Another fun book from Karen McManus. This one is about three friends who skip school t ol go into the city, Ferris Bueller style. But then one of their classmates turns up dead and everyone thinks they're in on it. A fun mystery that will keep you guessing until the very end.

4.5⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️💫

I loved it. I have read every book by this author and have enjoyed most of them. After reading The Cousins and not liking as much as some of her other books, like One Of Us Is Lying, I was a bit skeptical to read this one but oh boy I’m so glad that I did.

It was full of twists and turns and suspense. And that ending…epic and unexpected! I recommend this book…highly!

Thank you Netgalley and the publisher for the early copy.

Best McManus book yet - and that’s saying something! So many twists and turns meant that I was truly surprised by the ending. What more can you ask for? Thoughtful characters who are real and flawed but who still make you want to root for them long after you close this book. Realistic family dynamics and teenage pressures. I loved this book!

This book was extremely good. I love a drifter friends coming together even more than a romantic relationship rekindled story. I like being in each of these characters POV. I couldn’t put this one down!

This was a blast of a YA novel.

I don’t know why, but it reminded me more of Riverdale than Ferris Bueller. It was dark, just edgy enough, and a seriously solid thriller.

I was absolutely engaged with these characters and was so worried about some of them.

Super quick read, but a very satisfying read – it would make a seriously fun movie.

Enjoyed this one!

*ARC provided via Net Galley

I’m always excited to read a new KMM mystery. I thought One of Us Is Lying was one of the best YA mysteries I’ve come across and though her next two books were not as sharp, her last one, The Cousins seemed to break out of the mold she’d set herself in. Unfortunately with this latest one, the author has gone back to familiar territory and I found it rather disappointing.

In middle school, Ivy, Cal, and Mateo had the “Greatest Day Ever” when they sneaked away from a field trip. They became fast friends for a while but drifted apart in high school. Now seniors, they bump into each other in the school parking lot and decide to bunk off school to see if lightning can strike twice. But instead of fun and laughter, they stumble across the body of a classmate and find themselves implicated in a murder. If this set up sounds a little familiar that’s because it is - the author’s One of Us Is Lying also threw near strangers into a similar situation where they end up having to investigate for themselves because the evidence all seems to point at them.

The characters all felt a little One of Us is Lying too. Ivy is a type-A smart girl who feels she is the shadow of every extremely gifted younger brother. Personally I found her a little irritating. Cal is a lonely comics nerd, though it’s never clear to me why he doesn’t have friends. Mateo is broodingly handsome and cool and is working two jobs to help support his mother (Cal and Ivy are white, Mateo has a Puerto Rican mother and Polish father). Would you believe they all have secrets? Well, yes they do.

The mystery is set up and resolved in the course of a day and relies heavily on coincidence and unlikely decisions. Though always readable, I felt the author was treading old ground and the novel lacks the fresh zing of her some of her previous work.

Thanks to Delacorte and Netgalley for the digital review copy.

I’m a huge fan of Karen McManus and have read each of her books. I’ll certainly eagerly wait for the next one. That said, this one was only okay.

I called the killer pretty early on, which I usually can’t do with her books. I’m also a little sick of seeing pedophile teachers, but I do recognize that female predators aren’t shown as often. I did like the twist at the end.

It was a fine mystery, and I’ll still recommend it to mystery fans. But, it isn’t the top one of hers that I’d go to recommend.

It is hard to believe that this author can write a mystery set in one day. My granddaughters love her books and I have to buy each of them their own copies. There are lots of characters which makes it harder to decide on who the killer is. Lots of twist and turns and a different ending than was expected

I've read and enjoyed all of Karen M. McManus's books . One of Us is Lying is my favorite, but this is probably tied for second (with The Cousins). The mystery is engaging, and I thought I knew the answer (but was wrong). It's got some twists and turns and great characters. If you're looking for a teen/YA mystery, this is a great choice.

I loved the One of Us is Lying and can't wait to review You'll Be the Death of Me.

From the author of One of Us Is Lying comes a brand-new pulse-pounding thriller. It's Ferris Bueller's Day Off with murder when three old friends relive an epic ditch day, and it goes horribly--and fatally--wrong.

Thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for an early copy!

teens just want to have an innocent ditch day but end up witnessing a horrible murder. the friends come together to solve this murder mystery.
this is definitely a page turner, could not put it down once I started it.

Another fun, fast read from the author. I enjoyed the character development and most of the plot. I find stories like these with a relatively close world easy to get absorbed by, but it also minimizes the options for who the perpetrator could be. I thought the twists were, for the most part, well executed. Would definitely recommend, especially as a vacation/beach read. Thank you to the publisher and net galley for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Karen McManus is incredibly consistent in her storytelling. Nothing is given away too soon, nothing is obvious, but also nothing is thrown away and pointless either. Billed as “‘Ferris Bueller’s Day Off’ meets a murder mystery,” it couldn’t be anymore accurate. When old friends Ivy, Cal, and Mateo reunite and decide to ditch school one day, the three of them have no idea how quickly their lives are about to change. And the reader has no idea how much everything is about to unravel. So much fun. Something near the end made me audibly gasp. One of her best.

Young adult is totally not my genre, but I love McManus' storytelling and books. However, this one missed the mark for me. While it was a page-turner, I didn't relate with the drug themes. What I appreciate about this author is the young-adult theme, while also making an unbelievable story semi-believable. This one didn't have that feel for me.

This was a fun, fast read, perfect for vacation. I didn't find it as realistic as some of her other books, especially in how the climax was resolved, but overall I liked it. The ending was somewhat a surprise, and I'll be interested to see if the author writes any future books with these same characters.

This book follows three former friends who decide to skip school one day, each for their own reasons, only to find themselves in the middle of true life murder mystery, with one of the three as the main suspect. They hold some of the key clues, such as the victim's phone, and therefore are able to follow leads the police don't know about. It feels very...Scooby Doo-esque, where they're kind of bumbling around and making a big mess of things but still managing to solve the mystery at the end.

Overall a 4 star read. Would recommend if you enjoyed her other books, as it is very similar.

Ivy, Cal and Mateo were once close friends but have since fallen out of touch. Until one day before school, they run into each other and decide to ditch school and travel into the city. That’s when they spot another classmate, who is also skipping. They follow him… to his own murder site.
They all have connections to the murder and something to hide.

McManus never fails to write gripping mysteries. My favorite thing about her writing is the complexity of the story. Everything is so tightly woven together but the solution is still just out of reach until the end.
You’ll Be the Death of Me is full of relatable characters. I loved watching their relationships grow and change. There was a perfect mix of everything. It’s fast paced, exciting and leaves you wanting more.

Content warnings: Murder, death, blood, violence, drugs & needles.

This book is perfect for fans of A Good Girls Guide to Murder and One of Us is Lying. If you liked her other books, you’ll love this.

5 stars

Thank you NetGalley and Random House for this arc!

This book took place in the matter of a day??? With all those twists and turns, I had to remind myself that this was just one day.
Love the characters and how much drama can be packed into (again) one single day!!!

You'll be the Death of Me is yet another crazy addition to the YA murder mystery genre. Three sort-of friends decide to participate in a ditch day, but potentially regret their decision after they find a dead classmate right off the bat.

There were too many characters, which I sometimes feel is a cop-out in a mystery because there could be so many possibilities and red herrings. Also, as someone who is normally a fan of alternate POVs, the chapters were way too short--as soon as something started to happen, it would bounce to another character.

Unfortunately not my favorite by McManus. I found myself skimming the last few chapters and I was not terribly shocked by the conclusion. I'm still a fan though, because she does write murder mystery and drama seriously enough without the outrageous plots of say, PLL. I'm invested in her style and the stories she wants to tell.

This author does it again. This book in another great mystery that you can put down. Three former friends reunite to skip school and drive into the city. This skip day turns out worse than they expect when they find a classmate murdered and one of them becomes the prime suspect. Will they figure out who really killed their classmate before it is too late? In the process, they will learn a lot about each other, their feelings, and things about people at Carlton High that don't make sense. Another must read by Karen M. McManus. Thank you to the author, publisher and NetGalley for providing me an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.

And she does it AGAIN. Ms. McManus knocked it out of the park. Just when I thought I figured it out, boom, the story twisted in a completely different direction. And that ending????? If that doesn’t leave it open for Ivy to “Scorch the Earth” as she says, in a sequel….I couldn’t put this one down as usual. Thank you NetGalley for the ARC.