CW: Potential shooter in the school. Mental Health - suffering from delusions.

2.5 Stars ( )

"Bang, Bang, You're Dead" is a quick, entertaining read for younger teens. The book moves from past to present through Mia's flashbacks as she races to confront the gunman thinking it's her twin brother. This is not really a crime story, instead it deals with mental illness and the effects it has on family members. Mia's mother is bipolar and the author has realistically portrayed her illness, her highs and lows, her refusal to take the medication and her extreme fear of doctors and hospitals. Mia is the sensible one in the family struggling not only to cope with her mother's fragile state but also deal with her increasingly angry and distant brother. Although the ending felt rushed, the twist at the end is clever and totally unexpected. I will definitely be looking for other books by this author. ( )

I rated this story 3 out of 5 because it had a good story line but the ending was not as good as I thought it would be because it was so sudden. I think it would be suitable for people over 12 years old. The story is about a girl who has a suspicion that her twin brother is involved with the shooting at school. So she faces her fears and follows him to the scene. ( )