Book Review: "You Killed Wesley Payne" by Sean Beaudoin

You Killed Wesley Payne by Sean Beaudoin

Book Review: You Killed Wesley Payne is a truly original and darkly hilarious update of classic pulp noir, in which hard-boiled seventeen-year-old Dalton Rev transfers to the mean hallways of Salt River High to take on the toughest case of his life. The question isn't whether Dalton's going to get paid. He always gest paid. Or whether he's gonna get the girl. He always sometimes gets the girl. The real question is whether Dalton Rev can outwit crooked cops and power-hungry cliques in time to solve the mystery of "The Body" before it solves him. 

Thoughts: Definitely not a book I would usually pick up. A good friend was moving and let me raid the book shelves because she needed to down size. She used to work for a publisher in NYC, so this was an advanced copy book and I thought, what the heck, let's try something new. 

 

It's pulp noir, something I wasn't much familiar with. It was YA, which is also a new genre for me of late. The murder mystery factor is also something I don't usually spring for. It was enjoyable though.

I liked it because it was "new." It didn't have any shock factor, but it wasn't exactly predictable either. 

Funny? Yes. The names of the cliques and the dry humor was exciting. There is a flow chart at the start and description of all the cliques. There's also a highly enjoyable and ironic glossary at the end. It made the inner nerd in my quite excited!

Recommendation: If you need something different that's quick and easy. This is a good choice. If you're into intense mysteries and can't appreciate the "pulp" I'd say skip this one. It wasn't a waste of time, it's a quick easy read. I won't read it again, but I would consider recommending it to someone that would appreciate the humor in everything.