Never in my life did I expect to see the words "Vriska did nothing wrong" in literature.

Penance is an exquisitely crafted exploration of both true crime and British society. We've got deeply entrenched classism, bad times at school, a decaying conservative seaside town, a serial nonce…too realistic 😭

It's cleverly layered with Clark's various messages. At the top layer, we've got the criticism of true crime and how writers, TV showrunners and screenwriters can dilute the truth and harm the people involved. The fictional writer Carelli infects his narrative with opinions and assumptions about the victim Joni, and her three killers: Violet, Angelica and Dolly. You can also sense something off about the way he handles interviewing their families, which returns spectacularly at the end in a fictional Guardian article. As the reader of both books, we have to consider our relationship with true crime industry and its impact on real people.

Underneath that layer, Clark crafts a fictional seaside Yorkshire town that's past its prime and coming apart at the seams. All of the characters, even those mentioned in anecdotes, seemed so real to me. And the tangents we're taken on were all necessary to portray the kind of environment these girls are being raised in. The section about the water park unexpectedly gave me the shivers - I'd forgotten how scared I was of slides when I was young. Cue flashbacks to the time I thought I'd lost my dad in such a park.

And then you have the girls themselves. The reconstructed narrative parts were so good, because on the one hand this is exactly what teenage girls are like, with how their relationships ebb and flow. On the other hand, is this just what Carelli wants us to believe about them?

Violet tried to think of something to say. Something Dolly would want to hear. Something that would impress her.

Going back up a level to Clark's writing, I could tell she has very much been through it with regards to Tumblr. This is probably the most realistic portrayal of being a teenage girl at the peak of Tumblr's popularity. The way the news of Joni's murder spreads across its true crime fandom, hitting Discord and a LiveJournal clone as well…oof. Clark's combination of her experience with this era of the internet plus her writing skill is clear.

Joni's childhood was like reading a mirror of mine. I didn't expect this reading experience to become so heavy, but here we are. Once they reach secondary school, the drama that unfolds through the ever-changing relationships between teenagers was so real. The killers' stories came together nicely, in the sense that you can see why this happened. The abusive men they're surrounded by, being failed by the system, failed by their own families and not getting the support they needed. Add all that to the familiar experiences of teen girls trying to fit in with each other and the insularity of small towns with little diversity. Clark also delves into being terminally online, what with how creepy serial killer fandoms are and the general anonymity of the internet.

I realise I'm just listing cool things the book explores now, but there's so many! And it's so well-written! Even across all the different formats - the narrative nonfiction style comes through clearly. It's certainly a genre I enjoy reading, but it's fun seeing someone ask if it's worth it - a terrible crime being picked apart by the writer, slyly inserting his own vibes, making logical leaps and only telling us certain parts of interviews. Penance hit me hard in multiple ways, so I'll definitely be reading Clark's further works.

Another year, another mind-boggling scandal in this country. This one involves a 19-year-old that unfortunately gets tangled within London's criminal underworld, resulting in his mysterious death. And what's worse, the Met totally bungled the subsequent investigation.

PRK is one of my favourite writers. Once again, his work is smooth, compelling and compassionate. Zac's story, his family, their grief and the backstories of the other players are all well-illustrated. The author gradually reveals the mystery in bits, but not in an annoying way. We experience vertiginous feelings similar to Zac's parents whenever a bizarre new detail comes to light, or someone's story doesn't add up.

PRK's non-fiction is so appealing to me because of its attention to detail. The book goes on various tangents of context and backstory. But it's never boring. Despite initially not knowing the connection to the main case, I was still hooked on whatever the author was telling me about. Eventually he does weave it all back into the narrative skilfully. And these tangents were necessary to fully portray the people who were involved in Zac's death, along with his family and their histories.

The depths of where this book goes are both astonishing and not surprising sadly, especially regarding corruption in the Met. That being said I didn't expect Micky McAvoy, key player in the infamous Brink's-Mat heist, to make several appearances. The connections and wider context the author chose to include were fascinating. Some of the more affecting parts for me were when I knew the locations involved. I've walked past the apartment building where Zac died many times without knowing (it's near the Tate Britain).

I really hope this book continues to shine a light on what a terrible thing happened to Zac and his family. The story wasn't made public until PRK published his first article on it. Naturally, he's doing a bunch of press here - I'm excited to attend a signing soon! I'll probably get my copy of Empire of Pain signed as well.

It's so refreshing to come across a book that focuses on how nuanced and complex humans are. Quality characterisation is big part of reading for me, and I often find myself frustrated when characters are paper-thin. Or they lean too far in a particular direction.

Disappoint Me is a rewarding exploration of ordinary people. How, over time, they grow and change in some ways, and don't in others. I felt a deep connection with the main character Max - we're at similar points in life and exist in the same social slice of London. She felt so real, she could be a friend of a friend that I just haven't met yet. Vincent, Simone, Fred and the rest were also written in a way that, even when you don't support their actions, you can see what led to them.

Dinan has an excellent grasp of language. I have so many highlights where she either nailed a feeling I'd otherwise find hard to articulate, or she's describing something in a simply hilarious and relatable way. One of my favourites: A girl dances close, her butt slowly approaching my groin like a Toyota into a parking spot. Fucking hell, that made me hoot.

Looking her up, she's almost exactly a month younger than me. Probably explains a bit of why I found this book so relatable. I will definitely read Bellies at some point and look forward to more of her work. Another win for a PB readalong!