CW: transmisia, gore, blood, violence, murder

This is a really unique concept in a really concise, convenient little package, and I enjoyed it.

The novel is very diverse: it features an asexual protagonist as well as a trans boy, a Latinx boy, a Japanese boy, and potentially a lesbian. Throughout the book, there’s suggestions of mental illness due to characters’ situations, though nothing is mentioned outright. There’s only a bit of an issue when said protagonist explains asexuality and how it differs from aromanticism, and the whole thing is reads a little like an info-dump.

I wasn’t such a big fan of the gruesome details included. I’ve read murder mysteries before, but none quite so gory as this. Honestly, it probably isn’t even all that bad, but I’m squeamish and I didn’t care for those parts. *shudder*

While I liked that this was a super quick read, I think the length was also its downfall. The plot is intriguing for sure, but kind of rushed. There isn’t much done about the murders, just police investigations that are brushed aside to preserve the school and orders to stick to the buddy system. I liked the mystery itself, but I think it would’ve been better if there was more time to build suspense and explore the aftermath of each murder. I didn’t guess the murderer’s identity until about a paragraph before the reveal, so the mystery was good, in my opinion. Again, length and pacing were the biggest issues.

In relation to my prior point, the length also affected my feelings toward the protagonist, Nancy. She felt a bit flat and kind of passive; she didn’t really do anything. No one in this book really *did* anything except try not to get murdered, with varying degrees of success. ¯\_(ツ)_/¯ However, it seems that Nancy was the only character I had problems with; I loved Sumi, Eleanor, Kade, and Jack, even Christopher, in that order. Eleanor was a zany grandmotherly figure and I loved her.

I picked this up because I knew I could get through it quickly and get back on track for btat, but I ended up enjoying it more than expected. It was dark, whimsical, and eerie, and I liked it. Hopefully the other books are just as good, but not as gruesome.