Death Prefers Blondes #BookReview

Teenage socialite Margo Manning leads a dangerous double life. By day, she dodges the paparazzi while soaking up California sunshine. By night, however, she dodges security cameras and armed guards, pulling off high-stakes cat burglaries with a team of flamboyant young men. In and out of disguise, she’s in all the headlines. But can one rebel heiress and four kickboxing drag queens withstand the slings and arrows of truly outrageous fortune? Or will a mounting sea of troubles end them — for good?

Don't let the synopsis fool you, this book is about so much more than Margo Manning. Death Prefers Blondes is what I call a shape-shifting book, it gives you what you need based on what you're looking for. It reads like a fun, somewhat realistic story if you are familiar with the queer community, and the trials and tribulations that that can bring. It feels like representation for POC, LGBTQIA+ individuals, and teenage drag queens! (because they do exist you know) and it serves as very basic knowledge for those who have yet to read about a wholesome representation of all of these subjects combined.

One of the reasons I chose to read this book was because it sounded like nothing I had ever read before and boy was I right. Caleb Roehrig, managed to carry anywhere from 10-12 characters flawlessly, moving each storyline along without leaving anyone behind. It was like receiving bits and pieces of peoples pasts and presents in every chapter. It never feels like one character overshadows one more than the other, which I appreciate. Especially in the LGBTQIA+ sense, I am glad it doesn't fall into the typical trope in media that @Paperfury mentions in her reviews where the POC/Queer character either dies or is only used as a second plot to further the storyline. These characters are the stars here, and while the synopsis might make you think they are just sidekicks, they are everything but.

The five characters we get to know more intimately are Margo, Joaquin, Axel, Lief, and Davon. They are like family and the reason they do these heists is that given the circumstances in their lives at the moment It's necessary. The best part about these heists is how Caleb writes about confrontation, I literally can feel the awkwardness in the air even when I haven't argued with anyone, It's only when I reach the end of these scenes that I can breathe. Sometimes I even felt like I was robbing the museum or bank myself. I was afraid of being caught or dying. For people who have great reading imaginations, it almost felt like watching a movie. Honestly, though this is how Caleb treats every detail in his book.

The romance developments in this book had me tripping over myself. How he manages to describe stolen moments between some of his characters, just leave the room feeling like 10 degrees hotter, that goes for the straight and queer storylines. He manages to put these scenes in the most random moments, but that's what's amazing about it because you are not expecting them. I mean a romantic scene in the trunk of car, mid-heist, that leaves you breathless? (You'll know what I'm talking about when you get there) believe me, Caleb's got you covered.

Death Prefers Blondes has so much in it:

• Feminism- Two female characters that are written brilliantly. Wait until you meet Dr. Khan and Margo!

• Women in STEM- Head Scientist for a big corporation is a woman yeah! she's completely kick-ass!

• Race Microaggressions- We meet one of my fave character's and he's Cuban-Chinese! I honestly identified with his mom. If you're Hispanic, I have a feeling you will feel the same. Imagine the show One Day at a Time vibes! He almost gave me a heart attack towards the end but you are going to have to read it to found out why!!

• LGBTQIA+ - As I mentioned, he took utmost care in how he represented his characters, their backgrounds, and their stories. As I am typing this I am still amazed.

• Love- Romance is not lacking in this book and the best part is that you feel that it develops organically.

• Homelessness- Sometimes, It is unfortunate that coming out to one's parents results in not being accepted and that is the case with one of our characters. I appreciated seeing that from his point of view.

Rating - ❤❤❤❤❤ 5 Stars!

Some reviews out there say that they don't know how they feel about his book, but I agree to disagree. There is so much about this book that makes it realistically fresh. While pulling off heists as a teenager may be a tad unbelievable, the rest of the book is grounded in real life situations which makes the book relatable across a whole spectrum, without caring who is reading it. You can tell he took care to research what he wrote about and how to write it. It is a refreshing look at a topic that I personally feel is not explored often and in so much depth. I really appreciate what he did with this book and I look forward to reading his other books, that I have heard are just as amazing!

I really hope you give Death Prefers Blondes a try! I ordered a @Shelflovereads box because of the description of this book and because I wanted to read a book outside my comfort zone! I am glad to say that I got more than I bargained for and I am not mad about it. :)

Want to get a copy for yourself? You can find it at https://www.amazon.com/Death-Prefers-Blondes-Caleb-Roehrig/dp/1250155827

See you for our next review!