Great murder mystery! Relatable characters, enough clues for readers to make predictions, but not completely predictable, and kept me reading long into the night. Good stuff!

This book is being touted as a young adult thriller and THRILL me it did. Wow. I ended up finishing this one in a day because it was that good and I couldn't put it down. From the very beginning, I was hooked:

"This house was made for someone without a soul. So I guess it makes sense that my mother wanted it so badly. I can imagine how her eyes lit up when she walked through the five-bedroom, three-and-a-half bath new construction. I'll bet she thinks this house is the answer to what's wrong with us."

Those are the opening words and you just sit there with a foreboding feeling from the get-go.

Kara Thomas provides some realistic leads and your suspicion is constantly changing. She throws in a number of red herrings which I appreciated because I can't stand when I'm reading a thriller and have guessed the "killer" or "solved the crime" before I'm even halfway through the book. So, thank you for this. Speaking to this, the killer is someone who makes sense for the story. The person is not just some random character thrown in by Kara Thomas.

As a protagonist, Monica is a character that I liked for the most part. She didn't really annoy me at all though it drove me crazy how she was with her mom (or how her mom was with her). But, this is very realistic of the relationship between a teenage girl and her mother. The only thing that did bother me, and seemed pointless to the story, was the whole abortion-being-alluded-to-thing. Was it really necessary to the story? I understand the point, I suppose, but necessary? No. I don't think so. I'm not at all against the inclusion of a young protagonist who is dealing with an unwanted pregnancy followed by an abortion (that's a very real reality in today's world) but I don't think it was purposeful for the story, honestly. So that would be one of the things that I'd change.

I think this is going to be a book that my students are really going to enjoy in the young adult thriller genre. I can't wait to introduce it to them!

What a fabulous YA title, exciting and constantly surprising me, Th Cheerleaders was a book I thoroughly enjoyed. Monica and Ginny's characters were just incredible, and I loved how the author intertwined the flashbacks, and little details that made up the who and what happened.

Thanks to Random House Children's and NetGalley for allowing me to read this title in exchange for my personal review.

A mix between mean girls and..... I’m not even sure. Nancy Drew? Clue? Scream? (I’m way off.)

An interesting read of ‘who dun it’.

A young girl set out to find the story behind who killed her own sister. But she’s gonna have to find him first.

I enjoyed the plot, the twists and turns. The only downfall for me is Jen. I didn’t like her POV. I found myself dreading when it was her voice.

There’s a lot going on. A lot of he said she said high school shenanigans. I rolled my eyes a lot. (And this is partly why I don’t read a ton of YA) but it was just dark enough to keep me interested till the end.

Definitely enjoyed the authors writing!

Five years ago, Monica's life got turned upside in a very short period of time five cheerleaders lives were taken: two were killed in an automobile accident, two were supposedly murdered by a neighbor and her sister committed suicide. As a memorial is planned for the five, Monica cannot accept what happened to her sister and sets up to prove that she was murder as well. Through many twists and turns, Monica learns to follow her instincts and not all is as it seems. Teen readers will enjoy this thrilling mystery.

When reading the first chapter, I thought this would be a run-of-the-mill YA novel with an “angst-y” teenager as the protagonist...but I could not have been more wrong. This was a very interesting story with a really good mystery at the heart of it. The author did a great job of capturing the raging hormones and mood swings that every teenager goes through, but without making the characters seem like cartoons. Some people may take issue with a few of the themes in the book, but I think the author approached them thoughtfully and truthfully. The mystery compelled the rest of the action, and there were enough questions on top of questions to keep the plot moving. The resolution was also very satisfying. I would recommend this book to anyone who likes YA novels, but also to anyone who just likes a good mystery. Thank you to Netgalley for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

The Cheerleaders would be a perfect YA mini-series- it's filled with enough mystery, twisty turns, and suspense to reach out to that YA audience that had fallen in love with Pretty Little Liars and Riverdale.

The plot was easy to follow even with a few pieces missing (the ARC copy wasn't showing some of the MC's text messages, so I had to guess what she'd written based on the others' responses). While the "big reveal" was a still a surprise to me, the pieces fell together quite nicely, and it was believable even though I didn't see it coming. The mystery of who really killed the girls, why they were murdered, and whether Jen (MC's sister) was another victim is well-developed and has several layers to it that are gradually revealed as Monica (the MC) continues to investigate. There are a couple of twists along the way, and I was definitely invested in figuring everything out with Monica.

For me, the characters were a bit simple. I liked who I was supposed to like, I doubted who I was supposed to doubt, and I was disgusted by those that were supposed to disgust me. Each of the characters has a clearly-defined role, and Thomas writes them into those "jobs" very well.

The MC, Monica, was fleshed out more-so than a lot of the supporting cast. Monica is dealing with her own trauma as the summer comes to an end, and she is still reeling from the loss of her sister years before. She's a likable character who's made some mistakes, and who is having trouble reconciling with the world's version of what happened to her older sister, Jen.

Overall, The Cheerleaders drew me in with its mystery, and I enjoyed it.

This book was not what I expected. I felt that there would be a little more supernatural thrill to it, but the plot was actually more realistic. The ending felt very contrived and unbelievable, which left me disappointed.
Also, I'm not a big fan of the first-person point of view, unless it is done very well. In the first-person, it's a fine line between being coming off as having nothing worthwhile to say versus using first-person to forward the story.
The Cheerleaders lacked characterization and depth, and I really just wanted the story to be done.

I loved this book.

Like a lot of the books I've read lately, the protagonist sucked. She was an awful person who totally lacked empathy, made snap judgements about other people, and couldn't use critical thinking skills to save her life. It was really lucky that she had a sweet, down to earth partner in crime to make the read more palatable.

All that aside, the twist was pretty good. There were a lot of loose end tied up, which was great, because I was starting to wonder why certain things even mattered at all (Monica's summer fling? Why is he even relevant). I wasn't expecting everything that happened and, frankly, as a pretty avid reader, I can see most turns a mile away. This was an above average read and I'm really grateful for the ARC Net Galley provided me in exchange for a fair and honest review. '

For a more in-depth version of this review, please check out my awesome book blog:

http://bibwithblog.blogspot.com/2018/06/one-sentence-plot-summary-high-school.html

After finishing binging Pretty Little Liars and Riverdale, I was looking for my next obsession, and The Cheerleaders delivered! A riveting story of what can happen when gossip permeates a town. This was one of those books that you truly couldn't put down until you found out the truth.

Ok, I'll admit it, I'm a sucker for teen sleuths! Though I often find YA fiction a bit exhausting in all the wrong ways, <i>The Cheerleaders</i> kept me engaged and intrigued the whole way through. Right out of the gate, Kara Thomas makes bold choices for her characters, and though I thought the main plot twist wasn't super surprising (look, there are only so many characters in this book, people) I loved following Monica's quest to find out what really happened to her sister and her friends. She is a fantastic character who doesn't let anything stand in the way of finding out the truth.

I would absolutely recommend this book to anyone who likes YA mysteries. This would be a great beach or vacation read!

I loved this book. I really enjoyed how obvious clues did not sail over the head of the protagonist - she was sharp without having to be overly detached from her emotions. A perfect balance.

Wow! Kara Thomas is proving herself to be quite the phenom in YA mystery/thrillers. The Cheerleaders is everything readers will want it to be after loving The Darkest Corners and Little Monsters. Or if you enjoyed One of Us is Lying.

The characters are very well-developed. The writing is fast-paced and strong. The whodunnit aspect will keep readers turning the pages. The suspense is well done adding just the right amount of intrigue to the story. Readers who enjoy twisty mysteries or thrillers will definitely want to check out The Cheerleaders July 31st!

There is so much going on in this book that I don't know where to begin!

A word of warning: this is not your average YA novel. There are some pretty hefty issues being addressed - murder, suicide, ptsd, statutory rape, abortion, mental illness - so the target audience is should be upper high school or mature 14-15 yr. olds. Just sayin'.

Now for the good stuff!

The story follows Monica, sister to one of five cheerleaders who all died within three weeks of each other five years before the story begins. Monica, however, doesn't believe her sister committed suicide, and she's suspicious of the murders and car accident that killed the other four. Fearing that her stepfather and the rest of the police are part of a cover-up, she begins her own investigation and uncovers some mysterious details that don't add up.

I really like Thomas's writing style: fast-paced, not too much description, great use of flashbacks to fill in the backstory, and every chapter has a mini cliffhanger. The characters are well-developed, especially Monica - she's gritty, driven, and determined to uncover what really happened to her sister Jen. Her voice and actions are pretty authentic - even Monica's interactions and conversations with her mom and Tom serve a purpose in furthering the plot - not that inane, stilted dialogue just to prove the character has parents.

With her friend Ginny's help, Monica not only investigates her sister's apparent suicide, but she also delves into Susan and Juliana's murders and the car accident that killed Bethany and Colleen uncovering more secrets that raise even more questions.

The story is just dark and twisty enough to keep you flipping those pages as fast as you can read just to find out what happens.

When 5 cheerleaders die in quick succession, there has to be a connection........ What is it and how will the little sister of one of the fallen figure out the answer??? Really good, with a plot twist or two.

There were so many things I liked about this book. From the pacing of the clues, to the complex and damaged Monica as our protagonist to the two perspective storytelling, Thomas has once again written a suspenseful and surprising thriller. I loved following Monica and her new friend Ginny (something of an outcast at the school) as they hunt for clues in a noire-style mystery. I may have had an inkling or two of where things were going, but I ultimately was taken in by red herrings and twists and turns and didn't solve the mystery until Thomas wanted me to. I really liked Monica, because her anger, sadness, and resilience made for a very compelling main character. Also I want to give major props to this book for portraying abortion as a valid choice when faced with an unwanted pregnancy, and how realistic it seemed to me without being on any kind of soapbox. I love seeing that sort of thing in YA literature.

This thriller had an interesting premise and a good twist. The main character was strong and relatable. Although entertaining, sometimes the flow and timeline of the book did not make sense to me as a reader.

If you liked The Darkest Corners, you'll probably like Thomas' latest mystery about a teen whose sister died, one of several cheerleaders who all died within a short time. Monica finds her sister's old cell phone and starts asking a lot of questions when it turns out that some new information doesn't agree with what she's been told. Thomas knows how to pace a book to keep readers engaged, but if I have any issues it's that too often in books like this the world of characters is just too small. Within a few chapters you've met anyone of any importance and just have to reconfigure things to find out what really happened. Review from e-galley.

This is a good ya thriller with great characters twists and turns. Monica is searching for the truth of what happened five years ago when her sister and four of her cheerleading friends died She starts to find clues from the past and questions what she knew about that time period . I like the alternating time line but did feel the pace of the book was a little slow in spots. Over all a good read. Thank you netgalley for a chance to read this arc in exchange for my honest opinion.

This book delivered in every way. It is a creepy, mysterious novel about the sudden deaths of five high school cheerleaders during a single school year. The author introduces a number of possible murderers and scenarios that keep the reader guessing until the end.

The book also indirectly addresses the hurt, confusion and devastating grieving process that strains personal lives and the best of relationships.