Murdermostfowl?InthissardonicandcampyYAthriller,ananxious,introvertednonbinaryteenbirdersomehowfindsthemselfinvestigatingamurderwiththeirneighbor/fellowanimelover,allwhilefallingforacutegirlfromtheirbirdinggroup...andtryingnottogetkillednext.Sixteen-year-oldBiancaTorreisanavidbirderundergoingagenderidentitycrisisandgrapplingwithanever-growinglistoffears.Some,likeFear#6:InitiatingConversation,keepthemconstrained,forcingthemtowatchbirdsfromthetelescopeintheirbedroom.And,occasionally,theirneighbors.Whentheirgazewanderstooneparticularwindowacrossthestreet,Biancawitnessesacreepyplague-maskedmurderertaketheirneighbor’slife.Worse,thedeathisruledasuicide,forcingBiancatomakeachoice--succumbtotheirlonglistoffears(including#3Murderand#55BreakingintoaDeadGuy’sApartment),orinvestigatewhathappened.BiancaenliststhehelpoftheirfriendAndersonColeman,butthetwohavemoreknowledgeofanimethantruecrime.AsBiancaandAndersondigdeeperintothemurderwithalittlehelpfromBianca’scrushandfellowbirdingaficionado,ElaineYee(#13BeautifulPeople,#11ParentsDiscoveringThey’reaRagingLesbian),thetriouncoveraconspiracymuchlarger--andweirder--thanimagined.Andwhenthekillercatcheswindoftheinvestigation,suddenlyBianca’s#1fearofpublicspeakingdoesn’tsoundsobadcomparedtothethreatofbeingsilencedforgood.Inthisabsurdist,darklycomicalYAthrillerthatisadeceptivelydeepexplorationofanxietyandidentity,perhapstherealmurderinvestigationisthefriendswemakealongtheway.
