I am currently on a Karen McManus "binge" enjoying her mysteries. I like the way she throws unlikely characters together who become friends, or at least friendly. The plots are compelling if a little predictable. (I will say, this one took a turn I wasn't expecting!) For me, these tales are YA Agatha Christie-esque. Good mysteries without too much "fluff." They are certainly binge-worthy.

I really liked the characters and hanging out with Ivy, Cal, and Mateo but honestly found the actual mystery part to be the worst part. If it had just been a hang out novel about old friends reconnecting I would've liked it better. I didn't find the mystery that compelling or believable.

Hmm I’m not exactly sure what I was expecting, but I was definitely hoping for something a little more….thrilling? I mean, check that synopsis—”Ferris Bueller's Day Off with murder”. How could you *not* get excited with that description?

Like all McManus books, there’s a handful walking stereotypes, I mean students who end up thrown together in some sort of deadly situation. The hook here is that these three, Ivy, Mateo and Cal, are based off of the characters from the famous 80’s movie. They ditch school one day and through a sequence of terrible events end up in the immediate vicinity of a recently committed murder. And because they are teenagers and thriller protagonists, they do not go to the authorities (or their parents) for help and decide to try and solve it on their own.

I would be lying if I said it didn’t take me a while to get into this. The first half of the book was a lot of them just walking around. Getting donuts, sitting in the car, waiting in empty buildings, etc. The pacing picked up for me in the back half, but it still never reached what I think its full potential could have been. This might have something to do with the twists and the way they were revealed. Though some of the information we’re fed in the first part was a surprise, most of it didn’t seem to matter in the grand scheme of things. By comparison the plot twists at the climax of the book were executed so well that they left me reeling. I didn’t see them coming until they were nearly on top of me.

But what is a thriller if you’re only thrilled for a fraction of the story? Even after all the big reveals, when the bad guys are unmasked and taken away, it dragged for me. Those after pages, the length of the book after the final climax/resolution, were way too long and explanatory. We don’t need five additional full-length chapters gift wrapping the ending for us.

The Cousins seemed to have a similar problem, although the slower pacing of that one made a little more sense with the tone of that book. There just has been very little action in her last two YA thrillers, and the only standalone of hers I really enjoyed was Two Can Keep a Secret. Obviously the author of One of Us Is Lying, a book that’s still on bestseller lists years after publication, is not in danger of ever not making money through writing. But with the announcement that her sixth novel is going to be another sequel to her runaway hit, I’m wondering if she’s doubling back to that familiar ground as a way to try and catch some of the initial energy that her earlier books contained.

If McManus is feeling a little uninspired by YA high school dramas, I feel like this would be a good time to pivot into New Adult territory. A lot of what she seems to want to do with her characters falls outside of this format she keeps going back to. Characters in college or their early-mid twenties might end up being a better fit. The way that You’ll Be the Death of Me played out, especially with minors being involved, felt very contrived. We’re beyond suspending disbelief at this point—because just about every major plot detail in this book would not be in the realm of possibility for teenagers.

I do want her to keep writing, and I’m going to keep reading what she puts out because even her ‘less good’ material still a slump-buster for me. But there needs to be a shakeup after One of Us Is Back, because this is just not at the level she was a couple of years ago. Either someone on her team needs to keep pushing her in the drafting process or maybe put some more time between each release. I’d rather wait an extra six months for something spectacular from her if that’s what it takes.

4.5 stars! I love how Karen McManus writes her characters and how involved her stories are. This one was no different! While I was able to guess the ending, I still enjoyed the journey of getting there. I will be recommending this for our library as well as to friends.

This is another YA mystery hit for Karen McManus. Told in alternate perspectives of three teens, Ivy, Mateo, & Cal, who have since drifted apart upon entering high school. The each have their own guilty secrets as they deal with the present situation that throws them together. In wanting to relive their best day ever from middle school, The 3 skip school together, even though they have barely spoken in years, after an impromptu before school run in. As they take off,, they see another student from school who ends up being killed! And Ivy fits the description! As the three try to make sense and follow clues, they learn each other’s secrets, come to terms with their personal issues, and finally discuss what made these best friends drift apart while twists await them at every turn. Though their is a murder mystery at the heart of the story, there is also internal struggles of the 3 which tap into the idea that everyone can relate to friendships fading and not understanding why as well as making wrong decisions that have long term effects. This is a well written page turner!
Thank you NetGallery for the advanced copy. This will definitely be enjoyed and much anticipated by my students.

Thank you Penguin Random House and NetGalley for a free advanced copy of this title.

McManus always delivers fun, fast reads and this did not disappoint. This murder mystery was the perfect escape and I enjoyed following Cal, Mateo and Ivy (three old friends from middle school are reunited in high school skip day.). The day takes a twist when someone dies...

Highly recommend!

Karen M. McManus has established her reputation as the voice of YA thrillers, and her latest attempt keeps her firmly at the top of her game.

You'll Be The Death Of Me is the tale of three "used-to-be" friends who come together one day in their senior year. Each of them are trying to avoid their own personal drama, and decide to skip school for the day to have a little adventure. Instead they find themselves witnessing a murder of a classmate which sends them spiraling into a large and tangled conspiracy. As they race through the day trying to get answers, they find out that their town and people close to them are keeping secrets that will have major unintended consequences for them all, and their own secrets may push them away from each other once again. This was an absolutely smashing novel, and, since it was left on a slight cliffhanger, I think we can all look forward to a great follow up in future.

Another great YA thriller from Karen McManus! I devoured this book, as with most her titles, and loved it. There were some twists and I definitely didn't expect everything that happened. Overall a great read with honest characters, lots of twists, and a satisfying ending.

I'm a big fan of all of Karen McManus's books, and while like her others, this book moves quickly, uses different teenager's perspectives, and has a mystery at the center, this one wasn't my favorite. I do think many teens, as the intended audience, would still very much enjoy this, I just don't love when plots involve some sort of drug rings in high school.

I did enjoy this one. However the plot was similar to the previous books. I was hoping for something a little different. Though, with that said I still enjoyed it

This is my first read from Karen M McManus and I can see why she is popular. I really enjoyed it, it was filled with suspense and mystery. I love multiple point of views. and the quick pace of the book!

What can I say except that this was a classic Karen M. McManus doozy??? This book was filled with insane twists, drama, and enough suspense to keep me glued for hours. Finished this off in one sitting and absolutely loved it!

Another win by McManus. She just keeps getting better and better. Ok, the plot is a little far-fetched but I guess all of her books are. But who cares. Three former friends decide to skip school and recreate their best day ever and it turns into one they never will forget. They come across a dead body and a witness' report sounds just like one of three. And she just happens to hate the guy who was murdered. And everyone knows it. It seems like too much a coincidence that they both were absent from school the day he was murdered.

How will the three friends clear Ivy's name and not get themselves killed in the process?

I have enjoyed all of Karen McManus's books, and this was no exception. I enjoyed all three main characters but wish that Cal had been a bit more developed. I felt like I could not picture him the same way I could Ivy and Mateo. There were a few parts that dragged a bit but I was definitely surprised by the twist at the end.

Thank you Penguin Random House and NetGalley for a free advanced copy of this title, You'll be the Death of Me, for an honest review.

I have been a fan of McManus since I read One of Us is Lying, and she kept the surprises coming in her newest book.

This day starts off normal-enough for three teens skipping school and quickly dissolves into a murder of a classmate, a run from police and the news reporters, a drug ring, and the twisted ending made me so happy.

Fans of any murder mystery will enjoy this read.

Like FERRIS BUELLER'S DAY OFF...but murder-y 🚧

I was invited to read this title on NetGalley, and it combines my favorite genres: YA and thrillers!

YOU'LL BE THE DEATH OF ME was, however, not as strong as the author's previous books. The pacing was inconsistent and I found myself flipping through the last chapters waiting for it to end.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for an eARC in exchange for this review.

You’ll Be the Death of Me

Full feature for this title will be posted at: @queensuprememortician on Instagram!

Karen M. McManus is always an easy recommendation for teens and adult YA Readers.
Very much like her other novels - McManus writes very rich characters with complex lives and stories. Three old friends are pulled back into each other lives and are reminded of what they liked (and disliked) about each other. All the while, a classmate has been murdered and the three old friends are trying to clear their names.
Fast-paced, easy to read who-dun-it.

This is a fun modern take on Ferris Bueller’s Day Off when three former best friends reunite for a day to skip school and take on the streets of Boston. What was meant to be a simple skip day to see the penguins at the aquarium quickly gets more complicated when they decide to follow a fellow classmate they happen to see on the street.

I read this book in a single sitting because I couldn’t bring myself to put it down. Every twist and turn kept you more on the hook, and while not predictable, the pieces fell into place so beautifully that you find yourself asking why you didn’t see it coming.

I can’t lie and say I didn’t come into this book biased because I did. I adore McManus’ writing style and requested it on Net Galley the day it was available (and checked back daily to see if it got approved). This book did not disappoint, in fact it exceeded all of my expectations. This is my favorite book of McManus’ by far and it’s one I’ll recommend to all of my friends.

I can always count on Karen McManus to deliver an exciting and twisty young adult thriller. This one follows the unlikely friendship of Ivy, Mateo, and Cal - a group that used to be close but has grown apart. When they all get wrapped up in one very bad day, they have to band together to keep their secrets hidden and avoid going down for murder.

The story is gripping and twisty. The story has great complexity and I love the way the characters’ lives intertwine. The writing is very fast-paced and is told from multiple POVs, and I couldn’t believe how fast I was reading it. The ending snuck up on me a little bit because I was so engrossed in all the side drama. I do wish this one had a bit more action and thrill, especially at the back end, but I still really enjoyed it. I was feeling it was wrapping up a little too quickly, but that final twist really got me. Id love to see this one become a series and see what these friends do next.

This is perfect for anyone who has been a fan of young adult thrillers and the other Karen McManus books.