Alan Orloff

All’s great for sixteen-year-old actor Dalton Black as he portrays a teen killer on a crime reenactment show. That is, until he realizes someone is stalking him. When that someone turns out to be Homer Lee Varney, the man convicted of the murder, things take a dark turn, and Dalton is afraid for his life. What does Varney want? Some sort of twisted revenge? Or something even worse? Can Dalton and his drama friends discover the truth, before they become the killer’s next victims? Stay tuned to find out!

I Play One on TV

Paige Green

Disclaimer: I received this e-arc from the author. Thanks! All opinions are my own.

Book: I Play One On TV

Author: Alan Orloff

Book Series: Standalone

Diversity: 1 f/f relationship but very briefly mentioned

Rating: 5/5

Recommended For...: young adult readers, thriller, mystery, murder mystery, drama kids

Genre: YA Thriller/Mystery

Publication Date: July 19, 2021

Publisher: Down and Out Books

Pages: 288

Recommended Age: 14+ (Stalking TW, Kidnapped TW, violence, slight gore)

Explanation of CWs: MC is stalked by a character and is slightly kidnapped at one point.

Synopsis:All’s great for sixteen-year-old actor Dalton Black as he portrays a teen killer on a crime reenactment show. That is, until he realizes someone is stalking him. When that someone turns out to be Homer Lee Varney, the man convicted of the murder, things take a dark turn, and Dalton is afraid for his life. What does Varney want? Some sort of twisted revenge? Or something even worse?

Can Dalton and his drama friends discover the truth, before they become the killer’s next victims? Stay tuned to find out!

Review: Overall, I really liked this thriller mystery read. The premise of it drew me in immediately and I'm a sucker for true crime lol. I loved the world building and the plot. I also thought the writing was well done.

The only issues I had with the book is that I felt like the characters weren't developed enough and that the action around the book was a bit too quick. I would have loved it if the book opened up with the murder and really explained the context of what I was reading. I also think that there was definitely enough in the book to continue for another 50-100 pages easily.

Verdict: it was good!

Jolie

Review is also on Read With Me (https://readwithme2018.com/2021/07/19...)

The blurb for I Play One On TV caught my interest when I read it. A teenage actor is compelled to look for the truth when the real-life killer contacts him. He and his friends must figure out if the real-life killer is innocent and, if he is, who killed the victim. That alone made me want to read the book.

The plotline for I Play One On TV was fast-paced. Once the book got going (it did take a chapter for the backstory to be explained), it took off and didn’t slow down. There was a little bit of lag in the middle of the book, but the author was able to get the book back on track.

The characters were well written and fleshed out. What I liked the most about these characters is that they were typical teenagers. Put aside the mystery, and they were typical band/chorus/drama geeks. I LOVED it.

The mystery angle of the book kept me guessing until the end. I thought I had the killer pegged until the author threw in that one last twist at the end of the book.

I Play One On TV is a well-written book that kept me guessing until the end. The characters were fleshed out, and I enjoyed reading it.

I would recommend I Played One On TV to anyone over the age of 13. There is mild violence and some mild language.

I Play One on TV

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