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A review by hiii_ris
Buzz Kill by Beth Fantaskey
2.0
Ok so there is something very wrong with this book besides it's ridiculous premise. I'm okay with that. I love trashy high school murder mysteries because they're just lots of fun and usually don't themselves 100% seriously.
No, this is something else. It's about her love interest. I get wanting a flawed, mysterious love interest because we all love a bad boy with a heart of gold. I really get that. But how is VEHICULAR MANSLAUGHTER WHILE UNDER THE INFLUENCE ATTRACTIVE IN ANY WAY. If you want conflict and a stint in juvie, you could have him KILL SOMEONE IN SELF DEFENSE. MAYBE AN ABUSIVE STEP-FATHER. Or if you wanted the redeemed trouble maker angle and still want drugs in the mix, how about A HARD CORE DRUG RICH PARTY BOY WHO WITNESSES A FRIEND OD AND GETS CLEAN. I put 5 seconds of thought into this review and I can assure you, either of these very cliche backstories would have made Chase 100% more compelling.
I don't know. MAYBE JUST REGULAR VEHICULAR MANSLAUGHTER. LIKE A REAL ACCIDENT. BECAUSE DRUNK DRIVING ACCIDENTS AREN'T FUCKING ACCIDENTS. IT'S A CHOICE. IT'S A MISTAKE AND YOU CAN REGRET IT BUT IT'S NOT A FUCKING ACCIDENT. If you want to redeem a guy who's done this, you gotta put way more effort into it. And this was really out of place in what was otherwise a rather entertaining comedic murder mystery. Comedy being the keyword. I don't think drunk driving is comedic in any way.
Ok, the other backstories I made up don't really fit in a comedy either. But you gotta admit, they're so cliched that you almost don't need to expand on them. While a DUI manslaughter needs explanation and closure and also a longer prison sentence with more lasting consequences.
No, this is something else. It's about her love interest. I get wanting a flawed, mysterious love interest because we all love a bad boy with a heart of gold. I really get that. But how is VEHICULAR MANSLAUGHTER WHILE UNDER THE INFLUENCE ATTRACTIVE IN ANY WAY. If you want conflict and a stint in juvie, you could have him KILL SOMEONE IN SELF DEFENSE. MAYBE AN ABUSIVE STEP-FATHER. Or if you wanted the redeemed trouble maker angle and still want drugs in the mix, how about A HARD CORE DRUG RICH PARTY BOY WHO WITNESSES A FRIEND OD AND GETS CLEAN. I put 5 seconds of thought into this review and I can assure you, either of these very cliche backstories would have made Chase 100% more compelling.
I don't know. MAYBE JUST REGULAR VEHICULAR MANSLAUGHTER. LIKE A REAL ACCIDENT. BECAUSE DRUNK DRIVING ACCIDENTS AREN'T FUCKING ACCIDENTS. IT'S A CHOICE. IT'S A MISTAKE AND YOU CAN REGRET IT BUT IT'S NOT A FUCKING ACCIDENT. If you want to redeem a guy who's done this, you gotta put way more effort into it. And this was really out of place in what was otherwise a rather entertaining comedic murder mystery. Comedy being the keyword. I don't think drunk driving is comedic in any way.
Ok, the other backstories I made up don't really fit in a comedy either. But you gotta admit, they're so cliched that you almost don't need to expand on them. While a DUI manslaughter needs explanation and closure and also a longer prison sentence with more lasting consequences.