Rebecca’s Pick: #murdertrending by Gretchen McNeil

The year is 2017 and the hottest app is Alcatraz 2.0 – brought to you by the Postman and the United States Government. Convicted murderers are sent to the reopened island prison of Alcatraz in San Francisco Bay and justice is served via their live-streamed deaths at the hands of outlandish executioners. People are really dying to get the most followers….

Dee Guerrera, a 17-year-old girl accused of murdering her stepsister is the island’s newest member, and her viewership skyrockets after she earns the hashtag “Cinderella Survivor.”

Dee, along with some fellow prisoners who claim they’ve been wrongfully convicted, dub themselves the “Death Row Breakfast Club” as they work together to fight the likes of the Gucci Hangman and Molly Mauler. Not only are these inmates trying to survive and prove their innocence, they’re also working to expose the Postman’s true identity.

A dystopian thriller with Hunger Games survival tactics and the TV show Black Mirror’s style of “what ifs” in regard to society’s obsession with technology, #murdertrending was an enjoying read. Kind of kitschy, a little campy, but overall quite fun. And, as with a lot of YA books, there’s a sequel (#murderfunding) that I plan on reading.