With Edgewater’s reputation, the unsolved murders of young runners years ago, Stella wants nothing more than to get out of this town. She and her sister Ellie are on the Cross Country team, and with their competitive nature, hard work, and perseverance, despite what happened to Stella in the past that might’ve tarnished her chances, the college scouts have eyes on them. Until the new girl shows up—Mila. She’s talented, able to keep pace with the sisters, and scouts have eyes on her, too. When Mila goes missing and is later found dead, the town speculates it could be the same serial killer from before. But, how could that be?

Told in both sisters’ points of view, I enjoyed how Goodman developed their similar yet different characters. Getting to see how each perceived running, the competition, the Cross Country team, and its members. I definitely had speculations as to who killed Mila (even thought that Mila was doing this herself because she was a deranged human being), but I didn’t find the story too predictable. It was a fast-paced YA thriller, and I recommend the series to fans of Pretty Little Liars.

When I read the synopsis for They'll Never Catch Us, I immediately added it to my summer TBR. Then my friends at Penguin Teen offered me an advanced copy---big, huge thank you to them!---and my excitement for this book only intensified. (Who wouldn't love reading the YA thriller of the summer a little earlier than planned?)

So, did it live up to my expectations? Yes...but also kind of no. I really enjoyed this book. The chapters were short, so it was one of those books where I'd read a large chunk in one sitting without even realizing it because of the chapter length. There's also enough drama besides the murder mystery to keep the reader invested in multiple storylines.

And if you're familiar with my reviews, you know I'm ALL about feminist intellectualism. They'll Never Catch Us has some badass female characters and a strong feminist message...without actually talking about feminism. Goodman sheds light on female sports and competition, female's governing their own bodies, and even the role sisters play in each other's lives---both the good and bad.

What I struggled with was the endless talk of cross country. I usually don't struggle reading books about sports I never participated in (okay, I've never really participated in any sports...yay for being totally unathletic!) because I find if there's a healthy balance of sports talk and, well, anything else, the book can hold my attention. But with They'll Never Catch Us, I found myself thinking, "Oh, look, the girls are running somewhere...again," quite often. If cross country is your thing, you'll probably relate to this book more than I could.

Perfect for fans of Pretty Little Liars. Overall, a great YA thriller.

"...Come on, they'll never catch us... I came here so we can talk about all this. So we can come up with a plan."

That was like an episode of Real Housewives: Teen Edition. Or definitely an episode of Jerry Springer. I am the worst sleuth of all the sleuths. SHOCKER! I did NOT see those events coming! GASP! Those Steckler sisters keep each others secrets. A decade ago, female cross country stars were brutally murdered. Whoever turned Edgewater into Deadwater finally came back. "What are the chances that some psycho killer would come back just for...." Jessica Goodman's sophomore novel is a page-turner! Readers will be hooked as information is revealed chapter and after chapter. They'll Never Catch Us is a must-stay-up-until-3:00-am-to-find-out kind of book!

READ IF YOU LIKE:
-cross country
-sister stories
-mystery & thriller
-secrets & twists & turns, oh my!
-your favorite dramatic reality TV show featuring teens
-small town with an even smaller police department
-Sherlock Homeboy is your BFF

Thank you Penguin Young Readers for an advanced copy!

Song: Silver Springs by Fleetwood Mac

I received an e-ARC of this novel from Penguin Teen and NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. Any and all thoughts and opinions are my own.

Stella and Ellie are the Steckler Sisters, known in their town of Edgewater for their skills in running, big enough to get enlisted by colleges. However, when a new girl Mila threatens to take that crown from these competing sisters, the town's past of being home to a serial killer comes back as Mila goes missing. How far will these sisters go to discover the truth, and how many secrets will be revealed?

This book infuriated me in the very worst ways. Stella was one of the worst main characters I have ever read. She hated everyone and everything, including her own sister. She's extremely selfish and only worries about herself when it comes to being the best there is in running. She treated Ellie like crap half the time. I'm an only child, and Stella is the reason why I am so glad I don't have a sibling. Ellie was okay. She did some pretty bad stuff as well, but not as bad as Stella. I felt like every character except Mila was bad. Mila was probably the one character I liked out of everyone in the cast. All of the supporting cast, aka the cross country team, were all douchebags. It also didn't help that this book vamped up every high school stereotype/drama scene to 11.

Which leads me to my next point: the pacing was awful. Keep in mind here, this book is less than 300 pages. Mila doesn't go missing until around 40% in, and then it's really 70% when the real serious stuff starts happening. The build up was absolutely atrocious. Instead of giving us quality time to get to know the characters and Mila and the world, we're thrown into flashback after flashbacks that were for the most part useless. I could only name one or two off the top of my head. They just re-emphasized stuff we already knew, and it bored me. As a result, the end of the novel was poorly rushed.

This story is advertised as a mystery. It barely felt like it. There were almost no clues and they were scattered so far apart that I pretty much forgot any connections I might have made beforehand. Pretty much all of the "investigation" is done in the last 20% and the true culprit was just thrust in your face like "Hey yeah this was here the whole time, cool." No, there was absolutely no build-up! And the connection for why the culprit did what they did was just so bland and generic and overused that I was this close to throwing my Kindle out of the room. I could have come up with a better result for the true culprit and it would have made more sense than what Jessica Goodman did. And do NOT get me started on the ending.

There were also some issues when it came to development. Stella and Ellie's mom is a recovering alcoholic, but the mom is barely even present that at the end when the mom just apologizes and it's an emotional family moment, I felt nothing behind it. Same with Mila's dad, who apparently is a recovering drug addict himself. He said he recovered that quickly, but it's not ever that simple. I thought his discussion on addiction was better than the mom, however.

They'll Never Catch Us falls under the "great idea, horrible execution" and irritated me in more ways than one. This "mystery" is more of a teen drama straight out of the CW that I won't be picking up any time soon.

I used to run in high school for fun, but I was never a long distance runner nor could I ever be. It was interesting to have a murder mystery surrounding a cross country track team, specifically the girls on the team. Our story follows two sisters, Stella and Ellie, both runners who have very different personalities. Stella is more aloof and shy - she's not someone who goes out of her way to make friends or share her emotions. She's very focused on her goals, one of them being the best at track. Meanwhile, Ellie is also a motivated person, but she's more personable. She can be a team player and can ease her way into a group better than Stella. Stella wants to win back the scholarship she lost. Ellie wants to finally beat her sister and be the one to take home the prize, a full ride to college. 

The two of them are pretty opposite, but they have something in common - their secrets and that Mila transfering to their school is going to ruin everything. My favorite thing about Goodman's books is that she writes her characters so well. Even characters that we only interact with once or twice are completely fleshed out and add to the story, rather than just appear in it. Her characters are great at making you feel a certain way and I had a lot of feelings while reading this book. 

For one, I feel so bad for Stella. Seen as a cold "monster", she is forced to go to anger management after attacking a girl at a race and breaking her collar bone. Misunderstood and unable to communicate how she feels, or what happened, Stella just lives with the assumptions about her. Even her own sister Ellie makes comments about her anger and can be mean to Stella. Not to say she's perfect, because Stella is a jerk to Ellie a lot too. Their relationship as sisters is very realistic and as an older sister, I can completely relate. You would kill or die for them, but god forbid they take the last protein bar and it's all out war. Sisters can be so mean, not just with words, but with physical fighting too, especially as teenagers. 

And poor Ellie has a secret of her own too - an illicit relationship with a guy already dating someone. I wanted to yell at Ellie for allowing this guy to be in her life. It was so clear he was manipulating her to keep her as a side piece and every time this guy spoke, I wanted to punch him. Plus, it was clear he was also manipulating his current girlfriend too just to get a recommendation to his top priority school. An overall charmer here!

For the actual plot, I liked it. I thought the set up was really good and the reveal at the end was something! I didn't even see it coming. But there were some parts that I wasn't a fan of. For one, certain plot points or themes in this book became increasingly repetitive. Like mentioning how close Stella and Ellie were during the "Dark Days" when their mom was in the thick of her addiction. Or how they could always communicate with each other through glances. It was repeated so much throughout I started skimming over it, not because I had any problem with the background, but because it was mentioned every other chapter. Reminders are great, but constant reminders are really annoying. 

Overall, I really loved this book. Goodman has a way of getting you sucked into the story and the mystery, stringing you along, waiting for the big reveal. I also loved the fact that we had discussions of different struggles that teenagers face, especially teenage girls. We have Stella, who's possibly neurodivergent (it's never specified) and a lesbian. We have Ellie, who goes through a situation of her own and deals with a toxic relationship. And we have several characters who are the children of addicts, among other things that happen. There's a lot of real life situations in this book and it was something I really appreciated!

Everyone wants out of Edgewater, nicknamed Deadwater after the murders of three female track stars a decade earlier. For the girls of the cross-country team, running could be their big ticket out.

This book is told in dual points of view, alternating between Ellie and Stella Steckler, slowly unveiling their secrets. Older sister Stella used to be the golden girl, assured a spot at Georgetown, until an incident last year got her sent to a mental health camp. Her younger sister, Ellie Steckler, is hot on her heels, trying to win a scholarship of her own. But when new girl Mila shows up and wins the first race, suddenly everyone's position is threatened. Stella finds herself both attracted to and repelled by Mila. Then Mila disappears, and Stella Steckler has a target on her back.

I loved all the descriptions of the adrenaline and purpose that the girls get from running. At one point, Stella says, "She runs like I do. Like she's on fire. Maybe we could work together." The book also delves into the issues of how the world won't let girls just be and pursue their interests, they have to control it or sexualize it. Stella hates the unfairness of the curfew that only curtails the girls' running and hurts their chances at state after Mila disappears. I loved this look at the competitive world of high school track.

The one thing I wish the author had written more about was the original cases that got the town named Deadwater.

Despite her short time in the book, Mila wins your heart. She's almost larger than life, coming in as the new girl who everyone's talking about. She's genuinely nice, driven and seems like someone you'd want to be friends with, which of course makes it worse when she goes missing.

The best part of this book is the bond between Ellie and Stella. Despite all the secrets that they keep from each other and the way they drive each other crazy, when the chips are down, they have each other's backs.

Thank you to NetGalley and Penguin Teen for the ARC.

So… I did want to like this book.

It was just okay in my opinion.

I didn’t really like Jessica Goodman’s other book, They Wish They Were Us but I thought that since this story had a sisters dynamic and this common prose of cross country “murderers” in this small town that has a history of being Murderville, I thought I would like this!!!

It was just okay LOL.

However, I really did like this book much better than They Wish They Were Us !

This book really put into perspective how women really aren’t taken seriously when they’re speaking about something and I’m glad that Jessica Goodman pointed that out in a realistic fashion in this book. “We all know teenage girls are capable of lying” that quote physically made me mad and my heart literally stopped for a second because of how true that is? Not in the sense that we do teenage girls are capable of lying, but the fact that teenage girls, women in general, are always perceived in this way that they’re never right or telling the truth and once they try speaking up for themselves, they get shut down.

Stella Steckler is competitive. It’s in her nature to strive to be the best because she knows that she is the best. She doesn’t want anything to get in the way of her full potential. Last year had been rough enough on her, with the whole scandal she had going on that cost her scholarship opportunities in Georgetown, She just wanted to focus on herself and get herself in Georgetown with her talent in cross-country. However, once new girl Mila comes into town, Stella doesn’t only worry about beating her sister in a race, but she also has to keep an eye out for a new ace. Someone who will surely take her spot.

Ellie Steckler, just like her sister wants to get out of Edgewater (or Deadwater, if you will) just as badly. She wants to beat her sister in at least one race. But with Mila in town too, she had to add another girl to the list of people she needed to outrace. But when Mila goes missing, all eyes look at the Steckler sisters.

I was genuinely surprised with the sister dynamic of this book, you can clearly tell who the two different Stecklers are, and even though all eyes are pointing at the Steckler Sister’s for Mila’s disappearance, no matter if they both don’t know each other’s secrets, all in all, they still have each other’s back no matter what.

I read this all in one sitting because I felt like I was watching beef happen right before my eyes LOL. If you’re interested in a family dynamic book, small-town murder mysteries and competitive teenage girls willing to do anything to save their ass, They’ll Never Catch Us is definitely for you.

Thank you for coming to my review! I hope you’re all staying safe

** Thank you to Penguin Teen and Netgalley for the advanced copy for my honest review **

Stella and Ellie are sisters that compete, like most sisters do. Both are on track and they both need to win, in order for a scholarship to help with family finances. Stella has some behavioral problems, so Ellie feels the pressure to prove herself better to achieve it. When a new athlete comes to school and joins the team, it changes all the dynamics the sisters have set forth for themselves. And when that new student ends up murdered.. all eyes are on the sisters!

I really loved the complexity of the story and the dynamic between these two different sisters, who in ways are just really the same. It gives a deep meaning to bond and relationships. Teamwork and friendship are a huge factor in this story and I also love how it alternates between each sister in the chapters. The chapters are also short so the story flies by faster. I think the only downfall is the mystery build is a bit slow and the repetitiveness of track.. like we get it, that’s the sport they play.

All in all, I love Jessica Goodman’s writing style. She has a way of making the characters come off the page and touches real life problems. If you’re looking for a slower build, who done it, than you’ve definitely found your next read!!

I enjoyed this book, and it was a fast read. I did feel like the murderer came out of nowhere, without any hint that it was her who had done it. I liked the twist in what had actually happened though. I loved the relationship between the two sisters.

I really enjoyed the author's first book, They Wish They Were Us, and had high hopes of finding that same excitement with this new book. But sadly this book fell really short with me. The beginning started off a bit slow. There’s a lot of characters to focus on, each with their one story and background that needed to be explained. It took a while for me to fully get into the story and for the story to unfold. For a thriller/mystery I wished it was faster pace and more captivating from the beginning. There was more “high school drama” than I wanted which I think took away some of the thrill of the overall story.

The suspense did keep me on my toes and uncertainty of what was next to come did keep my interest. Everyone to me was a suspect and though I had my guesses, the end was a surprise, but at the same time underwhelming. I felt the author did a great job building up to the end, but I was expecting more of a shock than what was delivered. In the end, I didn’t have the same eagerness and drive to continue the story as I did with her first book. Thank you to NetGalley and Penguin Teen for this ARC.

This is a great thriller that also focuses on some relevant issues. Edgewater is a small town with a sordid history. Known best for a series of unsolved murders that occurred ten years in the past - all young women and all murdered while out running alone. Enter the Steckler sisters, Ellie and Stella. Stella, the oldest is completely focused on her running career, competitive and driven while Ellie, also competitive, makes time for friends and fun. When Mila, an incredibly talented runner transfers to their school, the Steckler sisters are at turns fascinated and threatened by her. When Mila disappears while on a run, rumors fly about the murderer coming back but there are some that think the Steckler sisters are behind her disappearance.

I really enjoyed this compelling coming of age thriller which is firmly rooted in with a contemporary self-discovery theme. The characters were consistent with that of small-town life and had a realistic draw to them – each had their own problems and distractions. The plot was quickly paced and thought-provoking and I really liked the turn it took towards female empowerment. I never like to see girls/women at each other’s throats but it is, unfortunately, a realistic problem so I always cheer when strong females come together as a united front.

This is my second book by Jessica Goodman and like the first, it ended up being a deeper and much heavier read than I was expecting. This is always a lovely and most welcome surprise!

My thanks to Penguin Teen for the DRC!

After being a HUGE fan of Jess' debut, They Wish They Were Us, this book was at the top of my must reads for summer, I just could not wait to read more from her!

For me, her writing style cuts right to the heart of the story, providing us with raw emotion, a great plot and an immersive cast of characters that make us feel like we're a part of it all. The constant twists were like being on the best kind of thrilling roller coaster, I just loved it.

This titles manages to have that small town, it could happen to you feeling that I've come to love in my thrillers, and for me this one was just fantastic. While at times the topics were a bit more "new adult" I personally really enjoyed how the tough topics were presented, and the choices the characters made and reasons behind them - to me it made it more realistic.

Whether you're a runner or not, the dedication and how being a part of a team was portrayed through this dual POV made me WANT to get out and run, to feel the strength and hope these girls did, even as they were dealing with a killer on the loose.

"But we stay silent, knowing at least the next time we run, it will be for us."

UGH, those words bring chills, and it will be a line I remember forever. As a female, as a mom, as someone who just LOVES hard, I could not have adored this book and how it dove deep into all the feelings, from the two sisters, to the relationships swirling around them.

Goodman manages to introduce so many characters, each that added to the suspense and mystery, but each had their own flaws and secrets that added onto the main plotline but kept you guessing as to WHO the killer could be. Pick this one up if you love surprises, and a book that makes you wonder about what you would do in the situations presented.

I read this one with my ARC based virtual book club, @loveARCtually and we had a fantastic discussion - even some of the "loose ends" had us wanting more, and dying to get MORE of the world Jess created with this incredible book. We're chatting with Jess for our end of book chat & I cannot wait to hear the answers to some of our questions, and what she's writing NEXT!

Thank you to Penguin Teen & NetGalley for my advance reader copy, I just love being a #PenguinTeenPartner

This book definitely surprised me in a bunch of different ways. THEY'LL NEVER CATCH US follows sisters Stella and Ellie Steckler, who are both star cross country runners. When Mila Keene, another fast runner, joins the cross country team, the Steckler sisters initially see her as competition, but then begin to bond with Mila in their own ways. Suddenly, Mila goes out on a training run and never returns. No one knows what happened, but all eyes are on the Steckler sisters.

I really enjoyed this book! It kept me hooked, especially during the last half, and the chapters were pretty short. I actually predicted part of the mystery/the murderer, but the other part I didn't see coming at all.

Two of the standout themes of this book were family/sister bonds and feminism. Stella and Ellie would do anything and everything to protect each other, and I love how they grew closer during the book. The book also tackles the topic of feminism through the way that Edgewater's girls' cross country team is perceived. They're almost like objects for people to admire and show off; the book also discusses how society tends to look down upon women who are "too much", who try to push the boundaries/lead or who aren't meek and submissive.

The book mentions that Stella is queer (and she has a budding romance with one of the side characters), so I enjoyed the mentions of queerness included in the book. The book also touches on racism, especially when it comes to the criminal justice system and how race affects how seriously criminal cases are taken. Overall, the book had a pretty diverse cast (rep: sapphic mc, sapphic Korean sc, half Puerto-Rican sc, Black sc).

Just a warning that this book talks about running and cross country... a lot. Running is these girls' lives, so it's brought up all the time. I personally have never run cross country, so I can't really say how accurate the depiction of the sport was.

In terms of critiques, I only have a few. I came into the book expecting a mystery and a fast-paced thriller, and I was let down a bit. The actual disappearance only happened 50% of the way through the book (the first half of the book really only focused on cross country and Mila being the new girl and new competition). In most mysteries, the main character is trying to solve the mystery/find the killer, but this book felt a bit different. Stella, despite being a main suspect, did a bit of investigating, with Ellie joining her at the end; however, for the most part, it felt like things were just constantly happening TO the sisters, and the book was focusing on their reactions to that. What I'm saying is that this book isn't exactly a detective story. In addition, I feel like there was a certain degree of emotional distance between me and the characters. The Steckler sisters definitely grew on me, though, and they definitely built their relationship as the book went on.

I would definitely recommend THEY'LL NEVER CATCH US! Thank you to NetGalley and Penguin/Razorbill for the e-ARC in exchange for an honest review!

CW: alcoholism, abortion, cheating, murder, mentions of disordered eating

4.5 stars! Powerful thriller that centers around the lives of female athletes in a small town where being a female cross country runner could end in death. Several cold cases made the town, and the girls’ chosen sport, infamous. I loved the focus put on the way girls are treated differently because of their gender. This book definitely opens up a conversation about how easily the actions of a girl can be twisted into something they’re not, and how often female voices are ignored or pushed aside. This was suspenseful and beautifully written, with great LGBTQ+ and minority representation. Really enjoyed the author’s take on the intricacies of being a teenage girl, all the pressures that come with it, and how the bonds of sisterhood are tested to a breaking point. This book was a wild ride that kept me guessing until the very end!

*I received an ARC prior to release in exchange for my honest review.

I enjoyed Goodman's first mystery/thriller but it wasn't quite as twisty as I expected - very contemporary mixed with a bit of mystery. The concept of this one definitely intrigued me so I was ready to give it a shot! It ended up being the same style, which I actually appreciated here (especially after finishing the THE WOODS ARE ALWAYS WATCHING - that was very gory horror and I needed a light mystery/thriller next!).

The Steckler sisters are known for being intense and even scary. Stella, the older sister, is a super talented runner who is known for this mysterious "incident" with another runner where she apparently lost her cool. Ellie is in her sister's shadow - she runs but not quite as fast as her sister. The two of them have plenty of secrets (like how Ellie spent her summer with Noah, a guy on their cross country team) - so when the new girl in town, who happens to be faster than both of them, goes missing, they're prime suspects. It doesn't help that their picturesque NY town was nicknamed Deadwood due to multiple cross country girls getting murdered in the woods years back. Did the Stecklers have something to do with Mila's disappearance, or is the murderer back in town?

I'm not a runner and cannot at all relate to that lifestyle. I'm the least competitive person I know. The Steckler sisters were on a whole new level of fierce and I totally appreciated that about them - it was pretty fascinating to read about. 

The book did a really great job of making me care about Mila, even though she was a new girl that went missing pretty quickly. She had a ton of personality right off the bat; I was sincerely rooting for her to be found alive. I loved seeing how the team rallied around each other (and at times, not so much) to try to get to the bottom of what happened. New friendships were born and quite a few seemed to end as well. 

I thought I had it figured out and Goodman managed to veer off course in a direction I didn't expect - I really appreciated that! I think I like this book a touch more than her debut but I can tell you this: I'm even more intrigued to read what she comes out with next!

You may have heard of author Jessica Goodman, thanks to her debut novel They Wish They Were Us, which is now getting adapted as a Netflix series titled The Player's Table. But it's her second release, the very different They'll Never Catch Us that fully establishes Goodman as a force to be reckoned with in the world of contemporary YA thrillers.

Another twisty and suspenseful murder mystery that's about a lot more than just the crime in question, the novel is also a story about the force bond between sisters, the weight of history on a small town with few options for those that live there, and the way that a thread of misogyny often runs through female athletics, as girls are repeatedly pitted against one another even as they're shamed for being too aggressive or too competitive..

They'll Never Catch Us follows the story of Stella and Ellie Steckler, two sisters who are also talented cross-country runners. Both girls hope to use their athletic prowess to secure a way out of their small nowhere town of Edgewater, a place that's memorable largely for the trio of girls - also cross-country runners - who were killed there.

The arrival of new star runner Mila Keene shakes up the girls' team, during a season when Stella is already struggling to impress the college recruiters after a summer at a camp for troubled girls and Ellie is dealing with her own summer drama - an affair with one of her teammates' boyfriends. But when Mila goes missing and everyone's suddenly a suspect, the Steckler sisters will have to come together and support each other in a way they haven't since they were much younger.

Yes, They'll Never Catch Us is a whodunnit on multiple levels - who's responsible for Mila's disappearance, does it have anything to do with the cold cases of those dead cross country girls who never got anything like justice. But it's also a story of sisterhood and survival, the horrors of high school, the cruelty that young women are taught to show to one another.

After reading and LOVING Jessica Goodman’s first novel THEY WISH THEY WERE US I was so excited when I heard about her newest title! I was so excited to dive in!

It’s always an amazing experience to read a title that empowers young woman, the main characters in this title including sisters Stella and Ellie (Yay Ellie!!) who among other great characters get wrapped up in a ‘situation’. This YA mystery send the readers on a spin of a ‘whodunnit’ rollercoaster. AND I’M HERE FOR EVERY MOMENT OF IT.

It’s important to mention that the book touched on some very important social issues, and the writing style was sensitive to these triggers. This novel was a page turner, and I really enjoyed it, not realizing how fast I was flying through it. Easy to get hooked on, fast paced, and definitely deserves a spot on your TBR.

Highly Recommend!

4.5/5 stars, a really interesting thriller while also touching on some important topics

"The world breaks little girls. It stomps out our will, our joy, our curiosity - and replaces them with disdain, cynicism, and the need to fit into tiny boxes." (221)

I went into this thriller honestly expecting just a basic young adult mystery, one that had the same elements to it so many of my least favorites did. But this was actually such an interesting and amazingly well-done thriller. Honestly, the thriller didn't feel like the main plot at times and I was totally okay with that. Filling in the gaps of that was a story that features feminism, realistic characters, and teenage angst that wasn't too over the top. There are lots of trigger warnings in this book (featured at the end of my review) but I don't think anything is handled in a bad way.

I've never participated in cross country, and I honestly hate running, but I have participated in sports before and so I wanted to relate to the main characters, it felt easy to. The two main sisters, Stella and Ellie are the stars of their small-town's cross country team. But the summer before the book takes place, they are both battling things that they're worried will make them distracted. They are still determined to be the best until new student Mina arrives, who's the best in the state at the very least. Both sisters are drawn to her, through competition and the possibility of friendship, but one day Mina goes on a run and never comes back. Suspicions are immediately held against the Steckler sisters, but things are even more complicated than anyone realized.

The setting of the small town is something that I really connected with, as I have lived in a small town my entire life. It's certainly a tight nit community but it's also nowhere close to perfect and I think this book represented that quite nicely. Small towns always seem really creepy for thriller novels and this story was no exception, we were a little set aside from the community with one of the characters but it made total sense. I can't speak on how accurate the cross country team was, I know the team at my high school doesn't go around partying, but I think it was a bit fictionalized. It made the book more exciting so I am okay with a bit more dramatization!

The plot of this book is very not black and white, while some parts were very predictable I think ultimately the last twist I didn't see coming at all. The parts that were predictable, I felt were supposed to be that way, considering the impact they had on the story and the message. I wasn't bothered by being able to guess some things, because the plot moved really fast and I felt like I was constantly running with the team to the next chapter. I was super invested based on the elements that the author added.

Some of the characters in this book, are NOT likable at all and are intended to be that way. If you cant enjoy characters for being not likable, but being super interesting and complicated, this might not be the book for you. I preferred one Steckler sister over the other, but at times it switched and at the end I really honestly loved both of them.

Stella Steckler was the older sister in the story and struggles with her mental health/aggressiveness. This is shown in the very first chapter of the book, so it's not really a spoiler. We learn there is something that happened to her, last summer that caused her to fall into this a bit, but you have to read the story to find out what it is. She was not a likable character for some (mysterious) reasons and that was perfectly fine with me, even when she wasn't I found her to still be interesting. I think readers will be drawn to her because of how real she felt at times, and how she grows.

Ellie Steckler was my favorite character from this book, she also felt very realistic and sweet. I think her story was a bit more compelling than Stella's, and so it was easier to empathize with her. She's young and wants someone to appreciate her, as we all did and still do at that age. She's experiencing a toxic relationship at the start of the story, which leads to some of the feminist themes in the story. Her dynamic with the story is great, she always feels like she's important even if it wasn't her pov chapter. Even at the end, I just really felt for her and I think the psychology behind her story is very interesting.

Mila was around for quite a while before the thriller aspect picked up and she went missing, and I have to say she was a really good character. I can't say too much surrounding her without spoiling some of the story, but I can say she was inspiring. She was also a very genuine person and brought something to the story that was really needed.

The side characters in this book were very vivid and real, I know I have been saying that about all of them but it's just the truth. Some of them felt like just stereotypes or archetypes on the surface, but as the story went on they seemed to grow more. I think acknowledging that a person doesn't just fit into one archetype was a good point of the story. I still dislike some of them, as intended, but I think there were also some important ideas surrounding some of the side characters.

Overall this is such a fun ya book, even when it wasn't heavy on the thriller side the entire time. There were a lot of other themes that I saw that I thought were important and especially how they were talked about. This was a super fast-paced book and this makes me want to pick up more ya thrillers, which I didn't think I would say for a long time!

“But we stay silent, knowing at least the next time we run, it will be for us”

They’ll Never Catch Us is the second novel I’ve read by Jessica Goodman.

This book follows sisters Stella and Ellie who are two of the top runners in their schools cross country varsity team. I enjoyed seeing a different sister relationship, their rivalry was so interesting to read about. We also get to learn more about cross country running, I’m not sure how correct it is as I’m not a runner.

While her first novel wasn’t my favorite I found this one so good! I could not put it down! I would say this is more of a slow burn thriller, if you prefer fast paced mysteries this will not be for you.
About 30% into the story I thought I had the mystery solved until we got a shocking twist! I’m honestly so surprised because I’m usually so good at figuring out the mystery.

I also really liked the characters in this book. In her first novel I couldn’t stand the characters and that made it hard for me to enjoy it. The teens in this book felt more real to me.

My favorite part of this book is the girl power. I felt angry with them at certain moments because sometimes being a woman is so hard. Not being able to run alone in most places makes me angry so I definitely could feel the anger myself.

I highly recommend this book if you enjoy YA thrillers.

Thank you @penguinteen for eARC and PRH audio for the audiobook.

In this YA thriller, They'll Never Catch Us follows sisters Stella and Ellie who live and breathe cross country. Living in a small town plagued by cold cases of murdered XC stars, the sisters have a troubled past that they are both trying to outrun. When Mila Keene, a well known Connecticut star runner, moves into town, it threatens Stella and Ellie's spots at the top. But soon, an event will rock the town and the XC team to its core, leading all eyes to be focused on Stella.

I was immediately pulled into the storyline of this book. It is a quick read and I enjoyed the alternating POVs of Stella and Ellie throughout the book. The dual POV slowly reveals the sisters' past with salacious secrets sprinkled in and the thriller part felt like a slow burn, but had great pacing that kept me interested and engaged. I also loved getting a different POV at the very end that really shook the book up.

I loved that Goodman made Stella and Ellie's characters both likable and annoying all at the same time. While I appreciated their determination and intensity in the name of running, I also wanted to shake them a few times to get them to take it down just a notch. This book definitely shows the cutthroat nature of competitive sports, especially when vying for college scholarships. It also touched on tough family dynamics, including a parent with substance problems and the complicated relationship between siblings.

Overall, this is a great YA thriller. I know my students would love to read it, but the storyline with an abortion is keeping me from recommending it to my middle school students. I can see why this topic was included in the plot, but it does move the target age range to more of a high school level.

⚠️ CW: abortion, parental substance abuse

Thank you to NetGalley and Penguin Random House for the advanced copy.