OMG OMG OMG! I will not deny that this is the first book I have read from Karen though I have all her other three books. And I can say I am a fan! This book has it all, family drama, secrets, betrayals, mystery, and the thrill! I love all the characters, especially Milly! She is strong, intelligent, and relatable. Well, all of them are relatable except the mean, vengeful characters ( I won't reveal it! Read the book!) I thought this book would be about something, but I am beyond wrong! It turned out to be way more exciting and intriguing. I have so many assumptions throughout, and that’s what got me hooked on this book. I love it; I was heartbroken towards the end when the big revelations took place though I am not surprised it still broke my heart. Read this book! You will not regret it.

I actually really liked this book. By Karen McManus, the author of One of Us Is Lying, a NY Times Best-seller, I actually liked The Cousins just as much (if not alittle more) than that one. Like One of Us Is Lying, this book is considered a YA novel and is told from different points-of-view. Each chapter switches narrator, which got alittle confusing for me in One of Us Is Lying since it involved a lot of characters. On the other hand, The Cousins only have three, so that made it easier for me to follow. It tells the story of a mysterious rich grandma living in a huge resort on an island. She’s estranged from her children and grandchildren, which makes it a huge surprise when she invites her two granddaughters and one grandson to spend the summer with her working at the resort. Their parents, desperate to either reconnect with their mother or her money, demand each child go. So those are the three cousins of the title.

Mystery, murder, family secrets; this book has it all. Plus it’s an easy read but still kept me engaged. No sex or swearing, so that was a nice change for this time of year. Overall, I definitely recommend this book if you are looking for something light, easy to read, and not too brain-challenging.
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Since I read One of Us is Lying I’ve become such a Karen M. McManus fan!! I was thrilled to get an advanced digital copy of her new release The Cousins!

This book is so incredibly bingeable!! We have 3 perspectives in this one, the cousins: Aubrey, Jonah, and Millie. I’m a sucker for multiple POVs!

Their parents have all been disinherited more than 20 years ago. Imagine their surprise when they receive letters from their wealthy grandmother inviting them to the resort she owns to work for the summer. Each parent wants to get back in their mother’s good graces so the cousins are forced to make the trip to Gull Cove Island.

What the teens find on the small, tourist filled island are a ton of family secrets, lies, and a few accidental deaths that don’t add up.

I loved the kids in this one and hated their parents...they all appear to care more about an inheritance than their own children. As usual I predicted what I thought the secrets were and who was responsible for the deaths and I was so wrong!!! This was just a fun, bingeable, twisty book that I really enjoyed reading!!!

Easily a ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ 💫 read!! Thank you to @penguinrandomhouse @netgalley for my advanced digital copy of the book to review.

Grab your copy of the Cousins today!!!

Well, this was my first book by this author, which I’d been hearing a lot of good things about. And I have to say that it totally lived up to all the hype I’d heard. I was sucked in right away and there were a lot of twists and turns throughout the book that even as I was guessing what might be going on, I kept changing my thoughts, and I still didn’t get it right! The characters were all very well developed, and the background was also one that was fully detailed and intricate finding my way through as I read. I liked that not only did we get each of the three main characters’ points of view, but we got flashes back to their parents through a few chapters interspersed at just the right times in the story to keep my guesses going and evolving throughout the book.

The story seemed to deal mostly with what was happening to the characters and what they were discovering, instead of a ton of time just spent in day to day events. I liked that. It kept me intrigued and not having to skim through overly descriptive passages. The little bits of detail were there to try to give the reader hints and clues to what the characters themselves should be paying attention to, without just giving the whole story away. A great story, one I can’t wait to add to my school library and recommend to my students. Now to read more from this author in the future, and if I have time, I’ll be sure to go back and check out her previous titles as well!

R E V I E W🌟
Thank you to @getunderlined for the giveaway win of an e-ARC of The Cousins by Karen M. McManus! Also thank you to @netgalley & @penguinrandomhouse as well.

Okay, so I read my first Karen M. McManus book this past month and I absolutely already know that they will be an auto-buy author for sure!!

The Cousins was such a wild ride. I mean come on a mother who doesn’t see her children again for like 30-something years? Out of the blue inviting the grandchildren she’s never acknowledged to her island? You have to admit it’s such a good premise that just pulls you in!!

All of the cousins were amazing to get to know. They had the opportunity to really shine in all aspects within the storyline. The story had huge twists and turns all through it. It does a good job of pulling you in in just a few short chapters! I just really enjoyed how it all went down, it was a roller coaster! And the alternating points of views were spot on. I enjoyed being able to catch glimpses of what happened all that time ago.

I gave this one ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ 4/5 stars and will for sure be getting a physical copy so my little sister can read it too because she’s a huge McManus fan!!

Thank you to Penguin Random House for providing me with an ARC in exchange from my honest review. THE COUSINS is scheduled for release December 1, 2020.
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This was such a fun read! If you know me, you know I love Karen M. MacManus, so I was really excited when I got an e-ARC for The Cousins.

I am nothing but a sucker for a good family drama. This one is definitely more on the mystery side than the spooky side, but that's exactly how I like it! The book follows the cousins of the Story family. They don't know each other and have never met their grandmother, since she disowned their parents before the cousins were born. The cousins get an invitation from their grandmother to work on her island resort. While there, they realize their family has some dark secrets, and they want to find out what they are.

This was a slow burn, but I read it in two quick sittings so it didn't really feel that way. Plus, the twist was so unexpected, it definitely was worth the wait. I really enjoyed this one. If you're a fan of family dramas and Karen M. McManus, definitely pick up this book!

I LOVED this book and all the twists and turns this book had. I finished this book in about two days (it would have been finished sooner too if I hadn’t been sick).

The book goes between present day of Milly, Jonah, and Aubrey and also their parents in 1996 leading up to the time that they become estranged from their mother. I loved getting little breadcrumbs from the parent’s timeline and seeing how it would play out in present time while the cousins tried to reconnect with their grandmother.

I really enjoyed the characters of Milly, Jonah, and Aubrey and think they were really well written. They complimented each other well and each had different strengths they brought to the book. There were a few times I had that “oh crap!” moment as bombs were dropped. This was a huge page turner and the writing flowed really well.

If you loved Karen McManus’ other books, Pretty Little Liars, or Riverdale then I think you will also love The Cousins!

Thank you so much to Netgalley, Penguin Random House, and Karen McManus for the e-arc in exchange for my honest review. The Cousins is out today!

I really hope that another book with these characters comes our way because that ending leaves potential for a sequel. It was quite predictable in certain parts but I did not see that twist at the end, even though it was 100% being lead that way. I loved the way that ‘The Cousins’ interacted with each other and how they built each other into the people they become at the end. I would have loved some more developed from the parents since they were the main plot line but what can you do. Overall I enjoyed it and couldn’t put it down. Wish I could have more.

Rating: 4⭐️

Thank you to the publishers for gifting me an arc via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

Going into this book I didn’t have very high expectations because a lot of people said they didn’t like it. I really liked the authors other works so still wanted to give this one a try, and while it wasn’t my favourite, it was still really good.
I really liked the characters and how we saw each of their backstories, especially the flashbacks from the Story’s days when the drama started unfolding. I called a couple of the twists and reveals that happened with the characters, which is fine. It didn’t ruin the fun of the story. Without spoiling anything, I liked that there was still an element of romance. A book has to have some romance for me to read it and this one had the perfect amount. It didn’t interfere with the plot or the mystery to take it over in any way. It added to the story.
I found the mystery to be a little generic and cliche. Most of the twists were easy to guess but I can usually guess the twists in most mystery books so that’s just my reading experience.
McManus definitely has a specific writing style that’s easy to read and the characters are interesting to follow around.
Overall, I really enjoyed this book and will recommend it to everyone that I think will like it.

The Cousins might be my favorite McManus book so far. It had everything I love in a mystery/thriller: characters I feel strongly about (whether it's love or hate), humor (I laughed so much while reading this), and unpredictability (the plot was so wild I screamed many a time). Anytime I thought I knew where the story was going, it veered the complete opposite direction, and I was left guessing until the final pages.

McManus set the mood of the book so well that I already felt uneasy within the first few pages. I also love the way her writing can get me so attached to characters and completely immersed in the story. The story left me questioning whether terrible people deserve to be happy and if anyone is inherently good. I definitely recommend this book if you want a fun read that will have you constantly questioning things the entire time.

Tween mystery readers are going to love this new McManus novel. Even though the twists will be obvious to some readers, it is a drama filled novel that will capture the hearts of these young teenage readers. Main characters are much older than the novel's real-world audience, but it is still safe for them.

Written by YA thriller author Karen McManus, The Cousins follows three cousins as they spend the summer working at their grandmother’s summer resort. Having never met their reclusive grandmother, the Story cousins attempt to unpack the mystery surrounding their parents’ disinheritance. In a family full of secrets, they learn that not everything on the island is what it seems.
I thoroughly enjoyed this book. It was on par with McManus’ other mystery novels and kept me on the edge of my seat the entire time. As the novel progressed, new information kept being revealed that utterly surprised me. There was an enjoyable balance between my accurate predictions and complete shocks. Unfortunately, I felt that it was lacking a bit in the mystery thriller department. While it did pose many questions and many plot twists, I was hoping for a bit more from it.
I really enjoyed the three main characters. Milly, Aubrey, and Jonah Story are all complex with their own secrets and motivations. It was fascinating to see how their differing relationships developed. Milly and Aubrey quickly took to each other whereas Jonah was the odd one out with his rude, standoffish behavior. That being said, I was surprised to have ended up enjoying Jonah’s character as much as I did.
Often I find multiple point of view stories to be confusing but I did not have that problem with this. Each character has a distinct enough voice to separate them from each other. Allison, Milly’s mother, was a surprising perspective to have. I did feel that it was needed though. It gave the audience some information to further the plot and develop theories about what was going on.
One of my immediate issues with the book was the choice of names. I quickly got confused with the three Story brothers. Four siblings all with “A” names had me often mixing them up (Being the only sister, Allison was the exception). The family tree was appreciated but it got rather tiring going back and forth. However, as the story progressed I did eventually remember which “A” sibling was which and whom they parented.
Another significant aspect of the book was its setting and overall aesthetic. Instead of the typical dark and gloomy mystery vibe, the story takes place during the summer by the ocean. As a Massachusetts native, the island off the coast of Cape Cod made me want to go back a few months and read this on the beach on Martha’s Vineyard. The novel also features great locations and events. I have never wanted to get fitted for a ball dress and attend a gala.
Overall, The Cousins was a great read. With it’s surprising twists and great characterization, it was an easy four star novel.

This one is my first Karen M. McManus novel, I wasn't disappointed. It's about 3 cousins who barely know each other go to see their grandmother they never met during summer break. Once they get there, they realize that their grandmother has other plans and that there are some family secrets on the island. As you read the brief summary, you can tell it's a mystery/thriller novel that involves a family. I enjoyed the story of this book but I have to say that the pacing was a little slow with this one. Though the author did a wonderful job with the setting, plot structure, and characters.

This book is written in three povs with some chapters from Milley's mom pov. I enjoyed reading all the characters ' pov especially Milley's because of the way she was thinking and reading her theories on her family. Each character has some secret but one of them has a major one that surprised me a lot. Their adventures and family bonding were enjoyable to read. I love how the author made the key theme to be about the Story family because of how broken their family was in the past.

This book had some good page-turners but mostly towards the end which was the best part of the book. The only problem I had with this book was the pacing and other than that I enjoyed this book. I would most likely be reading Karen's other books and her first one has been on my TBR for so long that its finally time to pick it up. This book is perfect for fans of The Inheritance Games and Sara Shepard.

This was my first book by the author, and I guess my expectations were too high. I was expecting a gripping novel that had me on the edge of my seat, and although the plot really had potential, it wasn't well executed. It fell a little flat, and I wasn't compelled to keep reading. However, I still really enjoyed it, and I can definitely recommend it!

McManus is a captivating writer. I will admit, I was not a fan of One of Us is Next, but the Cousins offered redemption. In the vain of Knives Out, We Were Liars, and any other WASPy story of family betrayal, this does not let us down. 3 cousins who barely knew each other forced together but then find out they were the family they were looking for all along. Good stuff.

Twenty-five years ago, their parents were disowned by their grandmother Mildred. The four Story children Adam, Allison, Archer and Anders only got a letter saying that they knew what they had done. Unfortunately, they didn’t and haven’t been in contact with their mother who still lives on the family estate Catmint House on Gull Cove Island off the coast of Massachusetts which has been turned into a successful vacation destination for the rich. Unexpectedly, Milly, Aubrey and Jonah, Mildred’s grandchildren who have not seen each other for years, are invited to spend the summer there and to get to know their granny. Has the old lady finally changed her mind? Not really, but this is only one of the many, well buried family secrets of the Storys.

I liked Karen McManus’ former young adult novels a lot since she knows how to create suspense without being actually violent and because her characters are often teenagers one can easily identify with since they show the same fears and insecurities every knows. “The Cousins” offers an interesting setting and much more twists and turns than expected and thus was an enjoyable read.

The story is told alternatingly from the three teenagers’ point of view thus giving insight not only in their thoughts but also in the secrets they hide from each other. It also adds to the fast pace and at times gives you an advance since you already know what’s coming when the characters in the novel are still in the dark.

There are also flashbacks in which we meet their parents when they were teenagers which is quite an interesting comparison and also provides the necessary background to understand the behaviour of the characters on the island.

Overall, I totally enjoyed the novel which had an unforeseeable ending and some fascinating characters.

I enjoyed One of Us Is Lying and was happy to be chosen to review The Cousins! This was a great take on the family secrets type drama that I love, with the teens being the second generation of the family and coming together to unravel what had caused their grandmother to disown their parents. The story is told from the viewpoints of the teens Milly, Aubrey, and Jonah, as well as from Milly’s mom Allison as a voice from the past. There were twists and cliffhanger chapter endings which had me turning the pages quickly!

The island setting was fun and it felt like maybe this book should have been a summer release, but I still enjoyed reading it when it’s cold outside. While I haven’t read all of McManus’s books, I can say that I’m a fan!

Karen McManus has done it again! As One of Us is Lying, Two Can Keep a Secret, and One of Us is Next, The Cousins is a page-turner that will keep you guessing until the end. Aubrey, Jonah, and Milly have never met their reclusive, rich grandmother, as she disinherited their parents as teenagers. When she summons them to work at her resort on Gull Cove Island for the summer, their parents insist they accept in the hopes that they'll be able to worm their way back into her good graces, and her fortune. For these three dissimilar cousins, however, it's going to be a long summer. It's quickly clear that their grandmother is not interested in getting to know them, and that there's more to the story behind their parents being cut off from the family fortune. There are those who would prefer that the past remain in the past, but what lengths will they go to in order to keep it buried? While Milly is a fairly one-dimensional rich white girl, Aubrey and Jonah bring more interesting back stories to the table. The supporting characters would benefit from some deeper development, especially Hazel and Dr. Baxter. This is sure to be popular with fans of the author.

Many thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for providing me with a DRC of this title for review. All opinions are my own.

McManus has done it again. Her earlier works are INCREDIBLY popular with my students in my building, and I was sure that her new book would be the same. For this reason, I went ahead and pre-ordered multiple copies. I suggest you do the same, because this is another thriller that the YA readers will surely gobble up.

Milly, Aubrey, and Jonah are the youngest members of the Story family. Years ago, their parents and uncle were all cut off from their incredibly wealthy, and now somewhat reclusive grandmother. This summer though, Mildred Story has invited them to her island to work on the resort. They hope (or really, their parents hope) that this will be the beginning of a possible reconciliation after the letter they got 24 years ago merely stating they "knew what they did" and were no longer welcome. Once they get to Gulf Cove though, things become more complicated. Because Mildred clearly didn't invite them, and doesn't want them there. And not everyone is who they claim to be.

Highly recommend.

I would to thank PRH Global for provding me with an ARC in exchange for an honest review. All thoughts expressed are my personal opinion.

Description Summary:McManus takes "Appearances are deceiving" to a whole another level with this murder mystery fit with family scandals and malicious secrets.

Score: 4.5/5

They were not joking when the publishing company said: "You'll never feel the same about family again".

What a whirlwind that was. At first I was pretty worried that I would find all 3 main characters utterly unlikable. With each chapter a chink of that armor falls off, and you suddenly realize why Milly's defensive cold front and love of material things is a form of introjection. Why Aubrey's silence and neutral stances is her way of hoping to gain acceptance from a father constantly putting her down and picking on her flaws. And finally why Jonah's bitter resentment stems from a tragedy that would make anyone utterly furious.

Before I knew it I was completely hooked. I believe this may well be McManus best written work. The writing flows and it has that "couldn't put it downess" that is very much needed in mystery books.