Lord of the Fly Fest by Goldy Moldavsky

Lord of the Fly Fest by Goldy Moldavsky
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

You don’t have to love Lord of the Flies to love this book!

Like many others, Rafaela "Rafi" Francisco had ponied up all her savings to attend Fly Fest, the ultimate music festival and hottest party in the Caribbean. However, Rafi had an agenda for attending. It's not that she wasn't a music lover or wanted to party with the rich and famous, but rock superstar River Stone was a headliner, and Rafi was going to get an interview with him at all costs. Rafi was a fledgling podcaster, and after a mildly successful debut year, her show Musical Mysteries needed a spectacular second season to draw in sponsorships and more listeners.

Australian River Stone had burst on the music scene a couple of years earlier with a tragic tale of love and loss that shot him to the top of the charts and into the hearts of millions of loyal fans. Before he'd come to the music world's attention, River, a struggling singer-songwriter, and his girlfriend had headed outback for a camping trip. While River napped, his girlfriend had written him a "Dear John" letter, taken his car, and disappeared, leaving him stranded miles away from help. The girlfriend was never heard from again. The police investigated and backed up River's story, but his explanation always sounded suspicious to Rafi. Now, after a bit of research and a whole lot of speculation, she intended to garner an interview with the superstar and ask the tough question everyone else seemed to give him pass on: "What really happened to Tracy?" She fully intended to interrogate him into confessing he was a murderer.

But that was the plan before she and the other Fly Fest attendees, most of whom were social media influencers, were dropped off on the tiny Caribbean island for the festival. When Rafi and the others arrived on the island, there was no sign of any festival: no greeters or transportation. There was no evidence of the promised private villas or gourmet chefs. In fact, there was no food or water available except for what was growing or raining from the sky. Worse yet, there was no cell service for the Instagram and TikTok movers and shakers. The festival was a scam, and the promoters had left the hapless attendees to fend for themselves for the next seven days.

Apparently, rumors that something was off about Fly Fest had floated about during the week leading up to the event, and at the last minute, all the musical guests, save one, River Stone, had canceled. His current girlfriend, Hella Badid, the supermodel spokesperson for the event, was supposed to have met him there, but she had missed her flight and was a "no show." With her quarry in sight, though, Rafi intended to make the best of the situation and get her story. But when a famous social media influencer goes missing, and the last person she was seen with was River Stone, Rafi realizes that maybe cornering a serial killer on a remote tropical island wasn't her best plan.

Lord of the Fly Fest was a fun and clever story made even more delightful by the allusions and parallels to William Golding's classic, Lord of the Flies. Rafi is surrounded by social media influencers and one of the few voices of reason on the island. She is a wonderful character, but the author also has a variety of fabulous secondary ones that parody the influencer communities of Instagram and Tiktok. I laughed until I about cried several times over the absurdities the situation created and the exaggerated but realistic portrayals of the various lifestyle influencers still trying to maintain their online habits. Throwing back to the classic foundation novel, one character lovingly calls his followers "piggies." The author creates a remote island setting, frightening and surreal, reminiscent of the island from Golding's work, and includes similar names and outcomes that echo the original. There is so much to love about this story, especially if you're a fan of the Lord of the Flies novel or movies.

But parody aside, the plot is about Rafi exposing River Stone, a young man who has been very kind to her, as a murderer based on very little evidence. She initially feels she is above the shallowness of the rest of the stranded festival-goers (and yes, they are shallow and awful people) but comes to realize she's not perfect either nor entitled to be so righteous. There is a nice revelation of truths, and mistakes are made, leading to her heartfelt offer and attempt to redeem herself. There is a great wrap-up that closes out the hanging subplots, too.

I recommend LORD OF THE FLY FEST to readers of young adult fiction, especially those who are fans of online social media or social media-related stories or have read Lord of the Flies.

#CaribbeanIsland #LiveYourBestLife #NoThreeHourCruise #WheresMyVilla #DoesThisPigDungMakeMyButtLookFat #AreBananasGlutenFree

I voluntarily reviewed this after receiving an Advanced Review Copy from the author or publisher through NetGalley and TBR and Beyond Book Tours.

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Jove Brand is Near Death (Ken Allen Super Sleuth, #1) by J.A. Crawford, Audiobook narrated by Tim Campbell

Jove Brand Is Near Death by A. Crawford
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Pure entertainment from start to finish!

Ken Allen is a former competitive martial artist with one IMDB credit to his name. Eighteen years earlier, he had portrayed the fictional super spy, Jove Brand, of the wildly successful film franchise of the same name in one awful movie that was only released overseas. When the movie was eventually leaked to the US market, Near Death and its star attained a cult following. Now, Ken ekes out a living as “Sensei to the Stars,” providing personal training to an exclusive list of BIG NAMES in town, working the fandom convention circuit, and doing the occasional cameo as Jove Brand on television.

His most recent TV appearance on Good Morning, Burbank, was going better than usual. The popular actor, Sir Collin Prestor, the current Jove Brand and star of the last six blockbusters in the series, was retiring. He was hosting the popular morning show to “officially” turn over the reins to Jove Brand to the new young actor chosen to continue the role. However, the understated Prestor wasn’t wowing the audience. Enter Ken Allen with his display of martial arts kicks and jumps and his comedic portrayal of the character, and the audience responds enthusiastically, saving the bit. But only a short while later, one of the evening’s co-stars is found dead, murdered in the same over-the-top manner that Ken’s nemesis in Near Death met his end; Ken becomes the police’s number one suspect.

Jove Brand is Near Death is fun and quirky, and immensely entertaining. I was hooked from the start. Parodying such successful movie franchises as James Bond, Marvel, and DC Comics, I laughed out loud in delight at the fun parallels (and remembering my own experiences going to the cons; the descriptions are spot on!) The throwbacks to the past are fabulous, but there are also up-to-the-minute cultural references, making the whole story fresh and funny. Ken’s devotion to his diet and the frequent inclusion of trendy food choices had me smiling. The writing is easy to read, and the dialogue sparkles as Ken investigates the murder.

Ken is a genuinely nice guy, and he’s got a solid circle of friends who have his back. I particularly enjoyed Yuen Hung, his former Near Death co-star and convention partner. I hope he returns in future books. The effects master, Ray Ford, provides awesome working props that he engineers to Ken’s needs. I loved his whole persona and vibe.

The plot is a solid mystery with constant action as Ken follows his instincts and chases down possible leads. The story is more complex than I expected and kept me guessing.

Tim Campbell narrates the audiobook edition, and I thought he was perfect as Ken Allen. He has a wonderful voice and delivery and uses it to get perfect results. He is my Ken Allen now. I will also be looking for more audiobooks that he’s voiced.

I recommend JOVE BRAND IS NEAR DEATH to mystery readers, especially those with a fun interest in spy movie thrillers and comic book-themed film series. However, no knowledge of either would keep a reader from enjoying this delightful book.

I voluntarily reviewed this after receiving an Advanced Review Copy from the publisher through NetGalley.


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