Karen McManus's newest book reunites the three Story cousins for the first time in years to spend a summer working for their mysterious grandmother they've never met. Fans of McManus's other works will enjoy familiar twists and turns but with a new, refreshing plot focusing on the Story family's history and the skeletons in their closet.

Perfect for fans of We Were Liars, The Cousins proves that McManus can deliver again. Set on the fictional Gull Cove Island, The Cousins will give readers the same Martha's Vineyard vibe as E. Lockhart's We Were Liars. The family intrigue was similar, but still fresh and original. I thoroughly enjoyed reading the mystery, and without spoiling anything, I really appreciated how McManus always plays fair with her clues. You have all the clues... but will you be able to put it together? Thank you to the publishers for my Advanced Readers Copy on NetGalley!

I was stoked when I got an advanced copy of this book to read, because I love Karen M. McManus, and WHEW, let me tell you, she has done it again! Right off the bat we get into it with the discovery that Milly, Aubrey, and Jonah's uber-rich grandmother very abruptly cut their parents off with a mysterious one-lined letter - "You know what you did."

Uh, yeah. I'm hooked! What did they do, y'all? I must know!

As more pieces of the story came together, I cycled through a variety of theories, and I was pretty proud of myself when one of my theories ended up being half right - nailed it! Sort of. Basically.

I don't even want to talk about the book itself for fear of saying something that accidentally gives away part of the mystery and ruining it for someone else, so let me just say that Karen McManus's super power seems to be writing ending scenes that are so intense they force a gasped "OH S***!" out of me as I read. Seriously, it's 4/4 at this point. Karen knows how to put pedal to the metal when the mystery starts coming to a head and then not let up until the final pages.

4.5 I liked "The Cousins" as much or better than "One of Us is Lying." It's got great character development, a unique plot, and LOTS of nice turns and twists. This book read a bit more believably for me even with all the family drama and heartbreak and emotional upheaval.

Karen M. McManus strikes again! With a plot that doesn’t let up, enough twists and turns that keeps the reader on their toes, definitely keeps the momentum from the “One of Us is Lying” series. Some of the twists I caught and some I didn’t, which is always a good feeling. Readers who know her will gobble this right up, and readers who are just being introduced will want to read the rest of her books.

Karen McManus does it again with this YA mystery. Three cousins are mysteriously offered jobs at their grandmothers resort. The biggest problem is the grandmother broke all ties with her children 24 years prior. No one knows why, which make the offer even more mysterious. The cousins do go but all for different reasons. Once there they realize there is more the their family and their grandmother than anyone knew. I love this book as well as the kids' banter. I'd recommend it for ages 12+.

Another excellent YA thriller / mystery by Karen McManus who seems to have an endlessly twisted repertoire of stories stored in her brain. These books are hard to put down — well-written with engaging characters and a set of twists that I never quite figure out until it is too late.

The Cousins is about three cousins who are each invited to work at the resort owned by the grandmother who cut off all ties with their parents decades ago. Secrets abound and are unraveled at just the right pace. While it is labeled as a thriller, and I was on the edge of my seat, I didn’t find it to be anxiety provoking. Thriller-lite?

As a side note, isn’t it funny that teen angst is so refreshing in a pandemic? It’s so soluble!

:Karen McManus certainly has a way with keeping her readers in suspense until the very end of her books, and that is the case again with “The Cousins”. With lots of different characters and a great setting, this book could easily pull you into the story of the “Story” family and the mystery behind why the children are disinherited. Read the epilogue at the end,

This was an enjoyable book, read in 1 day, kept me very engaged. Will be interesting the read when released. Should reach a large group on YA readers.

I received an ARC of The Cousins by Karen McManus through Netgalley. All opinions are my own.

The books starts slow to build the background and get the reader invested in the characters. It is written in alternate POV's of Milly, Aubrey and Jonah with some flashbacks from Milly's mother Allison. Lots of twists and turns throughout the story to keep you guessing.

Karen McManus has definitely done it again. Fans of her previous books will not be disappointed! I can't wait to recommend this one to my students and teachers.

I highly recommend this YA book for anyone who likes mysteries (including adults).

This is her best one yet! Ever since "One of us is lying" she has astounded us with her plot twists. The fact that you Ajay think you know what's galangal is her true gift. I highly recommend this addition.

This was so good! I have enjoyed mostly everything Karen McManus has put out so far and this was no exception. We follow a family full of secrets and mystery, the Story’s. One day, out of the blue, 4 siblings receive a letter from their mother with one sentence, ‘you know what you did.’ After this, they are all cutoff never to see her again. We’re following their children, years later, after they receive a letter from their estranged grandmother asking them to work on her resort. What ensues is a whirlwind of revealed secrets and twists. This was so much fun and I did not see any of it coming. Definitely a new favorite.

The Cousins is a fun thriller from the author of One of Us is Lying. If you already read McManus's prior books, then you know to expect some twists, some secrets, and a bunch of flawed but lovable characters.

This is a great summer escape read, since it takes place on resort island, and the plot revolves around the Story family. The Story cousins have gathered on the island for the first time ever to work for their grandmother-- the same grandmother that excommunicated all of their parents mysteriously decades ago. Can they figure out the genesis of the "I know what you did" letter that their parents received all those years ago?

Fun, twisty, and a great quarantine read!

Karen McManus never disappoints! Like her previous novels, The Cousins is a fast-paced and enjoyable YA novel, with just enough throw-back 80s nostalgia for Gen-Xers like me to also enjoy. Thank you for allowing me an advance copy.

Karen M. McManus's books are automatic reads for me and The Cousins did not disappoint! The Cousins is a book about a family with lots of secrets. There are many twists and turns through out The Cousins that had me shocked! I couldn't put this book down, because I was so invested in the story and finding out what happened. The story is well crafted with characters that are complex. McManus does a great job showing how peoples lives can be changed by other peoples actions or decisions. I also really enjoyed reading about the family dynamics and the small island setting was interesting to read about. I loved The Cousins and I can't wait for more from McManus!

Milly, Aubrey, and Jonah are cousins, but they are not close. Far from it. In fact, they haven't seen one another since they were very young and wouldn't recognize each other at all. They are suddenly thrown together though when their estranged grandmother invites them to spend the summer working at her island resort. Their disinherited parents each insist on them going, so whatever they had planned is canceled as they head out to discover what their grandmother could possibly want.

Upon arriving at the island, the three realize that their family's secrets run deep in the town history, and each day spent there will bring them closer to learning the truth of their parents' disinheritance.

I am a big fan of Karen M. McManus and was quite exicted to receive this ARC. Though I was slightly less enthralled with this than I was with her other books, I was not disappointed.

The chapters alternate perspectives between the three cousins with an occassional chapter included from the summer their parents were disinherited. As the story progressed, I was kept guessing about what really happened. As someone who often figures out early on what is really happening, I always appreciate it when I am kept guessing until the reveal.

I would absolutely recommend this book to my students and to adults who love a good mystery.

Karen M. McManus brilliantly executes a perfect summer beach thriller. Known for her story twists, The Cousins does not disappoint. Once upon a time, The Story family was a tight family, until their Mother, Mildred, unexpectedly and mysteriously cuts her kids off. Now her Grandchildren, Milly, Jonah, and Aubrey, return to Gull Cove Island upon her request. But everything is a mystery on Gull Cove Island.
While The Cousins seemed to start off a little slower, it quickly picks up pace. The reader will be looking for answers in one direction and be completely blindsided by another. Chapters are told by the cousins perspectives, and some from the past, before the kids were cut off. McManus will certainly have your head turning to keep up as the story develops. Similar read is We Were Liars.

When three cousins are mysteriously invited to spend the summer working for the grandmother who disinherited their parents 24-years ago, anything can happen.

For Millie, Aubrey, and Jonah, the idea of working for their grandmother is intriguing. They hope to uncover the mystery behind their parents being banished from the island. But family secrets are out there, and someone wants to be sure the cousins do not solve the mystery. Thanks so much to NetGalley and Erica Stone at Random House Children’s for allowing me to be an early reader in exchange for my review.

3.5 really, maybe up to 3.8. The things that bothered me were so minor I hate to mention them, but they kind of wrecked what would have otherwise been a fun read, so...
For those following from the cheap seats: The cover feels super wrong and the fact that everyone is named 'story' made for occasional narrative confusion, just enough to cause mild dissonance (from a grammatical perspective, not a who did what now? perspective).

This book was provided to me for free in exchange for a review by Netgalley and Random House Childrens. Thank you! All opinions are my own. 🙂

Plot⇢ 4/5
Narration Performance⇢ 4/5
Characters⇢ 3.5/5
The Feels/Memorability⇢ 3.5/5
Pacing⇢ 3/5
Is it Binge-able/Gripping⇢ 3/5
Writing Style⇢ 5/5
Originality⇢ 4/5
Impactful/Joy⇢ 3.5/5
Entertainment⇢4/5
Romance ⇢ 4/5
Satisfying Direction?⇢ 3/5
Ending⇢ 3/5
Average⇢ 3.65/5

I read One of Is Lying and absolutely loved it, so when I saw this book I knew I had to jump at the opportunity to read and review it. I was not disappointed.

The book follows three cousins whose parents have been cut out of their mothers life for 25 years; until one day they all receive a mysterious letter inviting them to stay the summer on their grandmothers island and work a summer job. All three cousins are essentially forced by their parents to take up the offer and go. Cue mysteries and drama. I honestly thought I had the plot twists all figured out before I even made it 50% through, but boy was I wrong. She hits you with em and keeps you on your toes at about 60% of the way. I was getting anxiety just sitting in my bed, hoping that things went the way I wanted them to. All in all, the book wrapped up well, however, there were some things I did not like about the ending. (view spoiler) Regardless of all that, I really did thoroughly enjoy the book.