It's one of the best books I've read this year. It was shocking. I wish I could say more, but I would share some spoilers here, so.... Read, for you know about what I wrote this.
And if you liked Sadie, by Courtney Summers, you'll liked this one as well.

3 stars (release date June 30, 2020)

You can read all of my reviews at https://www.NerdGirlLovesBooks.com.

This is a pretty good YA Mystery/Thriller about a teenager working as a nanny in the Hamptons who confesses to the murder of a young woman that she may never have met.

High School graduate Anna escapes her troubled life in Brooklyn to work as a nanny for the summer in the small Long Island town of Herron Mills. She's hoping for a fresh start from her hard-partying days as a high school senior. But her hopes of having a quiet summer are dashed when she discovers that she bears a striking resemblance to Zoe Spanos, a local girl that has been missing since New Years Eve. People that knew Zoe have strong feelings about her disappearance, and as Anna learns more about Zoe, she gets the eerie feeling that she and Zoe are somehow connected - and that she knows what happened to her.

At the end of the summer Zoe's body is discovered and Anna is charged with manslaughter. But things don't add up and Martina Green, the teen host of a podcast about Zoe's disappearance, keeps digging into the case to find the truth.

This is a quick and easy read, with a few surprising twists in the story. The book drags in the middle and the multiple times that Anna has memory issues or deja vu could have been handled differently and starts to get old, but I guess the author needed to bulk up the "mystery" part of the story. Most of those moments didn't really make a lot of sense, particularly the multiple times that Anna seems to "zone out" and not remember she had plans or was supposed to do something. There are a few unnecessary supporting characters that add clunky red herrings to the story and don't make a lot of sense. They appear to be added simply to fit the "mystery book" formula.

While there is nothing earth shattering new in this book, it's an ok read.

I received a free copy of this book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

While my favorite genre to read would probably be YA fantasy, occasionally I find it difficult to resist the urge of reading a YA thriller. I’ll read just about any book published by Courtney Summers or Karen McManus, and it seems I’ll have to add Kit Frick to that list too. 

The book opens with a recent high school graduate from Brooklyn, Anna Cicconi, having confessed to the accidental murder of Zoe Spanos, a college sophomore from the Hamptons. It is told through a series of flashbacks to the summer Anna spent in the Hamptons as a nanny, Anna’s time in a juvenile detention center, and a podcast hosted by another local girl named Martina. 
 
Frick provides enough red herrings to mislead, ample foreshadowing to make you feel stupid for not guessing correctly, and a great plot twist at the end. The plot structure and suspense in this book was excellent. While well-written, some of the narrative detail read extraneous, which made the pacing a bit slower than it needed to be in the beginning sections. I’m hesitant to give this book to my younger high school readers because of its treatment of teen drinking. While drinking among teens is a clear reality, there were some troubling events that didn't seem to have a harsh enough consequence for the situation. While it doesn't in any way glorify teen alcoholism, I don't think Frick did enough to address the issue here in a way that is clear for her teen audience. That being said, it is definitely something I can see placing on a summer reading list or putting into my classroom library — kids would eat this book up!

Unfortunately this book fell flat for me. I am not sure if I was expecting more due to all the hype or if I’m just not a huge YA thriller fan but I had a very hard time connecting to the characters. I didn’t feel engaged and felt as though the story dragged along and was a bit confusing at first.

This is the first book I have read from Kit Frick but it certainly will not be my last. She was able to weave an amazing mystery while dropping in some ghostly allure that I enjoyed. In fact, the flashes of memories and nightmares are one of the (many) aspects I could not get enough of. 

Frick is able to create such a vivid main character in Anna, yet leaves you questioning whether she is delusional, compulsive, or unnaturally obsessed with the missing Zoe. The entire narrative leaves you wondering what is real and what is just a figment of a demented mind. AND THAT CONCLUSION?! Readers will be left reeling. 

I would highly recommend this book to anyone, especially those you love modern spins on classic gothic literature.

Knowing that I had a recent love for mystery/psychological thrillers, a friend recommended I Killed Zoe Spanos to me. Not that long ago the two of us read another thriller as a buddy read and when she heard about this one she thought it would be another one the two of us would enjoy together. I can report she was right. Unfortunately I read way ahead of her because once I started I couldn’t seem to stop, but we both agreed this was definitely exactly what we were hoping for.

I Killed Zoe Spanos starts with Anna Ciccioni, a teenage girl from New York, that is moving to the Hamptons for the summer to nanny for a little girl. When Anna arrives in town she starts to notice people sometimes stare at her. She soon finds out she looks a lot like Zoe Spanos, a girl that was presumed dead around New Years when she went missing. As summer moves on Anna starts having memories of the town which is a place she has never been before. She isn’t sure what is going on, but with the help of a local teen journalist she is going to find out why she is having memories of a girl she never met and a town she has never been to before.

I had a lot of theories about I Killed Zoe Spanos while I was reading. And I loved that. I loved that it made me question what I thought I knew. It made me look at everything going on to try and figure it out. When I realized I was right about one part I was so happy, but another part I didn’t really see coming and that is what I love about a great mystery thriller. Anna was just as clueless as the rest of that and like her I really just wanted to know what happened. I also really liked the use of the podcast aspect. It reminded me of Sadie by Courtney Summers and I loved that book.

I can’t really say much about the specifics about I Killed Zoe Spanos. It’s hard to talk about without giving anything away. All I can tell you is if you like mystery and thrillers this should be on your TBR.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the e-ARC in exchange for an honest review. Thanks also to the FFBC for including me on the blog tour for this book! You can find my full review and my favourite quotes on my blog (link in bio). 3.5 stars

This was a thrilling YA mystery that was written with a mixed-media format that I really enjoyed. It's being likened to Sadie and while I can see why, it should be kept in mind that the narrative is quite different. I also haven't read Rebecca so I don't know how accurate the comparisons or influences are. The start of the book was admittedly confusing and it took a while for me to immerse myself in the story and to wrap my head around what was happening. But once I did and the pace rapidly picked up around the 20-30% mark, I ended up eagerly speeding through the rest of the novel to find out what happened.

The story was told in alternating timelines between the past summer (when Anna was babysitting ) and the present day (when Anna has confessed--not a spoiler since you find this out in the first chapter) and I liked how it was presented. Frick's writing style is easy to read and engaging. I really enjoyed the mixed-media format as it kept the pace fast and easy to read. It was a combination of police interview transcripts and the transcript of a teenage run podcast to solve the mystery of Zoe's disappearance/death. I would be interested in checking out the audiobook for this because I can imagine that if it's done the same way Sadie was, it'll be an amazing and enhanced reading experience.

One thing that surprised me was how creepy and atmospheric the writing was. I didn't expect to be so creeped out reading this book but Frick really knows how to set an eerie and sinister, and almost supernatural atmosphere that had me curling my toes up under my covers and had me sleeping with the lights on. This was definitely not the sunny, party-filled Hamptons that you normally see on screen and read of in books!

I thought all of the characters were pretty unlikable and I never came to care for any of them. They came off as pretty shady (and awful friends), and selfishly motivated which made it hard to feel invested in their situations. Anna gave me very strong unreliable narrator vibes, which is pretty normal with mysteries/thrillers, but that also added to my confusion of what exactly was happening to/with her character. Was this something more towards mental illness or was it more paranormal? Despite being confused about what was real and what wasn't, the suspense of not knowing also kept me on the edge of my seat and eager to find out more.

There were a few plot twists and some were predictable while others, including whodunit, did manage to surprise me. That said, I was pretty disappointed by the whole reveal and with how everything was explained. I had to suspend my disbelief from the start, especially when in chapter one the police are basically interviewing a minor without parental consent/presence, and they were threateningly coercing her to give a confession just to close the case. That was already a bit of a flag for me, but also, the police might as well not have even been mentioned because of how useless their presence was in the book. When we get to the end and there were too many coincidences explained away to be probable, it just became... unsatisfying. I can't say anything more without giving things away, it just felt very convenient and maybe even raised more questions. Although most of my original questions were answered, I think I was expecting a bit more and this fell flat and it's what brought my rating down to 3.5 stars.

Despite the slightly disappointing reveal and ending, this was still a thrilling YA murder mystery that I think will be a big hit for many this summer (I know my opinion is in the minority for this one)! Frick's eerie atmospheric setting and engaging writing style will keep you on your toes and eager to read on to find out how the rest of the story unfolds.

This was a great YA mystery. It does almost make you want to put it down as it begins very slowly. Beware that the beginning is slow but it does pick up pace fairly quickly. It is difficult to relate to Anna, but it depends on the reader. She was fine with my reading, the voice was also great. Once you are able to get into the story a bit, it also might get better in that regard. Easily can be read in one sitting.

I LOVED this book! I read for hours straight to finish it and discover the truth. I read so many mysteries that I am always thrilled when I am surprised. I was unable to guess the whole ending of the book so that was definitely a nice surprise. If you like mysterious page-turners, this one is for you!

A solid YA mystery.  Although the beginning moved slowly and it was difficult to connect with Anna, the novel picked up pace once we were introduced to Martina's podcast.  Once we were able to delve into the actual mystery of Zoe's disappearance instead of Anna's lifetime regrets, the book was more enjoyable and binge-worthy.

I Killed Zoe Spanos is a fun summer read for fans of true crime podcasts and heady, psychological thrillers. While some of the twists are are predictable, some are truly surprising. This book features two timelines, one during the summer while Anna is working as a nanny in the Hamptons, and one timeline in the fall after Anna has been arrested for the murder of Zoe Spanos, her doppelganger. 

I think this is a fun YA read, but missing the heart-pounding suspense that adults want in a thriller. While I prefer Karen McManus or Maureen Johnson's who-dun-its, this is still one that I would recommend for a young adult mystery collection.

This is a book I will definitely recommend to my students, especially students who love a good suspense novel. The plot keeps readers engaged and the inclusion of the podcast transcripts adds to the story. If one is familiar with podcasts, the transcripts read exactly how a podcast would sound. The timeline switches between present and past which also helps move the story along. The only thing that kept this a four-star rating instead of five is the main character. Some of her thoughts and actions seemed forced in order to "develop" the memory/lack of memory character trait. I didn't really connect with her, and while this may be a deal-breaker with other novels, the plot is strong enough to keep the reader engaged.  "I Killed Zoe Spanos" will make a great addition to any suspense novel collection.

A fun, twisty summery mystery.

I Killed Zoe Spanos is the story of Anna, a girl from New York City who takes a summer nanny job in the Hamptons. Of Zoe, a girl who went missing in the same Hampton town Anna works in, and Marina, Zoe's classmate and an amateur reporter who starts a podcast to explore what might have happened to Zoe.

The sore's structure could have been confusing - it jumps forward and backward and is told from the point of view Anna in the past, Anna in the present, and Marina in the present - but it worked for me. 

I did guess one aspect of the story but did not guess a lot of the other pieces of the puzzle. If you like twisty, mysterious stories, definitely check this one out!

It's been a huge struggle for me, as a reader, to get properly into mysteries and thrillers. I've always read so many other genres that I've never fully understood why this one hasn't resonated with me.


But, I've been trying to broaden my horizons as a reader, which I am so thankful for because it led me to this gem.


At first, I can say that I was beyond confused as to how the main character of this book had anything at all to do with any of the events that happened before we meet her.


But, very quickly I learn that Anna, who this story revolves around, isn't the most reliable of narrators. But, I think even she knows this, as she struggles through the book with holes in her memory.


Because of the nature of this story, I'm hesitant to say too much because I never want to give anything away.


So, I'm going to stick with what stood out to me the most--and that would be the fantastic writing by Ms. Frick.


I truly cannot praise her enough, as I was swept away in this story that I had no idea how it would end! And, I typically really enjoy a predictable ending.


But, this was done so well--with so many characters that I wanted to read more about.


If you're like me and don't read too many in the mystery or thriller genres but would like to begin--I fully endorse I Killed Zoe Spanos. There's just enough mystery to keep the reader enthralled but not so to make me have to go back and reread passages out of confusion.


I can't wait to read more from this genre--and especially this author!

Thank you so much for the opportunity to read and review this book!
My review will be available at the given link on 6/26/20 as a part of a blog tour.

I KILLED ZOE SPANOS has healthy doses of a murder mystery, a girl with a mysterious past, tenacious teen investigators, and true crime podcasting, which makes it feel a few steps above the usual teenage missing person story. It has two narratives, one being Anna Cicconi, the outsider who claims she killed Zoe, and Martina, the best friend of Zoe's sister and aspiring podcaster who wants to figure out what happened to Zoe. Anna's is filled with ambiguity, as it's in the first person and she may be unreliable, while Martina's is in the third person and lets the reader see a bigger picture. Having two different POV perspectives sometimes doesn't work, but Frick utilizes it in a way that lets us organically see all the puzzle pieces that are needed to solve the mystery. Add in Martina's podcast transcripts (which are interesting in the way that they are also potentially unreliable as they may show Martina's blind spots and biases) and you have another, more unique perspective that adds a bit more. The mystery kept me guessing for the most part, and I was pleased by most of the reveals and twists (though I also think that there may have been an overreach with one last surprise which felt unnecessary). That said, the characters themselves didn't really move beyond standard tropes, with Anna as the mysterious  'is she a villain or is she a victim?' theme and Martina as the 'tenacious teen sleuth' character. 

I KILLED ZOE SPANOS is a solid thriller mystery that would be perfect for summer reading!

“I killed Zoe. And it was a terrible, terrible mistake.”

I’m not gonna lie, I absolutely did not figure out anything that was happening in this book. I was confused from the time weird things started happening to Anna all the way through to the end. Now, maybe part of that is because I’ve never read Rebecca so I didn’t see the twists coming and I’m not sure how the endings compare. But I’m going to chalk it up to Kit Frick’s amazing writing.

Anna’s summer in the Hamptons is a wild ride. What Anna thinks is going to be a summer of nanny-ing becomes a summer full of people mistaking her for a missing girl and slowly recovering memories that all seem to involve that same missing girl. But that’s impossible because Anna never met Zoe, right?

I really like the setting of fun summer days versus the creepy looming that I picture of Windermere. It really fits all the secrets that get spilled over the course of this book, the shadiness of some of the characters, the missing memories. The excerpts from the podcast almost makes me wish that I had experienced this as an audiobook because I bet it is phenomenal.

I Killed Zoe Spanos is the type of thriller that pretty much anyone could love.

This story trails a twisted journey of Anna who doesn't quite remember everything correctly. She has had a bad habit of drinking too much and blacking out in the past. She has decided to take a summer nanny job to give herself a fresh start- to get away from bad influences and be the person she wants to be. ​

I will say that this story was slow at the beginning and took much longer for me to get into than most YA thrillers that I read. First, the introduction to the two differing points of view was muddled, that it took me a little bit too long to sort out in my mind. This was a bit frustrating as a start, but once I made it about 40% through the book- the rest flew by. When I first began and it seemed to be taking me longer than expected, I told myself that I would get the book through 40-50% before I considered abandoning it. I am so glad I gave it more time because by the time I got to that point I was hooked. 

Honestly, this book is filled with twists and turns that I did not even anticipate. I really enjoyed seeing how the other half lives in the Hamptons, and get into this mystery. At times it was a slow burn, but just because the fire starts slowly, sometimes those fires are the hottest. 

I Killed Zoe Spanos comes out SOON (Jul 1st, 2020)! I would not miss it if I were you!
http://kaitlynrcarpenter.weebly.com/blog/i-killed-zoe-spanos-by-kit-frick

If you're looking for a compelling beach read, look no further.  I Killed Zoe Spanos will keep you in that beach chair for hours.

This is my first time reading this author, but it absolutely won't be my last.  I was glued to this book from the beginning and conjured up tons of theories about what was happening during the course of the story.  Even then, only part of one of them turned out to be correct by the end. 

Martina's podcast is a clever way to introduce backstory - what happened with Zoe, who the suspects were, what the police did or didn't do, etc., and it gives the reader a peek into her head since her POV is shared along with Anna's.  The alternating chapters between past and present made me even more curious to learn how the characters got from point A to point B, and it's one of my favorite storytelling techniques.  With such an intricate plot, I can just imagine the story boards the author must have created.

Although it works well with the story, I had to suspend my disbelief a tad with the way the investigators handled Zoe's case.  Still, I devoured this book in two days.  Pay close attention near the end - things move fast and a lot of questions are answered.

With a heavy dose of red herrings and twists to keep you guessing, I Killed Zoe Spanos is a must read for mystery/thriller fans.  

I received a complimentary copy of this book from the publisher through NetGalley. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

This one keeps you on your toes the entire time!

Anna a former party girl who wants to change takes a job as a nanny on Long Island aka (The Hamptons) for the summer.  As soon as she is there she starts having these flashback memories or serious deja vu like she has been there before but isn't really sure.  Then she starts getting mistaken for Zoe Spanos a college student from the area who disappeared on New Year's Eve.  Anna teams up with Martina, who started a podcast on Zoe's disappearance and is Zoe's sister's best friend to try to figure out what happened to Zoe Spanos.

This book is SO GOOD! I was hooked from the very first page. It’s full of unreliable and untrustworthy characters, confusing memories, and surprising twists that blew my mind. I was kept guessing up until the very end! I highly recommend for anyone who loves a good YA mystery!