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Killer Content
Knives Out meets One of Us is Lying! In this paperback original thriller a group of famous TikTokers find themselves turning on each other when one member of the group turns up dead at their beachfront Malibu mansion.
35 million followers. One dead body.
The six teenagers who make up the Lit Lair seem to have it all. A beach front Malibu mansion, millions of TikTok followers, model good looks, and sponsorship deals up to $30,000 per post. Everything's pretty much a Gen-Z paradise. Except that one member of the house has just turned up dead in the infinity pool. And the rest of them are suspects.
When the group TikTok account starts posting cryptic messages about the murder, the police limit their investigation to the members of the house. Now old joke videos are filed as evidence and past rivalries start to look like motives.
As investigators dig into these influencers' lives beyond their glossy internet personalities, they discover all five had reasons their lives would've been easier with Sydney Reynolds dead. But only one of them killed her.
Underlined is a line of totally addictive romance, thriller, and horror paperback original titles coming to you fast and furious each month. Enjoy everything you want to read the way you want to read it.
35 million followers. One dead body.
The six teenagers who make up the Lit Lair seem to have it all. A beach front Malibu mansion, millions of TikTok followers, model good looks, and sponsorship deals up to $30,000 per post. Everything's pretty much a Gen-Z paradise. Except that one member of the house has just turned up dead in the infinity pool. And the rest of them are suspects.
When the group TikTok account starts posting cryptic messages about the murder, the police limit their investigation to the members of the house. Now old joke videos are filed as evidence and past rivalries start to look like motives.
As investigators dig into these influencers' lives beyond their glossy internet personalities, they discover all five had reasons their lives would've been easier with Sydney Reynolds dead. But only one of them killed her.
Underlined is a line of totally addictive romance, thriller, and horror paperback original titles coming to you fast and furious each month. Enjoy everything you want to read the way you want to read it.
304 pages, Kindle Edition
First published November 30, 2021
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 362 reviews
December 5, 2021
Books that succeed in capturing the modern era *chefs kiss*
February 14, 2022
2.5
idk if i added this to my tbr ironically or because i was genuinely interested, but a murder mystery in an influencer house seemed intriguing nevertheless.
the book started off great. it also covered a lot of great themes, that people will do anything for fame, and that even celebrities/influencers are humans and require space, etc. bonus points for short chapters too
but then the suspense, in my opinion, wasn't built very well. the police scenes very HIGHLY unrealistic, almost childish. none of the characters had a personality; all of them were superficial and pretentious, which would've been fine if each of them had some other distinguishable personality trait. basically, the characters were very flat and one-dimensional.
however, it was the ending that ruined it all for me. it just seemed like the author mashed together the endings of One of Us Is Lying and A Good Girl's Guide to Murder. AND THE WORST PART IS the police couldn't figure anything out for like a week and then randomly this kid solves the mystery in two minutes??? what????
so who would i recommend this book for? if you haven't read OOUIL and AGGGTM (although you definitely should) and want a simple, not too complex YA mystery/thriller, go right ahead and read this
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pre-read thoughts: this is either going to be really good or really bad
idk if i added this to my tbr ironically or because i was genuinely interested, but a murder mystery in an influencer house seemed intriguing nevertheless.
the book started off great. it also covered a lot of great themes, that people will do anything for fame, and that even celebrities/influencers are humans and require space, etc. bonus points for short chapters too
but then the suspense, in my opinion, wasn't built very well. the police scenes very HIGHLY unrealistic, almost childish. none of the characters had a personality; all of them were superficial and pretentious, which would've been fine if each of them had some other distinguishable personality trait. basically, the characters were very flat and one-dimensional.
however, it was the ending that ruined it all for me. it just seemed like the author mashed together the endings of One of Us Is Lying and A Good Girl's Guide to Murder. AND THE WORST PART IS the police couldn't figure anything out for like a week and then randomly this kid solves the mystery in two minutes??? what????
so who would i recommend this book for? if you haven't read OOUIL and AGGGTM (although you definitely should) and want a simple, not too complex YA mystery/thriller, go right ahead and read this
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pre-read thoughts: this is either going to be really good or really bad
December 18, 2021
no because why does this look so entertaining😟
3/5 stars
this book was entertaining but the characters were pretty annoying and the twist was kinda predictable😭
3/5 stars
this book was entertaining but the characters were pretty annoying and the twist was kinda predictable😭
December 4, 2021
I don't recall how I heard of this book, but I know I heard of it two days before its release and I immediately pre-ordered and read it the day after it arrived. This was such a solid and entertaining thriller following a group of six TikTokers in an influencer house called the Lit Lair. I'm shocked this idea didn't come to someone else sooner as it's a great premise, but I don't think anyone could've written it better than Roache.
Before I talk about the book itself, I want to shout out that amazing cover and title! Casey Moses is my favourite cover designer for YA books. She has designed some of my favourites, such as: The Ivies, Small Favours and now this. Also, the title is just perfect.
The book was well written and captured (in my opinion) how stuck-up, bratty rich kids can be pretty well. It's written from multiple POV's, all of which are very distinctive due to each characters personality. Some of them were very humorous which made the book better without compromising on the serious murder investigation. My favourite POV to read from would probably be Cami or Gwen, even though they can both be nasty they were just fun characters. However, I did not like Tucker. In his own words: he is a douche.
With the POV's there were so many red herrings which kept you guessing and changing your mind about who the killer was. I was constantly second guessing myself, and when I thought I had it: nope! The shock on my face during the reveal cannot be put into words, it was that good of a reveal. I really hope to reread and annotate this book soon as it was lots of fun to read and there are many, many lines I want to highlight. I also want to highlight all the true clues that were planted to show the real killer.
My one quip with this book is that I wish we got to see Sydney before she was killed (not a spoiler, it's in the synopsis) as it would've provided a better emotional connection to her death and the story as a whole. Despite this, I cannot wait to read whatever Kiley Roache publishes next and I highly recommend you buy this book if you want an entertaining and quick thriller. - 4*
Before I talk about the book itself, I want to shout out that amazing cover and title! Casey Moses is my favourite cover designer for YA books. She has designed some of my favourites, such as: The Ivies, Small Favours and now this. Also, the title is just perfect.
The book was well written and captured (in my opinion) how stuck-up, bratty rich kids can be pretty well. It's written from multiple POV's, all of which are very distinctive due to each characters personality. Some of them were very humorous which made the book better without compromising on the serious murder investigation. My favourite POV to read from would probably be Cami or Gwen, even though they can both be nasty they were just fun characters. However, I did not like Tucker. In his own words: he is a douche.
With the POV's there were so many red herrings which kept you guessing and changing your mind about who the killer was. I was constantly second guessing myself, and when I thought I had it: nope! The shock on my face during the reveal cannot be put into words, it was that good of a reveal. I really hope to reread and annotate this book soon as it was lots of fun to read and there are many, many lines I want to highlight. I also want to highlight all the true clues that were planted to show the real killer.
My one quip with this book is that I wish we got to see Sydney before she was killed (not a spoiler, it's in the synopsis) as it would've provided a better emotional connection to her death and the story as a whole. Despite this, I cannot wait to read whatever Kiley Roache publishes next and I highly recommend you buy this book if you want an entertaining and quick thriller. - 4*
January 4, 2022
Even though I enjoy watching some TikTok's, every now and then, I'm honestly not obsessed with it. Couldn't tell you who's famous for it or not. I would probably believe it too, like if you told me, you were famous for it. So, it's probably super weird for me to jump into a book all about TikTokers.
Trust me, I thought that too while listening to the book.
Now the synopsis seemed like this would be a fun mystery thriller. However, I was still a bit hesitant to dive into Killer Content. Then I saw one of my friends reading it and I figured why the hell not. Dove into it and found nothing likable about these characters. Did I feel bad for some? Sure. I still didn't like them.
Other than that, the mystery was a bit predictable. I figured things were going to go south pretty quickly. Then the whole being caught on camera was definitely going to come true too. I was hoping for some twists and turns to persuade me it was someone else, but they never came.
In the end, it was easy to listen to but not worth buying in my eyes. It's just not my cup of tea.
Trust me, I thought that too while listening to the book.
Now the synopsis seemed like this would be a fun mystery thriller. However, I was still a bit hesitant to dive into Killer Content. Then I saw one of my friends reading it and I figured why the hell not. Dove into it and found nothing likable about these characters. Did I feel bad for some? Sure. I still didn't like them.
Other than that, the mystery was a bit predictable. I figured things were going to go south pretty quickly. Then the whole being caught on camera was definitely going to come true too. I was hoping for some twists and turns to persuade me it was someone else, but they never came.
In the end, it was easy to listen to but not worth buying in my eyes. It's just not my cup of tea.
November 3, 2021
Thank you Netgalley for this Arc!
A group of six influencers are living together and enjoying life making content up until one of them winds up dead. The police are searching for the murderer like normal until the influencers tiktok starts showing creepy messages that can only be coming from within the group!
This story is a fun, quick read and I definitely recommend it as a ya thriller!
A group of six influencers are living together and enjoying life making content up until one of them winds up dead. The police are searching for the murderer like normal until the influencers tiktok starts showing creepy messages that can only be coming from within the group!
This story is a fun, quick read and I definitely recommend it as a ya thriller!
March 6, 2022
4.5// THIS BOOK!! this book was so good. This is one of the only books I've read in which I can understand and justify both the villain and the main character's actions. I did predict who the murderer was, but if anything that just added to my enjoyment level.
I liked most of the characters, and this book was overall super fun!
Age rating: 13+
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Reread: March 1 2022 RTC
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Original read: December 17 2021
I liked most of the characters, and this book was overall super fun!
Age rating: 13+
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Reread: March 1 2022 RTC
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Original read: December 17 2021
December 18, 2021
This was pretty good but not as good as I was hoping. I did enjoy the twist but it kind of dragged on after that. I think this would make a good TV show on a streaming service. I think there’s a lot of potential.
I guess my biggest thing is I didn’t realize they were in high school. It said teenagers but I assumed they were out of high school because they were living in an influencer house together. That makes everything even less believable. Influencer horror stories hook me every time but this one was lacking something.
One last thing, and this has come up a lot lately, you don’t need 500 different narrators. Im not gonna remember half their names after this. That’s a pet peeve I’ve had with a lot of books lately. At one point I was kind of skimming and realized there was a new narrator added. Cut it out. It was interesting though especially for a younger audience.
I guess my biggest thing is I didn’t realize they were in high school. It said teenagers but I assumed they were out of high school because they were living in an influencer house together. That makes everything even less believable. Influencer horror stories hook me every time but this one was lacking something.
One last thing, and this has come up a lot lately, you don’t need 500 different narrators. Im not gonna remember half their names after this. That’s a pet peeve I’ve had with a lot of books lately. At one point I was kind of skimming and realized there was a new narrator added. Cut it out. It was interesting though especially for a younger audience.
January 17, 2022
I had a TikTok account for a few weeks because a few of my younger friends were talking about how cool it was. I quickly realised that TikTok was not for me as I was neither cool nor young. That said, I love a good murder mystery, and thought the concept of this story was both interesting and original.
I'm pleased to say that the story continued to be both interesting and original; even the way the reveal was done was a little different. There were clues that were dropped throughout the book, and a few of them were blindingly obvious. The who was easy for me to guess; the how and the why surprised me!
The characters were OK. I mean, of course TikTok stars living in a TikTok stars house are going to be portrayed a certain way; always on show, full of smiles, full of money. Initially it was a bit hard to empathise with the characters because they were so ... fake, but obviously a murder will put a strain on one's appearance and general disposition. As the story went on, more was revealed about the characters, and (unsurprisingly) there was a lot of character growth and epiphanies.
Overall a good book with a fairly steady pace and an excellent reveal. I found the ending to be a little rushed, but enjoyed it otherwise.
I'm pleased to say that the story continued to be both interesting and original; even the way the reveal was done was a little different. There were clues that were dropped throughout the book, and a few of them were blindingly obvious. The who was easy for me to guess; the how and the why surprised me!
The characters were OK. I mean, of course TikTok stars living in a TikTok stars house are going to be portrayed a certain way; always on show, full of smiles, full of money. Initially it was a bit hard to empathise with the characters because they were so ... fake, but obviously a murder will put a strain on one's appearance and general disposition. As the story went on, more was revealed about the characters, and (unsurprisingly) there was a lot of character growth and epiphanies.
Overall a good book with a fairly steady pace and an excellent reveal. I found the ending to be a little rushed, but enjoyed it otherwise.
February 12, 2022
KILLER CONTENT is an intriguing YA murder-mystery. The Lit Lair is a house where TikTok stars live together, making paid promotional content and growing their follower counts. We know that someone from the house has been arrested - and that there has been a suspicious death of one of the members. The book goes back in time to track the 5 people living in the house before and after the death, as the police investigate - and all of them are suspects.What I loved: This was a really intriguing read, as we track before and after the death, how they deal with it and all the secrets they are keeping. As the case heats up, it really seems like anyone could have done it or been involved. With the TikTok videos they are making and those that keep getting posted, it adds an extra element of influencer sabotage that is interesting to follow. The clues do pile up, and astute readers can figure out some of the reveals before they happen, which is always fun in a murder-mystery. While there are multiple characters and perspectives, it is pretty easy to quickly discern and remember the different players, which works well with the plot.
What left me wanting more: It felt a bit long in the middle, as some of the drama gets drawn out while we are waiting to figure out who did it. I also would have enjoyed having the whodunnit perspective earlier to add some of the thrill behind the crime. We get this perspective later, once you know who did it and they begin to discuss, but some of the dangling (anonymous, to keep the surprise) would have drawn this out more and kept the reader focused on the main plot and eager for the reveal.
What left me wanting more: It felt a bit long in the middle, as some of the drama gets drawn out while we are waiting to figure out who did it. I also would have enjoyed having the whodunnit perspective earlier to add some of the thrill behind the crime. We get this perspective later, once you know who did it and they begin to discuss, but some of the dangling (anonymous, to keep the surprise) would have drawn this out more and kept the reader focused on the main plot and eager for the reveal.
February 2, 2022
I'm not on Tiktok but I'm aware of houses like the Hype House so thought this would be an interesting quick mystery-thriller. It was okay, but didn't hit me with either the characters or the twist.
While I felt bad for all of the Main characters, I didn't really care about them.
The part that made it very hard to suspend my disbelief was how incompetent the lead detective was. Police the ball in investigations in real life, yes, but to think that there was no one around to give her any form of background knowledge into Tiktok and the Lit Lair? Not even a younger officer who's not a fan but at least aware of Tiktok? This could be only something that bothered me. But I like to think if someone doesn't know something but their job requires some basic knowledge of it, that they would do research.
A relationship introduced towards the last ten chapters seemed to happen too fast, from awareness of to kissing. There was a foundation there for one character's interest but I would have liked to see more interactions between the two to indicate interest from the other character.
While I felt bad for all of the Main characters, I didn't really care about them.
The part that made it very hard to suspend my disbelief was how incompetent the lead detective was. Police the ball in investigations in real life, yes, but to think that there was no one around to give her any form of background knowledge into Tiktok and the Lit Lair? Not even a younger officer who's not a fan but at least aware of Tiktok? This could be only something that bothered me. But I like to think if someone doesn't know something but their job requires some basic knowledge of it, that they would do research.
A relationship introduced towards the last ten chapters seemed to happen too fast, from awareness of to kissing. There was a foundation there for one character's interest but I would have liked to see more interactions between the two to indicate interest from the other character.
December 4, 2021
Hi, yes I dnfed it at 15% or something because absolutely not , I'm not reading a book about teenagers where everyone is so full of themselves, body shame others and cheat , maybe it's just the old fashioned me but god i wanna throw up .
Here , the synopsis was so cool but the moment I started reading the characters got on my last nerve , every single girl hated or envied the others , the author really picked up everything the tiktokers did and just lathered her book with it . You can literally pin point each character and assign them a tiktok creator and it'll fit so well .
Here , the synopsis was so cool but the moment I started reading the characters got on my last nerve , every single girl hated or envied the others , the author really picked up everything the tiktokers did and just lathered her book with it . You can literally pin point each character and assign them a tiktok creator and it'll fit so well .
December 1, 2021
3.5 stars
YA thrillers have become one of my favorite genres. The murders, the twists, and wondering who the killer is makes it fun to read. The contemporary setting of this, with the main characters being tik-tok stars, makes it very relatable to teen readers.
The story is told from six points of view with each person being an influencer who lives in a Malibu mansion. I did think the female characters were a bit indistinguishable sometimes and would have liked Gwen and Cami to have more unique characteristics. They're all fairly shallow and insensitive after Sydney dies, but it fit the narrative the author was going for.
I did like the mystery and I didn't predict who the killer was, which is the main thing I want in a story like this. I also thought the pacing was pretty good and having flashbacks helped tell the full story in an interesting way.
I voluntarily read and reviewed this book. All opinions are my own. Thank you to Underlined and NetGalley for the copy.
YA thrillers have become one of my favorite genres. The murders, the twists, and wondering who the killer is makes it fun to read. The contemporary setting of this, with the main characters being tik-tok stars, makes it very relatable to teen readers.
The story is told from six points of view with each person being an influencer who lives in a Malibu mansion. I did think the female characters were a bit indistinguishable sometimes and would have liked Gwen and Cami to have more unique characteristics. They're all fairly shallow and insensitive after Sydney dies, but it fit the narrative the author was going for.
I did like the mystery and I didn't predict who the killer was, which is the main thing I want in a story like this. I also thought the pacing was pretty good and having flashbacks helped tell the full story in an interesting way.
I voluntarily read and reviewed this book. All opinions are my own. Thank you to Underlined and NetGalley for the copy.
September 29, 2023
3.5 stars actual rating
I have mixed feelings about this book. While it had its moments of enjoyment, it ultimately didn't meet my high expectations. The twist in the story was definitely a highlight, but unfortunately, the momentum of the narrative seemed to falter afterward, causing the story to drag on.
Despite my reservations, I still believe that with some adjustments and further development, this story could truly shine. Exploring the dynamics of these characters in a high school setting, while delving deeper into the horror elements, could add depth and intrigue to the overall narrative. Additionally, focusing on the challenges and pressures faced by young influencers could provide a unique and compelling storyline that resonates with audiences. With the right execution, this story has the potential to captivate viewers and leave them eagerly anticipating each new episode.
I have mixed feelings about this book. While it had its moments of enjoyment, it ultimately didn't meet my high expectations. The twist in the story was definitely a highlight, but unfortunately, the momentum of the narrative seemed to falter afterward, causing the story to drag on.
Despite my reservations, I still believe that with some adjustments and further development, this story could truly shine. Exploring the dynamics of these characters in a high school setting, while delving deeper into the horror elements, could add depth and intrigue to the overall narrative. Additionally, focusing on the challenges and pressures faced by young influencers could provide a unique and compelling storyline that resonates with audiences. With the right execution, this story has the potential to captivate viewers and leave them eagerly anticipating each new episode.
November 25, 2021
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Thank you Penguin for this book in exchange for an honest review
I’m beginning to see a trend with the contemporary books that I enjoy, which involves most of the teenagers dying. Morbid I know, but it’s entertaining, nonetheless.
Killer Content is one of those books that you will you see the brutal side of fear, which is bloody brilliant. Let’s put a bunch of shallow and tiktok addicted teenagers into a house, promise them what they all desperately want which is followers. All goes swimmingly until one of them winds up dead in the pool and the panic starts to set in.
I loved this! I generally thought it was great, even if some of the characters had personalities as wonderful as mouldy cheese in the back of your fridge, but it made it worth while as the chaos sets in.
Loved it! The writing, the plot and those snotty ass kids!
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Thank you Penguin for this book in exchange for an honest review
I’m beginning to see a trend with the contemporary books that I enjoy, which involves most of the teenagers dying. Morbid I know, but it’s entertaining, nonetheless.
Killer Content is one of those books that you will you see the brutal side of fear, which is bloody brilliant. Let’s put a bunch of shallow and tiktok addicted teenagers into a house, promise them what they all desperately want which is followers. All goes swimmingly until one of them winds up dead in the pool and the panic starts to set in.
I loved this! I generally thought it was great, even if some of the characters had personalities as wonderful as mouldy cheese in the back of your fridge, but it made it worth while as the chaos sets in.
Loved it! The writing, the plot and those snotty ass kids!
December 22, 2021
I'll start by saying that I am most definitely not the audience for this book. I'm not even sure why I finished the book. Probably because I didn't have anything else on my iPod that day. Anyway, the story is about a group of teenage "influencers" who rent a house for the summer. When one of them dies, the others in the house become suspects.
The story is very predictable. I called the "twist" from the beginning. The reveal is about 75% of the way through, so the ending is kind of anticlimactic. The characters were all equally horrible and self absorbed. I had to suspend disbelief that their parents would allow them at age 17 to live by themselves for the summer. Also, the way the police handled the investigation was very unrealistic. I wouldn't recommend this one.
The story is very predictable. I called the "twist" from the beginning. The reveal is about 75% of the way through, so the ending is kind of anticlimactic. The characters were all equally horrible and self absorbed. I had to suspend disbelief that their parents would allow them at age 17 to live by themselves for the summer. Also, the way the police handled the investigation was very unrealistic. I wouldn't recommend this one.
May 29, 2024
More like 3.75 stars, it got pretty good at the end, however, I can’t rate it any higher than that due to the fact that the plot didn’t go anywhere for more than half of the book. But once it got to the plot twist (that I wasn’t able to guess at all!), it got really good. I also didn’t like the majority of the character’s personalities besides two of them, so it was hard to read their perspectives.
I had never read a book that focuses so much on social media, and if I’m being honest, I don’t think I will again. I’m not on tiktok, so a lot of the book I didn’t understand that much. I was able to get the gist, but in the end it resulted in me looking up a bunch of stuff which got old fast. On the other hand, I think the tiktok aspect played a huge roll in the book that I had never seen before, so that was interesting.
All in all a pretty good book, and a pretty good thriller.
I had never read a book that focuses so much on social media, and if I’m being honest, I don’t think I will again. I’m not on tiktok, so a lot of the book I didn’t understand that much. I was able to get the gist, but in the end it resulted in me looking up a bunch of stuff which got old fast. On the other hand, I think the tiktok aspect played a huge roll in the book that I had never seen before, so that was interesting.
All in all a pretty good book, and a pretty good thriller.
February 5, 2022
solid like 4.5/5 stars :)
This was sort of like your twisted secrets in that it’s so bad it’s good?
Like the characters aren’t very likable (except beau and kat) and some things weren’t the MOST realistic
they were all kinda spoiled brats
But like the whole tiktok thing was HILARIOUS
as far as the mystery aspects go, the twists and stuff were extremely predictable
there was almost more romance than mystery aspects LOL the dramaaaaa EM, THIS BOOK IS CALLING YOUR NAME!!! speaking of there was like a freaking love trapezoid in here
slight spoiler to explain:
BUTTTT THIS WAS SO SIMILAR TO ONE OF US IS LYING TELL ME IM WRONG
so yeahhhh…don’t read this if you're looking for an amazing thrilling mystery, cause that’s not what you’ll get
Read it if you want a nice entertaining mystery-ish book that is hilariously dumb and you’ll get a good laugh out of it.
(That sounded a bit harsh, it really isn’t that terrible or else I would’ve rated it lower- but ummmmmmm your twisted secrets says otherwise 😏)
~maybe my gift is just being in denial though~
if you know, you know heheh
This was sort of like your twisted secrets in that it’s so bad it’s good?
Like the characters aren’t very likable (except beau and kat) and some things weren’t the MOST realistic
they were all kinda spoiled brats
But like the whole tiktok thing was HILARIOUS
as far as the mystery aspects go, the twists and stuff were extremely predictable
there was almost more romance than mystery aspects LOL the dramaaaaa EM, THIS BOOK IS CALLING YOUR NAME!!! speaking of there was like a freaking love trapezoid in here
slight spoiler to explain:
BUTTTT THIS WAS SO SIMILAR TO ONE OF US IS LYING TELL ME IM WRONG
so yeahhhh…don’t read this if you're looking for an amazing thrilling mystery, cause that’s not what you’ll get
Read it if you want a nice entertaining mystery-ish book that is hilariously dumb and you’ll get a good laugh out of it.
(That sounded a bit harsh, it really isn’t that terrible or else I would’ve rated it lower- but ummmmmmm your twisted secrets says otherwise 😏)
~maybe my gift is just being in denial though~
if you know, you know heheh
December 29, 2021
Thank you so much to Penguin Books for providing me with a copy of this book, in exchange for an honest review!
A bunch of famous Tik-Tok stars are living together in a Malibu mansion, seemingly the best of friends to the outside world, creating content, building each other’s following and bringing in as many sponsorship deals as they can. But when one of them ends up dead, all signs point to one of the housemates being the killer. Who is it? And can the rest of them make it through with their lives (and follower count) intact?
I’m really enjoying the slew of modern thriller books that delve into the world of influencers. Killer Content was a whole lot of fun and kept the language and themes relevant to its intended audience. Between competition and backstabbing over sponsorship deals, cheating partners, secrets and lies, this story contained enough drama to satisfy everyone! Enough of the characters were annoying and entitled enough to really make me hope any one of them was the killer 😄 . The story was told from each of the teenagers’ point of view, which added to the fun of trying to put the clues together and figure out the mystery, and the twist at the end was cleverly done.
I think teenagers looking for a suspenseful whodunnit type mystery will be enthralled with this one, but it was also an entertaining and quick read as an adult too!
A bunch of famous Tik-Tok stars are living together in a Malibu mansion, seemingly the best of friends to the outside world, creating content, building each other’s following and bringing in as many sponsorship deals as they can. But when one of them ends up dead, all signs point to one of the housemates being the killer. Who is it? And can the rest of them make it through with their lives (and follower count) intact?
I’m really enjoying the slew of modern thriller books that delve into the world of influencers. Killer Content was a whole lot of fun and kept the language and themes relevant to its intended audience. Between competition and backstabbing over sponsorship deals, cheating partners, secrets and lies, this story contained enough drama to satisfy everyone! Enough of the characters were annoying and entitled enough to really make me hope any one of them was the killer 😄 . The story was told from each of the teenagers’ point of view, which added to the fun of trying to put the clues together and figure out the mystery, and the twist at the end was cleverly done.
I think teenagers looking for a suspenseful whodunnit type mystery will be enthralled with this one, but it was also an entertaining and quick read as an adult too!
June 4, 2022
I was super curious about this book when I heard it was about influencers.
I love YA thrillers but this one was missing something for me. It felt very predictable overall. I immediately guessed the twist, but maybe that’s just me.
The characters weren’t interesting at all to me. I found them all very unlike able and selfish. Though I do understand this is a YA novel.
I recommend this to teens who enjoy mystery and all things TikTok.
April 29, 2022
i hate this book
May 10, 2023
This book was really good.
June 21, 2024
Sydney, Gwen, Cami, Tucker, Beau, and Kat are six teens who live in a beachfront mansion they've named the Lit Lair - it's a collab house intended to allow the TikTokers to work together and use their follower counts to boost each other to greater heights. Sydney's parents made the down payment on the house (which she never lets them forget), but they all have an agreement that essentially makes them equal, as long as they abide by the rules of the house and continue to pay rent on their rooms.
Of course, teens being teens, there's a lot of drama under the surface. Sydney and Tucker are a couple, but Tucker's been sleeping with someone else behind Sydney's back. Cami has a secret crush on Gwen, Gwen is painfully aware that the others don't consider her to be very smart, and Beau and Kat (who many of the Lit Lair's fans ship, although they aren't a couple) are the only two in the group whose TikToks have a comedy rather than dance focus.
After Sydney gets in a fight with her housemates, she leaves and doesn't even come back for a planned celebrity meeting. But she's done similar things before, so the others shrug it off...until the next morning, when Cami spots Sydney's body in the pool while filming a live tour of the house. A short while later, someone uses the Lit Lair social media accounts to tauntingly post about her death. True, the housemates had some beefs with each other, but did one of them really hate Sydney enough to kill her?
This was one of my Book Bonanza purchases - the cover art got my attention, and I'm often drawn to YA thrillers/mysteries.
The characters in this reminded me of the movie Bodies Bodies Bodies - for the most part, shallow, rich, and annoying. The best of the bunch were Kat (whose parents made her put most of the money she earned into a college fund for herself) and Beau (a computer science student), which made me wonder for a while whether they'd be revealed as the group's secret snakes. The others were more openly awful. Cami was abrasive, Tucker was scum, and Gwen was shallow and so stupid at times that it seemed like she had to be faking it. Sydney's POV didn't come until later, but honestly most of their POVs were hard to take for long. They called each other friends but often seemed to hate each other more than they liked each other.
There were times I wanted to DNF the book just because I disliked the characters so much. At the same time, they were a train wreck I couldn't stop watching. But man, I wanted to shake some of them. (And yell at them. Yes, Tucker, you're a douchebag.)
It only took a couple clues to figure out who the murderer was, although I didn't find out the full motive until fairly late in the book. I did find myself second-guessing myself when a few secrets were revealed, though, and in general the mystery aspects were fun.
But ugh, the ending. The more I think about it, the more it bugs me. It seems to have been set up simultaneously to allow for a sequel and to make it look like some (but not all) of the characters maybe learned something from this experience. I was most disappointed in one particular character - the final chapter made it seem like they'd fall into the exact same traps as before. Plus, I still had questions (what terrible thing did you do besides the obvious? why were you in Sydney's room? does your mom still have access to your accounts?).
(Original review posted on A Library Girl's Familiar Diversions.)
Of course, teens being teens, there's a lot of drama under the surface. Sydney and Tucker are a couple, but Tucker's been sleeping with someone else behind Sydney's back. Cami has a secret crush on Gwen, Gwen is painfully aware that the others don't consider her to be very smart, and Beau and Kat (who many of the Lit Lair's fans ship, although they aren't a couple) are the only two in the group whose TikToks have a comedy rather than dance focus.
After Sydney gets in a fight with her housemates, she leaves and doesn't even come back for a planned celebrity meeting. But she's done similar things before, so the others shrug it off...until the next morning, when Cami spots Sydney's body in the pool while filming a live tour of the house. A short while later, someone uses the Lit Lair social media accounts to tauntingly post about her death. True, the housemates had some beefs with each other, but did one of them really hate Sydney enough to kill her?
This was one of my Book Bonanza purchases - the cover art got my attention, and I'm often drawn to YA thrillers/mysteries.
The characters in this reminded me of the movie Bodies Bodies Bodies - for the most part, shallow, rich, and annoying. The best of the bunch were Kat (whose parents made her put most of the money she earned into a college fund for herself) and Beau (a computer science student), which made me wonder for a while whether they'd be revealed as the group's secret snakes. The others were more openly awful. Cami was abrasive, Tucker was scum, and Gwen was shallow and so stupid at times that it seemed like she had to be faking it. Sydney's POV didn't come until later, but honestly most of their POVs were hard to take for long. They called each other friends but often seemed to hate each other more than they liked each other.
There were times I wanted to DNF the book just because I disliked the characters so much. At the same time, they were a train wreck I couldn't stop watching. But man, I wanted to shake some of them. (And yell at them. Yes, Tucker, you're a douchebag.)
It only took a couple clues to figure out who the murderer was, although I didn't find out the full motive until fairly late in the book. I did find myself second-guessing myself when a few secrets were revealed, though, and in general the mystery aspects were fun.
But ugh, the ending. The more I think about it, the more it bugs me. It seems to have been set up simultaneously to allow for a sequel and to make it look like some (but not all) of the characters maybe learned something from this experience. I was most disappointed in one particular character - the final chapter made it seem like they'd fall into the exact same traps as before. Plus, I still had questions (what terrible thing did you do besides the obvious? why were you in Sydney's room? does your mom still have access to your accounts?).
(Original review posted on A Library Girl's Familiar Diversions.)
December 13, 2021
This book - well - this book was a little umm messy?
Killer Content is about a group of stuck up teen "influencers" in a content house where one of their friends is found murdered. Chaos breaks when one of them are branded as the killer.
Narrated from different POVs, we follow a bunch of kids as they recount their stuck up and judgmental ways of life. I don't know if the author was going for a satirical account of teen influencers but the characters here in the book infuriated the shit out of me. They were insufferable and everything I hate about these so called tiktok influencers. I don't even remember any of the characters' names but we have one non-problematic couple, one bad boy cheater dude, one famous girl, her bestie and the dead girl. All of them sucked.
At least I was glad that this book had a nice surprising - although cheap trick - twist at the end. Which also came in very early and downed the excitement of the reveal.
The relationship between these kids were also so poorly established that I didn't know who to feel for. Like, am I supposed to root for someone? Feel bad for the main girl who is going bankrupt? The other kids who grew from nothing? What with them being so shallow, I wanted to just punch and yell at them yes you deserved it. Gosh.
And then, we really get no real character development. Nada. At the end only one of them lets go of social media altogether but gosh, what about the supposed trauma from that whole experience? A bit of thinking back on your actions? And all throughout the story, they were so so shallow and just brainless and literally annoying. But also, idk, it might have embodied a cliche picture of real influencers and the author was probably writing a dig at them? I will only assume.
Either way, the book was unnecessarily long and so many POV chapters could have been removed because they added nothing complimentary to the story. It was boring and dragged on and on and the end was rather comical. It was enjoyable in bits and I liked the twist but otherwise, I think I'm tired of reading about all these influencer books with only crazy and bad influencers on display.
Killer Content is about a group of stuck up teen "influencers" in a content house where one of their friends is found murdered. Chaos breaks when one of them are branded as the killer.
Narrated from different POVs, we follow a bunch of kids as they recount their stuck up and judgmental ways of life. I don't know if the author was going for a satirical account of teen influencers but the characters here in the book infuriated the shit out of me. They were insufferable and everything I hate about these so called tiktok influencers. I don't even remember any of the characters' names but we have one non-problematic couple, one bad boy cheater dude, one famous girl, her bestie and the dead girl. All of them sucked.
At least I was glad that this book had a nice surprising - although cheap trick - twist at the end. Which also came in very early and downed the excitement of the reveal.
The relationship between these kids were also so poorly established that I didn't know who to feel for. Like, am I supposed to root for someone? Feel bad for the main girl who is going bankrupt? The other kids who grew from nothing? What with them being so shallow, I wanted to just punch and yell at them yes you deserved it. Gosh.
And then, we really get no real character development. Nada. At the end only one of them lets go of social media altogether but gosh, what about the supposed trauma from that whole experience? A bit of thinking back on your actions? And all throughout the story, they were so so shallow and just brainless and literally annoying. But also, idk, it might have embodied a cliche picture of real influencers and the author was probably writing a dig at them? I will only assume.
Either way, the book was unnecessarily long and so many POV chapters could have been removed because they added nothing complimentary to the story. It was boring and dragged on and on and the end was rather comical. It was enjoyable in bits and I liked the twist but otherwise, I think I'm tired of reading about all these influencer books with only crazy and bad influencers on display.
Read
February 4, 2022Killer Content is about a group of Tiktokers who all live in a house together, making content and getting lots of money from sponsors. When one of them ends up dead in the pool, they all are suspects. When their group account starts posting cryptic videos, the police look at the house members. Now under scrutiny, old arguments and rivalries starts looking like motive.
I looove tiktok, that stupid ass app is so addictive I watch one video and boom it's been three hours of mindlessly scrolling. You have to tend to your for you page like a fragile garden though so I never get any of the tiktok energy of the characters in here. Sponsors, dancing videos, hype house lol no it's like a completely different side of the app no joke so when I say I love tiktok, I don't mean that energy. I doubt I could even name five of the famous "influencers".
But anyway I picked this up because the audiobook was short and it also sounded like it would be hilarious. It was but also obviously super annoying. All the characters were completely insufferable and I don't really get what the author was going for like are we for or against? The plot twist was so predictable and I called it the second we learned one of the characters was a twin. You can probably guess who the killer is just from this comment.
It was giving Gone Girl vibe for a second but I highkey wanted the killer to get away with it because of how annoying the characters were. Rip to the teenagers. They were just so cartoonishly ridiculous, self-centered, toxic, and shallow. The police work was also pretty shitty and unrealistic.
So dumb, laughing tho.
I looove tiktok, that stupid ass app is so addictive I watch one video and boom it's been three hours of mindlessly scrolling. You have to tend to your for you page like a fragile garden though so I never get any of the tiktok energy of the characters in here. Sponsors, dancing videos, hype house lol no it's like a completely different side of the app no joke so when I say I love tiktok, I don't mean that energy. I doubt I could even name five of the famous "influencers".
But anyway I picked this up because the audiobook was short and it also sounded like it would be hilarious. It was but also obviously super annoying. All the characters were completely insufferable and I don't really get what the author was going for like are we for or against? The plot twist was so predictable and I called it the second we learned one of the characters was a twin. You can probably guess who the killer is just from this comment.
It was giving Gone Girl vibe for a second but I highkey wanted the killer to get away with it because of how annoying the characters were. Rip to the teenagers. They were just so cartoonishly ridiculous, self-centered, toxic, and shallow. The police work was also pretty shitty and unrealistic.
So dumb, laughing tho.
June 3, 2022
4 stars.
I wanted to pteface this by saying I have never been the type of person who enjoys thinks like tiktok or stuff like Jake Paul/Vine. I enjoy comedy sometimes but I feel like these internet celebrities take things too far a lot of the time. That being said, this was a pretty enjoyable book even though it was about a house full of teenage influencers. The mystery aspect was very well written and I was a little caught off guard when everything was revealed. The characters were very well fleshed out and I just overall enjoyed the story.
I wanted to pteface this by saying I have never been the type of person who enjoys thinks like tiktok or stuff like Jake Paul/Vine. I enjoy comedy sometimes but I feel like these internet celebrities take things too far a lot of the time. That being said, this was a pretty enjoyable book even though it was about a house full of teenage influencers. The mystery aspect was very well written and I was a little caught off guard when everything was revealed. The characters were very well fleshed out and I just overall enjoyed the story.
March 28, 2022
1. i wanted to read percy jackson but deneel is a skank make that well known 👎👎
2. the token diversity was so painstakingly obvious in this book cuz cami and gwen had no chemistry and came out of nowhere . that entire thing was so one note it was terrible BOOOOO
3. im scared shitless now oh theres def someone watching me inhale exhale
in conclusion : deneel should never be allowed to recommend books ❤️🔥❤️🔥
2. the token diversity was so painstakingly obvious in this book cuz cami and gwen had no chemistry and came out of nowhere . that entire thing was so one note it was terrible BOOOOO
3. im scared shitless now oh theres def someone watching me inhale exhale
in conclusion : deneel should never be allowed to recommend books ❤️🔥❤️🔥
Read
May 7, 2022I can't recall just how I ran across this--presumably when looking through the library's e-book mysteries. It's a YA book about six high school TikTok influencers who rent a house together and then find one of them murdered there, so I suppose I was partly just anthropologically interested in a perverse sort of way as I don't bother with TikTok and don't know anyone under 18 except for the descendants of various cousins. The characters were neurotic and not particularly likable, but it was a quick read and mildly amusing. I guessed correctly as to what was going on, but not until close to the end.
December 31, 2021
This reminded me of a Sara Shepard book. I really enjoy YA thrillers, so I was excited to pick this one up. It was told in an interesting way, with flashbacks from all the characters, including the victim. I enjoyed watching everything unfold, and even though I called the plot twist, this was still a lot of fun.
May 1, 2022
3.5 stars
Stories around modern-day pop culture can either be a hit or a major flop. In this case, we have a murder mystery that features a group of TikTokers living together in a Malibu house, minting money, and having the time of their life. However, soon after the murder, everyone is a suspect, and we discover the various reasons why either one could have killed Sydney Reynolds. A fun read that will seem familiar if you’ve read One of Us is Lying.
Stories around modern-day pop culture can either be a hit or a major flop. In this case, we have a murder mystery that features a group of TikTokers living together in a Malibu house, minting money, and having the time of their life. However, soon after the murder, everyone is a suspect, and we discover the various reasons why either one could have killed Sydney Reynolds. A fun read that will seem familiar if you’ve read One of Us is Lying.
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