I Don't Wish You Well - Review

I received a digital copy from Delacorte Press via Netgalley. All reviews are my own.

Wheeeew! Who knew becoming an entrepreneur in the bookish space would cut into my reading and reviewing time? I mean, I was still reading, of course, but those reviews? Yeah, they had to be put on the back burner for a bit. Now that I've gotten a chunk of the extracurricular activities out of the way, I managed to finish Jumata Emill’s latest novel, I Don’t Wish You Well, and I have some thoughts to share.

"Five years ago, the infamous Trojan murders turned the small town of Moss Pointe, Louisiana into a living nightmare. Four teen boys—all star players on Moss Pointe High's football team—were murdered one after the other by a Trojan-mask wearing killer.

Eventually, the murderer was unmasked. But the community has never forgotten—and some folks in town still wonder whether the police got it right.

Eighteen-year-old Pryce Cummings is one of them. An aspiring journalist, Pryce is pretty sure he just stumbled upon evidence that throws the killer's guilt into question. It's the perfect story for his own podcast, and a reason to go back to the hometown he's avoided since coming to terms with his sexuality while at college.

But in Moss Pointe, digging into the past is anything but welcome. There's so much more to what happened in there five years ago, and Pryce is ready to crack it all wide open . . . if he lives to tell the tale."

I started reading this book digitally, but since I was busy with other things, I switched to audio. It features a cast including André Santana, Erin Spencer, Matt Godfrey, Angel Pean, and Aaron Goodson. While the cast list suggests a full production for the 10-hour ride, I hate to break it to you, but you get one guy narrating the entire story, while the others slip in quietly at the 99% mark. I’m not joking. I was bamboozled. Switching from digital to audio was also a fumble on my part because I couldn't click with the narrator. The main narrator’s style screamed literary, and the grandiose tone clashed with the teen murder-mystery tone, making it hard for me to stay engaged. Because I found his narration style distracting rather than immersive, switching to audio lessened my enjoyment.

Putting the formats aside, IDWYW was decent. Pryce Cummings, an aspiring Journalism major, returns home to revisit the biggest scandal the town has ever seen: The Trojan Mask Murders. Four teen football players were found dead in what seemed like a survival homicide, and the accused killer took his own life after being outed as gay. Pryce has a personal reason for chasing this story for his podcast, but as he digs deeper, he uncovers secrets that could shake the whole town and its beliefs.

IDWYW is structured a bit differently. It begins with the Trojan Mask Murders, focusing first on a motive tied to sexuality. As Pryce probes further, the story shifts to topics like Southern football culture, pedophilia, affluenza, drug-related sexual assaults, victim blaming, corruption, and homophobia. The case takes you in many directions, each more surprising than the last. This unfolding journey sparks conversation, making you think about what we turn a blind eye to and who we trust without question.

Overall, I rated this book 3-stars, mainly because the audio version didn’t work for me. The story was solid, though not a knockout. While the murderer was fairly easy to guess, there were still several satisfying plot twists. It wouldn’t be an Emill production if there wasn’t a pearl-clutching twist at the end. As a fellow Journalism major, I appreciated Pryce’s commitment to journalistic integrity, which made the story feel genuine. I have to say, I like Emill’s stories. I’ve only read two so far, but both kept me hooked until my earbuds died. That has to count for something, right?

I Don't Wish You Well is available now!

#TheLittLibrarian #Review #YoungAdult #Mystery #Thriller