This book is so surprising and I loved every moment of it. Morally grey protagonists, an absolutely bonkers plot line, and really interesting dynamics combined made for a book I couldn't have put down if I had wanted to. So fun.

Scheduled to post 11/24/20.

That blurb is vaguely misleading, especially the last few sentences there. I feel like the focus of the book isn't what it's saying here. I mean, the book insists it is, but the way the story plays out leads me to believe differently.

It's not that I didn't like TEEN KILLERS CLUB. I thought it was dark and fun at the same time, like a really messed up Breakfast Club. The setting is ambiguously in the near future enough to give us the technology that's needed to make the story work. I didn't have an issue with that and I thought it was done well enough to get past that vaguery.

I also really liked all the characters, granted I felt like the twins and Javier kind of blended. Signal, Erik, Jada, and Dennis all stood out quite well to me. Everyone else felt . . . expendable, which ended up kind of fitting, unfortunately.

What kind of irked me was the ending. The climax felt equal parts fitting and ridiculous. Like, the high level purpose of it made sense, but the situation Signal ended up in just seemed really forced for the sake of drama. Plus the overarching plot of Signal getting framed for Rose's murder isn't really wrapped up. I guess it technically is because you know who killed Rose, but Signal isn't a benefactor of that revelation. It assuaged her fears that she did black out and kill her friend, but that's really it. So that whole driving force behind why Signal is even in this situation to begin with is left hanging and unresolved and since it doesn't look like this is a series, that leaves me wanting.

At the same time I don't feel wholly left behind by the ending either. I don't feel unfulfilled. I would even say I liked the ending because it did resolve a lot, just not the major piece of the story. A lot of wrenches were dogpiled into this story and all but the main wrench had somewhere to go at the end of it. So, satisfying yet lacking at the same time.

I wouldn't say I'm torn about TEEN KILLERS CLUB. I did like it. I'm just bothered by the major plot arc not being resolved by the end of the book, at least not in a way that benefits Signal at all. Except I'm supposed to feel vindicated by what happens at the end. In part, I am. But largely I'm not and really that's what's weighing the rating on this one down. Granted this probably would have been a really long book had that ball kept rolling, but at the very least not making this a stand alone. Because a stand alone says there's no more story to tell except there very much is and it's probably the most important part of the story.

3.5

Oh this was so fun. The writing is great, the characters are real and ridiculous, and the plot is something I have always wanted to read a book about. This checked all the boxes for me and I'm so glad I got to read it.

3.5 stars!
Signal is arrested and imprisoned for the murder of her best friend, Rose, after she is discovered at the scene of the crime. She is given a Class A rating due to the violent nature of her crime and being seen as an extremely dangerous prisoner. She is approached by a government official who offers her the opportunity to be released from isolation and sent to...camp? When she arrives, she discovers she is joining a group of other Class A juvenile felons who are being trained as assassins for the government. Signal meets the other campers and shortly realizes her life will never be the same.

The characters in this story are fascinating! Signal was very likeable and who doesn’t enjoy a love triangle? She becomes the love interest of two very différent boys at camp and a nice subplot develops out of that. She navigates new friendships along with her new relationships and the reader slowly learns about the other campers and their pasts. I did find the plot a little wonky as it weaved in and out of Signal’s quest to prove her innocence and the problems at camp. The author’s voice came through clearly in her writing and it is definitely set up for a sequel! I listened to this on audiobook thanks to @netgalley & @dreamscapemedia and I did not love the narrator. Her voice kind of grated on me a little bit as every line was read very dramatically, even lines that were just transition sentences. Overall, a very unique YA thriller that you will like if you enjoy character development!

I received Teen Killers Club as an e-ARC via NetGalley — a huge thank you to NetGalley, the publisher, and Lily Sparks for allowing me the opportunity to read this! Teen Killers Club is a YA novel following Signal, a Class A — the most dangerous type of person in the world. After being convicted for killing her best friend Rose, Signal is sent to a secret government project's camp to learn how to be the best killer possible. However, all is in doubt — because Signal doesn't remember if she killed Rose, or if something more sinister has happened...

I had to think long and hard about how I was going to rate this book. On concept alone, it is a 5-star read for me. I think if I was reading this as a teenager, I would have rated it five stars, but I'm an adult and some things did not sit right with me. Most of it lay with the love triangle, which is a trope I traditionally dislike regardless — it felt very unnecessary and forced, which I did not enjoy at all. I also thought that some of the interactions based on that were very shallow. While I am happy with the resolution of the triangle, it's more choosing the better of two not great options (I would say bad, but I liked both of their characters individually so it feels wrong to make that judgement). I liked the mystery aspect of the book, and how Signal reacted to the various challenges that she was faced with — it felt realistic for the world she lived in and matched what we have been told about her character. While I do think the ending itself was a little lacklustre, I did enjoy the book overall and am giving it a 4-star rating.

I would definitely recommend this if you are in the 14–17 age bracket, but I think there is some appeal for older readers too.

Thank you to Crooked Lane Books for sending me an ARC via netgalley in exchange for an honest review.
5/5 stars.
I loved this book! It was absolutely phenomenal. The characterization was so incredible and the plot was just far-fetched enough to actually be believable.
The book is told from the POV of Signal, a teenage girl who has been in prison for the murder of her best friend. Except that Signal is innocent. When an opportunity for Signal to get out of prison arises, she is taken to a camp in the middle of nowhere with other Class As. Class A is the category that Signal fits into based on the Wylie-Stanton Index which is a profiling algorithm that is kind of like a personality quiz that takes all your available data. The Class As are “the .001 percentile, human-shark, super-manipulative, criminal genius maniacs” as Signal explains it in the book.
The characters were absolutely the best part of this book. The campers gave me chills, and Erik was legitimately scary at times with his psychological thing. I don’t know how to describe it properly, but his character, and all of the others, were perfect. I really liked seeing the characters grow closer and go against the rules that the camp wanted them to follow. Instead of turning on each other, they banded together and forged friendships.
The mystery of what actually happened to Rose (Signal’s supposed victim) was an intriguing side plot that turned out to be way more intertwined with the main plot than I’d predicted! Some of the revelations at the end surprised me, and then they made perfect sense.
Overall, if you like some damaged and antihero characters, some mystery and intrigue, and a bit of murder, then I would highly recommend checking this one out! I’ll be reading this one again in the future, and also desperately anticipating a sequel!

A YA thriller for fans of Nikita and murder mysteries. Wrongfully convicted for the murder of her best friend, Signal Deere faces a life in prison... until she's offered an out: join a secret government program training teen assassins. Only problem? She's never actually killed anyone. But she's been designated as a Class-A-- the most dangerous and unredeemable classification of criminal--so there's no hope of appeal. And at this camp where the number of people you've killed determined your standing, she's going to have to do her best to fit in as the hardened criminal she's supposed to be. But before she's through she's going to bring this misfit group of unrepentant killers together, because no one else is going to look out for them. And someone in the woods is determined to kill them first.

Misfit found family, complicated characters, twists and turns galore-- this had everything I could've wanted in a murder mystery thriller about teen killers forced to become assassins at a summer camp. A thoroughly entertaining YA thriller.

I would like to thank Net and they publisher for the pleasure of reading this ARC.

Do you like mystery? Are you a true crime junkie?

Well this is the book for you. Our main character Signal (I didn't understand the name choice) is charged with killing her best friend. But she remembers nothing. She's picked up by a deep cover agency with five other teens all class A's and deemed unfit for society with no chance of parole.

Throughout the story would be villainess starts to remember what happened in the shed. And it's starting to look more and more like she didn't do it. We go through a cast of characters, the obvious choice of the boyfriend. Because lets be honest it's usually the significant other. And the twist of a mysterious Mr.Moody, her unknown boyfriend only know by that name to Signal and no one else.

Mysterious things that happening at the camp that being thoughts of silver lake and the kids are sent out on their first mission early.

There's interesting characters that have some growth. Twist and turned to keep you guessing who done it. And psychological mind games that leave your feeling none of the kids at camp can be trusted.

The story talks about the desperate situations people can get in to turn to murder. It shows that even murders can be redeemed. That not ask class A's are sociopaths.

Did Signal kill her bestie? If not, then who? Are there kids at camp to be trusted? Who are the Teen Killer Clubs first targets? You'll have to read to find out!

What. Was. That. Oh my god. Teen Killers Club was a trip, to put it lightly. Right from the get-go, too. And really, it started out kind of slow. Not in a bad way, but I was wondering where this was going to go. Following the main characters through their time at camp, where they're taught how to kill people and not get caught, seemed to drag a bit. I couldn't figure out how their time at the camp could stretch for an entire book.

But then. Oh buddy, but then.

Okay, a bit of a rewind. Signal, the main character and narrator, was a very interesting person, I thought (weird and unexplained name, Signal Deere, notwithstanding). I loved the juxtaposition of her with the other campers. And speaking of the other campers, once I got past being confused about who was who (there were a lot of names and characters introduced all at once and it took me a bit to sort them out in my head), I loved them, too. They all brought something different to the table, and I appreciated that.

The thing I found most interesting about Teen Killers Club, I think, was the characterization of a group of <i>literal murderers</i>, and how they were shown to be human after all, despite their crimes. I know that my viewpoint on this is not going to be one that many others share, but I feel as though I have an interesting perspective on this topic. I work at a psychiatric nursing home for individuals with severe mental illness (schizophrenia, bipolar, schizoaffective, etc.) that precludes them from living independently. Many of our clients have extensive criminal histories. Some of them have killed before, while in the throes of their symptoms. I play cards on a regular basis with a convicted murderer. He drew me a valentine earlier this year. I helped him order a pizza yesterday for the first time in who knows how long. He is one of the sweetest and most mild-mannered people I've ever met.

I've been at my job for almost two years, and it's changed my perspective on criminals for sure. It's hard for me to explain, because it's certainly complicated as hell. I don't excuse their acts, I certainly don't. But in reading Teen Killers Club, I came to know the characters as people, rather than killers defined by their acts. I do wish we'd gotten more details about the background characters- Nobody, Jada, Kurt, Troy, and Dennis. We only really got to know Signal, Erik, and Javier, I felt. But by the end of the book, I came to know them as people, and I appreciated that.

Anyway! Plot-wise, I really appreciated how Teen Killers Club kept me riveted, particularly once the action really started to pick up when Dog Mask appeared. The last few chapters were a whirlwind and I could absolutely not tell where the hell it was going to go. I read the last couple chapters while on my lunch break yesterday, and was gasping aloud to the point that my coworker asked what I was reading, and I had no idea how to explain it to her! Once I did explain it to the best of my ability, though, she said she was interested in reading it now, and I really hope she does. I also really hope, if you're reading this review, that you read Teen Killers Club as well. I'll look forward to reading more by Lily Sparks in the future!

I volunteered to read this book, through netgalley in exchange, for an honest review. This book is well written and the characters are described well. The pacing of this story is good. I enjoyed Signal, Nobody and Javier's characters. You never would have thought it was that person that did it. This book will keep you on the edge of your seat trying to figure out who did it from the very first page. It just keeps your attention it is so well written.

“They’re two middle-aged weirdos in charge of the first-ever elite force of teenaged assassins. How did you think they were keeping us in line? Merit badges?”

This book was all sorts of trippy. I mean really, really, crazy. But also amazing. And I’m really scared of saying anything that will give out spoilers. So I’m saying this. This is a beautifully written story that should be read by anyone who likes reading about investigating a murder from the killer’s point of view. I Hunt Killers by Barry Lyga blew me away when I first read it. So it’s no surprise I loved this book! It’s full of gore and killings, duh. At times I was actually scared. Listen, I love Criminal Minds. It’s an addiction. While other people are watching reruns of The Office or Friends, I’m watching serial killers kill and the be caught. And I love it but for some reason I associate serial killers to grown ups. Reading about teens, Class A’s, young killers not only proud of what they did but happy to be able to kill again. It was hard to read at times. It was scary. And that’s what makes this book so good. The real fear that came from reading about them. Also, they are not innocent but you feel for them. They are unlikable characters but you’re rooting for them. That’s so hard to pull off. And it was. I was, still am, mad at all the adults in the position of power that took these broken kids and broke them even more so they could use them as assassins. Not a spoiler, but almost, so I’ll stop here.

There’s action, a group of deadly teenagers who are killers being trained to kill better, while simultaneous having a detective/investigation plot. Because Signal is innocent but who framed her? This book was so good.

Ok, this was incredibly fun to read. It was tense and high stakes but still had high teen drama. Like, I want a tv series of this, and I absolutely need a sequel because this ended with so many holes I need filled immediately. The premise is that a group of teen killers have been assembled to learn how to be assassins at an abandoned summer camps. Instead of arts and crafts, they learn to dispose of a body. There's the side issue of our main character, Signal, not believing she murdered her best friend (except for the pesky problem that she can't remember exactly what DID happen), and one of her fellow campers wants to help her figure it out. So good, definitely recommend.

When Signal (yeah, that's her name) is falsely accused of her best and only friend's murder, she is branded a Class A. In the world this book exists in, people are typed into groups depending on how they test for sociopathy and the potential to kill, with Class As being the most feared. Signal's designation makes her a candidate for a super secret, off the grid project that teaches teens to become perfect killers. It's the perfect opportunity for a young budding psychopath, but Signal is innocent. She just hopes no one notices. Until someone does and vows to help her clear her name.

The writing in this book is pretty good for a YA novel. Signal is a bit of a Mary Sue, but all the characters in the teen killer's club were fleshed out and interesting enough to keep me hooked. The love triangle follows a very tired formula, but it didn't stop me from enjoying the book. I liked the central mystery and how it was resolved. The ending is obviously set up to allow a continuation into a series. I don't know that I'll keep reading, but I'd recommend this book to YA fans.

Teen Killers Club is a cross between a young adult thriller and a coming of age story, set against a dystopian landscape. The whole premise is a refreshingly original and interesting one and it's a whole lot of fun! It follows seventeen year old Signal Deere, a reclusive, introverted trailer park Goth who is very much an outsider and has been framed for the brutal murder and decapitation of her best friend and classmate, Rose. Trouble is she has no recollection of the night in question. She becomes known as The Girl From Hell and designated a Class A criminal, a class reserved for those society dubs irredeemable, but instead of going through the court process and then on to a lifetime in prison if convicted, she is recruited into a secret group full of other Class A criminals, where they become trained assassins the government uses to kill off anyone causing them inconvenience. But Signal is innocent and there's no such thing as an appeal or retrial for the worst offenders. She doesn't fit in amongst the genuine murderers who enjoy being taught how to kill and dispose of bodies inconspicuously. Can she survive a camp full of psychopaths and fake her way through the program?

This was so much fun right from the off and the mix of humour, puppy love and Signal's thrilling time in the camp, living alongside psychopathic slayers, made this such a quick, easy and thoroughly entertaining read. There are twists and turns to the story and it all moves at a decent pace. I really enjoyed the distinctive personalities of the characters, and I imagine a lot of time and effort went into making them as intricately developed as they were. Of course, the plot has to be taken with a pinch of salt, but if you can suspend your disbelief you are treated to a compulsive and really quite addictive dystopian thriller, which is a perfect as an escape from the rather troubling reality we are in right now. An excellent, gripping and unique debut from an author to watch. Recommended to those who enjoy YA and coming of age thrillers and readers looking for something a little different to the norm. A book to lose yourself in and devour in a single sitting. Many thanks to Crooked Lane Books for an ARC.

🍁🔪 REVIEW🔪🍁

Publication Date: 11/10/2020
🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟 5/5 stars

Thank you to Netgalley and Crooked Lane Books for the ARC.

YA thrillers this year have been AMAZING and Teen Killers Club is no different. With a unique storyline and amazing characters, this book is now one of my go-to YA recs.

Teen Killers Club is about Signal Deere, a quiet teen outsider who is wrongfully convicted for killing her best friend. Signal does not remember the night her friend died, but all of the evidence points to her. She then tests as what is called “Class A”, which is basically the worst of the worst with murderers. Due to this, she has no chance of getting a retrial. She is given the opportunity to attend a secret camp for teen killers, where the government uses the teens as weapons against people they need to take out quietly. So now Signal, an innocent girl who has never killed anyone, is at a camp full of psychopaths and tasked with learning how to kill and dispose of bodies.

I LOVED the plot of this book. I also loved the dark, offbeat humor throughout. Lily Sparks does a great job of crafting multidimensional characters that you root for. Signal is an excellent main character who has to have the worst luck of all time. There is a love triangle that I was INVESTED in, featuring my favorite character of the book - Erik, a sociopath who you grow to love. It may seem weird to love a group of murderous teens, but I did.

Overall, Teen Killers Club is a dark, humorous YA thriller featuring amazing characters and on point dialogue. Fans of None Shall Sleep by Ellie Marney will love this book when it releases on 11/10/2020!

ARC was provided by the publisher via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

.

I feel like people who are obsessed with true crime would love this book, as it's set in a camp for teenage killers and one of the subplots consists of solving a case from afar.

The main character, Signal (yes, that's really her name), isn't really a killer - she got convicted for a crime she didn't commit and Sparks well portrays the unease the MC feels surrounded by the real killers.

The idea for the camp is very interesting and the plot contains many jaw-dropping plot twists.

However, there were some elements, that could've been cut out or changed, like some of the deaths and the love triangle (I mean, we're in 2020, come on now).

Other than that, if you like true crime and stories about killers and assassins (and love triangles), this book is perfect for you!

I absolutely loved this book! It was so fun and adventurous. The characters were very dynamic and the drama was great! I was on the edge of my seat waiting to find out what happens next and that was so enjoyable. I hope there is a sequel!!

This book was really fantastic to read! I loved this whole concept, of a group of teens being brought together because they have the choice of staying in prison for the rest of their lives-or work for a secret program to be an assassin. Yeah. But adding in the fact that Signal is innocent? It's kinda like she got thrown into a pack of wolves.

Even though this book is about teenagers learning to kill, well, they're still teens, and romance does bloom. But given that there's less than 10 kids, well, conflicts arose from the lack of choices, but also, they're there because they're killers. Violence it a must. So that was fun times and fun reading!

The first half of this book is the training. I loved her interactions with the other characters, the trainers were just so cheerful for training teenagers to kill. And the teens, well, it was interesting to watch them interact, and how they reacted to Signal.

The second half was part mission, part investigation into Signal's case, of what really happened that night. And there were a lot of reveals, and honestly, I would really love to have a 2nd book, because the way this book ended, well, I need a 2nd one! I need to see where it goes from here, with what we learned.

I really enjoyed reading this book, it was a really great read, and I really hope we get a 2nd book!

I really loved this book. I requested this book quite a while ago and had no memory of what this was about when I started it. Right from the beginning I was hooked. The opening scene was very compelling, gripping and really sucks the reader in with a line like “Prison is a lot like high school”. Like who can’t get hooked in with a first line like that?

We meet a lot of characters within this story and each of them are so unique and very different from one another, their kills and the way they kill are very very unique. This story is full of laughs and I had so much fun with these characters. Although there were a lot of laughs and funny moments in this story it does have quite a dark undertone because Signal is innocent and she is in a camp with Class A killers that are training them to be even better killers.

This was such a fun and quick read with a little bit of a love triangle which was interesting to follow. I did really love this book but it isnt one without some faults, some insta love with our main character which got on my nerves a little and I do feel this whole story could have been slowed down a bit and a bit more fleshed out but that did not take away any of my love for this story and can’t wait for the sequel!!

Thank you to netgalley and crooked lane books for the ARC of this book.

I was drawn to this book by the cover and the prospect of teen murderers.

The story revolves around Signal, a girl who is sent to prison for the murder of her best friend. The problem is Signal can’t remember a thing from that night!
She gets a deal to leave jail and join other teens at camp for Class A killers.

I couldn’t put this book down. I was invested right from the start. It was a very quick and easy read.

I found the plot to be so unique. It gave me like a suicide squad vibe and I was all for it. For the most part I liked all the characters. Signal had some moments where I just wanted to smack some sense into her, but was like able for the most part.

Overall I really enjoyed this book!
I’m hoping there’s a sequel in the works because that ending was not enough for me.