The Boyband Murder Mystery by Ava Eldred

Wildcard ~ April

★ ★ ☆ ☆ ☆

My opinion in three sentences:

I was ready to enjoy this novel – I’m always down for a good murder mystery, and Alice Oseman’s I Was Born For This had me sold on boyband fandoms from its first chapter. Unfortunately, however, this whole book felt a little too far-fetched for my liking, and I really struggled to connect with any of the characters. It had a solid grip on pacing the story and immersive world-building, and by the end things were really coming together, but overall it didn’t make for the most thrilling or engaging read.

(Without spoiling anything) the best bit:

It would have been quite easy for this book to get carried away, dwelling unnecessarily on a particular side-plotline, or dragging out fandom elements in favour of the plot. Eldred, however, had a clear and secure grasp on the main storyline with great pacing throughout. Sure, several of the plot points went beyond artistic licence to just implausible, but the literary skill in pacing bodes well for Eldred’s future works, and without it, large sections could have been unreadable.

A warning for the book:

If you’re choosing this book more the focus on fandom and the value of online friends (and you don’t mind that, bizarrely, being set among university students), this may be a nice read. If you’re attracted more by the mystery element or some boyband drama story, this may not be the story for you. As a mystery novel, it just doesn’t stand up – I can appreciate a little bit of flexibility, but the majority of plot points were just plain implausible. Mystery may be literally in the title, but I’d be aware of your expectations going into this book.

 

N.B.: An e-ARC of this book was received from Net Galley in return for a reflective and honest review.