to anyone else? No? Just me?
Because I was expecting this to be a full-blown Fyre Festival with a murdered on the loose, and not retelling of "And Then There Were None".
Well, my bad.
Anyhow... "You're So Dead" was mediocre. Slightly unbelievable and juvenile, with over-the-top and cringy ending. Also, characters weren't the smartest.
It's just...if you're going to do write an Agatha Christie retelling, you better make it mind-blowing! You know everyone is going to compare your book to the original; why set yourself up for a failure?
I'm slightly disappointed.
If anyone is interested in a pretty good "And Then There Were None" YA retelling, I recommend "Ten" by Gretchen McNeil.
Because this book wasn't it.
But if you're looking for a fast, cheesy, somewhat gory YA, you might actually enjoy this one.
November 1, 2021
This book was comically bad. Mostly I was upset with the execution of a premise that I thought had to be a banger, there was no way this wasn't going to be a fun pulpy messy time. And it actually wasn't. Instead it was a book that was overly bland for a book about a small group of people popping up dead. The more I read the more I felt that the motivation for the killer was going to need to be on point for the length that this person would have had to go to, and then it just wasn't. The motivation was actually the worst part and getting there I felt almost as annoyed as I have reading any Alex Michaelides book. It was that level of disappointing.
On that note, if you've enjoyed his book this might be for you. I'd also say this is a nice place to start the middle grade reader trying to branch into YA. From what I remember it's definitely appropriate enough Definitely wasn't for me, and judging by how little I've heard other people talk about this I don't think it's for the people either.
On that note, if you've enjoyed his book this might be for you. I'd also say this is a nice place to start the middle grade reader trying to branch into YA. From what I remember it's definitely appropriate enough Definitely wasn't for me, and judging by how little I've heard other people talk about this I don't think it's for the people either.
July 11, 2021
Most disappoint book of 2021 thus far goes to…..you guess it. You’re So Dead.
I read a lot of YA books (I fully embrace the 16 year old girl that still lives inside me) but every now and then I come a long one that is far too young for my tastes. This happened to be that rare find.
From the moment the book started I could tell I wouldn’t connect with the narrator, and I didn’t. Even the opening sequence wasn’t at all dramatic enough to deliver on the blurb that was promised. Comparing your book to a classic novel (and then there were none) may have set this book up for sabotage because Agatha Christie, Ash Parsons is not.
Things I didn’t like:
The characters. They seemed vapid and shallow and not in a Blair Waldorf sort of way but just a dumb Gen Z way but as told by someone who HATES Gen Z and wants to paint them in the worst light ever.
The plot. The concept seems so good but the development is soooo poor.
The book structure. The novel is comprised of these short choppy chapters that literally don’t move the novel forward AT ALL. Some chapters literally nothing of note happens.
And I mean, at this point, can you really like a book if you hate literally all those essential parts/elements? No. No
You cannot.
I read a lot of YA books (I fully embrace the 16 year old girl that still lives inside me) but every now and then I come a long one that is far too young for my tastes. This happened to be that rare find.
From the moment the book started I could tell I wouldn’t connect with the narrator, and I didn’t. Even the opening sequence wasn’t at all dramatic enough to deliver on the blurb that was promised. Comparing your book to a classic novel (and then there were none) may have set this book up for sabotage because Agatha Christie, Ash Parsons is not.
Things I didn’t like:
The characters. They seemed vapid and shallow and not in a Blair Waldorf sort of way but just a dumb Gen Z way but as told by someone who HATES Gen Z and wants to paint them in the worst light ever.
The plot. The concept seems so good but the development is soooo poor.
The book structure. The novel is comprised of these short choppy chapters that literally don’t move the novel forward AT ALL. Some chapters literally nothing of note happens.
And I mean, at this point, can you really like a book if you hate literally all those essential parts/elements? No. No
You cannot.
December 19, 2022
Read to 50% and then skipped around.
This was not good, but for some reason, I can't rate it 1 star.
The characters were clichéd, forgettable, and way more focused on romance while a killer was on the loose. The plot had potential, but lacked tension.
And yet, I was intrigued to see how it ended.
**Huge thanks to the publisher for providing the arc free of charge**
This was not good, but for some reason, I can't rate it 1 star.
The characters were clichéd, forgettable, and way more focused on romance while a killer was on the loose. The plot had potential, but lacked tension.
And yet, I was intrigued to see how it ended.
**Huge thanks to the publisher for providing the arc free of charge**
December 31, 2021
This is a YA thriller about a girl who steals her famous sister’s invitation to an exclusive influencer island retreat in the hopes of having a cool vacation with her best friends. But when they arrive, they’re trapped on the island with eight other influencers … and a killer who starts picking them off one by one!
I’m a HUGE sucker for anything that puts a spin on Agatha Christie’s And Then There Were None, so the concept got me hooked! The cast of characters were generally pretty compelling, and I appreciated the commentary on toxic positivity, beauty standards, and internet bullying woven throughout.
The book tries to be kind of a comedic thriller, and while some of the humor was genuinely heartwarming, I felt like it didn’t quite hit the mark for me overall. Don’t get me wrong, I LOVE funny parody murder mysteries — but I didn’t feel like this was quite a parody, so there were a couple of moments where it felt like the humor detracted from the tension a little.
That all said, I ate up this book FAST, so I think it would be perfect for a beach read or whenever you need something quick and fun!
Thanks to Penguin Teen for the ebook review copy!
I’m a HUGE sucker for anything that puts a spin on Agatha Christie’s And Then There Were None, so the concept got me hooked! The cast of characters were generally pretty compelling, and I appreciated the commentary on toxic positivity, beauty standards, and internet bullying woven throughout.
The book tries to be kind of a comedic thriller, and while some of the humor was genuinely heartwarming, I felt like it didn’t quite hit the mark for me overall. Don’t get me wrong, I LOVE funny parody murder mysteries — but I didn’t feel like this was quite a parody, so there were a couple of moments where it felt like the humor detracted from the tension a little.
That all said, I ate up this book FAST, so I think it would be perfect for a beach read or whenever you need something quick and fun!
Thanks to Penguin Teen for the ebook review copy!
January 8, 2022
This book is very campy and cheesy but it felt like it was making fun of itself/the genre so it kinda worked for me. What didn’t work for me is when the narrator figures everything out and then two seconds later seems to forget the whole reveal. Plum Winters’ big sister Peach is a famous influencer who goes to all the good parties and hangs out with famous people. Plum wants a little of that for herself and steals her sister’s invitation to Pyre fest a gathering on a remote island of influencers, video bloggers, and game streamers. She brings along her two best friends and they plan on having the spring break of their lives. What ensues is a campy nod to Agatha Christie’s And Then There Were None.
August 9, 2022
this was fine - it didn't add anything to the genre and the writing was horribly cheesy, it was super entertaining
October 26, 2021
2.5⭐
Not a huge fan, the writing is very immature and the story is as well. so sad about this one
Not a huge fan, the writing is very immature and the story is as well. so sad about this one
Read
March 15, 2021DNF. 10% in and they're still standing at the curb of an airport, waiting for an Uber. The MC is annoying me too, so nah.
June 14, 2021
"Only you would crash a murder festival."
Truth be told this was a title request for me. Based off the cover and eye- catching title I expected a nostalgic slasher movie-esque plot. Got to admit that I was not exactly disappointed. Plum lives in the shadow of her successful influencer sister, Peach. When an invitation arrives to one of the biggest shindigs of the year, Plum decides this is her chance to not only do something with her humdrum life, but BE something. With her two best friends, Marlowe and Sofia, by her side they steal the invitation and take off on a trip to die for. In a classic case of whodunnit, a handful of influencers are trapped on an island that quickly starts turning deadly. It’s a race against the clock to find out who the killer is and also enjoy some of the more creative ways the deaths occur.
For me this was more of a plot based read since I didn’t really connect with any of the characters. Each influencer has some form of a dark secret or persona that they hide from their followers and as the killings start, the secrets are unleashed. The writing style is easy to follow, quick paced and slightly on the younger teenage side since our main characters are in high school. Some scenarios were a bit unplausible for me however the red herrings were well done. I ended up getting it wrong almost until the last minute.
The characters are individually unique, and Parsons does a really good job of giving each one a decent amount of depth surrounding their influencer careers. I liked Plum’s more realistic persona being in her sister’s shadow and desperately wanting to no longer blend but be something more. However, I did struggle with her best friend blaming her for being on that island. It takes two to tango in my book and Sofia could’ve said no. That aside, Sofia and Marlowe made excellent best friend side characters. The type of connection I love seeing in YA novels. Supportive, too an extent, calling each other out on their crap and not letting the bad times tear things a part. Parsons’ addition of LGTBQ representation was tied in well too.
Overall, this was a quick read that I can see readers on the younger side of the YA spectrum enjoying. There is a little gore but nothing too outlandish and a few curse words scattered here and there. I’d recommend this to readers wetting their feet in the YA Thriller world. Thank you to Penguin Teen for the gifted digital arc in exchange for an honest review.
Truth be told this was a title request for me. Based off the cover and eye- catching title I expected a nostalgic slasher movie-esque plot. Got to admit that I was not exactly disappointed. Plum lives in the shadow of her successful influencer sister, Peach. When an invitation arrives to one of the biggest shindigs of the year, Plum decides this is her chance to not only do something with her humdrum life, but BE something. With her two best friends, Marlowe and Sofia, by her side they steal the invitation and take off on a trip to die for. In a classic case of whodunnit, a handful of influencers are trapped on an island that quickly starts turning deadly. It’s a race against the clock to find out who the killer is and also enjoy some of the more creative ways the deaths occur.
For me this was more of a plot based read since I didn’t really connect with any of the characters. Each influencer has some form of a dark secret or persona that they hide from their followers and as the killings start, the secrets are unleashed. The writing style is easy to follow, quick paced and slightly on the younger teenage side since our main characters are in high school. Some scenarios were a bit unplausible for me however the red herrings were well done. I ended up getting it wrong almost until the last minute.
The characters are individually unique, and Parsons does a really good job of giving each one a decent amount of depth surrounding their influencer careers. I liked Plum’s more realistic persona being in her sister’s shadow and desperately wanting to no longer blend but be something more. However, I did struggle with her best friend blaming her for being on that island. It takes two to tango in my book and Sofia could’ve said no. That aside, Sofia and Marlowe made excellent best friend side characters. The type of connection I love seeing in YA novels. Supportive, too an extent, calling each other out on their crap and not letting the bad times tear things a part. Parsons’ addition of LGTBQ representation was tied in well too.
Overall, this was a quick read that I can see readers on the younger side of the YA spectrum enjoying. There is a little gore but nothing too outlandish and a few curse words scattered here and there. I’d recommend this to readers wetting their feet in the YA Thriller world. Thank you to Penguin Teen for the gifted digital arc in exchange for an honest review.
May 19, 2021
I just finished this and it was a fun read that had some laugh out loud moments. Plum and her two besties, Marlow and Sofia are off to Pyre Festival – Light it up, Set the Night on Fire, Melt Your Face Off – but they’re attending under false pretenses. Plum’s sister, Peach, is a mega star social influencer who’s 10 years older than Plum. When the invitation for Pyre comes to Plum’s house, she keeps this piece of mail back and schemes with her friends to attend in place of Peach. It’ll be the best spring break of their lives is the hope but will actually lead to the biggest fight for their lives!
It doesn’t take long to figure out once they arrive that something is amiss. A small group, no welcome wagon, and none of the trappings the guests were expecting soon leaves everyone a bit wary but willing to make the most of it but when their first night ends in murder, everyone is suspect.
If you’re looking for a light fun read that unveils some of the harmful aspects of social media with a few sub-plots thrown in, You’re So Dead is a great choice!
Thank you, Penguin Teen for the DRC!
It doesn’t take long to figure out once they arrive that something is amiss. A small group, no welcome wagon, and none of the trappings the guests were expecting soon leaves everyone a bit wary but willing to make the most of it but when their first night ends in murder, everyone is suspect.
If you’re looking for a light fun read that unveils some of the harmful aspects of social media with a few sub-plots thrown in, You’re So Dead is a great choice!
Thank you, Penguin Teen for the DRC!
July 11, 2021
Wasn't for me. Too silly...
June 12, 2021
2.5
I was instantly intrigued by this book, as someone who loves murder mysteries. But I was sad that it fell quite flat to me. The characters are all the same essentially, and I found it really hard to see them as the 18 year olds they were supposed to be- when they were presented as people much younger than that.
I also wasn’t a fan of the writing- finding it often trying so hard to fit into the teen demographic that it would just sound strange and obscene. Connects would be brought to light that made no sense, and often I just simply couldn’t find a reason to want to continue reading.
Though the concept is cool, I feel as though early YA readers may enjoy this book more so than older readers- as it appears to cater to that audience more.
So if you’re wanting a humorous murder-mystery story, then I would try this out!
Thank you to Penguin Teen and NetGalley for the ARC in return of an honest review
I was instantly intrigued by this book, as someone who loves murder mysteries. But I was sad that it fell quite flat to me. The characters are all the same essentially, and I found it really hard to see them as the 18 year olds they were supposed to be- when they were presented as people much younger than that.
I also wasn’t a fan of the writing- finding it often trying so hard to fit into the teen demographic that it would just sound strange and obscene. Connects would be brought to light that made no sense, and often I just simply couldn’t find a reason to want to continue reading.
Though the concept is cool, I feel as though early YA readers may enjoy this book more so than older readers- as it appears to cater to that audience more.
So if you’re wanting a humorous murder-mystery story, then I would try this out!
Thank you to Penguin Teen and NetGalley for the ARC in return of an honest review
September 29, 2022
literally so bad wtf
it was so predictable and superficial
i wanna write an in depth review but i seriously dont know if i can handle the absolute stupidity of this book. like peach was literally my fav character and that says a lot
also why does everyone have to be so fucking CORRECT?!!!! like shelley or whatever no one cares ok? literally ew. Cici ur a queen but like no need to get offended when a GUY says he doesn't know anything about makeup he's not gay
and like dude ur so predictable cmon
AND TO THE WHOLE GROUP WHAT IS WRONG IWTH U GUYS? like where r ur agents? and like why would "influencers" go to a new socila media company like apple is right there u blind
anyways i literally hate this book
and marlowe was so obviously gay like bruh AND THE FRIENDSHIPS?! LIKE BRUH U DONT KNOW UR OWN FRIENDS
also chaged my mind captain slays
(no one slays)
it was so predictable and superficial
i wanna write an in depth review but i seriously dont know if i can handle the absolute stupidity of this book. like peach was literally my fav character and that says a lot
also why does everyone have to be so fucking CORRECT?!!!! like shelley or whatever no one cares ok? literally ew. Cici ur a queen but like no need to get offended when a GUY says he doesn't know anything about makeup he's not gay
and like dude ur so predictable cmon
AND TO THE WHOLE GROUP WHAT IS WRONG IWTH U GUYS? like where r ur agents? and like why would "influencers" go to a new socila media company like apple is right there u blind
anyways i literally hate this book
and marlowe was so obviously gay like bruh AND THE FRIENDSHIPS?! LIKE BRUH U DONT KNOW UR OWN FRIENDS
also chaged my mind captain slays
(no one slays)
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
June 15, 2022
The synopsis for this book had me intrigued and even a bit excited to read it, but honestly, it fell flat for me. The whole story was a bit hokey and had so many unrealistic instances that I just couldn’t connect with the book. There seemed to be a lot missing from this book and the way the characters were presented, if I wasn’t told who was saying what, I wouldn’t have been able to distinguish them. Everyone seemed to be presented in an almost identical way without any character development. The whole storyline just seemed lacking and I found myself having a hard time staying interested in this book.
*Thank you to Penguin Teen and NetGalley for an early copy of this book in exchange for my honest review*
*Thank you to Penguin Teen and NetGalley for an early copy of this book in exchange for my honest review*
June 27, 2021
DNF at 30%
𝘛𝘩𝘢𝘯𝘬 𝘺𝘰𝘶 𝘵𝘰 𝘗𝘦𝘯𝘨𝘶𝘪𝘯 𝘛𝘦𝘦𝘯 𝘧𝘰𝘳 𝘱𝘳𝘰𝘷𝘪𝘥𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘮𝘦 𝘸𝘪𝘵𝘩 𝘢𝘯 𝘈𝘙𝘊 𝘪𝘯 𝘦𝘹𝘤𝘩𝘢𝘯𝘨𝘦 𝘧𝘰𝘳 𝘢𝘯 𝘩𝘰𝘯𝘦𝘴𝘵 𝘳𝘦𝘷𝘪𝘦𝘸!
I usually don’t DNF books but this one wasn’t really for me. I’ve been trying to get into thrillers more, but the writing style in this book was not something I could get through. I found the characters to be boring and one-dimensional and I didn’t really care to read their whole story. I will say that the thriller/horror aspect of this book kept me on my toes. I was very stressed while reading and I think that Parsons really nailed that! In the end, I just flipped to the end and spoiled it for myself.
𝘛𝘩𝘢𝘯𝘬 𝘺𝘰𝘶 𝘵𝘰 𝘗𝘦𝘯𝘨𝘶𝘪𝘯 𝘛𝘦𝘦𝘯 𝘧𝘰𝘳 𝘱𝘳𝘰𝘷𝘪𝘥𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘮𝘦 𝘸𝘪𝘵𝘩 𝘢𝘯 𝘈𝘙𝘊 𝘪𝘯 𝘦𝘹𝘤𝘩𝘢𝘯𝘨𝘦 𝘧𝘰𝘳 𝘢𝘯 𝘩𝘰𝘯𝘦𝘴𝘵 𝘳𝘦𝘷𝘪𝘦𝘸!
I usually don’t DNF books but this one wasn’t really for me. I’ve been trying to get into thrillers more, but the writing style in this book was not something I could get through. I found the characters to be boring and one-dimensional and I didn’t really care to read their whole story. I will say that the thriller/horror aspect of this book kept me on my toes. I was very stressed while reading and I think that Parsons really nailed that! In the end, I just flipped to the end and spoiled it for myself.
May 15, 2022
This book is for you if you want a modern day Agatha Christie-esque read (fulfilled that role very well). I didn't think this book was perfect in any way, but it was solidly good.
Pros:
- I enjoyed the reading experience
- it was suspenseful, good plot i think
- I was engrossed in it pretty much all the way through
- It was creepy enough that made me shiver, but not too creepy that I wanted to stop reading (I think it had a very very good balance of creepy, similar to the Truly Devious series).
- I really really liked most of the characters (except for mcs, look below), they were interesting, diverse in personality, and I felt very connected to them, I was sad when people died.
Cons:
- i was expecting a plot twist that never came
- Plum, Marlowe, and Sofia (the main 3 characters) -- I did not like at all. They were pretty much just there to exist/be narrators. Kinda basic, boring.
- Also I love romance generally but in this book, Plum and Marlowe's romance was completely irrelevant and annoying to read. I think it could be an equally fulfilling book without all the descriptions of "and her hair smelled SO good" or "I shivered as her skin brushed my arm". Like bro, you're in a murder mystery, you're not in a perfume commercial. Cute stuff but seemed misplaced in this book.
- what type of awful parents name their older daughter "Peach" and the younger one "Plum" ??
Pros:
- I enjoyed the reading experience
- it was suspenseful, good plot i think
- I was engrossed in it pretty much all the way through
- It was creepy enough that made me shiver, but not too creepy that I wanted to stop reading (I think it had a very very good balance of creepy, similar to the Truly Devious series).
- I really really liked most of the characters (except for mcs, look below), they were interesting, diverse in personality, and I felt very connected to them, I was sad when people died.
Cons:
- i was expecting a plot twist that never came
- Plum, Marlowe, and Sofia (the main 3 characters) -- I did not like at all. They were pretty much just there to exist/be narrators. Kinda basic, boring.
- Also I love romance generally but in this book, Plum and Marlowe's romance was completely irrelevant and annoying to read. I think it could be an equally fulfilling book without all the descriptions of "and her hair smelled SO good" or "I shivered as her skin brushed my arm". Like bro, you're in a murder mystery, you're not in a perfume commercial. Cute stuff but seemed misplaced in this book.
- what type of awful parents name their older daughter "Peach" and the younger one "Plum" ??
October 2, 2021
I thought this was a fun YA mystery. It's reminiscent of And Then There were None by Agatha Christie. A number of teen "Influencers" are stuck on an island. Every thing is great until they begin to die. It wasn't the best one I've read, but I had a lot of fun with the over the top characters. It did keep me guessing to the end. I'd recommend giving it a shot.
January 30, 2022
It had a really good premise and started well. Build up was good. Your traditional "stuck in an house/building/island no one else is there so one of you is the killer" and than it just fell flat. The reasoning behind the killer was just lame. And really not any likeable characters...they all could've died!
December 7, 2021
Rated 3.5
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