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Death Prefers Blondes
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Death Prefers Blondes is a high-stakes YA thriller featuring a rebel heiress and butt-kicking, jewel-thieving drag queens from Caleb Roehrig, author of a BuzzFeed Best YA Novel, Last Seen Leaving.
Teenage socialite Margo Manning leads a dangerous double life. By day, she dodges the paparazzi while soaking up California sunshine. By night, however, she dodges security camera ...more
Teenage socialite Margo Manning leads a dangerous double life. By day, she dodges the paparazzi while soaking up California sunshine. By night, however, she dodges security camera ...more
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Nov 04, 2019
Chelsea (chelseadolling reads)
rated it
really liked it
Recommended to Chelsea by:
Madalyn (Novel Ink)
Shelves:
queer
This was completely unlike anything else I've ever read and it was SO. MUCH. FUN.
I'm really going to have to finish writing this now
EDITED TO ADD: I have finished writing it
EDITED TO ADD: I have finished writing it
Rupaul's Drag Race meets Ocean's 8 in Caleb Roehrig's upcoming
Death Prefers Blondes
. This upcoming YA novel was really fun to read, folks. The non-stop action at times was slightly overwhelming, but overall
Death Prefers Blondes
is a fun, fast-paced, multidimensional read, that will be perfect for those seeking a light mystery with a little flair.
I'm not going to dive into the plot with this review, because I feel like it's best to go in with no expectations. Margo Manning, the protago ...more
I'm not going to dive into the plot with this review, because I feel like it's best to go in with no expectations. Margo Manning, the protago ...more
Oceans 8 meets Hamlet with drag queens
Different from Caleb's other books but absolutely a WILD ride and a fantastic epic of heists, revenge, and queer teens taking control where there is none to be found
Y'ALL ARE NOT READY
Different from Caleb's other books but absolutely a WILD ride and a fantastic epic of heists, revenge, and queer teens taking control where there is none to be found
Y'ALL ARE NOT READY
This review originally appeared on Novel Ink.
I received this book for free in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.
As soon as I saw Death Prefers Blondes being pitched as Ocean’s 8 meets RuPaul’s Drag Race, I was all in. (Because if there’s one thing I love more than queer YA, it’s queer YA that ALSO involves drag queens). And, friends, this one did NOT disappoint. Not only did the action scenes keep me on the edge of my seat the ...more
I received this book for free in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.
As soon as I saw Death Prefers Blondes being pitched as Ocean’s 8 meets RuPaul’s Drag Race, I was all in. (Because if there’s one thing I love more than queer YA, it’s queer YA that ALSO involves drag queens). And, friends, this one did NOT disappoint. Not only did the action scenes keep me on the edge of my seat the ...more
Extremely fun and successful at everything it's aiming for - definitely going to be my #1 rec for people who ask for books like Ocean's 11 or 8, which is actually a really common request.
Want to see more from me? Check out my youtube channel: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCfer...
*I received a copy of this book from the publisher in exchange for my honest review*
Video review: https://youtu.be/rNqa0hZSoUU
Margo Manning lives a double life. By day, she is a teenage socialite with a reputation for trouble. But by night, with the help of four Drag Queens, she pulls off some of the toughest heists imaginable. But, when bad news regarding Margo's personal life comes to light and a jo ...more
*I received a copy of this book from the publisher in exchange for my honest review*
Video review: https://youtu.be/rNqa0hZSoUU
Margo Manning lives a double life. By day, she is a teenage socialite with a reputation for trouble. But by night, with the help of four Drag Queens, she pulls off some of the toughest heists imaginable. But, when bad news regarding Margo's personal life comes to light and a jo ...more
Full review: https://bookpeopleteens.wordpress.com...
Overall, I love Caleb Roehrig’s work, and getting to see his writing develop over the years is amazing, this being his third book and his best so far. Death Prefers Blondes knocks the basic idea of a good YA novel out of the park crossing genres and providing a fabulous heist story mixed with the ever-popular themes of found families and reasonable teenage rebellion. Rating: five best friend cat burglars/five.
For Fans Of: Six of Crows by Leigh ...more
Overall, I love Caleb Roehrig’s work, and getting to see his writing develop over the years is amazing, this being his third book and his best so far. Death Prefers Blondes knocks the basic idea of a good YA novel out of the park crossing genres and providing a fabulous heist story mixed with the ever-popular themes of found families and reasonable teenage rebellion. Rating: five best friend cat burglars/five.
For Fans Of: Six of Crows by Leigh ...more
A heist-y book with drag queens, I’m here for it.
I liked Margo and her friends. They’re smart and fierce af and absolutely loyal to each other. I enjoyed getting their own stories and that everyone had a specific and different reason for participating. And hooray for all of the representation: queer, bi, non-binary, and POC characters.
Plot wise, it was a bit of a struggle at first. It took some time to get invested in what was happening, but once I was in, I was 100% in. This book starts off w ...more
I liked Margo and her friends. They’re smart and fierce af and absolutely loyal to each other. I enjoyed getting their own stories and that everyone had a specific and different reason for participating. And hooray for all of the representation: queer, bi, non-binary, and POC characters.
Plot wise, it was a bit of a struggle at first. It took some time to get invested in what was happening, but once I was in, I was 100% in. This book starts off w ...more
Oh man this book had so much potential. It’s got a great premise! Heists! Drag queens! Elaborate schemes! Revenge! All things I adore! But alas, it didn’t hit the mark. Here’s why:
- The premise was great, but the execution didn’t come off smoothly. I am such a sucker for heists, yall. I love them so much. They just didn’t land here, though. The action was confusing, the tension and pacing were misplaced, I didn’t get that page-turning thrill from any of it.
- I’m very here for canon, on-the-page ...more
- The premise was great, but the execution didn’t come off smoothly. I am such a sucker for heists, yall. I love them so much. They just didn’t land here, though. The action was confusing, the tension and pacing were misplaced, I didn’t get that page-turning thrill from any of it.
- I’m very here for canon, on-the-page ...more
Oct 23, 2018
Shelly
added it
So good!!!! This took me a while to read because of my general reading slump but I really did love this. The twists had me genuinely shocked and I honestly love heists so there's nothing to even dislike in this one. All the characters were great and I just loved it.
This book is making the rounds right now, and I keep seeing a bunch of the same comparisons. It's a little RuPaul's Drag Race, a little Ocean's 11/8, a little Hamlet, and a little Bling Ring, and I say, YES! to all of it.
• Pro: I say this EVERY time I finish a Roehrig book. He does such an amazing job blending a myriad of different story elements. This book was a mystery, but it also had a little romance, a bunch of action, lots of family drama, and most importantly, a fantastic friendship.
• P ...more
• Pro: I say this EVERY time I finish a Roehrig book. He does such an amazing job blending a myriad of different story elements. This book was a mystery, but it also had a little romance, a bunch of action, lots of family drama, and most importantly, a fantastic friendship.
• P ...more
Coming out of a reading slump, this was the perfect book to read! I found it comedic and exciting, and I couldn't put it down! It not only helped cure my reading slump, but reminded me why I love reading at all!
I was hooked from chapter one! The plot was fast paced and intense. It was a little unbelievable at times because it seemed more like an unrealistic daydream, but, behind the facade of teenage dreams and fantasies was the struggle of rebellion, hormones, coming to terms with one's identit ...more
I was hooked from chapter one! The plot was fast paced and intense. It was a little unbelievable at times because it seemed more like an unrealistic daydream, but, behind the facade of teenage dreams and fantasies was the struggle of rebellion, hormones, coming to terms with one's identit ...more
I had positives and negatives about this book (including what I felt was a pretty major plothole), but for the most part, I really enjoyed this and thought it delivered what I was expecting from it.
Full (video) review here: http://www.thebookrat.com/2019/02/dea... ...more
Full (video) review here: http://www.thebookrat.com/2019/02/dea... ...more
Margo Manning is a teenage socialite who acts like Lindsay Lohan by day and James Bond by night. To most people she’s just another useless spoiled and entitled rich kid. But what only a select few know is that Margo is also a thief—and a damn good one. She may have started small, just looking for something to distract her from the monotony of her privileged (but somehow dull) life. But now, with help from a small crew of friends—who all happen to be drag queens—she’s pulling off big jobs, steali
...more
So many stereotypes, so little time. Death Prefers Blondes is yet another promising premise failing to live up to its potential. There are a few things that are great about this book but they aren’t enough to lift it out of the morass. Drag queens, socialites, robbery, and revenge should be a winning combination, a fresh twist on a tired genre, but Roehrig fails to deliver. Switching POV from one paragraph to the next is only one of several major faults in this work, jarring the reader out of th
...more
This book is fabulous from start to finish, and it's exactly what I hoped for (and more)! There's a diverse, all-queer cast of characters, all of which have a clearly developed back story, and the plot itself is incredibly well-paced. I was expecting this to be a fun action-packed story (Ocean's 8 meets RuPaul's Drag Race is NOT overselling it, I promise!), but there was plenty of emotional depth as well. I could hardly put it down! I'm really rooting for a sequel here!!
Modern genderbent Hamlet retelling with heists and drag queens? Yes please.
I really wanted to like it, but unfortunately this wasn’t the book for me.
I've been trying to think of something to say about this for the past week other than just 'it's good, I liked it' but ...it's good ...and I liked it. I mean it's a fun heist book filled with diverse characters, what's not to like? I would definitely recommend it and I can't wait for the next one!
This. Was. So. Exciting. Bored teen socialite Margo gets her bb drag queen friends together to protect her family's company from a literal Bond villain. It's elegant spy fiction for young readers. All the fabulous globe-hopping Margo does, and the book is essentially a love letter to the city of Los Angeles. I want to reread this by pool in an enormous, bejeweled pair of sunglasses!
This book has so much heart. The whole cast is BEAUTIFUL and QUEER—I love every single character. AND none of the storylines are about queer pain. He also honors origins of drag & the kickass trans WOC who paved the way. So much care and thought was put into every page of this book and it shows.
There's so much action and drama—I never wanted it to end. 😭 ...more
There's so much action and drama—I never wanted it to end. 😭 ...more
i fucking loved this. drag queen rights.
tl;dr:
Unabashedly queer and diverse, full of the importance of found familes, and a little bit about stealing from the rich to give to the poor!
Death Prefer Blondes was a hell of a ride! Drag queens, art heists, found families, and of course some drama. The high stakes, and thrilling adventure is reason enough to read, but the exploration of themes of finding yourself within your community and being accepted for who you are and not just who your parents might have been really seal the deal.
Ok l ...more
Unabashedly queer and diverse, full of the importance of found familes, and a little bit about stealing from the rich to give to the poor!
Death Prefer Blondes was a hell of a ride! Drag queens, art heists, found families, and of course some drama. The high stakes, and thrilling adventure is reason enough to read, but the exploration of themes of finding yourself within your community and being accepted for who you are and not just who your parents might have been really seal the deal.
Ok l ...more
FINISHED: 1/24/19
Thank you to Macmillan for an advanced reading copy! I was a big fan of Caleb’s White Rabbit (I’m still meaning to read Last Seen Leaving), so Death Prefers Blondes was something I’ve been looking forward to. And, I mean, with a title like that, who isn’t intrigued?! This one took a while for me to get immersed in, and I think that’s because it’s plot driven, whereas Caleb’s other novels are debatably character driven. The characters in DPB are all extremely colorful and diverse ...more
Thank you to Macmillan for an advanced reading copy! I was a big fan of Caleb’s White Rabbit (I’m still meaning to read Last Seen Leaving), so Death Prefers Blondes was something I’ve been looking forward to. And, I mean, with a title like that, who isn’t intrigued?! This one took a while for me to get immersed in, and I think that’s because it’s plot driven, whereas Caleb’s other novels are debatably character driven. The characters in DPB are all extremely colorful and diverse ...more
If Robin Hood Were A Rich Teen Girl With A Crew Of Drag Queens! (TW addiction)
This novel is a heist thriller with a murder mystery starring Robin Hood–if Robin Hood were a rich teenage girl with a crew of drag queens. I adored it! Margo Manning is a socialite whose father has more money then a person can spend in a lifetime so naturally she steals from the rich. And I mean she has a full-on operation with a fence, and help with gadgets, and a crew of teenage drag queens. The heist scenes are kic ...more
This novel is a heist thriller with a murder mystery starring Robin Hood–if Robin Hood were a rich teenage girl with a crew of drag queens. I adored it! Margo Manning is a socialite whose father has more money then a person can spend in a lifetime so naturally she steals from the rich. And I mean she has a full-on operation with a fence, and help with gadgets, and a crew of teenage drag queens. The heist scenes are kic ...more
Mar 05, 2019
Andrea Gadberry Johnson
rated it
really liked it
Shelves:
2019,
fun-to-read,
we-need-diverse-books,
lgbtqia,
action,
crime,
ensemble-cast,
thriller,
ya,
heist
Take a feisty socialite heiress, add a handful of drag queens, sprinkle in a bit of jewel thievery, a hefty dose of Ocean's Eleven, a diverse cast, bi and gay romance subplots, and some Hamlet allusions, and you've got yourself DEATH PREFERS BLONDES.
The pacing is a touch uneven at times, with a few action sequences seeming to be in a different voice than the rest of the narration, and awkward use of phrases like "the man," "the girl," and the like instead of names or pronouns making some passag ...more
The pacing is a touch uneven at times, with a few action sequences seeming to be in a different voice than the rest of the narration, and awkward use of phrases like "the man," "the girl," and the like instead of names or pronouns making some passag ...more
2.5/3 stars.
I struggled so hard to get into this story. It had the premise of everything I love - espionage and drag queens - and yet, it fell short for me. I picked up and put this book down over and over again, if it hadn't been perfect for a readathon prompt, I may not have tried to pick it up again until next year.
I can see this being far more engaging if it were made perhaps into a cheesy movie, or a tv series. It just didn't do it for me, the writing tone at times was so juvenile, and it ...more
I struggled so hard to get into this story. It had the premise of everything I love - espionage and drag queens - and yet, it fell short for me. I picked up and put this book down over and over again, if it hadn't been perfect for a readathon prompt, I may not have tried to pick it up again until next year.
I can see this being far more engaging if it were made perhaps into a cheesy movie, or a tv series. It just didn't do it for me, the writing tone at times was so juvenile, and it ...more
Another win for Caleb. Loved it, the story, the characters, the plans, the twists, EVERYTHING! I love how they were obviously all paired up but I didn't mind it, not one bit. They were all lethal cinnamon rolls and I love them all!
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Caleb Roehrig is a writer and television producer originally from Ann Arbor, Michigan. Having also lived in Chicago, Los Angeles, and Helsinki, Finland, he has a chronic case of wanderlust, and can recommend the best sights to see on a shoestring budget in over thirty countries. A former actor, Roehrig has experience on both sides of the camera, with a résumé that includes appearances on film and
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“You shouldn’t doubt yourself, you know. Your father has a habit of making everyone feel like a failure so they’re forever struggling to do better; but you deserve to be proud of yourself - to believe in yourself. Don’t let men or tabloids or even your father’s ghost make you question your greatness.”
—
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“You won’t win every fight… but the key to success isn’t dominating every single battle; sometimes it’s retreating - living to fight another day when the odds are better, find your strengths, learn your weaknesses, pick your battles.”
—
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