The novel Tag, You’re Dead by Kathryn Foxfield offers a detailed and thorough plot interwoven around the concept and effects of teenage stardom through a social media challenge that turns out to uncannily resemble the childhood of the disgraced tycoon. This fictional novel revolves around two solid thematic concepts of motives and loyalty, as the game’s three highlighted participants often make wild and unpredictable decisions while compelled by forces that their opponents were not aware were prevalent. However, the harmless and fun game takes a dark turn once the server is hacked and the games are re-routed towards the exposé on the ruled accidental death and cover-up of a teenage tragedy that occurred eight months prior.
The book sets the scene with a brief yet thorough summary of the events that marked teenage influencer Anton Frazer through the passing words of one of his doting followers. Upon this knowledge, the dialogue transfers to a different character to state the event that all of these participants are traveling for: a city wide game of tag in London featuring a hundred players. Yet this game of tag is unlike any normal one as it features visual impairment goggles that are a subsidiary of his huge tech industry. After the setting is revealed, the plot briefly touches upon the characters’ motives for joining the game as well as the reasons they were selected, thus leaving suspense for the rapidly shaping storyline. Amongst these lie a teen boy wishing to avenge his girlfriend, an influencer desperate to pay off her mother’s gambling debt, and a young journalist who has grown emotionally attached to Anton as a result of her spending a brief time with him. It all clashes together with these three unlikely characters landing spots on the podium of a game that has begun a rapid and uncontrollable spiral.
I felt like the execution and the captivation of the book really made it stand out from other books I’ve recently read, and that the plot helped build suspense all while never ceasing to be entertaining. Additionally, I felt as if the switching between the characters for narration aided me in growing more attached to the characters in contrast to a single narration that may have resulted in the other characters being misunderstood since they rarely met prior to the end of the novel. When pertaining to the author's opinions, I felt like I agreed on almost all of them. A memorable example of this is the frequent reference to the difficulty of teenage stardom that becomes prevalent as the characters begin to notice small metaphorical cracks in Anton’s walls. This is first noticed through glitches in the VR glasses to someone hacking into them entirely and going on a vicious rant about exposing the assailant for the ill-aforementioned murder. While the effect on Anton could have been communicated quickly to a wide audience, Foxfield instead lays it down in context clues, from mascara streaks on Anton’s younger sister’s face from crying to his recently shattered phone. This choice makes the story much more believable, as it would be customary for a man of his stature to keep up a proud and dominant facade instead of letting his feelings show. Being that the author put time into emphasizing the realism of the book, it also becomes much easier for the reader to relate the book to other novels or even the real world. For example, The Inheritance Games holds such a similar plot to this that it would almost seem like the successor to it, having a similar main character as well as being about teenage stardom and being wrapped up in family issues. Beyond other novels, it can also trace to the plights of Hollywood actors, since many of these people have dug their own graves from their great fortunes and social status.
As a result of this novel’s content as well as its effect on me, I feel much wiser on the subject of young fame and the stress that it can result in. I mainly think that the cleaness of the writing through a well thought out plot makes this novel an interesting read. As for suggestions, I would highly recommend this book for anyone who likes psychological thinking and true crime as well as game shows due to their frequent appearance throughout the novel. Finally, to sum it all up, I would definitely read another book from this writer as I loved their writing style and knack for a good plot.
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