I recieved a free galley from @prhinternational. This is an independent and honest review.

This blew me away. I'm usually not the biggest fan of YA thrillers, since I often find the plots too simple. So I started reading this without much expectations at all, but it sucked me right in and I couldn't put it down. I loved pretty much everything about it, it was fast paced and full of plot twists. If you're looking for an excellent YA thriller, this is the book for you!

A tense YA mystery/ thriller for fans of A LINE IN THE DARK, PRETTY LITTLE LIARS, ONE OF US IS LYING, and Meghan Abbot's books.

Plot: There isn't a cheerleading squad in Sunnybrook anymore. Not since five girls died within a month of each other five years ago. One of those girls was Monica's sister and she's determined to figure out what really happened to those girls, convinced that the official stories are false.

I really enjoyed this one and couldn't stop reading. It felt a little generic at first, although I liked the premise. However, it really grew on me and the ending was definitely unexpected which I appreciated. I would recommend this to fans of other YA mystery and thriller novels, and have already told a few people about it.

Liked it, but didn't love it. It was too obvious who the killer was. I loved the main character and her sister, and it's a sign of how much that I still find myself wishing the book's mystery was actually more mysterious.

Wow. This book was a ride. It kept me guessing until the very end. I'm convinced Kara Thomas writes the best endings. I'm always surprised, creeped out, and satisfied. She's definitely my favorite writer of YA thrillers.

I definitely have students that will love this. I can't wait to recommend it to them this fall.

The Cheerleaders is being marketed as "a little bit Riverdale and a little bit Veronica Mars" and as a CW/WB superfan, this couldn't be more spot on (and awesome). The Cheerleaders is a YA thriller that will definitely have major appeal in the adult market as well. This is my first book by Kara Thomas and definitely will not be my last! This book definitely packs a twist that is so well done I almost fell off my seat. Centered around a town where 5 cheerleaders die in a short time, including Jennifer, who's younger sister Monica just can't seem to untangle herself from the drama, things take an interesting turn, five years after the tragedies took place. I had my guesses, some of which were right, but the ones I did not see made this book absolutely awesome for me!

Five years ago, five cheerleaders in the town of Sunnybrook died in three separate tragedies.

First, two girls were killed in a gruesome car accident.
Soon after, two girls home alone at a sleepover were murdered.  A suspicious neighbor was shot by police and they'll never know why he did it.
The final cheerleader Jennifer committed suicide not long after her four best friends died.

Now, Jennifer's little sister Monica has gotten into some trouble.  (*ahem* The kind caused by reckless behavior with an older guy.)  Back at school with the fifth anniversary of the deaths looming close, that older guy who was a summer fling is now the track team coach.  (Awkwaaaard.)

Sunnybrook High wants to plan a memorial for their five lost cheerleaders but Monica would rather forget.  When she finds mysterious letters and her sister's old cell phone in her stepdad's desk, Monica begins digging in to the past she wanted to bury.

Was there someone targeting the Sunnybrook cheerleaders, connecting all three tragedies?  Was the car accident *really* an accident?  Was the suspicious neighbor the real killer?  Did Jennifer actually kill herself?  As Monica learns more, suspicion is cast on her stepdad.  Can it be a coincidence that he was not only the first police officer on the scene of the car accident but also the officer to shoot and kill the neighbor suspected of murdering the next two girls?

Monica's determined to find the truth with the help of her new friend Ginny and a few surprising people from Jennifer's past, but soon secrets and lies are revealed that could put Monica in danger.

This was a well written and highly entertaining YA mystery with a great pace!  I practically read this book in one sitting because as new information was revealed, I needed to know what was going to happen next.  I figured out a good portion early on but it took a while to piece together how it all fit and the conclusion was truly well done!

Thanks to Delacorte Press and NetGalley for providing me with an ARC in exchange for my honest review.

Five years ago, five cheerleaders died. Now one teen is desperate to find out what happened in THE CHEERLEADERS.

Sunnybrook is a quiet, relatively wealthy suburb with good schools and low crime, but no one in town is quite at ease– Not after what happened to the cheerleaders.

Monica remembers what happened five years ago vividly. It started with an accident: Bethany and Colleen, two members of the award-winning Sunnybrook High cheer squad, died in a horrific car crash. A week later, her sister’s two best friends and fellow cheerleaders, Susan and Juliana, were murdered by a deranged neighbor during a sleepover. The murderer was killed in a confrontation with police, keeping his motivations a secret forever. And then it happened: Monica’s older sister Jennifer died by suicide. The Sunnybrook High cheerleading squad was labeled “cursed” and disbanded. Monica’s family has never been the same.

Now Monica is a junior at the same high school and a member of the elite dance team with two best friends of her own. But with the five-year anniversary of the cheerleaders’ deaths approaching, Monica’s life is spiraling in ways that even her best friends don’t know. She’s always felt that Jen’s death was suspicious, and when she finds reason to believe Susan and Juliana’s deaths didn’t play out the way the police (including her own stepfather) said it did, Monica goes on the hunt for answers. If she can’t fix her own life, she can use it to find justice for the cheerleaders.

Kara Thomas is a favorite mystery/thriller author of mine because she always does mysteries right. This novel will make you squirm. There are so many possibilities to consider, each one a little darker than the last. The suspect list plays into our innate fear of others, then examines and often breaks the stereotypes surrounding various “types” of people. You’ll never know who to trust and just when you think you have the answer, another detail comes along to prove you wrong.

Monica is a smart, capable female lead who’s willing to go out on a limb. She makes some questionable decisions in the course of her determination, but I wouldn’t go as far as to call her “reckless.” She’s going through some pretty deep trauma, some of which may be difficult for some readers, but it added a level of complexity to the character. Her family life seemed very realistic in the sense that– while they clearly loved each other– they weren’t overly-close besties. In fact, part of Monica’s guilt stems from the fact that she and Jen were not the best of friends.

I really enjoyed Monica’s relationship with Ginny, a shy girl from school who wasn’t a friend until she got caught up in Monica’s quest for answers. It speaks to those moments in life where you’d feel more comfortable opening up to a stranger than your best friends, knowing that your best friends would have to carry the weight of what haunts you. Ginny is haunted in her own way and the two share a connection turned friendship that’s sweet to watch in between all the sleuthing and plotting. I do wish we saw more of the relationship between Monica and her best friends prior to her investigation, because without it, you didn’t really feel the full force of their connection or care about their drama. There are several other interesting characters along the way, but they tend to be people Monica meets for a casual interrogation or two, so I don’t want to give too many details away.

Because there’s so much engrossing mystery, this is a story you can fly through. On top of that quick pacing, it’s not particularly long novel, so a reader in need of a thriller fix could probably get through it in a day or two.

{Trigger Warning + Minor Spoilers!} The Cheerleaders did a solid job dealing with difficult topics, including statutory rape and abortion. Monica struggles with it, especially when she’s face-to-face with the guy involved. Monica questions herself, even blames herself at times, which is hard to read, but her personal journey is largely about her realizing that none of it is her fault, despite rape culture telling her otherwise.

The novel did well in not glorifying or focusing too hard on Jen’s (reported) suicide. We never get details of exactly what happened and though there are some flashbacks to Jennifer’s POV, they end well before her death. Instead, the focus is on the people who loved her and how they were affected.

If you like dark, sweeping small town mysteries, The Cheerleaders is a riveting puzzle that you certainly won’t solve right away.

The Cheerleaders by Kara Thomas is a young adult mystery that I’ve been anxiously awaiting having read this author before. Before I get too far into this review though I need to warn yet again that this one is going to be for the older crowd with a lot of darker content that may be disturbing to some.

As the book begins readers are introduced to Monica who is now in high school and battles the memories of her older sister every day since she’s been gone. Five years before Monica’s sister was a cheerleader at Sunnybrook High when tragedy struck the town in three different incidents. First an accident took two of the girls then a murder took another two leaving Monica’s sister who then took her own life.

As one can imagine it’s been a rough few years for Monica and now that she is in high school and on the dance team since cheerleading is no longer an option Monica lives with the memories every day. While searching for some pain medicine Monica finds letters sent to her step father insinuating there was more to the girls deaths than mere coincidence so Monica couldn’t help but begin to look into the past and try to find some answers.

It honestly did not take but a few pages for me to become completely engrossed in this book after I picked it up. Monica immediately became someone I needed to know more about when it became apparent this girl was bordering on spiraling out of control herself. A hook up with an older man has Monica recovering from an abortion so already the dark content seeped into the story and I became engrossed in getting to know her and learn her sister’s story.

The majority of the point of view comes from Monica but occasionally you get to also go back and learn Jennifer’s situation from her point of view as Monica uncovers just what happened five years before. Really, anyone that knows me at all can see a 4.5 star review for an almost 400 page book and know that it had to be pretty intense if I’m not complaining of the story dragging. Instead with this one I thought it flowed rather nicely with plenty of things happening to hold my attention so I’d definitely recommend checking this one out.

I received an advance copy from the publisher via NetGalley.

Kara Thomas has become known for her thrillers. Her first two really didn't interest me very much, but The Cheerleaders seemed right up my alley. Twisty psychological thrillers are all well and good, but there's something about a good murder mystery that I like more so. And the Cheerleaders really delivered on that. This was a straight up whodunit with a great cast of characters and a great mystery. I liked how Monica wasn't overly competent, but made mistakes and needed help as opposed to being some detective prodigy. The overall mystery was intriguing and left me guessing until the end and the writing style was utterly solid. I don't know if Thomas' other books are for me, but this one sure was.

Five teenage girls all dead within a month of each other. There has to be a thread linking them all together, right? Monica's sister was one of the girls lost five years ago and through a series of events, begins to investigate the three different incidents that led to the girls' deaths. Nothing is as it seems and the dots must be connected.
I loved this book. Thomas did such a good job of making you think it could be any of the characters that Monica talks to along the way. I couldn't put it down and would recommend it to anyone who loves a good mystery.

I read a lot of mysteries and I also happen to read a fair amount of young adult and when you combine the two, I'll be honest, it doesn't always work. But once in a while it does and in the case of The Cheerleaders, I think it's safe to say that is did, indeed work.

It kept me on edge constantly guessing how all these girls died and if they were murdered, ever single one of them, all in different horrible ways. And if they were, they why, and most importantly, who was responsible?

This is one of those reads where you never quite know what is happening. Not as in, where is the plot going but more as in, where they murdered? Was it a tragic accident, or was it something more? Who is the bad guy here if there even is one?

Back and forth I would flip between if they were or weren't and I loved it. I love that I didn't guess every single thing (like I normally do) after only the first few chapters. I like that this kept me on edge and wondering. That doesn't always happen, in fact it happens very little, even in adult mysteries.

Definitely a page turner that I enjoyed right up until the very twisty end.

Thank you to Netgalley and Delacorte Press for the advance Kindle copy of this book. It’s out tomorrow! (7.31.18) All opinions are my own.
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After five members of the cheerleading squad were killed in one month, Sunnybrook High School disbanded the team. Five years later, the younger sister of he fifth cheerleader starts looking back into her sister’s suicide. There’s no way Jen, who was so loved by everyone it seemed, would do that. Monica is convinced that someone actually killed her sister. When she finds letters in her stepdad’s desk drawer - one for every year her sister has been gone - that urge him to “connect the dots”, she believes that the five deaths are connected somehow. With an unlikely new friend and a lot of twists and turns, Monica goes down a dangerous path to discover the truth.
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This is a quick, captivating read and is perfect for high school collections.

Recommended Read

YES!!! This book had me hooked from the first page all the way though to the end. Kara Thomas is getting better and better with every book she writes and I know I am going to be anticipating every release with my grabby little fingers! If I had to describe her books, they are like Liane Moriarty's type of books but for young adults. Bloody fantastic! If you like young adult murder mysteries, or even murder mysteries in general, then this is THE book to add to your TBR today. It is a gripping, page turning read that will leave you chilled!

As the synopsis states. "there are no more cheerleaders in the town of Sunnybrook..." The principal decided that after 5 cheerleaders died under horrific and strange circumstances that this activity should be left in the dust. But that doesn't mean that the cheerleaders demise was being swept under the rug. Because one cheerleaders sister is looking into the past to find out what REALLY happened to these five girls and whether the cops had it wrong the first time...

This book edges on the darker side and readers can feel the mood as they turn the pages. Not just this though, the book has a tinge of excitement to it. Because as readers WE want to crack the case just as much as Monica does in the story. Kara writes this book in a mesmerizing fashion, and those who read it will understand what I mean. It's as if you are a part of the story as well because you quickly becomes sucked into the story.

Obviously, I recommend this one very much. I think many are going to love it. And I personally would recommend it. I didn't see the ending coming, and I felt the climax was excellent!

This is the second book I’ve read by Kara Thomas and I find her just as great now as when I read The Darkest Corners.

Five years ago, five cheerleaders died tragically. Two in a car accident, two in a shocking murder and the last was Monica’s very own sister, Jen, who took her life. To this day Monica struggles, her older sister didn’t seem the type.

One day Monica comes across both her sisters old cellphone locked away in her police stepfather’s desk as well as letters that urge him to “connect the dots”, finding a hope she didn’t know she was looking for Monica starts to puzzle out what happened five years ago, when she was too young to know much more than she lost her sister. Finding the cellphone and note starts Monica on a journey that many probably wish she hadn’t started but she’s not going to stop until she gets some answers,

This is a good story, the characters are nuanced, bad decisions are made, good decisions are made, and Monica and her friendship with Ginny was great. It was wonderful seeing it flourish, but I had a big question about it and that gets answered in a final chapter that blew me away. There is a lot you don’t expect (at least not until a bit near the end) and a little you do.

I love mysteries but typically find it hard to enjoy YA ones for multiple reasons. This book was a great story and a great mystery and I’d definitely recommend.

This was the second book that I read by Kara Thomas. The first one (The Darkest Corners) I read all in one sitting, it was that great. This one was also really good. It had so many little intricacies that weaved in and out, pulling in little details here and there in a way that was so well thought out. I love that it didn't turn out anything like I thought it would, and that seemed to make it so much better. It wasn't a typical mystery where the ending was easily guessed. The characters weren't pretty painted flowers, they were real with real problems and real issues different shades of gray. I loved seeing Monica and Ginny's friendship develop and seeing the "dots connect" at the end, even though they didn't connect in the way Ethan thought they might.

I do recommend this title!

** 3.5 stars **

I can always count on Kara Thomas to deliver a great thriller with high school drama, betrayal and murder and this book was no different!

“The Cheerleaders” tells the tragic tale of a group of girls who suffered multiple tragedies resulting in their death disbanding the group for years to come leading us to Monica, the sister of one of the cheerleaders who is struggling to put her life together dealing with the grief and unanswered questions to what happened to all the girls and with the help of a new friend she is determined to uncover the truth even if it makes her a target.

‘Little Monsters’ is hands down my favorite Thomas novel so I was excited to dive into this book and see what sort of mystery we’d get and I was not disappointed.

The month long tragedy that lurks in the shadows of the past really anchor this book while the little chapters sprinkled in between from Jennifer, Monica’s late sister, help create a parallel between the two girls as they each fall apart for very different reasons. Seeing them follow this similar path between their relationships with their parents, their friends and the romantic aspects of their lives is so sad to the point that you just want to hug them both and pray that they get a happy ending even though you’re aware from the beginning that that’s not the case.

My only downside to this book is the middle sort of drags which isn’t too bad it’s just a lot of red herrings that are too obvious to be taken seriously as an option for the murders but it’s easily forgiven with that ending. God the ending was unexpected I really loved that final chapter and how it bookended the mystery as a whole giving us answers to everything while still leaving it ambiguous for the characters themselves.

This is a really great book and if you are already a fan of Thomas you’ll be more than ready to sink your teeth into this and play amateur detective.

Only warning because I know it’s a serious topic and a trigger to some this does have some grown up themes but the major one is statutory rape so proceed with caution.

**special thanks to the publishers and netgalley for providing an arc in exchange for a fair and honest review!**

This was a better read than I expected it to be. The culprit was so obvious I thought they were a red herring, but the interesting part of the book was really in the main character's journey. The mystery also resolved itself in an interesting way, so the fact that the killer was who I expected wasn't even a big deal. I liked that the book didn't tie everything up in a neat bow. There was plenty of mystery and suspense, and I'm enjoying the recent abundance of YA mysteries which put romance on a backburner to close, complex female friendships. An easy read, this book will definitely pull in some reluctant readers.

***3.5 Stars***

This is one of those reads that I liked and yet didn’t get lost in. I found the growing pains of Monica, our teenage protagonist, to be quite realistic ~ even if there were times where I found her choices to be quite frustrating, but she is a teenager. As for the mystery of the dead cheerleaders, I enjoyed how all the pieces were laid out and discovered, and I really liked the the 2nd POV that was peppered throughout the story. When all the pieces came together, I will say that I was surprised at some things, while not so much at others, but they were all rational ~ or at least as rational as they could be ~ and I was content with how it all worked out...though that ending definitely threw for a loop. My one issue, one that did play a role in my rating, was that I felt the story dragged in parts and it did affect my overall enjoyment of the story.
In the end, though, The Cheerleaders was well written and thought out mystery.

Five years after several incidents rocked a community, a school and five families to their core, the town of Sunnydale still isn’t safe and still hasn’t healed properly. Five cheerleaders died that year, two in an accident, two were murdered and the last one standing committed suicide and the school’s knee-jerk reaction was to disband the cheer squad. Now the faculty and students want to do something in remembrance of the girls who died, but will it bring closure or just more drama?

Sixteen-year-old Monica, sister to Jen, the suicide victim has her own problems now and a boatload of unanswered questions as she uncovers some secrets that others have been keeping. Secrets kept are secrets that fester, truths ignored are dangerous and Monica needs the truth. Will the truth set her mind free or will it get her killed, too?

THE CHEERLEADERS by Kara Thomas is first and foremost a well-written young adult suspense with a main heroine who has a great head on her shoulders, “most” of the time. As an intriguing and twisted read, Ms. Thomas is spot on in her writing from start to finish as she nails family dynamics and teen relationships and trust in others.

Brilliant world building, fabulous characters that come alive and relationships that are supportive deserve at least five stars! The mystery/thriller aspect is tremendous as we see this tale unfold through Monica’s eyes and discoveries while getting a peek at her sister’s mental status five years before when she committed suicide. So many twisted lies and cover-ups, so much guilt, was a murderer brought to justice with a bullet or was there yet one more victim created at the hands of the law? Was there a rush to justice?

Monica knows something isn’t right, and she is determined to dig up the truth, against all odds, not by sheer luck, but determination and grit. This is one thriller that rides the edge of that razor until the end.

So, why not five stars?
People make mistakes, particularly when it involves teen emotions and hormones, and some mistakes were made, BUT, I was troubled by the handling of the teen reactions. They smacked of a time that seems like the Dark Ages. Can someone please tell me when it is okay to allow a minor to take the “blame” for sex and its consequences with an adult? Sure, this wasn’t the crux of the story, but it was part of the catalyst and to be honest, it could have used its own book.

Lots of victims in this one, certainly a monster or two and definitely a town left to wallow for five years, unknowing. That said, even the school board, faculty, whomever, fell down on its reaction to the nightmares and losses endured. Reminded me of not allowing dancing because one time something bad happened.

Still, I did appreciate the brilliance of the main character, a person far beyond her years in maturity in many ways. I just wish she could have been more of a role model for teens who make sexual mistakes with adults, she was a victim of a predator and her hormones. Hello, stranger danger?

I received a complimentary ARC edition from Random House Children's /Delacourt Press!

Publisher: Delacorte Press (July 31, 2018)
Publication Date: July 31, 2018
Genre: YA Thriller
Print Length: 384 pages
Available from : Amazon | Barnes & Noble
For Reviews, Giveaways, Fabulous Book News, follow: http://tometender.blogspot.com

***ARC received for an honest review***

<b>"He's right - I knew what we were doing was wrong, and I didn't care because I was ready to set my perfect life on fire and walk away while it burned."</b>

There are a lot of teengirl-names in this book. Bear with me while I struggle to make this review as unconfusing as possible.

5 cheerleaders die - 2 in a car wreck, 1 via suicide (???) and 2 murdered by an obsessed neighbor. As the 5 year anniversary of these deaths roll around our heroine Monica (her sister died via the suicide (???)) begins to question her sister's death which leads to questions about the other deaths. So Monica starts a little high-school-kid murder investigation.

The "who really dun it?" aspect of the story was much less interesting than the unraveling and subsequent rebuilding (sort of) of Monica. The book starts out with Monica in this super intense place - and the handling of that entire situation shows how dire how things have become for her while she presents this perfect facade. I found this beginning a bit shocking - once I figured out what was happening I was startled that the author went there. Boldly. I felt like it set a tone for Monica and for the story.

For me the story was Monica's struggle. I think a lot of high schoolers can relate being one person publicly and someone totally less pulled together/happy/etc on the inside. I was enthralled by the parts where she was internally raw and wild while attempting to appear "okay" and unchanged. That's what I wanted to read here. There were a couple of chapters that flashed back from the past told from others' perspectives. I enjoyed these young female voices as well. I just could have done with a little less junior sleuths a la Scooby, Shaggy and the gang.

I'd like to read more by Kara Thomas. I think teenage girls are difficult to write. It is a rare author who can capture their fragility, rage, slyness, smarts, guts, strength, and stupidity. Often they come across as a mockery of themselves - an idea lacking depth. But all of the characters in this book were flushed-out and interesting. I wanted more of the high school struggle to which I could relate and less Nancy Drew.

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