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I never knew my nostrils were so big. Geez. Do I always look like that? Why is that guy looking so board? Who took a bite out of the table? So many questions!
I was requested to read "Fake Me to Church" by @BlueJay325 and it looked interesting enough to take on. I haven't finished it, but it is good enough that I plan to. The story is long enough I think I will do a review now, and a second addon-review later after finishing it if I feel anything more should be added on or changed.
TLDR; Murder, conspiracy, and bodies galore ruin what is otherwise a normal high school year for these guys.
Main Characters: semi-SMASHING! - The Main Characters are nothing short of amazing. The story bounces back and forth between their POVs, and they are both incredible in their own ways as the writer manages to bring unique flavor to their own chapters by different writing styles. Both of them are easy to follow and understand. Their motivations are clear, their flaws and strengths are open, and the drama is juicy, esspecially as they clash pretty much everytime they lay eyes on each other. You understand what motivates both of them very easily and they are characterized well. The author isn't afraid to let bad characters be downright awful that deserve all kinds of crap while letting good characters be sympathetic and nice and undeserving of what happens. The characters stay consistent to who they are and have distinct dialogue and actions and reactions based on who they are. This makes them feel all the more authentic. The MCs have things to grow on, lessons to learn, and have strong character development. The romance feels great and is paced beautifully, the consequences of their actions are real and not just ignored later, simple actions have weight because of the sheer level of characterization behind everything they do is so easily understood from multiple points of view and angles.
There is a failing in the characters, that ties a bit into the plot and I'll go ahead and bring up now. But many times there are key moments in the story that feel... incredibly coincidental. Not just coincidental, but what-are-the-odds-of-asking-out-random-guy-to-go-to-ice-cream-only-to-get-run-over-by-elephants-and-smashed-by-meteors level coincidence. Its things that you probably won't notice unless you are REALLY paying attention and analyzing every movement and detail, but the number of events that play out early on make me wonder "What are the odds?" Its not so bad that it would hinder the story for most, but this story aims to be a super-intelligent murder mystery and as such I am increasing my expectations. The way the MCs run into key things by these coincidences and sheer luck takes away from the story for me and deprives them of a lot of agency early on. The first time you stumble on a body, sure. No one can expect that and randomness can be observed. But after a while the constant "What are the odds of this?" makes me wonder if the author even wants his MCs to have agency for the entire first-half of the story, or if the author just wants them to be swept up in a storm outside of their control and leave them as witnesses to what is going on all around them. The author even goes so far as make a detective SC, seemingly just to take away all agency and desire to look into the murders from the MCs and gives it to the SCs, so the SCs become the ones dictating the pace of the mystery, and never the MCs.
