Earlier this month I finished THE COUSINS by Karen M. McManus, and wowow, what a ride! This was the first book I read by this author and I'm excited to check out more in the future.

While this book is marketed as a YA thriller, it felt like more of a family drama to me. It follows three cousins who have never met before, as they spend the summer working for their estranged grandmother at the family's island summer resort. Their family history is full of DRAMA, and after they meet, they decide to try and figure out what the heck happened.

Why did their grandmother banish all her children? Why had the cousins never met? Did their Uncle sneak his way back to the island? Who is going to inherit the family wealth? That's right, there's a lot of money on the line, too, which is why the cousins were more or less forced by their parents to go meet their grandma.

There were a lot of twists in this story, and it really kept me on my toes. There was one major plot point I guessed, but so much more happened that made me gasp that I didn't even care. For me, that's the mark of a good book. I also really enjoyed the multiple points of view, and flipping back and forth between past and present. There's a lot of family history being told, and it helped bring the story together.

If you want a story filled with drama, gossip, and a good dose of "wait, who ... is this???" Then pick up a copy of this book!

Thank you @penguinteenca for sending me a digital ARC of this book🥰

3.5 stars!

This was quite the gripping story with twists I didn't see coming, but it was a little over the top for me. I really did enjoy it a lot and it went pretty quick, but yeah... I'm not entirely sure what exactly ruined it a little for me. Or well, one thing does come to mind, but that can't be mentioned without spoiling it somewhat.

All in all, a good read with characters and a story I liked, but nothing amazing.

Milly, Aubrey and Jonah Story have never met their grandmother, who disowned their parents over 20 years ago. When they receive an invitation to work at their grandmother's private resort, their parents believe it is their chance to reconnect. When family secrets begin to come to light, the cousins must decide how they all fit into the story.

I really enjoyed Karen's One of Us is Lying, so I was excited to pick up another book by them. This was very entertaining and a lot of fun trying to figure out the mystery about what happened to the four siblings and why they were disowned in the first place. The family drama was fun to try and unravel, although I do think that the big reveal was a bit silly and didn't make much sense in the long run. I loved the alternating perspectives between the three cousins. There are also chapters that include flashbacks from Alison's POV, to life before the four story children were disowned. I liked watching the relationships develop between the three cousins. All three were interesting and I liked learning more about them as the story progressed and watching them grow up and change.

Overall, very fun and addictive!

I have come to the conclusion that the reason I keep coming back to read Karen M. McManus’ novels time and time again is not for the story but for the characters. The main characters are written really well. While the story is easy to follow, the story is definitely not great by any means. The ending had me angry. I don’t think the twist was great at all and the reason for some of the actions were pretty horrible. Overall, it was a quick read (I was able to read it in two sittings) so I wasn’t too upset about it.

The Cousins
5/5 ⭐️ to The Cousins by Karen M. McManus

Firstly, thank you so much to NetGalley, Delacorte Press, and Penguin Teen Canada for early access to the egalley!

I haven’t read many thrillers, either YA or adult, but the ones I have were enjoyable but just okay. From the start, this story had me hook line and sinker. Everything gripped me, from the characters, to the main mystery/storyline, to the twists, to the finale. This tells the story of three teens, whose estranged Grandmother invites them out of the blue to work at her resort for the summer after completely cutting off her children (their parents/aunt/uncles). This was told in a rotating perspective between the three teens, which I thought was perfect and allowed me to get to know each of them as characters while having a more well-rounded picture of the mystery/story as a whole. I felt each voice was quite distinct, as well as our cast of side characters, who I enjoyed a lot! And the family aspect, which is also a favourite of mine in books.

As for the overall mystery, I thought it was complex and layered, and skillfully woven through the storyline. The atmosphere was perfect for this kind of book, and I was kept on my toes. I knew something fishy was going on from the get go (hello, it’s a mystery/thriller novel), but I wasn’t able to exactly pinpoint what our reveals would be. The pacing in relation to the mystery was great IMO, and was balanced between keeping us guessing while giving small clues to keep engagement. Part of this that I also enjoyed was how the story/mystery was revealed through these letter like journal entries from when the events first happened. Finally, the reveal and endgame were *chefs kiss* for me, and I really loved the end how it impacted the family once wrapped up.

If you want an excellent YA mystery/thriller with a strong family element and beachy, summery vibes I’d highly recommend this one! I plan on picking up Karen M. McManus’ other series soon in the new year!

McManus does it again, with a twisted mystery that revolves around a family of privilege. The Story family own most of a well-known summer island retreat that caters to the wealthy. The four Story siblings grew up with all that wealth and privilege could provide, until the sudden death of their father, and their mother's disownment and banishment of them. What happened to cause this? The siblings claim to not know. Now, the three Story cousins, who barely know one another have been summoned to the island by their grandmother. Will they be able to find out what happened? Why now? McManus weaves a story of love, loss, privilege and wealth with twists and turns that keep you guessing. Her finest work yet!

Thank you so much @DelacortePress & @NetGalley for giving me this eARC in exchange for my honest and unbiased review (Release Date | 01 December 2020)

SYNOPSIS | Milly, Aubrey & Jonah are cousins, but they hardly know each other as there parents were all disinherited before they were born. Before Summer break, they get a letter from their grandmother (Mildred) inviting them to spend their Summer working at her island Gull Cove Resort.

WHAT I LIKED:
- a couple of solid plot twists

WHAT I DIDN'T LIKE:
- too many characters with names starting with the same letter. I am easily confused.
- the ending was convenient & wrapped up in one short chapter
- the romance didn't add anything to the story
- the villains were stereotypical caricatures of evil people

Great story and loved the slight romance. Really enjoyed the characters and how the plot moved and how the characters changed throughout the book. I would read this author again.

I reviewed this book on GoodReads and will also post my review on my blog ... I'll provide all the details directly to the publisher in the next round of this review process.

Another great book by Karen M. McManus. She always keeps you on the edge on your seat and throws in some twists you never see coming. Couldn’t put the book down once I started it. I think teens and adults alike will love this book.

Wow this book was a trip! Twist after twist, I never knew what to expect. I loved the mystery of what happened 24 years ago and loved the flash back scenes to Milly’s mom. They were so well done and each one answered questions... but then raised more. I was hooked right from the start of this book and couldn’t put it down until the end!

The big twist was definitely a surprise that I didn't see coming. However, I don't think it was that great of a twist. Of course there was cause to cut off the children, except Archer, but I would have liked there to have been more to that.
The cousins were so very unique, including both Jonah's. While I can appreciate that as it made it easier to tell them apart, I feel like people can become stereotypes.
Anders and Adam were just spoiled, even beyond their crime. Horrible, manipulative parents and sons. Allison was quite weak for not exposing them. Archer was the only decent one among them.

https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/3684349203

This was wild. There were multiple twists that I didn't see coming at all, but they still made total sense, which can be a difficult balance. I enjoyed this more than the other Karen McManus book I've read, One of Us Is Lying, and it's definitely made me interested in checking out more of her work. Recommended for fans of We Were Liars!

Disclaimer: I received this book from the publisher for tour with Rockstar Book Tours. Thanks! All opinions are my own.

Book: The Cousins

Author: Karen M. McManus

Book Series: Standalone

Rating: 5/5

Diversity: half Japanese main character

Recommended For...: mystery lovers, ya readers

Publication Date: December 1, 2020

Genre: YA Mystery

Recommended Age: 16+ (murder, death, gore, violence, fire, language, romance)

Publisher: Delacorte Press

Pages: 337

Synopsis: Milly, Aubrey, and Jonah Story are cousins, but they barely know each another, and they've never even met their grandmother. Rich and reclusive, she disinherited their parents before they were born. So when they each receive a letter inviting them to work at her island resort for the summer, they're surprised... and curious.

Their parents are all clear on one point—not going is not an option. This could be the opportunity to get back into Grandmother's good graces. But when the cousins arrive on the island, it's immediately clear that she has different plans for them. And the longer they stay, the more they realize how mysterious—and dark—their family's past is.

The entire Story family has secrets. Whatever pulled them apart years ago isn't over—and this summer, the cousins will learn everything.

Review: I really liked this book! I have been a huge fan of Karen McManus for a long time, but this book was one of my faves (of course, I say that all the time). I loved the character development and intricate details of this book. I loved the world building and the romance was cute and not rushed. The book also has great re-readability!

The only things that I think I didn’t like is that the pacing was a bit slow in places, but the atmosphere made it worth the wait. I also didn’t enjoy the ending as much. As realistic as it was, I wished for a resolute ending. I wanted one where all parties were held accountable for their misdoings, but as much as I would like, sometimes people get away with murder.

Verdict: Highly recommend for mystery lovers!

McManus is a master at plot and writing from multiple points of view. She kept the momentum moving in each chapter. This may be the best one yet!

THE COUSINS by Karen McManus (One of Us is Lying) is a fabulous mystery and a great chance to escape to a summer venue on an island like Martha's Vineyard. Three cousins, Milly Takahashi-Story, Aubrey Story, and Jonah Story, barely know each other when they are all summoned by their estranged grandmother to work at her exclusive resort on Gull Cove Island. First mystery: when they arrive, she seems surprised to see them, so who invited them? Next, why did she disinherit their parents (and a childless uncle) so many years ago? What caused that rift and what secrets remain after more than two decades? What do the local residents know and why is the family lawyer trying to convince Milly, Aubrey, and Jonah to leave? What surprises are the cousins hiding from each other? Can they sustain the bonds they have begun to form? Fans of Lockhart's We Were Liars as well as McManus' many readers will enjoy this new title which picks up the pace in the second half and offers a diverting, suspenseful adventure. Kirkus says, "Another McManus novel worth pulling an all-nighter for." I agree.

Karen McManus does it again! Another outstanding, can't-stop-turning-pages mystery-thriller from a new queen of YA mystery.

The Cousins follows the grandchildren of the Storys, a wealthy family of island resort heirs whose quartet of siblings gets infamously disowned by their Grandmother in 1997, left only with a note that claims: <i>You know what you did.</i> But when, decades later, a mysterious letter arrives for the three Story grandchildren - Milly, Aubrey, and Jonah - inviting them to stay for the summer and work at the resort from Mildred, the grandmother matriarch herself, they all have their reasons to accept. But what greets them when they arrive is more than they bargained for, and the three cousins who barely know each other are thrown into a world of secrets and a mystery that all stems back to when everything fell apart.

I really liked McManus's One of Us is Lying when it debuted, but haven't picked up another mystery since. However, I'm a sucker for a deep family mystery full of twists and secrets, so I knew I had to read this one! The story is effortless; the mystery develops with the perfect amount of twists and turns, and even our main characters are not all they seem to be. Surprises lurk around every corner, and the end is almost pure mastery. I couldn't put it down this afternoon and was very glad I chose today to pick it up!

This was a great little mystery that you come to expect when you read anything from Karen. McManus. No one is ever who you think it is, the plot is always twisting and you are left wondering what the hell just happened.

This book starts out slow and actually took me two or three tries before I was finally able to settle in and enjoy the story. From the mysterious letters inviting cousins to work for a grandmother they never met, to the secret of the Story's that circulate around the island. The ending is one that certainly catches you by surprise and one I didn't see coming until it smacked me in the face.

Twisty-turny goodness--read this one in a single day, *and* it was a workday to boot! I didn't manage to fit in a walk too, but hopefully my dog will forgive me for my lapse one day...

(If he doesn't, it was probably worth it anyway. But don't tell him that, 'kay?)

Now that that's out of the way, I'm left with the dilemma of how to review this without giving anything away, which is definitely tricky. I guess I can say that there are secrets galore here, and family drama, a dual timeline (it's mostly in the present time with "the cousins" but some chapters are 24 years earlier, from the POV of the lone girl in the family), and waaaaay too many people whose names start with the letter A. Thank goodness for the mini family tree at the beginning; I had to refer to it more times than I'd like to admit, reminding myself of who was whose kid. (I've got it now. But it was tricky for a while there...)

I haven't read Karen M. McManus before--I picked up this one at the very enthusiastic urging of my coworker--but I gather that her books are usually more mystery/thrillerish than this one ends up being, and I was fine with that. There are absolutely mysteries here, but overall it's more of a thriller lite situation--main characters are only in danger in one climactic scene (apologies to the many characters who die--but we don't get to know them well, so... :) ). There's a sweet romance as well, and though the tagline is "Family first, always" it's the chosen/found families here that end up winning the day, as they 100% should.

Now, if you'll excuse me, I have to go add Ms McManus's backlist to my TBR...

Rating: 4 1/2 stars / A

I voluntarily reviewed an Advance Reader Copy of this book.

I was not expecting too much from this books. I don't have a good impression of Karen's writing style because One of Us is Lying. But this one it's pretty good.
3.5 stars.