A fascinating and disturbing exploration of the cultural zeitgeist of true crime fascination—Eliza Clark frames this novel as a controversial nonfiction book written by an author of questionable credibility. She creates a wholly believable scenario just in the introduction and afterword of the book, with a full-blown tragedy sandwiched in between. The primary story is that of the murder of Joni by her high school classmates. The book (within a book) is structured in four parts, each semi-narrated by one of the three perpetrators, including a substantial amount of prose written by the author. 

While immensely disturbing (so much so that I had to put the book down at several points despite its gripping nature), the book also depicted a meaningful sample of teen girl angst in the early 2010s, which was both cringy and relatable. I’m not sure I ever want to read another book like this again, but I was certainly engrossed, and it made me feel feelings!