Score: 4.75 stars
Purchase Hyperlink: Amazon | iBooks | Amazon UK
Size: Novel
Gianna “Gigi” Ricci is a woman from the poor facet of her Cleveland-area suburb. She’s a bisexual highschool junior, in addition to being a jiu-jitsu blue belt, having skilled at her former MMA-fighter mom’s knee from childhood. Gigi’s mother is non-binary and her older brother Luca, a senior at their highschool, is a homosexual theater nerd. Gigi’s just about solely associates with nerds, has delinquent tendencies, and inflammatory bowel syndrome, which additional complicates her life. She’s been suspended for preventing twice, and just lately was virtually suspended for breaking the nostril of a homophobic scholar who bullied her and Luca. Luca’s bestie, Mari, is lesbian, and Gigi has had a crush on her a very long time. Mari and Gigi’s bestie, Sean, are the one members of the Thriller and Thrillers Literary Students Membership at their highschool, which is in peril of disbanding on account of lack of membership.
Gigi’s been getting tutored in math along with her favourite instructor, Mr. Ford. He’s a straight shooter and loves MMA, in order that they have an sudden kinship. Mari asks Gigi to be part of the Thriller Membership to spice up their numbers, and will get Mr. Ford to signal on as a membership sponsor. Sadly, when Gigi stops by Mr. Ford’s class after her newest detention, she finds him useless on the ground–with Mari and Sean exhibiting up instantly, as a result of they have been tipped off by an electronic mail from “Miss Thriller.”
In the meantime, Gigi’s not satisfied Mr. Ford’s dying was completely unintentional. He supposedly fell whereas hanging a math cat-pun poster, however that’s completely out of character for the snarky man. Why was he assembly somebody about “Massive Willy”–the elusive campus individual college students pay for essays and different schoolwork? After which, there are the terrible threats the Membership members are receiving from an nameless emailer. Nobody is off limits, together with Luca and new members of the membership. Gigi’s able to kick ass and provides names to the cops, however within the meantime, she’s additionally recognizing that a few of the folks in her life have completely different motives for his or her supposed actions. Like Cedar, a wealthy good friend of Luca’s, who appears to be into Mari, however is she truly hitting on Gigi? Cedar’s tech expertise show paramount, and Gigi’s acid tongue causes a reckoning that opens new doorways.
Holy cow! I’ve discovered the enjoyable, YA, queer, thriller guide (sequence?) my teen self wanted….a long time later. I used to be simply turning web page after web page, loving Gigi from the start. She’s a take-no-crap type of individual that desires life to be higher than it’s. She has an enormous chip on her shoulder, and acknowledges that. Her morality isn’t in query, which permits her impulsive and impetuous actions to be admirable, as an alternative of condemnable. She liked Mr. Ford as an individual, as a instructor, and he or she needs justice for him and his widow. She needs to guard her brother and his associates as finest she will, even when it means forays into the boys’ locker room the place she would possibly witness uncovered peen. She’s going to 110% throat-punch an attacker, particularly if one among her membership members is within the crosshairs. She’s gritty and never the brightest at college, however intelligent and intuitive in a method that harkens again to cozy thriller sleuths of the ages. I adored her honesty, her sassiness, her brashness, her teen angst, and all of the insecurities that made her Gigi. I even recognized along with her IBS–and the fears she has associated to that power illness.
It’s possibly hinted that there shall be extra tales with this queer solid, and I’m completely down for extra of those books. I discovered the thriller compelling and the best way all of it rolled out to be each believable and enjoyable–even with the violent scenes. I recognized the killer early on, however the twists and turns made for a great chase, and saved me guessing. Whereas I had the killer picked, it was so superior that the eventual motive wasn’t as clichéd as I had initially envisioned. It was a enjoyable romp–regardless of one homicide, a stabbing, and an almost-murder–of Gigi.
In case you like YA journey/thriller/romance, this guide ought to get in your TBR record ASAP.
