The Darkest Corners by Kara Thomas is a twisty, creepy thriller than had me flying through the pages! I had no idea how this was all going to turn out, which is saying something because I read a LOT of thrillers. I like that there was no romance, which always feels cheesy in a mystery like this one. I do wish some of the ends had been tied up a little tighter, though. But, very entertaining and a great addition to the YA mysteries and thrillers I'll be able to recommend to teen patrons!

One author that I have enjoyed when it comes to YA thrillers is Kara Thomas as I have read quite a lot of her books this year, trying to clear my kindle and eBooks. In the Darkest Corners, we meet Tessa whose father has just died in prison. Tessa has gone back to her hometown to visit but of course, that comes with bad memories of the serial killer Wyatt Stokes who was put into prison with Tessa and Callie's testimony. What happens though if it wasn't Wyatt who killed Lori? Is Wyatt innocent? For Tessa, that night 10 years ago not only saw the murder of Lori but the disappearance of her mum Annette and her older sister Joslin. In a flash, Tessa's family was gone and she went to live with her grandmother. Now back in Fayette though, things aren't quite adding up about that night and she has a weird suspicion it is related to her sister and mother and now with the help of her old friends Callie and Decker, she will try and find the answers she needs to finally put some old ghosts at rest. Is Tessa ready for the consequences as by reopening old wounds, she has stirred a pandora's box, and will she be able to accept what she finds? Like Kara's other books, The Darkest Corners have several different storylines going on that all interconnect with one another and at times can be an overwhelming and busy book as a whole. The Darkest Corners is a good read if you enjoy missing persons, murder, and secrets people will kill for.

Kara Thomas is one the YA mystery writers I recommend quite a bit. Her stories are so twisty and keep you guessing. The Darkest Corners was no different. I couldn't put it down!

Full review to be posted soonish.

I would like to thank the publisher and netgalley for providing me a free copy in exchange for an honest review.

There was much to enjoy here, but I found I couldn't connect with it. I'd read more from this author in the future though.

Kara Thomas is an master of gritty suspense Young Adult mysteries. This had two mysteries in one, and it felt like you were listening or reading an True Crime podcast. I have almost read every single book by Kara Thomas- and each one is amazing and creepy, you can't put down her books.

This was a really interesting YA psychological thriller. It had a lot of twists and turns and I definitely didn't see the end coming. Tessa was an interesting protagonist since you were never quite sure if she was a sympathetic character or not.

Well written YA Mystery. Had a couple of twists I didn't see coming, and it is difficult to surprise me! I wasn't really enamored with the main character, but that didn't really detract from the overall story. Tightly constructed plot that didn't take off onto tangents and didn't feel the need to put a cheesy love story in just to make it like the rest of the YA books out there, and I really appreciated that.

I'm pretty bummed that I waited so long to get around to this one, because I really enjoyed it! It wasn't as 110% engaging as it could be, I felt like I struggled to keep connected with the characters a bit which affected my reading, but I thoroughly enjoyed the twists and turns that this one took, and how everything was related. I completely did not see the twist coming. Thomas does not disappoint!

Tessa returns to her hometown because her father is dying. When he went to prison, she left Fayette, Pennsylvania to live with her grandmother. Her mother and sister deserted her. Upon her return, her friend Callie seems to be a different person than the girl Tessa knew. In fact, everything seems different than she remembered and she begins to question her earlier life. Things don't seem to fit together and in the midst of serial killings and sadness, Tessa's life takes one surprising turn after another. This thriller is one teens will enjoy.

A slow but suspenseful thriller with a satisfying conclusion, even if there were too many red herrings for my liking. It was an interesting premise, despite a few gaps in logic. The female friendship was well developed and complex.

I’m going back and forth on my rating with this one. It was a very engaging read, but somehow I still found myself let down. I enjoyed what I read and flew through it thinking there would be this big payoff, but the ending just didn’t work for me. This was one of my most anticipated reads of the year. With expectations so high, I guess it was bound to happen. Oh well…
I loved the dynamic of Tessa and Callie’s friendship. It is one of those complex relationships that feels authentic with what all they had gone through. It’s certainly up there in terms of well-portrayed female friendships in my book. The whole mystery kept my interest and is right up my alley, though I still found there to be a lot of unnecessary details thrown in. I can appreciate a good red herring…but come on!!! And my biggest issue was that I was expecting more of a thriller with this big mind-blowing moment. Maybe I’ve read too many psychological thrillers or the Gillian Flynn comparison gave me even higher expectations. The big twist just didn’t do it for me.

When I really thought about it..I realized if this had been an adult book and not YA, there’s no way I would have given it the rating I was planning to give. I guess there are just so few great young adult psychological thrillers out there. It’s unfortunate. This one is dark and is certainly a great attempt. I just wanted so much more.

Unfortunately, this title was a DNF and I"m very upset about it!

I wanted to read this the moment it was announced because the hype around it was SO GOOD. Once I got the galley I was ready for a dark and delicious read that was equal parts twisty and suspenseful. The pacing, sadly, was completely off for me as I reached the midpoint and was still no further along in figuring out the main mystery to the novel. I put it down and have yet wanted to pick it up.

I think that I would have liked this more if it hadn't been so hyped up for me. It was a really engaging read--Thomas' writing is amazing! But I still find myself a bit let down by this.

Unfortunately, once picking this book up, I couldn't get into the story. I look forward to trying again in the future.

The Darkest Corners by Kara Thomas is a character driven mystery. Ten years ago, Tessa and Callie gave a testimony that locked up a serial killer in their town. After that, Tessa left town to live with her grandmother in Florida. However, Tessa is back in town for a few days and she isn't so sure now that they locked up the right man. While looking for her mother and older sister, Tessa and Callie begin to uncover clues about what they really witnessed that fateful night when they were seven and who the real killer is. Even though this has slower plot, I was hooked and flipped through the pages quickly trying to figure out what would happen next. Kara Thomas is a master at suspense, and I look forward to reading her next novel.

When Tessa left Fayette ten years ago, she tried to put the past behind her. She tried to forget the murder and the trial, and the unanswered questions, and she tried to move on with her life. Forgetting is not that easy, especially now that she has to go back and face the place where it all happened, face Callie who was once her best friend and the secret of what they saw that night. Back in Fayette, Tessa begins asking questions, hoping to uncover the truth about who really murdered Callie's cousin and what really happened to her sister. Unfortunately her questions lead her closer to the killer, a killer who will stop at nothing to keep the truth from getting out.

The Darkest Corners by Kara Thomas is a thrilling mystery that will keep you on the edge of your seat. Just when you think you have it all figured out, there comes another twist that leaves you guessing. Readers looking for a compelling story filled with dark secrets will enjoy this one. I know I did!

Sadly I didn't get into this book very far. I thought that I would like it but this wasn't the time to read it. DNF

This took a me a long time to review. It's not that it was a bad book - it was quite good in fact. I think it was because I didn't know what to do with it. At the end, I had so many questions that didn't have answers. Here I am, a year later, reflecting on it, and I still say that it's a pretty great book.

I did like Tessa though. I enjoyed accompanying her on her hunt for clues, even when her curiosity made my stomach clench in fear for her. In the end, I also ended up liking Callie, despite my initial annoyance with her character. She grows up, I think, a lot throughout the novel.

Admittedly, the pacing was a little slow. There was a lot of history of the characters and of the town itself, and a lot of "why me" thoughts. But I felt like the book as a whole was put together well. Nothing was revealed too quickly, and I liked that there were some dead ends. It helped make the story more intriguing and creepy.

I read this book when I was taking a criminal profiling class in uni and I found it fascinating to learn and read about this whole thing simultaneously. While I found that some things made sense, I felt that there were a couple things that were a bit of a stretch. In the end though, I was too surprised to really care much about the couple of things that didn't really click for me.

The end itself was quite the surprise for me, but at the same time, it left me wondering so many things. I get that there wouldn't be a second one, but maybe a little more added to the ending would have been eye opening, or it might have ruined it, I don't know.

The thing I love about Kara is that her books always surprise me. I really enjoyed her Prep School Confidential series, and I loved this books as well. I look forward to diving into her new book, Little Monsters, when it comes out in July!

Plot: 4.5/5
Characters: 4.5/5
World Building: 5/5
Writing: 5/5
Pacing: 4/5
Overall: 4.5/5
GoodReads Rating: 3.78/5

eARC obtained via Delacorte Press via Random House Children's via NetGalley.