This book starts right off with the thriller/mystery action and only gains speed as it goes. I did figure out a main piece part way through, but it only made me read faster to find out if I was right. There were still pieces and twists I didn't see coming. I would recommend it to anyone who likes YA thrillers that are fast paced.

Such a twisty and fast paced thriller, I could not put This book down
Well, most people are saying it’s geared to young adults. I Enjoyed it more than I thought I would

Oli and her bird watching friends often hang out together. Until the day Oli’s sister, Eloise, goes missing and then her body is found. While visiting the site Eloise’s body is found, Oli discovers a girl buried alive. In the process of finding the girl’s identity and sister Hayley, they stumble upon something even more evil. And as Oli needs to depend on others for her survival, she isn’t sure who to trust.

It kept my attention, but there are some parts that really stretch the imagination especially when you think these are high school kids! But, just go with it and you’ll really enjoy it!

Fast paced, easy to read and really captured me from the first chapter.

Thank you #NetGalley for the complimentary copy of #IfAnythingHappenstoMe in exchange for an honest review.

This is a quick, easy-to-read thriller that I think my middle schoolers will devour! While it started a little slow, things started to pick up quickly as we follow Oli on her journey to find answers and closure from her sister's murder while attempting to help with another! I wish the characters were a bit more fleshed out but, overall, I found the story interesting with a snappy ending! Thanks for the ARC!

3 stars! ✨

This is a quick, thrilling, YA read that will keep you on your toes!

Thank you to Netgalley and Scholastic press for sending me an e-arc in exchange for an honest review.

In “If Anything Happens To Me” We follow the POV Oli Parish. She is experiencing tremendous grief after the murder of her younger sister Eloise. Her case has gone cold, leaving Oli without closure and many questions left unanswered. She visits the grave in the forest where her sister’s body was discovered on the same day every month to pay her respects. On one of these visits, she hears a voice desperately asking for help. The girl she discovers has little memory - but the one thing she can remember is that police must not be involved, or the captor will hurt her sister Hayley. Time is rushing by and the girls must discover where Hayley is - and fast. Can the girls uncover the truth about who is murdering these girls and leaving them for dead in the woods? Will they be able to save Hayley?

There is a lot packed into this story - suspense, romance, friendship, and the lengths we are willing to go in order to help our family. I can very much tell this is intended for younger readers, as this was a predictable fast reader, but I do believe it would really speak to a younger audience.

I was expecting a larger twist to unfold - but I feel like the story unfolded in a very “black and white” way. Not a lot in the middle to work with!

Regardless, this was a fast paced read that kept me pining for answers!

3.5
Thank you to NetGalley and the author for providing me with an arc of this book in exchange for an honest review. To be honest this book was not at all bad… That being said I definitely think it was intended for a younger audience which definitely skews my rating a bit. If I had read this in middle school I think I would have enjoyed this more but alas I am not and i found this a bit predictable. The characters were interesting but not very complex which isn’t necessarily bad just my opinion. This books started really slow and it was honestly kind of hard to get through. Once it picked up thought it vastly improved. the slight bit of romance felt unnecessary and i think it took up too much of the book. I was much more interested in the female friendships/sisterhood. I also think that the “villain” was just not scary or interesting. I never once believed the main characters were in any real danger due to the way that character as written. And the “plot twist” happened far too early for it to have any real impact. Even though this review is mostly negative I would totally recommend to the younger side of the young adult audience. A perfect introduction to thriller novels for anyone transitioning from middle grade to young adult books!

Thank you Scholastic for the copy of If Anything Happens To Me by Luanne Rice. I liked the story and the reveal was a shock. I have read and loved other books by Luanne Rice, and the writing in this one didn’t engage me. The plot was mainly advanced by characters telling someone what had happened. For me, it would have been more interesting if I could have “seen” things happening instead, and if more time had been spent developing the characters. 3 stars.

Although the resolution of the mysteries at the heart of IF ANYTHING HAPPENS TO ME lack elements of realism, Luanne Rice’s latest is a compelling, enjoyable read that would appeal to YA thriller fans.

This book kept me coming back for more! Through every twist and turn of this book I was astonished. What I thought I knew was proven right, but not in the way I thought. This book was amazing and I will definitely be recommending it to my friends and colleagues!
4.5/5 stars

4.5 stars
Luanne Rice's love of Black Hall, Hubbards Point, The Ocean House, New London, and the special bond between sisters shines in this YA thriller. Oli's sister is murdered, but when she stumbles upon another girl who's been buried alive in the same spot as Oli's sister, she and the girl do everything in their power to find the girl's sister and find out who killed Oli's sister.
Thanks to Luanne Rice and Scholastic Books for sending me this one. Loved reading it.

Once I got into the story, I really enjoyed this book. This author always tells a great story. I enjoyed that it was set locally to me with some landmarks that I recognized

I really enjoyed this mystery/magical story. Eloise was killed and later another girl, Iris, was found burried inside the same grave. Olí and Iris try to find what happens to Iris and who killed her. I found this story entertaining and sad at the same time. But what I liked the most were the plot twists , I didn’t expect the end. This book is a must read.

Another great thriller by Luanne Rice. Oli’s sister Eloise was found buried in the woods but the killer hasn’t been found. Oli & Eliose lived with their grandmother after they lost both of their parents. The girls had a group of friends from school that would go out in the woods and bird watch.
After Eliose was found buried in the woods Oli would go back every month to visit the spot they found her. After months of visits Oli hears a voice calling for help and then sees a hand clawing through the dirt. The girl has no memory of how she got there or who she is- but knows that the police can’t be contacted because something worse will happen. The girl slowly remembers that her name is Iris and that the person responsible for burying her has her sister who is still alive. The girls team up to unravel the mystery of who is responsible for doing this to these girls & why.
It is a good fast YA book that I enjoyed reading.
Thank you to NetGalley for ARC of this book.

Luanne Rice’s latest young adult thriller If Anything Happens to Me is an intriguing tale of the evil born out of desperation.

Teenager Oli is a Girl with Too Much Responsibility, and she has felt that even more since her sister Eloise’s unsolved murder. When Oli stumbles across Iris at the scene where Eloise’s body was found, she realizes this girl and her lost memories are the key to finding her sister’s murderer. As the pair works to unlock what Iris has hidden away, Oli realizes how close to home the murderer lurks.

This is a fast-paced thriller with clever twists throughout the book. While some aspects of the story are a bit predictable (there are some rather obvious clues), the concept behind why the murders are occurring is compelling. Iris and Oli make a smart duo, which is always refreshing when featuring teenage girls as leads, and the little romances throughout have a sweetness to them.

Perhaps the most interesting element of the book is the villain’s argument of the end justifying the means. While the villain loses the argument in the fight, the debate between the characters is compelling and adds depth to the story. The depictions of familial love are so different throughout the book and Rice does a good job showing how these relationships shape her characters.

A solid choice for a young adult thriller, Rice will keep her readers on their toes.

The mystery unraveled and I was utterly shocked. The twists and turns and overall mystery of IF ANYTHING HAPPENS TO ME kept my on my toes. IF ANYTHING HAPPENS TO ME is a must-read for anyone who loves a good mystery.

Eight months ago, Oli's sister Eloise is found murdered in the woods. With no suspects and no leads, her death is soon forgotten except by Oli. When Oli happens upon another girl left for dead in the same place, she knows that this girl is the key to solving to solving her sister's murder. The two girls soon realize their town is not as safe as they thought. Lots of twists and turns resulting in a great YA read.

I've never read a Luanne Rice book before. But I will immediately remedy that after reading this thrilling YA mystery. If she could pull me into this story I'm sure she'd capture the attention of even the most tacticturn YA enthusiast.

Thank you to Scholastic | Scholastic Press and Netgalley for providing an eARC for a honest review.

Thank you Netgalley and Scholastic for the ARC in exchange for an honest review!

"If Anything Happens to Me" by Luanne Rice is a unique young adult thriller (with the killer’s backstory and reasoning) that grips you from the first few chapters and never lets go. The story focuses Oli and Iris as they embark on a quest to uncover the truth behind Iris's mysterious appearance in the same shallow grave where Oli's sister, Eloise, was found buried.

Rice has created a story filled with intrigue and suspense, keeping you on the edge of your seat with many twists and turns. I will say that I found the major twist (the identity of the killer) to be pretty predictable, but I definitely wasn’t expecting the depth of the killer’s backstory. That was the most interesting part of the story to me, and I enjoyed learning more about the killer.

From the chilling discovery of Iris to the shocking revelations that follow, the plot unfolds at a breakneck pace. There was never a dull moment in the story as the plot had quite a bit going on, but all these different pieces ended up coming together at the end. The different characters, mainly Oli and the killer, were developed nicely. Some of the other characters, like Oli’s love interest, needed more development for me to get invested. The love interest felt a bit flat and standard to me. Some of the character behavior detracted a bit from the reading experience. Some of the characters’ choices felt a bit naïve and childish, which made the story feel more like a MG story than a YA. However, the overall story remains engaging, with moments of magic and mysticism adding depth to the story. I really liked the magic angle of the story, and I wish it had more focus.

While the storyline may feel somewhat familiar at times, Rice's skillful pacing and plot keep the reader invested until the final page. "If Anything Happens to Me" is a must-read for anyone who loves a good mystery (especially with a magic realism kind of angle).

If Anything Happens to Me by Luanne Rice is a young adult thriller about two girls desperate to catch a murderer who's still on the loose.

The plot of If Anything Happens to Me is good, it is a little out there, but overall, it is pretty good. The pacing held my interest, and the characters were interesting.

There were some slow parts, and sometimes frustration in how the characters behaved, but overall, a solid read. I would check out more books by this author.

I would rate this a 3.75 out of 5 stars (rounded to 4).

#IfAnythingHappensToMe #NetGalley @Scholastic

Luanne Rice’s newest novel, If Anything Happens to Me, is a fast paced book that follows Oli and Iris’s journey to uncover the real reason that young women are being kidnapped and murdered. Nothing is what it seems in this twisty thriller.

Thank you to NetGalley and Scholastic Books for the opportunity to read this ARC in exchange for an honest review.