OVERALL:
If you’ve read any of McManus’s other books, you won’t be disappointed with this one. I adored this group, and although I had suspicions, I was still left guessing about what was next the entire time.

15 SECOND “WHAT’S THIS ABOUT”:
Ivy, Mateo, and Cal used to be best friends and it started with sneaking off. When they run into each other years later, skipping classes seems like a great idea. But when they find a classmate, dead, they team up to figure out what is happening. And, as always, secrets.

FAVORITE PART:
THE END!!! WHAT?!?!

ARC provided by Netgalley

Karen McManus is becoming an automatic read for me. I loved the "One of Us is Lying" / "One of Us is Next" books and was super excited to read this one.

You'll Be the Death of Me gave me Adventures in Babysitting vibes and I LOVED it. Three high schoolers who used to be close friends in middle school reconnect and ditch school in hopes of recreating their best day ever, only to find themselves at the scene of the murder of one of their classmates.

The three seem to be in a race against time to figure out what happened to Boney while not being implicated for the crime. They come across multiple obstacles, try to heal old wounds, clear up misunderstandings of why they stopped being friends, make confessions all while trying to keep themselves and their families safe.

This was such a page turner! I found myself invested in these character's and wanted them all to come out on top. I did not see the twist and was pleasantly surprised at the ending!

Thank you NetGalley and Random House for the advance copy in exchange for an honest review

What seems like a fun day skipping class quickly turns into a tragic case of mistaken identity and the whole school talking about Ivy, Mateo, and Cal missing school together. These three friends all have a connection to their classmate who is found dead, but none of them committed the crime, right?

Ivy, Cal, and Mateo used to be best friends’ years ago, but now they are all in high school and have drifted apart. They are all seniors now and randomly bump into each other in the high school parking lot one day. After reminiscing, they decide to skip school together to try to recreate a really fun skip day they had together years ago. The fun, however, comes to an abrupt halt when they stumble upon the dead body of a classmate. Each one of them tries to figure out what happened and they find themselves caught up in something more than they bargained for. They make a great detective team though and as they try to solve the crime they also manage to solve some of their own issues and possibly become friends again!

Karen McManus has done it again. I read this book in a single sitting because I couldn’t bring myself to put it down. She's a master at suspense and plot twists that you don't see coming. Her characters are real and their life situations are authentic and relatable. You'll understand why Mateo makes the choices that he does and why Cal has a hard time trusting and why Ivy can't just fess up. You'll care about what happens in their lives and root for them the whole way through. True to its description, this novel is the nightmare version of Ferris Bueller. I loved what is now her signature style of including the characters' alternating viewpoints, and the slow burn of revealing secrets chapter after chapter. With the way that the book ended, I hope that there will be a sequel. This book is perfect for fans of "A Good Girls Guide to Murder" and "One of Us is Lying". If you’re a fan of her other books, you’ll love this one. Thank you to NetGalley for the early copy of this book!

I would recommend this book BUT it did not meet my sky high expectations for Karen McManus. I have been chasing her YA mystery high since One of Us is Lying and her subsequent books just haven’t hit the same. It’s tough when an author has a great debut! My bar is just so high.

Thank you @netgalley for this ARC! I feel like such a big, important book reviewer whenever I get approved for a hotly anticipated advanced reader’s copy.

This book comes out Nov 2021, and I can’t wait to add it to my classroom library!

Lies! Murder! Betrayal!

Plot: Ivy, Mateo, and Cal used to be best friends, having skipped out together during a middle school field trip to live the Greatest Day Ever. And as expected, they drift apart. But one morning they run into each other in the school parking lot and decide to skip school again. As they decide what they are going to spend the day doing, they witness a classmate where he’s not supposed to be, where they aren’t supposed to be, and this day turns into anything but the greatest day ever.

Thoughts: After having read One of Us is Lying, my first Karen McManus book, I have gobbled her books up as soon as they come out. I’ve yet to find one as good as the first. Until now. Well, it’s not as good but it’s my second favorite of hers. (All except the ending! Will there be a sequel?) The story was engaging and well told. I was engrossed in what was going on and about to happen. It was an easy, entertaining read. I liked all the characters, but I rooted most for Mateo. He was the most down to earth, endearing, intriguing character. He was honest. He was personal. He was relatable. I felt the most sorry for Cal. He was naive, gullible, and exploited. And Ivy was just there. Her relationship with her brother was quite bothersome and contrived. I don’t understand sibling relationships with such animosity for no reason.

The cover is spectacular!

Recommendation:
Heck yeah! If you are a YA fan, this is a definite read!

Rating:
4/5

Thank you to NetGalley for providing me with an ARC of this title for review.

I hate how I am hit or miss with McManus's books since this one was a definite miss. It started off strong and kept my attention until the 40% mark and then it was a drag to finish. I did not like Cal while Ivy and Mateo were somewhat likeable to a small degree. There was lots of talking of things present and past and not enough action which hindered my overall likeness of the story. This felt more like a drama and I think if it had been structured differently to include the mystery and suspense portion then I would have liked it more.

McManus didn't disappoint again!

She weaves an intricate tale of a found again friendship that is put to the test when they find a classmate murdered.

She always has you guessing and questioning the reliability of your narrator and every one they come across. Per usual, nothing is exactly as it seems.

I found myself really getting invested in the lives of these teens and rooting for them the whole way, even through their bad decisions.

Some of it was a bit predictable but enjoyable nonetheless.

Alright, I'm going to admit coming out of the gate I was a little skeptical. I bought The Cousins without reading any reviews and was thoroughly disappointed, but this was nothing like that. I was hooked from the first page. I started this in a waiting room and couldn't wait to get back to it after I got called back.

Trio books are hard because it always feels like two people are closer than the third, and though that was true in this case, it was also acknowledged. So nothing felt oddly disproportionate in the mutli-narrator telling of the story. One thing I genuinely appreciated was that each character was distinctly themselves the whole time. And it felt very high school to me, down to the trip to Olive Garden.

The read was frustrating because I know Karen M. McManus is so good at hiding things together and I just wanted to be smarter and figure it out before she told me. Spoiler: I didn't. But it was a thrilling ride and I enjoyed every minute of it. If you're looking for another escape from reality and *gestures vaguely* all this, I highly recommend sitting down with You'll Be The Death of Me.

You’ll Be the Death of Me is a solid murder mystery that kept me reading. I didn’t see the ending coming.

Mateo, Cal and Ivy used to be best friends. Then, as it happens when you are younger, they no longer were. Now in high school, Ivy is having a very bad day that’s about to get worse. She lost the student president election and she just doesn’t want to be in school. Luckily, Cal and Mateo happen by and they all decide to cut together. Well, luckily, until they stumble upon the dead body of a classmate. The one who won the election. Ivy must prove she’s innocent before her whole life is turned upside down.
You’ll be the Death of me by Karen McManus is a fun, easy read! I loved Mateo and really enjoyed Ivy. Cal was a bit of a pain in the ass but he brought an extra layer to the story. This is a YA book but reads older. The complexity to the relationships made it a compelling read.

I am so grateful I was approved to read this way before its publication day.

I am a fan of Karen McManus, I have read all of her books and she never disappoints me.

This one wasn’t an exception, it grabs you from the beginning and keeps you at the end of your seat the entire time, it has you guessing and has some twists and turns that intrigues you and you just want to keep reading until the end.

Loved the plot, the characters but still have to wrap my head around that ending... I’m not sure how I like it but overall the story development was amazing and I enjoyed it so much.

4.3 / 5 stars

Thank you for sending me this e-book.

I have had various degree of success reading this author's books, but since I really enjoy YA thrillers, especially if the YA are isolated and have to deal with something big..

This book is not really that. It does have shades of it, but the author lost me at the part where the characters were going to find a killer. At first, I was intrigued, but then , it felt silly. I just did not find it particularly believable and everything surrounding it felt forced to me.

None of the characters are likeable and although I did finish the book, it immediately left my mind - the writing and the plot were not particularly engaging.

Too bad as I had high hopes.

You can't go wrong with a #KarenMcManus YA book. Immediately, without a doubt, #YoullBeTheDeathOfMe will be a hit with the YA audience. We literally can't keep any of her books on our shelves. Students will like the three friends cutting school for the day and get wrapped up in a murder of one of their classmates. There are light romantic relationships, old friends, and more. While the story does touch on opioids and drug sales, it is not handled in a way that may require a trigger warning. That being said, there were elements of the story that felt forced with me, an adult reader, including the plot points about drugs. A YA audience will like the twists and turns, and while I wasn't entirely surprised by the outcome, it was satisfying enough to wrap up the story--except the very end, which I could have done without. All of this being said, this book will fly off your shelves, and it's a definite purchase for our library. Thank you to NetGalley and the publishers for the advanced copy.

Karen McManus did it again! I always request a book by her as soon as I see it, and I always devour it within a day. Her story lines are relatable but also so complex. I love trying to guess what is going to happen. Once again, a 5 star book that I will be recommending to my teens!

I enjoyed this book! I liked the setup of the rekindled friendship and the secrets they all brought to the story. Ivy, Mateo, and Cal skip school for a day of fun, but wind up running into the murder of the their classmate. I certainly did not see all the twists coming. The ending was not quite a surprising as most of the author's books are, but the story was well-paced and I know my students will enjoy this one!

A day in the life of three high schoolers that moves from a simple skip day to finding a dead body and going on the run to solve a mystery and clear their names. A times a wild romp and at others deadly serious, the author does a good job of keeping you guessing throughout.

I really enjoyed the other books by Karen McManus. This one was difficult for me to get into. The characters are well developed, but I felt the plot was too slow to reveal. However, the end seems a little rushed and unfinished.

Three former friends all decide to skip school for they day. Ivy, a blonde haired girl, lost the election for student council president, Cal is meeting someone aka his teacher, and Mateo is going through a rough time. When they come across the body of one of their classmates in their teachers art studio they know they need to leave immediately. As the news spreads, they find out a blonde was seen leaving the building, was it Ivy they saw or was it actually the killer. The three former friends go through their ups and downs as the day progresses. They eventually hope to find the killer.

Fast-paced and engaging, with more facets to the characters and mystery revealed as the day goes on. Another fun one for fans of Karen M. McManus!