#MurderFunding

July 26, 2019

Gr 9 Up-Welcome back to the near future, where reality TV has gotten even more complicated. In the wake of Alcatraz 2.0's dissolution-and the possible impeachment of the president-Postmantics missing their fix can now look forward to Who Wants To Be a Painiac?, America's search for the next big serial killer. Unlike in Alcatraz, however, all the blood and gore here are fake...right? Seventeen-year-old Becca Martinello, whose recently deceased mother may or may not have been the infamous Molly Mauler, will find out soon enough. Taking place roughly two weeks after #MurderTrending's conclusion, this sequel continues the story of the Death Row Breakfast Club through the eyes of Dee Guerrera and picks up a new thread through Becca and her friends/fellow reality show contestants. Unfortunately, shifts between the two story lines, combined with the ever-mounting plot twists, make the story difficult to follow at times. Additionally, readers who enjoyed the action-packed blood and gore of the first book may be disappointed by the slower build of this installment. Readers learn early on that Becca had two moms-the surviving of whom is described as having dark skin and curly hair-and Becca herself establishes a romantic connection with a Latinx female character during the novel. A few supporting characters appear to be people of color. VERDICT Readers who have been waiting for the mysteries of #MurderTrending to be solved will be excited for the sequel. Recommended purchase for libraries that already own the first title in the series.-Kaitlin Frick, New York Public Library

Copyright 2019 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

June 1, 2019
Return to the frighteningly familiar world of violent entertainment--this time the murder is crowdfunded. When she loses one of her moms in a car crash shortly after Dee Guerrera and her friends killed The Postman and brought down the reality show-based death row Alcatraz 2.0, white 17-year-old Becca Martinello doesn't really care much about the resulting political and online fallout. That is, until a strange, attractive girl shows up claiming that Becca's mom lived a second life as Molly Mauler, one of the Alcatraz 2.0 eccentric executioners. The only way Becca can prove her mom's innocence (or guilt) is to audition for a new, supposedly nonlethal serial killer reality show "Who Wants to Be a Paniac?" and uncover its connection to The Postman--provided, of course, that she can survive long enough. With an established world to work with, McNeil (#Murdertrending, 2018, etc.) has eased up on the throttle with this sequel, letting elements such as political intrigue simmer effectively in the background and steadily integrating them to underpin the main action. Still heavily driven by fight and flight, the plot gains an extra layer of complexity as it alternates between Becca's investigation and Dee's continued crusade until the two collide. Inclusive efforts at representation continue here but are marred somewhat by "bury your gays" fallbacks. Another gruesomely engrossing installment with the promise of more to come. (Thriller. 14-18)

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