Then Things Went Dark

Picture this: Six strong personalities, all with something to prove, are stranded on a fabulous island to compete on a reality TV show. They are being constantly filmed, drinking heavily, hooking up here and there, and bickering all the time. Then one of them dies. Or were they murdered? YA author (The End Crowns All) Fitzgerald explores the possibilities in her adult thriller debut, which is part a recap of each “episode” of the show, part social media reaction, and part police investigation after the fact. This creates unevenly developed chapters, with the spotlight staying on the events of the island. The beautiful contestants are fun to hate, with their scheming ways and unapologetic preening for the best angles and most camera time. The different ways these contestants, most of whom identify as queer, hook up or fall into relationships with one another are mostly closed-door but feel true to love on a reality show.