I originally requested this title thinking that it was a thriller and began reading it thinking that it's more high school drama with a tinge of romance(s). Regardless of my first impressions (and ignoring the statutory rape, pedophilia mention, abortion) this title revealed itself to be a slow burn thriller which will have you guessing until the very end.

Overall, I like this book. The plot line was interesting - a multiple teen death plot told by from one of the victim's view point, and her younger sister. I think the main problem I had with the book, which really lowed my score, were several inconsistencies in the story-line.. For example, at the beginning of the story the one girl is popping Tylenol because her stomach hurts, and it is mentioned several times. The rest of the book this fact is not mentioned, and it is never explained why her stomach hurts. This girl also has a medical condition that is not addressed enough. It is mentioned several times, but it seemed like an unnecessary plot device since she did things that would not be recommended by a Doctor, and the writer did not address that. Overall, I did like the book, and wanted to find out "who did-it".

Although this was listed as a thriller, I did not find it all that thrilling. The story kept moving and the pacing was ok but when everything was revealed at the end I was shocked or surprised or really even that interested. Could have been better.

The Cheerleaders is a pretty solid addition to gritty mysteries for the Young Adult crowd. It's well plotted to keep you moving and wanting more. It did feel a little thin in places and I would have liked to get a little more development for Ginny and Monica. The ending was satisfying even if the final chapter doesn't exactly add up under too much thought. All in all, a fun read for readers looking for something Gillian Flynnesque.

Kara Thomas once again blew me away with her ability to craft a mystery. Her stories always blow me away.

I liked this concept of YA thriller with a very real characyer but there were so many people involved it was hard to keep up. I just wanted to finish 85 percent in and sped through the end
..still not sure exactly what happened to the sister. I dont think it was bad that monica blamed herself for being involved with Brandon...thats a very real reaction from a victim. Overall good book but i wasnt too into it.

I absolutely LOVE mysteries and this one does not disappoint ! A lot of my reluctant readers will love to grab this book up. I want to start a book club around this book and maybe keep a mystery book club going after this first one. Kara Thomas does a fabulous job of developing the characters and keeping us guessing of who dunnit till the end!

This is a great novel in the thread of The Lovely Bones. Monica is trying to go through the motions of life after tragedy has struck her hometown and her family. He sister committed suicide soon after four other members of her cheerleading squad were killed in a devastating murder and an accident. When she realizes that there are some questions left unanswered, it leads her down a scary quest for the truth.

Thomas writes such creepy thrillers. I love how she looks at the genre in a new way and twists me on my head.

A good book, I went right to it after I was done doing work that had to be done! The characters were well thought out. The topics were handled in a thoughtful way. It touched on some current topics that have entered our world views.

Yes, Yes, YES! I am loving that more YA thrillers are coming out! This one DID NOT disappoint! I couldn't put it down. You must read it! I wouldn't be surprised if another book came after this one because you could continue this story line. Well done!

WOW. Super gripping and dark YA. Abortion, murder, suicide, a death list, statutory rape, drugs and partying, dance team, parents just don't understand, and somehow it didn't feel too busy or jam-packed in. I think it loses a star because the climax was a bit rushed for me.

Five years ago, five cheerleaders died, two in a car accident, two were murdered by their creepy neighbor, and the one remaining committed suicide. The cheerleading squad disbanded and the families were left to pick up the pieces.
Monica's sister, Jennifer, was the cheerleader that took her own life, and Monica still hasn't come to terms with her death. She finds Jenn's phone and tries to understand what happened those last few days of her life.
This is a great mystery! The point of view alternates between current events, and the past, leading you down the path to the truth. The twist is one I did not see coming, and I was very surprised by the ending.

After reading both “The Darkest Corners” and “Little Monsters” by Kara Thomas, it’s safe to say I was a big fan of hers. When I saw that she had a new novel coming out, I HAD to get my hands on it! However (and I’m sad to say this)...this novel feels like her weakest one so far, in my opinion. I didn’t feel like the story line was super plausible, and it felt a little cheesy to me. I gave “The Cheerleaders” 3 stars because it was decent, but it definitely didn’t capture me like her previous books have done.
**Thank you to Netgalley and Delacorte Press for allowing me to read this novel!**

Thank you to NetGalley for the ARC of this title! 3.5 Stars.

It’s been five years since Monica’s sister Jen died, a suicide that never seemed to make sense. Five years since the car accident that took the lives of two other cheerleaders, and the murderer of two more. That was the last time that the high school even had a cheerleading team.

Monica, now sixteen, is having trouble with the anniversary of her sister’s death coming up, and is also having some issues of her own. She chose to terminate her unexpected pregnancy after a summer fling (with a teacher - but nobody needs to know about that), and can’t seem to let go of the past or shake the depression that’s plaguing her. With the help of a few new friends, Monica decides to look deeper into the deaths of the five cheerleaders, hoping that maybe some sense can be made of all the tragedy.

This mystery had a fair amount of twists and turns, lies and red herrings. It was well-written, and I can absolutely believe it was from the point of view of a sixteen year old girl, given the amount of rumors and hearsay that were seen as clues. (“A said that B was dating C, and D said that B didn’t know that A said that....”) Overall, an enjoyable read.

I absolutely loved this book. I gasped aloud towards the end and postponed my plans for the evening because I had to know what was going to happen next! This book does a great job of bringing suspense in, and gives away just enough details that the reader can make guesses with the narrator.

Deeply satsfying mystery with cheerleading! Pure pleasure to read.

Pretty standard teen whodunit mystery that's elevated above the rest by strong writing and good characters. Nothing particularly memorable to point out here, but a good recommendation for teens who seek this kind of thing out.

I could not put this book down! The Cheerleaders, told primarily though the point of view of Monica Rayburn, follows her investigation of her sister's presumed suicide and the death of four other cheerleaders during a short few weeks span five years prior. Two of the other cheerleaders were in a car accident and the other two were murdered. Monica navigates her way through contacting estranged connections of her sister's, tracking down a kid who'd been expelled, tricking a police officer into giving her access to a police database. Monica is crafty, determined and desperate to find out the truth, but nothing is quite what is seems on the surface and the truth may be more than Monica wants to find out.

A much more involving and less trite mystery than I feared it would be from the title. :-)