14 Ways To Die // Book Review

Synopsis
A decade ago, Jess lost her mother to the Magpie Man, an infamous serial killer who is still at large and planning to kill again. Now, She’s going to use her new platform as the star of a YouTube reality series to catch him. That is, if he doesn’t catch her first.
Synopsis from Amazon

My Rating

 


My Thoughts
I had been seeing this book in stores for months, and decided to pick it up. I went into it fairly blind, but the cover and title were very intriguing. It was interesting to see that the plot centers around a serial killer and unsolved murders. The book follows Jess, a teenage girl, determined to find the Magpie Man, who is the serial killer responsible for her mother’s death.

To draw the Magpie Man out of hiding, Jess enters a YouTube reality competition where she documents her search for her mother’s killer. Honestly, I t think that the whole reality competition aspect was unnecessary. You didn’t learn much about the other contestants, and the story could have had the same outcome without the reality show element. The author could have simply made Jess start her own YouTube channel about the murders, instead of adding cameramen and show runners.

It was understandable that Jess wanted to bring her mom’s killer to justice, but she was too reckless about it. She was literally asking for a serial killer to come get her. She didn’t even have a plan as to what she’d do if she found the killer. You should always have a plan. However, she gets points for being bold, since I don’t know if I could be as brave as Jess is in the book.

Yet, I didn’t feel like we got to know Jess, or any of the other characters, much. All we really learn is that Jess spent her whole life wanting to avenge her mother’s death, which I found to be very unhealthy. However, her determination was understandable for the story. You could see that she has a lot of unresolved issues, and hasn’t fully come to terms with the loss of her mother.

Keep in mind that the book is very plot driven, which is the case with a lot of thrillers. Still, I want strong character development in addition to a solid mystery. For me, a successful book is made up of an engaging plot, and a forged connection with the characters. This book was lacking on the character front.

There is a romance that forms between Jess and someone, which progresses gradually. The love interest cared for Jess, and wanted her to stay safe. But they also understood that she had to see her plan out until the end. He didn’t understand her pain, but wanted to be there for her nonetheless.

We lie to sad people because we think it will make them feel better. But sad people see through lies. You can only trick happy people with bullshit.”

There weren’t many suspects, so it was hard to see where the story was going. When the killer was finally revealed, you started to put all the pieces together. The author did a good job of dropping bread crumbs throughout the book without making the serial killer’s identity too obvious.The book depicts that everyone has a story to tell, and some people’s stories might be more tragic than others. Also, a murder is never truly perfect. There is always some evidence left behind. Yet, the police overlooked certain things for years. More and more, a lot of books have been brave enough to call out the police and the justice system.

Overall, I was a fan of the writing style and the short chapters. The book went by fast, but still got the story across. The plot twist at the end was good, but I was hoping for more. I think that fans of ‘A Good Girl’s Guide To Murder’ would thoroughly enjoy this book. Speaking of the “Good Girl’s” trilogy, I do have reviews up for all three of those books, if you want to know my thoughts on them.

In the comments, let me know if you have read anything by this author. I would love to know more about their other books. If you like bookish content, then be sure to follow my blog.

Until The Next Chapter,
Bunny