Two Sides to Every Murder by Danielle Valentine
Pub date: June 4, 2024

When three people are murdered at Camp Lost Lake in 2008, the killer, Lori Knight, escaped, never to be found. This is the same night that Olivia’s mother had her, right at this horrific murder scene.

Now, Andie, Olivia’s older sister is set on reviving the old camp despite its grim history. Meanwhile, Reagan, whose mother has always been on the run, forcing them to always be in hiding, is heading to Camp Lost Lake to clear her mother’s name.

This, my friends, is a recipe for disaster and someone out there doesn’t want the truth to come out. They’ll stop at nothing to make sure that the secrets of Camp Lost Lake stay buried even if that means more murder!

This is such a twisty YA thriller with a tense narrative and suspenseful creepy atmosphere! I loved that it was told by both Olivia and Reagan, along with the 2008 flashbacks, giving the story a unique perspective from both sides of the story!

Such a fun romp through the woods in this creepy camp setting, suspecting almost everyone of murder and being wrong every time! I love a story that can still shock me!

My thanks to Penguin Teen for this gifted copy to review!

Despite the limited intellect and bone deep selfishness of every single character, thos was genuinely a propulsive and super fun read.

3 ⭐️ // Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for gifting me with this ARC.
I loved the idea for the plot of this book - murder mystery, with twists and turns and a whole lot of suspense! I couldn’t put this book down and finished in 2 days. I enjoyed the camp setting, the twistyness of the story for the main characters, and the surprises along the way. However, the overall concept was so good, but the execution was a miss. Characters felt underdeveloped, plot points felt rushed, and the time setting of 2024 / 2008 didn’t work as well. Overall, good story, but wouldn’t recommend.

After enjoying How to Survive Your Murder last year, I knew I wanted to request Two Sides to Every Murder, Danielle Valentine's newest YA thriller.

This is a book you could read in one sitting. It's less than 300 pages, filled with action, and very fast-paced. It took me a minute to familiarize myself with the characters and their family trees. I will say the ending lost me at times as there were a few eye roll moments, but overall I had a fun reading experience. The last few pages also helped with some extra darkness added in that worked for me.

In general, YA can be hit or miss for me, and while being in the heads of these characters felt very high school, I didn't think the dialogue was too cheesy (my typical complaint). I felt like this was a great book to switch it up between some darker psychological thrillers on my TBR.

Both books I've read by Valentine have been so cinematic. They are fun yet bloody and intense. If you've watched Totally Killer with Kiernan Shipka (Amazon Prime), that's how I envision these stories as I'm reading.

Rating: I liked it a lot! (3.5 rounded to 4)

Abandoned Camp. Secret Twins. Bow and arrow murders. Two Sides to Every Murder has a promising set up and premise.

Reagan goes to Camp Lost Lake to prove her mom did not commit the camp murders 16 years ago; Olivia is just there to help her older sister clean up the camp. Olivia has just learned that her dad isn't her dad and she has questions. Reagan and Olivia run into each other while running from the bow and arrow wielding Witch of Camp Lost Lake and it is immediately clear that they are identical twins. Family secrets are revealed and not one but TWO murderers is unmasked (I'm not even a little sorry about that pun.)

Overall, Two Sides to Every Murder delivered the suspense and thrills! The pacing was excellent and the cast was the just right size. As I was reading, I did not want to put it down (seriously, I almost called out of work to keep reading) and when I wasn't reading, my mind kept drifting back to the story. This was a fun ride and I really liked all of the characters. I highly recommend Two Sides to Every Murder!

This fast paced murder mystery definitely kept me guessing! The multiple POV's through the different timelines were great and gave you just enough to think you had everything figured out. My biggest critique is with the ending-- it all wrapped up a bit too nicely and the motive made very little sense. For the original murders, sure, it was a crime of fury and passion. But to murder the girls who no one knows about? What? And then the other bit with the bear trap dude felt like it came out of left field.

All in all it was an enjoyable, fast, suspenseful YA read.

Disclaimer: Thank you, NetGalley for the ARC. This review is my unbiased personal opinion.

This book was readable and intriguing. It reminded me of Friday the 13th and it hooked me. I liked the dual pov’s from multiple characters.

I do have a few things which didn’t sit right with me. The lackluster romance between the characters was off.. it was only there to check off trope boxes.

The motive for the murder was crazy but it didn’t bother me too much. However I expected a better ending to mystery besides what happened.

The book needed more mystery and horror. More people could have been missing and the leads had to find more clues. The story also needed less info dumping about random characters. I lost track of who each person was which resulted in me rereading pages.

Lastly, I was able to guess the plot twists early on, so it did ruin my fun. I would recommend this book to others because the book has potential. I give this book a 2.5 rating and might change it when I read it a second time.

I read this book in one sitting! This is my second book by Danielle Valentine and I am now hooked! She is a new auto-buy author for me! I loved her other YA book and I have started the adult one as well. Her writing style is captivating and I enjoy the twists (nothing groundbreaking but that is what makes it good). This book I did see some things coming, but was still so suprised by how it all came together. I enjoyed the different perspectives of the two main characters and how their stories intertwined. I love a good slasher book so if you enjoy that, YA books, and thrillers this is a book for you!

Overall I rate this one a 4/5!

Thanks to the author, publisher, and NetGalley for allowing me to read this in exchange for my honest review

This book was hard to put down! If you like YA thrillers, this is a must read! I need to read more of Danielle Valentine's work now. Thanks NetGalley and Penguin Young Readers Group for the free e-ARC in exchange for my honest review!

I really really enjoyed this book. The writing was easy to follow, and there was not too much information. Sometimes a book will overload info at the beginning but I felt like this was fairly easy to follow! I had no idea who the real killer was until the very end, and even the last chapter surprised me. I had fun reading this book. It was also a super quick read. I couldn't put it down once I started it, which is awesome. And I read it in a few hours. It is the perfect book to get you out of a slump or even just as a quick read. I would recommend it to my friends and family.

This was a really fun and fast paced book and I really enjoyed it. I would have read it a lot quicker if it wasn’t a digital copy I had, but I still enjoyed it. All the plot twists were surprising and interesting. I normally prefer books with only one pov, but the author did a very good job having multiple povs and it was a well done book. I definitely recommend it to fans of the murder mystery genre

Thank you so much to NetGalley for sending me an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

If you know me, you know I love a slasher set a summer camp. (*cough cough* Sleepaway Camp is the best horror film ever). This one certainly packed a punch and supplied twisty family drama which is always fun to read. The ending was a little out there and the motive was a little lame but I still found myself devouring the entire thing. Also thought death by arrow was an underutilized weapon of choice.

Sometimes I feel like I lack reading comprehension skills because I didn't get that Regan and Olivia were twins until the characters thought they were each other.

really enjoyed this one it was so fun and fast paced and the plot twists kept me guessing! thank you so much for this arc!

Very campy horror that is a fast read but was not too memorable.

Olivia and Reagan, two girls trying to find out why their lives are connected to murders at Camp Lost Lake. Olivia because of DNA mysteries and Reagan because she's been on the run with her mom who has been thought to have committed the crimes.

Present day the camp is being opened under a new name but the terror is still being brought down upon that who are there to open it.

I figured out a lot of things before they were revealed but it was interesting to find out why the missed were occurring. But the end felt really out there to me, like it really could not have happened that way.

Three lives were ended at Camp Lost Lake in 2008 and frighteningly, the suspected killer, Lori Knight, was never caught. That same night, Olivia was born at Camp Lost Lake when her mother went into labor suddenly from the shock of what she had witnessed. Seventeen years later, the camp is being re-opened as a retreat by Olivia’s sister, Andie. Olivia plans to help Andie get the camp ready over the summer but on the day they are set to begin their work, Olivia gets the shocking news that the man she calls her father is not her biological father after all. Returning to the place that she was born, Olivia is determined to find answers about who her real father is.

Reagan is on the run with her beloved mom, Lori, the primary suspect of the Camp Lost Lake killings. When a true crime podcast about the Camp Lost Lake murders goes virial, Reagan begins to learn more about the case and decides that she must clear her mother’s name. Despite her mom’s wishes, Reagan heads to Camp Lost Lake to uncover who the real killer is. When new and crucial evidence is discovered, Olivia and Reagan realize they may have started a dangerous chain of events that they are powerless to stop. With the killer hiding in the woods armed with their signature bow and arrow, can anyone escape alive?

This was an entertaining and easy read. I was obsessed with Danielle Valentine’s “Delicate Condition” (so good!) and wanted to give this book a try despite the fact that I do not usually read YA. The story kept me interested throughout and while I had my suspicions of who the murderer was, I did not know for sure until shortly before the big reveal. The story is told in dual points-of-view and dual timelines which allows you a chance to get to know many of the characters on a deeper level. I really enjoyed each POV but did find myself getting a bit confused about who was who and especially, who was related to who. But I am absolutely terrible with names, so this is no fault of the author. I enjoyed that the author allowed for diversity in the love interests of the main characters. That made me so happy, and I think it is very important to have examples of all types of relationships in YA books. Really great ending! I had unanswered questions which were wrapped up in an interesting and unexpected way. I can’t wait to read what Danielle come up with next :)

Thank you to PENGUIN GROUP Penguin Young Readers Group, G.P. Putnam's Sons Books for Young Readers, and NetGalley for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

This book hit the ground running, literally. I feel like the title truly doesn’t explain the book. It was dark, it kept me on the edge of my seat and had me guessing all the way until the end. It did leave on a slight cliff hanger but it was poetic. It is nothing like I have read before and it had you guessing who did it the whole time. Truly great! Thanks to NetGalley for letting me get a copy early!

Thank you to netgalley and the publisher for providing me with this book in exchange for my review. All opinions are mine.

Unfortunately this book fell flat for me. I was hoping to enjoy it but unfortunately I couldn’t get into it. Maybe I will try another book by Danielle Valentine in the future.

Danielle Valentine writes some of the best YA thrillers I've read and that's no different with this book. I think both YA and adult readers will enjoy this one. I couldn't put it down!

open endings to standalones why

This book had such a great premise, the daughter of an alleged murderer teaming up with the girl born during said murders, but sadly it didn't live up to it. I found the dual POVs a tad confusing, Reagan and Olivia's voices were nearly non-distinguishable to me. The callback chapters to the timeframe of the murders was a refreshing touch however. The book just felt younger YA to me, it definitely is meant for a younger crowd who will appreciate it better.

Thank you to Netgalley and Penguin Books for the e-arc!

Solid thriller that will keep the reader interested the whole way through the book. I liked the main characters and how well the were written.