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Member Reviews
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I’m a big fan of slasher films with a camp setting and this book gave me all those vibes. I listened to the book in one day and it was a fun read and as usual Valentine left me with a nice shocking ending.
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I thoroughly enjoy multiple points of view and going back-and-forth and time.
This was fast and engaging, and I read it in one sitting
I love that it’s like a camp slasher movie and is based off of Friday the 13th. I did not want to put this down, it is that good! The twists and turns were perfection. I have other books by this author on my shelf and now I can’t wait to read them
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I received an early arc of Two Sides to Every Murder by Danielle Valentine through NetGalley. I really, really wanted to like this book, because I LOVED How to Survive Your Murder, but this one kind of fell flat for me. I feel like there wasn’t a lot of character development or reasons why we should root for them. I love spooky, camp murder mysteries, but the story was too far fetched, even for me. I will still continue to read Danielle Valerie books, this one just wasn’t for me.
#TwoSidestoEveryMurder #NetGalley
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Thank you to NetGalley and PenguinTeen for providing me with an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review!
In this exciting thriller, I found myself once again pulled into the YA mystery genre with so much excitement and love. It's like Karen McManus meets the Parent Trap - which just sounds like such a fun and unhinged premise but it's so good.
Told through the perspective of Olivia and Reagan, two long lost twins, as well as prologue-esque chapters that give us perspectives of other surrounding characters and suspects, the novel creates a very whole and complete story. We understand everyone's motivations (at least eventually, by the end) through a clearly painted story and ensemble - I think it would make a great movie.
Also, whether it's because of the writing or because I was reading late at night, I also did deeply feel the suspense. I was terrified at the characters when they were in danger or being chased - they also genuinely experienced the highs and lows of being involved in such an investigation which did make it more realistic. This was a very fast paced, high risk, suspenseful thriller. While for me I was instantly able to deduce the "whodunnit" part, it was still so enjoyable because the threads they needed to unravel to get to that ending were just as juicy and fun.
The only part I was a little confused by was the double plot twist ending that came after the epilogue. I felt I needed more time to process something like that despite already being foreshadowed about it, and that since I was attached to the characters, I wanted more closure :)
But in general, it was such a fun and exciting thriller, really meshing well with its theme and title. It's a quick but weighty read that I'd highly recommend to any thriller fan!
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3.5 stars, rounded down to 3. This was OK -- a little over-the-top, a little hard to follow, but it IS a YA novel, so I guess I get it. Several different POV's, so it got a little confusing. Was it entertaining? To a degree, yes. Would I read more from the author? Perhaps.
I received a complimentary copy of the novel from the publisher and NetGalley, and my review is being left freely.
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3.5/
This was a fun, fast-paced thriller that is definitely geared more toward younger readers, but was still enjoyable. Keeping track of how the characters were all connected/related was more burdensome than with some others, but I appreciated the dual POV and flashbacks to the original murder. I was pretty nervous that a huge plot point was not going to be addressed and, while I appreciate it being handled, it was rushed and weird.
Thanks to Netgalley & Penguin Group for the eARC!
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I couldn’t get into the YA dialogue in this one, the premise sounded interesting enough but I couldn’t get into the plot.
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17 years ago at Camp Lost Lake murders took place and a child was born. Reagan and her mother have been in hiding ever since because her mother was accused of the crime. Olivia was born that night and wants answers from the past. Camp Lost Lake is reopening and Reagan and Olivia are going back. Their lives collide and chaos erupts. This was an edge of your seat read with plenty of twists and turns that I couldn’t hardly put down. Thanks NetGalley and PENGUIN GROUP for this eARC that will be released June 25,2024!
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I read this in one sitting! I really enjoyed it, I couldn’t put it down. Definitely would read other books by this author, this was my first. I was surprised by the ending and would recommend this book to anyone who’s interested in YA thrillers. Thank you to NetGalley, the publisher and the author for the advanced copy.
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Two Sides To Every Murder by Danielle Valentine when Olivia goes back to lost Lake she doesn’t remember being there the first time it was where she was born and where all the law about her family started but when she found out that her dad wasn’t her dad it made her a question not only her life but her heritage and bloodline so now she is back trying to put the puzzle pieces together but what Olivia doesn’t know is there’s a whole lot of the puzzle she has no clue about. Reagan is also heading out to lost Lake because all her life she’s been on the run with her mom who was accused of the murders at the camp and she cannot reckon that with the mother she knows and loves. OK let me just say this book started really strong and having have red delicate condition I couldn’t wait to read this one because I loved that one now having said that I do want to say wants a romance triangle started I really wanted to DNF the book and after getting to the ending and I do want to say I was totally shocked by who the killer was but not enough to rate this any higher than three stars. I love yeah teen horror but found this one to be very immature I thought the girls actions both of them were very questionable I did love the premise and part of the ending but a lot of the ending not so much. I wish I could say but I cannot as I don’t want to ruin the book. As I said I loved delicate condition and thought that was a great read and I will definitely read another book by this author knowing she is capable of great books but only recommend this one with a read at your own risk warning. I did think Reagan and Olivia were definitely characters you can root for I love the whole which at the lake scenario but the love triangle and part of the ending was just to be ridiculous along with some of their dialogue. I want to thank G. P. Putnam books for young readers for my free arc copy via NetGalley. Please forgive any mistakes as I am blind and dictate my review.
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First of all, thank you to NetGalley, the publisher, and the author for the advanced copy of this book.
This YA thriller is a must read for someone who enjoys a good thriller. It kept me guessing who the witch was and if people who were supposed to be dead were truly dead. Some of my predictions were right while some were wrong.
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I WAS trying to stick to only queer texts for June and Pride Month, but this book has intrigued me for weeks and #NetGalley just approved me for an ARC. Here's Danielle Valentine's "Two Sides To Every Murder."
["Most people’s births aren’t immortalized in a police report—but Olivia was born during the infamous Camp Lost Lake murders. Seventeen years later, Olivia’s life looks pretty perfect . . . until she discovers the man she calls dad is not her biological father. Now she wants answers about her bloodline, and the only place she knows to look is Camp Lost Lake.
Most people don’t spend their formative years on the run with an alleged murderer—but Reagan did. In the court of public opinion, her mom was found guilty of the deaths at Camp Lost Lake, and both of them have been in hiding ever since. But Reagan believes in her mother’s innocence and is determined to clear her name.
Luckily for Olivia and Reagan, Camp Lost Lake is finally reopening, providing the perfect opportunity to find answers. But someone else is dead set on keeping the past hidden, even if it means committing murder."]
For starters, because I have to get this out, these lovely ladies are 16/17. And I knooooow its 2024, but when the opening chapter (when the og murders took place) said that it was 2008.. (x_x) God, that seems like only a handful of years ago, not 16/17, but Ooookay.
I loooove how Olivia got a chapter, Reagan got a chapter, and then someone from 2008 got a chapter (it kept alternating between suspects and victims and seemingly unrelated people). It really helped drive the novel forward.
As did the sheer NUMBER of suspects in this thing. Each time you're like "Ha! THAT person did it! I'm sure of it!" Danielle (the author) introduces yet another person who has sketchy motives or a sketchy past or a less than coincidental connection. Loved that for us. ;)
And the plot twists? Don't get me started on the plot twists. My freaking god, those plot twists. Some were predictable, but some were just straight up :O vibes (its 2008, yes I'm adding emoticons).
Quote of the Day: "Here's a thing not enough people talk about: thinking you might die doesn't actually make you less horny."
Also, turns out, there was a bit of gay in here after all. <3
#twosidestoeverymurder #daniellevalentine #thriller #yathriller #murdermystery #yamurdermystery #books #bookstagram #bookphotography #ilovebooks
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Thank you for the e-ARC!
I rarely read thriller but this one is good. I enjoy the story, like the characters too. It's a well-written story.
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Camp Lost Lake is reopening for the first time since some grisly murders 16 years ago. Both Raegan and Olivia are determined to find answers to what happened.
“I came here to learn the truth, but the truth was so much more complicated than I ever thought it could be.”
The story starts out strong with the mystery of Olivia’s biological dad, then amplifies when we start hearing the details of the murders so long ago. Lots of information is missing from that night and the murders were never solved, even though there is a suspect who has been on the run since.
As the story progresses, it turned into a creepy slasher-type story where many were being killed and everyone was running or hiding for their lives. Each character came under suspicion, each character played a part in the events of the present (or possibly past), and it was never short on excitement. My only complaint is that the many characters were hard to keep track of but it didn’t take away from the story. I loved getting multiple POVs which provided me with insight that most characters didn’t have.
It ended with a bang and a lot of life-altering information. I recommend this to those that love a fast paced YA thriller!
Thank you to Penguin Teen and NetGalley for the copy!
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This author is an instant read for me! First and foremost, I love the way the cover represents the camp vibes and (in my opinion) the arrows symbolize the two main characters. How clever! I enjoyed having two MCs who helped us see the crime from multiple angles and emphasized the wide-reaching impact. I also liked the inclusion of flashbacks to the original murder, which truly kept me turning the pages. This author is the master of crafting plot twists, so I wasn't surprised when I was at the edge of my seat for the entire book. This is a great summer read!
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Fun read - twisty and shocking thriller!
Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for the opportunity to read this advanced copy.
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An engaging YA thriller that was well-written and a quick read. Loved the shocking twists and turns.
I received a complimentary copy of this book. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.
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A gripping , fast-paced thriller that kept me guessing throughout. It’s full of twists and turns!!
I received a complimentary copy of this book. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.
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unfortunately this book was not for me.
ok i thought i had this figured out from the very beginning. i was wrong but i couldn’t really find it in me to care. this whole book just fell super flat to me and i can’t put my finger onto why. idk. disappointing since i read how to survive your murder early last year when i got back into reading and remember enjoying it a lot more than this one.
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This story was told not only in the present, but as well as in the past. There were five perspectives, but mainly told by Olivia and Reagan. Olivia wanted answers about her family, and seemed to hold back. She was also more emotional. Reagan was tenacious, stubborn, bold, and determined to clear her mom’s name. Karly, Gia and Miranda had minimal chapters from the past, but you still got a little insight of their characters. Karly was determined to get out of her small town, Gia was basically a vlogger, gossipy, a mean girl and Miranda seemed like a devoted mother.
As the book went on I had my theories, and I was right with one, but the reveal of who was behind the murders did surprise me. Although this was a very fast paced book, the book became slightly predicable, and the ending was very open ended. This gave all the summer camp horror vibes, but I wanted more.