True Crime and adults who can't adult
Book review: Everyone in the Group Chat Dies by L.M. Chilton
Everyone in the Group Chat Dies by L.M. Chilton
Published: December 9, 2025 by Gallery/Scout Press
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Synopsis:
Kirby Cornell needs a break from everything:
- Her crumbling apartment in the sleepy town of Crowhurst (famous for its bucolic countryside and a second-rate serial killer from the ’90s).
- Her dead-end job.
- Her sleazy landlord
- Her messy roommates.
- And, most of all, the terrible thing they all did.
Luckily, that hasn’t caught up with her just yet. Until a new message on their old group chat pops up: Everyone in the group chat dies.
It’s the first text her ex-roommate Esme has sent for ages, but that’s not the really weird thing.
The really weird thing is, Esme died twelve months ago…
Rating:
Review:
This book was quite an interesting ride. If I’m being honest, I thought that I might not finish it during the first half. It just wasn’t that engaging at first. Kirby is a thirty-something who lost her job and can’t seem to get her life together. Her roommates are no better. For a group of people in their thirties, they seem to act like teenagers. They don’t know how to adult and come across as very immature.
The story switches back and forth between “then” and “now.” This was handled very well, and the “then” sections were quite intriguing and set the stage for the larger story. But they also highlight how all of the characters were almost exactly the same as they are “now.” That’s not a good thing and only solidified in my mind that they are desperately immature.
However, once we hit the halfway point, this story really started to rock and roll. The pace took off rapidly and never let up until the end. I read the entire second half in one sitting because I wanted to know what happened next. I started to get an inkling that I knew what the ending would be, but it still managed to surprise me. I only partially figured out the twist, and I always enjoy it when a book keeps me guessing.
Overall, this was a really enjoyable book. The pacing in the second half was fantastic and managed to keep my anxiety high right along with the characters. My biggest criticism was how immature they are—it pains me when grown adults are unable to behave like adults. Based on this book, though, I think I will pick up other books from this author, so they definitely did a lot of things right.