I was unfortunately disappointed in this one. Usually when I read a Karen M. McManus book I can easily rate them 4 or 5 stars but this one was probably my least favourite. From the very beginning I felt like I would have to suspend my disbelief and this one did not disappoint in that department. There were too many things going on that were hard to believe were happening. The brother/ sister relationship was probably the best part of the book, everything else was meh. I think it took too long to find out what was in Kat’s past that by the time we find out I didn’t really care. The ending was super rushed with revelation after revelation that I felt like I had whip lash and I was pretty much left with wondering why someone would go through that much trouble.

All in all it was fine but not some of McManus’ best work

She did it! She finally found the same high from her first book! I will always read anything McManus puts out but this one was finally so original and so thrilling I had no guessing.

Another fantastic keep-you-on-your-toes thriller from Karen McManus! I have read almost all of McManus' books and I truly always enjoy them so much. This was no exception!

I felt like the plot of this one was quite different than her other books, and it was full of fun new twists! I loved the bonds that formed between Kat, Liam and Augustus, and there were so many hidden agendas that I was constantly shocked throughout my read. I would guess something or think I figured it out, and then bam 8 other things actually happened. This definitely could have gone the way of being confusing, but this author always does such a great job of keeping the sub plots and offshoots clear enough that the introduction of new information only adds rather than takes away from the main through line.

I also really enjoyed how many secondary characters there were and how the ways in which they were connected were revealed. Karen McManus always does a great job of revealing true colors in ways that both affirm what I already thought, or completely contradict my predictions. That is very important to me in a thriller! I want to work out certain things on my own and be able to confirm that I was right, but I also want to be shocked!

Definitely a 3.5 star read for me. The only reason it's not higher is the plot itself wasn't my favorite, and a few of the characters felt random, but it was still quite solid. Overall, a fun quick read by one of my tried and true authors!!

3.5 stars

Karen M. McManus is known for her One of Us Is Lying series, which I enjoyed.

Her new book, Such Charming Liars follows Kat and Liam. Kat has been raised by her grifter mom, and Liam’s dad is a bit of a scam artist. Kat and Liam met when they were younger, because their parents were briefly married. Present day, they meet up again, because their parents’ end up at the estate of a wealthy family to pull off scams of their own. But then a member of the wealthy family dies, and Kat and Liam don’t know who they can trust.

Maybe it was the mood I was in when I was reading this book, but it took a long time to finally get interesting. The setting was nice. Most of the characters were unlikeable, but I think they were probably meant to be. I did like Liam and Augustus. As far as heist stories go, I wasn’t overly impressed with this one. I felt like it was lacking some excitement.

This started out slow for me and I wasn’t sure about it but once Kat and Jamie got to the compound, the pace picked up and I devoured this book. It was different than McManus’s other books, but I really loved the dysfunctional family dynamic. I was able to figure out the twist before it was revealed but it was still satisfying.

I'm kind of upset i didn't read books from this author before ! i def enjoyed this book. i wish i would have read her other books first but now i wanna go down her backlist!

Karen McManus does it again, this time with a heist gone wrong. Kat and her mother dream of leading a quiet, normal, and boring life. Instead Kat and her mother get caught up in a heist that goes wrong at the same time the past comes back to meet them. This story has twists and turns that keep you guessing until the end with an unique cast of characters that complicate the adventure all along the way. This is another must read by the author. Thank you to the author, publisher and NetGalley for providing me with an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.

I'm generally frustrated by plots that could be easily wrapped up if any of the characters had a 10 minute discussion. I liked Liam a lot, though. Here's hoping for good things for him!

Calling all fans of Karen M. McManus's twisty YA novels! This standalone story dives into the lives of Kat and Liam, teenagers with a surprising childhood connection who reunite in the most unexpected way.

Kat, raised by her single mom Jamie, finds her world turned upside down when Jamie decides to ditch their life of crime. Determined to go straight, Jamie takes one final job – a luxurious party for a wealthy family. But with Kat in tow, things quickly spiral out of control.

Prepare for a whirlwind of poison, murder, stolen jewels, and a long-lost stepbrother. Forced into the drama of a complex family, Kat and Liam must navigate their newfound connection amidst the chaos. Packed with action, suspense, and McManus's signature twists, this book will keep you guessing until the very end.

I thoroughly enjoyed this fast-paced story. The characters are engaging, and the twists deliver exactly what you expect from a McManus novel.

Note: I received a copy of this book via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

This story kept me on my toes FROM THE START & throughout the whole book! It was so intense and exciting! Reminded me exactly why I love Karen’s books & writing style. It was thrilling & unexpected in every single aspect of the plot. Like so much backstabbing was happening behind the scenes that when it all started coming to life my mouth was agape too many times to even count. The brother/sister relationship in Kat & Liam was SO good without being too sappy.

My only caveat was the romance aspects to the book felt unnecessary & forced at some parts. I truly don’t think it added to the storyline at all.

I will always be a hype girl for Karen McManus. I think her YA mysteries are uniquely unmatched with unexpected twists and turns.

Publish date is July 30th. I highly recommend this to anyone who loves YA mysteries that’ll keep you guessing through the LAST page!!

#yabooks #yaauthors #netgalley #SuchCharmingLiars #bookworm #mysterybook #mysterythriller #yamystery #bookrecs #bookrecommendations #bookreview

Another twisty YA read by Karen M. McManus. This standalone novel is the story of Kat and Liam. two teenagers who have a connection from childhood, and find themselves reunited in the most peculiar way. Kat has been raised by her mother, Jamie, who has decided it is time to change her life path and start fresh, away from running scams and the illegal side of the road. When she has one last job to pull, Kat sneaks along and things get a little rocky. Poison, murder, theft, a long lost step-brother, a very wealthy and complex family... this book has it all. I enjoyed the story and the characters. I felt like the pacing was good and the twists were exactly what I hope for from a McManus book. Thank you netgalley for this arc in exchange for my honest opinion.

3.5⭐️
I have read several Karen McManus books and enjoy her writing style and all of the twists. This story included a few good twists that kept things interesting and made you think about what might happen next.

The teen characters were likable, however the adults all left something to be desired.
I did enjoy this story and it was a quick read. My students will likely enjoy it as well.

Thank you so much to NetGalley, Random House, and Delacorte Press for the ARC.

I LOVED this book! McManus always writes such great thrillers. The pace felt right and I really enjoyed the two POVs. It also had a very different angle and vibe than her other books, and I appreciated the change of scenery. This was really a fun read and I'll absolutely be adding it to my classroom library.

I will never turn away from a Karen McManus book. She is one of a few thriller authors that I still read religiously as my tastes have shifted to different genres more prominently. If Karen writes it, I am going to read it. This beauty of Karen's writing is her attention to detail, the importance of each character, main or supporting and the roles they each play in the story telling. I could not wait to read this and I was almost upset with myself for putting it off as long as I did. Yet another homerun for Ms. McManus. 5/5 unquestionable stars.

Another winner from Ms. McManus!! I loved the characters, Liam, Kat and Augustus. And I didn't see that ending coming. I enjoyed Jamie's character and understood the plotting, but I would have loved a bit more of her and maybe Morgan. LESS of Luke!! I am character driven in my reading.

This is my SPOILER-FREE review of Karen M. McManus’s Such Charming Liars. I’ll most likely be doing a spoiler-heavy review once the book is published on July 30, 2024.

The story is told from two points of view: that of Kat, a sharp and independent 16-year-old in-training jewel thief, and of Liam, her sweet and naive stepbrother from her mother’s brief Vegas marriage to Liam’s debonair con-artist father. Liam’s father, Luke, and Kat’s mother, Jamie, divorced after only two days; but Kat and Liam still pleasantly remember each other.

Twelve years later, Kat and Liam meet again at the birthday party of billionaire Ross Sutherland at his massive family compound. Kat is there with Jamie, who is working to pull off one last jewelry heist before she and Kate go straight. Liam is there with Luke, who has seduced Ross’s youngest daughter and means to marry her for her money.

Naturally, Jamie and Kat’s heist doesn’t go as planned. Naturally, someone is murdered. Naturally, the culprit is unknown. Naturally, Kat and Liam are thrust together as they try to solve the situation and get out in one piece.

REVIEW

I didn’t expect much from this book, judging by its premise. But I tried it anyway because I’m a major fan of heist stories and because I’ve enjoyed all of Karen’s previous books. Boy, am I glad that I did. This book was slow for about the first thirty percent, then it became an unputdownable thriller that maintained velocity until the literal last page. In fact, even the slower startup chapters were ultimately justified as crucial setup information—as tends to happen in heist stories.

The mystery is darker and more disturbing than any of Karen’s other ones, which I loved because I’ve wanted Karen to go darker with her content for quite a while now. This is probably Karen’s most family-oriented book since The Cousins. Most characters are well written with emotional depth and solid backstories. The various twists and turns will be mind-blowing to most readers, though I guessed or suspected many of them in advance (only because of my general familiarity with Karen’s formula and with heist subgenre tropes). And the book ends with a much cleaner sense of justice and closure than tends to occur in Karen’s novels.

TRIGGER WARNING/CONTENT ADVISORY

Such Charming Liars is definitely for mature teenagers and new adults. It may be a turn-off for younger kids and/or those with religious sensibilities.

There is abundant foul language, one crucial subplot involves a gay courtship, and said courtship is consummated rather graphically.
Alcohol, drugs, and poison are all present. Major storylines revolve around psychological trauma, tragic accidental death, spousal abuse, and child abuse. Predatorial behavior in its many forms is a major theme. Violence and its threat loom large in this book—larger, in fact, than in any of Karen’s previous works.

MY OVERALL RATING

I give Such Charming Liars 4 of 5 cronuts. All told, it’s probably my favorite Karen M. McManus book since One of Us is Lying.

**Thank you to NetGalley, Random House Children’s, and Delacorte Press for providing me with the ARC in exchange for my honest review. All opinions expressed are my own.**

This book hooked me in from the first chapter. I loved the character development and how the story progressed.

Karen M. McManus does it again!!! This book was so full of twists and turns! The surprises kept coming and I absolutely loved it!

As one who is usually able to tell who the guilty character is in mysteries and thrillers, McManus never fails to keep me guessing all the way through her books.

Loved everything about this one and cannot recommend it enough!

Karen McManus DOES NOT MISS. Comparable to "The Cousins," the plot is family-based, which I loved. Plan on buying for my physical bookshelf upon release.

This one felt like The Cousins for me…I just don’t like her family dramas as much as her murder mysteries set in schools. Her adults don’t feel real to me. It took a long time before I cared about it & then I still felt more like I was getting through it than actually enjoying it. It definitely got better the more the action wove together & I did like the twist at the end.