At some parts it was fun. I liked the inclusion of LARPing and also showing that it is a skill/sport even if there are twee elements like plastic elf-ears and pretending to speak Elvish. I was glad there were many changed of POV because I didn't really bond with Ted she made me anxious and irritated. 

I was initially happy to see non-monogamy included even if it was just "friends with benefits" situationship but then that was portrayed as a trauma response and unhealthy/exploitative which...I am not saying FwB can't be that but it's kind of crappy that we only ever see non-monogamy as something immature characters have to grow out of. Also the heterosexuality that represented "healthy" sexuality in the book was realistic yet incoherent. Literally every married woman in the book was miserable and unfulfilled BECAUSE of her marriage and yet single women needed to look for a man or they had issues. Really? Also at one point there was homophobic stuff around....I can't really say more without spoilers but the homophobia there was crass and unwelcome.

The storyline itself was mainly predictable and quite floridly written although as the author's note points out teenager speak is indeed accurately yet respectfully portrayed (as far as my elderly gen x self can tell). There was lots of diversity which is good, including a First Nations character. I think Aunty June was portrayed as a Wiradjuri woman which could have had a bit of an explanation (Melbourne is not Wiradjuri Country). People do move around, I have not problem with that but considering how much some other characters were overexplained, like did we need to know Spike went to an elite school (vomit) in Aukland? Might have been good to show some awareness or for Aunty June to be more than a bosom that Ted wanted to cry on (shades of Whoopi Goldberg's problematic Star Trek character in that). Also it seemed like the author was naming characters from the Joanne Rowling book of Diverse Names. At least diversity was not only background but included love interests. I did like one of the non-central ships but I was not mad on Ted and Spike nor do i wish to read the next book which looks like it will be full of angst between them (based on last chaper of this one).

I loathed [redacted- one of the horrible characters] but I didn't feel that [redacted- her relative's] interactions with her were realistic. I wanted...any reader would want I am sure... to be a witness as she goes to gaol or at least as she loses money.

I loved the setting being Melbourne/Mildura. The portrayal of a National party politician was bold but not unfair. Miss Marple was a very satisfactory character (both the name and everything about her). People so often write animals wrong when they want to centre them. I feel like this book mostly got that right. The "womano a mano" wordplay which I suppose is meant to be a dig against inclusive language was bloody stupid. For anyone who doesn't know (in the unlikely event that such a person exists) mano a mano means hand to hand. Mano from the Latin, you know like "manual"?

I would probably read more from this author but as I said not the next book which looks like it will be full of the sort of relationship angst that I don't even like second hand. Oh and also concern stalking is NOT sexy and neither is "benevolent" misogyny.