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Dead Popular
You don’t become the most powerful girl at school by playing nice, and Kate Jordan - Ferreira is ruthless.
But when long-held secrets start coming to light, she realizes someone is playing a much more dangerous game.
If Kate keeps lying about her past, her final year at Pankhurst could be exactly that: her final year.
But when long-held secrets start coming to light, she realizes someone is playing a much more dangerous game.
If Kate keeps lying about her past, her final year at Pankhurst could be exactly that: her final year.
279 pages, Paperback
First published August 1, 2019
37 people are currently reading
1576 people want to read
About the author
Sue Wallman
11 books273 followersFrom eight to eighteen years, I lived in Highcliffe, Christchurch, on the south coast of England. Before that we lived in various places, including a hospital in York where my dad was a psychiatrist.
After Oxford Brookes University (I was one of the first people to do their publishing degree), I became a magazine journalist. A couple of years later, I went to live in Paris where I was editorial assistant for an American newspaper. Eventually, I returned to England via travelling around South America. I now live near Kingston-upon-Thames, Surrey.
I love words. I've been a sub-editor, letters page editor and deputy features editor. In my spare time I've always written different types of fiction. In January 2007 I decided to stop faffing about and take seriously the one thing I'd wanted to achieve all my life. Five books and eight years later, I signed a book deal. Then, in May 2016, Lying About Last Summer, my debut novel, was published.
After Oxford Brookes University (I was one of the first people to do their publishing degree), I became a magazine journalist. A couple of years later, I went to live in Paris where I was editorial assistant for an American newspaper. Eventually, I returned to England via travelling around South America. I now live near Kingston-upon-Thames, Surrey.
I love words. I've been a sub-editor, letters page editor and deputy features editor. In my spare time I've always written different types of fiction. In January 2007 I decided to stop faffing about and take seriously the one thing I'd wanted to achieve all my life. Five books and eight years later, I signed a book deal. Then, in May 2016, Lying About Last Summer, my debut novel, was published.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 107 reviews
August 3, 2019
I’ve enjoyed every single Sue Wallman book I’ve read since her debut, Lying About Last Summer. With each new release, she proves herself an absolute master at crafting YA thrillers that are impossible to put down!
Dead Popular follows Kate, the most popular girl and Head Prefect at Pankhurst boarding school. One of her old friends, Sasha, is not returning for the school year after expulsion, and somebody wants revenge. We follow Kate and her form as they throw status symbol parties disrupted by school room pranks with more sinister motives. Everything can be explained away until one girl ends up dead.
Seriously, all you have to do is read the first page to get pulled into the story. I love narratives that begin with something dark, so you’re just anxiously waiting the entire time for things to turn ugly, but you don’t know when it’ll creep up on you. The energy this book has is definitely unnerving in how everything seems normal until the last minute.
I thought Sue Wallman did a great job at capturing the characters of a posh boarding school, their entitlement and preoccupation with beauty. I really understood the group dynamics – who was supposed to end up with who, who we weren’t supposed to like after what happened last summer – it was all developed so well in such a short space of time. And with all that, there still manages to be an intriguing romance plot thread to further complicate the relationships between everyone, from a book that’s under 300 pages. You really can have it all!
Boarding schools are one of my all time favourite book settings, and it was used perfectly to give that sense of isolation from parents…and civilisation. That said, the greater setting of the beach, from the cliffs to the chip shop, was so well conjured too, I could almost smell the salt air as I turned the pages.
The mystery itself I didn’t see coming. Always a good thing with thrillers, right? But of course, looking back at the end, all the seeds were there to make the reveal feel earned. It’s just a testament to the characters and atmosphere that I can be so oblivious to the genre they’re built it!
If you love thrillers, and are looking for the next book that not even ice cream in the blistering heat could tempt you away from, then I strongly recommend adding Dead Popular to your TBR.
Dead Popular follows Kate, the most popular girl and Head Prefect at Pankhurst boarding school. One of her old friends, Sasha, is not returning for the school year after expulsion, and somebody wants revenge. We follow Kate and her form as they throw status symbol parties disrupted by school room pranks with more sinister motives. Everything can be explained away until one girl ends up dead.
Seriously, all you have to do is read the first page to get pulled into the story. I love narratives that begin with something dark, so you’re just anxiously waiting the entire time for things to turn ugly, but you don’t know when it’ll creep up on you. The energy this book has is definitely unnerving in how everything seems normal until the last minute.
I thought Sue Wallman did a great job at capturing the characters of a posh boarding school, their entitlement and preoccupation with beauty. I really understood the group dynamics – who was supposed to end up with who, who we weren’t supposed to like after what happened last summer – it was all developed so well in such a short space of time. And with all that, there still manages to be an intriguing romance plot thread to further complicate the relationships between everyone, from a book that’s under 300 pages. You really can have it all!
Boarding schools are one of my all time favourite book settings, and it was used perfectly to give that sense of isolation from parents…and civilisation. That said, the greater setting of the beach, from the cliffs to the chip shop, was so well conjured too, I could almost smell the salt air as I turned the pages.
The mystery itself I didn’t see coming. Always a good thing with thrillers, right? But of course, looking back at the end, all the seeds were there to make the reveal feel earned. It’s just a testament to the characters and atmosphere that I can be so oblivious to the genre they’re built it!
If you love thrillers, and are looking for the next book that not even ice cream in the blistering heat could tempt you away from, then I strongly recommend adding Dead Popular to your TBR.
August 22, 2019
Read as part of the Thrillerathon round 4. Summer ‘19.
This book should have been a 5* read for me, based on the blurb. But I found this book incredibly slow paced and boring. Only in the final 50 pages did things actually start happening. I didn’t enjoy this one.
This book should have been a 5* read for me, based on the blurb. But I found this book incredibly slow paced and boring. Only in the final 50 pages did things actually start happening. I didn’t enjoy this one.
January 31, 2022
3,5 ⭐
Honestly i was a bit disappointed, i was waiting for more actions, more suspense. I must admit that i hadn't seen the plot twist coming !!!
But i was maybe expecting something more ?
Still a good book though, i recommend it!
Honestly i was a bit disappointed, i was waiting for more actions, more suspense. I must admit that i hadn't seen the plot twist coming !!!
But i was maybe expecting something more ?
Still a good book though, i recommend it!
July 26, 2024
I was rather disappointed as I find the description at the back of the book to be misleading. The description just doesn't fit the main focus of the story.
It hints at something that isn't there most of the time, which made it hard for me to enjoy. I spent the entire time reading, waiting for the thing that was promised to me to happen.
I am not joking when I say that the majority of the story is taken up by party planning. But you wouldn't be able to tell that from the blurp, now could you ...
I was assuming that Kate would have to figure out who might have a vendetta against her throughout the book. Instead, the only real threat she faced was during the last 20 pages of the book! That's simply much too late, in my opinion.
It hints at something that isn't there most of the time, which made it hard for me to enjoy. I spent the entire time reading, waiting for the thing that was promised to me to happen.
I am not joking when I say that the majority of the story is taken up by party planning. But you wouldn't be able to tell that from the blurp, now could you ...
I was assuming that Kate would have to figure out who might have a vendetta against her throughout the book. Instead, the only real threat she faced was during the last 20 pages of the book! That's simply much too late, in my opinion.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
January 10, 2024
stopped reading it half way because of how boring it was
April 5, 2020
Any book that begins with the discovery of a dead body immediately piques my interest. It brings about a feeling of mystery and intrigue right from the very start and makes you wonder how events transpired to result in such an incident. And here it is done very effectively, as it gives the story an air of menace and foreboding that it would otherwise have lacked.
It is a book that touches on a number of interesting themes and contains a setting which I really enjoyed getting to discover. A continually steady pace and the engaging writing also helped to make me feel more invested, but despite a major twist and a dramatic increase in tension towards the end, the plot just seemed a tad convoluted.
The main protagonist is Kate - or Kate Lynette Jordan-Ferreira as she often likes to remind us - and the story begins as she embarks on her fifth year at Mount Norton boarding school, an institution that specialises in the Arts. At the same time, she and her friends have to deal with Ms Calding, their new housemistress who takes a very strict approach to following the rules.
As one of the house prefects, Kate is expected by her fellow students to organise a party to remember. When it eventually takes place it ends in trauma and tragedy, as Kate's past actions come back to haunt her and go on to severely damage her friendships, leaving her more vulnerable as it becomes clear that someone is out to get her.
Once the characters and the setting had been established, most of the first half of the book was simply building up to the party and the events that would occur. At this point it felt like there were endless possibilities, but as the plot began to unravel, the path it chose to go down left me with mixed feelings.
It felt like the author was trying to be slightly too intricate and ultimately, the story did not leave as much of an impact as I was hoping for. Even after the ending, which was extremely tense and one of the most gripping parts of the book, the epilogue wrapped things up a little bit too neatly for my liking.
Some of the themes are conveyed very well. At the beginning Kate says she is beautiful and she knows it, which might initially come across as quite vain, but there turns out to much more to this beneath the surface which is explored in good depth. It also deals strongly with the topic of sexual harassment, although there were some other ideas over the course of the book that could have used being expanded upon a little more.
Except for the prologue, the whole book is written in the first person from Kate's perspective. I was unsure about her at first and she definitely had some flaws, but she definitely grew on me. There were times where I thought she lacked a bit of personality, but I really liked how she developed as a character as the story moved on.
It feels rare for me to say this, but I actually enjoyed the romance element. It felt natural and not at all contrived, and it did not get in the way of the main plot. Indeed, Monro was probably the best written out of all the supporting characters, even if some his actions around the middle of the book did not make a lot of sense.
A boarding school setting is always fun, and I thought this one was very well-realised. Mount Norton and the surrounding beaches were described in a way that enabled me to visualise it quite clearly in my mind, which made it easier to connect with the story as a whole. It is a recurring theme for Sue Wallman's books to take place in one primary setting, and this was one of her better ones.
Overall, I enjoyed several aspects of the story including the setting, the romance, and the messages that it was trying to communicate to a young adult audience. My main issues lay with the plot that tried too hard to be complex and some half-baked ideas, but I found it mostly to be a quick and pleasantly engaging read.
It is a book that touches on a number of interesting themes and contains a setting which I really enjoyed getting to discover. A continually steady pace and the engaging writing also helped to make me feel more invested, but despite a major twist and a dramatic increase in tension towards the end, the plot just seemed a tad convoluted.
The main protagonist is Kate - or Kate Lynette Jordan-Ferreira as she often likes to remind us - and the story begins as she embarks on her fifth year at Mount Norton boarding school, an institution that specialises in the Arts. At the same time, she and her friends have to deal with Ms Calding, their new housemistress who takes a very strict approach to following the rules.
As one of the house prefects, Kate is expected by her fellow students to organise a party to remember. When it eventually takes place it ends in trauma and tragedy, as Kate's past actions come back to haunt her and go on to severely damage her friendships, leaving her more vulnerable as it becomes clear that someone is out to get her.
Once the characters and the setting had been established, most of the first half of the book was simply building up to the party and the events that would occur. At this point it felt like there were endless possibilities, but as the plot began to unravel, the path it chose to go down left me with mixed feelings.
It felt like the author was trying to be slightly too intricate and ultimately, the story did not leave as much of an impact as I was hoping for. Even after the ending, which was extremely tense and one of the most gripping parts of the book, the epilogue wrapped things up a little bit too neatly for my liking.
Some of the themes are conveyed very well. At the beginning Kate says she is beautiful and she knows it, which might initially come across as quite vain, but there turns out to much more to this beneath the surface which is explored in good depth. It also deals strongly with the topic of sexual harassment, although there were some other ideas over the course of the book that could have used being expanded upon a little more.
Except for the prologue, the whole book is written in the first person from Kate's perspective. I was unsure about her at first and she definitely had some flaws, but she definitely grew on me. There were times where I thought she lacked a bit of personality, but I really liked how she developed as a character as the story moved on.
It feels rare for me to say this, but I actually enjoyed the romance element. It felt natural and not at all contrived, and it did not get in the way of the main plot. Indeed, Monro was probably the best written out of all the supporting characters, even if some his actions around the middle of the book did not make a lot of sense.
A boarding school setting is always fun, and I thought this one was very well-realised. Mount Norton and the surrounding beaches were described in a way that enabled me to visualise it quite clearly in my mind, which made it easier to connect with the story as a whole. It is a recurring theme for Sue Wallman's books to take place in one primary setting, and this was one of her better ones.
Overall, I enjoyed several aspects of the story including the setting, the romance, and the messages that it was trying to communicate to a young adult audience. My main issues lay with the plot that tried too hard to be complex and some half-baked ideas, but I found it mostly to be a quick and pleasantly engaging read.
November 1, 2020
Dead Popular has so many of the ingredients of a book that sounds right up my street, but it just felt a little disjointed to fully work and some of the elements were a little rushed.
Our main character has a seemingly charmed life, and is returning to her exclusive school as house prefect. This brings with it its own challenges, and there is an added sense of unease created by the fact that we know someone is going to die.
There is a reasonably claustrophobic environment created in the school, and many of the characters have something they'd rather others didn't know. There's the usual school rivalry and a mysterious new teacher who seems just a little too intense in her interactions.
From the first day there are strange events that nobody can explain. We're left under no illusions. that every single one of the characters we're following is less than perfect, and this made it difficult to really care too much about what happened to them.
When one of the girls is found dead after a party, it's obvious that this was no accident. We know of a few people who could have been involved, and there's an attempt to distract us with a couple of students running away. Throughout it all, our main character is grappling with her sense of morality - though she doesn't really do the right thing until she's left with no alternative.
I'm sure that fans of Wallman will enjoy this. It was a quick read, with some attempt to create mystery but for me the final twist was just a little too easy to see/quickly sprung on us.
Our main character has a seemingly charmed life, and is returning to her exclusive school as house prefect. This brings with it its own challenges, and there is an added sense of unease created by the fact that we know someone is going to die.
There is a reasonably claustrophobic environment created in the school, and many of the characters have something they'd rather others didn't know. There's the usual school rivalry and a mysterious new teacher who seems just a little too intense in her interactions.
From the first day there are strange events that nobody can explain. We're left under no illusions. that every single one of the characters we're following is less than perfect, and this made it difficult to really care too much about what happened to them.
When one of the girls is found dead after a party, it's obvious that this was no accident. We know of a few people who could have been involved, and there's an attempt to distract us with a couple of students running away. Throughout it all, our main character is grappling with her sense of morality - though she doesn't really do the right thing until she's left with no alternative.
I'm sure that fans of Wallman will enjoy this. It was a quick read, with some attempt to create mystery but for me the final twist was just a little too easy to see/quickly sprung on us.
August 20, 2019
Kate is the head of her boarding house and is beautiful in looks and attitude so she feels.
However it never was always that way.
When a new house mistress starts, her friend's artwork starts to get misused to reveal secrets about the girls one by one including a secret of Kate's...
Her friends Bel and Lo always stood by her until one party thrown by Kate results in a girl dying, her sort of enemy/rival Clemmie.
There's also plenty of boy drama as Kate crushes on stuck up Hugo, Bernard takes an interest in her and Munro and her slowly possibly shown signs of becoming more than friends...
Another gripping book by Sue here I really enjoyed this book especially the angle of an old friend who causes the drama despite not even appearing in the book! The boy drama was chilling and actually quite a good warning to how you can miss judge someone, Kate was a very bold proud of herself character and didn't let anything stop her at all even at the end her spirit come across during the hardest time of all and as he was a well developed character.
However it never was always that way.
When a new house mistress starts, her friend's artwork starts to get misused to reveal secrets about the girls one by one including a secret of Kate's...
Her friends Bel and Lo always stood by her until one party thrown by Kate results in a girl dying, her sort of enemy/rival Clemmie.
There's also plenty of boy drama as Kate crushes on stuck up Hugo, Bernard takes an interest in her and Munro and her slowly possibly shown signs of becoming more than friends...
Another gripping book by Sue here I really enjoyed this book especially the angle of an old friend who causes the drama despite not even appearing in the book! The boy drama was chilling and actually quite a good warning to how you can miss judge someone, Kate was a very bold proud of herself character and didn't let anything stop her at all even at the end her spirit come across during the hardest time of all and as he was a well developed character.
August 6, 2019
Dead Popular is by far my favourite of Sue Wallman's books. I loved the boarding school/seaside setting and I thought the characters were really well developed for a short thriller. The start is a little slow but I think that suited the story well as it felt like the plot was unravelling throughout.
July 6, 2019
3.5 stars
If you’re a fan of a boarding school book, this will be right up your street! Big fan of Munro.
If you’re a fan of a boarding school book, this will be right up your street! Big fan of Munro.
March 28, 2024
A very quick and easy read, just a few hours. I’m a huge fan of YA thrillers, but thriller this was not. It felt more like a bad high school drama with a dead body thrown in.
The first half was incredibly slow, mainly Kate planning the party to top all other parties. The last part of the book sped through, and not in an exciting way, but a rushed way, there was no time to be on the edge of my seat because it all was happening so quickly. More time was spent on the planning of the party than the aftermath which I thought was odd. I was really annoyed by the ‘and then this’ style of sentences. This can be well executed, but in this book it just felt like lazy writing.
I realise this is a school for wealthy teens, but not all wealthy people are stuck up snobs. It made it difficult to like most of the characters, even the ones there on scholarship weren’t made out to be nice people. Where are the normal teens?!
Do I have hang ups about the way society judges and stereotypes teens?
Yes.
Has this clouded my judgement of this book?
Also, yes.
For a fancy school, their pre employment checks mustn’t be that great?
As if I didn’t have enough to say … I thought that Kate, her relationship with her parents, and could have been delved into deeper to make for a more meaningful storyline. Take the planning-a-party fluff away, and there would have been plenty of space to instead extend on her story. Her reasons for not wanting her to be out there were vain and made her an even more unlikelable character. There was an opportunity there to instead possibly explore feelings of abandonment, or her not feeling “pretty” enough
There was the pin Code 1 9 8 4, which I wrote in my notes that "I love this ominous number for the security pin!" However after finishing the book, was it even intentional?
Synopsis
Kate is reigning queen-bee of Pankhurst House, a boarding house for girls at Mount Norton School. Back for her fifth-form year as House Prefect and most popular girl at the school, Kate cannot wait to take advantage of all the privileges that come with this, however over summer the house mistress was fired and her replacement, Ms Calding, is far more stricter, observant and a stickler for the rules. As one of the house prefects, it is expected that Kate organises the party of the year, one to remember, but with Ms Calding watching their every move, throwing a party is made much more difficult than in the past.
As Kate and her friends organise the party, other students start revealing long held secrets anonymously - some with very sinister motives, and she realises that someone is playing a very dangerous game. Kate knows you don’t get or keep power by playing nice, but someone knows too much about her past. If Kate doesn’t figure out who the secret revealer is, her final year at Pankhurst may end up being just that: her final year.
The first half was incredibly slow, mainly Kate planning the party to top all other parties. The last part of the book sped through, and not in an exciting way, but a rushed way, there was no time to be on the edge of my seat because it all was happening so quickly. More time was spent on the planning of the party than the aftermath which I thought was odd. I was really annoyed by the ‘and then this’ style of sentences. This can be well executed, but in this book it just felt like lazy writing.
I realise this is a school for wealthy teens, but not all wealthy people are stuck up snobs. It made it difficult to like most of the characters, even the ones there on scholarship weren’t made out to be nice people. Where are the normal teens?!
Do I have hang ups about the way society judges and stereotypes teens?
Yes.
Has this clouded my judgement of this book?
Also, yes.
For a fancy school, their pre employment checks mustn’t be that great?
As if I didn’t have enough to say … I thought that Kate, her relationship with her parents, and could have been delved into deeper to make for a more meaningful storyline. Take the planning-a-party fluff away, and there would have been plenty of space to instead extend on her story. Her reasons for not wanting her to be out there were vain and made her an even more unlikelable character. There was an opportunity there to instead possibly explore feelings of abandonment, or her not feeling “pretty” enough
There was the pin Code 1 9 8 4, which I wrote in my notes that "I love this ominous number for the security pin!" However after finishing the book, was it even intentional?
Synopsis
Kate is reigning queen-bee of Pankhurst House, a boarding house for girls at Mount Norton School. Back for her fifth-form year as House Prefect and most popular girl at the school, Kate cannot wait to take advantage of all the privileges that come with this, however over summer the house mistress was fired and her replacement, Ms Calding, is far more stricter, observant and a stickler for the rules. As one of the house prefects, it is expected that Kate organises the party of the year, one to remember, but with Ms Calding watching their every move, throwing a party is made much more difficult than in the past.
As Kate and her friends organise the party, other students start revealing long held secrets anonymously - some with very sinister motives, and she realises that someone is playing a very dangerous game. Kate knows you don’t get or keep power by playing nice, but someone knows too much about her past. If Kate doesn’t figure out who the secret revealer is, her final year at Pankhurst may end up being just that: her final year.
April 25, 2021
Dead Popular tells the story of head prefect Kate, who attends an elite boarding school. On the first page we discover that there has been a mysterious death. We then go back in time to the lead up to this.
Unfortunately, I didn't enjoy Dead Popular anywhere near as much as I hoped, though it was eminently readable. For me, this was far too tame as a thriller- the stakes and tension never felt particularly high, and the story only got going after the death we're teased with on the very first page which happens more than halfway through. The entirety of the first half is Kate planning the party and vaguely ominous things appearing on the common room wall, none of which have much impact on the characters and certainly don't come across as especially threatening. We have the subplot of Sasha's exit from the school, but somehow this doesn't come alive, maybe because the reader never meets Sasha. There are other plot strands that felt somewhat messy -
Once the body appears, the book moves into more interesting territory but none of what happens is fully realised or explored and it feels rushed. For example, two characters disappear the same night of the death - potentially suspicious and intriguing, yet no one seems worried about their welfare (unconvincing), and there's no real suggestion they've run off for any dark/guilty reason We do get a number of reveals, but many of these take place off scene, with Kate being told about them by her friends. While this is realisitic, it's not satisfying as a reader because a) telling rather than showing and b) Kate isn't an active character -she's passive, rather than discovering leads herself. Her actions barely impact on the plot. As for the revelation of who was responsible, I'm afraid this didn't work for me either because there is no way the reader could possibly have worked this out- it's a bolt entirely out of the blue, with no evidence for it. Not very satisfying for a reader who likes to play detective themselves. And then the last chapter is very rushed indeed.
Dead Popular would, I think, have been a more successful book had we entered the story later - perhaps on the night of the party, so we have less uninteresting lead up to the main event, and more time to focus on the aftermath of the death. As it was, I'm afraid this was a miss for me though others will of course have their own opinions.
Unfortunately, I didn't enjoy Dead Popular anywhere near as much as I hoped, though it was eminently readable. For me, this was far too tame as a thriller- the stakes and tension never felt particularly high, and the story only got going after the death we're teased with on the very first page which happens more than halfway through. The entirety of the first half is Kate planning the party and vaguely ominous things appearing on the common room wall, none of which have much impact on the characters and certainly don't come across as especially threatening. We have the subplot of Sasha's exit from the school, but somehow this doesn't come alive, maybe because the reader never meets Sasha. There are other plot strands that felt somewhat messy -
Once the body appears, the book moves into more interesting territory but none of what happens is fully realised or explored and it feels rushed. For example, two characters disappear the same night of the death - potentially suspicious and intriguing, yet no one seems worried about their welfare (unconvincing), and there's no real suggestion they've run off for any dark/guilty reason We do get a number of reveals, but many of these take place off scene, with Kate being told about them by her friends. While this is realisitic, it's not satisfying as a reader because a) telling rather than showing and b) Kate isn't an active character -she's passive, rather than discovering leads herself. Her actions barely impact on the plot. As for the revelation of who was responsible, I'm afraid this didn't work for me either because there is no way the reader could possibly have worked this out- it's a bolt entirely out of the blue, with no evidence for it. Not very satisfying for a reader who likes to play detective themselves. And then the last chapter is very rushed indeed.
Dead Popular would, I think, have been a more successful book had we entered the story later - perhaps on the night of the party, so we have less uninteresting lead up to the main event, and more time to focus on the aftermath of the death. As it was, I'm afraid this was a miss for me though others will of course have their own opinions.
April 9, 2021
Dead Popular is a YA mystery novel that revolves around prestigious boarding school student, Kate Ferreira. The story follows her as mysterious secrets begin to be pinned to a piece of student artwork in the common room, exposing secrets of the other students. When things take a turn for the worst at a party that Kate has arranged, the atmosphere gets serious and Kate fears her secret past will also be exposed.
-
I’m majorly disappointed. This book is not what I was expecting. The synopsis of the book really mis-sold the contents of the story and I feel as though I’ve been cheated.
-
NEGATIVES:
* nothing happens until more than halfway through the book
* characters are annoying and bratty
* predictable ending
* weak storyline
* mis-sold story
-
POSITIVES
* .... kind of cool cover?
* hints on the negatives of being "popular" and being effected by society's view of what is "beauty"
-
I don't know, I just feel really let down by this book as I was expecting a lot more. I was hoping that Sue Wallman would be a new YA thriller/mystery author whose work I could get into, but I’ll be a bit hesitant to read any of their other works.
-
You can read a more detailed version of this post on my Wordpress blog at:
https://loiereads.wordpress.com/2021/...
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I’m majorly disappointed. This book is not what I was expecting. The synopsis of the book really mis-sold the contents of the story and I feel as though I’ve been cheated.
-
NEGATIVES:
* nothing happens until more than halfway through the book
* characters are annoying and bratty
* predictable ending
* weak storyline
* mis-sold story
-
POSITIVES
* .... kind of cool cover?
* hints on the negatives of being "popular" and being effected by society's view of what is "beauty"
-
I don't know, I just feel really let down by this book as I was expecting a lot more. I was hoping that Sue Wallman would be a new YA thriller/mystery author whose work I could get into, but I’ll be a bit hesitant to read any of their other works.
-
You can read a more detailed version of this post on my Wordpress blog at:
https://loiereads.wordpress.com/2021/...
June 5, 2025
2.5 stars. This book was quite disappointing.
I was expecting a more thrilling turn of events, however the most mysterious thing about this book was the three random words the previous owner had unexplainably highlighted. This was very slow paced for a short book, and I found the plot highly predictable. Not much actually happened until the last 50 pages, when it became slightly more dramatic, but not much.
There were some good aspects of this book. I thought the depiction of the boarding school was well done, and I enjoyed hearing about the hierarchy and how despite the modern times they still had tea and cakes every afternoon. Also, bonus points for being set in England :) .
Overall it was an okay read. Definitely not the best book I’ve read, but not the worst either.
I was expecting a more thrilling turn of events, however the most mysterious thing about this book was the three random words the previous owner had unexplainably highlighted. This was very slow paced for a short book, and I found the plot highly predictable. Not much actually happened until the last 50 pages, when it became slightly more dramatic, but not much.
There were some good aspects of this book. I thought the depiction of the boarding school was well done, and I enjoyed hearing about the hierarchy and how despite the modern times they still had tea and cakes every afternoon. Also, bonus points for being set in England :) .
Overall it was an okay read. Definitely not the best book I’ve read, but not the worst either.
April 7, 2020
The most disappointing of Sue Wallman's books so far. I had expected this to be good because she always delivers a good twist and I love the boarding school setting. However, the storyline was weak and suspended disbelief. A lot of things felt too convenient and seemed thrown together just for the sake of it.
Most of the characters remained shallow with no real growth over the course of the story and everyone got on my nerves. The main character's two best friends were horrible. I would have liked to hear more about the other characters e.g. Veronica at the end but it felt like there were a lot of loose ends.
Hoping her next book will be better!
Most of the characters remained shallow with no real growth over the course of the story and everyone got on my nerves. The main character's two best friends were horrible. I would have liked to hear more about the other characters e.g. Veronica at the end but it felt like there were a lot of loose ends.
Hoping her next book will be better!
May 10, 2022
Just the lamest and book ever and way too british for me.
You keep thinking, “okay the author is telling us so much about everything so the twist must be really worth it” and then it comes and you’re like, “Oh so all that was for that?”And the plot doesn’t even start till like halfway through and there’s so many unnecessary details and towards the end there are important plot points that aren’t explained well at all because they spent half the book explaining the rules and regulations of this stupid Harry Potter school. The characters are unlikeable and hard to root for. A waste of time, don’t read this.
You keep thinking, “okay the author is telling us so much about everything so the twist must be really worth it” and then it comes and you’re like, “Oh so all that was for that?”And the plot doesn’t even start till like halfway through and there’s so many unnecessary details and towards the end there are important plot points that aren’t explained well at all because they spent half the book explaining the rules and regulations of this stupid Harry Potter school. The characters are unlikeable and hard to root for. A waste of time, don’t read this.
December 27, 2020
Dead Popular by Sue Walkman
🌟🌟🌟💫
This book begins with the discovery of a dead body and immediately draws you in!
“Sprawled inelegantly across three large rocks, face down, bones shattered, blood seeping out of her body.”
A fabulous, slow burn mystery that is intricately woven so that you don’t see the twist coming at all. I love the way that once it’s revealed you can see the clues peppered throughout that all add up to only one conclusion!
An easy and enjoyable read, a little slow to start but I read it one sitting! If you like a good YA mystery then you’ll enjoy this :)
🌟🌟🌟💫
This book begins with the discovery of a dead body and immediately draws you in!
“Sprawled inelegantly across three large rocks, face down, bones shattered, blood seeping out of her body.”
A fabulous, slow burn mystery that is intricately woven so that you don’t see the twist coming at all. I love the way that once it’s revealed you can see the clues peppered throughout that all add up to only one conclusion!
An easy and enjoyable read, a little slow to start but I read it one sitting! If you like a good YA mystery then you’ll enjoy this :)
September 3, 2021
I have two great things to say about this book which is what made me give it four stars. Firstly, I enjoyed the whole concept of this book and specifically where the book was set; a prestigious boarding school with pupils hiding secrets. Secondly, I really enjoyed the plot twist in this book although I guess it was pretty predictable looking back. My only criticism is that I really didn’t like a lot of the main characters thinking. Without spoiling it, I thought she was incredibly selfish and I could not forgive her or feel sorry for her.
May 14, 2021
This book is like if mean girls and heathers had a child. Whilst it’s not the most spectacular book I’ve ever read, I did enjoy it. I’m writing this 8 months after reading it and I can still remember some plot points which is a miracle since I have the worlds worst memory! So that surely means that it must be good if it’s memorable for even me.
August 9, 2020
This book had an extremely satisfying ending. All the characters ended up how I wanted them to be.The actual mystery doesn’t start until about 100 pages from the end but this book is definitely worth a read ! 👍
February 6, 2022
loved the vibe and i loved kate! and i was so shocked by the plotwist, this book is great for getting into reading bc that’s definitely what it did for me! cant wait to read more of sue wallmans books!
April 20, 2021
it dragged for quite a bit but you would NEVER guess the ending at all...
August 26, 2021
Found this book so boring. Nothing happened. Dnf (did not finish)
July 29, 2023
I thought at first I wouldn't like this, but it really picked up in the second half.
April 9, 2023
mk so i have very mixed feelings about this book. on the one hand, i found the plot quite interesting, as well as the characters and the way that although kate didn’t want people to know she had had plastic surgery, she wasn’t ashamed of it. She liked the fact she was beautiful, was fully aware of it.
then on the other hand, I hated the narration. It was like it was written in an and then this happened and then that happened structure. there was one place in particular that it really bothered me:
“Paige said whoever had done it was spot on, and Monro told her to piss off.
They shouted at each other until I stood between them and screamed for them to stop. Paige stormed out, followed by a few of her crew, and Monro sat at a table, propping up his head with his hands”
see the thing is, i’ve seen that technique used really cleverly before but this didn’t seem purposeful. it seemed like the writer had attempted writing that section, didn’t like how it had turned out and had just decided to summarise it so we get the idea. so yeah that really annoyed me
then the ending (spoilers) . ugh i really hated it. like i like this book as a book but not as a thriller if that makes sense. I really had no interest in finding out who pushed clemmie, and there was nothing there that made it all come together in the end. like yeah, it being calding made sense, but there were no hints that made you suspect her but then you ruled her out bc of one assumption that was made but then you notice something you missed and it all comes together and makes sense now. that would have been great. but it was more like, nobody really knew who it was, there weren’t really any suspects so the reader didn’t start to build their own theories and get into the mystery of it. and then you find out it’s calding and you’re just like ok yeah that makes sense. so yeah that was disappointing.
if i’m honest, the thriller aspect of it eas the least interesting to me. the rest i found interesting and that’s why I kept reading, but i found the conclusion to the mystery to be lazy and boring. so yeah 3/5
then on the other hand, I hated the narration. It was like it was written in an and then this happened and then that happened structure. there was one place in particular that it really bothered me:
“Paige said whoever had done it was spot on, and Monro told her to piss off.
They shouted at each other until I stood between them and screamed for them to stop. Paige stormed out, followed by a few of her crew, and Monro sat at a table, propping up his head with his hands”
see the thing is, i’ve seen that technique used really cleverly before but this didn’t seem purposeful. it seemed like the writer had attempted writing that section, didn’t like how it had turned out and had just decided to summarise it so we get the idea. so yeah that really annoyed me
then the ending (spoilers) . ugh i really hated it. like i like this book as a book but not as a thriller if that makes sense. I really had no interest in finding out who pushed clemmie, and there was nothing there that made it all come together in the end. like yeah, it being calding made sense, but there were no hints that made you suspect her but then you ruled her out bc of one assumption that was made but then you notice something you missed and it all comes together and makes sense now. that would have been great. but it was more like, nobody really knew who it was, there weren’t really any suspects so the reader didn’t start to build their own theories and get into the mystery of it. and then you find out it’s calding and you’re just like ok yeah that makes sense. so yeah that was disappointing.
if i’m honest, the thriller aspect of it eas the least interesting to me. the rest i found interesting and that’s why I kept reading, but i found the conclusion to the mystery to be lazy and boring. so yeah 3/5
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
January 5, 2023
One of my favourite reads of 2022. I always love Sue Wallman's books, but this one had everything, and I'm still thinking about it a week later as I write this review. It's tense and suspenseful, with a twist I knew was coming but couldn't quite predict how. I love love loveee when a book gives you so many theories you don't quite know which to believe.
The book follows Kate at her prestigious boarding school, which turns upside down after a party goes wrong and a girl ends up dead. The first half is a little slow and I didn't love Kate as a rather vain protagonist, which is why I knocked off the last half-star. But in terms of setting and description, lovable characters, a little trio of strong female friends built from love and connection rather than spite or social-climbing... Sue Wallman knows exactly how to write YA, and I'm still jealous that my own school librarians weren't as as cool as her.
I also loved the romance, which was slow and buildable but so so pure, especially compared to other books in the genre which tend to shove in the love story as a bit of an afterthought. Without naming names, *some* high school mysteries see the main character falling for the best-looking guy, the coolest guy, like that whole cliché isn't totally overused and predictable. It was so nice to read a book where you didn't see the romance coming right away, where every character had secrets to hide, even Kate.
As a big fan of UKYA and this kind of murder mystery / thriller, this book was right up my street, but I didn't think I'd love it as much as I did. I couldn't stop reading throughout the second half, and although I've seen a dozen reviews saying the ending was predictable, I'm not sure anyone could've predicted that *exact* outcome or explanation... But maybe I'm more dense than I thought.
The book follows Kate at her prestigious boarding school, which turns upside down after a party goes wrong and a girl ends up dead. The first half is a little slow and I didn't love Kate as a rather vain protagonist, which is why I knocked off the last half-star. But in terms of setting and description, lovable characters, a little trio of strong female friends built from love and connection rather than spite or social-climbing... Sue Wallman knows exactly how to write YA, and I'm still jealous that my own school librarians weren't as as cool as her.
I also loved the romance, which was slow and buildable but so so pure, especially compared to other books in the genre which tend to shove in the love story as a bit of an afterthought. Without naming names, *some* high school mysteries see the main character falling for the best-looking guy, the coolest guy, like that whole cliché isn't totally overused and predictable. It was so nice to read a book where you didn't see the romance coming right away, where every character had secrets to hide, even Kate.
As a big fan of UKYA and this kind of murder mystery / thriller, this book was right up my street, but I didn't think I'd love it as much as I did. I couldn't stop reading throughout the second half, and although I've seen a dozen reviews saying the ending was predictable, I'm not sure anyone could've predicted that *exact* outcome or explanation... But maybe I'm more dense than I thought.
September 29, 2022
I found this book very slow-paced at the start. Immediately I found myself getting confused between little details and characters in the book. As usual, Sue Wallmans description of scenery and characters was impeccable however I found the plot underwhelming and confusing. Firstly, Veronica’s ‘gossip wall’ had a lot of potential but the things that were stuck up there seemed completely irrelevant and pointless. Secondly, the suspense built up around Sasha’s expulsion was unnecessary as I felt the revelation was underwhelming. I found the plastic surgery thing a huge cliche. I also felt many of the characters weren’t explored nearly enough. For example, Clemmie was just portrayed as a popular, shallow, mean girl with nothing beneath the surface ( even though there clearly was which wasn’t touched upon). Plus throughout the book there was lots of talk about Kipper being strange but this was then never tied up. Lastly, the revelation at the end was very predictable and seemed incredibly far-fetched and silly to me. If Sasha was this hard-working, normal girl who came from a normal family, why did she have some crazy, psychopathic sister? Is someone being expelled really motivation to kill someone? After all this though, I loved the way Elsie Gran and Monro were portrayed. Their characters really came to life. And the discovery of Wibbz’s secret files on the children was very clever (however it was left on a loose end). All together it was a slightly disappointing read but I still enjoyed it nevertheless.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
May 11, 2024
I enjoyed this book after I reached the halfway mark, because that's when the plot started to pick up. I didn't see the plot twist!
I did not, however, really enjoy the characters, or the dialogue. You're telling me these girls went to a british secondary school but spoke and acted like they were in an American high school straight out of a 2000's rom-com? Okay...
Meribel annoyed me a lot, just the way she got on was irritating. I liked Lo, I found her entertaining and also, I do the "pushing-fingers-back-thing" too. Bernard made me wish the human race was extinct; he was a very well written antagonist. I really liked Monro, I thought he was funny and he and Kate had chemistry. Hugo was delightfully written as an attractive hallway crush that you later find out is kind of a douchebag.
And lastly... Kate Lynette Jordan-Ferreira. Did you catch that? Her name is Kate Lynette Jordan-Ferreira, in case you didn't hear it the first 39 times she stated it in the book. Like okay girl, we get it. We know your name. Stop repeating it- Stop- No? okay.. There she goes, yep, that's her name. Kate Lynette Jordan-Ferreira. Got it? Okay, but just to make sure.... Kate Lynette Jordan-Ferreira is DEFINITELY her name. In case you somehow didn't catch it.
All in all, I liked your book, Sue. Keep writing. And keep making sure all your readers never forget your protagonist's name. Ever. It's imprinted on the inside of my eyelids. I see it when I sleep. It appears on road signs in my dreams.
I did not, however, really enjoy the characters, or the dialogue. You're telling me these girls went to a british secondary school but spoke and acted like they were in an American high school straight out of a 2000's rom-com? Okay...
Meribel annoyed me a lot, just the way she got on was irritating. I liked Lo, I found her entertaining and also, I do the "pushing-fingers-back-thing" too. Bernard made me wish the human race was extinct; he was a very well written antagonist. I really liked Monro, I thought he was funny and he and Kate had chemistry. Hugo was delightfully written as an attractive hallway crush that you later find out is kind of a douchebag.
And lastly... Kate Lynette Jordan-Ferreira. Did you catch that? Her name is Kate Lynette Jordan-Ferreira, in case you didn't hear it the first 39 times she stated it in the book. Like okay girl, we get it. We know your name. Stop repeating it- Stop- No? okay.. There she goes, yep, that's her name. Kate Lynette Jordan-Ferreira. Got it? Okay, but just to make sure.... Kate Lynette Jordan-Ferreira is DEFINITELY her name. In case you somehow didn't catch it.
All in all, I liked your book, Sue. Keep writing. And keep making sure all your readers never forget your protagonist's name. Ever. It's imprinted on the inside of my eyelids. I see it when I sleep. It appears on road signs in my dreams.
August 14, 2019
Set in an elite boarding school by the sea, we meet Kate, her friends, and other pupils at Manor Norton School. Right from the beginning you get this feeling of entitlement, money and beauty, the art of being practically perfect. One of Kate's friends, Sasha was expelled at the end of the last term and we aren't told why. An artwork collage by one of the pupil's, Veronica, is on display in the common room called "The Things We Keep Hidden" is suddenly embellished with extras. A prescription, the address of a hospital. All these little things build the tension. Kate is planning her secret party at a very expensive beach house and by then we know something is going to happen. But what and to whom? There is a great twist at the end.
I loved this book. I read a lot of thrillers and the building up of the characters and the setting made it unputdownable. (Is that a word? It should be). I grew up with the Chalet School books by Elinor Brent-Dyer set in a boarding school in the Austria / Switzerland and Dead Popular reminded me of some of their adventure.
I had heard a lot about this book, but couldn't afford to buy it so reserved it from my local library instead.
I loved this book. I read a lot of thrillers and the building up of the characters and the setting made it unputdownable. (Is that a word? It should be). I grew up with the Chalet School books by Elinor Brent-Dyer set in a boarding school in the Austria / Switzerland and Dead Popular reminded me of some of their adventure.
I had heard a lot about this book, but couldn't afford to buy it so reserved it from my local library instead.
January 18, 2020
Another fantastic read from Sue!
She really knows how to write a thriller that keeps the reader gripped.
A story about doing anything to fit in. Even if that means lying your way to the top and hurting the ones you love.
I adore a boarding school book. I think they're so fun and there is so much mystery with twists and turns! Trying to be the popular girl is hard at a boarding school. You live with these people for the majority of the year but, Kate is willing to do what she can to be popular. To get the guy she wants and to have the best last year before she moves on. But, she is hiding a few secrets, secrets from her past and someone knows. Someone knows and Kate needs to figure out who it is before it gets to late and before someone gets hurt. But, one night at a party is going to change everything.
I adored this book. The cast, the friendship, the drama and of course the secrets! It was such a fun book. A girl just wanting to have a fun, normal year but someone is making it difficult for her and her secrets. She needs to make sure they don't swallow her whole.
Another fantastic book from Sue and I can't recommend it enough!
She really knows how to write a thriller that keeps the reader gripped.
A story about doing anything to fit in. Even if that means lying your way to the top and hurting the ones you love.
I adore a boarding school book. I think they're so fun and there is so much mystery with twists and turns! Trying to be the popular girl is hard at a boarding school. You live with these people for the majority of the year but, Kate is willing to do what she can to be popular. To get the guy she wants and to have the best last year before she moves on. But, she is hiding a few secrets, secrets from her past and someone knows. Someone knows and Kate needs to figure out who it is before it gets to late and before someone gets hurt. But, one night at a party is going to change everything.
I adored this book. The cast, the friendship, the drama and of course the secrets! It was such a fun book. A girl just wanting to have a fun, normal year but someone is making it difficult for her and her secrets. She needs to make sure they don't swallow her whole.
Another fantastic book from Sue and I can't recommend it enough!
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