Review: Social Suicide by Gemma Halliday (Deadly Cool #2)

Title: Social Suicide by Gemma Halliday

Published: April 24^th, 2012 by HarperTeen

Source: Purchased

Format: Paperback

Challenge(s):None

Grade rate: A-

  

Twittercide: 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. ..

My Review

I just love Hartley.  I think this amazing protagonist is what makes the story.  Hartley is witty, quirky, funny, a great friend and a not so good investigator (she’s getting better though).  Hart comes across like a real teenager (believe, I have one) in a world in which technology has taken over, Twitter, Facebook, IM, ipods, texting,  the internet and even Match.com are all big players in the book. 

Chase is again Hart’s love interest, well sort off; we know they each care for each other, but they’re taking things slow, which I like.  I do hope that they get to have that date on book three *sigh*.  Sam is, as always, a good and loyal friend, even when it goes against everything she believes in; as I said, ‘a really good friend’.  We see a few of the characters from book one as well.  More importantly, Hartley’s mom is now dating a certain detective *wink, wink*

The plot is a bit predictable, but nevertheless I enjoyed the ride.  The writing is amazing, so funny that I laughed out loud more than once.  I mean, who would have thought of committing ‘Twittercide’?  Ms. Halliday, that’s who!

I cannot wait for book three, whenever it’s published, I’m so there.  If you like Nancy Drew when you were younger, if you like mystery and a light, funny story, look no further than the Deadly Cool series.

About the cover:  The cover is really beautiful, although the model looks less like Hartley.  I like the font and again the headphone cable that forms the word “suicide”.

Have you read this series?  Do you like light mysteries? What do you think of the cover?