Tuesday, April 17, 2012

Review: Social Suicide by Gemma Halliday

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Social Suicide
Gemma Halliday
Series: Deadly Cool, #2
Release date: April 24th, 2012
by HarperTeen

Goodreads / Purchase

Twittercide [twit-er-sahyd]: the killing of one human being by another while the victim is in the act of tweeting.

Call me crazy, but I figured writing for the Herbert Hoover High Homepage would be a pretty sweet gig. Pad the resume for college applications, get a first look at the gossip column, spend some time ogling the paper’s brooding bad-boy editor, Chase Erikson. But on my first big story, things went… a little south. What should have been a normal interview with Sydney Sanders turned into me discovering the Homecoming Queen-hopeful dead in her pool. Electrocuted while Tweeting. Now, in addition to developing a reputation as HHH’s resident body finder, I’m stuck trying to prove that Sydney’s death wasn’t suicide.

I’m starting to long for the days when my biggest worry was whether the cafeteria was serving pizza sticks or Tuesday Tacos…

*An advanced review copy was provided by fellow blogger*
Think you’ve heard it all? Think again! Twittercide… Death by Twitter? Not the worst way to go I suppose… *Eyes her Twitter suspiciously*

Yep, she is at it again; finding dead bodies is basically a regular pastime for our dear old Hartley. I adored her in Deadly Cool; she’s still a fantastic protagonist in this sequel and I continue to love her attitude. Regardless of her wit, though, we clearly see some more maturity in her character. She is clever in her cunning ways, and knows when to stand her ground without becoming whiny. Her friends Sam and Chase come along for the ride as well. Like Deadly Cool, the side characters show as much charisma as Hartley herself. Likewise, the mother/daughter relationship is one I am truly enjoying in this series. Trying out online dating, her mom putting herself out there in the dating world, but Hartley kinda finds it gross. Not only is this a realistic portrayal of teenage behavior, it gets downright amusing.

As usual, you can expect plenty of humorous quips and crazy antics in this sequel. This aspect still remains my favorite part of the series. I did find Deadly Cool a tad more laugh-out-loud funny than this one, but I may simply be getting more used to the narration so that I’m not as shocked by her remarks. Regardless, Hartley’s attitude cracks me up, and even though I was able to predict a good chunk of this novel, its entertainment value does not falter. It’s a story you can easily plow through and highly enjoy without effort.

Romance does make a small appearance in this one as well. Much as the first, it’s mainly by dropped hints and awkward moments. To me this is even more fun than a lust-filled novel, or worse – the always cringe-worthy insta-love. Teenage romance is complicated and, in most cases, embarrassing. Halliday is spot on when it comes to this notion.

Another delightful mystery with refreshing priceless humor; Social Suicide is yet again a fun filled break from reality.  

4 Hot Espressos
 The Deadly Cool series so far:
Want to know what I thought of Deadly Cool?
 
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Giselle

Canadian blogger, wife, mother, coffee lover, and sarcastic at heart! She has had a love for all things bookish since before Amazon and eReaders existed *le gasp*. You can also find her organizing tours and other fun things at Xpresso Book Tours.

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24 Responses to “Review: Social Suicide by Gemma Halliday”

  4. Amy

    I really need to read these books. I bought Deadly Cool right when it came out last year and still haven’t gotten to it. Great review. And I am so glad there is no insta-love in it.

  8. Vicky

    I’ve seen Deadly Cool a lot in the past few weeks/months and I’ve wanted to read it ever since. I love mysteries (surprise, surprise) so I think I’d like this series.

    This Twittercide thing sounds interesting!

  9. Giselle

    Thanks so much ladies! It’s a real fun series!

    @Dalene: I def want to read her High Heels series I checked it out after I read Deadly Cool and it sounds hilarious as well! 🙂

  10. Candace

    I’m with you on the romance! I really liked it. And Hartley is so fun! I also liked that shes grown as character. Glad you enjoyed it too!

  11. Danny

    Fantastic! I want to read a hilarous and fun read and this one sounds like the perfect distraction from all those Dystopian dark reads. I want light and fun! I totally missed Deadly Cool last year, so I might get back to this series asap! Your review definitely made me wish to grab it right now!

  14. Jay Noel

    I remember when that college kid posted on MySpace before his sister’s ex visited and then killed the young man to rob him. His post actually led police to the killer. Eerie.

  16. Lexie

    Lovely review! I’m glad you enjoyed this one. 😀 That makes me even more determined to get my hands on a copy of Deadly Cool. I love genuine humor in a book, I love mysteries, and I love character development, soooo . . . *-*

  17. Giselle

    Thanks guys!! 🙂

    @Jay Noel: That IS eerie! But sort of interesting too!

    @Danny: SO many dystopians dude!! I love them but I need a break sometimes and these are perfect!!

  20. Sam

    This sounds like a promising sequel! I have yet to read the first book but I should be starting that one fairly soon and then I can’t wait to read this. Awesome review! 🙂

  23. Michelle @ Book Briefs

    haha! I have no idea what i’ve been waiting for! I have this book staring at me and I have not read it yet. Unacceptable! Great review. I loved Hartley and Chase in the first book. I can’t wait to see what this sneaky twittercide has in store for us.

    Thanks for the great review, as always 🙂