Amazing plot line . Love the character development will definitely recommend to friends and family. Such an amazing book

2.5 stars rounded up

I have really had a string of mid books this month and I would love for it to end! Girls Who Burn is a very okay YA mystery in my opinion. It's relatively entertaining, sometimes has pacing issues, and ends with an excessively long explanatory villain monologue and motives that had me groaning. The writing is fine and the teen relationship drama was pretty effective for a YA novel. But given how persistent our heroine is about solving the mystery of her sister's death, she has oddly lacked curiosity in many other parts of her life. But I think there are much better YA mysteries out there and I wasn't particularly impressed. That said, I had a reasonably good time reading it until we got to the ending, which brought my rating down by a full star. I received a copy for review via NetGalley, all opinions are my own.

Thank you so much to netgalley and the publisher for the arc of this book in exchange for an honest review!

Unfortunately, this book did not work for me and it was a DNF.

I am not a huge romance reader, especially YA romance, and this book was just that. The romance felt a bit ridiculous to me and wasn't very realistic. I also felt like the thriller part never really took off for me. I didn't connect with the characters and just didn't care for the story.

I am not the audience for this one so I hope others love it.

Girls Who Burn was a fun, flirty and fast-paced “whodunit” summer murder mystery.

The story follows 18-year-old Addie one year after her older sister, Fiona, was found at the bottom of a ravine- dead. The cops have ruled it an accident but this doesn’t sit right with Addie as Fiona was a dance prodigy promised a spot at the American Dance Academy. A nimble ballerina wouldn’t just fall to her death. No. Addie thinks someone pushed her and she is determined to find out who. This mission Addie has set herself on has only brought her closer to her childhood rival, Seth Montgomery. Could he be the killer? Who can Addie really trust?

I really liked this book, the review is three weeks late due to summer traveling, but I finished reading it in about six days! I love summer thrillers with a romantic side plot and “Girls who Burn” was giving just that. This excerpt from the uncorrected advanced reader’s copy perfectly encapsulates the vibe:
“And summers became synonymous with the Montgomerys: manhunt in the woods between our houses, cannonballing into their giant pool. Daring one another to hop the old stone wall to the abandoned Bier mansion next door and screaming when the ivy brushed our ankles.
Searching for treasure. Legend has it the last Bier took what was left of the family fortune and buried it somewhere on their acres of land.”

This book is dripping in teenage melodrama which makes it perfect for the 14-18 year old age range but be careful because there are some scenes which can be categorized as body-checking which I viewed as potentially dangerous for impressionable younger audiences. I found the self-discovery and resolution to fall a little flat for me but I will say I was kept on my toes all the way up to the very end trying to guess who the killer was!
I gave this 3 stars because I wish M K had gone just a little deeper with the the message about wealth and class disparity, as it seemed to be a major insecurity for Addie but the dialogue (internal or otherwise) only seemed to barely scratch the tip of the iceberg. I also felt some aspects of the story to be redundant and other parts to be cliche but that may be because i am a few years older than the targeted young-adult audience.

Fun thriller, enjoyed the discussion of class within the story. I did feel bored through quite a bit of the story. The twists didn’t feel like they progressed the story as much as I would like.

For some reason, I was not expecting what I got with GIRLS WHO BURN y MK Pagano. Maybe it was based on the title, I don’t know, but I felt like I was part of the Citizen Sleuth Forum. And I liked it!

Addy Blackwood and her siblings, Davey and Fiona have always been close. When their mother left them years ago, Addy’s father threw himself into work, often leaving the children to fend for themselves. All hopes are pinned on Fiona, a ballet prodigy who unfortunately died last year when she fell from, a cliff. Was it suicide? An accident? Or was she pushed?

Addie is convinced that Fiona would not have taken her own life. She had finally earned a scholarship to a prestigious dance school and was on her way to stardom. When childhood friends, the Montgomery’s return to their summer house right next door to the Blackwoods Addy is convinced that one of them pushed her sister, causing her death she has posted online her theories about who was responsible. She also has a past relationship, with one of the Montgomery children. When one of them is found at the bottom of the same cliff, Addy herself is suspected of taking revenge. While she begins to put the pieces together of what actually happened that night, she also reignites a relationship that she thought would never mend. As suspects abound, Addy learns more about the Montgomery’s and Fiona‘s tangled web where they are concerned. Will she get to the truth? And what of her old best friend and boyfriend who have basically shut her out since her sister’s death?

I really enjoyed this book. As I said, it was not what I expected, but I was pleasantly surprised. The authors writing style led to a smooth and easy read. Just my kind of book. I will certainly be looking into other titles by MK Pagano.

Thank you to NetGalley and Nancy Paulsen Books for this arc opportunity. All opinions are my own and given voluntarily.

I want to start off by saying ya mystery thrillers scare me… As in I rarely have a good time reading them. But, this was great! Kept me guessing. I loved the characters and the plot. Would definitely recommend this to friends.

I really enjoyed this book!

Having multiple families and multiple characters experiencing so much through years is really interesting. Following the relationships between these characters while trying to figure out what happened to Fiona and Thacher was sooooo interesting. I think the book was paced well and gave me just enough information to want more. Relationship romantic or otherwise were hinted at and as I kept reading my questions or assumptions were confirmed or denied. I love that for a mystery.

I want to be able to piece together what I’m reading and guess, hopefully being right. But if not that’s also great because then I am surprised.

My only criticism is that it is similar to others in the genre, that isn’t a bad thing it just felt like something I had read before. But I really enjoyed this book and would read more by the author! This was a fun read!

The cover is also amazing!!
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I think this book definitely grabs you! As two enemies have to team up to clear their names after a classmate is found dead, they find they might have more in common than they think.
I was worried that the romance would take away from the mystery but it did not. This book gave me similar vibes to AGGGTM with an edgier story. While trying to find the murderer, there are the additional enemies of the corrupt police department and the rich family who wants to keep their name clean, no matter who it hurts.

This book grabbed me right from the start-It was. great, easy and fun read for me. Would definitely recommend to friends.

Ahh this book was so good! I ate this book up. Penguin Teen books have been killing it this year! Normally I’m hesitant on YA mystery/thrillers because I can get annoyed that the teens think they can solve it themselves without the cops at all. But this one was definitely an exception. I was hooked from the beginning, and trust me, if I COULD stay up late to finish a book, I would have stayed up until the wee hours to finish this one. But alas, I’m old now and with two little ones, that’s just not an option anymore. But just know that I WOULD have done that with this book!

The pacing of this book was perfect; never for a second did I start to get bored. I liked all the characters, and I loved the little bit of romance in the story too. (Although it’s hard to really root for anyone when there’s a chance they’re the killer.) This also had my favorite trope: enemies-to-lovers. AND there was even an instance where there was only one bed!! 😄

Definitely pick this one up if you like thrillers. I think this will even appeal to non-YA readers!

"A twisty, pulse-pounding enemies-to-lovers thriller full of secrets, privilege, and murder."

Thank you NetGalley, the publishers Nancy Paulsen Books and the author MK Pagano for this book ARC in exchange for an honest review. This was a four star young adult mystery novel you will like this novel Girls Who Burn that releases Monday July 16th 2024. If you liked the book Seven Dirty Secrets by Natalie D. Richards you will enjoy along with being entranced with this novel. This novel take place in the summer before the female main character Addie senior year. Her sister Fiona is found dead at bottom of a Ravine, which her death was ruled an accident but addie thinks it was a murder. Girls Who Burn by MK Pagano is full of twists and turns you weren't expecting. I was captivated from the first page and couln't set the book down until I finished.

"It’s infuriating the way he does that— works me up, makes me want to hit him, then says something to cut my anger down, make me think he might be on my side after all."

⭐⭐⭐✨

Thank you Netgalley and Nancy Paulsen Books for a copy of this book for review purposes. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

I requested this book after seeing it advertised as a "twisty enemies-to-lovers thriller, full of secrets, privilege, and murder". Penguin Teen was nice enough to send a hardcover my way as well! I don't have a good explanation, but my expectations for enjoyment were pretty low with this one. Surprisingly, despite how busy I was, I kept bringing this book everywhere in hopes of continuing it!

Girls Who Burn follows Addie, a girl who just lost her older sister due to a death with plenty of mysterious circumstances. She's caught between trying to hold together her family (now just her father and little brother) and wanting to learn what exactly happened to her sister that night. Unfortunately for her, things get even more complicated when her childhood friend shows up in town demanding to speak to her. Surely it's not because she's been accusing his cousin and best friend of murdering her sister! Can she discover what happened despite the growing odds against her?

Addie and Seth had so much chemistry! I couldn't believe how invested I was in learning what happened to them last summer and if they'd ever manage to work out their issues. My main complaint is that I wouldn't *really* call this an enemies-to-lovers story. It's more of a childhood friends → strangers → reluctant allies → lovers. Don't get me wrong, I loved it! The trope advertisement just felt off.

The writing was okay. There were a few scenes where things were skipped over in a way that seemed like the author didn't feel like doing research. When there was an issue with the car, the MC stated she waited outside so she didn't hear what was wrong with the car, but it was 'probably tampered with'. It had me laughing and did pull me out of the story a little, but not enough to stop reading. I also struggled with the logic of the plot. I wish some of the plots were more tied up by the end.

I did have a great time reading this, though! I also enjoyed the audiobook narration on Spotify Premium. I would certainly read another book by this author and would recommend this to people who enjoy YA thrillers with the vibes of Gossip Girl vs someone like Dan/Jenny and messy relationships.

This book has a great romance built in and a wide cast to keep readers guessing. The author did a wonderful job of dropping in clues and threads along the way, and I especially appreciated Addie's journey of coping with the loss of her sister while she heals from their broken relationship and learns to love herself again. Many teens will love this!

Addie's sister was found dead in a ravine a year ago, which changed her entire world. Now a year later, the boy who loved her sister is also found dead. Addie know it's not what the cops think, so she decides to investigate the mysterious deaths on her own.

This YA murder thriller is wonderful and will keep you on the edge of your seat the entire time. The chapters are short, the story moves at a very fast pace, and the characters are likable and intriguing.

The love story between Addie and Seth is full of angst, will-they/won't-they, and will keep the reader hooked into what happens next. There is a little bit of spice, but nothing is graphic, so it is excellent for an older YA audience.

What I liked best was how Addie balanced her friendships with her life. There was a lot of self reflecting on Addie's part on how she was a good friend vs a bad friend, and I think that is very fresh in a YA novel. The author allows the characters to have their faults, explore their mistakes, and admit when they have a less than desirable trait. I think it will be refreshing to any YA reader to see a reflection of themselves in the characters.

The writing style allows for a quick read and a good understanding of where the plot is going, allowing the reader to make many guesses to where the plot is going. The writing style isn't complicated, but it isn't too simple.

This story reminded me of Jesse Sutanto’s writing style and I quite enjoyed it! The characters were out of high school and of different economic backgrounds, which plays into the overall story. The twists weren’t very shocking, but the storytelling was done well enough to keep me intrigued. I’d recommend.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC in exchange for my honest opinion.

This book hooked me from page one. I was completely immersed and stayed up well into the night because one more chapter always became five.

A delightful debut thriller with a heavy dose of romance and one of my personal favorite tropes, enemies to lovers!

I was shocked to realize this one was a debut. The author did an incredible job weaving romance into the more traditional mystery/thriller elements. All layers were equally propulsive and necessary to the story, and kept me turning pages late into the night. If other authors are doing this mix half as well as MK Pagano, I may have just stumbled upon my new favorite genre blend. Cannot wait to see what this author does next!

A good addition to the YA Thriller line up. But also, typical? The poor girl falls for the rich boy. There's a death, that involved both families, they become enemies... and in the end they have to put away their differences to solve this murder in order to get answers and clear their names.

Oh YES, typical. But I did like the characters of this story, The friendships, and the love side stories. It is cute for a YA. But also kind of predictable with who the villain is.

Enjoy it as a summer thriller. Especially if you go to a small town for a summer, and have made friends there that you only see once a year. It will give you the creeps, and might make you look at them differently. Just saying.

Thank you to penguin teen for my review copy.