Karen McManus has done it again! She knows how to share teenage characters who have depth and complex personalities. It makes the audience want to read one chapter more every time. I can understand how her novels are being turned into tv series. The writing lends itself to the screen. Another success for Karen McManus!

Karen McManus has given us another fast-paced thriller in You'll Be The Death of Me. While this story has many similarities to her previous books, it's a pattern that works. In this book, the three main characters, teens who drifted apart when they entered high school four years ago, have unique backgrounds and value systems which impact the decisions they each make. As they take turns narrating the events of "the worst day ever" from their individual perspectives, we learn the secrets, or a least a few of the important ones, which define them and their relationships. Along the way, they create and re-create bonds as they learn more about themselves individually and as friends. Some excellent life lessons arise in this story, and there is something in this story for every reader to connect to and grow from. I'm going to go ahead and declare myself a lifelong fan of McManus and will be recommending her books to the teens in my life.

Thank you to Random House Children's, Delacorte Press, Netgalley, and the author for early access to a digital copy of this book.

Time for a YA fiction read! Karen M. McManus is one of my favourite teen fiction writers. Her newest is You'll Be The Death of Me.
Cal, Mateo and Ivy were the best of friends in Grade eight. They've since drifted apart and are now seniors. A chance meeting outside the school entrance has them all deciding to pull a Ferris Bueller day. They've each got their own reason for wanting to ditch school. It's a great idea - until it's not. They stumble across a crime scene....

McManus has created three very different protagonists. They're all likable and each brings a different dynamic. McManus always captures and portrays her teen characters in a believable manner. You'll Be the Death of Me is told in rotating chapters from each of the three. As readers, we're privy to their thoughts, angst - and secrets. McManus devotes time to the romantic entanglements as well as family issues of the the three, but this only adds to the overall feel of the book.

That crime scene? Each of them has a connection to what has occurred.....

McManus gives us lots of choices for the whodunit. The final aha won't be overly hard to suss out, but it's the journey there that's the most fun. And I did have fun reading this one. Ferris Bueller with a side of Scooby Doo. McManus has a formula that works - and she had me happily ensconced on the couch for on rainy Saturday afternoon.

Ferris Bueller’s Day Off but make it murder.

Over the past few years, Karen M. McManus has cemented her reputation as the go-to author of young adult mysteries. Her streak of hits continues with her latest novel You’ll Be the Death of Me. Three former friends try to capture the magic of an epic skip day, but stumble into a murder instead. They spend the rest of their ditch day trying to solve the murder and figuring out why their tight knit-bond ended before they made it to high school.

There’s plenty of twists, secrets, and even a bit of romance to satisfy any reader. The three main characters are personalities that teen readers will easily recognize and relate to. Ivy is a stressed out overachiever who was just knocked down a peg when she lost the student council election to the kid who treated the election as a joke and who happens to be the murder victim. Mateo is the brooding hunk. His family’s business went under and he works two jobs to help out. Cal is a shy, artistic loner who always seems to fall for the wrong person. Can they overcome the past mistakes of their friendship to work together to find the murderer or will they become the next victims?

One morning, three High School students that used to be friends, unexpectedly run into each other. They are all struggling with personal issues and they end up skipping school together.

That is how a very bad day starts…

They decide to go into the city and while there, they see another kid from their school go into a building….

They become curious and follow him…when they get inside, he is dead 👀
_________________________________

Ok, I LOVE Karen McManus and I have read all of her books. I must admit that her last book, The Cousins, wasn’t my favorite. It seemed so different from her usual writing.
Well, I’m happy to report, this one is back on par with her other books- like the McManus I’m used to!
I really enjoyed it, especially the dialogue. The banter and sarcasm between the characters made me laugh out loud several times. Definitely recommend it!

A thriller young adult novel that pits family against secrets and a murderer. Did not finish, was not a fan.

The latest offering from Karen McManus has it all—crazy twists, clandestine affairs, and lots and lots of teen angst. Pitched as Ferris Beuhler’s Day Off with murder, You’ll Be the Death of Me doesn’t quite live up to that high bar, but still tells a compelling story along the way.

A motley crew
The stars of this story are three old friends who haven’t spoken since middle school. Ivy is uptight and type A, always desperate to outshine her prodigy younger brother. Recently, she lost the student council election. The shame is causing her to consider something she would ordinarily never do–skip school.

Mateo is struggling to keep his head above water as he works two jobs to support his recently disabled mother. And Cal has just been stood up by his new crush, a girl who understands him like nobody else ever has.

When the three meet in the school parking lot, they decide to relive their middle school glory days and ditch. Ivy is immediately anxious, but the other guys aren’t worried… until they find their classmate dead at Cal’s girlfriend’s art studio.

They quickly leave, but reporters have already spotted them at the scene of the crime. All three insist they are innocent, but as their dirty secrets start to come out, it gets harder and harder to trust each other.

Not enough Ferris vibes for me
Comp titles are often a double-edged sword. They usually get me pumped for a book, and sometimes the book totally delivers. Splinters of Scarlet, for example, was a perfect combination of Frozen and Downton Abbey. More often, though, when it’s compared to something I love, I am disappointed. This was no exception. This book has always been advertised as Ferris Buehler’s Day Off with murder, and I couldn’t wait! However, while the plots are slightly similar, this book has none of the humor. That’s fine—it was just a let-down from what I was expecting.

Ivy was an interesting character. I felt her pain of inadequacy and need to perform on a deep level, probably because I struggle with the same feelings. Mateo and Cal, however, didn’t connect with me. Maybe it’s because I couldn’t relate, but they just didn’t have the same spark as most of McManus’s characters.

A tight, tight pace
Despite not loving the characters, the story kept me up late turning pages. I teach middle school and am always exhausted, so usually nothing will convince me to stay out of bed past 10:30. But I couldn’t help it! The end of every chapter made me gasp. Unlike her other books, McManus packs this entire story into one day (sans epilogue). Because of this, the action never stops. It is twist after twist after twist.

And the villain. For me, stories are all about villains, especially thrillers. Even the villain is a twist in this story, and I absolutely loved it. Finally, it ended with a cliffhanger that felt very You. It’s new territory for McManus, but I can’t help hoping for a sequel?

Fans of this author will not be disappointed by You’ll Be the Death of Me. While I honestly wanted more fun from this reading experience, I got a lot of thrill, and I thoroughly enjoyed it!

You’ll Be the Death of Me was published on November 30th.

It kills me to not enjoy a Karen McManus book, but I did not like this book. At all. The characters were flat and boring, and the plot was overly convoluted but still managed to be kind of boring. I was tempted to DNF but wanted to see it through to the end, just in case something amazing happened. It did not.

McManus is still an auto-read author for me, but this book was not my jam.

Thank you to NetGalley, Delacorte Press, and the author for the opportunity to read an ARC of this title. An honest review was requested but not required.

Frankly I've enjoyed every Karen McManus book I've read so far. I usually reach for her books when a teen (or sometimes even an adult) is looking for a juicy mystery. They're not quite a psychologically dark as adult mystery/thrillers can get, which can be a nice respite from the intensity of some of the adult stuff. And the teenage protagonists give it a more John-Hughes-y feeling rather than just featuring messed up adults. You know? Like there's still hope for these kids, and even if they've done something dumb, or wrong, they can still turn things around.

Well: these kids have done some VERY DUMB THINGS between the three of them. Cal, Ivy and Mateo have all done some things they know are wrong. The three of them basically ride the Exploding Secrets Merry-Go-Round for most of the book. The beginning is a little boring, but I'd say by about 40% in I was completely along for the ride. I was the most sympathetic towards Mateo, who at least did his "wrong thing" for what he thought were good reasons. All three kids did make amends for their dumb choices eventually. I really appreciated that the police made it VERY CLEAR to them that everything that happened to them could pretty much have been avoided if they had just reported to authorities instead of bumbling around like the Scooby gang. No kidding!

I really don't want to spoil anything so I won't get specific about the plot, but I'll say this: if you can make it past the dragging beginning, you are in for a terrific ride! Another sure-fire hit from Ms. McManus.

Karen M. McManus is one of the most popular authors at my library. Her books have a major following. You'll Be the Death of Me is the same kind of solid mystery readers of McManus expect. The story follows three friends, Ivy, Cal, and Mateo, as they try to solve the murder of their classmate. The book follows the expected route as the teens search for the murderer while dealing with their own drama. The book is fine, but it is a quieter story that was a fast read but wasn't dynamic.

Happy Pub day to You'll be the Death of Me! I'm going to try and get through this review without giving away any spoilers so wish me luck!

Ivy, Cal and Mateo used to be the best of friends. Thicker than thieves, but somewhere along the line, they grew apart like friends often do.
Ivy, feels like she is constantly living in her brother Daniel's shadow. In fact, there was an incident that Ivy has never been able to forgive her brother for. The book begins with Ivy nursing her ego to losing class president to the joker Brian "Boney" Mahoney and her gathering the strength to be the bigger person and see him give his acceptance speech the next day.

Cal, he's the artist and has done comics based off his friendships with Mateo and Ivy. He sees Ivy at school and to cut to the chase, they run into Mateo and decide to try and recreate their "Best Day Ever" and skip school for the day. But things take a turn for the worst when they discover Brian Mahoney dead and that someone has fingered Ivy as a person of interest for his death. From there starts a day full of mysteries and turns as they dive deeper into the drug world that goes on in their town and it also seems that one of them or all of them may be in serious danger.

Karen McManus has done it again. She has created a story and added just enough red herrings through out the book that just when you think you have it all figured out, she pops in a new twist. I swear its like she's able to read her readers mind! The day plays out from each character's point of view and you see that each of them have something to hide that may have led up to the days events.

There is plenty of backstories here also, Mateo and Ivy's relationship with their families. Cal's relationship with a woman. I love the relationship between the three. Even though they have not hung out together in years, there are moments when you can see just how close they were. The small details that they seem to only know about each other.

I can not thank #Netgalley and the publisher enough for the opportunity to read this.

3.5/5 stars, rounded up to 4.
4/5 for reading enjoyment
3/5 for execution

Ivy, Mateo, and Cal are all having terrible, horrible, no good, very bad days. The three high schoolers used to be a tight-knit trio but growing up and starting at Carlton High had them drifting apart—very far apart.

When they all run into each other at the start of all their bad days, Cal, who is firmly on the outside of all social groups, convinces them to skip school. They’ll spend the day together and hang out downtown, just like the old days.

Except the old days didn’t include following a fellow student ditching class—and then follow him all the way to his own murder.

McManus is the queen of unreliable, teen narrators with buried secrets and the trio at the heart of YOU’LL BE THE DEATH OF ME is no different. While I didn’t find these three as compelling of characters as in her past novels, the mystery itself was fresh and intriguing and kept me so engrossed that I wound up finishing the book in one sitting. It's difficult not to compare all of her books to one another, and I will admit that this one in particular falls a little short based on her previous publications.

As with all of her books, this one will be a hit with the students in my high school library and we’ve already ordered multiple copies in anticipation of them being snatched up the moment they hit our display shelves.

Thanks to NetGalley for this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Happy Release day!!! I was kindly offered this arc, thank you so much to netgalley! this was a fun, quick, read, and I has fun! Nothing much else to add to be honest.

That are Karen M. McManus's books for me. You'll be The Death of Me wasn't the exception.

The story takes place in one day. It's fast paced, mysterious, and intriguing, full of secrets and twists to keep you reading. I finished this book in less than a day. The story flowed smoothly and all the flashbacks were well incorporated into the story. It all connected and made sense.

I did guess who was the murderer at one point but that has to do with me reading a lot of thrillers and mysteries but aside that, it still was a great ride to see how everything will unravel. As always, McManus added a super adorable romance to spice things up and that only made this story even more delicious. Come on, murder and secrets and in between all that a sweet love story developing. Chef's kiss.

I’ve read all of Karen McManus’s book and this was my favorite read. It did start off a little slow, but I kept going and was able to finish the second part of the book in one sitting. The plot twist upon plot twist had me impressed. I did switch back and forth with the audio and I loved that there were three different narrators that actually sounded like teenagers. I love when a audiobook has multiple narrators because it doesn’t sound like the same point of view for each person which can be confusing and annoying at times.

This book is:
-The quiet click of a lock
-The echo of voices down a high school hallway
-An easel set for a painting

Swipe for synopsis!

My Thoughts:

Karen McManus does it again. This author can do no wrong when it comes to YA thrillers, and this one was no different.

Ivy, Mateo and Cal are three friends, reunited after years apart, who come across the scene of a crime and, instead of going to the authorities, try to solve it on their own. Solid foundation for a story, and it only got better from there.

Some things I like most about McManus' writing are her development of characters and the alternating perspectives. I've seen a couple of readers say that they feel like the beginning of these books are slow, but I wholeheartedly disagree. As a self proclaimed hater of slow beginnings, I think that McManus adds enough detail and interest to her characters and the beginnings to keep the reader hooked. I like the character building and the relationship building that makes the rest of the book so captivating! I want to feel invested in the characters, and McManus does that every time.

This book was a fun and fast-paced YA thriller, and I can't wait for the third in her One Of Us Is Lying series to come out next!

It is early and Ivy is already having a bad day. When she runs into her former friends, Cal and Mateo, before school, the three of them decide to ditch school and do something. They end up going into the city and stumbling upon a murder that they try to solve.
Opinion
I do not know how she does it but I simply cannot put Karen McManus' books down. This book has so many (in my case, missed) hints and red herrings that my mind was working overtime trying to figure out who did it. McManus' ability to write an entire novel that pretty much spanned only one day amazes me. This story is a must read for fans of young adult and mysteries. You will not be disappointed when you read this book. Just wait until you get to the ending; it was epic.
(Side note: after reading it, I immediately texted my librarian to buy it for our school library. It was THAT good.)
Many thanks to Net Galley for providing me with an ARC of this book.

Wow! McManus has done it again! As with the rest of her books, You'll Be the Death of Me does not disappoint. Cal, Ivy, and Matteo were best friends in junior high. Now high school seniors, their friendship has fallen to the wayside. A chance encounter in the school parking lot prompts them to attempt to recreate "the greatest day ever". They leave school for what was to be a day of fun and shenanigans around Boston. Their plans fall apart when they inadvertently stumble upon the murder of another classmate. The book follows them as they try to figure out what happened and to clear the name of the one who is a suspect.

All three are keeping a big secret. from the others. As the story progresses, the reader finds out what the secrets are and how they affect what is happening. The three try to rekindle their friendship as they realize just how much they missed each other.

I read this book in about a day. It was so hard to put down. I had to know the secrets they were hiding. I had to know who the murderer was. I had to know why the murder happened. I had to know if the three would remain friends. I loved everything about this book.

Thank you, NetGalley for the ARC.

Karen M. McManus is one of my favorites, and her newest novel and this one did not disappoint!

Ivy, Cal and Mateo have grown apart, but they jump on the chance to skip a day of school together. They head into the city together, where they find one of their classmates murdered. What are the odds that on their one day off this happens? Their lives are forever changed. But was it really just a coincidence? Secrets always have a way of unraveling…

🔍 multiple POVs
🔍 plenty of secrets & drama
🔍 couldn’t figure out who to believe
🔍 fast-paced writing style
🔍 twists that kept me guessing

I was hooked from the start and couldn’t turn the pages fast enough. YOU’LL BE THE DEATH OF ME is full of drama, secrets, and dynamic characters.

“We all make mistakes, right? And almost never see the fallout coming.”
— 𝙔𝙤𝙪’𝙡𝙡 𝘽𝙚 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝘿𝙚𝙖𝙩𝙝 𝙤𝙛 𝙈𝙚, Karen M. McManus

Rating: 🦃🦃🦃🦃/5

This one was TWISTY, y’all. But true to form for KMC, it was a wonderful YA mystery.

Some things I loved:
- triple POV
- Mateo
- how each of the characters had secrets that ultimately affected the other two in ways they could never have predicted
- trying to figure out who the puppet master behind all of the bad things happening on The Shittiest Day Ever
- the fact that the entire book took place during a single day. it really gave KMC the opportunity to flesh out the mystery in a fun way but also beautiful dive into each of the characters personalities
- the last line

Some things I wasn’t too fond of:
- Ivy. she was incredibly selfish at times and tried to blame others for her shortcomings
- Cal. something about this kid just rubbed me the wrong way 😂🤷🏼‍♀️
- the wrap-up
- how the way things shook out was a little predictable. this one didn’t get my heart pumping like KMC’s other novels
- the last line

All in, another excellent YA mystery from KMC. This one is out Tuesday! If you liked her other stuff, I recommend checking it out!