3.5

I was immediately sucked into the book through Ruby's Gossip Girl-esque tiktok investigations about the rich and terrible kids at her school. The crazy stories she found through her research and the lengths she went to for the posts were intriguing and hilarious. Right after she gets exposed, the book quickly transitioned to Ruby seeing her ghost, leading her to try to figure out what happened and prevent it, all while navigating the entire school and community being upset with her.

The plot twists were twisty, the ghost was scary, and the side characters added a lot. I couldn't predict any of the twists that the book took, which made it all the more enjoyable. I was completely convinced of one thing, thinking that I was being clever, then it turned out that I was totally wrong.

The setting vibes were so unique and interesting as it takes place in the swampy (?) lands of Florida. Main character Ruby lives and works on an alligator/animal attraction and the inclusion of the acts/animals were pretty fun.

Overall a fun YA thriller with a unique setting! Thank you to Random House + NetGalley for this ARC!

Book:
YOU'RE DEAD TO ME by Amy Christine Parker
Thank you RHC and Netgalley for the Arc (Out: Dec 10)

Review:
5⭐
I've been looking forward to another YA mystery/thriller from Amy Christine Parker since I read Flight 171. I was looking for thrills and mystery and oh so much drama. Let me tell you, this book did not disappoint.
I was pulled in from the beginning when Ruby's life took a turn. Speaking of turns, all the twists and turns in YOU'RE DEAD TO ME kept me intrigued. I was constantly guessing the whodunnit. There were times when I thought I had it figured out, but I never would have saw that ending coming. It was wild as the revelations unfolded. This book is so full of mystery: from the Mannequin Man to the reason Ruby is seeing her ghost. I just had to know what happened/was going to happen.
YOU'RE DEAD TO ME follows Ruby who is outed as the person behind a gossip/life ruiner social media page. She thinks that the worse that can happen is being expelled, but when she sees her ghost, she must figure out what's going on unless she wants to end up being her ghost. I already can't wait to reread when the book is out. 10/10 would recommend.

What I Liked About It:
*everything: the mystery, Ruby's relationship with her friends, the imagery that was created from the descriptions, the "didn't see it coming" whodunnit

Gossip Girl meets Happy Death Day (minus the Groundhog Day loophole, just premonitions of a corpse in prom gowns) with Maxton Hall vibes (poor girl falls for rich boy) describes this fast-paced, intriguing YA mystery. The well-played twists make it a promising read for fans. I finished it in one sitting while my husband kept feeding me pudding, worried I'd starve myself as I voraciously read nonstop.

The story revolves around Ruby Toller, a scholarship student and social pariah from South Oleander, Florida, trying to fit in with the wealthy North Oleander elites, the "Bling Brigade." Raised by her single mother Nadine, who owns a struggling park called "Wonderpark," Ruby is determined to save the business despite her mother's boyfriend pushing for a sale.

Ruby's only solace comes from her loyal friends, Anton, an aspiring fashion designer, and Xavier, who aims to become a doctor. Lacking financial security, Ruby's future seems uncertain, but she has a secret weapon: her TikTok account, "Reputation Killer," where she exposes the dirty secrets of her classmates, especially targeting Magnus Bennett, the son of a man who ruined her mother's life. Her mission takes a dark turn when she sees a vision of herself as a ghost in a prom gown designed by Anton, attacked in a restroom. After retrieving her burner phone, she’s caught by mean girls Daphne and Violet, who reveal her secret identity on TikTok.

With seven days until prom night, Ruby's identity as the Reputation Killer is exposed, and her previous victims seek vengeance. Meanwhile, a serial killer dubbed the Mannequin Killer is on the loose, using gunshots to kill, just like the wound Ruby’s ghost has on her forehead. The ghost continues to appear, making Ruby question if it's a hallucination from stress or a real premonition of danger. Despite the threats, Ruby finds support in her friends Anton and Xavier, and even Alexander, her crush and a Bling Brigade member, who help her fight against the school's corruption and privileged schemers.

Will Ruby survive, despite the ominous warnings from her ghost? Time is ticking, and she must outwit the villains with all her wits and stamina.

Overall, it's a fast-paced mystery with well-developed characters and a compelling plot. I couldn't put it down as the suspense kept my heart racing! Highly recommended!

Many thanks to NetGalley and Random House Children’s / Delacorte Press for sharing this stunning thriller's digital review copy with me in exchange for my honest thoughts.

I actually genuinely enjoyed this read! It’s more of a younger vibe to it but that was just fine with me. Easy good thriller, very good writing also

This was a great YA novel with twists and turns. Ruby is a girl from South Oleander, the poorer side of town. North Oleander is the posh well to do area. The ones that get away with murder, literally. There are several plots going on in the story; the mannequin man, he's killing people without discrepancy, Then we have the normal teenage drama, posh, The Bling Brigade” vs poor. The family dynamics play a huge part of the story of Ruby and her mom. Nadine. And then there is the ghost. Ruby’s ghost, the one that looks just like her and keeps showing up in different prom dresses with a bullet wound to the head.
The characters are delightful and I particularly enjoyed the relationship between Anton and Xavier. They were the perfect gay couple. Anton, is flamboyant and wants to be a famous fashion designer and Xavier, the more reserved with hopes of becoming a doctor. Their friendship with Ruby was the kind of “ride or die” relationship that many strive for.
Ruby, has a secret social media account that exposes the dirty deeds of the wealthy. It’s kind of a payback site for what the elite community has done to her family over the years. Her family owns a nature reserve park called Wonderpark and they have been fighting to save the park as it is going downhill and their hope is not to lose it. But, Ruby is adamantly against the sale of the property, a possibility by her mom who is becoming convinced by her new love interest. When Ruby's secret media account is exposed for being the @reputationkiller, the story takes deadly turns of murder, revenge, lies, love and the power of friendships.
The book is a quick and easy read, the dialogue is believable, as are the characters. It is a great murder mystery/ghost story that I think many readers will enjoy. Also, what I loved is each chapter, which are short, was given a name of popular pop songs. I will absolutely recommend this book to my student.

Pretty good intro to YA Horror/Thriller for teens. Some references threw me off, like Nick Cutter and Paul Tremblay titles that are referenced are too mature for YA in my opinion, and the switch between mature language and words like “crap” and “shoot” threw me off a little bit.

This was my first read by the author and wow what a read it was! It wasn’t my normal mystery thriller read, it did have a touch of horror/ghost that sometimes creeps me out. But it fit in perfectly with the story. Thank you for the ARC Net Galley #YoureDeadtoMe #AmyChristineParker #NetGalley

The main protagonist was extremely annoying in the beginning by making impulsive and stupid decisions. However, she redeems herself and the book becomes extremely interesting. It is slow in the beginning, but picks up pace relatively quickly.

4.5 stars rounded up to 5 - This was my first book by Amy Christine Parker and I'm happy to say that I've found another YA author that I enjoy! You're Dead to Me is a horror/thriller about Ruby, a senior student at an elite private high school. She runs her schools gossip account that exposes bad behavior, particularly of the wealthier students. When she's caught and her identity is exposed is when the fun starts. The really liked the story and the writing flowed really well. My only (very minor) complaint is that the book is very trope-heavy (i.e. - poor girl/rich boy relationship, single mom w/bad boyfriend, poor kid bullied by rich students, etc.). She could have picked one and stuck with it (personally, I liked the poor girl/rich boy relationship because I liked Alexander. I wish he had been fleshed out a little more). Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for the arc in exchange for my review.

I love mystery books and this was cool pleasant story to read the main character Ruby has a mission and is determined to find who is her enemy that wants her dead, I let my niece read it and she loved this books, kept talking about it with her friends she said it should turn into a scary movie.

“You're Dead to Me” is a young adult paranormal mystery with light romantic elements threaded through the story. There are many concepts and stories woven throughout the book that need to either be taken out or build more detail around for readers to truly be invested. It was an enjoyable read with subtle nods to “One of Us is Lying,” “Deadly Little Secrets,” and “We Bought a Zoo,” but with a paranormal theme that is interesting, but not fully developed. I enjoyed the irony of the main character, Ruby, being some sort of amateur investigator that is good at finding the story in everyone else's lives but her own, but Ruby was also hard to like at times. It is an intriguing story, I just do not think I will teach it nor recommend it until more of the story has been developed. There was also a misprint (I am not sure if it was an error on my end or the publisher's end) in the section “Saturday,” because though the table of contents names the section Saturday, the section while reading is labeled “Friday.” It just made it slightly confusing to think there was an additional Friday section with one more day until prom, but the prom is actually occurring through that section. I love the inclusivity of having the one healthy relationship in the story be homosexual, and the lead character doing a lot on her own without a love interest for most of the book is refreshing. I, personally, just think some more workshopping could be done before print. Great structure and start, though!

Fast paced mystery with a touch of the supernatural and the love of great friends. Ruby, a scholarship student at a prestigious private high school, is set on revealing the real behavior of the elite group at her school. Between Ruby's reputation killer posts and the serial killer loose in the community, the town is in a constant state of mayhem. When her best friends Anton and Xavier surprise her with a prom-posal, Ruby begins to see a ghost version of herself. Will she be the next victim of the serial killer? Are the bling kids really who she thinks they are? Will Ruby even go to the prom? Amy Christine Parker answers all of those questions in, You're Dead to Me.

I enjoyed this book! I love the relationship between Ruby and her two best friends as well as the interactions at the wildlife preserve that Ruby's mom owns. The addition of the supernatural element with Ruby's ghost added a creepy element to the novel as well.

Thank you, NetGalley and Random House Children’s for the ARC of this book.

I’m honestly not completely sure how I feel about You’re Dead to Me by Amy Christine Parker. I was very wrapped up in the story from the beginning with Ruby’s scandal-exposing habits. I enjoyed the book overall, but felt like the paranormal aspect wasn’t really needed. While it provided for some interesting moments and a connection between two characters, I found myself wanting to skim through those sections to get to the mystery parts of the plot. Overall a good quick read, but not a favorite.

Pretty good intro to YA Horror/Thriller for teens. Some references threw me off, like Nick Cutter and Paul Tremblay titles that are referenced are too mature for YA in my opinion, and the switch between mature language and words like “crap” and “shoot” threw me off a little bit.
Overall, I liked the story and the twists, but we could have done with less themes/tropes to simplify the story.

Well, this book was certainly an interesting cross between horror and mystery. There is a serial killer playing this small Florida town. That wasn’t bad enough now Ruby is being visited by the ghost of her dead self. As an amateur sleuth who’s determined to bring down the rich and untouchable in her town, Ruby has made quite a few enemies. Now it’s a race against Time to find the serial killer and whoever is going to make Ruby’s ghost become reality. this is definitely an interesting read that along with dealing with horror and ghosts it also deals with issues like classism and gentrification. All a really interesting read.

Thank you Netgalley and Random House Children’s for the ARC in exchange for an honest review!

"You're Dead to Me" by Amy Christine Parker is a fun YA thriller set in a richly detailed Florida setting where Ruby Toller, a scholarship student and social outcast, becomes the target of the elite Bling Brigade's bullying tactics. In retaliation, she creates a fake social media persona, the "Reputation Killer," to expose the secrets of her tormentors. As Ruby navigates the treacherous waters of high school politics, she finds herself facing not only the wrath of the Bling Brigade but also a chilling encounter with a ghostly apparition that foretells her own demise. With the help of her friends Xavier and Anton, Ruby sets out to unravel the mystery surrounding the ghost and the elusive serial killer known as Mannequin Man.

Parker created a story filled with suspense, humor, and unexpected twists that keeps you on the edge of your seat. It’s not enough that Parker sees her own dead body haunting her; no, there is also a serial killer that seems to be hunting her down and killing those close to her. Not only that, but the juxtaposition of Ruby's personal struggles with the larger backdrop of her family's fight to save their animal theme park, Wonderpark, adds depth to the story. I almost wanted a book focused solely on Ruby wanting to save the family’s attraction as I thought that was a very unique part of the story and separated this book from other YA thrillers. There are a few stereotypical troupes in this book, which is why I enjoyed the family drama even more. The descriptions in this book also sold the story to me as through vivid descriptions and relatable characters, Parker brings the setting of Oleander Bay to life, capturing the essence of Florida's unpredictable charm.

There was witty dialogue throughout the book as the characters felt like actual teenagers. I will say that Ruby did feel a bit younger than an 18-year-old senior about to graduate; some of her actions were very impulsive, and she sometimes acted immature (like throwing food in someone’s face). Some of the reactions of both Ruby and other characters seemed a bit stilted as well, especially when it came to the serial killer. There is a legitimate serial killer in town and there didn’t seem to be much concern about the killer, even when Ruby personally knew the victims.

However, “You're Dead to Me" is a must-read for fans of young adult thrillers due to the unique setting and unique plot points. Overall, I really enjoyed reading this book! Whether you're drawn to the intrigue of high school drama or the thrill of a supernatural mystery, this book has something for everyone.

I wasn't sure what to expect of this one, but I'm glad I picked it up! I'll admit, I'm not usually a big paranormal fan, but this one did a good job of tying it in with the major themes and motifs without feeling too cheesy or over the top. It was a quick, easy read with plenty of twists to throw readers off as they try to figure out who's behind everything! I think this would be better for younger teens, but entertaining nonetheless. Thanks for the ARC!

You’re Dead to Me by Amy Christine Parker is a gripping tale about Ruby Toller, a high school senior at Oleander Bay Academy in Florida, a prestigious private school home to the Bling Brigade, a cadre of rich, arrogant teens. Ruby, a scholarship student and social outcast, is daily fodder for their jokes, harassment and taunting. To get revenge, she creates a fake social media account called reputation killer established for the sole purpose of gathering scandalous dirt on the Bling Brigade, which she does successfully. When Queen Bees, Violet and Daphne, discover that Ruby is behind the fake account, her life at school becomes unbearable. Simultaneously, Ruby is attacked by a menacing and mysterious ghost dressed in a prom gown so hideous and grotesque that Ruby thinks she is losing her mind. She is convinced that the ghost is a sign of her impending and imminent death which is to occur at her senior prom. Meanwhile, Ruby’s single mother, Nadine, is trying desperately to save their family's legacy from bankruptcy, an animal theme park called Wonderpark. Overshadowed by Ruby’s personal problems is Mannequin Man, a serial killer, running around town shooting victims at random. When Ruby’s friend and park employee, Eva, becomes Mannequin Man’s latest victim, she enlists the help of her two best friends, Xavier and Anton, to solve the mystery of Mannequin Man and bring him to justice.

Convinced that her ghost is a premonition of her impending death, Ruby sets out to find the truth. One might think that Ruby’s ghost is a figment of her imagination, which manifests when she is in turmoil, yet it is the one plot element that creates a sense of implausibility and uncertainty. The reader is thrust into the conflict from the onset by the introduction of Ruby’s doppelganger, which sets the story apart from other stereotypical novels about mean girls and outcasts. You’re Dead to Me does not disappoint with its engaging, fast-paced and suspenseful narrative. Ruby unmasks the scandalous and unscrupulous behavior of the Oleander elite and how corruption of money, power and influence reaches far beyond the school walls. The mercurial nature of the rising action throws the reader off balance and derails any sense or predictability and monotony. Parker creates likable characters such as Alexander, one of Oleander's elite and the anti-hero of the story, who is redeemable and joins forces with Ruby to bring the perpetrators to justice. You’re Dead to Me has humor, poignant moments, and irony. It is clever, well-written and extends beyond the boundaries of cliche and convention. All the pieces come together in the end but not before secrets are revealed, surprises unearthed, and the scoundrels brought to justice.

I really wanted to take my time with this book, because I will never get over how good Amy’s book are. She has one of those minds that you have to be happy is on the side of good, because if she was a villain, world domination would be in the cards. I imagine her in high backed chair, sipping a martini, twirling her curly mustache and cackling as she kills off characters… GREAT! Now I’ll never get that out of my mind.