Lord of the Fly Fest

June 1, 2022
Fyre Festival meets Lord of the Flies in this deliciously unhinged narrative. Eighteen-year-old Rafi Francisco is proud to have her own podcast, Musical Mysteries, and will stop at nothing for a good true-crime story--including spending all her money on Fly Fest, a festival of nearly mythical proportions that has gone viral and promises to make headlines. Rafi isn't there for the partying, the supermodels, or the yachts, though. She's there for River Stone, one of the musical acts, hoping to uncover the real story behind what happened between him and his girlfriend, who disappeared years ago when both were 17. Rafi intends to prove that River is a murderer. When she arrives on the Caribbean island, though, she realizes no one from the festival is there to receive them. As it becomes increasingly obvious the whole event is a scam, Rafi's desperation grows: She's sure if they all stick around for longer, she'll get an interview with River and her podcast will become a huge success. Full of humorous absurdities that mirror real-life subcelebrity culture and true-crime fandom, the story is a sarcastic and engaging modern take on William Golding's classic. Rafi is, as another character puts it, a little unhinged; she is a delightful protagonist whose characterization makes the book a quick and compelling read. Names and other contextual details cue some diversity in the cast. A hilarious, page-turning take on influencers and true-crime fandom. (Humorous thriller. 12-18)

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June 20, 2022
In this riotous satirical thriller from Moldavsky (The Mary Shelley Club), true crime podcaster Rafi Francisco, 18, drains her savings to attend Fly Fest, a weeklong concert in the Bahamas that recalls the real-life Fyre Festival. Rafi feels that she has nothing in common with the other attendees, who are mostly wealthy social media influencers, but she’s desperate for access to musical guest River Stone, the subject of the next episode of her podcast, Musical Mysteries. River publicly claims that his disappeared girlfriend ditched him on a camping trip years before, but Rafi believes that River murdered her, and plans to coax a confession from him. When the attendees arrive, however, they find the island deserted. The “luxury” accommodations are FEMA tents, there’s no clean water or cell service, and River is the only talent who’s showed. Rafi hopes they stay stranded long enough for her to pose her questions, but when a girl goes missing after hiking with River, Rafi fears they’re marooned with a serial killer. While the central mystery is intriguing, it’s the outlandish influencer cast and their Lord of the Flies–inspired antics that buoy this swiftly paced, darkly funny indictment of internet culture. Rafi cues as Latinx; most others read as white. Ages 14–up. Agent: Jenny Bent, Bent Agency.