One thing that separates the older generations from the younger ones is all the different ways Millennials and Gen Zers have for contacting each other. As a wizened GenXer, I have no idea why it’s so important to have WhatsApp, Signal, and all the messaging apps that Apple or Google provide. What are you all talking about?
In L.M. Chilton’s follow-up to his breakout novel Swiped (reviewed here; title changed to Don't Swipe Right), a group chat among flatmates in a small English town keeps these Gen Z strangers connected. With the title Everyone in the Group Chat Dies, the plot points are telegraphed. But the book is a great mixture of Chilton’s trademark humor, generational angst, and suspense.
Narrated in the first person by Kirby Cornell, a once-aspiring journalist now working at a tropical resort, the action kicks off with the title message in the flatmates’ group chat. The sender is Esme, who briefly roomed with Kirby, Seema, Dave, and Dylan in their crummy flat in tiny rural Crowhurst. Only Esme died a year ago. So who is really sending these threatening texts? And who will be the first to die?
The action goes back to the prior year, when Esme first showed up in the apartment. A star on a TikTok-like platform, Esme specialized in investigating old crimes. Thirty years ago in Crowhurst, a man stabbed several people to death, then jumped off a cliff. Esme is convinced that the killer is still alive, and she gets Kirby involved in her investigation. But the next day, Esme has disappeared, and Kirby is convinced that the real killer has gotten to her.
The action in the book toggles between past and present, as past Kirby searches for Esme and present Kirby avoids a killer, while also avoiding telling readers exactly how Esme died. The tone remains consistently light, with jokes even while Kirby is running for her life. The book is a fun ride, even though I had trouble believing that Kirby could be so invested in a person she’d only met the day before. The fact that the other murders happened 30 years ago also made it hard to care about the fate of the killer.
Like he does in Swiped, Chilton does a great job portraying the hardships of Gen Z. Even though it’s disguised as comedy, the low-paying jobs, scarce housing, and difficult romantic relationships facing this generation play a key role in Chilton’s novels. Kirby may defeat and unmask a killer, but the bigger question remains: Will she ever find a job that pays enough for her to live without flatmates?
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