A thriller about two girls tied to the same guy, and being harassed because of him, All Eyes of Us has a plot that leaves you guessing to the identity of their anonymous stalker. Amanda and Rosalie are both Carter's girlfriends, and though being aware of the other, they are quiet about it - Amanda because she thinks Rosalie is just a phase he will grow tired of, and because she doesn't want to lose the privilege of being the future Mrs Shaw; Rosalie because Carter is the one way she can make her devout Christian parents believe that she has been 'healed from her homosexuality' through the 'counseling' sessions by the pastor. The girls are at odds at the start, because Amanda doesn't know about Rosalie's real reason to date Carter, and Rosalie fears Amanda's anger over her dating Carter.

The anonymous texts start out subtle, but soon progress to threats. As they do so, the suspect pool in the plot increases, but of course the common factor is yet to be found. Every time I thought this person could be it, there isn't enough motive as the threats go up in stakes. As for the girls, they both don't have adults they could turn to, to help them out of their situation. Amanda's mother downplays her fears and basically tells her to suck it up; Rosalie is being threatened to be outed to her parents about the existence of her girlfriend. I wouldn't say this is a typical mystery per se, but it is more of the fears being weaponized against these girls. Amanda's entire identity and image in her town is tied to being Carter's girlfriend, and fear of her mother's ire keeps her in place; she has to learn to break away from those expectations. Now, Rosalie's fear is quite visceral because she has been subjected to conversion therapy twice and she is still traumatized by it; her arc is also to finally break away from the expectations of her family.

The voice of the two protagonists and the writing was well done, though Amanda using her parents' first names was confusing at times. Additionally, I felt most of the secondary characters were like props or at the most, red herrings, and underutilized.

Overall: it is a good thriller plot, and has well fleshed-out protagonists.

Amanda Kelly is dating Carter Shaw. Carter Shaw is also dating Amanda's best friend Rosalie Bell, who has a girlfriend. It seems everyone has secrets, and an anonymous texter knows them all. Can Amanda, Carter and Rosalie stop this person before all of their secrets are revealed? Fans of Pretty Little Liars will devour this book!

GOSSIP GIRL meets PRETTY LITTLE LIARS in this YA thriller. ALL EYES ON US follows Rosalie and Amanda in back to back chapters. From nearby towns, they lead socioeconomically different lives. Rosalie came out to her parents when she was in middle school, and they put her into horrific conversion therapy that left her with (undiagnosed) PTSD. She now pretends to date Carter to keep her parents from getting too suspicious until she turns 18 and can move away with the girl she loves, Paulina. Carter doesn't know that she is using him- but he is also cheating on his girlfriend.

Amanda is Carter's long-term girlfriend and likely wife one day. Her parents have groomed her for high society where they, Carter's parents, and other socioeconomically elite parents have dictated what their children's lives will be like. Amanda's parents were keeping up the farce of their wealthy lifestyle for years, and her mother now drinks heavily and is likely an alcoholic. Amanda is not sure she wants to be with Carter, not least of which is because she knows how often he cheats on her- however, this is just the way things must be.

However, Amanda soon is receiving threatening texts from a private number and fighting to keep herself afloat while uncovering the villain. As we bounce between Amanda and Rosalie, we see the tangled web around their lives.

I was pleasantly surprised that I did not guess the ending as easily as I thought I had- I love to be wrong in thrillers! I was not sure whether I liked any of the characters, but it did not matter because I still wanted to know who was behind the private texts and what was happening. One of the really interesting and important elements was about conversion therapy in evangelist/fundamental Christianity and the harm that this can cause. This can start some important discussions.

The pacing was pretty well done, though I found it to drag a little in the middle, being caught in what felt like a loop, but it did maintain the thriller/suspense feel all the way through. If you are looking for a dark and twisty GOSSIP GIRL-style read, I would highly recommend picking this one up!

Please note that I received an ARC from the publisher through netgalley. All opinions are my own.

FINALLY! A diverse YA thriller that I can wholeheartedly recommend. I suppose I should add a disclaimer here that I have not read ALL of the YA thrillers, so there may be some wonderful diverse stories I’ve missed, of course. (If you know of any, LMK -- I want to read them all!) But from my previous personal experience, I’ve noticed that the thriller genre as a whole (YA and adult) has been rather lacking in diversity.

Because of this, I went into reading All Eyes on Us with both a lot of anticipation and an equal share of trepidation. What if this book just wasn’t as good as I’d hoped?

Thankfully, my fears were allayed quite quickly. The book drew me in right from the start. The title is written into the story early on and begins to take on further meaning as the plot progresses. I loved that! It’s always a bonus when the title is meaningful within the context of the story. And the characters and setup? I can tell you I’ve read a TON of thrillers in the last few years (I should count them up, but I’m guessing somewhere around 100) and this premise was truly unique. Not an easy feat these days.

All Eyes on Us is told from two perspectives -- AND, rather refreshingly for YA, they are NOT the perspectives of two characters you’re intended to ship together. Neither are they best friends or direct enemies. As it turns out, they’re two teenage girls dating the same guy.

I will admit that this had my eyebrows raised -- and it will probably cause some readers to hesitate when they hear it. There is cheating in this story. It’s a thriller and no, it’s not exactly condoned, but at least one character who is a cheating party is set up as a sympathetic character. If that’s an absolute no for you, then here’s your heads up. But if you’re willing to accept imperfect main characters (which, truth to be told, is almost every thriller MC) and let them show you why they’ve become who they are (someone willing to cheat), I think you’ll be in for a real treat.

All Eyes On Us goes deep -- especially for a thriller. Kit Frick manages to walk that line between the fun mystery that thriller readers seek and the depth of a well-thought-out YA contemporary that addresses very real issues. Namely, the book shows us the harmfulness of conversion therapy and also serves to highlight what happens when teenagers are put under way too much familial pressure.

(As a side note, I’ve seen some mention of the conversion therapy portions feeling extraneous or going too in-depth. And while I absolutely believe that everyone is entitled to their opinion and we won’t all agree on what’s “too much”, I didn’t personally find these sections gratuitous. I thought the scenes were written with exactly the right amount of detail for readers to imagine how horrific it must be for kids and teens who are put through exactly this kind of “therapy” -- it fit well within the bounds of YA thriller territory and offered readers a chance to understand what it must be like and why it needs to be stopped.)

I enjoyed the fast pacing and the mystery and creep factor of the anonymous texter. This story was an enjoyable who-dun-it that kept me guessing throughout! The ending was fairly typical for a thriller, but that’s almost certainly a perspective gained through reading WAY too many thrillers. I think experienced thriller readers will enjoy the wrap-up and new thriller readers will LOVE how it ends.

I highly recommend this incredible novel and can’t wait to read Kit Frick’s next book -- and her previous book, which is now on my TBR!

4.5 stars!

Advanced copy provided by Simon and Schuster through Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

(This review will be posted to Goodreads and IG stories on 5/29, Amazon on pub day, and IG post/caption on 6/15. Hype graphic will be saved to IG story highlights under "thrillers". Will update links as reviews are posted.)

All Eyes on Us is a compulsive read: once you start, you won't want to stop. It stars dual narrators, Amanda and Rosalie, physically living one town from each other but socially worlds apart, who happen to be dating the same golden boy, Carter. When both Amanda and Rosalie receive texts from a private number threatening to reveal each girl's personal secrets the suspense really starts to intensify.

My students will immediately connect with both narrators: Amanda, who seems to have the perfect life but who is desperately lonely and unfulfilled; and Rosalie, whose fundamentalist parents have tried everything to 'cure' her from being lesbian.

One thing that especially stood out to me is Rosalie's self-talk. She knows that her parents' views of homosexuality are wrong and that she is not a flawed person, and she affirms herself many times throughout the text. She also never denies God, an important connection with many of my students who are in her same position. who love God but feel caught between their sexuality and their religion.

The narrative also includes a variety of ways that people can be active allies to queer youth: telling them that you are open to talking/listening, being a youth advocate, welcoming them into your home, and simply trusting them when they come out to you.

I finished this book and immediately pre-ordered it for my classroom library. I already have several students who want to read this book & know it'll be one that I can't keep on my classroom library shelf.

I was provided an ARC of this book by #Netgalley in return for an honest review.

I had the hardest time connecting with this book.

I liked Rosalie and her story well enough. I truly hated how she used Carter though. I know she was just doing what she thought she had to do to stay safe, but still. Carter is a cheater and deserved it, but it still didn't feel quite right.

I disliked Amanda a lot and didn't have a ton of sympathy for her. Her parts were boring and felt unnecessary.

I also really disliked all the thriller-y drama. It just felt out of place, which was odd seeing as it's the main plot of the book.

I think I would have liked this a lot more if it wasn't a thriller, if Amanda hadn't been a main character, and it focused more on Rosalie and her faith/situation .

Truthfully, <i>All Eyes On Us</i> by Kit Frick isn't really my kind of novel. And I had trouble rating it as a result. I wondered how much of my preconceived opinions about thrillers was playing a role and how much it was actually based on the novel. Eventually, after much deliberation, I arrived at a solid three. <i>All Eyes On Us</i> is a story that follows to girls, Amanda and Rosalie who are both dating the same boy. Amanda, Carter's first girlfriend, has been with him for a long time and appears to be the serious one. She and Carter are both from the same upper echelons of society and there's basically a pretty big expectation that the two of them will eventually get married. Amanda sees him as her forever, the only future she really has and this is partially influenced by the fact that her parents are deep in debt and they see their daughter as the cash cow to get them out once she inherits the giant real estate monopoly that Carter's family owns by marrying him. Rosalie is the girl Carter is cheating on her with, someone who lives in a more lower-middle class household. The catch, of course, is that Rosalie is a lesbian who is only dating Carter to appease her conservative, excessively Christan parents who have been submitting her to conversion therapy since she was very young. It's her way of keeping them off her back and keeping her own real relationship with Paulina a secret.

Then suddenly Amanda begins receiving somewhat threatening texts that eventually boil down to a stranger telling her she needs to break up with Carter. Due to the fact that Amanda already knows Carter is cheating, she is quick to assume that it is Rosalie who is sending the disturbing messages. There's a lot of girl hate that ensues, which is understandable and I was definitely in that boat as a teenager once upon a time, but it wasn't something I particularly enjoyed about this book and definitely made me feel less sympathetic toward Amanda, who was quick to act like a Grade A bitch as a result, blaming Rosalie instead of Carter for the disgusting behavior. Of course, as Rosalie is not the one texting Amanda, soon both girls are receiving texts from this stranger who is dead set on taking down Carter and basically breaking his heart as publicly as possible.

Admittedly, my biggest issues with this book came primarily from the fact that it was moderately predictable and incredibly dull. I had the hardest time getting through it as I spent much of the novel growing increasingly bored, which I imagine is not what's supposed to happen when someone reads a thriller. I didn't feel deeply worried for any of the characters, certain that there would be a good ending for the both of them. There never seemed to be any suspense at all and barring the anger I felt toward Christianity and the church for their disgusting treatment of Rosalie, I never felt much about the story. And the people involved in the threats? I pinned all but one.

I'll give the author credit for the fact that I never actually suspected the person who turned out to be the stalker-y texter hellbent on destroying Carter's life. But while I did not have this person pinned down, the reveal didn't matter to me in the slightest. I didn't feel anything when the name came forward nor did I really even care about it? The texter's motivations were dumb to me, though I suppose I could see it? Ultimately I just didn't really care about anything that happened and by the time I got to the end of the novel I was just ready to be done reading.

Ultimately, I think it's just very clear that thriller is not a genre I enjoy.

<i>I was provided a free copy of this book via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.</i>

From the Publisher "Pretty Little Liars meets People Like Us in this taut, tense thriller about two teens who find their paths intertwined when an anonymous texter threatens to spill their secrets and uproot their lives."

Comparing a book to Pretty Little Liars really isn't the way to get me to read it, but my interest was piqued by the twist of a gay character just using a boy until she was old enough to be out of her parents house. The horror of gay conversion therapy hanging over her head felt real and scary. I have to say i felt that the characters weren't fully fleshed out, they didn't feel feel that real to me, nor did i care much what happened to Amanda. I appreciated that i was unable to figure out the mystery before the reveal though.

*ARC supplied by Netgalley for my honest review

Love, love, love. This reminded me of Pretty Little Liars, but I liked the characters and the plot better. It hooked me from the first page. I cannot wait to book talk it- my students will eat this up!

A fast-paced taunt thriller that will definitely take you for a wild ride! I recommend this book if you're into Riverdale or Pretty Little Liars. Or you love books about secrets and getting blackmailed.

Thank you for the ark this book was very enjoyable and I’m glad I got the chance to read it! I will definitely recommend this to friends

This book was so refreshingly great and I will be recommending it to all the readers coming to the store looking for a coming of age YA novel.

Thank you, NetGalley for the digital ARC of this YA novel.

Kit Frick does an incredible job creating a mystery in a story told from two teenage girls’ perspectives. I found the book to be fast paced, written well, and the characters were easy to get to know and root for.

The bigger reason this book is powerful and important deals with the message behind the both MCs’ lives. Amanda’s parents are trying to direct her life so that they can live in a certain social and financial bracket, preventing her from becoming who she should be and Rosalie’s parents are forcing her to believe in a religion which says she shouldn’t exist. The danger of these religious beliefs is real and Kit Frick brings these serious issues to light.

While this could be controversial, it is the reality that many teens face and this book could be the saving grace for these adolescents to escape the abuse their families bring upon them.

I loved this book! I will be recommending it to all my young adult readers! Thank you for this opportunity to connect books to their readers.

Based on the premise of this book, and especially that it was marketed as Pretty Little Liars meets People Like Us, I thought I was going to fly through All Eyes On Us. Unfortunately, I found that it didn't resemble either one of those books, to the point that the marketing seemed misleading. This book just didn't have the "compulsively readable" quality that I love about great thrillers, and I didn't feel attached to either of the characters. Ultimately, the resolution just felt unsatisfying, and I didn't buy the motives of the person who was revealed to be the "villain" all along.

Thank you NetGalley for the digital ARC of "All Eyes on Us" by Kit Frick. This book was a real page turner. Two girls, one boy, and a stalker threatening to expose both girls secrets. It turns out Amanda and Rosalie are not the only people with secrets. This book kept me interested from beginning to end. Great read.

This is a strong thriller that centers teen girls and the oppressive expectations placed on them by their families and communities. I expected to connect with Rosalie more than Amanda, and while I did, Amanda was still such a compelling character. The way Kat Frick explores Rosalie’s sexuality is evocative, sad, hopeful, and beautiful. While books that tackle these themes with a mystery often offer up slightly underwhelming answers, the journey of these girls is enough fun to read and explore that I can forgive that.

Last year, Kit Frick burst onto the scene with her stellar debut See All the Stars. Now, she has returned with All Eyes on Us and there is no sign of a sophomore slump here! All Eyes on Us delves into the subject matter of LGBTQ relationships and the issue of being yourself when it is unwelcome in your family (to the point of conversion camps, nonetheless.) or being who your family wants you to be - being forced to date the wealthy boy so you can continue to put on a show when your own wealth is gone. Interspersed throughout the YA struggles we find Rosalie (our LGBTQ character) and Amanda (our former wealthy popular girl) receiving threatening anonymous texts. Told through multiple perspectives, we get all the fun and glitz of Gossip Girl and all the scheming and OMG-Gasping moments of Pretty Little Liars.

Well done on book #2, Kit Frick. I'll certainly be looking forward to book #3.

Thank you to Margaret K. McElderry Books for an advance copy. All opinions are my own.

This story was rightfully compared to The Cheerleaders, People Like Us, and One of Us is Lying. I read all three so that comparison alone drew me to this story. I loved the fast paced mystery and The Who dunnit mood that kept until the very end! Highly recommend!