It was okay. I didn’t expect that ending. Had me guessing who the killer was a few times. It was a quick read.

“I didn’t mean to kill the first one. Honest.” Here are reasons to read the YA Thriller book:

Elite Scholarship School - Morton Academy is an elite school, who picks students based on aptitude and gives them scholarships to attend
Secret Society - and even within this school there is an even more elite secret society
Head Girls - where the head boys and girls get full ride scholarships to the college of their choosing. But then the Head Girls start to die.
New Guy - Enter new guy Cole, who conveniently shows up just when the chaos starts.

This book has been on my radar for about a year but it wasn’t available to read in my area until now. Since I really don’t want to give anything away here, let’s just say this read was extremely fast. We go between 2 points of view, one of which is the person responsible for these crimes. I had theories about who it might be but the author did a good job of throwing the right amount of doubt to every theory I had. When I got to the end, I was a little taken aback but also everything made sense when explained.

Thank you to NetGalley and RandomHouse Children’s Books for providing an e-copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Synopsis:
Liz has recently recovered from a traumatic brain injury and is back at the elite boarding school Morton Academy. Haunted by the events that lead to her injury, Liz must face her friends and prepare for her role in the campus’ secret society. But when a string of murders occurs, it becomes clear that someone is targeting the head girls. But who?

Review:
Though this has an intriguing premise for fans of books like Truly Devious or A Good Girl’s Guide to Murder, this book really pales in comparison to those stories. I felt that the book’s pacing was very stilted and hurt the overall story because it was hard to identify or care about any of the characters. When getting to the end, I realized that the awkward plotting is a result of the “twist,” and honestly, the twist just didn’t pay off for me. For people looking for “Colleen Hoover but make it high school”—this will work for you!

For me, this was a fun, quick YA read. The deaths come quick in this book which I actually liked even though it seemed no one at the school cared. The secret society in this high school campus reminded me a bit of The Skulls. I think it started off strong and parts of the middle fell flat. The end was fun, if a but predictable. I figured out the killer, but the why was a neat take. I'd actually like to a see a sequel to it.

Win, Lose, Kill, Die by Cynthia Murphy is a captivating and suspenseful read that will keep you engaged until the very end. This intriguing novel is brimming with fascinating characters and an enthralling plot.

Ok so in the plot it said perfect for fans of gossip girl and man I still watch that show. This book was amazing it’s very high society with murder and that’s amazing. It’s funny because I felt like I was the fly in the corner observing everything it felt so real and I loved the writing style. 5/5 and I love the cover

I really wanted to like this book since the summary seemed so promising. I'm not sure if it was because the book is YA but I had a hard time following the writing and a lot of it felt kind of random. Throughout the book it felt like what the character was acting like (unscared) did not jive with what she was thinking in her own. The plot twist, which usually is one of my favorite parts didn't make much sense to me given what happened throughout the book. Just was not for me.

I had high hopes for this book, but I was disappointed. It was hard to get into and the fact that characters just kept dying - one after another - that the story seemed a little far fetched. The ending was a somewhat of a surprise, but I think I'd secretly figured out who the killer was early on. I would recommend it to my more reluctant readers that enjoy horror/suspense.

I am not sure that I personally liked this book. I loved the twist at the end. I didn’t see that coming, but getting there at times was a bit painful. The killers introspective sprinkled throughout the book was fun, since discovering the killer was not super obvious. Overall, this book is okay. It is not great it is not bad. I don’t know how often I will recommend it, but it is not one that I would pass over if someone was looking for a murder mystery book.
Thank you to Random House Children’s and Netgalley for allowing me to read an advance copy of this book.

This book was engaging and twisty. Fairly dark, especially with high school-aged characters, but it kept me guessing.

So, there is murder, and lots of suspects and a little bit of crazy with the murder. A YA thriller that meets Clue. I'm still a little unclear about the whole secret society thing that allows a new to the school person right off the bat it seemed without any vetting. Mostly, this was a good read for a fall day. I don't think it was especially 'scary' but more of let me turn the page to see if I'm right. kind of book. Probably be a good YA book club book (how to kill your friends and enemies)

While I'm typically a sucker for boarding/prep school thrillers, this one didn't do it for me. The plot felt slow moving and I stopped reading much more frequently than other books. I did enjoy the twist toward the end, but I don't really feel like things were wrapped up - all of a sudden it just stopped! I didn't care the main characters, and the writing felt kind of forced - I can't quite put my finger on it, but the writing style just wasn't for me. I think this could be a good pick for older middle school/younger high school students who are new to the genre, but it lacks if you are an avid thriller/suspense reader. I'm willing to try something else by Murphy, but this book wasn't my cup of tea. Thank you for the ARC!

A much better book than I anticipated, to be honest. With some awesome twists and edgy surprises. I’ll get it for the mystery/horror kids at my library. 💜📚

I don't think this book was for me, and I don't think my students will find it very interesting. The main characters were pretty one dimensional,

I had great hopes for this book, but sadly was very disappointed in it. It is very predictable and just not a good read.
Thank you NetGalley and Random House for my ARC in exchange for my honest opinion.

Mystery, murder, and a secret society. Set in a school separated from the world in a sense. No technology for the kids who attend and who are all gifted in someway. School promises success but this school year there is a high cost. Plot twist that many might not expect but can be recognized if you pay attention to details. Enjoyable quick read.

This is a fantastic horror novel (super violent and gory!) that will be a huge hit with teen readers. Unreliable narrator and fabulous plot twists. The sections written from the killer's perspective adds suspense. A great choice for first chapter Friday!

It's a swift read, killer loose in the school mystery, very engaging throughout the story. I enjoyed the detail of the characters and their interaction. The one thing that I was not too pleased about was the fast wrap-up at the end. I felt I was being rushed out of a store at closing time. Yeah, that could have been extended for more of a thrill.

I enjoyed this one as it's unique--and as a former teacher--I love books in a school setting. Liz attends Morton Academy and is happy as college is "guaranteed" after graduation. But Liz suffered a brain injury and often gets debilitating headaches, though she always continues to attend class and study. There's a Secret Society of Jewel and Bone connected to the school's history; all know about but only the few "chosen" will be Head and Deputy each year. And then the deaths begin....New boy, Cole is interested in Liz and wants to help her solve the mysteries but there are things--and people--at play behind the scenes--that make sleuthing difficult. Great storyline!
Thanks to NetGalley for this ARC!

This was a solid YA boarding school read that doesn't really have anything new, but is well written, entertaining, and checks off all the marks that readers are looking for in their mysteries. My only drawback was that this was an "elite" school for "very smart" students that were terribly unobservant and horrible and problem solving. I could have dealt with a little more mystery and a little less cheesy romance, but this was a nice quick read.