Posted to Goodreads: For a more in-depth review watch: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FvvAQ5FWZcU&feature=youtu.be

Sunnybrook High doesn't have a cheerleading squad. They used to then everything happened five years ago. First, there was the car accident where two cheerleaders were killed then came the murder which killed two other girls and finally there was the suicide. Now, five years later Monica has decide it's time to find out what really happened to the Sunnybrook cheerleaders because Monica's sister was the one who committed suicide and Monica knows there's no way her sister would take her own life. But as Monica investigates what happened all those years ago she finds herself in serious danger.

This book felt like a very basic mystery but it worked. The story of what happened to the cheerleaders and Monica's investigation was incredibly readable and compelling. Monica's journey through her sister's past was was well plotted with the mystery unravelling perfectly. The ending did seem to tie everything up a little to neatly however the rest of the book worked so well that the issues didn't really impact my opinion. The book is definitely a must read for fans of YA mysteries.

This is my first Kara Thomas book, and after having read it I can't say I'm going to go back and read her backlist. The Cheerleaders is about connecting dots. Five years ago, three separate incidents resulted in five dead girls and the disbandment of the high school's cheerleading team. The mystery is rooted in how nothing seemingly connects the incidents--except the fact that all the girls were cheerleaders and they happened in quick succession: a car accident, a double homicide, and a suicide. So, what connects the dots? Monica, sister of the cheerleader dead by suicide, is determined to find out.

There are a suitable amount of red herrings tossed around which kept me turning pages, but the book feels lopsided. Monica spends most of her time trying to solve the murders, hoping that if she can find the true killer she'll be able to connect them to the accident and the supposed suicide, thereby proving that coincidences never happen. Ultimately, a killer is revealed (in a twist you can see coming a mile off), tying off the murders well enough, but the book can't seem to dedicate enough time to why Monica's sister killed herself and hastily explains the accident in a coda that feels unfinished. Ultimately, the book is never about connecting dots. It's just that horrible things happen, often time in threes, and sometimes to people who knew each other. Is that satisfying? Maybe for some, but for a book that kept me hooked on a premise it never intended to deliver, I feel a little cheated.

As far as the characters, I had a hard time distinguishing the dead girls from the living girls--all the Rachels and Colleens and Bethanys...who the heck knows who is who? And then there are social problems. The book opens up on Monica's abortion, which is a bold stroke but is immediately dropped the second it stops physically hurting. Then there's the statutory rape, which the book allows Monica to blame on herself. These are some heavy plot points, but the book doesn't do anything with them. They're just there, and everything works out in the end, so move on, okay?

So, eh. Kept me reading, but the simplicity and mental leaps annoyed me in points and didn't make me want to read anything else by the author. Good for fans of occasional mysteries.

The Cheerleaders by Kara Thomas- This is the same author who wrote the riveting Little Monsters, & she is still on a roll with this one. Almost five years have passed since 5 cheerleaders died in one school year. Monica's sister Jen was the last to die when she apparently committed suicide. Monica has a feeling the deaths weren't as unrelated as they seem & her suspicions skyrocket when she discovers her sister's old cellphone & several letters with a pic of the lost girls stating "connect the dots". I will definitely be ordering this one for VHS. Keeps you guessing until the very end.
#TheCheerleaders #NetGalley

This gripping page-turner from Kara Thomas is perfect for fans wondering what to read now that they've finished One of Us is Lying. A must buy for YA collections where thrillers are popular.

I enjoyed that this story kept me guessing and engaged. I felt like I was close to figuring out the circumstances behind how all these deaths connected, but was proven wrong. This story did feel haunting, and when violent crimes/suicide/abuse is involved, it certainly isn't an easy subject (can be triggering for some). It does help bring some closure to main character's family and the older sister's friend/romantic interest who is wrongly judged for the role he played. Simply, this was a good story, but I wish there was more character development with Monica, and it left an unsettling feeling, because there is always more to the story and details omitted for fear of judgment. I did like the chapters that were in the older sister's voice, because it helped me gain insight about what events contributed to her death.

The Cheerleaders by Kara Thomas is a book that you'll want to complete in just one sitting. This story had me riveted from the very first chapter. The story is told in both the present day as well as 5 years in the past and alternates between Monica and her sister, Jen. Jen and four of her fellow cheerleaders all die in three separate tragedies over the span of one month. Monica is now old enough to begin questioning whether the three accidents were really all random or whether there is a connection between them that no one has yet discovered. This book has lots of suspense and a great ending. Read and enjoy!

A twisty thriller for the YA set. Typical teen girl drama gets in the way as Monica tries to figure out if the string of cheerleader deaths which ended with her older sister's suicide five years ago were what they seemed? Her biggest motivation is proving her sister did not commit suicide and in the four cheerleaders who died in the weeks before are all tangled up in the same web. Ginny Montero is a new girl on the dance team with Monica and becomes a lifeline for her -- a source of support and a help in tracing down leads. Through it all, Monica forges better relationships with her mom, stepfather and baby brother. Took one point off for a plot thread that seemed largely ignored regarding Monica's previous summer relationship.

I received a digital ARC from Random House and NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

A fabulous YA thriller!

I feel like thriller/mystery in YA is a vastly underrated genre, and The Cheerleaders proves that. This book was absolutely thrilling and truly keeps the reader guessing until the last pages. The narrator isn’t a cookie-cutter perfect American teen but you can’t help but be on her side. Really enjoyed this one!

Several years ago many cheerleaders died. While there deaths seem unrelated, is it possible that they remain unsolved murders? Monica was the younger sister of the last cheerleader to die. While her sister’s death was ruled a suicide, Monica cannot believe that her perfect sister would ever take that action. In the wake of the anniversaries of these deaths, Monica begins going through her sister’s things and investigating leads from the time. She must keep this dangerous investigation hidden from her police officer stepfather, while talking to some rough characters.

There were many red herrings in this novel and any one of them could have legitimately contributed to the deaths of the cheerleaders. I wasn’t shocked by the ending, but I also wasn’t entirely convinced who-done-what until the ending was revealed.

Although very determined, I never got a sense of what type of girl Monica was. The other characters also lacked development and nuance. The plot moved quickly which was good but the story was not special.

Great murder mystery! Relatable characters, enough clues for readers to make predictions, but not completely predictable, and kept me reading long into the night. Good stuff!

This book is being touted as a young adult thriller and THRILL me it did. Wow. I ended up finishing this one in a day because it was that good and I couldn't put it down. From the very beginning, I was hooked:

"This house was made for someone without a soul. So I guess it makes sense that my mother wanted it so badly. I can imagine how her eyes lit up when she walked through the five-bedroom, three-and-a-half bath new construction. I'll bet she thinks this house is the answer to what's wrong with us."

Those are the opening words and you just sit there with a foreboding feeling from the get-go.

Kara Thomas provides some realistic leads and your suspicion is constantly changing. She throws in a number of red herrings which I appreciated because I can't stand when I'm reading a thriller and have guessed the "killer" or "solved the crime" before I'm even halfway through the book. So, thank you for this. Speaking to this, the killer is someone who makes sense for the story. The person is not just some random character thrown in by Kara Thomas.

As a protagonist, Monica is a character that I liked for the most part. She didn't really annoy me at all though it drove me crazy how she was with her mom (or how her mom was with her). But, this is very realistic of the relationship between a teenage girl and her mother. The only thing that did bother me, and seemed pointless to the story, was the whole abortion-being-alluded-to-thing. Was it really necessary to the story? I understand the point, I suppose, but necessary? No. I don't think so. I'm not at all against the inclusion of a young protagonist who is dealing with an unwanted pregnancy followed by an abortion (that's a very real reality in today's world) but I don't think it was purposeful for the story, honestly. So that would be one of the things that I'd change.

I think this is going to be a book that my students are really going to enjoy in the young adult thriller genre. I can't wait to introduce it to them!

What a fabulous YA title, exciting and constantly surprising me, Th Cheerleaders was a book I thoroughly enjoyed. Monica and Ginny's characters were just incredible, and I loved how the author intertwined the flashbacks, and little details that made up the who and what happened.

Thanks to Random House Children's and NetGalley for allowing me to read this title in exchange for my personal review.

A mix between mean girls and..... I’m not even sure. Nancy Drew? Clue? Scream? (I’m way off.)

An interesting read of ‘who dun it’.

A young girl set out to find the story behind who killed her own sister. But she’s gonna have to find him first.

I enjoyed the plot, the twists and turns. The only downfall for me is Jen. I didn’t like her POV. I found myself dreading when it was her voice.

There’s a lot going on. A lot of he said she said high school shenanigans. I rolled my eyes a lot. (And this is partly why I don’t read a ton of YA) but it was just dark enough to keep me interested till the end.

Definitely enjoyed the authors writing!

Five years ago, Monica's life got turned upside in a very short period of time five cheerleaders lives were taken: two were killed in an automobile accident, two were supposedly murdered by a neighbor and her sister committed suicide. As a memorial is planned for the five, Monica cannot accept what happened to her sister and sets up to prove that she was murder as well. Through many twists and turns, Monica learns to follow her instincts and not all is as it seems. Teen readers will enjoy this thrilling mystery.

When reading the first chapter, I thought this would be a run-of-the-mill YA novel with an “angst-y” teenager as the protagonist...but I could not have been more wrong. This was a very interesting story with a really good mystery at the heart of it. The author did a great job of capturing the raging hormones and mood swings that every teenager goes through, but without making the characters seem like cartoons. Some people may take issue with a few of the themes in the book, but I think the author approached them thoughtfully and truthfully. The mystery compelled the rest of the action, and there were enough questions on top of questions to keep the plot moving. The resolution was also very satisfying. I would recommend this book to anyone who likes YA novels, but also to anyone who just likes a good mystery. Thank you to Netgalley for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

This book was not what I expected. I felt that there would be a little more supernatural thrill to it, but the plot was actually more realistic. The ending felt very contrived and unbelievable, which left me disappointed.
Also, I'm not a big fan of the first-person point of view, unless it is done very well. In the first-person, it's a fine line between being coming off as having nothing worthwhile to say versus using first-person to forward the story.
The Cheerleaders lacked characterization and depth, and I really just wanted the story to be done.

I loved this book.

Like a lot of the books I've read lately, the protagonist sucked. She was an awful person who totally lacked empathy, made snap judgements about other people, and couldn't use critical thinking skills to save her life. It was really lucky that she had a sweet, down to earth partner in crime to make the read more palatable.

All that aside, the twist was pretty good. There were a lot of loose end tied up, which was great, because I was starting to wonder why certain things even mattered at all (Monica's summer fling? Why is he even relevant). I wasn't expecting everything that happened and, frankly, as a pretty avid reader, I can see most turns a mile away. This was an above average read and I'm really grateful for the ARC Net Galley provided me in exchange for a fair and honest review. '

For a more in-depth version of this review, please check out my awesome book blog:

http://bibwithblog.blogspot.com/2018/06/one-sentence-plot-summary-high-school.html

After finishing binging Pretty Little Liars and Riverdale, I was looking for my next obsession, and The Cheerleaders delivered! A riveting story of what can happen when gossip permeates a town. This was one of those books that you truly couldn't put down until you found out the truth.

Ok, I'll admit it, I'm a sucker for teen sleuths! Though I often find YA fiction a bit exhausting in all the wrong ways, <i>The Cheerleaders</i> kept me engaged and intrigued the whole way through. Right out of the gate, Kara Thomas makes bold choices for her characters, and though I thought the main plot twist wasn't super surprising (look, there are only so many characters in this book, people) I loved following Monica's quest to find out what really happened to her sister and her friends. She is a fantastic character who doesn't let anything stand in the way of finding out the truth.

I would absolutely recommend this book to anyone who likes YA mysteries. This would be a great beach or vacation read!