Common Sense Media Review
By Lucinda Dyer
,
based on child development research. How do we rate?
Teen takes on terrorists in page-turning LGBTQ thriller.
Parents Need to Know
Why Age 15+?
Any Positive Content?
Where to Read
What's the Story?
When 17-year-old Aidan Jamison signs onto DirtyPaws, a gay hookup app, he has no idea he's about to SWIPE RIGHT FOR MURDER. Aidan gets together and has sex with a man named Benoit, a fellow guest at the New York City hotel where he's staying, and it goes terribly wrong. When Aidan wakes up, he discovers that Benoit's not sleeping but has been shot dead. His only thought is to get out of the hotel room and hope no one discovers he's been there. Too late for that, as he answers Benoit's phone and finds himself talking to someone from a group called the Swans. The caller thinks Aidan is a Mr. Preston and that he has an "item" they want him to hand over. Aidan finds himself on the run, chased by the Swans, a gay terrorist group that's targeting and murdering anti-LGBTQ lawmakers and protesters. Contacted by the mysterious Mr. Preston, Aidan travels to the Adirondacks to meet him and finds himself in the midst of a drone attack by the Swans. And tangled up with the FBI, who may or may not be the good guys.
Is It Any Good?
Mistaken identity, attack drones, mysterious gay terrorists, and a teen hero haunted by his past make for a fast-paced often complicated but ultimately satisfying LGBTQ thriller. There's a lot going in Swipe Right for Murder. Sometimes it's hard to follow the twists and turns (will we ever find out why photos of Aidan were on Benoit's phone?) and a few things may be a bit over the top (murder by paper clip) or simply inexplicable (why, when he's being hotly pursued by men who want to kill him, does Aidan take time out to meet his family for dinner in a restaurant?). Still, it's an engaging page-turner that tackles serious issues of homophobia and domestic terrorism.
Talk to Your Kids About ...
Families can talk about the morality of the terrorist group's cause in Swipe Right for Murder. Do you think violence is ever justified when trying to right an injustice?
How does reading a thriller compare with watching one on TV or at the movies?
Have you or any of your friends ever dated someone you met online? What kind of precautions should you take before going out with someone you haven't met in person?
Book Details
- Author :
- Genre : Mystery
- Topics : Adventures , Book Characters
- Book type : Fiction
- Publisher : JIMMY Patterson Books
- Publication date : August 6, 2019
- Publisher's recommended age(s) : 14 - 18
- Number of pages : 368
- Available on : Nook, Audiobook (unabridged), Hardback, Apple Books, Kindle
- Last updated : September 30, 2025
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