Started: 11/08/19
Finished: 24/08/19
Spoiers: No.
I actually loved this. I thought it would fill a nostalgic need, but it filled so much more.
I was never once disengaged from this story and loved every second of it.
Chracters
Not gonna lie, I cared about these characters. All of them. Y'know how you read a book with an ensemble cast and there's always that one character that you can't stand no matter how much you try and enjoy their quirky personality?
Didn't get that at all.
I liked them all. I felt invested in them all. I wanted only the best for them all.
They were all such strikingly different personalities, but when they came together as a group, they complimented each other so well. And I love that they aren't cliche stereotypes.
I love that, although Bronwyn is the nerdy, smart one, she's not frumpy also. I love that she wears short skirts and dresses and boots. Nerds can be sexy too. And I loved that she wasn't shy when it came to her feeling for Nate. She wasn't so awkward in love.
I love that, although Nate is the bad boy, he's not some fixer-upper. He can't simply 'change his ways' and get a personality transplant just because he's taken a shine to the nerd girl.
I love that, although Addy is the princess who seemingly has it all, she was actually more like a caged bird, under her boyfriend's thumb. Instead of trying to 'get the guy,' she became a stronger and happier person without one.
I love that, although Cooper is the jock, he's not some meat head bully guy high on his own testosterone. He's just a nice guy trying to understand and accept himself.
All these characters took my expectations of them and dashed it against the rocks of reality. They didnt once feel like movie stereotypes. They felt like real people.
PS. I ship Nate and Bronwyn so hard.
I think what I loved most about all of them was how at first they weren't friends, didn't know each other and didn't want to. They were flat out ignoring each other in fear of being seen to do the wrong thing. But as the book went on and the group slowly came together to figure it out, they become a united front, and an unbreakable bond formed between them. The most unlikely of friendships can be found anywhere under the right circumstances, and I adored their loyalty for each other.
Plot
If we're giving this an X meets Y pitch, I'd say this book is Breakfast Club meets Gossip Girl meets Murder on the Orient Express - but with less train and more detention in Mr Avery's chemistry lab.
From the first few sentence alone, the tone is already set, a smile's on my face, and I know exactly what kind of ride I'm in for. It's a really great example of a hook.
"A sex tape. A pregnancy scare. Two cheating scandals. And that's just this week's update."
Perfect opening for this book. I was immediately engaged, intrigued, and absolutely living for it.
As a lover of Gossip Girl back in its heyday, I felt a real sense of nostalgia for this kind of gossipy, angsty, teen drama.
The plot never felt slow or lacking. It was equal parts murder mystery and life behind the scenes for these kids as they try to adjust to the media spotlight they've been thrust into. It was so interesting to see them try to juggle school life with their exposed personal lives flaunted all over TV and newspaper, and it was done inexplicably well.
Setting
Bayview is the town and Bayview High is the focal point of everything that happens in this book. It's where the characters are brought together and where the murder happens.
School, the reactions of the student body, and the way everything in general was handled felt very real.
Besides the school, we get to see so much of the kids's home lives and their families which also makes for an interesting contrast between characters as we see how differently their parents suppprt them and begrudge their involvement.
Writing Style
Modern and believable. Sometimes I get the sense that authors forget what it was like to be a teenager and so just assume how kids act and speak today without really doing any research. This can lead to clunky or contrived dialogue, and cringy eyeroll 'text talk'.
Thankfully Karen M. McManus has perfectly encapsulated teenage life within the very different lifestyles of four teens. And despite these different lifestyles and upbringings, at the heart of it they all want the same thing: to know the love and suppprt of their parents. Whether the parents are abesent, neglectful or overbearing stage-parents pressuring their kids or living vicariously through them, all our four characters want is to know that whatever decisions they make, their parents will support them and have their back. From all four corners is about receiving validation.
The writing style itself is excellent. It flows fluidly, making it a quick and easy read with no 'clunky' sentence structure you have to reread to understand.
Pacing is key for stories like these and McCanus does an impeccable job keeping the story moving and relevant with each new piece of evidence that comes out.
At no single point is this book boring.
And as for the mystery behind the murder. I didn't guess it or see any of ot coming, so that's just another gold star against the author's name. I was surprised by the outcome, but thoroughly satisfied too.
Final Impression I'll definitely be read the sequel, watch the TV show, and will certainly check out the author's other works too. Think I've found a new one for my favourites shelf.
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