I enjoyed this one, despite being a little slow in parts. I really was surprised at who the killer was and for the reasons given. I felt bad for Jess. She had lost her mother to a murder and when it came time for her to fight to avenge her, not everyone was supportive. I was happy she was able to make new friends (although I did feel they were a bit sketchy at first). I loved the idea of the video cast. Overall I enjoyed this book and would recommend to others.

I love reading about serial killers and I loved this book about someone trying to find the person that killed their mother. The story had me hanging and wanting to figure out the mystery. It made me think about if this could happen in real life. I really enjoyed this book, but it is not for anyone who startles easily.

A page-turning new YA thriller, “14 Ways To Die” utilizes social media as a platform for jumping in to a juicy mystery. The novel unfolds at a quick pace with short chapters that are quick and easy reads. The book also moves quickly from event to event which keep readers on their toes and eager to turn the next page. Sadly I found the reveal somewhat awkward and anticlimactic. Too many false starts and red herrings leave the reader to question the validity of each clue and removes any possibility of identifying the murderer before the final reveal.

This one might be worth skipping.

Loved this. The recent surge in YA thrillers has been great fun and this is a solid entry for the genre.

Definitely took a second for me to get into the story, but the end took off and the grand reveal was well worth the wait very satisfying killer. The livestream contest felt like a cool concept but also felt like it could have been incorporated better?

Supporting characters are a bit weak but nothing to hold against this one overall. Also what a great name for a killer the Magpie Killer LOVED that.

Enjoyed this one a lot!

Jess’ mother was murdered by a serial killer called the Magpie Man who is still at large. When an opportunity arises for her to star on a reality TV show that livestreams on YouTube, she seizes the chance to get her mother’s case back in the media. Everyone is watching her every move, including the Magpie Man while she is taunting him.

I found the concept of the reality TV show that live streams every minute of your life to be very interesting and probably something the public would consume with great popularity. Jess was a very tenacious and brave protagonist. Her grief as well as her father’s was extremely well depicted and I could feel their loss through the pages. I found the supporting characters to be a bit weak and it dragged for me in the middle. The ending really picked up however and the grand reveal was worth the wait.

I have been loving all the YA mysteries that have been published. They're so easy to recommend to teens and adults.
14 Ways to Die by Vincent Ralph follows Jess whose mother was killed by a serial killer called the Magpie Man. To try and catch him, Jess becomes one of the stars of a new online show that will be about her life. Jess thinks that she can use the show to gather more information and make the case higher profile. However, she's also competing against 4 other teens for the most views and the winner's show will continue.
This book had a really unique premise and it was really coll to watch that play out.

The plot idea was really good, but the book was a little blah on the follow through. I had a hard time getting into the story and connecting with the characters and found most of them to be annoying and unrealistic.

I enjoyed this book. The focus on social media was an interesting aspect that made it more unique than the basic catch a killer/revenge plot driven thriller. The only gripe that I had with it was that I didn't really like any of the supporting characters, particularly the protagonists friends, they all felt very surface level and I wasn't very attached to the relationships they had with Jess. Besides that, this turned out to be an easy read and I think it would be perfect for people who are looking for a fast-paced quick thriller.

Ten years ago, Jess’s mother was murdered by the Magpie Man.
She was the first of his victims but not the last. Now Jess is the star of a YouTube reality series and she’s using it to catch the killer once and for all. The whole world is watching her every move. And so is the Magpie Man…

I want to thank Sourcebooks Fire and Netgalley for providing me with an E-arc of “14 ways to die” by Vincent Ralph.

14 ways to die was previously published in 2019 under the title “Are you watching” and is now re-published under the new title “14 ways to die” in June 2021. After reading the book I actually love the old title more because I think it’s more fitting with the story. I don’t understand why they changed it to “14 ways to die” because I don’t see any relation towards the story except that Jess might be the 14th victim of the Magpie Man.

So that being said about the title let’s get into the story since that’s what counts the most. Jess was seven when her mother became the first victim of the Magpie Man. She is now 17 and the Magpie Man still hasn’t been caught and has even made 12 more victims. Jess discovers that the Magpie man is killing women 9 months apart. The time between his last victim is almost 6 months. Meaning he will kill again in 3 months. With the police doing nothing Jess takes matters into her own hands and applies to appear on an internet reality show. When the show starts airing Jess receives anonymous text messages and she realizes that the Magpie man is watching her every move.

I’m a big fan of the tv-series Criminal Minds. And when I read the summary of this book I wanted to read it. I enjoyed the book although it’s unbelievable at some points. Like how the police don't take Jess seriously, but also that everybody seems alright with Jess filming everything. When Jess gets threatened her father responds, in my eyes, very calmly. If my daughter would be threatened by the killer of my murdered partner I would pack my bags and take her far away. But on the other side, we wouldn’t have a story to read. The use of social media in the book shows how much you can achieve with social media. And I love how it was intertwined into the story.

Normally with this kind of book I can figure out the unknown suspect, but this time I was really surprised at the end. I think this book is perfect for fans of a good girl's guide to murder.

I’ve rated this book ★★★ (3 stars).

*small spoiler ahead*

I appreciate the originality of the story and how it was based around social media. The big reveal was very anticlimactic, however, since we didn’t see much of the murderer in the story prior to the reveal.

A suspenseful novel that kept me guessing the entire time!! I kept wanting to flip the pages to find out what happens next!! Will definitely read more from this author!! 4/5 stars!!!

“You have to murder at least three people to be called a serial killer. The Magpie Man got there when I was nine.”

“Night makes normal noises louder.”

Seventeen year old Jessica Simmons’s mother was the first victim of the serial killer the Magpie Man 10 years ago. When YouTube starts a search for 5 people to be followed around all day one day a week for up to three months, Jessica is convinced that telling her story will help authorities catch her mothers killer. But when she starts receiving threatening texts and being followed, she fears her plan has gone too far. Can she help catch the Magpie Man before he kills again…and possibly kills her?

Wow I very unexpectedly loved this YA thriller! It checks off all of the great thriller boxes for me. Great concept. Creepy serial killer. SUPER short chapters. Add in a dash of social media to keep it current and relevant and you have the perfect mystery! I flew through this one. I am not seeing a lot about 14 Ways To Die, so I will be this books hype woman 🙌🏻. If you enjoy YA or thrillers or just a good, fast story, read this!

Thank you to Netgalley, Sourcebooks fire, and the author for this arc in exchange for an honest review. Available now!

Jess is a teenager and her mother was murdered 10 years ago by the Magpie Man, a serial killer who is still out there killing women. Jess applies to be a star of her own YouTube reality series to catch him. She’s hoping that someone watching will know something. With thousands of viewers, it’s hard to know who she can trust. Is one of her viewers the Magpie man? Will she finally be able to get justice for her mother?

I’m a big fan of YA thrillers/suspense and this one didn’t disappoint. It was fast paced with short chapters, an easy read. It was full of suspense, and I was shocked when the killer was revealed. This book is perfect for those that enjoyed A Good Girls Guide to Murder and One of Us is Lying.

A huge thank you to NetGalley and Sourcebooks for an advanced copy in exchange for my honest review.

14 Ways to Die is such a good YA thriller. I don't know what it is about books that bring a reality tv, podcast, or something similar in a book that really makes me like it. I think when it comes to thrillers it just screams something is going to go wrong but will they be able to find the perpetrator? Especially when the perpetrator is probably going to be extra careful.
The only thing I was really disappointed with is who the bad guy was. It kind of disappointed me a little bit. However, the characters and the plot is really good and kept me interested in wanting to find out what was going to happen and how the book was going to end.
14 Ways to Die is definitely worth checking out if you love YA thrillers!

The blend of suspenseful mystery and social media/reality TV was very interesting and overall was executed well. I was hoping for a bit more action and focus on the serial killer aspect but still enjoyed the book without this. There were some very touching pieces about grief and recovery in here that I liked a lot. I'd read more from this author!

Thanks to the publisher for access to this title in return for a fair review.

Jess has spent the majority of her young life dealing with the fallout of her mother's murder. Her father has shut down, and she has had to find new friends. What makes it even worse is that her mother wasn't just a random victim, but the first in a string of serial killings that have never been solved.

In a desperate attempt to solve the case, Jess auditions to be on a reality Internet show, hoping that someone watching will have the piece of vital information needed to find the killer. While she knew it could be dangerous, she never imagined the number of people who may be in danger as she gets closer to the answers she seeks.

A great new thriller! I really enjoy crime thrillers like this. It has plenty of suspense, but also a lot of character development and self-discovery as the plot moves forward.

While the blurb and cover of this story attracted my attention, this book turned out to be not quite what it seemed. Many places seemed to drag on a bit, and initially I wasn’t sure where this was going. I will say I did struggle to get through the first few chapters, but it was easy to read.

Wow. What an incredible read. This is Jess's story; her mother was killed when she was seven, the first victim of the Magpie serial killer.

When Jess hears about an opportunity to be the star of a new YouTube show she decides to try out for it. Her only goal is to bring more attention to Magpie murders and appeal to someone anyone out there that might know something. She wants justice for her mother and all of the other victims. One day a week from 6am to midnight Jess is filmed live as she goes about her life of high school and friends and living with the aftermath of her dead mother, and grieving father.

But her story grows bigger than she imagined... trolls, bricks through the window, photos, notes, the sense of being watched and followed. Who is it? Random kids trying to prank Jess or a serial killer answering Jess' challenge?

Would recommend to those who are fans of A Good Girls Guide to Murder and One of Us is Lying. A fun, fast read for teens who like to be kept guessing until the final pages.

Thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for an eARC in exchange for an honest review.

I thought this was an interesting plot. I liked the way social media played into the story, and I think it is especially intriguing in today's world. This was a fast-moving story that was moved along by the shorter chapters. I would have liked to see a little more details at times. Sometimes things were too short. Overall, though, I thought this was an interesting story that thriller lovers are going to enjoy!.

"Ten years ago, Jess's mother was murdered by the Magpie Man. She was the first of his victims but not the last. Now Jess is the star of a YouTube reality series and she's using it to catch the killer once and for all. The whole world is watching her every move. And so is the Magpie Man."

This was such a great book! I really love all things thriller and suspense, and this fit the bill. Jess and her dad are pretty much drowning in grief (her dad) and anger (Jess) when Jess begins starring in a reality show about young people who have had something extraordinary happen in their life. Jess uses this opportunity to bring attention to her mom's murder by the Magpie Man, a serial killer.

Full of short, fast-paced chapters, this story flew by. Learning who the killer is was a bit of a surprise but the story tied up nicely. I also liked the side characters and was rooting for them, too.