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14 Ways To Die
Ten years ago, Jess's mother was murdered by the Magpie Man.
She was the first of his victims but not the last.
Now Jess is the star of a YouTube reality series and she's using it to catch the killer once and for all.
The whole world is watching her every move.
And so is the Magpie Man.
She was the first of his victims but not the last.
Now Jess is the star of a YouTube reality series and she's using it to catch the killer once and for all.
The whole world is watching her every move.
And so is the Magpie Man.
249 pages, Kindle Edition
First published December 19, 2019
962 people are currently reading
39869 people want to read
About the author
Vincent Ralph
11 books698 followersVincent Ralph is the New York Times and USA Today bestselling author of YA thrillers 14 Ways to Die, Lock the Doors, Secrets Never Die, and One House Left. He is an Edgar Award nominee, winner of the Southern Schools
Book Award, and the author of picture book A Boy Called Book.
The first two novels in the Bleak Haven series - Dead Fake and Night Terror - will be published in January 2026.
Book Award, and the author of picture book A Boy Called Book.
The first two novels in the Bleak Haven series - Dead Fake and Night Terror - will be published in January 2026.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 2,897 reviews
November 7, 2022
This was quick, gripping, one of my other fastest reads! ( it could be even faster if 40-50 pages could have been edited! So we can get straight to the point, instead of procrastination of learning the real identity of obvious culprit ! )
The idea of real time big brother show about five teenagers whose real life stories are about to be shared separately at each week days was creative, hooking! As soon as I read the opening sentence: my mom was killed by the Magpie Man which is the part of Jessica Simmons, 17 years high school girl’s interview with show producers , I said okay I’m all ears or let’s say eyes because my eyes will do the most of the job to capture the stories.
One of the five teenagers who gets the most attention by the viewer numbers will be permanent one who will win show contract, telling goodbye to her/ his rivalries.
Jess’ motivation is finding the identity of serial killer , raising her voice via social media, attracting attention of the authorities who don’t give enough energy to solve the case.
Well, she has tough opponents: Lucas Newman was once upon a time child YouTube star now he’s 16 and he’s adamant to win his fame back! Ella is some kind of Virgin Mary, is pregnant without having sex, 17. Ryan (19)is the one of the complex one because his brother shot everyone in the museum and blew himself up! Another tragic story like Jess’ so he may be the most challenging competitor and Sonia is the sneaky one who doesn’t tell anything about herself could be the wild card of the competition!
But as soon as Jess starts her video talks, opening up about her rehearsed speech about catching serial killer, she attracts too much attention: not only the admirers or other children who suffer losing loved ones by Magpie killer, she also attracts stalkers and perverts’ attention as well.
Somebody starts sending her secret phone text messages. Normally only a few people know the existence of that phone and somebody starts watching her in standing in the dark in front of her window. Is this the real killer or a standard stalker?
Did she put herself and father’s life in danger by starting this show? Could she bring out justice by continuing to dig more?
Go and read to learn more!
Overall: I’d enjoyed the original premise. Both Jess, her close friends and her father were likable characters. The conclusion was good! The short chapter story telling technique wasn’t irritating for me but as I mentioned at the beginning it would be better if there were less pages because story got a little repetitive and the excitement of the pacing lost its magic but i still liked the outcome which earned my four murder mystery, whodunnit, reality show stars!
Special thanks to NetGalley and SOURCEBOOKS Fire for sharing this digital reviewer copy with me in exchange my honest opinions.
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The idea of real time big brother show about five teenagers whose real life stories are about to be shared separately at each week days was creative, hooking! As soon as I read the opening sentence: my mom was killed by the Magpie Man which is the part of Jessica Simmons, 17 years high school girl’s interview with show producers , I said okay I’m all ears or let’s say eyes because my eyes will do the most of the job to capture the stories.
One of the five teenagers who gets the most attention by the viewer numbers will be permanent one who will win show contract, telling goodbye to her/ his rivalries.
Jess’ motivation is finding the identity of serial killer , raising her voice via social media, attracting attention of the authorities who don’t give enough energy to solve the case.
Well, she has tough opponents: Lucas Newman was once upon a time child YouTube star now he’s 16 and he’s adamant to win his fame back! Ella is some kind of Virgin Mary, is pregnant without having sex, 17. Ryan (19)is the one of the complex one because his brother shot everyone in the museum and blew himself up! Another tragic story like Jess’ so he may be the most challenging competitor and Sonia is the sneaky one who doesn’t tell anything about herself could be the wild card of the competition!
But as soon as Jess starts her video talks, opening up about her rehearsed speech about catching serial killer, she attracts too much attention: not only the admirers or other children who suffer losing loved ones by Magpie killer, she also attracts stalkers and perverts’ attention as well.
Somebody starts sending her secret phone text messages. Normally only a few people know the existence of that phone and somebody starts watching her in standing in the dark in front of her window. Is this the real killer or a standard stalker?
Did she put herself and father’s life in danger by starting this show? Could she bring out justice by continuing to dig more?
Go and read to learn more!
Overall: I’d enjoyed the original premise. Both Jess, her close friends and her father were likable characters. The conclusion was good! The short chapter story telling technique wasn’t irritating for me but as I mentioned at the beginning it would be better if there were less pages because story got a little repetitive and the excitement of the pacing lost its magic but i still liked the outcome which earned my four murder mystery, whodunnit, reality show stars!
Special thanks to NetGalley and SOURCEBOOKS Fire for sharing this digital reviewer copy with me in exchange my honest opinions.
blog
March 22, 2022
3.8 stars for me! Loved the story and the reveal at the end about the killers identity. At some parts I felt the story could use more description and some moments/characters felt a bit underdeveloped but overall I was engaged the whole time and liked the mystery!
July 16, 2021
I am being gaslit by Goodreads.
Every review is so POSITIVE, so GLOWING. And it's like... did we read the same book? Where am I even supposed to start with how bad this book was? When I picked this up from the bookstore, I knew it wasn't going to be a five star read, but I thought it was at least going to be entertaining. The premise is ridiculous. We have to stop pretending like it was strong or promising. It's unrealistic and silly, but that's what drew me in initially.
I guess I'll start with the writing. It's..... not the worst in the world, but it for sure is not the best. Vincent Ralph seems fond of shoehorning philosophies and moral lessons on grief and how "everyone has their own battle" and whatever. Jessica's internal monologue was so annoying because she embodied those kids who think they "get" life. We are also constantly reminded that her mom is, in fact, dead. Which IS important to the plot, but Jessica kept telling us it as if it were new information.
And speaking of Jessica! I'm confused by all the reviews saying shes a "strong protagonist," that she "feels real," and she "has a real personality." From what I read, she's more the idea of a person. And so is everyone else in this book. NONE of the characters have descriptions so as I read they were just formless blobs. All their personalities were one note and half of them didn't even need to be in the book. Especially the other contestants for the weirdo show Jessica wants to go on. [WARNING I AM GOING TO SPOIL SOMETHING HERE] What was up with that part where all the contestants GIVE UP and let Jessica get the extension? Just so she could look at the camera and say, "My mom died"? Throughout the book Jessica is rewarded for doing the bare minimum. A lot of other reviews refer to her as a "teen sleuth." She barely did any sleuthing!
The pacing was also bad. I feel like the short chapters were designed to make the book a quick read. Instead, they felt like they made the book SOOO much longer. And half the chapters had little to no purpose. It was just Jessica's internal monologue about her dead mom. There is so little action and choice in this book, and all the monologuing bogged down the pace. A thriller is supposed to be thrilling, meaning it should have a pace that hits a certain amount of beats and should maintain tension. There is no tension in this novel.
My last thing is, admittedly, a bit of a nitpick. Towards the beginning, Jessica explains (or tries to give the impression of explaining, she really didn't say anything of substance) how the police botched the investigation into her mom's murder. She then launches in a bogus profile of the Magpie Man to try and give the impression of the man she's up against. I truly believe Vincent Ralph watched one episode of Criminal Minds and said, "Okay cool, I'll do that." I am not a profiler, but I engage with true crime media REGULARLY. The profile drummed up by Ralph was so, so, so annoying and bad and not well done. The most annoying part was that it was a huge contradiction. According to this profile of the Magpie Man, he DESPERATELY does not want to be caught but also will make little hints that he did it in an effort to claim credit. Which is it? Does he want to be caught or doesn't he? It just really annoyed me and pissed me off.
This is perhaps the meanest review I've ever written, and a part of me feels bad for that. I don't want to make anyone feel bad or insecure about their writing, but this book really, really irked me. And I truly do not understand the glowing reviews. What are other people seeing that I'm not? I don't think I'll ever know.
Every review is so POSITIVE, so GLOWING. And it's like... did we read the same book? Where am I even supposed to start with how bad this book was? When I picked this up from the bookstore, I knew it wasn't going to be a five star read, but I thought it was at least going to be entertaining. The premise is ridiculous. We have to stop pretending like it was strong or promising. It's unrealistic and silly, but that's what drew me in initially.
I guess I'll start with the writing. It's..... not the worst in the world, but it for sure is not the best. Vincent Ralph seems fond of shoehorning philosophies and moral lessons on grief and how "everyone has their own battle" and whatever. Jessica's internal monologue was so annoying because she embodied those kids who think they "get" life. We are also constantly reminded that her mom is, in fact, dead. Which IS important to the plot, but Jessica kept telling us it as if it were new information.
And speaking of Jessica! I'm confused by all the reviews saying shes a "strong protagonist," that she "feels real," and she "has a real personality." From what I read, she's more the idea of a person. And so is everyone else in this book. NONE of the characters have descriptions so as I read they were just formless blobs. All their personalities were one note and half of them didn't even need to be in the book. Especially the other contestants for the weirdo show Jessica wants to go on. [WARNING I AM GOING TO SPOIL SOMETHING HERE] What was up with that part where all the contestants GIVE UP and let Jessica get the extension? Just so she could look at the camera and say, "My mom died"? Throughout the book Jessica is rewarded for doing the bare minimum. A lot of other reviews refer to her as a "teen sleuth." She barely did any sleuthing!
The pacing was also bad. I feel like the short chapters were designed to make the book a quick read. Instead, they felt like they made the book SOOO much longer. And half the chapters had little to no purpose. It was just Jessica's internal monologue about her dead mom. There is so little action and choice in this book, and all the monologuing bogged down the pace. A thriller is supposed to be thrilling, meaning it should have a pace that hits a certain amount of beats and should maintain tension. There is no tension in this novel.
My last thing is, admittedly, a bit of a nitpick. Towards the beginning, Jessica explains (or tries to give the impression of explaining, she really didn't say anything of substance) how the police botched the investigation into her mom's murder. She then launches in a bogus profile of the Magpie Man to try and give the impression of the man she's up against. I truly believe Vincent Ralph watched one episode of Criminal Minds and said, "Okay cool, I'll do that." I am not a profiler, but I engage with true crime media REGULARLY. The profile drummed up by Ralph was so, so, so annoying and bad and not well done. The most annoying part was that it was a huge contradiction. According to this profile of the Magpie Man, he DESPERATELY does not want to be caught but also will make little hints that he did it in an effort to claim credit. Which is it? Does he want to be caught or doesn't he? It just really annoyed me and pissed me off.
This is perhaps the meanest review I've ever written, and a part of me feels bad for that. I don't want to make anyone feel bad or insecure about their writing, but this book really, really irked me. And I truly do not understand the glowing reviews. What are other people seeing that I'm not? I don't think I'll ever know.
November 24, 2019
Are You Watching? is an incredibly gripping but slightly unrealistic YA thriller by Vincent Ralph.
Seventeen-year-old Jess applies to be a part of a YouTube reality show called The Eye which live streams the lives of five different individuals with interesting stories to tell, every week. Jess's story begins when she was seven—her mother was murdered by the serial killer who is referred to as The Magpie Man. She was his first victim and he has killed twelve other women since then. With the help of the internet and the audience that the show grants her, Jess aims to increase awareness about the case and find clues to catch the man who murdered her mother and finally deliver justice.
It has been so long since I read a YA book, I'd forgotten how much I enjoyed reading them. I couldn't put this one down! The mysterious environment created by Ralph keeps you guessing constantly. The characters are realistic but a few things about the story just seemed far-fetched to me—how willing everyone, including Jess's school is with the filming of their lives; how the police don't take a lot of things that Jess says seriously which was really frustrating because she was forced to take things into her own hands. A lot of her decisions were reckless and questionable but I guess that is what YA is—a bunch of teenage bad decisions and the enjoyable (for us, not for the characters) consequences.
Overall, I'd say I enjoyed this book. It was fast-paced and a fun read. It's a book that I wouldn't recommend if you have other books on your TBR but if you're looking to read something just to pass time, this one would work just fine.
[I'd like to thank NetGalley, Penguin Random House UK and Vincent Ralph for this ARC.]
Seventeen-year-old Jess applies to be a part of a YouTube reality show called The Eye which live streams the lives of five different individuals with interesting stories to tell, every week. Jess's story begins when she was seven—her mother was murdered by the serial killer who is referred to as The Magpie Man. She was his first victim and he has killed twelve other women since then. With the help of the internet and the audience that the show grants her, Jess aims to increase awareness about the case and find clues to catch the man who murdered her mother and finally deliver justice.
It has been so long since I read a YA book, I'd forgotten how much I enjoyed reading them. I couldn't put this one down! The mysterious environment created by Ralph keeps you guessing constantly. The characters are realistic but a few things about the story just seemed far-fetched to me—how willing everyone, including Jess's school is with the filming of their lives; how the police don't take a lot of things that Jess says seriously which was really frustrating because she was forced to take things into her own hands. A lot of her decisions were reckless and questionable but I guess that is what YA is—a bunch of teenage bad decisions and the enjoyable (for us, not for the characters) consequences.
Overall, I'd say I enjoyed this book. It was fast-paced and a fun read. It's a book that I wouldn't recommend if you have other books on your TBR but if you're looking to read something just to pass time, this one would work just fine.
[I'd like to thank NetGalley, Penguin Random House UK and Vincent Ralph for this ARC.]
April 11, 2021
Well this was entertaining and had some tense moments but you definitely need to suspend disbelief a few times throughout this YA mystery.
The premise was good and I liked the short snappy chapters and the pacing was spot on. I think it's target audience will enjoy making the connections and working through the twists and turns in the story to find out who the killer is. A solid 3.
The premise was good and I liked the short snappy chapters and the pacing was spot on. I think it's target audience will enjoy making the connections and working through the twists and turns in the story to find out who the killer is. A solid 3.
November 4, 2019
I particularly liked the use of social media in this book, in a world of reality stars and people constantly posting on social media you could imagine this happening.
Jess’s mother was killed by the Magpie Man when she was seven, she was his first victim but not his last and he has never been caught.
Jess is now 17 and auditions to be a reality star, they are looking for people who they can film for one day of the week on YouTube. The show is about Real Lives With Twists.” Jess hopes that by telling the story about her mothers death, this will help someone to remember a vital clue or draw the killer out. But who is watching her?
I couldn’t put this book down, I hadn’t worked out the identity of the Magpie Man, so the ending was a complete surprise for me.
This whodunnit made me tear up at one point. The interaction between Jess and her friends is so touching.
Thank you to Netgalley for my copy in exchange for a review.
Jess’s mother was killed by the Magpie Man when she was seven, she was his first victim but not his last and he has never been caught.
Jess is now 17 and auditions to be a reality star, they are looking for people who they can film for one day of the week on YouTube. The show is about Real Lives With Twists.” Jess hopes that by telling the story about her mothers death, this will help someone to remember a vital clue or draw the killer out. But who is watching her?
I couldn’t put this book down, I hadn’t worked out the identity of the Magpie Man, so the ending was a complete surprise for me.
This whodunnit made me tear up at one point. The interaction between Jess and her friends is so touching.
Thank you to Netgalley for my copy in exchange for a review.
June 3, 2021
Very well done YA mystery/thriller debut. Lots of great twists and kept me guessing until the end.
Jess's mother was the first victim of the serial killer known as the Magpie Man, and he has since killed twelve others and the police have no leads. Jess was seven when her mother was killed, and now that she's 17 she wants to shake things loose and bring the guy down once and for all. She auditions for and is selected as a vlogger in a new YouTube series where her live platform is to shine the light on the crimes and hopefully draw the murderer to the surface.
I loved the use of social media as a tool, and this book definitely shows the benefits and the pitfalls of such an endeavor. Jess gets clues, but she also gets much more than she bargained for. As a whole, this book could have been tightened up a bit. There are parts that get bogged down and the pace slows. Yet once we finally get halfway through, things pick up and more and more clues are revealed.
If you like to read intriguing YA mysteries, this is definitely one you want to put on your list.
I voluntarily reviewed a complimentary copy of this book, all opinions are my own.
Jess's mother was the first victim of the serial killer known as the Magpie Man, and he has since killed twelve others and the police have no leads. Jess was seven when her mother was killed, and now that she's 17 she wants to shake things loose and bring the guy down once and for all. She auditions for and is selected as a vlogger in a new YouTube series where her live platform is to shine the light on the crimes and hopefully draw the murderer to the surface.
I loved the use of social media as a tool, and this book definitely shows the benefits and the pitfalls of such an endeavor. Jess gets clues, but she also gets much more than she bargained for. As a whole, this book could have been tightened up a bit. There are parts that get bogged down and the pace slows. Yet once we finally get halfway through, things pick up and more and more clues are revealed.
If you like to read intriguing YA mysteries, this is definitely one you want to put on your list.
I voluntarily reviewed a complimentary copy of this book, all opinions are my own.
December 28, 2019
I really liked this. The tone and pace reminded me of Small Spaces by Epstein, a wonderful YA Thriller I read last year. The concept reminded me of Egger's The Circle (again, a fantastic novel!).
Jess's mother was killed by The Magpie Man when she was seven -- a serial killer who has since killed twelve people. Now in Sixth Form, Jess applies for and stars in a new online show which resembles The Truman Show or Big Brother. Once a week, a camera crew films every aspect of her life and live-broadcasts it for the world to see. This dystopian twist on oversharing is particularly potent because, unlike Mae in The Circle, Jess does this with the sole intention of raising awareness about the Magpie Man and catching him. Thus, through her narrative, Ralph can explore the oftentimes dangerous and invasive side of social media use.
This is a quick, gripping read.
Jess's mother was killed by The Magpie Man when she was seven -- a serial killer who has since killed twelve people. Now in Sixth Form, Jess applies for and stars in a new online show which resembles The Truman Show or Big Brother. Once a week, a camera crew films every aspect of her life and live-broadcasts it for the world to see. This dystopian twist on oversharing is particularly potent because, unlike Mae in The Circle, Jess does this with the sole intention of raising awareness about the Magpie Man and catching him. Thus, through her narrative, Ralph can explore the oftentimes dangerous and invasive side of social media use.
This is a quick, gripping read.
April 11, 2023
3✮ˏˋ°•*⁀➷
one word to describe this book: mid. jess (the mc) annoyed me quite a bit in some situations. anytime a character would try talking to her about something they struggled with, she’d always make the conversation about her and start complaining about how her problems were worse then theirs. like bfr?? not everything is about you. i liked emily and jamie though; they were both sweet.
the plot was again, mid. the reveal of who the magpie man was ended up being anti-climactic because we only interact with the person in total for about half a page. and while it wasn’t a horrible choice to choose that character, there were a couple other characters that could’ve gotten a more shocked response out of me. also this book is being compared to a good girls guide to murder and let me just say, they are really nothing alike! (agggtm is so much better imo.) yeah, that about sums it up.
˗ˏˋ⤷ age rating: 13+
˗ˏˋ⤷ spice rating: 0/5
one word to describe this book: mid. jess (the mc) annoyed me quite a bit in some situations. anytime a character would try talking to her about something they struggled with, she’d always make the conversation about her and start complaining about how her problems were worse then theirs. like bfr?? not everything is about you. i liked emily and jamie though; they were both sweet.
the plot was again, mid. the reveal of who the magpie man was ended up being anti-climactic because we only interact with the person in total for about half a page. and while it wasn’t a horrible choice to choose that character, there were a couple other characters that could’ve gotten a more shocked response out of me. also this book is being compared to a good girls guide to murder and let me just say, they are really nothing alike! (agggtm is so much better imo.) yeah, that about sums it up.
˗ˏˋ⤷ age rating: 13+
˗ˏˋ⤷ spice rating: 0/5
June 18, 2021
Full review up on my blog: https://www.crumbledpages.com/14-ways...
This book was incredibly fast paced but mildly unrealistic. This story is about Jess who participates in an online competition in a hope to catch the serial killer, The Magpie Man, who murdered her mother. He has killed 13 times since. She wants justice for her mother. While her background story and her motive is intense and realistic, nothing much about this book felt realistic. I mean, a 17 year old girl catching a serial killer who has killed more than 13 times already?
The chapters were extremely short and fast paced, that a good thing, but the characters were extremely bland.
The mystery part of this story wasn’t gripping or exciting.
I’d recommend this book to newcomers of the mystery thriller genre but not to people like me who reads like 5 mystery thriller a month.
This book was incredibly fast paced but mildly unrealistic. This story is about Jess who participates in an online competition in a hope to catch the serial killer, The Magpie Man, who murdered her mother. He has killed 13 times since. She wants justice for her mother. While her background story and her motive is intense and realistic, nothing much about this book felt realistic. I mean, a 17 year old girl catching a serial killer who has killed more than 13 times already?
The chapters were extremely short and fast paced, that a good thing, but the characters were extremely bland.
The mystery part of this story wasn’t gripping or exciting.
I’d recommend this book to newcomers of the mystery thriller genre but not to people like me who reads like 5 mystery thriller a month.
January 26, 2020
Are You Watching is such a clever YA book. It is a crime thriller with a twist and I was hooked very early on. With short chapters this is one of those books that makes you want to keep reading. The plot was original and well written, very easy to read.
Jess lost her mother 10 years ago when she was the first victim of the serial killer they call The Magpie Man. He is still on the loose and still killing. When Jess is given the chance to appear on a new You Tube reality show she uses the exposure to try and lure the killer and out and get justice for her mother. Everybody is watching, and soon Jess is watching her back. Can she do what the police couldn't do and stop the Magpie Man?
Thanks to Netgalley and Penguin Random House UK for my advanced copy of this book. All opinions are my own and are in no way biased
Jess lost her mother 10 years ago when she was the first victim of the serial killer they call The Magpie Man. He is still on the loose and still killing. When Jess is given the chance to appear on a new You Tube reality show she uses the exposure to try and lure the killer and out and get justice for her mother. Everybody is watching, and soon Jess is watching her back. Can she do what the police couldn't do and stop the Magpie Man?
Thanks to Netgalley and Penguin Random House UK for my advanced copy of this book. All opinions are my own and are in no way biased
October 5, 2023
I am absolutely in love with this book. It had so many twists and turns, and I never knew who the true killer was until it presented itself.
I 100% suggest this book to anyone looking for a good thriller and wants some twists and turns.
I had my suspicions on who it could have been, and I never assumed it was who it was. I never thought they were to be a huge part of the story until they were. The ending epilougue from Jess was incredible to see her explain how she caught the person who killed her mother and to talk of the justice that was served.
Jessica as a main character was a great choice, she was a bit relatable with how she wanted to be seen as strong and not weak in front of others but really she's a scared teenager trying to get justice for her mother. I do wonder what happened with her and Jamie, and I wonder if they ended up going to their junior prom together.
Speaking if Jamie he is such a sweet guy with how he was instantly protective over Jess and how he was looking out for her. Even if it was a bit creepy. He was with her until the end and trusted her with what she thought was best and never brushed her off or thought she was crazy.
Jess's friends, Emily and Hanna, are so much fun, and it truly shows how well their friendship is and how much they truly treasure each other. I love the cute moments of them twasing each other or just being there for each other.
Jess's dad was someone heartbreaking to read about. He was a man who was hurt with losing his soulmate too early just because she almost saw something she wasn't supposed to.
Jess's mom sounds so sweet with each memory, text, and image that was brought up. Her mom would truly be so proud of Jess for finding who killed her and getting him life in prison.
https://spotify.link/XEVAsTXCDDb - made by kamalei on spotify
I 100% suggest this book to anyone looking for a good thriller and wants some twists and turns.
I had my suspicions on who it could have been, and I never assumed it was who it was. I never thought they were to be a huge part of the story until they were. The ending epilougue from Jess was incredible to see her explain how she caught the person who killed her mother and to talk of the justice that was served.
Jessica as a main character was a great choice, she was a bit relatable with how she wanted to be seen as strong and not weak in front of others but really she's a scared teenager trying to get justice for her mother. I do wonder what happened with her and Jamie, and I wonder if they ended up going to their junior prom together.
Speaking if Jamie he is such a sweet guy with how he was instantly protective over Jess and how he was looking out for her. Even if it was a bit creepy. He was with her until the end and trusted her with what she thought was best and never brushed her off or thought she was crazy.
Jess's friends, Emily and Hanna, are so much fun, and it truly shows how well their friendship is and how much they truly treasure each other. I love the cute moments of them twasing each other or just being there for each other.
Jess's dad was someone heartbreaking to read about. He was a man who was hurt with losing his soulmate too early just because she almost saw something she wasn't supposed to.
Jess's mom sounds so sweet with each memory, text, and image that was brought up. Her mom would truly be so proud of Jess for finding who killed her and getting him life in prison.
https://spotify.link/XEVAsTXCDDb - made by kamalei on spotify
March 20, 2020
This is YA read heavily steeped in this current age of social Media that every one of our current always watched generation will most certainly understand and get the pitfalls of.
So Jessica Simmons wants to catch the Magpie Man.
Her mum was the first victim of this notorious serial killer and his kill-count is now way up at 13.
With this goal in mind, she applies and is accepted to star on a new web-based reality show with 4 others called The Eye.
The show is a competition to see who can collect the largest following and that individual will get a regular spot for the next 3 months.
So Jessica has 1 month to make her mark, the cameras every Monday will follow her from the minute she opens her eyes until she closes them at midnight.
Also, her whole social media, every text and personal interaction she has will be food for the masses.
The general idea is that each contestant gets there own day of the week to showcase their life and build a fanbase.
This really was an interesting and rather unique premise which definitely made you think.
But what starts out as rather on the back-burner then starts to build at a steady momentum almost like a rolling stone and the show then starts to impact every part of Jessicas life from school to home and even her own leisure time.
Jessica is public property and her life is an open book just waiting to be read.
Then the messages start-up chilling and surreal, is he watching, one of the many new subscribers and online trolls she is now dealing with.
Told completely from Jessicas POV this is not just a mystery to discover and find closure from but also a journey to better understand herself even telling herself some harsh own-truths along the way.
I did find it slightly unrealistic and the idea of using yourself as bait to draw out a killer is never a good idea also in real-time this frankly just wouldn't work unless the killer was a moron wanting to be caught.
I also can't see any parent being on board with this especially after losing your spouse in such a horrific way.
I also wanted the whys and whatnots of this rather than the superficial but that also wasn't happening either.
The finish itself was rather anti-climactic, it was underwhelming if im honest after all that build-up a bit of a letdown.
Still, it was enjoyable and well written and appropriate for the digital age we all live in.
I voluntary reviewed a copy of are You Watching.
Reviewed By Beckie Bookworm
https://www.facebook.com/beckiebookworm/
www.beckiebookworm.com
July 3, 2021
I truly think the premise of this books was really good, sounded super interesting, but the actual book itself fell super flat. None of the characters were interesting, they were all very flat and had no personality. The one who felt the most personable was the dad and he was supposed to be the flat character. It was also confusing? I feel like there were huge plot holes missing and just sections that should have been described that weren’t. The whole book just felt like it was moving from one thing to another too quickly for the reader to really think about it, but at the same time the book was boring as all hell.
May 24, 2022
⭐️⭐️⭐️/5
finding out who the magpie man was so anticlimactic. i wasn’t even interested in the story i just wanted to know who it was and now that i do i feel meh
finding out who the magpie man was so anticlimactic. i wasn’t even interested in the story i just wanted to know who it was and now that i do i feel meh
December 9, 2019
The whole world is watching, but are you?
When five teens with something to prove are given a coveted spot on a new reality YouTube channel, Jess is both thrilled and nervous to become one of them. She is the daughter of The Magpie Man's first victim. And now she wants justice.
Ten years ago Jess' mother was murdered less than a minute away from home. Her young daughter was still innocent to the evils of the world and so her father conjured a more whimsical story to account for her mother's disappearance. This new version of the tragedy painted her mother as a shiny and coveted object that a mysterious man took for his own. And with this explanation he unwittingly gave birth to the name of a serial killer, one who would go on to steal many more of families' brightest women.
He is still murdering and he is still unknown, but Jess is convinced that someone somewhere knows something and that her new found fame will help to shine a fresh light on a cold case.
This was a thrilling tale that combined navigating the tricky world of internet fame with the harrowing focus of a family torn apart by grief. Linking the two is Jess' mission. Her friends are on board but her father less so. The world too is divided, by opinions on her and the case, but none of this matters to Jess and her focus remains on the mother she never got to truly know.
Raw emotion dominated the story-line, as I had anticipated, and Ralph approached this subject matter with a sensitivity yet never shied away from broaching the darker side, such as anger and neglect, that was also born in the wake of it. I also appreciated the focus on how this tragedy impacted the father Jess has left, the relationships with her peers, and her treatment at school
Alongside this, the story had some truly chilling moments that had me wishing I had not chosen for so late an hour in which to consume this story! The author really allowed the grief and the horror to simultaneously shine through and both depicted and allowed the reader to relive both emotions for an ultimately chilling puzzle to be slowly pieced together.
The grand reveal might have felt slightly implausible but it was such fun to get there and the book was one that had my heart racing as fast as I could turn the pages. Addictive writing and a compulsively readable story-line made this a first-rate YA thriller!
I received this book in exchange for an honest review. Thank you to the publisher,, and the author, Vincent Ralph, for this opportunity.
When five teens with something to prove are given a coveted spot on a new reality YouTube channel, Jess is both thrilled and nervous to become one of them. She is the daughter of The Magpie Man's first victim. And now she wants justice.
Ten years ago Jess' mother was murdered less than a minute away from home. Her young daughter was still innocent to the evils of the world and so her father conjured a more whimsical story to account for her mother's disappearance. This new version of the tragedy painted her mother as a shiny and coveted object that a mysterious man took for his own. And with this explanation he unwittingly gave birth to the name of a serial killer, one who would go on to steal many more of families' brightest women.
He is still murdering and he is still unknown, but Jess is convinced that someone somewhere knows something and that her new found fame will help to shine a fresh light on a cold case.
This was a thrilling tale that combined navigating the tricky world of internet fame with the harrowing focus of a family torn apart by grief. Linking the two is Jess' mission. Her friends are on board but her father less so. The world too is divided, by opinions on her and the case, but none of this matters to Jess and her focus remains on the mother she never got to truly know.
Raw emotion dominated the story-line, as I had anticipated, and Ralph approached this subject matter with a sensitivity yet never shied away from broaching the darker side, such as anger and neglect, that was also born in the wake of it. I also appreciated the focus on how this tragedy impacted the father Jess has left, the relationships with her peers, and her treatment at school
Alongside this, the story had some truly chilling moments that had me wishing I had not chosen for so late an hour in which to consume this story! The author really allowed the grief and the horror to simultaneously shine through and both depicted and allowed the reader to relive both emotions for an ultimately chilling puzzle to be slowly pieced together.
The grand reveal might have felt slightly implausible but it was such fun to get there and the book was one that had my heart racing as fast as I could turn the pages. Addictive writing and a compulsively readable story-line made this a first-rate YA thriller!
I received this book in exchange for an honest review. Thank you to the publisher,, and the author, Vincent Ralph, for this opportunity.
April 15, 2022
that what is the most painful thing i’ve ever had to read. it dragged out so long, even though it was under 400 pages and there were 150 chapters. the beginning was pretty interesting, and the end was satisfying. that’s all i liked about it. the middle was so boring, and i felt like nothing happened. it took her forever to find any clues about the serial killer, and then everything happened at once.
September 23, 2022
I would like to formally request that Vincent Ralph never write another Young Adult mystery again.
Thank you.
If you don’t know how to write a good mystery, don’t write one.
If you don’t know how to write good prose, practice before publishing.
14 WAYS TO DIE is lazy. It’s bad. It is so painful to read.
And while reading this, the only thing that kept spinning on my mind was, ‘publishing chose to publish this—some of the worst prose I have ever read in published fiction—over so many wonderful books written by BIPOC and disabled authors. Over books written by marginalised authors, like those who are LGBTQ+. They chose to publish this?’
I’m appalled.
I am. Appalled.
Call me harsh or whatever. I can’t quite say I care.
Vincent Ralph is my mortal enemy. He and I will be on opposing sides of life for eternity. I wish him legos beneath his feet every morning before work. (To be clear, this is sarcasm. Frankly, I don’t care about Vincent Ralph. I just think he’s a shit writer.)
I have an obscene amount of thoughts regarding this book—and none of them are good.
So, strap in, get your popcorn ready, because I can’t promise this is going to be a tame ride.
Firstly, I want to specify that I’m not an expert on writing books. I’m a writer myself. I’m going to be starting a degree next year for creative writing. And this year I’m doing a humanities course. So, I somewhat know what I’m talking about. Even if my experience culminates in five years of writing, nine books written, a stint on Wattpad and a degree I have yet to start. But I don’t know everything.
Let’s flip to page one. Chapter One. We’re presented with the facts. Jessica Simmons’ mom was murdered by the MagPie Man. Jessica is seventeen. Her mom died when she was seven. And she wants to catch the murderer.
This is all fairly ordinary.
But the writing style stole the emotion from the words. I couldn’t make myself care because there was nothing to grab onto when reading. I was unable to be sympathetic for Jessica, because the writing was so bland.
The chapters in this book are tiny. One to two pages on average. Therefore, the book ended up having a whopping one-hundred-and-forty-four chapters. This was a bad decision. If a chapter is short, it doesn’t allow for much development to happen. You’ve got to get straight to the point, or the chapter is going to end up longer than intended. This meant the book suffered. Badly. There were no descriptions. No development. The writing is too simple, and I found I was missing so much information. The only thing Jessica talked about was the MagPie man. I didn’t know who she was as a person, separated from the murder of her mom. I didn’t know what shows she liked to watch, what her hobbies were, what her favourite school subjects were. Nothing. Her only purpose was to simply catch the MagPie Man. Nothing more. I didn’t know what she looked like, what colour her hair was, what clothes she liked to wear. She had no development whatsoever. And it showed.
I also have questions about how Jessica has gone ten years of her life mourning her mother like she died yesterday. That's not healthy. Jessica’s mom died when she was seven, she should have had help processing it, working through it, instead of having a lazy, forgetful father who fell so deep into his grief he seemed to have forgot he had a young child to raise. Grieving is normal, but there is something sinister about her dad just giving up on life and Jessica living every single day like her mom was murdered the night before.
I’ll admit the plot had promise, but since there was also little development to the social media side of things, I had doubts. I must admit, this reminded me of an early 2010s attempt at something vaguely similar called The Saks channels. This was a collection of YouTube channels ran by the same company, where there were seven girls per YouTube channel who all had a day to upload a themed video. It wasn’t live, and they couldn’t choose what the video was about, so it differs from the plot in this way, but The Saks channels ended badly, and I couldn’t stop thinking that there needed to be more in the plot to ensure Jessica couldn’t be taken advantage of and that—ahem *name of character I won’t say because of spoilers*—couldn’t direct the narrative to suit their needs. The lack of any real contract or assurance made me hesitant. It just felt like a bad idea from the very beginning. I won’t say how the Saks channels ended—that’s not my story to tell—but there are various videos on YouTube that explain it and I’m sure there are a few articles to be found on Google as well.
The characters had no depth to them. I couldn’t tell you one thing about Hannah or Emily. Not one. They were plot fillers. Something to urge Jessica along but provide no meaningful insight or development to the plot. I’m not quite sure what their purposes were other than this. I’m not sure they had any other purpose. I don’t even know what they look like. And don’t get me started on Jamie. What was that pathetic attempt at a love interest? Seriously. And Jessica’s crush on Danny—A Grown Man at least ten years her senior. A crush that seemingly disappeared and was every bit as embarrassing and annoying as it sounds like. The emotions in this book were so fake. Jessica had none. So when she was ‘sad’ or ‘angry’ I couldn’t really feel it with her, because it just appeared out of nowhere and had no real pedestal to stand on. Having it just appear out of nowhere, instead of letting it build over time, and showing it build over time is plain lazy writing. It’s telling the reader the author doesn’t care enough about the character to make them seem real or likable. It’s telling the reader the author just wants to be done with the character and the book. It's not a good look.
This book read like one written by a man that hadn’t had a meaningful conversation with a modern-day teenager since the eighties. I’m not kidding. It was pathetic. The characters were pathetic. Jessica was pathetic. They were all pathetic. And, oh no, I’m being harsh again, but it’s the truth. Jessica had issues. Issues that should have been resolved—or at least managed—instead of lying dormant for ten years until the perfect opportunity came along for her to exact revenge.
It was pitiful because it was clear that Ralph has no ideas how teenagers are. I’m not saying all teenagers are the same—absolutely not—but I am saying that they have more of a personality, more agency than Ralph portrayed in this book. They exist and they’re real, they have feelings and emotions, and they have their issues that they have to work to fix. But the characters in this book? There was none of that. Of course, they’re not real people, but as characters in a book, they should at least attempt to mimic real teenagers, otherwise what’s the point? There’s no story if the character leading it is as bland as an expired and stale rich tea biscuit.
The most interesting part of this book was the fucking setting and not because I enjoyed it but because I was constantly trying to guess whether they were in the United States or England. Truly could not tell, because every time I felt like I knew, they’d make reference to London being an hour or so away, then in the next part it would talk about what ‘grade’ they’re in and use American terminology, not to mention the spelling of certain words like ‘colour’ that made this guessing game a particular tricky one.
I still don’t know where it’s set. Is it like a sub-country of America and England merged? Is that it?
Also, I don’t get why everyone in this book is still holding onto the fact that her mom is dead? Like, it’s been ten years? No one remembers stuff like that, unless they’re constantly being reminded. For example, a friend of mine’s dad was murdered by a reckless teenager, and I kid you not, everyone had forgotten about it not even six months later. Teenagers don’t hold onto this stuff, because they don’t care. We spend enough time caring about homework, exams, our futures, universities, jobs, etc. Does Ralph really think the average teenager cares enough about an event that happened a decade ago that didn’t involve them? They don’t. Trust me, they don’t.
There was virtually no suspense in this book. It was supposed to be a mystery thriller, but I couldn’t really find myself caring for the mystery. It just felt like a bore.
And please, don’t get me started on the actual murderer. What a shitshow.
When writing a mystery, there are two main paths you can go down: foreshadowing or shock. Foreshadowing is supposed to, at the very least, aid in the shock factor so that the reader can look back on the book and think to themselves ‘how did I miss this? It was so obvious’. I don’t personally believe shock should be used without some semblance of foreshadowing—and by that, I genuinely mean the tiniest detail, it doesn’t have to be large—but it can. This book attempted both shock and foreshadowing, and it failed. In my opinion. The reader—and by extension Jessica—doesn’t have enough of a connection to the murderer for it to be believable. I’m trying my hardest to word this without spoiling the book. The apparent connection Jessica—and her mom—had to the murderer was revealed after the murderer, which stole away the believability because why didn’t we know this beforehand? Why was it all just revealed? Why wasn’t it built into the story so that when the murderer was revealed, it made more sense. The first person—the one who was wrongly accused—was a much better option for the murderer, because he at least didn’t appear out of nowhere and seemed somewhat believable.
Also. The murderer just gives Jessica the knife. He just. Hands it to her. Are you kidding me? In what world is that ever a smart idea?
And then of course it wraps up nicely with a pretty pink bow and Jessica vows to actually try to live her life. I call bullshit on that one, but I can’t quite bring myself to care.
Anyway, this was my very long-winded review of 14 WAYS TO DIE. I’m probably missing bits. It’s midnight on the 24th of September and I’ve been writing versions of this review since I was only about thirty percent in the book. That should tell you how much I despised it.
I don’t think I’ll read another of Ralph’s books. I already tortured myself through Lock The Doors a few months back and I had virtually the same criticisms as I had of this book, so I won’t bore myself hoping his writing will improve the next time around. It won’t, I already know it won’t.
I hope in the future publishing won’t be so single minded and publish authors who actually have a shred of talent in their bodies instead of focusing on trash like this. It’s not worth it.
I’m being harsh again. I’m sorry. I’ll stop.
Bye.
Thank you.
If you don’t know how to write a good mystery, don’t write one.
If you don’t know how to write good prose, practice before publishing.
14 WAYS TO DIE is lazy. It’s bad. It is so painful to read.
And while reading this, the only thing that kept spinning on my mind was, ‘publishing chose to publish this—some of the worst prose I have ever read in published fiction—over so many wonderful books written by BIPOC and disabled authors. Over books written by marginalised authors, like those who are LGBTQ+. They chose to publish this?’
I’m appalled.
I am. Appalled.
Call me harsh or whatever. I can’t quite say I care.
Vincent Ralph is my mortal enemy. He and I will be on opposing sides of life for eternity. I wish him legos beneath his feet every morning before work. (To be clear, this is sarcasm. Frankly, I don’t care about Vincent Ralph. I just think he’s a shit writer.)
I have an obscene amount of thoughts regarding this book—and none of them are good.
So, strap in, get your popcorn ready, because I can’t promise this is going to be a tame ride.
Firstly, I want to specify that I’m not an expert on writing books. I’m a writer myself. I’m going to be starting a degree next year for creative writing. And this year I’m doing a humanities course. So, I somewhat know what I’m talking about. Even if my experience culminates in five years of writing, nine books written, a stint on Wattpad and a degree I have yet to start. But I don’t know everything.
Let’s flip to page one. Chapter One. We’re presented with the facts. Jessica Simmons’ mom was murdered by the MagPie Man. Jessica is seventeen. Her mom died when she was seven. And she wants to catch the murderer.
This is all fairly ordinary.
But the writing style stole the emotion from the words. I couldn’t make myself care because there was nothing to grab onto when reading. I was unable to be sympathetic for Jessica, because the writing was so bland.
The chapters in this book are tiny. One to two pages on average. Therefore, the book ended up having a whopping one-hundred-and-forty-four chapters. This was a bad decision. If a chapter is short, it doesn’t allow for much development to happen. You’ve got to get straight to the point, or the chapter is going to end up longer than intended. This meant the book suffered. Badly. There were no descriptions. No development. The writing is too simple, and I found I was missing so much information. The only thing Jessica talked about was the MagPie man. I didn’t know who she was as a person, separated from the murder of her mom. I didn’t know what shows she liked to watch, what her hobbies were, what her favourite school subjects were. Nothing. Her only purpose was to simply catch the MagPie Man. Nothing more. I didn’t know what she looked like, what colour her hair was, what clothes she liked to wear. She had no development whatsoever. And it showed.
I also have questions about how Jessica has gone ten years of her life mourning her mother like she died yesterday. That's not healthy. Jessica’s mom died when she was seven, she should have had help processing it, working through it, instead of having a lazy, forgetful father who fell so deep into his grief he seemed to have forgot he had a young child to raise. Grieving is normal, but there is something sinister about her dad just giving up on life and Jessica living every single day like her mom was murdered the night before.
I’ll admit the plot had promise, but since there was also little development to the social media side of things, I had doubts. I must admit, this reminded me of an early 2010s attempt at something vaguely similar called The Saks channels. This was a collection of YouTube channels ran by the same company, where there were seven girls per YouTube channel who all had a day to upload a themed video. It wasn’t live, and they couldn’t choose what the video was about, so it differs from the plot in this way, but The Saks channels ended badly, and I couldn’t stop thinking that there needed to be more in the plot to ensure Jessica couldn’t be taken advantage of and that—ahem *name of character I won’t say because of spoilers*—couldn’t direct the narrative to suit their needs. The lack of any real contract or assurance made me hesitant. It just felt like a bad idea from the very beginning. I won’t say how the Saks channels ended—that’s not my story to tell—but there are various videos on YouTube that explain it and I’m sure there are a few articles to be found on Google as well.
The characters had no depth to them. I couldn’t tell you one thing about Hannah or Emily. Not one. They were plot fillers. Something to urge Jessica along but provide no meaningful insight or development to the plot. I’m not quite sure what their purposes were other than this. I’m not sure they had any other purpose. I don’t even know what they look like. And don’t get me started on Jamie. What was that pathetic attempt at a love interest? Seriously. And Jessica’s crush on Danny—A Grown Man at least ten years her senior. A crush that seemingly disappeared and was every bit as embarrassing and annoying as it sounds like. The emotions in this book were so fake. Jessica had none. So when she was ‘sad’ or ‘angry’ I couldn’t really feel it with her, because it just appeared out of nowhere and had no real pedestal to stand on. Having it just appear out of nowhere, instead of letting it build over time, and showing it build over time is plain lazy writing. It’s telling the reader the author doesn’t care enough about the character to make them seem real or likable. It’s telling the reader the author just wants to be done with the character and the book. It's not a good look.
This book read like one written by a man that hadn’t had a meaningful conversation with a modern-day teenager since the eighties. I’m not kidding. It was pathetic. The characters were pathetic. Jessica was pathetic. They were all pathetic. And, oh no, I’m being harsh again, but it’s the truth. Jessica had issues. Issues that should have been resolved—or at least managed—instead of lying dormant for ten years until the perfect opportunity came along for her to exact revenge.
It was pitiful because it was clear that Ralph has no ideas how teenagers are. I’m not saying all teenagers are the same—absolutely not—but I am saying that they have more of a personality, more agency than Ralph portrayed in this book. They exist and they’re real, they have feelings and emotions, and they have their issues that they have to work to fix. But the characters in this book? There was none of that. Of course, they’re not real people, but as characters in a book, they should at least attempt to mimic real teenagers, otherwise what’s the point? There’s no story if the character leading it is as bland as an expired and stale rich tea biscuit.
The most interesting part of this book was the fucking setting and not because I enjoyed it but because I was constantly trying to guess whether they were in the United States or England. Truly could not tell, because every time I felt like I knew, they’d make reference to London being an hour or so away, then in the next part it would talk about what ‘grade’ they’re in and use American terminology, not to mention the spelling of certain words like ‘colour’ that made this guessing game a particular tricky one.
I still don’t know where it’s set. Is it like a sub-country of America and England merged? Is that it?
Also, I don’t get why everyone in this book is still holding onto the fact that her mom is dead? Like, it’s been ten years? No one remembers stuff like that, unless they’re constantly being reminded. For example, a friend of mine’s dad was murdered by a reckless teenager, and I kid you not, everyone had forgotten about it not even six months later. Teenagers don’t hold onto this stuff, because they don’t care. We spend enough time caring about homework, exams, our futures, universities, jobs, etc. Does Ralph really think the average teenager cares enough about an event that happened a decade ago that didn’t involve them? They don’t. Trust me, they don’t.
There was virtually no suspense in this book. It was supposed to be a mystery thriller, but I couldn’t really find myself caring for the mystery. It just felt like a bore.
And please, don’t get me started on the actual murderer. What a shitshow.
When writing a mystery, there are two main paths you can go down: foreshadowing or shock. Foreshadowing is supposed to, at the very least, aid in the shock factor so that the reader can look back on the book and think to themselves ‘how did I miss this? It was so obvious’. I don’t personally believe shock should be used without some semblance of foreshadowing—and by that, I genuinely mean the tiniest detail, it doesn’t have to be large—but it can. This book attempted both shock and foreshadowing, and it failed. In my opinion. The reader—and by extension Jessica—doesn’t have enough of a connection to the murderer for it to be believable. I’m trying my hardest to word this without spoiling the book. The apparent connection Jessica—and her mom—had to the murderer was revealed after the murderer, which stole away the believability because why didn’t we know this beforehand? Why was it all just revealed? Why wasn’t it built into the story so that when the murderer was revealed, it made more sense. The first person—the one who was wrongly accused—was a much better option for the murderer, because he at least didn’t appear out of nowhere and seemed somewhat believable.
Also. The murderer just gives Jessica the knife. He just. Hands it to her. Are you kidding me? In what world is that ever a smart idea?
And then of course it wraps up nicely with a pretty pink bow and Jessica vows to actually try to live her life. I call bullshit on that one, but I can’t quite bring myself to care.
Anyway, this was my very long-winded review of 14 WAYS TO DIE. I’m probably missing bits. It’s midnight on the 24th of September and I’ve been writing versions of this review since I was only about thirty percent in the book. That should tell you how much I despised it.
I don’t think I’ll read another of Ralph’s books. I already tortured myself through Lock The Doors a few months back and I had virtually the same criticisms as I had of this book, so I won’t bore myself hoping his writing will improve the next time around. It won’t, I already know it won’t.
I hope in the future publishing won’t be so single minded and publish authors who actually have a shred of talent in their bodies instead of focusing on trash like this. It’s not worth it.
I’m being harsh again. I’m sorry. I’ll stop.
Bye.
November 8, 2019
Are you Watching is a very addictive, well written YA thriller with a modern day take as one young girl joins a reality t.v. show to try and catch her mother’s killer. But baiting a serial killer may not be the best idea ever….
Vincent Ralph manages to get the emotion v the thrills bang on target – this is a serial killer thriller and works well on that level but it is also a tale of grief, loss and trying to move forward. I related very much to both Jess and her Dad, whilst you do have to occasionally suspend disbelief as to what he lets her get up to, their family unit is intriguing and melancholy.
With plenty of twists to keep mystery fans happy and an ending that works, Are You Watching is a great addition to the YA genre.
Recommended.
Vincent Ralph manages to get the emotion v the thrills bang on target – this is a serial killer thriller and works well on that level but it is also a tale of grief, loss and trying to move forward. I related very much to both Jess and her Dad, whilst you do have to occasionally suspend disbelief as to what he lets her get up to, their family unit is intriguing and melancholy.
With plenty of twists to keep mystery fans happy and an ending that works, Are You Watching is a great addition to the YA genre.
Recommended.
June 28, 2021
Thank you NetGalley and Sourcebooks Fire for the eARC for review!
______
What a ride! Honestly, I LOVED the blurb of this on NetGalley, and only realized when I saw the other additions of the novel on Goodreads that I've actually had this on my TBR since last year, when it was called Are You Watching?. Clearly I didn't feel to motivated to read it then. What a difference a trendy cover and new title can make!
This was a fun take on a YA thriller. I loved the incorporation of social media and online sensationalism to catch a killer. I wouldn't be surprised if something like this actually happened (or has already happened!)
There were a lot of red herrings. Every time a new character was introduced, especially a male one, I found myself suspicious. It was really fun trying to parse out the real clues from the trolls, the set-ups, and the anonymous tips. I thought Jessica was a great protagonist; a girl defined by her mother's murder, who essentially also lost her dad when he lost his wife, a girl determined to solve the crime no matter what. She toed the line between brave and reckless perfectly.
Was this the perfect mystery? No. I found the final clue that set off the final chain of events to be a bit flimsy, some of the red herrings weren't explained the best, and I didn't feel much of a payoff when things finally come together (except for the very end. iykyk!) Nonetheless, it was a fun read!
______
Mom was thirty-two when she died, the first victim of a man they still haven’t caught. Number one on a list that now stretches to thirteen.
So if you ask why I want to be one of the five people to star in a new online show about them and only them, it’s pretty simple.
I want to catch the Magpie Man, and this is how I’m going to do it.
What a ride! Honestly, I LOVED the blurb of this on NetGalley, and only realized when I saw the other additions of the novel on Goodreads that I've actually had this on my TBR since last year, when it was called Are You Watching?. Clearly I didn't feel to motivated to read it then. What a difference a trendy cover and new title can make!
This was a fun take on a YA thriller. I loved the incorporation of social media and online sensationalism to catch a killer. I wouldn't be surprised if something like this actually happened (or has already happened!)
There were a lot of red herrings. Every time a new character was introduced, especially a male one, I found myself suspicious. It was really fun trying to parse out the real clues from the trolls, the set-ups, and the anonymous tips. I thought Jessica was a great protagonist; a girl defined by her mother's murder, who essentially also lost her dad when he lost his wife, a girl determined to solve the crime no matter what. She toed the line between brave and reckless perfectly.
Was this the perfect mystery? No. I found the final clue that set off the final chain of events to be a bit flimsy, some of the red herrings weren't explained the best, and I didn't feel much of a payoff when things finally come together (except for the very end. iykyk!) Nonetheless, it was a fun read!
May 16, 2021
thank you so much sourcebooks fire for this arc!
3.5/5 stars for me!!
this book will definitely have you at the edge of your seat.. in the last 20% of the book. the book starts off slow and at time i felt i was forcing myself to get through it but i’m glad i did! i think this book handles grief very well, and shows the different affects it has on people! the concept of the youtube show to catch a killer is brilliant, but the main character, jessica, isn’t someone that’s very cultivating i felt often i didn’t resonate with her character. but i will say you won’t know who the magpie man is off rip! it’s not a predictable ending, but i did have an inkling or two towards the end of the book! this book definitely mimics a good girls guide to murder more so than one of us is lying. either way, it was an enjoyable read!
3.5/5 stars for me!!
this book will definitely have you at the edge of your seat.. in the last 20% of the book. the book starts off slow and at time i felt i was forcing myself to get through it but i’m glad i did! i think this book handles grief very well, and shows the different affects it has on people! the concept of the youtube show to catch a killer is brilliant, but the main character, jessica, isn’t someone that’s very cultivating i felt often i didn’t resonate with her character. but i will say you won’t know who the magpie man is off rip! it’s not a predictable ending, but i did have an inkling or two towards the end of the book! this book definitely mimics a good girls guide to murder more so than one of us is lying. either way, it was an enjoyable read!
January 13, 2022
“It’s about five young people who have experienced something extraordinary. People with stories to tell”
Jess’s mother was murdered ten years ago by the one they call the Magpie Man. Tragically, she would be the first if his victims totaling fourteen.
Jess gets the opportunity to compete for a reality show on YouTube called The Eye. The show is focused on real lives with a unique twist. She decides this is how she will do it; this is how she will catch the Magpie Man.
This is a YA-thriller, that was easy to read and had short chapters. I got enthralled in the story and just like the viewers watching Jess’s show, was cheering her on the whole way. The plot twist at the end was ok. I feel like it could’ve been better. Overall this was an ok quick read.
Jess’s mother was murdered ten years ago by the one they call the Magpie Man. Tragically, she would be the first if his victims totaling fourteen.
Jess gets the opportunity to compete for a reality show on YouTube called The Eye. The show is focused on real lives with a unique twist. She decides this is how she will do it; this is how she will catch the Magpie Man.
This is a YA-thriller, that was easy to read and had short chapters. I got enthralled in the story and just like the viewers watching Jess’s show, was cheering her on the whole way. The plot twist at the end was ok. I feel like it could’ve been better. Overall this was an ok quick read.
January 27, 2020
A fast paced, gripping and addictively twisty read.
Although I found the ending to be a bit underwhelming and somewhat disconnected to the rest of the plot, I had a lot of fun with this book and I definitely had a few creeped out moments in which I regretted reading it home alone at night...
TW: suicide attempt.
Although I found the ending to be a bit underwhelming and somewhat disconnected to the rest of the plot, I had a lot of fun with this book and I definitely had a few creeped out moments in which I regretted reading it home alone at night...
TW: suicide attempt.
September 24, 2023
this book made me cry so many times, it was so good😭
January 4, 2020
After Jess agrees to take part in a online reality show, she soon discovers that the internet can be like a double edged sword, it can either work for you or against you depending on wether people support you or criticise you from behind the safety of their screens. Whereas most people take part in reality shows hoping to become famous and win a large sum of money, Jess has her own personal reason for agreeing to take part in the online reality show The Eye. She is hoping that by sharing her life with the world,she will be able to learn the identity of a serial killer. Ten years ago Jess's mum was murdered in a alleyway not far from their home, she was the first victim of the man that Jess's dad nicknamed The Magpie Man. The killer has never been caught and has now killed thirteen women. Jess has decided that taking part in the show will hopefully give her the opportunity to avenge her mother's desth. It hasn't occurred to her that by provoking the killer, she is putting her own life at risk. That the killer is actually watching and waiting for the opportunity to add her to his list of victims.
This enthralling story is voiced entirely from the point of view of our feisty heroine Jess, I thought she was a wonderful character. I loved her determination to avenge her beloved mother's death,her was a strong, stubborn character who got herself into some rather sticky situations without having a second thought for her own safety. I loved the realistic interactions between Jess and her best friends Hanna and Emily, they did have their doubts about what she was doing but she could always rely on them when she needed their help and advice. The relationship between Jess and her Nan was lovely and something she really needed considering the death of his beloved wife had reduced her Dad to a shell of the man that he used to be. There was a number of characters who were not who they appeared to be and the identity of the killer was a unexpected twist, I definitely didn't see that reveal coming.
Are You Watching is a fast paced, well written thriller that rockets along due to the shortness of most of the chapters, quite a number of which consisted of only one page and many of them ended on a cliff hanger giving the reader a very bad case of just one more chapter syndrome. It's a gripping read that has a very likeable heroine,hooks you in from the first page,has you frantically turning the pages and forgetting to breath during a very intense confrontation in a graveyard. I would love to watch a film adaptation of this awesome book. Worth far more than five stars and very very highly recommended.
Many thanks to Penguin books Uk, Vincent Ralph and Anne Carter for a arc of this book and the opportunity to take part in the blog tour
This enthralling story is voiced entirely from the point of view of our feisty heroine Jess, I thought she was a wonderful character. I loved her determination to avenge her beloved mother's death,her was a strong, stubborn character who got herself into some rather sticky situations without having a second thought for her own safety. I loved the realistic interactions between Jess and her best friends Hanna and Emily, they did have their doubts about what she was doing but she could always rely on them when she needed their help and advice. The relationship between Jess and her Nan was lovely and something she really needed considering the death of his beloved wife had reduced her Dad to a shell of the man that he used to be. There was a number of characters who were not who they appeared to be and the identity of the killer was a unexpected twist, I definitely didn't see that reveal coming.
Are You Watching is a fast paced, well written thriller that rockets along due to the shortness of most of the chapters, quite a number of which consisted of only one page and many of them ended on a cliff hanger giving the reader a very bad case of just one more chapter syndrome. It's a gripping read that has a very likeable heroine,hooks you in from the first page,has you frantically turning the pages and forgetting to breath during a very intense confrontation in a graveyard. I would love to watch a film adaptation of this awesome book. Worth far more than five stars and very very highly recommended.
Many thanks to Penguin books Uk, Vincent Ralph and Anne Carter for a arc of this book and the opportunity to take part in the blog tour
June 18, 2021
Jess's mother was murdered by Magpie man, who is a serial killer. Jess's mother was her first victim since then he has killed 13 women. Jess and his father never recovered from it. She wants justice for that she participated in an online competition. So she'll be able to convince someone to come with evidence.
It is the debut book of Vincent Ralph. The other book I read of him was Lock the Doors and I loved everything about that one. I am a sucker of YA thriller but this one was such a disappointment. I was expecting so much from it. The plot wasn't solid. The reality show thing was so unrealistic and at times cringe. The characters were so one-dimensional and most of them felt like fillers. With time I wasn't even interested in finding out who is the killer. It could have been a bit better if the characters weren't that dull.
This book was a big disappointment.
It is the debut book of Vincent Ralph. The other book I read of him was Lock the Doors and I loved everything about that one. I am a sucker of YA thriller but this one was such a disappointment. I was expecting so much from it. The plot wasn't solid. The reality show thing was so unrealistic and at times cringe. The characters were so one-dimensional and most of them felt like fillers. With time I wasn't even interested in finding out who is the killer. It could have been a bit better if the characters weren't that dull.
This book was a big disappointment.
November 11, 2025
4.75/5
14 Ways to Die is YA Thriller that follows Jess, a high school student whose mother was a victim of a serial killer called Magpie Man. Jess enlists herself to be part of a reality Youtube series in the hopes to lure out the serial killer.
Overall, the book was very fast paced with very short chapters and many unexpected turns and twists.
14 Ways to Die is YA Thriller that follows Jess, a high school student whose mother was a victim of a serial killer called Magpie Man. Jess enlists herself to be part of a reality Youtube series in the hopes to lure out the serial killer.
Overall, the book was very fast paced with very short chapters and many unexpected turns and twists.
July 6, 2022
This is written like a James Patterson novel. That's not a compliment.
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February 17, 2024
i was underwhelmed by this book. it had a good concept and I liked the short chapters, but I was bored a lot of the time. but it was very easy & quick to read.
June 25, 2022
Ten years ago, Jess’s mother was murdered by the Magpie Man. She was his first victim, but not his last, and when the opportunity comes to star in a YouTube show about her daily life, Jess jumps at the chance to use the platform to talk about her mother. The Magpie Man has never been caught, and Jess is determined to draw him out and catch a killer. Trigger warnings: parent/spouse death, suicide attempt, domestic abuse, abduction, guns, violence, injury, grief.
I like reading YA thrillers in between other, heavier genres as a kind of system reboot, but the truth is that most of them are about average, and so is this one. There’s nothing particularly good or bad about it, and I wouldn’t discourage anyone from picking it up, but it’s not the kind of thing I was terribly invested in or would read more than once. It’s a little long for what it is; there’s a rather pointless school field trip in the middle that seems like an attempt to add depth and character growth, but it mostly just drags at the pace.
Coming off of Dexter: New Blood, I was hoping for a cool internet show like Merry F*cking Kill, but the premise is sort of wasted here. Jess rarely seems to know what she’s doing with the platform, and it’s never utilized in any particularly interesting ways. If there’s a theme, it seems to be that killers don’t deserve half the attention we give them. The focus here is on the victims’ families, the people who are left behind and have to figure out how to keep living. It’s a bit sentimental at times, but I enjoyed the perspective.
Much like the rest of the book, Jess is about average for a teenage narrator. She doesn’t really have any qualities that stand out, and the novel sort of insists it’s because the sole focus of her life is the absence of her mother. I liked seeing her relationship with her dad develop though, and it’s more interesting than her friends or her tentative love interest. The ending is a predictably tense confrontation, but all in all, the details are already starting to fade on me.
I review regularly at brightbeautifulthings.tumblr.com.
I like reading YA thrillers in between other, heavier genres as a kind of system reboot, but the truth is that most of them are about average, and so is this one. There’s nothing particularly good or bad about it, and I wouldn’t discourage anyone from picking it up, but it’s not the kind of thing I was terribly invested in or would read more than once. It’s a little long for what it is; there’s a rather pointless school field trip in the middle that seems like an attempt to add depth and character growth, but it mostly just drags at the pace.
Coming off of Dexter: New Blood, I was hoping for a cool internet show like Merry F*cking Kill, but the premise is sort of wasted here. Jess rarely seems to know what she’s doing with the platform, and it’s never utilized in any particularly interesting ways. If there’s a theme, it seems to be that killers don’t deserve half the attention we give them. The focus here is on the victims’ families, the people who are left behind and have to figure out how to keep living. It’s a bit sentimental at times, but I enjoyed the perspective.
Much like the rest of the book, Jess is about average for a teenage narrator. She doesn’t really have any qualities that stand out, and the novel sort of insists it’s because the sole focus of her life is the absence of her mother. I liked seeing her relationship with her dad develop though, and it’s more interesting than her friends or her tentative love interest. The ending is a predictably tense confrontation, but all in all, the details are already starting to fade on me.
I review regularly at brightbeautifulthings.tumblr.com.
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