Pages: 315
Published: 11th May 2023
Genre: Young Adult Mystery
Content warnings: Child death, catfishing
Two friends, Amy and Stan, plan revenge on their prankster friend Hollie by catfishing her as her crush. They only mean to do it for a day or two – but then Hollie ends up dead.
As the catfish continues to strike others, Amy needs to find who is really in control of the catfish. Can she trust anyone?
And is she the killer’s next target?
This is a book where the author does everything to raise the stakes and set some pulses racing, yet it still does not manage to hit all the right notes. There are many reasons to feel invested in it, from engaging writing to the extreme events that are taking place and the guessing game of who the killer might be, but ultimately there are some fundamental weaknesses that render it a bit of a disappointment.
The central topic is one that is very relevant to the intended teen and young adult audience. There are the same old cautionary tales about the dangers of social media, but the focus on catfishing is good if a touch heavy-handed. It could be said that the body count that results from the main characters’ actions is over the top, although the theme of a prank gone wrong and the emotional consequences of that are handled rather well.
What seems clear about the plot is that it tries to highlight how something relatively harmless and innocent can turn completely horrific. That is reflected in the pacing, with the start being fun but relatively uneventful and then suddenly, Hollie ends up dead and that changes the entire vibe from upbeat to sad and full of foreboding. Then the hostility descends and everyone becomes a suspect, while it feels like another tragic death is always around the corner.
Trying to work out who the killer is represents the most enjoyable aspect of this book. As it is told from Amy’s point of view, we see her having to confront the potential reality of it being somebody close to her and the truth is hard to pin down because there are no obvious motives. That is the reason why it is a letdown when the perpetrator’s identity is finally revealed – the reasons behind the murder spree turn out to be flimsy in the extreme.
That weakens the credibility of the mystery to a large extent, but at least it is a tense and scary ride to get there. There are some nice ideas too, such as the fictional social media app the characters use and plot points like fundraiser held in Hollie’s memory. Another welcome sight is the platonic male and female friendship between Amy and Stan, which is something we should see much more in literature.
Amy is a likeable character; quite innocent and at times naïve but good natured and having a close bond to her family. The author does well to capture her thoughts, which are a bit here, there and everywhere as she goes through the standard teenage emotions while also wrestling with her guilt at what happens to Hollie. She makes a serious mistake and you truly feel how heftily she is having to pay for it, especially in the way people initially blame her.
There is something about Stan that leads you to ask questions, as he is portrayed as someone who is insular and lacking friends other than Amy. It is a fairly typical case of a boy whose best friend is in a romantic relationship and therefore spends less time with him, so you can kind of feel sorry for him on that front. As for Hollie, she is only alive at the start but even in that short time we get a feel for how outgoing and vivacious a character she is.
Zara is also an interesting case, she starts off annoying but does eventually grow on you, and a lot of readers will definitely know people like her in real life. There are others though who are less well developed such as Amy’s brother Harry and her boyfriend Dom, who does not appear to have a discernible personality to speak of and only exists to help facilitate some of the finer points of the plot.
In terms of the writing, the concept and general prose is good, keeping your attention fixed on the story just like in all of Sue Wallman’s other books. However, the dialogue is awful. For all their positive traits, the characters are undermined by the fact that so much of the words they utter is clunky and unrealistic, and that even extends to the adults. This was noticeable early on and became increasingly tricky to ignore.
Thankfully, the setting hits the right notes. As the murders take place in a small town or village location, it makes the threat very real and imminent, and the atmosphere claustrophobic like the world is closing in. You genuinely feel the fear in the community and although it is not as unique a setting as we are used to with this author, it works very effectively.
Overall, there are some really good things to be found here and the plot undeniably keeps you intrigued, but the negatives are just too glaring to let slide. The lack of a convincing motive for the killer is a major fault along with the poor dialogue, even when the impressive setting and use of relevant themes partly make up for it. The concept is strong, the execution less so.
My experience of reading this was not bad, but I just cannot look past the flaws and at the end I was left a little frustrated at what might have been.
My rating: ⭐⭐.5
