Thanks to Random House Children’s Books, NetGalley, and author Cynthia Murphy for allowing me to review this wonderful book. I do enjoy a great dark academia book and this book felt right to me. I’m always a sucker for dark academia with a dash of bad. This book is full of great images of how you really do need to worry about what goes bump in the night. Excellent read for Holly Jacksn

This was an awesome ya thriller. The plot twists were going left & right, had me thinking of thing then turns it around & I'm completely wrong. I love that in a book. It's super fast paced, the author does an amazing job at keeping you engaged in the story & wanting more. I can't wait to read more from this author!
Thank you!

Win Lose Kill Die follows the students of Morton Academy which is a school full of high achievers. Soon a series of murders start happening and they are determined to figure out what is going on before another person ends up dead.

I have read other books by this author and really liked them. But man this one was not for me. This book was so predictable and I found myself bored. Also, this is a YA book and I read a lot of YA. But this book was too young for me. The characters were so immature It did not have enough of a thriller vibe for me. It was a very fast read. But I would not suggest this one.

Cynthia Murphy's "Win Lose Kill Die" promised an explosive new addition to the YA thriller genre, drawing readers into the cutthroat world of Morton Academy where academic excellence is a coveted prize, and the stakes are higher than ever. While the novel offers moments of suspense and a unique take on the high-school slasher trope, it falls short of achieving greatness, earning it a modest three-star review.

The novel's premise is undeniably intriguing, with the prestigious Morton Academy serving as a chilling backdrop for a series of murders targeting the school's brightest students. Murphy successfully builds a sense of urgency and tension, creating an environment where the pressure to succeed is not only academic but also a matter of life and death. The concept of a high-stakes academic setting adds depth to the narrative, offering a fresh perspective to the thriller genre.

However, the execution of the plot leaves room for improvement. The pacing, at times, feels uneven, with moments of intense action followed by slower, less engaging sequences. The suspenseful build-up occasionally loses momentum, making it challenging to maintain a consistently high level of engagement throughout the novel.

While the twists and turns in "Win Lose Kill Die" are commendable, some of them feel forced or predictable, detracting from the shock value that is crucial in a thriller. The narrative's unpredictability, a hallmark of the genre, is compromised by certain plot developments that may leave readers wishing for more genuine surprises.

Character development is another area where the novel falls short. Although the cast is diverse and intriguing, their motivations and backgrounds could have been explored more deeply. As the story revolves around the students' desperate pursuit of success and the deadly consequences that ensue, a deeper understanding of their individual struggles and flaws would have added a layer of complexity to the narrative.

Despite these criticisms, "Win Lose Kill Die" has its strengths. The exploration of the dark side of ambition and the pressure cooker of academic competition is a compelling aspect of the novel. Murphy's writing style is engaging, and the high-school slasher theme, combined with a lethal twist, provides a fresh take on familiar tropes.

In conclusion, "Win Lose Kill Die" by Cynthia Murphy is a decent addition to the YA thriller genre, offering an intriguing premise and moments of suspense. While it may not reach the heights of other notable authors in the genre, readers who enjoy stories of academic rivalry with a deadly edge may find elements to appreciate in Murphy's latest work. It's a solid three-star read that has the potential to captivate a specific audience seeking a blend of suspense and high-school drama.

Thank you to Random House Children's, Delacorte Press and NetGalley for an electronic ARC of this novel.

Liz is excited to be back at Morton Academy, where smart but underprivileged high schoolers go to shine. She loves the classics, and her best friends are happy to be back where they think they belong. Liz is coming back after a traumatic injury sustained near the end of the last school year - another classmate, Morgan, wasn't so lucky and she lost her life. Shaken by the incident, Liz and her friends are determined to make their senior year a good one. But then other classmates start dying. Liz and her friends team up to try and figure out what's going on.

Win Lose Kill Die by Cynthia Murphy is a fun but haunting read. I didn't guess the killer, but I'm not a person who is good at solving mysteries. This is a YA mystery novel, so don't expect a ton of depth. It was kind of fun and a very quick read. .

Liz is back at her very prestigious boarding school after a summer spent recovering from some sort of accident, the cause of which will not be explained until later in the book. She's a new member of a secret society, which would be a good thing if the other members weren't being killed off one by one. Liz and her friends decide to investigate on their own because they don't feel like the school is taking it seriously.

This was an interesting mystery because there were clues dropped throughout as to the killer's identity, but you don't realize that until the end when the killer is revealed. This was a very quick read and is marketed as YA, but middle graders would be able to enjoy it as well. The characters are all unique and likeable, and the book itself is well written.

All told, I enjoyed this book and can recommend it to YA and MG readers.

4/5 stars.

*** I would like to thank NetGalley, Random House Children's, Delacorte Press, and Cynthia Murphy for the opportunity to read and review Win Lose Kill Die.

Morton Academy is a prestigious private academy that only accepts students at the top of their game. Each year, a Head Girl and Boy are chosen by the campus' secret student society, Jewel and Bone. One of the benefits of being selected for the society is a chance to earn a full-ride scholarship to an elite university funded by the school's alums, and if you are at the top of the hierarchy, you get first choice. So, who wouldn't want to be the Head Girl or Boy? It turns out some might even consider killing to be at the top of that list.

Liz is in her senior year at Morton when a series of mysterious student deaths begin occurring, all of which are ruled accidents. Liz and her friends become suspicious and decide to look into things on their own before the next victim is revealed. Win Lose Kill Die is a dark, psychological YA thriller full of twists and secrets. The author did an excellent job of keeping the reader guessing. I was surprised by the culprit at the end, although looking back, I can now see where there were clues as to who it was. I liked the alternating POV between Liz and the killer. There were times when things seemed glossed over or rushed, but I still found it to be a good read and would recommend it to mystery fans.

Thank you to NetGalley and Random House Children's/Delacorte Press for providing me with a digital ARC in exchange for my honest feedback.

A book that takes place at a boarding school and theres a "secret society"? Sign me up. Liz returns to Morton- a prestigious boarding school- for a new school year. We find out quickly that the year before a classmate of hers was victim of an unfortunate drowning, and she was there that night. Now that the school year is beginning odd things are starting to happen and people are dying.
I found this book perfect for a middle grade student to read. It was a quick read with a really good hook. On top of the fact that its not super long-it also doesn't have any real inappropriate things that would deter it being added to a school or classroom library. I also find that there is a lack of real "thriller" books geared towards middle school aged kids and I am excited to have another book to be able to recommend this book to them. Im not sure that I would tell an adult to read this but definitely a young adult!
“Thank you NetGalley and Random House Children's for sending this book for review consideration. All opinions are my own.”

Win Lose Kill Die is normally the type of YA dark academia premise that I adore.

This one felt super rushed and I figured it out quickly. Perhaps it’s just due to fact that’s it YA? I read and enjoy so much YA though and this just wasn’t great for me.

It was fun and a super fast read just didn’t thrill me and although the twist at the very end was clever- I expected it. Bummer.

Thanks to NetGalley and the author here- for my early arc. I will still check out future books by this author.

2.5 ⭐️

Thank you to NetGalley, Random House Children's, Delacorte Press and the author for an ARC of Win Lose Kill Die for an honest review.

Rounded up to 3. This was not something I would read again. It was ok, but very YA. The beginning of the book I got into right away but it soon turned very slow to me. It is very cultish and predictable. I figured out who was behind the murders early in the book. I found myself skimming through a lot to get to the end.

A private school with a secret society where members are dropping like flies. This is a ya murder mystery book. No smut. While I found the twists predictable, it was still a pretty fun ya read.

Fast-paced suspense and thrilling twists from start to finish. This is the kind of psychological thriller you have to read twice. The first time is the jaw dropping shocker. The second read is connecting the dots. Excellent book.

Do you want a book that will keep you guessing, with hints throughout as to the final twist that you only see in hindsight? If so, this is the book for you. I don’t want to provide spoilers, so I won’t go into the plot. But from the first page this book drew me in and wouldn’t let go.

This was a really quick read with lots of action; I'm also a sucker for a campus based murder mystery. It centers on Liz, who attends a prestigious boarding school where people start dying in ways that become clear are not accidents. She and her friends start investigating what is going on, worried that they might be next.

The character development was ok for such a short and quick read. I had a little trouble buying into the “secret society” that was sanctioned by the headmistress of the school. I thought I had the ending figured out and was legitimately surprised by the twist, though once I found out it totally made sense.

Overall, this was a pretty fun YA read with a slasher vibe and a surprise ending; I’d recommend it. Thanks to Netgalley for providing me with a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

If you’re into YA thrillers that you can speed thru, Win Lose Kill Die is the book for you.
A quick read for me, the beginning half really grabbed me, but the second half started to just feel repetitive and I could anticipate who/what would happen next. Although I admit I did NOT correctly guess the suspect.

Thank you to NetGalley and Random House Children’s for this ARC in return for my honest opinion.

⭐️⭐️⭐️
Pub date: 28 Nov 2023

Mysterious accidents are befalling the Head Girls at the exclusive Morton Academy. Everyone is a suspect, from the principal to the school's newest student. Who is targeting these girls, and who will be next?

I love books set at exclusive boarding schools, and this was no exception. The characters are driven, some of them with money, some of them from poverty, since Morton Academy cares more about academic brilliance than your ability to pay tuition. Liz's friends are falling like rocks, all dying in horrific accidents. But are they accidents? You can kind of judge who is behind the killings, but Murphy throws in enough plausible red herrings that you question what you think you know and thing "....mayyyyybe it is the principal. Or her brother. Or the new boyfriend. Or the groundskeeper. Or that guy. Or maybe it's her."

I loved all the twists and turns this book has, except when Liz and her friend Kat decide that, even though the entire school has been locked down because the principal has finally decided that these are actually murders and not horrible accidents, it's a FANTASTIC time for Liz to learn how to lift weights. Together. By themselves. In the out of the way weight room. It was just...not well thought out as a plot point. It really made me laugh, because this is something you would see in a b-grade movie, or a book lampooning bad horror movies, not a well plotted YA thriller.

At an exclusive boarding school, Head Girl is the true definition of power. But when the Head Girls start dying off, a group of friends must solve the mystery or find themselves the next victims.

The twist in this one was so good! I never saw it coming. This is a dark young adult read, with some gore and really intense moments. I enjoyed it, but definitely know going in this is not a light mystery. I would recommend this book.

I received a free ARC of this book from the publisher via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review. This was a roller coaster. I do not see how the students would not have been freaking out a bit more with that many deaths in that short of a period of time. I did not see the whodunit. I had an inkling but was unsure. I will say that the ending was wow but overall left me feeling meh.

I received this ebook from Netgalley in exchange for my honest opinion and review. I felt like this book fell kind of flat. it wasn’t super exciting for me and I didn’t feel like the ending was surprising. I guessed who the perpetrator was pretty quickly in the beginning.

This book was a quick read, if a bit predictable at times. It got to a point where there were only a few viable suspects pretty quickly. The plot also really left the realm of having even the faintest chance of possibly occurring in the real world with all of the deaths happening as rapid fire as they were, and I feel like it would have benefited a bit from a little more realism. It was fun, though, and for someone who enjoys thrillers more, it might be more their cup of tea.