Thank you Netgalley and MK Pagano for this early copy!

I loved the setting of the book and the way the characters developed through out the story. I do love a good YA thriller and liked that the characters matched the age range. The story kept a good pace and there weren’t any plot holes that didn’t make sense. I do feel like the romance was a little forced and not natural in some parts and took away from the main mystery.
I would have liked to have seen just a tad more mystery. The ending also fell a little flat in the end and just sort of ended.

It’s been a while since I’ve read a YA thriller so I forgot how heavy they can be on the angsty teen romance. That makes for a lot of the story, which is fine! I didn’t find myself caring about the love story. But I was invested in the whodunit. I also like the friendships that eventually came about. Wish it had happened earlier in the story though, instead of the isolated feeling. But I get why it was the way it was.

If you're looking for another hit in the YA thriller department, look no further. No, seriously. Don't pass go until you've sat down and read this book.

Mystery? Check.
Devastating death? Check.
MC who is determined to solve it all? Check.
Secrets? So. Many.

Addie takes us on a journey motivated by grief and a feeling that something just isn't right. With her sister dead and her relationships burned, Addie turns to Seth, the cousin of the second person to die like her sister did a year later. While Girls Who Burn has an almost formulaic way about it's structure, it did it so, so well.

Thank you to Peguin and Netgalley for the arc.

Content warnings: murder of teenagers, abuse of power, corrupt police, mature adult-teenager relationship, gun violence, abandonment by parent, talks of suspected suicide

Ok first... how GORGEOUS is this cover?! It's what got my attention first and then the synopsis hooked me. Pagano has definitely written a page turner that is impossible to put down, especially as the plot thickens and the stakes are raised.

As the pieces fall together on what actually happened to Fiona and Thatcher, the truth takes a soap opera level turn... and I was totally here for it. The reasoning is bonkers and ridiculous in the best ways possible... but also realistic? SO much drama. I lost the "just one more chapter" game more than once because I HAD to know what happened next.

I liked Addie as our protagonist, though the one thing I wish Pagano gave readers was some chapters from Seth's POV. Being inside his head would have been very interesting and I think would have added even more depth to the overall plot. I will say, for a house with a dog... the dog isn't very good at alerting when non-family members walk around the house.

Overall this was a book I didn't want to stop reading and I'm very excited to be able to get this into the hands of my teen patrons that love mystery thrillers.

Advanced Reader’s Copy provided by NetGalley, PENGUIN GROUP Penguin Young Readers Group, and Nancy Paulsen Books in exchange for an honest review.

“Girls Who Burn,” by MK Pagano

Addie got into a fight with her sister, Fiona, last summer and then Fiona was found dead. The police say it’s an accident, but Addie never believed it. Addie is determined to find out who pushed her sister down a ravine, her suspect is Thatcher. But then Thatcher was also found dead in the same ravine. She teams up with her rival, Seth, who is Thatcher’s cousin.

This book is a murder mystery with tropes like one bed and forced proximity. It reminded me a little of Pretty Little Liars of finding evidence and then it mysteriously disappears, etc. I liked the book, but it was on the slow side, and I didn’t feel like the characters developed very much. 3 out of 5 stars.

Thank you for the ARC, Netgalley.

This book was great read it in one sitting it really hadme on the edge of my seat. Flipping pages so fast i got papaer cuts. The writing was phenomenal.i found my next author to look out for me this year i wanted more nee to.me authors more thrillers and yhis book was just want i needed

Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for early access to this title in exchange for my honest feedback!

I found this was the kind of story that was easy to get lost in and seeing the main character go through this investigation alongside Seth as she’s trying to uncover what really happened to her sister was well put together as a mystery and well written in my opinion. I personally didn’t guess the culprit but could see how the reader would connect the dots before the big reveal; I was definitely along for the ride as Addie was putting the puzzle pieces together!

4.25 stars

This was such a fun YA thriller, I read it in a few hours and it kept me guessing the entire time! If you like Karen McManus and Holly Jackson, you'll love this. Addie Blackwood has lived in Bier's End, a small vacation town in northern New Jersey, her entire life. Addie and her siblings, Fiona and Davy, grew up running around the woods playing with the Montgomery kids, who only occupy their sprawling Bier's End mansion during the summer months. Until last year, when Fiona was found dead at the bottom of a ravine, and Addie accused Thatcher Montgomery of pushing her. When a year later Thatcher is found dead in the same ravine, Addie is forced to reevaluate her theory. Forced to team up with Seth Montgomery, her on-again-off-again summer fling/frenemy, if she doesn't find the actual murderer, she may just go down for this herself.

I love a class disparity and a good summer setting, and the small, wooded town here was no exception. Addie goes for a lot of evening runs through the forest, which used to be my favorite thing when I lived on the East Coast. I liked Addie and Seth, but what I really loved about this was that I had NO IDEA who the killer was, and cycled through like 3 different theories and NONE OF THEM WERE RIGHT. Chef's kiss. If you're looking for a fun quick thriller with a good romance subplot, check this out. Though, one gripe, I think this should have had a different title. I get the character allusion they were going for, but I kept expecting there to be an actual fire. Oh well. Thanks to Penguin Teen and the author for the advance copy in exchange for my honest review!

A page-turning mystery that will keep readers up long into the night. Perfect for fans of Holly Jackson, Maureen Johnson, and Karen McManus.

Addie's sister's death is ruled an accident after she is found at the bottom of a ravine, but Addie is convinced that Fiona's killer is still out there. She is determined to see Thatcher Montgomery, Fiona's rich boyfriend, locked up for the crime. But when he is found at the bottom of the ravine a year later, Addie doubts her theory. She teams up with Thatcher's cousin, Seth, her childhood friend. She was with him both nights of the murders, after all. Something she regrets. Even though the tension between them is high, they'll have to work together to find the killer, because the cops are looking at the two of them.

My biggest gripe with the book is the title, there is no arson or fires in this book. The title is tied to a bit of characterization in the story, but I think a teen picking up this book would be wondering where the fires are. Otherwise, the enemies-to-lovers dynamic between Addie and Seth is satisfying, leaning into the market's new desire for "horror-romance." The plot is well done and the ending is thrilling, but makes sense in the context of the story. A great pick for libraries and YA mystery fans.

This was such a riveting read!! It reminded me a bit of a good girl’s guide to murder, but more high stakes at points. The characters had good dimensions and phenomenal chemistry that I felt through the pages.

If you’re on the fence, take the plunge. Read the story. You’ll have a good time.

Thank you to the author, publisher, & NetGalley for allowing me early access!

Usually like YA mystery/thrillers but this just didn’t do it for me. Girls Who Burn isn’t a bad book, just predictable. The pacing is good and the story itself is well written but all of this has been done before in other books in a similar way.

I really liked this story. I enjoyed the characters a lot and how well-realized the town was. I felt really compelled by their stories and the way everything was intertwined. The plot itself was okay, but I was more enthralled by the characters and their stories. I wasn't sure what to expect from this novel, but I definitely was not disappointed!

Driven by regret and grief, Addie refuses to believe her sister's death was accidental or suicide. She begins an investigation on her own until the death of her #1 suspect turns her determination into fear. While the plot may not be original, the characters and their community are. MK Pagano has given them a voice so loud that their story will be told.

This book took awhile to pull me in, but it grabbed me by the end. I read a lot of thrillers, especially YA ones. This one didn't really stand out from the pack for me, but it was enjoyable.

I liked the characters and their dynamics. The pace was quick and the ending was tense/suspenseful. I don't think this will go down as one of the more memorable thrillers I've read, but there was a lot of promise here. I'm interested in seeing what the author writes next.

I read an ARC of this book from NetGalley. All comments are my own.

As a debut, MK Pagano’s Girls Who Burn shows promise. While I did enjoy this YA romantic thriller, my problem was that the story felt a little too by-the-numbers. Maybe I’ve just read too many similar books, but I saw most of the twists coming and had the story figured out relatively early on. As I said, I still enjoyed the story and Pagano’s writing style enough that I’d gladly check out more of her work in the future. 3.5 stars. I’d like to thank PENGUIN GROUP Penguin Young Readers Group and NetGalley for the opportunity to read and review an eARC of Girls Who Burn.

https://www.amazon.com/review/RE8VFUDB0D9C9/ref=pe_1098610_137716200_SRTC0204BT_cm_rv_eml_rv0_rv

Synopsis: The summer before her senior year, Addie hurled the worst words she could think of at her sister—and hours later, Fiona was found dead at the bottom of a ravine. The police ruled her death an accident, but Addie has never bought it. Her ballet-prodigy sister didn’t slip and fall; she was pushed.

Addie’s number one suspect: Thatcher Montgomery, the rich boy down the street who always had a thing for Fiona. No one believes her—least of all Thatcher’s cousin Seth, Addie’s childhood rival and the boy she’s always loved to hate. Arguing with Seth is easy; living with her own questionable choices involving Seth the night Fiona died . . . much harder.

But when one year later Thatcher is found dead at the bottom of the same ravine, Addie is forced to admit she was wrong. To catch the real killer, she’ll have to seek help from the only one she can trust—the boy she was with during both murders. As Addie and Seth dodge corrupt police and his even more corrupt family, Addie will have to decide if her growing bond with Seth is stronger than familial ties, and if their link will keep her safe—or turn her into the next victim.

Review: I loved this book. Absolutely loved it. It kept my attention the entire time. So much in fact, that I stayed on the treadmill an extra 50 minutes to finish it. I loved the story, I especially loved the tension between Seth and Addie. I thought I knew what was going to happen so many times, and I was wrong. Loved this book. Definitely a great YA thriller.

Honestly this was 2.5 stars in my opinion. It was alright, but I probably won’t think about it again.

It was labeled as enemies to lovers. But it’s more like estranged frienemies to one-night-stand to lovers. But there's cheating, like so much cheating. Actually like…4 cheating relationships? She cheated on her boyfriend. And her mom cheated on her dad. And her friends dad cheated on his wife with her mom. But her mom also slept with Seth’s uncle and then there was that weird thing between the old man Montgomery with her sister after he had slept with her mom?

I have no idea what the title has to do with the book. And the cover makes it seem like there's a spooky mansion and possibly ghosts but the real villain is wage disparity and nepo babies.

It really just wasn’t for me to be honest.

Thank you to NetGalley and Penguin Teen for the eARC of this book in exchange for my honest opinion!

Girls Who Burn by MK Pagano is a wonderfully twisty enemies-to-lovers thriller, full of secrets, privilege, and murder.
I love a good YA thriller and this one was great!
Suspenseful, extremely twisted, captivating, thrilling, and addicting at times. This one is an intriguing read that has your curiously piped from the beginning. It’s a slower paced read but it works as it really builds the suspense. I couldn’t turn the pages fast enough to find out what was going on or where it was going. A well developed storyline and characters. I think the author did a great job executing this storyline. Fantastically written with vivid evocative descriptions that really put you in the storyline. Overall an absolutely fantastic, suspense filled, unputdownable addictive page turner with a wild unexpected twist.

Thank You NetGalley and Nancy Paulsen Books for your generosity and gifting me a copy of this amazing eARC!

4.25/5⭐️

While not raving, this YA gothic-feel mystery/romance was pretty good.

Neighbor children (have and have nots) grew up together. As young adults (18-21), two end up mysteriously dead in a ravine on the property of the “haves”. The sister and cousin of the victims investigate and everyone is a suspect.

I liked the eerie feel that the author drew of the mansion and surrounding area. I also liked the sweet romance. But while I was able to deduce the villain, the reasoning behind the initial murder seemed a bit overblown/far-fetched to me. But I was still onboard otherwise.

An enjoyable atmospheric read.

My sincere thanks to the author, NetGalley and Penguin Group/Nancy Paulsen Books for providing the free early arc of Girls Who Burn for review. The opinions are strictly my own.

ARC Review!!!
Addie finds herself lost after the mysterious death of her sister. She has her mind made up of who did the crime and has been trying to prove it ever since. The return of the fellow rich family, Montgomery, into town convinces Addie that Thatcher killed her sister until he’s found dead.
This book had some many twists and turns it was done beautifully!!!! It was so good, such a good start and flowed nicely all the way through. At every point in this book I thought I knew who did it until it revealed another twists. Addie is trying to navigate her feelings for Seth, Thatchers cousin, her lost friendship, her family ties and how to grieve her sister and solve her murder. Such a great YA good!!!