“#MurderTrending” Review

“#MurderTrending” by Gretchen McNeil is a novel set in a near-future fantasy world where convicts are placed on Alcatraz to be killed by serial killers all the while it is being streamed to millions of people. It holds its suspense from the first page to the last and is truly filled with mysteries on each and every page.

It reminded me of the popular Netflix series, “Squid Game” because they both felt like a reality. The worlds that the characters live in are not real, but they felt like they could easily be. This aspect makes content like “Squid Game” and “#MurderTrending” all the more horrifying because I could see it being realistic.

“The novel was like nothing I had ever read before. Whenever I would think that things couldn’t get more bizarre, they did,” said Ceci Bulmahn, 12. “The book is a pretty fast read but not because it was short, it was because I couldn’t put it down.”

As I read through the book, I tore through the chapters, because each chapter seemed to end in a mini-cliffhanger. The novel also included excerpts of social media posts from the viewers of the stream, commentating as if it were a sports game. The posts added to the surrealism of it all and made me question some parallelisms of the real world. Not only did it add to the aesthetic of the book, but it showed the differences between the tones of the viewers and how almost none of them seemed to question the morality of the streaming service.

“It was one of those books I just couldn’t put down. There was never a dull moment and for that reason, I would definitely have a high opinion of the novel and would recommend it to other people,” said Katie Hartnett, 12. “If you are a person who likes gory, mysterious, twisted, insane, and captivating stories, this is for you.”

“#MurderTrending” was highly recommended to me, and it did not disappoint. The novel is a very quick read because the suspense is so constant that it is difficult to put down. I recommend it to anyone wanting not only a quick read, but a quality book that will make you think.

The novel is a Rosie book and is available with all of the other Rosie nominated books in the school library. Additionally, the sequel, “#MurderFunding” was recently added to the school library’s collection.