So...I read this in one sitting 😳 I could not put this book down! 5 ⭐️'s
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One year ago, Addie Blackwood's sister Fiona was found dead at the bottom on a ravine. The police say it was an accident but Addie believes that a boy named Thatcher killed her. But here's the catch: the Montgomery family has returned for the summer and Thatcher has just been found dead in the same ravine. So...maybe she's wrong 🙃
Now she teams up with her frenemy, Seth Montgomery, in order to find the real killer.


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This was such a fun read! If you are just dipping your toes into the mystery/thriller genre this is a great place to start. And if you are like me and you need to have some romance thrown into the mix then this is even more perfect.
I loved it and highly recommend it!

This was a good book and one I would recommend. I thought it was the perfect thriller and it allowed to be read it quickly.

Pagano's debut novel is a thriller with high-running emotions and a lot of secrets. It follows Addie a year after her older sister Fiona's untimely death that was ruled an accident, but Addie doesn't believe that story. Pagano does a great job at poking holes in the "official" story of Fiona's death and creating a compelling case that she was in fact murdered, as well as exploring Addie's emotions in the midst of all of it. We learn that Addie had a major argument with Fiona right before she died and has to carry the regret of what she said, as well as deal with the emotional fallout of realizing that her sister kept major secrets and made questionable decisions leading up to her death. I felt that Fiona's mistakes were depicted sensitively, in a non-condoning way without victim-shaming.

Also woven into the story are Addie and Fiona's intertwined lives with those of the Montgomery family. Addie suspects that one of the Montgomery boys, Thatcher, is the one responsible for Fiona's death, but then he himself dies under mysterious circumstances, so Addie has no choice but to team up with his cousin Seth to figure out what really happened to both of them. I found the dynamic between Addie and the Montgomery kids to be intriguing, and through flashbacks, Pagano delves into the complicated relationships between the sisters and the Montgomerys dating back to their childhoods. The Montgomerys harbor lots of secrets too, of course, which makes for some shocking reveals and a crazy plot twist.

I really enjoyed the suspense and twists of this book. I love a good thriller with unexpected twists and turns. This book was a great and entertaining read that kept me engaged and excited to continue reading. I thought that I knew how this book was going to end but I was definitely surprised.

I'm sorry. I wanted to love it but I don't think it was a good fit for me. I felt that it was a bit predictable. This would be a great read for teenagers, I think I would have loved it if I read it in my teens.

I enjoyed myself while reading this. I do wish it had a little bit more of a thriller element to it but I enjoyed the ride. It’s perfect for YA readers that are dipping their toes in this genre.

The author hooked me quickly and pulled me under. It was a simple fun and I enjoyed it. It won’t keep you up at night but it will make you question those around you and if you can truly trust them.

It’s like a dark twist to The summer I Turned pretty! I devoured it. Murder, mystery, lies, secrets and a deadly game of who done it. Don’t turn your back or you just may be next.

A year after her sister is found dead in a ravine Addie knows she was murdered but still no one will believe her. The family she holds responsible has come back to the island after the matriarch passes away. With their reunion many new secrets are uncovered and another murder. Addie is more determined than ever to find the murder while trying to keep her feelings in check.

This was a solid YA mystery for me, great complicated and flawed characters, a twisty mystery that I was not able to predict from the beginning and lots of good misdirection. I ended up powering through this book and would check out more from the author in the future. This is a great read for anyone who likes drama with their mystery, geared for older YA or adults with lots of discussions of sex and prostitution.

3 stars

Overall, this was a quick and read, but it didn’t quite blow me away. The story was a bit predictable, and I could see some of the twists coming from a mile away which took away some of the excitement. That said, it was still engaging enough for me to keep reading till the end.

Addie knows that her sister never would’ve committed suicide, but nobody is listening to her alternative theories of what happened to her sister. It’s been a whole year and she’s lost her sister, her friends, and she’s still grieving the loss of her mother from years ago When the family that she thinks is responsible for her sister‘s death reappears in their small town. Among the family members is Seth, the boy she last saw when she spent the night with him on the same night that her sister died. When another death of a young person happens in the town, Addie and Seth know that they need to figure out what has happened. As Addie investigates her sister‘s death, she also has to come to terms with some difficult truths about her own family and make choices about her life to come. I read this book in a day. It was definitely a page Turner and I changed my mind about who the killer was about as many times as Addie did. Definitely can’t wait to bring this one into my classroom.

The premise of the book drew me in, and I’m a sucker for genre-bending books (in the sense that I would consider this both a thriller and a romance). I had a feeling from reading the synopsis that there would be a romance involved as they tried to solve the mystery, but I am so here for it. I thought the book moved at a good pace, and kept the reader engaged through the end. I didn’t guess the twist until it was happening and had to put down the book for a few moments before proceeding - a sign, to me, that it was well-executed. I look forward to reading more books by MK Pagano!

This was a twisty YA thriller that I enjoyed very much. The writing kept me engaged, and I couldn't wait for the mystery to unravel. I look forward to more from this author.

This book was so well written. I loved the twists the story took. I was totally engaged throughout. I couldn't put it down!

This one didn't add anything to the deadly mysteries that are flooding the YA market. Rich privilege. Death of a ballerina prodigy sister on the cusp of stardom. Mysterious circumstances. And in this one, a rivalry between other sister and rich brother of the possible murderer. Lots of hatred... until these two fall in love. In between a lot of drama and questions.

It's not that it wasn't exciting at times, but as mentioned, it was derivative.

Girls Who Burn, what can I say? We have Seth, a rich boy, and Addie. Addie lost her sister a year earlier, and she wants to find out what actually happened to her. Cue help from her once rival, Seth.

I love the writing of this book. M.K. Pagano has a gift of writing as if she’s experienced everything she’s writing about. From descriptions of touch, feel, smell, etc. to descriptions of places, she knows what she’s doing. I’ll be on a lookout for more of her books.

The characters get confusing. Addie isn’t really likable, and Seth is questionable at times, too. But I think I was supposed to feel that way. The whole teenagers trying to solve murders trope isn’t one I’m a big fan of, but I didn’t hate it here.

I received this ARC from NetGalley for my honest review.

this was so thrilling and truly kept me guessing till the last page! I am excited to see where the author goes from here and see so much potential .

I really enjoyed this book and kept me guessing who did it?! Addie is grieving the loss of her sister in trying to figure out who killed her while the police say it’s an accident. Addie has her doubts about the boy who loved her until he winds up dead. Addie is determined to figure out what happened and teams up with Seth who was her alibi on the night her sister was killed.

I enjoyed this one! I liked that it wasn't so cut and dry as many mysteries are now. This one had many different suspects with several different motives.
Fiona was found dead last summer at the bottom of a ravine close to her home. While the police investigated they ruled her death as an accident. Her sister Addie doesn't believe that it was an accident, she thinks that her sister's privileged boyfriend Thatcher Montgomery killed her in rage after they argued. Everyone that would listen including the police Addie would tell them several times that Thatcher was guilty, but nothing came about it. However, his cousin Seth is a complication for Addie. The night that her sister died Addie was cheating on her boyfriend with Seth and losing her virginity, and she carries the guilt for that night and her sister's death. Addie then does not talk or call Seth for the rest of the year because of her guilt.
When this summer comes around Addie tries to avoid Seth however he wants to talk to her and reluctantly she agrees but, she has alterior motives she wants to question Seth about her sister's death and if Thatcher ever told him anything. The only problem while they were talking they heard a yell and soon they found Thatcher's body, he had been murdered as well.
Soon Seth and Addie are both questioned and suspected by the Police, and they decide to investigate together to find out who really killed Fiona and Thatcher. As they spend more time together their feelings start to grow and secrets start slipping out in the investigation Addie realizes that she does not know everyone as well as she thought that she did and someone wants to kill them to make sure their secrets stay a secret! You should check this one out it's so good! Thank you Netgalley and Penguin Group for young readers/Nancy Paulsen Books for the opportunity to read and review this one!

Thank you so much to NetGalley and Nancy Paulsen Books for access to an eARC in exchange for my honest review!!

what's it about? ⬇️

It was the summer before Addie's senior year when her older sister was found dead at the bottom of a ravine in the middle of the woods, hours after the sisters had a horrible fight. But though the police rule her death an accident and imply even worse when pushed, Addie has a clear suspect in mind in the following year and refuses to keep quiet about it. But when the wealthy Montgomery family she and her siblings have grown up playing with when they visit town in the summers returns for the season the next year and Thatcher becomes the next body found at the bottom of the ravine, Addie is left to question everything...including the motivations of everyone around her and her own memories of her sister and the night she died.

Could Thatcher still be the killer she suspected him of being despite his own death? Could someone else have killed him to make it look that way? Or most terrifying of all, were both falls really just accidents, leaving no meaning to either of these awful deaths? Despite her mistrust of the family as a whole and her long standing rivalry and frenemies relationship with Seth Montgomery, she has to rely on his help to find what happened to her sister and his cousin and to make sure neither they or their loved ones are at risk of becoming yet another victim. But will they figure things out before it's too late? And even if they do, will the secrets they uncover about their town, their families, and the people they care about most crush them instead?

A story all about reforging breaking connections in the midst of heartache and the importance of friendship and trust over fear, Girls Who Burn was a mystery gold mine from start to finish.

my thoughts? ⬇️

I don't know how to express how much I adored this book. I loved following Addie through the mess of unraveling the mysteries of the town she grew up in, the sister she loved, and even her own relationships and choices. Addie and Seth were a refreshing pair of sleuthing partners with an incredible story of tension and passion and sadness and regret and love between them that meant no interaction between them was ever a dull moment, and the tenderness and understanding of one another that they managed even in their darkest moments was a beautiful layer of the story.

I also loved the relationship between Addie and her father and brother as well as with her ex-boyfriend and former best friend. Watching all of the messes between them all unwind as the book dragged on and she learned more about them, about herself, and about her sister gave so much more depth to each of the characters and made them feel so real.

Also, the red herrings? I felt like I was so busy suspecting each new person who came on the scene that I didn't have the time to spend trying to catch out the real killer in the end, but once it was there, is was so obvious. Genuinely, I loved this so much and I hope that others will too!

based on your other likes! ⬇️

If you enjoyed any of these other stories, I think this one will be perfect for you, and vice versa!

🩰A Good Girl's Guide to Murder by Holly Jackson (the whole trilogy)
🩰 You'll be the Death of me by Karen M. McManus
🩰 This is Not a Dead Girl Story by Kate Sweeney
🩰 A Long Stretch of Bad Days by Mindy McGinnis
🩰One Last Breath by Ginny Myers Sain

trigger warnings ⬇️

murder, violence, gun violence, death, suicide, death of a loved one, abandonment, infidelity, gaslighting, misogyny.

Girls Who Burn isn't my favorite of all the YA mystery/thrillers I've read but I can really see its appeal. It follows Addie who is still reeling a year after the murder of her sister a year ago and is absolutely shocked when the boy she believes is responsible comes back to town with his whole, rich family, only to wind up dead himself. Addie teams up with the cousin of the murdered boy to solve the crimes and clear their names, giving us a frenemies to lovers romance, and a twisty a look at years of complex friendships between the two families. I thought both Addie and her love interest were too stubborn for their own good, and got so frustrated with them at times, but really enjoyed reading a thriller with romance at the forefront like this. I also love rich family drama, so that hooked me in. What took me out of the story a tiny bit were the mentions of certain compelling plot points, like a lost treasure and several complicated love triangles that are barely explored. It's a very strange choice to mention treasure at abandoned estate over and over, and then never have it amount to anything.

That being said, I think some teens will like this. Karen M. McManus and Jessica Goodman readers should be recommended this immediately and will devour it. I'm intrigued to see what MK Pagano writes next.