3.5 ⭐️

One Killer Problem follows Gigi as she joins her schools Murder Mystery Club (note: it has a much longer name, but much like Gigi I find the shorter version more convenient 🤣) to solve the murder of her favourite teacher - that’s the cops have ruled an accident - Mr. Ford.

I was really impressed with how witty and pun filled this book was, and I absolutely loved the cat jokes. Meowder! I thought the comedic timing was brilliant, and really added levity to a story that, in parts, was very heavy. Additionally, I loved how Winans referenced other YA murder mystery books, particularly [book:One of Us Is Lying|58679358 which is probably the most well know book for a murder that happens while someone’s in detention.

This book had a wonderful cast of characters from different backgrounds and I like we had an element of found family in it, but I also loved the community elements with parents and adults helping each other with raising the kids. Of course, there are some shitty parents, which is unfortunately the reality many teens have to face.

However, I do wish we got to see a bit more of the friendships. I sometimes found myself lost at who was meant to be best friends with who, how long they’d actually known each other, and sometimes found myself getting a few of the characters stories muddled.

I thought the murder mystery element was good but I was never really that invested? I just don’t think I really felt like there was much happening, there was just a lot of repeated threats and break ins until the escalation at the end, but before that I felt the detective work done by our characters was lackluster.

I liked that Gigi wasn’t perfect, she was quick to violence and to jump to conclusions, and had massive fears of coming across as weak so absolutely refused to show any upset emotion in front of others. I think she had a good character arc — she learned that crying doesn’t make you weak! Showing you care in other ways (not just beating up enemies) is a strength! I’m excited to see where her character goes in a potential sequel.

Also, I have to say, as an IBS girlie who is also plagued with coeliac disease, I appreciated the tummy troubles rep.
Overall though I think this was a really good read, and I enjoyed the friendships, the characters, and the slow burn romance. I think this book would be great for younger readers who are just getting in to the genre.

When you and your friends are part of your high schools's Mystery Club the last thing you expect is to actually be solving a murder... and becoming the next targets as well! Gianna "Gigi" Ricci is part of her high school's mystery club with her friends and when they receive a strange email from their favorite teacher... and then find him dead in a pool of his own blood. Gigi is determined to solve the mystry with her best friend her mystery club, and her longtime crush.... all the while getting help from her nemesis who might not hate her at all. Gigi begins to realize that the closer she gets to solving it the closer she and all those she loves might end up as the next target. Can she solve this before its too late? This was a easy and fast queer ya mystery read, I definitely think it's one to add to your tbr if you like an easy fast read. There is a wide cast of rep and characters, which is always appreciated, and while the mystery felt a bit lackluster, it goes by quickly. It's okay at best for me yet I think its enjoyable enough for younger YA mystery fans!

*Thanks Netgalley and HarperCollins Children's Books | HarperTeen for sending me an arc in exchange for an honest review*

Release Date: June 4,2024

Publication/Blog: Ash and Books (ash-and-books.tumblr.com)

Thank you to Netgalley for providing me with an aRC of this story.
SPOILERS TO FOLLOW

WOW. Another KILLER (lol) STORY from Justine!! I'm always down for a good murder mystery and this one was so much fun! I loved how Gigi gave zero shits to people who were mean to her and was able to joke about/talk so openly about IBS. She was badass for confronting everyone she thought might be the killer and I enjoyed watching her take down people who were bigger than her. (Honestly in some books they never make it believable that the main character can fight but in this one Jiu-Jitsu is so ingrained into the plot line that it felt very real to me).

The friend group was awesome too. I loved her older brother Sean and how protective and at the same time ready to fight him Gigi was. They had a very good relationship. Mari and Sean were great characters too and I loved watching them interact with one another. The little love Triangle between Gig, Cedar, and Mari was great too.

Overall I really enjoyed the plot of this book. There were some high stakes right away and the reveal of the killer in the end was intense. (Although I kind of predicted it early on. I thought "hey wouldn't it be funny if ______ was the killer?" and it turns out they were!!) This was such a great sotry though and I'm looking forward to meeting the author at their launch event in June!!

Thank you to NetGalley and HarperTeen for this advanced copy! You can pick up One Killer Problem on June 4, 2024.

I think this book is perfect for readers looking for a fun, campy, queer murder mystery! It's got tons of humor and heart, and the main character, Gigi, absolutely leaps off the page. Unfortunately, I couldn't finish this book because I wasn't in the right mood to read a campy murder mystery, but from what I did read, YA thriller and humor fans will love it! It definitely gives off Only Murder vibes, as the description says.

5 out of 5 stars

Rep: Bi main character with IBS, plus-sized lesbian love interest, nonbinary side character, aroace side character, gay side character, unspecified queer side characters

Content warnings: Homophobic words and actions including from a parent, grief, stalking, break-ins, blood, various injuries, hospital scene, fire, physical fights, brief non-sexual nudity, brief misgendering (challenged)

Justine Pucella Winans has done it again!!! "Bianca Torre" is one of my favorite books of all time, so I had some doubts that this one could rival it. I've never been so happy to be wrong; this novel sealed the deal on Winans being an auto-buy author for me.

The characters are just as chaotic and lovable and complex and genuinely hilarious as they were in their previous YA book. I laughed so many times and adored the various types of representation. Cedar is actually just a cis version of me. And the excellent parenting?? I hope every queer and/or trans kid has adults like Gigi's mom and dad in their lives.

Campy, queer YA mysteries combine all of my favorite genres, and I am actually begging Mx. Winans to keep writing more for as long as they're able (and want to).

**HUGE thank you to HarperTeen for granting me an eARC through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review!**

This is a very voicey book that I enjoy reading. I found the main character very lovable and relatable with how openly herself she is, it was refreshing. I do worry that some of the internet speak in the book will date it sooner than later though, I do know this is part of the voice.

i got this as an arc because i was so intrigued by the possibilities (also the cover looked great!) (anyway thank you netgalley and publisher for this opportunity) let’s talk about gigi bec ??????? insane
also found family
and murder
and ibs
this was sooo much fun getting to think like baby detectives, thank you justine for this extraordinary piece of work.

I'm going to land at 4.5 stars on this one.

Positives
Laugh-out-loud funny.
Flipped the script of heteronormativity (at times, though, this seemed unrealistic. I'd love to find a community with this much gayness. Please tell me the name of it!!).
Cozy mystery for young adults
Some romance, crushes, and total cuteness of characters
Great name of the Mystery Club

Why it's not 5 stars
Gigi is a bit too much at times. This is probably intentional (after we all we can't be surprised about Big Willy unless we are led to believe something about him first ...), but Gigi is too naive too much of the time. She is too stubbornly strong (when she ran with the first assumption about who the killer had to be I was absolutely exasperated!).
Not sure the cliffhanger for Book 2 works well (but I'll read it when it comes out!).

fun little mystery with a nicely written plot and a great idea. i loved our protags so much! tyssm for the arc, would rec

I had trouble enjoying this book because I found Gigi to be so truly insufferable. I didn't understand why she had such a big chip on her shoulder, and I didn't think she was a very good friend to anyone around her. I also found the decision to end this in a way that sets up for a sequel confusing considering half of the major characters went away to college at the end of this book?

ONE KILLER PROBLEM is an instant comfort read, so hilarious and lots of fun, and incredibly thrilling! I can't wait to reread it many more times and for others to become as obsessed with it as I am!!

Thank you Harperteen and Netgalley for this eARC, these opinions are my own. I consumed this! Gigi is used to being looked at the troubled one, the fighter, the bad seed. One of the only teachers that doesn’t see her that way is Mr. Ford. He expects more from her. So when she’s comes to his class after detention and finds him dead she is understandably shocked. Soon her best friend Shawn and her crush Mari, show up from the Mystery Club. Someone emailed them to go to that room. The police rule the death an accident but the three don’t believe it. So with the help of the rest of the Mystery Club and Mari’s friends Luca and Ceder, Gigi’s brother and her archenemies, they’re determined to solve the case. But some secrets want to stay hidden, or at least the person is is threatening them wants them to stay hidden. Can they solve the case? Can Gigi confess her love to Mari? Can she keep her friends safe? Funny, thrilling, and absolutely captivating! Gigi will have you laughing and rooting for her! Justine Pucella Winans use of witty sarcasm had me falling in love early on and I couldn’t put it down! And what a group of characters I loved them all! Especially since they all had a bit of that sarcastic attitude! I’ve always wanted to see a mystery with a pretty much complete cast of queer characters and this book finally gave that to me! If you enjoy a good mystery then this one is for you, especially if you like queer mysteries! I cannot wait to read it again!