Coming September 10th, 2024 from HarperCollins; 352 pages
Content Warning: Mention of murder, violence, some sexual content
About the Author: “Kate Weston is an ex-stand up comedian and the author of YA books Murder on a School Night, Diary of a Confused Feminist, and Must Do Better. Her debut adult novel, You May Now Kill the Bride, was published in May 2024” (Bio from author’s website).
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In the highly anticipated sequel to Murder on a School Night, best friends Annie and Kerry are shocked to find they have yet another murder to solve. After the events of the previous book, both girls are dealing with their reputation as the girls who caught the menstrual murderer. The girls, also known as the Tampon Two, join a festival full of influencers that quickly becomes a crime scene. Kerry must prove that she has what it takes to become a serious reporter for the local paper while Annie battles her desire to become social media famous.
While the story was entertaining and engaging overall, there were quite a few issues that I was unable to ignore when it came to the writing. Keeping in mind the target audience for the book, I understand the syntaxical and linguistic choices made; however, the attempts to use modern slang fell flat, like the use of terms such as “iconic,” which just seemed a bit unnatural and forced. Additionally, my personal preference in any media, not just books, is to avoid any pop culture references as they can greatly age the work. While Taylor Swift’s “Cruel Summer” is both trending and relatively new (2019), including references like this immediately make the book seem dated and therefore unrelatable to some readers. On a positive note, I loved the themes and discussions that Murder on a Summer Break brings to light. Similar to the incredibly feminist first book, this sequel delivers promising conversations about our obsession with fame and popularity and the issues it can create in your life. I would even argue that spending more time on this theme than the somewhat stereotypical murder plot might have made the book more enjoyable for me. Filled with sex-positive and feminist messaging, I can always rely on Weston’s works to evoke conversations on complex topics. That being said, the feminist messaging felt a bit superficial to me as Kerry and Annie regularly use statements like “good vulva” as a way to communicate that they are feminists. Despite my grievances with the book, I think young readers looking for positive female friendships, a murder mystery, or even a discussion on influencer culture may enjoy Murder on a Summer Break.
Pine Reads Review would like to thank SparkPoint Studio, NetGalley, and HarperCollins for sending us an ARC in exchange for an honest review. Any quotes are taken from an advanced copy and may be subject to change before final publication.
Vanshikha Vij, Pine Reads Review Writer