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The Fixes
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Eric Connelly is about to combust.
dzܰ�
His senator father is forcing him to spend the entire summer working a mind-numbing law firm internship. He won’t stop lecturing him about the importance of upholding “the Connelly name.� He doesn’t know the definition of “blowing off steam.� But he’s about to find out. Because Eric is ready to blow.
ճ�
Then Eric meets Jordan Grant. Super-rich, semi-famous Jordan Grant. The guy of Eric’s (secret) dreams. Jordan likes Eric. And, well, Eric likes that.
շɴ�
Jordan comes with a group of friends—the Suicide Pack, they call themselves—and they’re sick of the shallow hypocrisy of their exclusive beachside town. So they cook up some simple “fixes� to right the wrongs that the wealthy elite have committed. But as the fixes escalate, some members of the pack start to panic. Intoxicated by Jordan’s attention, Eric stays calm. Until Jordan starts to build the bombs.
Ա�
The question is not whether the bombs will go off—but who will be left standing when everything goes up in flames.
Eric Connelly is about to combust.
dzܰ�
His senator father is forcing him to spend the entire summer working a mind-numbing law firm internship. He won’t stop lecturing him about the importance of upholding “the Connelly name.� He doesn’t know the definition of “blowing off steam.� But he’s about to find out. Because Eric is ready to blow.
ճ�
Then Eric meets Jordan Grant. Super-rich, semi-famous Jordan Grant. The guy of Eric’s (secret) dreams. Jordan likes Eric. And, well, Eric likes that.
շɴ�
Jordan comes with a group of friends—the Suicide Pack, they call themselves—and they’re sick of the shallow hypocrisy of their exclusive beachside town. So they cook up some simple “fixes� to right the wrongs that the wealthy elite have committed. But as the fixes escalate, some members of the pack start to panic. Intoxicated by Jordan’s attention, Eric stays calm. Until Jordan starts to build the bombs.
Ա�
The question is not whether the bombs will go off—but who will be left standing when everything goes up in flames.
528 pages, Hardcover
First published August 30, 2016
7 people are currently reading
1,088 people want to read
About the author
Owen Matthews
2books60followersOwen Matthews was raised on rap music and violent video games. He is a graduate of the University of British Columbia’s creative writing program and has worked on fishing boats and in casinos all over the world. Under the name Owen Laukkanen, he writes crime thrillers acclaimed by critics and bestselling authors like Lee Child, Jonathan Kellerman, and John Lescroart. A fan of fast cars and sugary breakfast cereals, Matthews lives in Vancouver, Canada.
You can visit him at .
You can visit him at .
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 93 reviews
June 20, 2018
My initial and only thought after finishing this book: HOLY CRAP.
I really have no idea why barely anyone talks about this book because it's honestly so phenomenal.
The Fixes is about Eric Connelly and his three friends, who take it upon themselves to fix the town they live in, through a series of illegal acts. All seemingly harmless up until they aren’t. I really really really enjoyed this book. This book was so strange and dark and intense. It is completely unique and completely hilarious and had such a full, well rounded, self-aware story arc that left me 100% satisfied.
I loved the writing style and how Owen Matthews would break the 4th wall every second paragraph. I loved the fact that Eric actually had to face consequences for his actions. I loved the use of vine(RIP)and I loved the dark sarcasm. I loved Eric as a main character, even though he was a very stupid teenager that made very stupid decisions. I liked that you go into the book knowing the ending but not how Eric and his friends get to that point. I liked the short chapters and I loved the footnotes added throughout.
Really my only complaint is that because of the casual, satirical writing style (which I really loved) it’s hard to connect with the characters and it isn’t exactly immersive. Also, that Leonardo DiCaprio slander was so uncalled for.
A lot of people compare this book to Heather’s but honestly before everything went absolutely off the wall I was getting major misfits, ragtag, ‘Perks of Being a Wallflower� vibes. This book is essentially Perks of Being a Wall Flower meets Heathers and I don’t think there could ever be a better combination. I highly recommend.
I really have no idea why barely anyone talks about this book because it's honestly so phenomenal.
The Fixes is about Eric Connelly and his three friends, who take it upon themselves to fix the town they live in, through a series of illegal acts. All seemingly harmless up until they aren’t. I really really really enjoyed this book. This book was so strange and dark and intense. It is completely unique and completely hilarious and had such a full, well rounded, self-aware story arc that left me 100% satisfied.
I loved the writing style and how Owen Matthews would break the 4th wall every second paragraph. I loved the fact that Eric actually had to face consequences for his actions. I loved the use of vine(RIP)and I loved the dark sarcasm. I loved Eric as a main character, even though he was a very stupid teenager that made very stupid decisions. I liked that you go into the book knowing the ending but not how Eric and his friends get to that point. I liked the short chapters and I loved the footnotes added throughout.
Really my only complaint is that because of the casual, satirical writing style (which I really loved) it’s hard to connect with the characters and it isn’t exactly immersive. Also, that Leonardo DiCaprio slander was so uncalled for.
A lot of people compare this book to Heather’s but honestly before everything went absolutely off the wall I was getting major misfits, ragtag, ‘Perks of Being a Wallflower� vibes. This book is essentially Perks of Being a Wall Flower meets Heathers and I don’t think there could ever be a better combination. I highly recommend.
July 29, 2016
(Source: I received a digital copy of this book for free on a read-to-review basis. Thanks to HarperCollins and Edelweiss.)
This was a contemporary story, about a group of teens who wanted to ‘fix� things they deemed wrong.
Eric came across as quite a sensible character, and it seemed a little odd how he allowed himself to be led so easily just because he fancied someone. I also thought that he should have had more sense than to have gone along with the things this group were doing.
The storyline in this was about four teens � Eric, Jordan, Paige, and Haley who were collectively called ‘The Suicide Pack�. They pulled pranks in an effort to right things they deemed wrong, but really took things too far. Shoplifting is one thing, but stealing cars, setting cars on fire, and building bombs are different things entirely, and someone could have gotten seriously hurt or killed.
The writing in this was also a bit quirky, and the chapters were really short, in fact there were 365 chapters in a 528 page book!
The ending to this was realistic, if not happy, and I was glad that there were real-life consequences for the things these kids got up to.
6.5 out of 10
“This is a story about a boy’s first crush,and how it blew up in his face.�
And all of its explosive consequences.
This was a contemporary story, about a group of teens who wanted to ‘fix� things they deemed wrong.
“This town needs fixing,� Jordan tells Eric. “And we’re the only people who can see it.�
Eric came across as quite a sensible character, and it seemed a little odd how he allowed himself to be led so easily just because he fancied someone. I also thought that he should have had more sense than to have gone along with the things this group were doing.
“You’re the Suicide Pack!�
The storyline in this was about four teens � Eric, Jordan, Paige, and Haley who were collectively called ‘The Suicide Pack�. They pulled pranks in an effort to right things they deemed wrong, but really took things too far. Shoplifting is one thing, but stealing cars, setting cars on fire, and building bombs are different things entirely, and someone could have gotten seriously hurt or killed.
“What we have is a basic pressure-cooker bomb,�
The writing in this was also a bit quirky, and the chapters were really short, in fact there were 365 chapters in a 528 page book!
The ending to this was realistic, if not happy, and I was glad that there were real-life consequences for the things these kids got up to.
6.5 out of 10
March 3, 2017
The Fixes was like Heathers in novel form, with the same tone: very fun, black comedy, and I really enjoyed it. Eric gets sucked into a group called the Suicide Pack, which aims to right the wrongs within a town filled with rich, privileged kids. The problem? This is usually done through crime, and even though Eric buys into the glamour (and the group leader, Jordan's affections) things go horribly wrong.
So this was a blast to read and it was very short, despite the page count being long - most of the chapters were one page, and a lot were only a couple lines long, so it was fun to just tear through. I think it really fits the tone of the book as well. I liked the characters, especially the Suicide Pack, who were all mostly pretty complex and well-realized characters. Jordan especially - you don't see how dangerous he is until it's too late, and he's definitely written as a Typical Love Interest and ensnares readers as well as Eric.
So this was a blast to read and it was very short, despite the page count being long - most of the chapters were one page, and a lot were only a couple lines long, so it was fun to just tear through. I think it really fits the tone of the book as well. I liked the characters, especially the Suicide Pack, who were all mostly pretty complex and well-realized characters. Jordan especially - you don't see how dangerous he is until it's too late, and he's definitely written as a Typical Love Interest and ensnares readers as well as Eric.
May 5, 2020
I enjoyed the fresh glib tone � until it started to grate. The author insisted in intruding into the narrative with things like "of course I'm foreshadowing now". There is so much energy and talent here, so why are the characters so flat, the story so preposterous, everyone so unappealing?
The location is a kind of Vancouver, except not really, so this is really distracting if you happen to know the actual city of Vancouver. Even the names of minor characters were Vancouver shout-outs, like "Seymour" and "Grouse", the names of arresting officers.
The Eric character did not seem like a real person, and where was his mother in all this? She was invisible? I almost gave up half-through, but just decided to skim and get the damn thing over with.
The location is a kind of Vancouver, except not really, so this is really distracting if you happen to know the actual city of Vancouver. Even the names of minor characters were Vancouver shout-outs, like "Seymour" and "Grouse", the names of arresting officers.
The Eric character did not seem like a real person, and where was his mother in all this? She was invisible? I almost gave up half-through, but just decided to skim and get the damn thing over with.
August 14, 2016
This was a quirky read, and I received a digital copy of this from edelweiss in exchange for an honest review.
The obvious thing to say with this is it twists and turns, a lot. The idea behind the Suicide Pack is a curious one, but it all gets very serious very quickly.
On the whole I found this entertaining, but I did sense it was all trying to be just a little clever at times.
The obvious thing to say with this is it twists and turns, a lot. The idea behind the Suicide Pack is a curious one, but it all gets very serious very quickly.
On the whole I found this entertaining, but I did sense it was all trying to be just a little clever at times.
January 16, 2025
First of all, I would just like to say that it is criminal that this book has less than 500 ŷ reviews. Second of all, I would like to ask Owen Matthews what Leonardo DiCaprio ever did to warrant such slander.
The Fixes is a coming-of-age novel wrapped up in a thriller with serious Heathers vibes. Our main character is Eric Connolly, whose strict Senator father is all about maintaining the Connolly name and BEING A CONNOLLY MAN (which basically amounts to having exactly zero fun). His summer is going to be spent working at a mind-numbingly boring law firm internship� until he meets Jordan Grant.
Jordan is the son of a famous movie director and has serious beef with their town of Capilano - a town just on the outskirts of the city and filled to the brim with politicians, movie stars, hedge fund managers and their kids. Jordan invites Eric to join his group of friends - the Suicide Pack - as they concoct some less-than-legal “fixes� for Capilano and its citizens. Things start off small - theft, breaking & entering, vandalism - but they escalate rapidly once Jordan starts building the bombs.
This was a rather short novel even though it comes in at just over 500 pages. There are 365 chapters, and most amount to only a few sentences. The short chapters paired with the quick, satirical writing style made this book a very quick read. I flew through this book because it was waaaayyyy to easy to say “just one more chapter� and because I was dying (no pun intended) to know what was going to happen next and whether the Suicide Pack was going to get busted for their crimes.
One of the things I loved the most about the book was how the Suicide Pack shared all of their “fixes� over Vine and Kik Messenger. It was such a throwback to junior high - Kik was always the place where the drama was going down. And the “do it for the Vine� mentality of 2016 was very evident in the videos Jordan created.
However, I was really confused but highly entertained with the very strong negative opinions about Leonardo DiCaprio in this book. Minor spoilers, but one of the Suicide Pack members, Paige, gets a job as a PA on the film set of a famous actor’s new film. The actor’s name is redacted (for legal purposes the narrator tells us) throughout the text but there are so many hints that make it very obvious that [REDACTED] is supposed to be Leonardo DiCaprio. And [REDACTED] sucks, so badly. I need to know what beef Owen Matthews has for DiCaprio, like ASAP.
Overall, I thoroughly enjoyed this book. There were lots of WTF moments as the “fixes� got more intense but there were lots of LOLs too. The well-roundedness and development of the characters was also excellent despite the constraints of the relaxed and satirical writing style. And even though there are direct fourth-wall breaks where the narrator tells you what’s going to happen, I was still shocked and surprised by the finale Fix.
I would highly recommend if you’re looking for a fast-paced YA thriller with great character development, are a fan of Heathers and Perks of Being a Wallflower, and apparently have beef with Leonardo DiCaprio.
Content Warnings: death, drug use, homophobia, domestic terrorism, sexual harassment, suicide attempt.
The Fixes is a coming-of-age novel wrapped up in a thriller with serious Heathers vibes. Our main character is Eric Connolly, whose strict Senator father is all about maintaining the Connolly name and BEING A CONNOLLY MAN (which basically amounts to having exactly zero fun). His summer is going to be spent working at a mind-numbingly boring law firm internship� until he meets Jordan Grant.
Jordan is the son of a famous movie director and has serious beef with their town of Capilano - a town just on the outskirts of the city and filled to the brim with politicians, movie stars, hedge fund managers and their kids. Jordan invites Eric to join his group of friends - the Suicide Pack - as they concoct some less-than-legal “fixes� for Capilano and its citizens. Things start off small - theft, breaking & entering, vandalism - but they escalate rapidly once Jordan starts building the bombs.
This was a rather short novel even though it comes in at just over 500 pages. There are 365 chapters, and most amount to only a few sentences. The short chapters paired with the quick, satirical writing style made this book a very quick read. I flew through this book because it was waaaayyyy to easy to say “just one more chapter� and because I was dying (no pun intended) to know what was going to happen next and whether the Suicide Pack was going to get busted for their crimes.
One of the things I loved the most about the book was how the Suicide Pack shared all of their “fixes� over Vine and Kik Messenger. It was such a throwback to junior high - Kik was always the place where the drama was going down. And the “do it for the Vine� mentality of 2016 was very evident in the videos Jordan created.
However, I was really confused but highly entertained with the very strong negative opinions about Leonardo DiCaprio in this book. Minor spoilers, but one of the Suicide Pack members, Paige, gets a job as a PA on the film set of a famous actor’s new film. The actor’s name is redacted (for legal purposes the narrator tells us) throughout the text but there are so many hints that make it very obvious that [REDACTED] is supposed to be Leonardo DiCaprio. And [REDACTED] sucks, so badly. I need to know what beef Owen Matthews has for DiCaprio, like ASAP.
Overall, I thoroughly enjoyed this book. There were lots of WTF moments as the “fixes� got more intense but there were lots of LOLs too. The well-roundedness and development of the characters was also excellent despite the constraints of the relaxed and satirical writing style. And even though there are direct fourth-wall breaks where the narrator tells you what’s going to happen, I was still shocked and surprised by the finale Fix.
I would highly recommend if you’re looking for a fast-paced YA thriller with great character development, are a fan of Heathers and Perks of Being a Wallflower, and apparently have beef with Leonardo DiCaprio.
Content Warnings: death, drug use, homophobia, domestic terrorism, sexual harassment, suicide attempt.
August 7, 2016
I am really on the fence with this. Definitely Veronica Mars meets Heathers but with a Gossip Girl style narrator and a coming to terms with the m/c's homosexuality. I'm sending it to camp with my 13- and 14-year-old boys and see what they and their bunkmates think of it. #trialbyfire
UPDATE: So, the 13-year-old initially said he really liked this book. Then he backtracked to say that he didn't think the fourth-wall-breaking narrator was as well executed as in other books he'd read (paging Adam Gidwitz). And he doubled down by saying that the smirky narrator and short chapters seemed at odds with how very dark the story went. "It felt like clickbait - you know? Like he was putting too much work into being popular and not giving the story enough credit." My kid is GOOD, y'all.
He found *spoiler* the moment when Jordan reveals himself to be an utter psychopath to have been quite abrupt - I explained to him that that's kind of how that happens, I mean, I don't know any MURDERERS, but I've known sociopaths, and the moment you realize 'oh hang on, this person isn't human AT ALL' comes in a terrible flash.
But we both agreed that we couldn't understand why rich handsome Jordan, who already had two partners in crime, went so far out of his way to recruit Eric, who was neither material to Jordan's plan nor someone Jordan was irresistibly drawn to.
Ezra concluded that he WOULD recommend this novel to other teenagers, but would, like me, be curious to learn what they thought of it afterward.
UPDATE: So, the 13-year-old initially said he really liked this book. Then he backtracked to say that he didn't think the fourth-wall-breaking narrator was as well executed as in other books he'd read (paging Adam Gidwitz). And he doubled down by saying that the smirky narrator and short chapters seemed at odds with how very dark the story went. "It felt like clickbait - you know? Like he was putting too much work into being popular and not giving the story enough credit." My kid is GOOD, y'all.
He found *spoiler* the moment when Jordan reveals himself to be an utter psychopath to have been quite abrupt - I explained to him that that's kind of how that happens, I mean, I don't know any MURDERERS, but I've known sociopaths, and the moment you realize 'oh hang on, this person isn't human AT ALL' comes in a terrible flash.
But we both agreed that we couldn't understand why rich handsome Jordan, who already had two partners in crime, went so far out of his way to recruit Eric, who was neither material to Jordan's plan nor someone Jordan was irresistibly drawn to.
Ezra concluded that he WOULD recommend this novel to other teenagers, but would, like me, be curious to learn what they thought of it afterward.
Shelved as '2016'
July 25, 2016A great read for the LBGT YA who "hates" reading. Will be a movie before you know it.
March 12, 2024
I could not put this book down! This book was fast paced and had me on the edge of my seat the entire time! I loved the characters and their backgrounds, followed by the last big bomb scene that had me flipping pages. The chemistry between Jordan and Eric was good, and I loved how all of the characters were all somehow connected. A five star thriller! ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
December 27, 2018
Overall I was not a huge fan of the characters. Eric went from being the perfect son to a criminal in a matter of weeks(or days; it has been a minute since I read this book). There was too much insta-love involved for me.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
January 2, 2019
This book was a lot like "First We Were IV" by Alexandra Sirowy. And I did not like that book. I have to admit, though, that there's something about this story that draws readers in, something that made me strangely interested. And after considering all the pros and cons of this novel, I'd have to say that it's the characters, The character development in this book is brilliant. Every page I flipped drew me deeper into Eric's story, and I found myself curiously wrapped up in following him on his adventure. Even after I flipped to the final page, I still sought more—I wanted and I want to know what becomes of our protagonist after the story ends. And that's not something a lot of authors can achieve; the urge for a follow-up isn't as typical as you'd expect. That, though, does bring me to another point: this story really lacked sufficient closure.
After 511 pages of writing (365 chapters) the author completely dismisses Eric's future as it ties up the story in a basic and unoriginal manner. Perhaps it was a reference to the author's writing style, how he redundantly attempts to break the fourth wall every other page, often calling you as a reader out. Or perhaps it was to match the equally unengaging plotline that this book followed. See, this work is almost embarrassingly banal. The plot was common, all "twists" could be seen miles ahead, and there was very little emotion in the author's words, even at some of the most critical climaxes of this story. It wasn't quite what I would call an enjoyable read, much less a good one, but I can state with confidence that this novel was a fairly mediocre one, hitting higher highs and lower lows than most others of its genre, but is honestly just a hit-or-miss book. And for me, unfortunately, this work failed to deliver.
~Read without high expectations.
After 511 pages of writing (365 chapters) the author completely dismisses Eric's future as it ties up the story in a basic and unoriginal manner. Perhaps it was a reference to the author's writing style, how he redundantly attempts to break the fourth wall every other page, often calling you as a reader out. Or perhaps it was to match the equally unengaging plotline that this book followed. See, this work is almost embarrassingly banal. The plot was common, all "twists" could be seen miles ahead, and there was very little emotion in the author's words, even at some of the most critical climaxes of this story. It wasn't quite what I would call an enjoyable read, much less a good one, but I can state with confidence that this novel was a fairly mediocre one, hitting higher highs and lower lows than most others of its genre, but is honestly just a hit-or-miss book. And for me, unfortunately, this work failed to deliver.
~Read without high expectations.
August 31, 2017
"Q: Okay, why are you making me read about some dork who can't have any fun?
A: I promise you, Eric's going to have fun. He just doesn't know it yet."
The Fixes was downright insane.
For a while I was laughing my butt off. Then things took a sharp turn into horror territory and I found myself holding my breath, as ridiculous as the whole book was.
I couldn't understand how there was so much... immaturity in this book. From cringy puns to using hashtags, the book felt fairly relatable in a young adult point of view. I felt like the author and I were sharing some dirty secret the whole time, the author rubbing his hands together and laughing (or rather stupidly giggling) behind the pages. It was brilliant, really. Ridiculous, but effective.
Things I learned from this book:
1) PEER PRESSURE = BAD
2) Do not trust someone that says "trust me". It just never works out.
3) When your so-called friends find joy in robbing stores, stealing cars, and building bombs, that's a clear sign you probably SHOULDN'T hang out with them.
Yeah. So.
I think this is the first time I can say I have read 500 pages in a day. It's also currently midnight. What has my life come to? I guess the book was just that addicting.
Trust me, it's a pretty good book. (No really, trust me. Read it.)
"Q: What happens at the end?
A: You really want to know? Eric kills the love of his life and goes to jail. His family disowns him. The end."
A: I promise you, Eric's going to have fun. He just doesn't know it yet."
The Fixes was downright insane.
For a while I was laughing my butt off. Then things took a sharp turn into horror territory and I found myself holding my breath, as ridiculous as the whole book was.
I couldn't understand how there was so much... immaturity in this book. From cringy puns to using hashtags, the book felt fairly relatable in a young adult point of view. I felt like the author and I were sharing some dirty secret the whole time, the author rubbing his hands together and laughing (or rather stupidly giggling) behind the pages. It was brilliant, really. Ridiculous, but effective.
Things I learned from this book:
1) PEER PRESSURE = BAD
2) Do not trust someone that says "trust me". It just never works out.
3) When your so-called friends find joy in robbing stores, stealing cars, and building bombs, that's a clear sign you probably SHOULDN'T hang out with them.
Yeah. So.
I think this is the first time I can say I have read 500 pages in a day. It's also currently midnight. What has my life come to? I guess the book was just that addicting.
Trust me, it's a pretty good book. (No really, trust me. Read it.)
"Q: What happens at the end?
A: You really want to know? Eric kills the love of his life and goes to jail. His family disowns him. The end."
January 1, 2020
[moved from a 3 to a 2.5]
This reread (encouraged by my little sister who adores this book) fell flat once more.
This is definitely a book I'd group with other of her favorites where I think the idea of the book is very sound, but it has poor execution. This book doesn't take on the role of revealing what can change a person so much to move from a perfect son and student to a criminal, huge partier, etc. It is definitely not a character-based book and that just ruins it for me, makes it feel extremely rushed. I would love to understand these characters' minds, to justify their actions, the changes they go through from these situations, but they come out as so hollow. Also, simple things like why does Eric just become so infatuated with Jordan, who I would say is nothing like him as he is at the beginning, like what draws him, is it his free-spirit, looks, or what? I guess you could say it does a little bit in the parts where he examines his beauty as he is with Haley, but it doesn't really make a lot of sense to me, but may just be me. There is more that I see is wrong with this book, but I think it isn't completely a one star, just a fast read that doesn't do much in the way except for a few aspects of the plot, but I could see how someone may like it if they just don't care about realistic character/character development lol.
This reread (encouraged by my little sister who adores this book) fell flat once more.
This is definitely a book I'd group with other of her favorites where I think the idea of the book is very sound, but it has poor execution. This book doesn't take on the role of revealing what can change a person so much to move from a perfect son and student to a criminal, huge partier, etc. It is definitely not a character-based book and that just ruins it for me, makes it feel extremely rushed. I would love to understand these characters' minds, to justify their actions, the changes they go through from these situations, but they come out as so hollow. Also, simple things like why does Eric just become so infatuated with Jordan, who I would say is nothing like him as he is at the beginning, like what draws him, is it his free-spirit, looks, or what? I guess you could say it does a little bit in the parts where he examines his beauty as he is with Haley, but it doesn't really make a lot of sense to me, but may just be me. There is more that I see is wrong with this book, but I think it isn't completely a one star, just a fast read that doesn't do much in the way except for a few aspects of the plot, but I could see how someone may like it if they just don't care about realistic character/character development lol.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
September 7, 2016
THE FIXES by Owen Matthews is a fast-paced, entertaining read, full of lots of twists and turns. We follow the story of Eric (or “E�)—son of a senator and the ultimate smart goody-two-shoes. He meets Jordan who is pretty much his complete opposite and gets drawn into a group called the “Suicide Pack.� This is a group of rich, bored kids who are trying to seek vengeance on their town for whatever they’ve deemed as wrong or shallow. What starts out as relatively harmless pranks and teenage rebellion, quickly escalates into something much darker.
This could have been one of those books that makes you roll your eyes (we all saw what a fail “The Bling Ring� turned out to be). But Matthews is a talented writer, with a great sense of humor. He never lets you take this book too seriously. His writing is sharp—very tongue-and-cheek. I love the way E breaks the fourth wall to wink at the audience every so often.
Overall, an incredibly quick and fun read!
Note: I received a FREE ARC (advanced reader copy) from the publisher via Edelweiss in exchange for an honest review.
This could have been one of those books that makes you roll your eyes (we all saw what a fail “The Bling Ring� turned out to be). But Matthews is a talented writer, with a great sense of humor. He never lets you take this book too seriously. His writing is sharp—very tongue-and-cheek. I love the way E breaks the fourth wall to wink at the audience every so often.
Overall, an incredibly quick and fun read!
Note: I received a FREE ARC (advanced reader copy) from the publisher via Edelweiss in exchange for an honest review.
February 15, 2017
I'm so angry at this book. Seriously. So angry.
This is a book about rich, privileged teenagers being absolute assholes to other people, and attempting to justify it because they have daddy issues, and sister envy, and fears of being forgotten by people or being unloved. This is a book about four incredibly unlikable douchebags who steal and lie and hurt people because they feel like they're modern day Robin Hoods, and carry around superiority complexes bigger than Jupiter. And it's all compounded by this weird take on sexuality and queer baiting. There's poorly done emotional manipulation, a choppy narration style that is very artistic but also very difficult to read and be immersed in, and at the root of it all, it's just simply about messed up people who use their issues to justify being complete assholes and breaking the law.
I hated this book.
One star.
This is a book about rich, privileged teenagers being absolute assholes to other people, and attempting to justify it because they have daddy issues, and sister envy, and fears of being forgotten by people or being unloved. This is a book about four incredibly unlikable douchebags who steal and lie and hurt people because they feel like they're modern day Robin Hoods, and carry around superiority complexes bigger than Jupiter. And it's all compounded by this weird take on sexuality and queer baiting. There's poorly done emotional manipulation, a choppy narration style that is very artistic but also very difficult to read and be immersed in, and at the root of it all, it's just simply about messed up people who use their issues to justify being complete assholes and breaking the law.
I hated this book.
One star.
Shelved as 'dnfs'
August 13, 2016ARC Review (8/7/16, received from Sarah Prineas)
The Fixes pretty much flatlined from the first section that I read. Although I do like the narration style and the gossipy way in which it's told (complete with short chapters and interruptions like a Q&A and an abridged version of a speech), the characters feel dull and the whole thing feels watered down and not as engaging as I would like. It's a shame, really, because this does have potential. Maybe this would work better in first person or if it felt faster than it did (even with the short chapters, the book is over 500 pages long), but other than that, there's really not much else to say about Matthews' second novel. I just simply lost interest.
Also, the ending was spoiled in the beginning, so there's that.
The Fixes pretty much flatlined from the first section that I read. Although I do like the narration style and the gossipy way in which it's told (complete with short chapters and interruptions like a Q&A and an abridged version of a speech), the characters feel dull and the whole thing feels watered down and not as engaging as I would like. It's a shame, really, because this does have potential. Maybe this would work better in first person or if it felt faster than it did (even with the short chapters, the book is over 500 pages long), but other than that, there's really not much else to say about Matthews' second novel. I just simply lost interest.
Also, the ending was spoiled in the beginning, so there's that.
July 14, 2018
this is honestly one of the worst books i’ve ever read and that’s all i want to say about it because every moment i have to spend thinking about this book makes me want to die a little bit more
June 15, 2018
So I don't think this is a bad book at all, it's just not particularly my kind of book.
I first picked it up about a year and a half ago & was reading/enjoying it just fine. But I put it down for a bit, & it eventually became due, so I returned it to the library.
When I came across it on my ŷ list a few weeks ago, I thought, You know, why not give it another try. I had been wanting to read a book with queer characters in it, and this fulfilled that desire, and I'd also be able to knock another book off my TBR.
Starting off, I once again was really enjoying it -- the entire book is very fast-paced, and the narration style really pulls you in. But the more I read, the less enamored I became -- especially when I reached the event that triggers the downfall of the main characters. At that point I just became stressed and had to put the book down a lot, when I had been reading almost non-stop prior to that.
I think this book is just solidifying the fact that I don't particularly like thrillers, especially YA thrillers. Because this is a GOOD, well-written, captivating thriller -- but I just couldn't bring myself to care about it all that much. So I would 100% recommend it to readers who enjoy thrillers, because it is a very very well-done thriller -- excellent writing, great pacing, etc. Just not particularly the book (or the genre) for me.
I first picked it up about a year and a half ago & was reading/enjoying it just fine. But I put it down for a bit, & it eventually became due, so I returned it to the library.
When I came across it on my ŷ list a few weeks ago, I thought, You know, why not give it another try. I had been wanting to read a book with queer characters in it, and this fulfilled that desire, and I'd also be able to knock another book off my TBR.
Starting off, I once again was really enjoying it -- the entire book is very fast-paced, and the narration style really pulls you in. But the more I read, the less enamored I became -- especially when I reached the event that triggers the downfall of the main characters. At that point I just became stressed and had to put the book down a lot, when I had been reading almost non-stop prior to that.
I think this book is just solidifying the fact that I don't particularly like thrillers, especially YA thrillers. Because this is a GOOD, well-written, captivating thriller -- but I just couldn't bring myself to care about it all that much. So I would 100% recommend it to readers who enjoy thrillers, because it is a very very well-done thriller -- excellent writing, great pacing, etc. Just not particularly the book (or the genre) for me.
July 10, 2018
"The Fixes," by Owen Matthews was a unique book. The writing style was very surprising, but I found that I enjoyed it after reading more of the book. The plot of this book is simple but still interesting: Eric (later "E") has done everything to make his father, who wants Eric to one day go on to become president, proud. Eric is a good student, even making it up to "Student of the Year". However, he meets Jordan, who changes Eric-for the worse or for the better-forever. Jordan and his team, which includes Haley and Paige, try to "fix" their town of rich snobs by committing crimes including shoplifting and vandalism. Eric, who secretly likes Jordan, joins the team, at first, reluctant, but then begins to agree with Jordan's ideas. Their crimes escalate, and the police begin inspecting closer than ever. When a fix takes a drastic turn, the team begins to fall apart, realizing that what they've done is more than just serious.
One thing that would make the book better is more background on Jordan. I would want to know how his thinking process works, and why he believes that hurting others to get to his goal is right. I would want to discover why Jordan became who he is, and where his parents are.
This book is good for readers who want a face-paced book and really short chapters.
One thing that would make the book better is more background on Jordan. I would want to know how his thinking process works, and why he believes that hurting others to get to his goal is right. I would want to discover why Jordan became who he is, and where his parents are.
This book is good for readers who want a face-paced book and really short chapters.
January 19, 2020
This book is WILD. Loved the super short chapters. Really helped the pacing of the book. I had no intention of reading this at all, never even heard of it until I randomly picked it up at the library and opened it to see the format it's in, which intrigued me. I also wanted to finish a book quickly to get out of a reading slump, and this book did it for me. What made me deduct that last star from my rating is the use of the "R" word at one point, the ending felt a little too sped up, and certain things were simply not believable. It's set in 2016; the Suicide Pack could've gotten caught a lot faster if the cops just searched the IP address of the devices they used to post the videos, regardless of the app's anonymity. So this book does require a lot of suspension of disbelief, but other than that, I loved the Gossip Girl-esque omniscient narrator, I didn't mind the blatant foreshadowing, and the psychotic character as well as the naive sidekicks all worked well with the story. I yelled "NOOO" a lot during this book and my heart raced several times, which are the types of visceral feelings I look for when I read.
July 6, 2017
This book is ... interesting. There are definitely some things I like about it. It was fast paced and, while I didn't enjoy it, I also couldn't put it down. Matthews has a tight, concise style. I found it amusing that this story was so loosely situated in Vancouver - probably West Van, given that this is where the rich and powerful live. But the characters were hard to believe and extremely hard to care about. The premise that some rich white kids are going to protest the treatment of homeless people by storming through a store, stealing $4,000 worth of merchandise - and then keeping it to themselves! In what reality is this justice? I just found the moral vacuum that these young people seemed to exist in to be unrealistic and totally not believable. As a high school teacher, I can honestly say I could never see any of my students being pulled into this kind of situation - but maybe they are just not rich enough!
June 30, 2021
Hot, crazy, rich teenagers want to fix there corrupt town in very � creative ways. Think Heather’s meets Gossip Girl or like PLL??! It also gave me outer banks vibes idk. I really am genuinely surprised at how much I enjoyed this book, seeing as I hadn’t heard about it from anyone and just thought it looked interesting at the library. The plot seemed fairly captivating and a little bit common but I needed a book for a quick read and this was the perfect solution. THIS BOOK WAS SO CAPTIVATING!! Not a single boring page, very fast paced, PERFECT for getting out of a reading slump. I finished the book in one sitting and it took me a couple hours. I couldn’t put it down. It is a bit predictable and I am so very confused what beef Owen Matthew’s has with Leonardo DiCaprio but other than that it was super fun. I loved the writing style and the fast paced chapters, it did however make it a bit hard to divulge or deduce a deeper meaning into there conquest of “fixing�. Regardless� SO GOOD!!
July 8, 2019
Eric Connelly is working an internship for the summer. He's just been voted Student of the Year at his High School and is on the track for college and law school. You'd think his father would be proud of him right? Not so much. It's always about upholding the family name and doing better. So, when Eric meets Jordan Grant, super-rich, super-famous Jordan Grant, who is also undeniably cute and possibly interested, Eric is ready to make a change.
Jordan comes with a group of friends who call themselves the Suicide Pack. They are determined to "fix" the hypocrisy of their town. At first, it's all fun and games, until things escalate and some of the Pack starts to get scared. Eric is still calm, until Jordan starts building bombs.
This was a quick, gritty read that was very captivating.
Jordan comes with a group of friends who call themselves the Suicide Pack. They are determined to "fix" the hypocrisy of their town. At first, it's all fun and games, until things escalate and some of the Pack starts to get scared. Eric is still calm, until Jordan starts building bombs.
This was a quick, gritty read that was very captivating.
August 12, 2020
I wish there were more people who I knew that have read this book because: WOW!
I picked it up at a thrift store on a whim and finished it in a day flat. I can't believe more people are not talking about how insanely good this book is!
The author breaks the fourth wall on nearly every page in a way that worked so well with the story. I absolutely loved the writing style and could not put this book down. The sarcastic and darkly-humoured style to this novel reminds me of Heathers but if it was mixed with Paper Towns by John Green. It's been a week since I finished the book and I still think about it on a daily basis.
I definitely wouldn't recommend this book to a younger teenage audience as it does get pretty twisted at some points but in the end it all comes down to what you can handle.
I picked it up at a thrift store on a whim and finished it in a day flat. I can't believe more people are not talking about how insanely good this book is!
The author breaks the fourth wall on nearly every page in a way that worked so well with the story. I absolutely loved the writing style and could not put this book down. The sarcastic and darkly-humoured style to this novel reminds me of Heathers but if it was mixed with Paper Towns by John Green. It's been a week since I finished the book and I still think about it on a daily basis.
I definitely wouldn't recommend this book to a younger teenage audience as it does get pretty twisted at some points but in the end it all comes down to what you can handle.
May 24, 2021
"Poor people are crazy, rich people are just eccentric"
The Fixes follows four teenagers and their shenanigan. I don't want to spoil much about the story and all the details. You can read the blurb and try to get the gist of the story but here's my thought on this book:
I picked it up with zero expectation and zero-knowledge regarding what is the book about whatsoever. But holy crap what a surprise. Reading this book was such a pleasure � easy read, can't put it down and fast-paced as well (which I appreciate) This book has some elements that remind me of Heathers � dark comedy, fun, mischievous, daring and everything I never knew I wanted in a book.
It was truly a blast to read this (no pun intended) and I truly enjoyed it. I do suggest you pick up this book if you're in a reading slump because this was hella fun of a ride.
5/5�
The Fixes follows four teenagers and their shenanigan. I don't want to spoil much about the story and all the details. You can read the blurb and try to get the gist of the story but here's my thought on this book:
I picked it up with zero expectation and zero-knowledge regarding what is the book about whatsoever. But holy crap what a surprise. Reading this book was such a pleasure � easy read, can't put it down and fast-paced as well (which I appreciate) This book has some elements that remind me of Heathers � dark comedy, fun, mischievous, daring and everything I never knew I wanted in a book.
It was truly a blast to read this (no pun intended) and I truly enjoyed it. I do suggest you pick up this book if you're in a reading slump because this was hella fun of a ride.
5/5�
November 3, 2019
Don’t you just love when you buy a book on a whim and you don’t know much about it, but it turns out to be amazing!! That happened with this book!
First of all I loved the structure the 1-3 page chapters with a poem like rhythm, that on occasion used the physical words to demonstrate feelings on the page.
Second of all I loved the characters. They seemed real, developed, and I found myself invested.
Third of all I loved the lessons. A message about acceptance, consequences, true love vs. abusive love, and friendship.
Last but not least it was a page turner! Wow I did NOT see these plot twists happening and the ending was perrrfffeeecccttt!
Overall there were some plot holes but what I described above way over powered them!
I love hidden gems!
First of all I loved the structure the 1-3 page chapters with a poem like rhythm, that on occasion used the physical words to demonstrate feelings on the page.
Second of all I loved the characters. They seemed real, developed, and I found myself invested.
Third of all I loved the lessons. A message about acceptance, consequences, true love vs. abusive love, and friendship.
Last but not least it was a page turner! Wow I did NOT see these plot twists happening and the ending was perrrfffeeecccttt!
Overall there were some plot holes but what I described above way over powered them!
I love hidden gems!
February 7, 2017
A SUPER QUICK READ (If you don't get as distracted as I do), I LOVED THIS BOOK!! Hands down, not only is it one of my new favorite books, but I was so sad to have it end (But every story has to). I found it to be like a mix of Heathers, The Bling Ring & a bit like Liars, Inc & I cannot recommend this enough. The writing style is so different to what I'm used to that it made the book that much more enjoyable. The character development was incredible, especially those in "The Pack". Personally, I thought my favorites would be Eric (E) & Jordan, but Paige found a way to steal my heart. Their "Fixes" were very well paced given each scenario and they were each filled with plenty of adrenaline. Overall: I could not put this book down and I'm more upset with myself that I didn't finish this faster (But University Work
October 3, 2017
This was pretty good. Although the ending was very similar to Heathers, the rest of it was fun enough to get to that point. I like that it wasn't just vague Robin Hooding but they talked about his dad's neoliberal views (even if they didn't go in too deep). I'm glad their sloppiness got them caught because I feel like other teen crime books ignore stuff like that. I guess I liked how he got his friends back and a new boyfriend even if... well, yeah.
This was well written. It went by quickly, the humor and tone was appropriate, and other characters were expanded on enough.
This was well written. It went by quickly, the humor and tone was appropriate, and other characters were expanded on enough.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
August 3, 2019
It was a gay Heathers. Interesting but not original. Plus the slang and misinterpretation of teen culture in general really got to me. I saw all the plot twists coming and wasn’t really surprised at any point. The whole author cutting the crap and telling us straight up what was happening was cool at first but quickly got old and a little too meta for my taste. If you need a quick 1-2 day read I’d recommend it but if you’re looking for a life changing story or characters that really speak to you this isn’t the right book.
May 25, 2017
Personally, I love this kind of writing. The short chapters help me read a lot in such a short time and keep me reading. This novel was pretty good. Very suspenseful and entertaining. It was interesting to read the changes as Eric became E then went back to Eric again. The characters were all relatable (maybe except for Jordan) and I felt myself rooting for them during the SuicidePack and after. Good book.
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