Reviewed by Amanda on
I went into Social Suicide wanting a light, fun read, and that’s exactly what I got. Hartley and the Deadly Cool series reminds me fondly of the days when I devoured Nancy Drew books. Hartley is an updated version of Nancy (at least, from what I can recall of the books) with a definite sarcastic bent that you know is a complete win for me. And, like many young and inexperienced sleuths before her, there is a certain unrealistic aspect to the book (and series) — why do all these deaths occur around Hartley? — but… I don’t care. No, really, if you read these books, I think it’s a requirement to suspend a certain amount of disbelief. And just run with it.
Social Suicide went remarkably fast; I picked it up in the evening and finished it the same evening. Though there wasn’t necessarily a lot going on, the story line was engaging enough to the point where the only thing that matter was moving forward. Not necessarily just with the mystery, but, you know, things with Chase, and, of course, Hartley’s mom. Hartley’s interactions with her mom just plain cracked me up. And with Chase? Not much happened. But the tension (at least on Hartley’s end) is there, and sometimes Chase made me swoon even more than he perhaps would have if they had actually been dating. The quirks of his mouth? Killed me.
Anyway. The mystery is pretty standard. Nothing noteworthy or terribly exciting or over the top, but like I said, that wasn’t what I was after. I believe the text speak was not as prevalent in Social Suicide as it was in Deadly Cool and for that, I was thankful. Too much and my head explodes, you know. But I also felt that Hartley sounds and acts like a true teenager, as does the rest of the cast of characters. And that gives Social Suicide a different feel than some other YA books. Hartley isn’t trying to save the world. Mainly, she’s just trying to find a murderer and not get killed in the process.
I approve.
Reading updates
- Started reading
- 10 May, 2012: Finished reading
- 10 May, 2012: Reviewed