ARC, 387 pages
Release Date: January 29, 2019Published by: Scholastic Press
Read from: January 26-30, 2019Stand-aloneSource: Publisher (I received a copy of this book from the Publisher in exchange for a just and honest review. This did nothing to influence my review.)TW: DeathFor fans of: Contemporary, Realistic Fiction, POC Characters, Own Voices, Music, Multiple POV’s, Thriller, MysterySixteen-year-old Paris Secord’s (aka DJ ParSec) career–and life–has come to an untimely end, and the local music scene is reeling. No one is feeling the pain more than her shunned pre-fame best friend, Kya, and Paris’s chief groupie, Fuse. But suspicion trumps grief, and since each suspects the other of Paris’s murder, they’re locked in a high-stakes game of public accusations and sabotage.
Everyone in the ParSec Nation (DJ ParSec’s local media base)–including the killer–is content to watch it play out, until Kya and Fuse discover a secret: Paris was on the verge of major deal that would’ve catapulted her to superstar status on a national level, leaving her old life (and old friends) behind. With the new info comes new motives. New suspects. And a fandom that shows its deadly side. As Kya and Fuse come closer to the twisted truth, the killer’s no longer amused. But murdering Paris was simple enough, so getting rid of her nobody-friends shouldn’t be an issue…
*MY THOUGHTS*
Somehow, this is the first book by Lamar Giles I’ve ever read. His book Overturned that came out in 2017 was super high on my TBR, but I never got a hold of it. I knew not to make this mistake with Spin. And with its badass characters, amazing music references, and so much more, I’m glad I didn’t miss out on it.
“Only present what you want the world to see, and you don’t want them to see you weak.“pg. 12
DJ ParSec was gearing up to be just as big as DJ Khaled. But just as she is growing in the music industry, her life is suddenly taken from her. No one knows who did it, but its looking alot like her old best friend Kya or her new friend, Fuse. Both of whom claim to have just found her. ParSec’s fanbase is furious thinking that they did something, so they make Kya and Fuse find out who took their beloved musician too soon.
“Purging the pain from your heart, ” mom said, “is like getting the poison out of a snakebite..“pg. 19
The best part about this book was hands down the characters. I LOVED that we got to see inside both Fuse and Kya’s head. It was interesting to see the mystery from both sides of the story. And I really loved the two of them together and they way they interacted with each other. (Am I the only one who shipped them? lol) Which makes this next point kind of weird to admit…. As much as I liked Fuse and Kya, I did not care for Paris. She was “not nice” for most of the book and even with her being dead, it didn’t help me see her in a better light. It just seemed like the music and fame turned her and made her question the people she knew her whole life (grandma, Kya). I didn’t like that.
“Some things are worth the consequences.“pg. 58
As for the writing style, it started out slow at first, but as the answers to the mystery started coming out, the story got better and better. For me to read so many mysteries, I had not expected for so many things in this story to surprise me like they did! The last secret that came out literally made me make a “peep” out-loud. Totally wasn’t expecting that. This mystery is full of surprises and the end result left me reeling long after I turned the last page!
“FOr what shall it profit a man if he gain the whole world and lose his soul?“pg. 178
The last thing about this book I really liked was the music references. The artists, the Smithsonian exhibit (that I WISH I could one day see) and her parties, and so much more. I love music and seeing all these references, like the Pac quote at the beginning, the mentions of Jam Master Jay, and BIG, I felt seen. These are the artists I adored and I still listen to. Although the teens in the story didn’t know who Jam Master Jay was and I felt old, it was still pretty cool to see them spoken about in a teen book at all.
“I think I’ve always known fan love was the most selfish kind.“pg. 201
This book was a definite surprise and I can’t wait to see what else I might have missed from Giles.This story of growth, pain, and friendship was just what I needed right now and I hope it reaches many others like it did for me.
Overall, I give this
