TW: sexual assault & suicide
Alex Wheeler is a semi-popular football player for his town’s high school that makes it seem like the sole purpose of living is football. So when star quarterback Lance ends up dead and his murder possibly connected to a recent rape/suicide, Alex finds his life up-ended during the investigation.
I gave #shedeservedit 2/5 stars. Giving a book this low of a rating is always hard for me, but this book just needed so much more. The concept was solid, I was drawn in from the synopsis and the cover was very YA murder mystery which I loved! The issue is the mystery, there really was none. The murder and investigation was not the main focus of the novel, it took a backseat to the constant backstory upon backstory that seemed so intertwined I did not know when one story ended and what was present-day or a flashback. To say it was confusing is an understatement. Around the later chapters, my interest became peaked, it seemed the story was becoming what it should have been all along with plots unfolding, the investigation is getting done, and real consequences of rape starting to take form. Then it just stopped!! That’s it, it was done. Character development = none, solved = ??
*Spoiler*? Still have no clue who the actual murderer was! I wanted to know if it was Mr. Green in the library with a candlestick and I am left with none of those answers. Also, the LGBTQIA storyline seemed forced and not central to the plot to be part of the category selection in my opinion.
Thank you NetGalley & Bold Strokes Books Inc., for the copy for my honest review. I wish I had better words as I am so saddened by this.
#shedeservedit comes out Jan 11th for publication to all those who want to read this book & form their own thoughts! Can’t wait to see them.

2.5 stars for this hometown drama.

I think this one could have benefitted from a heavier hand from the editor. The story is told through the perspective of Alex, a senior on the football team who's best friend is murdered in the middle of their season.

The narrative kept quickly shifting between current events and events leading up to the murder, including multiple sexual assaults by members of the football team. But the time jumps did not transition well, resulting in a lot of repetitive foreshadowing and confusion trying to piece together the entire series of events leading up to the murder. And just when the pieces were starting to come together with some cohesion, the book abruptly ended.

I was hoping for a drama-filled murder mystery and this one totally missed the mark for me, unfortunately.