Welcome to the my stop on the You’ll Be the Death of Me Ultimate Blog Tour from 22nd November to 12th December 2021, organised by TheWriteReads. Let me introduce You’ll Be the Death of Me by Karen M. McManus (KMM), published on 2nd December 2021 by Penguin in the UK. Thank you to TheWriteReads and Penguin for sending me an electronic copy of the book in exchange for an honest review.
SYNOPSIS:
From the author of One of Us Is Lying comes a brand new addictive thriller.
Ivy, Mateo and Cal used to be close – best friends back in middle school.
Now all they have in common is a bad day. So for old time’s sake they skip school together – one last time.
But when the trio spot Brian ‘Boney’ Mahoney ditching class too, they follow him – right into a murder scene.
They all have a connection to the victim. And they’re ALL hiding something.
When their day of freedom turns deadly, it’s only a matter of time before the truth comes out . . .
It’s Ferris Bueller’s Day Off with murder, perfect for fans of One Of Us Is Lying and A Good Girl’s Guide To Murder. This explosive new thriller is impossible to put down.
MY FAVOURITE QUOTES:
Mateo suppresses a sigh as he dries the glass. “Just text us, Cal.”
“Oh, Mateo,” she sighed before she hung up on that call. “You’re as stubborn as she is aren’t you? You’ll be the death of me.”
“Of course.” He turns off the engine, and I feel a surge of gratitude until he has to get one last jab in. “Wouldn’t want you to think I’m not brave.”
“Unless they step onto our lawn, in which case you have my permission to turn the hose on them. Especially Dale.”
“We’re going scorched earth.”
GENRE: Mystery
READING AGE: Young Adult (14+)
THEMES: Mystery, adventure and childhood friendships.
TRIGGERS: Drugs and death
MY REVIEW:
I could not put this book down! It certainly did not disappoint and I was left guessing right until the end – KMM does this so well. The mystery was drawn out effectively and I was never bored.
The book is just over 300 pages but it felt like so much more. It was packed with a huge amount of information – I could not believe what was going on. The tension was well created and I was genuinely afraid for the characters at several moments. The only part that felt slow paced was the beginning, but once the action started, I was desperate to find out what was going to happen. Like a lot of KMM’s mysteries, it began with the characters being in the wrong place at the wrong time, all with something to lose and all with their own intentions. Soon enough someone was dead, and it was up to Ivy, Cal and Mateo to get themselves out of trouble. I enjoyed how the mystery was pieced together and the characters used their own skills to solve their problems.
I loved the reveal of Ivy, Mateo and Cal’s secrets and how it impacted on their relationships with each other; changing and developing throughout the book. The occasional flashbacks were effective at giving more perspective on where the characters were at in the story. I also really enjoyed Ivy’s relationship with her brother, it was fascinating as I could never figure out where it was going. Lara was an interesting character because of the way she continually appeared throughout the book and was constantly changing. I never quite knew what she was going to do next.
If you are a fan of fast paced, murder mysteries filled with secrets, I highly recommend You’ll Be the Death of Me. Just like KMM’s other novels it did not fail to hit the spot. It’s the kind of book you’ll want to read in one sitting.
LINK TO BUY: You’ll Be the Death of Me
ABOUT THE AUTHOR:
Karen M. McManus is the #1 New York Times and international bestselling author of young adult thriller/mystery novels, including One of Us Is Lying, One of Us Is Next, Two Can Keep a Secret, and The Cousins. You’ll Be the Death of Me will be her next novel, publishing December 2021. Her work has been translated into more than 40 languages worldwide. Karen lives in Massachusetts and holds a master’s degree in Journalism from Northeastern University, which she mostly uses to draft fake news stories for her novels.
WEBSITE: www.karenmcmanus.com
TWITTER/INSTAGRAM: @writerkmc
Thank you for reading my blog.
Mia
DISCLOSURE: I am an affiliate of Bookshop.org; therefore I will earn commission, at no extra cost to you, if you make a purchase through my Bookshop.org page (an equal commission will be shared amongst participating independent bookshops on Bookshop.org). I will donate all of my commission to the Children’s Book Project – a UK registered charity who seek to tackle book poverty and give every child the opportunity to own a book. They collect pre-loved children and teen books, and gift them, via schools, to children who have none or few of their own, providing more children with the opportunity to read.
The Young Press 
Great review!!
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