Some Shall Break was a compulsively readable, loaded gun of a book.

I absolutely loved None Shall Sleep by Ellie Marney, thinking it was a gem in the YA thriller world. It had excellent plotting, great twists and these endlessly compelling characters at its centre. So when I heard that a sequel was coming & returned to all of these brilliant, complex and flawed characters, I knew I had to pick it up.

The pacing was immaculate here, never fully allowing you to draw breath while reading. Every page was soaked in blood and the type of tension that feels like a weight pressing down on your chest. You are reeled in with a shocking and tragic opening, which serves to set the scene for the chaos about to unfold. This is a very dark book at times, so please be mindful of the trigger warnings for the content discussed.

This is a case that is deeply tied to Emma’s past and therefore there is a lot of exploration of trauma, flashbacks and continued survival. Marney cleverly uses this for some excellent character development, as we get a keener sense of the way these interpersonal relationships are developing. I have to say the relationship between Simon and Kristin was one of the most fascinating dynamics in the book and I was always keeping an eye on background movements for those two.

The shadow looming over it all is that of Simon Gutmunsson, the twisted genius and serial killer. He is a constant threat, several steps ahead of everyone through manipulation and his own devious chess game unfolding. Marney makes no bones of just how vicious he is, including one sequence that is just chilling.

Some Shall Break is the perfect sequel: upping the stakes in every way and leaving us on a tantalising hook for another book.

This is not my typical read, but I enjoyed this so much. It has just the right mix of creepy in it! I read None Shall Sleep a couple months ago and then just had to read this one!!! Ellie's writing style is unique and refreshing, which is one of the things that I enjoyed so much about this book. I also adore Emma and Travis and how they have grown as characters. One of my favorite reads for sure.

This book was everything I wanted from a YA thriller, until it lost my interest around the last third of the book. This book immediately had me in its grasp, I couldn’t stop reading, full on “just one more chapter” kind of thing. The multiple POVs worked well, and both Emma and Travis found a special place in my heart. The story was fast-paced and intense, and very character driven - which I enjoyed. But then the story lost that intensity for me. Add on a storyline with two characters that made me very uncomfortable and the book was no longer that enjoyable for me. Don’t get me wrong, I was still invested in the story and the characters - but it just wasn’t as good as the first two-thirds. But the overall vibes was good, and the good parts was REALLY good, so it still gets 4 stars.

Now you all know I love a good mystery/thriller novel and it doesn’t matter if it’s YA or Adult fiction. This one happens to be YA and it’s amazing! So let’s break down why I gave this book five stars, shall we?

First, we have our characters. I love Emma and Travis. Not so fond of Simon and Kristin… but that’s kind of to be expected. I mean, after all, the more you read, the more you realize their relationship is just… weird. But… Emma and Travis? LOVE these two. They’re just great characters all around. You know what motivates them, even if you haven’t read the first book, None Shall Sleep.

The plot for this book is quite interesting… the survivor of a serial killer helping the FBI to find a serial killer who is mimicking the very serial killer she escaped from. Deal with side plots such as the chemistry between Travis and Emma and the weirdness of Simon’s and Kristin’s relationship with each other. It’s a wild ride but it’s a great plot.

One of the things I like best about this book is that while you can tell it’s the second book in the series, you don’t absolutely need to read the first book to be able to follow what’s happening in this one. You can glean what you need to know to move forward with the story. Will you want to read the first book after this? Probably… I know I certainly do!

I also love the setting – we’re in 1982. There were a few things mentioned I had to make sure existed in 1982 because I didn’t remember them being around then! (Yes I’m old.) But it’s so much fun to see YA novels that go back in time to other eras – especially ones that today’s youth know practically nothing about.

All in all, this was a great read and one that was very difficult to put down. I’m definitely looking forward to reading more of Ellie Marney’s works. This one got 5 stars from me.

After thoroughly enjoying the first book in this series, I couldn’t wait to read the second. Marney once again gives us a look into the lives of Bell and Lewis and how they are doing in the aftermath of their last encounter with a serial killer (or two). The complexity of the characters are so intricate and deep as they deal with their own personal trauma while also throwing themselves in harm’s way to save lives. Lewis is dark & complicated, forever changed by her circumstances but she continues to push through so more women will be spared the fate she has lived through. Bell is dealing with loss while also trying to make something of himself. The two are circling each other in their misery, but there is also an unmistakable bond & trust. This book is devastatingly addictive.

These two! Emma and Travis. I cannot stop with their stories. Their ability to find themselves (whether going in blindly or knowing it’s not their smartest moment) in the worst situations is like no other. I love their story line and realizations toward how they see themselves throughout the whole book but mostly in the end.

Care for them, struggle with them, get angry with them, just join them on their journey. Feel every emotion with them.

I need book 3 like yesterday 🥺

And Kristen. I have no words.

Thank you NetGalley and the publisher for a chance to read and review this book.

I liked None Shall Sleep but I LOVED Some Shall Break. Really itched that Criminal Minds spot of my brain and this will help to stop me from re-watching the show for at least another couple of weeks. I thought this mystery/thriller narrative was super intriguing but still easy to follow. Of course my absolute favourite thing about this was the Emma and Travis romance. I was dying for them two to be together in the first book and seeing their feelings grow and bubble to the surface here was by far the best thing. I'm guessing there's going to be a third book and I'll definitely be reading.

Thank you to the publisher and Netgalley for my e-ARC of Some Shall Break!

𝐑𝐄𝐀𝐃 𝐓𝐇𝐈𝐒 𝐈𝐅 𝐘𝐎𝐔
📖 love sequels
✌🏻enjoy books that are set in the past
🕵🏻‍♀️ want to work for the FBI
🔪 like serial killer books

• 𝐐𝐔𝐈𝐂𝐊 𝐓𝐀𝐊𝐄

Emma Lewis is back when a copycat serial killer starts leaving behind victims that look eerily similar to her.

• 𝐖𝐇𝐀𝐓 𝐈𝐓’𝐒 𝐀𝐁𝐎𝐔𝐓

After a harrowingly close contact with juvenile sociopath Simon Gutmunsson, junior FBI consultants Emma Lewis and Travis Bell went their separate ways: Emma rejected her Quantico offer and Travis stayed to train within a new unit of the FBI Behavioral Science division. But the unit’s latest case is feeling eerily familiar and Kristin Gutmunsson—Simon Gutmunsson’s eccentric twin—reaches out to Travis to send a warning: Emma is in peril.
 
When Travis and Kristin turn up evidence that points back to Daniel Huxton, the serial killer that Emma had escaped, things become more complicated. With a copycat on the loose, Emma returns to Quantico and is thrown back into her past traumas. Compelled to prevent more tragedy—even if it means putting herself in danger—Emma turns to Simon for help once again. But Simon is keeping secrets that could impact their entire investigation. Will the team be able to stop the Huxton copycat before time runs out for his next victims?

• 𝐌𝐘 𝐓𝐇𝐎𝐔𝐆𝐇𝐓𝐒

This was a very fun and interesting read. I never read book one, but Ellie does a great job of setting everything up so I could catch up with what I missed! I loved the fact that it took place in, what I think anyway, was the early 80s based on timelines. Nobody had cell phones and it really made the characters have to interact on a closer basis. Overall, I loved ever aspect of this serial killer copycat novel!

I think the success of this sequel can pretty much be narrowed down to delight I had watching the two main characters slowly, slowly, dance around each other again after they are reunited three months on from the events of book one.

Because a lot of the rest of this was.. not frustrating by any means but a little hard to swallow.

Once again, Emma is pulled into the FBI's orbit but this time it's for a copycat killer with a disturbingly similar MO to the serial killer she once survived. Which unfortunately forces her to bear witness to other girls being taken and treated the same way she was; a reality she can't ever escape from. I remember saying how impressed I was that Marney had dodged a lot of the on-page rehashing of what Emma is put through back in book one and there's still much of that but we do get a little more clarity on her experience and it's tough. Especially because in this sequel there's a whole other element to her abuse and violation that is revealed. And it's horrid.

Also horrid? Simon, another serial killer, is back. As is his uniquely off-beat twin sister who the FBI lets consult? And visit her brother? What the fffff. This is where things really went off the rails for me. Every single Simon interaction I was just w a i t i n g for it to all go pear shaped. And does it? Well.. what do you think. No spoilers though.

I'm not mad about where we leave things with this book, I definitely want to see more of Emma and Travis and their tentative sweetness, but my god if we don't get a very firm resolution to the Simon thing, ie, he is once and for all no longer a problem.. I'll be big mad. Kristin, too, has a lot to answer for and I'm just really baffled by the whole dynamic. I'm sure we're meant to be but it's a strange experience.

A lot of this series requires much suspension of disbelief, as always, but this one probably took the cake. If I wasn't so happy to just be reading again I probably would've rated this lower. But for now it did what it was supposed to do : successfully distracted me from the real world.

3.5 stars

I didn't really care for the writing style. The 3rd person singular present tense just felt weird overall. However, the story itself was strong enough to keep me going, despite some issues.

A fun follow-up to None Shall Sleep. A recommended purchase for YA and HS collections where thrillers are popular.

I'm a fan of the first book and thankfully this was just as good! I really love all the characters, the plot was gripping and enjoyable. I'll happily keep reading Marney's books.

I loved None Shall Sleep so I was super excited for the sequel and I ended up being totally blown away. Ellie Marney is an auto-buy author for me and Some Shall Break is a perfect example of why. Her portrayal of grief and trauma is so well-done and the thriller aspect had my heart in my throat the whole time. Plus a slow, slow, slow burn romance, chef's kiss! I cannot wait for the next one.

A worthy sequel to None Shall Sleep! Emma, Travis, Simon, and Kristin are all back, and entwined more than ever. Another serial killer is on the loose and this time they have links to Emma specifically, which heightens the tension. Ellie Marney is very skilled at pacing, and this rattles along, finishing all too abruptly and setting up nicely for a third instalment. The relationship between Travis and Emma and its developments are particularly finely drawn. A very satisfying read.

This book was so amazing! A great follow up to None Shall Sleep. All of the characters remain interesting. Emma is stronger than she realizes and this book really shows that as she relives what happens to her. Travis deserved more time in this as he is so integral to the partner ship between him and Emma and hopefully if and when there is book 3 we’ll be able to get more. Simon is probably my favorite character in this entire book. He’s so charming but so evil, Kristin and him are going to be so fun to follow as they embark on their getaway plan. The fbi remains sucking in this book, always taking but never seeing what’s in front of them. Can’t wait for more from this series!

Fun. Reads like an episode of Criminal Minds or a YA version of Silence of the lambs. Only getting 4 stars because at times it felt like a regurgitation of Silence of the lambs, but with teens.

This kinda starts off where the first book left off; I think maybe 3 months or so after the ending. Emma is... doing alright. She's still in therapy, and with a little distance from the FBI she has the feelings of her trauma on the surface without having to confront it as often.

Untilllll a string of copycat murders that seem mighty similar to what Emma went through start happening... then next thing ya know, she's back at the FBI with Travis, and surprisingly, Kristin Gutmunsson.

I'm a big fan of Emma and Travis as a duo, they seem very interested in keeping their relationship professional, but they know each other more intimately than probably anyone in their lives and the idea of it moving into a romantic relationship VERY SLOWLY seems inevitable. They just care about each other so much :')

Kristin continues to be very conflicted in everything she does, and some of the decisions she makes in this book are fully unhinged. But, such is to be expected from the twin sister of one of the most brutal serial killers of the decade.

The writing style is the same as book one, very detached but still delving into characters' emotions, it's a way of writing that I really haven't ever experienced before reading None Shall Sleep and it works perfectly for the story, especially considering the "YA Silence of the Lambs" comparison it's been given.

It's hard to fully review a sequel because you gotta read book one first, but if you like the sound of an intense psychological crime thriller, set in the 1980s, that's still character based, you'll love book 1 then consequentially book 2!!

A fantastic sequel, worthy of its predecessor. It takes the "final girl" trope that is so popular in horror and examines it through a thriller/true crime lens. What happens to the last girl alive? How does she cope with the survivors guilt and what does the notoriety do to her psyche? Marney's writing is crisp and haunting. I hope that there are many, many more books in the sequence.

Can a sequel be even better than the first book? Well yes it sure can. When the suspense gets more intense, the action becomes more fast paced, the character interactions exceed expectations and the dialogue reaches greater heights.

This is everything we have been waiting for...Emma and Travis have teamed up again while Simon and Kristin have major roles to play in this second installment. You can't help but warm to Emma and Travis, while Simon is the villain you love to hate. The scenes with Simon are mesmerising, sort of like watching a cobra preparing to strike. My personal favourite though, is Kristin. What an enigma.

Ellie Marney delivers quality writing and is an expert at creating little explosions at the end of chapters. So much so that it becomes impossible to stop reading. The ability to create a serial killer character who the reader wants to see return in Book 2? Unbelievable but true.

I received this arc from the author and netgalley in exchange for my honest review.