*Thanks to NetGalley for an eARC of this book, in exchange for an honest review.*

Milly, Aubrey, and Jonah Story are first cousins, but they're not exactly close. They haven't seen each other in probably a decade. They've never even met their grandmother. But, 20 years after their grandmother disinherited her kids, the cousins have each gotten an invitation to work at the family's island resort for the summer - and it's not optional. This could be their opportunity to get back in their grandmother's good graces! And also to maybe get away from some less-than-ideal situations at home.

But when the three teenagers arrive on the island, it starts to become obvious that nothing is as clear-cut as they were led to believe. Did their grandmother even want them there? And why were their parents disinherited in the first place? Nobody will admit to having skeletons in the closet, even when they start to show themselves.

Reader's Notes: I really liked this! You get the story mostly from the perspective of the cousins, with a few throwbacks to the summer when their parents' troubles started.

I am always in for a Karen McManus thriller, she never disappoints! I loved the Storys and each of their stories. The Cousins felt juicy, mysterious and intriguing. I loved discovering the little pieces along the way and putting everything together. Great YA!

This was extremely slow and boring.... The writing is very meh, much like all of this author's books. I enjoyed some of her other ones, but there's a pattern of course. The story is good but the writing is meh.. Except this time, the story was sooooo very shitty... It's supposed to be a thriller but nothing ever happens so it's not thrilling at all, which leaves us with somewhat interesting characters and that's it.

Anyway, I'm not a difficult reader at all, but honestly I don't think this is a worth it read. I definitely do not recommend, even if you like Karen McManus. I like her, but this is just bad. It got kinda interesting around 70% of the book. That's not good lol

The Cousins very much reminded me of We Were Liars by E. Lockhart what with the island setting and the focus on a large extended family and their secrets so I was expecting a quick read full of twists and turns because that's what I experienced with We Were Liars. Unfortunately, that's not what I got with The Cousins.

I did not find The Cousins to be a quick read and though there were twists and turns I didn't really feel enough for the characters to really care. If this hadn't been a mystery with the big reveal near the back of the book I may not have even finished.

Overall, The Cousins was okay. The writing was pretty tight and I didn't hate it but I wouldn't say I enjoyed it all that much either.

I didn't finish it :(

Maybe some other time, but I think it took too long for me as a reader to get to the meat of the book. I'm sure my teens will pick it up, but if they are hoping for a book as good as her others, I'm not sure they will find that. I liked the alternating characters though, as I am always looking for books to give to teens who present as male and female. I bought two copies and they have been circulating well.

This was a fun, twisty YA thriller, perfect for fans of We Were Liars and One of Us is Lying. The ending wasn't everything I hoped it would be, but it was still satisfying.

I received a digital copy of this book from Netgalley, and I was way overdue to read and review this. I did want to read it because I had read One of Us is Lying a couple of years ago. That book was a major hit a few summers ago, so I wanted to give this one a chance. I would compare this novel to One of Us is Lying by saying that neither storylines are new. However, little random twists get thrown into the mix. Also, for a young adult mystery, I think it's pretty good for the audience.

This is about a very rich and powerful family known as the Story Family. Twenty five years ago, the matriarch of the family, Mildred, disowned all of her children via a letter without an explanation other than, "You know what you did..." The matriarch owns a massive resort on an island called Gull Cove Island where she pretty runs the show. Meanwhile, it is present day and the story is told in three different point of views: Milly, Aubrey, and Jonah, the three grandchildren of Mildred. They all know about their mysterious grandmother, but they do not know why she disowned their parents. These teens are also estranged from each other, with only faint memories of knowing each other when they were much younger.

Now, they have each received a letter from their grandmother, inviting them to Gull Cove Island to work at her resort. Neither the teens nor the parents know what the motive is behind the invitation, but they all speculate that the grandmother wants to get to know them better. All of the parents support the idea with hopes that they can use their children to get back in good graces with their own mother. The teens reunite once they head to the island, and all three embark on a journey to hopefully discover the truth of their parents' disinheritance.

The Story family has a dark history when mother, Mildred, disinherits her children of a fabled resort and fortune. How the 3 grandchildren are called to the island to work for the summer. The parents see this as an opportunity to get back into the will. The twists and turns make this a good thriller without a lot of violence. I enjoyed the characters but it took time for the action of the story to develop. I received a copy of this ARC in exchange for a fair and honest review.

The Cousins had a very interesting premise and it did not disappoint. We follow 3 main povs and one minor pov that provides some backstory. I overall really enjoyed these characters and the mystery and intrigue this story provided. I was pleasantly surprised with each twist even the ones I guess because there was just something different to it. I like how this story really wrapped up and I was left feeling completely content with the resolution.

This book wasn't quite as suspenseful and intriguing as her other books but it was still an enjoyable read. I wish it had been fleshed out a bit more and was a little more complicated.

My high school students love all books written by Karen M. McManus. Her books are part of the curriculum for freshmen and juniors. Totally enjoyed this most recent book and I am looking forward to the sequel. The Cousins will be difficult to keep on the shelf!!

For YA readers who love a mystery/thriller, The Cousins will be one they won't want to miss. Some of the twists might be considered out of the blue, but isn't that why people read mysteries/thrillers?

The Cousins take a welcome turn from the thriller/mystery format McManus has previously written. Teens are still featured as the main characters, but this time it's a case of mistaken identity and manipulation to amass immense wealth. The foreshadowing throughout the novel is so incredibly clever and definitely reminiscent of her writing style from previous books.

I loved this book. I had high expectations based on the author's other books and I was not disappointed. I haven't torn through a book this quickly in ages!

Another fun, twisty, easy-to-recommend book from Karen McManus! I'm recommending this book as a more accessible readalike for fans of E. Lockhart's "We Were Liars."

One page in and I was hooked! The Cousins is a thrilling tale that I will definitely be purchasing for the library's YA collection. Thank you!

“Everybody has secrets,” she says, taking a sip of her drink. “That’s nondebateable. The only question is where her you’re keeping your own, or someone else’s.”

This was a book I was really looking forward to, and these cousins made the wait SO worth it! Many a book has dealt with family secrets, and there’s no better way to set this up than with a dual timeline that tells us as the reader the past and present.

It somehow ended up reminding me of some of my favorite YA thrillers while also being completely different, with plenty of settings and fun to keep me as the reader guessing what would happen next. To me this would be the perfect summertime read, and I look forward to seeing what McManus writes next!

Thank you to Rockstar Book Tours, Delacorte Press + NetGalley for having me on this book tour & allow me to read and review this title - 3.5 stars rounded up to 4 for me.

Karen McManus did it again! This was a fun mystery that I could not put down! I enjoyed the twists she threw into this novel. Fans of her other books will also enjoy this one! I can also see this book becoming a great adaptation. I highly recommend this as a first purchase for libraries.

Three cousins, Milly, Aubrey, and Jonah Story, are invited to spend a summer working on a Nantucket-like island after their parents were disinherited by their mother 20-something years ago. Not going it NOT an option because it may be an opportunity to get back into their grandmother's good-graces. However, not everything is at seems as the trio spend more time on the island and decades-old secrets begin to emerge.
I was very intrigued by the plot and the cover; however, I was a bit disappointed as the story came to a close. This is a story written in first person with alternating character perspectives: Milly, Aubrey, Jonah, and Milly's mom Allison. McManus does a good job differentiating each character's chapter, which is always appreciated. I was able to guess some of the major plot-points and the climax was a bit unbelievable/surreal/how-did-no-one-notice-no-matter-how-much-of-a-recluse-someone-is....I found myself disliking and not trusting Milly literally from page 1 and none of the other characters were likeable aside from Aubrey who was just someone who starts out quiet and shy and then has some character growth. I couldn't tell any of the Story siblings apart--aside from Allison--the three male siblings were all a "?" Adam, Archer, Asher, Anderson, Anthony, Ambrose...A-something...with no distinctive characteristics aside from one being an alcoholic musician, the other a writer, and the other a Ponzi-schemer. The ending was a bit rushed and had too much of a sense of being wrapped up a little too nicely with some vague wannabe cliffhanger at the end. Not a terrible book, but would definitely have liked more mystery elements and less cringy romance.

Karen McManus strikes again. The Cousins was mysterious and had me on the edge of my seat throughout. She’s an incredible author and I highly recommend her “one of us is lying” series as well!