Member Reviews
This YA 'thriller' was more mystery than thriller, and while it was perfectly fine, it was pretty weak compared to McManus's earlier books, particularly her debut and its sequel.
I was instantly sold when I read Ferris Bueller's Day Off but with a murder...a book couldn't be MORE up my alley. Karen McManus is a master of YA mystery and I think she is one of the main reasons for the genre becoming more popular. This wasn't my favorite of hers but it had so many elements I enjoyed; interesting characters, a good mystery that isn't too obvious off the bat, and an easy to follow storyline that takes place over just one day! It was an easy enjoyable read as an adult, and I think teens and regular YA readers would devour this!
LOVE LOVE LOVE Karen McManus! This book was no different. The mystery and twists and turns of this book keep you on edge. I couldn't go to sleep until I finished it! I have read everything that she has written that is available to me. Huge fan!
You’ll Be the Death of Me is a young adult contemporary suspense mystery by Karen M. McManus. This line of the book blurb totally sold me- “It’s Ferris Bueller’s Day Off with murder when three old friends relive an epic ditch day, and it goes horribly–and fatally–wrong.” You’ll Be the Death of Me was a crazy read from start to finish and I really enjoyed it. You’ll Be the Death of Me finds our three used to be friends, as they run into each other as they are ditching school, and the day takes insane turn after turn from here.
We meet our main characters, Ivy, Cal and Mateo. They used to be great friends, but as is often the case, they have drifted apart throughout the years, and they each now have their own thing going on, including their own secrets to try and keep hidden. While ditching school, they somehow happen to witness one of their classmates get murdered, and they find themselves as main suspects from the police. While I thoroughly enjoyed the wild ride that this book took me on, I will admit that the scenarios sometimes felt a little out there. But if you just go with it and accept each of premises as is, I think you will really enjoy reading You’ll Be the Death of Me. It certainly made me glad that I never skipped school.
I liked watching our three used to be friends reconnect, and I had fun trying to guess what each of their secrets would be. You’ll Be the Death of Me is a standalone read, so it does wrap up neatly at the end of the book, and the pacing of the book clipped along at a steady fast pace. There was always something happening to move the story forward, which I appreciated. Overall, this was a wild murder mystery. I enjoyed it.
McManus is popular with our high school students and is pretty much an 'autobuy' at this point. This stand-alone mystery is great, but not her best, in my opinion. Maybe I've read too many of them? I'd recommend it to students if her other titles are checked out. I wasn't totally compelled to want to solve the mystery this time. The characters are fun and relatable and I do appreciate her twists at the end and the stand alone aspect of the book.
Thanks so much for the ARC!
I have read all of McManus' previous books and enjoyed them a lot. This one fell a little flat for me. I really liked the concept but I felt the action dragged a little and then was resolved quickly. I will recommend to fans of McManus, but it's not the best book to start with if you aren't already a fan..
Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher I was able to read this book in exchange for an honest review.
***
You’ll be the Death of Me by Karen McManus is the author’s 5th book and similar to her previous, it’s a mystery.
The book starts with previous best friends Cal, Mateo and Ivy running into each other in the school parking lot and deciding to play hooky, each for their own reasons. While doing so they see another classmate of theirs and when they decide to follow him their day goes from “meh” to “someone should really, probably call the police, please call the police already” when they find him dead.
While the three try to unravel just what happened they also unravel how and why their friendship fell apart and reveal their own secrets in the meantime as they try to figure out just what is going on and their own ties to the dead student.
***
Fun, quick easy read. Maybe not my favorite of the authors but her writing can easily draw you in and keep you following along until you hit the finish line.
I liked all three of our main characters, not easy to really get a lot of development because the main story spans a day so you’re not going to get any supreme growth or changes in them, it is easy to see where and how things went wrong when their friendship first fell apart and the work they’re putting in now for it at the end. Would recommend for someone who wants an easy going mystery read.
Rating is more a 3.5, rounding up to 4.
First of all, thanks for the free book, @PRHGlobal @prhinternational in exchange of an honest review.
I have to say that this author is able to catch my attention in few chapters, this was no exception. Having already read One of Us is Lying (plus sequel), Two can keep a secret and The Cousins, I enjoyed so much the new structur of this book: in fact, the entire story develops itself in only one day.
The main characters are, as always, different from one another with personal stories that make them a little bit "grey". Yes, they're good people, but they make mistakes too (little o big ones) that in a way or another are related to the main plot, and it's always so interesting gradually seeing how they affect the present events o have had a great influence in previous ones.
Gorgeously written, I wasn't sure almost until the end who the main villain was.. .and that closure?! I love that kind of cliffhangers, but now I'm dying to know what has happened next!
Totally recommended.
I'm ready to be suprised (again).
#prhinternational #partner
YOU'LL BE THE DEATH OF ME by Karen M. McManus has been widely anticipated by her many fans (watching One of Us Is Lying on Peacock anyone?). In another young adult mystery, McManus introduces three students who haven't really connected since junior high. Meeting by chance, Ivy, Mateo, and Calvin decide to ditch school; instead of spending a fun day recreating memories, they end up finding the body of a dead classmate. Suspicion soon falls on them and social media once again fuels the flames. Perfect for mystery fans looking for plenty of teen angst, secrets, and deception (including romance and rumored drug dealing), YOU'LL BE THE DEATH OF ME is told from multiple perspectives and received starred reviews from Booklist and School Library Journal.
I am a sucker for a McManus mystery! They are fast paced, engaging, and an overall fun read. Unfortunately, this one just fell completely short! I will start with what I liked- I liked the concept of Ferris Bueller's Day Off meets murder mystery, the rekindled friendships, and the couple of twists that happened! I thought those parts were fresh and fun. However, the plot seemed to drag a bit, the whole teacher/student bit made me uncomfortable, and many of the parts just seemed far-fetched and not realistic. It is a book with all the potential, but not all of the execution.
God I don’t know this one really missed the mark for me. After not liking the cousins at all I figured it had to get better than that but it really didn’t with this one. The mystery wasn’t all that interesting and I didn’t really connect to any of these characters like I did on OOUIL. This is the third time I’ve been unimpressed with her stand-alone so maybe I should just give up.
Another excellent thriller from Karen M. McManus! I've enjoyed everything this author has written since the release of ONE OF US IS LYING, and it's safe to say, YOU'LL BE THE DEATH OF ME did not disappoint. It had me on the edge of my seat the entire time, and I like all of McManus's books, I stayed up way past my bedtime to finish it.
Another tangled web of mystery from Karen McManus! Readers will get caught up in this one. I thoroughly enjoyed getting to know the characters through alternating points of view.
3.5 stars
Cal, Ivy, and Mateo go from the Best Day Ever memories to the Worst Day Ever, all while trying to rekindle their friendship. Lots of turns in this, and the ending seems to be setting up a second book, which I'll read if it comes to be!
When my students ask for a good YA murder mystery, Karen McManus never disappoints. This is true with her latest novel, You’ll Be the Death of Me!
Ivy, Cal, and Mateo were all once good friends, and all find themselves having a very bad day. They decide to ditch school, and find themselves in the midst of a murder mystery. As the story unfolds, we learn about the rocky pasts of the characters, and how they are all indirectly involved with the murdered teen.
This story has lots of suspense, plot twists, along with the angst of being a teen. I would highly recommend this book to my students looking for an exciting, engaging book.
A huge thanks to Delacorte Press and NetGalley for the opportunity to read and review this book!
I was initially disappointed to get introduced to a new set of characters than those in the first two, but I grew to appreciate them all the same. This title was fast-paced and exciting, and will be an easy sell to teen patrons looking for something to keep their interest. (That ENDING. Ugh. I'm looking forward to the next installment.)
Karen McManus never disappoints. In her latest former friends Ivy, Mateo, and Cal are all having a rough time. Ivy lost the student council election to the class clown, Mateo is burned out having to work two jobs to help support his sick mother after the family business failed, and outsider Cal keeps getting stood up. When all three end up in the parking lot late for school it seems like the perfect opportunity to have a fun and irresponsible day, just the three of them, just like the old times. Then they run in another classmate and follow him to his death. Suddenly, they are on the run from a crime scene. They have secrets and connections to the murdered student.
Fast-pasted and riveting one discovery quickly leads to the next leading you to a surprising ending. As always the ending is satisfying on its own but it ends on a bit of cliff hanger and I would love to see these characters again.
Unfortunately, I think this is my least favourite Karen M. McManus novel that I’ve read so far. It just didn’t pack the same punch as some of her other novels. I liked the characters fine enough and there were a few twists that I did enjoy. But the main conflict and ending just seemed rushed and resolved way too easily.
Rating: 3*
Disclaimer: I received this e-book from the publisher. Thanks! All opinions are my own.
Book: You’ll Be The Death of Me
Author: Karen M. McManus
Book Series: Standalone
Rating: 4/5
Diversity: Puerto Rican main character, Queer characters mentioned
Recommended For...: young adult readers, mystery, thriller
Publication Date: November 30, 2021
Genre: YA Mystery Thriller
Recommended Age: 16+ (violence, death, parental death mentioned, language, drugs, drug use mentioned, underage alcohol consumption, underage relationship with teacher/child grooming, and romance)
Explanation of CWs: There is violence and death and it’s central to the plot, as is drugs and drug usage. Most of the drugs mentioned are pills. There is a parental death mentioned briefly. There are some curse words in the book. There is scenes that show underage alcohol consumption. There are scenes that show an underage relationship with a teacher (senior in high school) and show the child being groomed. The relationship isn’t neatly resolved as well. There are some small romance scenes shown.
Publisher: Delacorte Press
Pages: 336
Synopsis: Ivy, Mateo, and Cal used to be close. Now all they have in common is Carlton High and the beginning of a very bad day.
Type A Ivy lost a student council election to the class clown, and now she has to face the school, humiliated. Heartthrob Mateo is burned out--he's been working two jobs since his family's business failed. And outsider Cal just got stood up.... again.
So when Cal pulls into campus late for class and runs into Ivy and Mateo, it seems like the perfect opportunity to turn a bad day around. They'll ditch and go into the city. Just the three of them, like old times. Except they've barely left the parking lot before they run out of things to say...
Until they spot another Carlton High student skipping school--and follow him to the scene of his own murder. In one chance move, their day turns from dull to deadly. And it's about to get worse.
It turns out Ivy, Mateo, and Cal still have some things in common. They all have a connection to the dead kid. And they're all hiding something.
Now they're all wondering--could it be that their chance reconnection wasn't by chance after all?
Review: I really liked this book for the most part! I thought that it was well plotted and it kept me guessing until the end. The book did well to develop the characters and I liked the use of the multiple POVs. It’s a fairly standard Karen McManus book, so if you liked the other ones then you’ll like this one as well. It follows the same formula layout and is entertaining til the end.
The only issue I had with the book is that the ending was fairly swift and confusing. The book didn’t resolve a few plot points as neatly as it could have, including the inappropriate relationship (read: child grooming).The ending was a bit messier than I would have liked it to be and didn’t feel as complete as the other books of hers did.
Verdict: It was good!
Karen McManus continues to deliver! Her mysteries have this quality of being both modern and timeless that I don't feel like I see in too many books any more. This one kept me guessing until the end, and I love the little last minute shocks she ends each book with. Looking forward to her next already!