This is one of those truly creepy books, where you're never quite sure what's going on, and who to believe. Kyra Leigh captures the air of paranoia well, and although Charlotte is clearly struggling more, you see the same unsettled feelings throughout Maddi's chapters. At times, it felt like reading one of the grey toned, bleak feeling indie movies that were particularly popular a few years ago. Everything a little bit moody, confusing, but with the promise of an explosion waiting in the future.

The chapters are short, which is something I <strong>love</strong>. It means it's one you can pick up and put down as and when you need to, and somehow, that normally means I read for longer. Both sister's have their own chapters (although they are dominated by Charlotte), and their voices were always clear and distinct.

Personally, I knew nothing about the Lizzie Borden story beforehand. I think that might have aided my enjoyment, because I knew the gist of what was to come, but didn't know anything about the build up to it. I did a lot of reading and researching after finishing, as I was super curious about how Lizzie's story had translated here. Having done that reading, I think it's a pretty good retelling and would also appeal to those that are familiar with Lizzie.

I did feel the book was a little strange at times. Some of the characters behaviour was just weird, and illogical. However, that was potentially intentional, and I did question how much of it was real and how much was just the sisters bizarre interpretation of it. For example, you can't help but hate the dad. The things he does are really odd. But is that just the sisters seeing what wasn't really there?! Basically, the book had me questioning everything.

Don't expect an ending that paints a clear picture here. Whilst it's heavily hinted, it is completely open to interpretation. Normally, I'm the kind of human that needs it spelled out, or I'm left frustrated. But I would say it works well, particularly when factoring in the links to the Lizzie Borden case. I didn't get that urgent sense of needing a clearly defined ending, and enjoyed making up my own tale of what happened.

If you like a slow burning, creepy, psychological, unique read, then definitely check this one out. The short chapters are perfect to dip in and out of, but it had me hooked, just desperately needing to see when everything would blow up.

This book switches perspectives between Charlotte and Maddie. It is another verison of the Lizzie Borden story. I was unfamiliar with Lizzie Bordens story till I finished this book and then did some research on the original story. The growing paranoia of the two sisters after the loss of their mother was enough to hook me. Though truth be told I wasn't a fan of the characters in this book but I couldn't put it down till I finished. Over all it was a quick read but not a favorite of mine. Thank you to Random House Children's and NetGalley for an early copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Charlotte and Maddi are sisters trying to deal with the sudden loss of their mother. They are trying to deal with their emotions and they're both drowning in grief and struggling. The problem is that their father is already moving on, with their mothers assistant. Both girls think that something sinister happened to their mom and believe that they are next.

This is a great new twist on the story of Lizzie Borden. I remember being fascinated by her story growing up and I enjoyed how it was woven into this book. There were a lot of twists I didn’t see coming. I would LOVE to read a follow up book!!

I enjoyed reading this book. However, It seemed to move fairly slow through the middle of the storyline. The beginning was attention grabbing and the end had many twists. The middle was not as easy to stay engaged in. My middle school students will enjoy this book, but I do not believe it is a book worthy of recommending to other libraries as a must read. Thank you to Random House Children's, Delacorte Press for the ARC through NetGalley.

This book was quite a bit different than I'm used to reading. I was expecting a normal type of YA thriller and then this was a bit different type of thriller read.
This was the kind of story that messes with your head and I wasn't sure what was happening for about half of the book. This was about a contemporary spin on the Lizzie Borden story and grief. I've always thought the Lizzie Borden story is very strange and bizarre and this spin on it was as well.
So, Charlotte and Maddi are sisters trying to deal with life after their mother's death and cope with the grief and they're both drowning in grief and struggling. They both try to stay strong and help each other and meet a new friend at school who's a strange one that claims her mother was friends with their mother. Their father is mostly an absentee father before and after the death of his wife and their mother and then shacks up with the help not long after their mother's death.
Charlotte and Maddi try to figure out how to keep things for themselves and not have their father and his new girlfriend take over and take things away from them. They take things into their own hands to decide how things go and it's a bit disturbing.
If you're a fan of the Lizzie Borden story and retellings then make sure to check this one out. Thanks so much to NetGalley, Random House Children's, and Delacorte Press for letting me read and review this story. All opinions are my own.

3/5 stars.

This was a frustrating read, simply because of how awful every single character other than our two main girls are. Awful, horrible people. It Will End Like This is told from the perspective of two sisters who are trying to cope with the death of their mother, their father moving on to marry the girl he had an affair with, and basically everything else in their life falling apart. The sisters, Maddi and Charlotte, are full of pain and struggling so much as they try to sort out and deal with everything that is happening. They don't know what to believe or who to believe and we witness their mental breaks through their narration. People are awful - that's what this is about. And you never know who you can trust.

Thank you to Random House Children's and NetGalley for an early copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Honestly, I wish this was an adult novel. Great concept, but I think there was too much teen stuff and I as almost annoyed with the girls.

3 stars.

This was a pretty solid thriller, and I loved the focus on sisters at the novel's core. However, the characterization was a bit over-the-top for me, and everyone was just SO horrible to these girls that I had a very hard time enjoying the read. And perhaps that's part of the point, but I usually read this kind of book for escapism, so a focus on mental illness, miscarriage, and gaslighting was more than I'd bargained for.

I really wanted to like this book as I enjoyed the comps it was billed with. However, It Will End Like This fell short for me. I didn't feel the urgency of finding out who killed their mother, if indeed it was a murder, nor did I find either Charlotte or Maddi particularly likeable as characters. It didn't feel that the author dug deep enough into character development. The introduction of Lana and the elements she brought ended up being disappointing. It was okay, but nothing I would recommend to my students.

Thank you so much to Penquin/Delacorte Press for the arc.
First, let me just say, it was the cover that really drew me in, but it was the story that made me stay.

Charlotte and Maddie's mom died suddenly. They say her heart just stopped. But the girls don't believe it, especially when their mother's personal assistant makes a move on their father.

There was a lot to digest in here. Let me start off by saying that I HATED both their father and Amber (the assistant) Of course its a thriller book, but what I didn't realize until the end, is that this was inspired by a true story. So as a true crime junkie as myself, I loved it even more!

Charlotte and Maddi lost their mother six months ago, and life just keeps getting more difficult for them. Charlotte—Charlie—has barely been able to get out of bed. She had been very close to her mother, loved to sit in the garden with her while she drank he tea. And she had been good friends with her mother’s assistant Amber.

Now that’s over. Her mother is dead, and Amber has stepped in and taken her place. She’s sleeping with their father, living in their house, wearing their mother’s jewelry.

Charlie may be depressed, but wouldn’t you be too? If your mother died, your father acted like he didn’t care, and he’s already moved on to a new partner—if that happened in your family, you’d want to just stay in bed too.

Maddi is worried about Charlie. She’s worried about her dad too, but she can’t do anything about that. But maybe she can still help Charlie. And then she finds gopher poison in the kitchen. Her mother would never use poison in her garden, and Maddi couldn’t think of any reason her father would need gopher killer. And why was it in the kitchen?

Is it possible that her father, or Amber, or both, killed her mother?

As Charlie’s new friend Lana offers up letters that Charlie’s mother had written to her mother, Maddi finds one of their mother’s last journals, and the two sisters try to figure out what she’d been thinking at the end, what she was feeling. What they read just makes them both more certain that she had been murdered. But they’ll need help to prove it. And Maddi needs help with Charlie. So she calls her Uncle Jake to come help. But when he and his wife get there, he’s only interested in getting the house for himself. Maddi realizes that she’s made a terrible mistake asking him to come, and she knows it’s up to her to fix things.

But instead of being able to help Charlie get some help, Maddi watches as her father decides that Charlie needs to go away, to get the psychological help she needs. But no one can break these sisters apart. And when there is no one left but the two of them, they will still be together.

It Will End Like This is a creepy thriller that takes a look inside a dysfunctional family, a family with similar dynamics to the family of Lizzie Border, the notorious alleged axe killer. Author Kyra Leigh lets her theories take on human form in this reimaging of the Borden murders, and it makes for a novel that keeps you on your toes.

I liked this book, but there is an ever-present edge that grows steadily throughout the story, making you feel like you should be looking over your shoulder as you are turning the pages. This book is an experience, and it pulls you in until you don’t know what to believe or who to trust. If you’re looking for a chilling interactive experience, then It Will End Like This is the book you’ve been waiting for. For me, it was a lot. I’m glad I read it, but I won’t want to read it again.

Egalleys for It Will End Like This were provided by Delacorte Press through NetGalley, with many thanks.

3.5 stars*!

It Will End Like This was a quick and interesting read! The story focuses on two sisters, Maddi and Charlotte whose mental health throughout the course of the book takes a steady decline after the death of their mother, and a sneaking suspicion that the details surrounding her death aren’t exactly what it seems.

Pros:
* Good job at showing how both sisters grieved in different ways, and how they both were affected in the end.
* Short chapters make it a quick read, but the story is still intriguing.
* Made me more interested in the Lizzie Borden story! I’ve never really read anything about it, but this book made me intrigued to look at the original inspiration.
* First person storytelling and dual P.O.V does a great job showing how each narrator is similar yet different, as well as how their lives are changing.

Cons
* Some of the dialogue felt a bit choppy, or unrealistic? I had trouble reading some things just because to me, they sounded like something a person wouldn’t actually say.
* Many characters got on my nerves, including Charlotte. I was still able to sympathize with her, though, but at times she didn’t bug me quite a bit, but I was able to see where this was coming from, being inside her mind.

Overall, I liked it! The only thing I would want more from this book is more insight into Maddi’s thoughts; an even balance between the two girls instead of a heavier focus on Charlotte. If you like thrillers and mysteries, check this out!!

No one will tell Charlotte exactly how her mother died six months ago except to say that her heart stopped. Charlotte's sister Maddi agrees that it's odd, especially when their father moves on with their mother's assistant. It seems like the woman is going to steal everything their mother once had. Will they be the good girls their father wants, or give in to rage?

Maddi is the older sister, but the story is told primarily from Charlotte's point of view. Both sisters grieve, and the short, choppy chapters in the beginning reflects Charlotte's state of mind. It doesn't help that in the small town, there are whispers about their father taking up with Amber so soon after their mother's death, especially with how much their mother had contributed to the community. Both sisters felt rage toward that community for not truly being there for them, and then for Amber wearing their mother's wedding ring as her engagement ring and wearing their mother's jewelry. Their father is rather callous about their feelings, and no one talks about emotions except out of anger or attempts to suppress that anger.

This novel is inspired by the Lizzie Borden story, but it has more to do with grief and how much it alienates the one left behind. People don't know what to do about that grief, and when it turns to anger that alienates them further from others. It's sad that so few of the characters actively try talking to the sisters, instead blaming them for their behavior. Charlotte especially bears the brunt of that, which only serves to escalate how angry and isolated she feels. Everyone is against her, everyone is a liar, and even the sisters don't know if they can trust each other with the truth of their mother's death. This is an emotionally harrowing story, intense to the very end.

This was a great YA psychological horror. I enjoyed Leigh's take on the Lizzie Borden murders and how one might find themselves in that position. However, she also put enough distance between her narrators and the actual historical events that didn't just feel like rehashed history.

This book definitely won't be for everyone as pretty much every character is untrustworthy, but Leigh does an amazing job at showing the downfall of the characters.

Overall, a really compelling read.

Wow, a hard book to review, but one I highly recommend! Dark, emotional, scary, and twisted as heck! Well written, with fantastic character development! Chilling to the bone, in many parts, but realistic (maybe even a bit more than realistic, with its ties to Lizzie Borden) and emotional! Kept me full of tension and reading like crazy, which I love! Would definitely highly recommend this twisted tale or grief!

This is a story about the inevitable.

I can’t decide what I think about this. I don’t feel like I enjoyed it, but I do think the author created an effective sense of pervasive dread that unsettled me until the last page. So I think it was an effective story, just not one I loved reading. I think part of what put me off is that it was heavily alluding to something sinister…. And then just sort of dropped it and suddenly ended in a much neater way than anticipated.

Thank you so much Netgalley, Random House Children's, & Delacorte Press

It Will End Like This by Kyra Leigh tells the story of sisters, Charlotte and Maddi, whose mother tragically passed away just a few months ago. The cause of her death was that her heart just suddenly stopped beating. Both girls are not dealing with their mother’s death in a healthy manner. Charlotte in particular seems to be emotionally fragile. Within six month of the funeral their father has become engaged to their late mother’s personal assistant. Additionally, a new girl at school befriends Charlotte and claims to have letters that their mother wrote to her mother shortly before he death. This all leads to the girls being suspicious of everything leading up to their mother’s death. They are determined to find out if their mother was murdered and if so who the killer is.
This story claims to be a modern day retelling of the Lizzie Borden murders. I can see where there are similarities, but I feel that this was such a small part of this book. For me, this book dealt with extreme grief and mental illness. This mental illness is exacerbated by their combined suspicions and outside influences that included a father and soon to be step-mother who seemed to not care about the girls. Throw in some mean girls at school and these girls’ young minds slip further into grief and illness. I felt the story worked better as a stand alone tale as opposed to being a modern take on a true crime.

This is a great mystery book. The story rotates between the view of two sisters dealing with the trauma of losing their mother a few months ago. The girls mental states is done very well their inner thoughts are fairly realistic. As the book progresses it becomes harder to tell the mental stability of the girls and that really had me interested in seeing what would happen next. The book starts off a little slow but quickly picks up and that ending had me flipping the pages so fast. I loved the ending it wrapped the story up well and it had me guessing until the end.

*I received a copy of this book through Netgalley in exchange for an honest review*

I was so intrigued when I heard this was inspired by Lizzie Borden! Even though this one wasn’t a total hit for me, I will definitely try more from this author (and the cover is so good!) This book had potential, and I am a big YA mystery fan, but I just think it wasn’t as polished as I would have liked. The pacing seemed pretty slow and then just ramped up right at the end. The characters were a little too unbelievable in their actions (even considering the frame of an unreliable narrator) One of the ending twists seemed a little thrown in there, like the author didn’t know where that arc was going. Again I definitely saw the potential and will be willing to try another from the author. Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for an e-arc in exchange for an honest review.

I've heard the Lizzie Borden rhyme many times and know just a couple bits of information about what happened. A modern retelling is definitely an interesting idea and the author did a good job showing how someone could spiral to the point of wanting to commit murder. I did find this too slow, with almost no action to keep my interest. I was hoping for more of a thriller vibe with fun twists but unfortunately it fell flat.

There are two narrators in this, sisters Maddi and Charlotte. The majority of the book is Charlotte and she has this inside monologue that runs constantly and contradicts herself. It got irritating after a while and I wanted more of Maddi. She sees things more clearly so watching her put together pieces and suspect that something was going on was more fun.

The story definitely builds as the sisters discover more clues about their mom's deaths. I also felt their rage at their dad and his new girlfriend and wanted to jump into the book and throttle them. It was very believable that things could escalate this way and I think the author has a future in psychological fiction.

I voluntarily read and reviewed this book, all opinions are my own. Thank you to Delacorte Press and NetGalley for the copy