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.

Like all of Karen M. McManus's other books, this one did not disappoint. Also a big thank you to Net galley for letting me read this ARC!

Ivy, Mateo, and Cal were best friends in middle school before they drifted apart in high school. But when they run into each other in the school parking lot one morning and decide to skip school so they all can re-create "the greatest day ever."(the day they all snuck out of their middle school field trip together) but end up stumbling upon the dead body of one of their classmates and it turns into something way worse.

Karen M. McManus's books never fail me her writing is so fast-paced there was not a single chapter where I was bored. This book kept me fully engaged in the mystery the whole time I was reading it. I loved the plot and the characters especially.

There was Suspense, Mystery, and even so romance. I thoroughly enjoyed this book and if your are a big fan of murder mysteries or any of Karen M. Mcmanus's previous books I think you will too. I'm hoping there will be a second book and maybe we'll get to see more of Ivy, Mateo, and Cal.

I got this off of Netgalley and these opinions are my own. I really enjoyed this book. Karen McManus is one of my favorite authors in the YA mystery genre! I couldn’t put this book down and read it in one day! I enjoyed all of the characters and really liked Cal, Ivy, and Mateo! I like the premise of an event reuniting old friends. As well with all of Karen’s books there is plenty of mystery and intrigue! I also liked how it showed that some of the small choices we make could end up having a big impact on other people! Would absolutely recommend this book! Can’t wait to buy it!

I LOVED this book. The three main characters Ivy, Mateo and Cal were best friends in middle school but are brought back together for one day to relive “the greatest day ever”. Unfortunately, this is not what happens. Instead they fall into “the worst day ever”, when they stumble across a murder scene. They work together to piece the clues, while redeveloping their friendship. The author does a great job of leaving you little clues but I was totally surprised in the end. Will definitely be getting this book for my school bookshelf!

Considering I have read every other McManus book I was expecting to also love this one - and I did! Mateo, Cal and Ivy are 3 friends who lose touch as they grow up, but find themselves back together to skip school. But what happens after that turns a day off, into a real wild ride that includes murder.. and so much more.

This was a fast paced YA thriller, and honestly kept me engaged the whole time. The pacing was good too, and I felt like as soon as I would start to think I knew what was going on, I’d be hit with another twist that left me guessing. Can this please be a movie? A quick fun and easy read, but also great for adults who enjoy a good thriller/mystery. The only thing I struggled with was toggling between POVs, but after some time I got used to that.

Thank you to Delcorte Press and NetGalley for providing me with an e-galley in exchange for an honest review.

Yes, this is the murder mystery I have been waiting on all summer. Ivy, Mateo, and Cal could not have picked a worse day to skip school, and the Ferris Bueeller reference was on point. Hoping scorched earth means there will be a book two.

Another great book from Karen McManus. Once I picked it up I had a hard time putting it down. Really enjoyed it.

I received an arc from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

I really enjoyed One of Us is Lying and Two Can Keep a Secret. I might've missed out because I didn't read One of Us is Next or The Cousins, but if they are anything like the former, I'm sure they were fun reads as well.

What amazes me about McManus's books is that while they all revolve around solving a murder (I guess I don't if that's the case for the two books I didn't read), they all manage to still be different. For this story, I don't think it's so much of solving the murder that I enjoyed, but rather all of the secrets being kept that led to all the various events and outcomes. It was if the murder was the catalyst for everything else unraveling.

Ivy, Mateo, and Cal used to be friends in middle school when they banded together for The Greatest Day Ever. As some friendships go, their friendship dissolved by the time they got to high school. None of them really exploring or understanding why. When the three of them find themselves lingering in the parking lot of school and reminiscing on The Greatest Day ever, Cal convinces them that they should recreate that day. It's a little awkward at first because they grew up and things changed and they weren't the same people. Maybe it would've been a one day thing and they would've gone back to their "normal" lives had they not been banded together after stumbling across one of their classmates' murder. Commence The Shittiest Day Ever.

When an anonymous tip comes in that someone with Ivy's description walked into the building around the time of the death and people at school notice that Ivy's not at school, it isn't long before the rumor mill starts and people think that maybe Ivy killed Brian "Boney" Mahoney because he beat her out for class president. Now, Ivy believes her best option is to solve Brian's murder to "fix" things. As Cal, Mateo, and Ivy dig into what Brian was doing at the apartment studio, it turns out everyone has been keeping secrets, and some of those secrets might help them solve the murder.

What I liked was that not every secret had to do with solving the murder. Some of the secrets impacted the relationships between Ivy, Mateo, and Cal and what happened back in middle school as well high school. Sometimes, when the secrets come out, it sets the trio back a step because they have to resolve or reconcile with the truth. Two secrets end up dividing the trio and sending them on their own ways to either leave the mess of the murder to the police or to solve it themselves.

You'll Be the Death of Me was a quick read. It was suspenseful enough that I didn't want to put it down. It has a good message about family, making mistakes, and hindsight being twenty-twenty. I liked each character's distinct personality and back story. I liked the YouTube Speaker Channel that was interspersed throughout the story with what was happening at the school and what students were speculating. I enjoy reading books that show how the choices we make set our course and how they could've been different if we'd made a different choice. Ivy, Mateo, and Cal might have had different outcomes in their friendships had they not kept the secrets they did. I think of the three books I've read of hers, this one would be my favorite.

Another solid book by Karen McManus. The characters are not as fleshed out as some of her characters in her other books, but the storyline was good. It’s a quick read that kept me interested the whole time!

This was my first Karen M. McManus novel and I have to say I'm a big fan now. This was a great mystery, and I haven't read a good YA mystery/thriller since the Truly Devious series. This ticked all the boxes for me: unreliable characters, twists and turns, and some good horror mixed in with it. McManus to me is the RL Stine of this generation. Great work here!

When 3 high schoolers decide to skip school, they never thought they'd witness a murder.
In typical McManus fashion, this book has lots of twists and will keep you guessing. You get 3 POVs to unravel what is happening and I couldn't put it down. This is a great thriller for YA readers.

3.5/5
As always, Karen M. McManus gives us a fun, suspense filled ride that it hard to put down. She certainly lives us to her title of Murder Mystery Queen! I loved how most of this book took place over a 24hr period, which helped moved the story along quickly. You think you know who did it right away, but do you know the whole story? Out of the three main characters I liked Mateo the best. I felt his story was more fleshed out and he felt more rounded than Ivy and Cal. McManus fans won't be disappointed as she delivers it again.

Once again, Karen McManus crafts a compelling mystery filled with twists and turns. You'll Be the Death of Me starts out with three friends needing a day off and ends with secrets, betrayal, and of course, murder. I read this book in two quick sittings - it's impossible to put down. Overall, I would highly recommend this to anyone looking for an exciting thriller and a mystery that will keep you guessing.

Karen McManus never disappoints!! #fact

Karen McManus' new book "You'll Be the Death of Me" is completely amazing! The plot starts off so innocent with needing a simple day off and wanting to recreate the best day ever between 3 long forgotten best friends.then everything goes wrong.

I have still yet to meet a book by Karen that I have not loved. Cannot wait for it to come out to add to my collection!

This is another good ole teen read.. If you enjoyed reading Karen M. McManus’’ One of Us Is Lying, this is for you. The story has a slow beginning moving into a pulse-pounding thriller.

Three former friends decide one day to cut school for old time's sake. As it turns out this decision yielded horrible and deadly consequences.

Ivy, Mateo, and Cal used to be close friends back in middle school. So, when Cal pulls into campus late for class, and runs into Ivy and Mateo, they decide to recreate the greatest day ever.

But they're not the only ones skipping school that day. When the trio spot classmate Brian 'Boney' Mahoney acting suspiciously downtown they follow him into an empty building, and walk straight into a murder scene.

A quick and exciting read!

Let’s just go ahead and give Karen McManus, author of the upcoming, You’ll Be The Death Of Me, the crown for “Queen of YA Thrillers.” She does it right. I’ve read each of her books, including You’ll Be The Death Of Me, (Thanks to Random House Children’s and NetGalley for the E-ARC!) and I am never disappointed. I was not in this one, either. And I know that as soon as I purchase copies for my classroom library when the novel is released in November, 2021, they will not remain on my shelves for long at all.

So---three friends, who had drifted apart since middle school, decide on a whim (and because their day was not going so great) decide to cut school one day to get back the feeling they had when they skipped out on a middle school field trip to hang around Boston. They do not get that rush of freedom and rule-breaking, however. Instead they become entangled in the murder of a classmate--who was also out of school that day--and their lives begin to unravel. Ultimately the question is not, “Will they put their lives back together?” The question is, “Will they survive?”

The blurbs for You’ll Be The Death Of Me that I read say, “Like Ferris Bueller’s Day Off, but with murder. . . .” or something along those lines. I wish I had not read the blurbs. It was a distractor for me. Let the readers draw their own parallels between other works. The only thing that was like Ferris Bueller’s Day Off was the skipping school. For younger readers, this may not be as big of a deal. For this teacher who grew up on John Huges’ movies, it distracted me from the plot, and I had to keep banishing the comparison as I read.

I guess if the only thing I can criticize is the blurbs, the novel must be pretty darn good. You’ll Be The Death Of Me is really good. For McManus fans, the novel doesn’t disappoint; they will not be disappointed! Readers of Ally Carter and Diana Urban will enjoy this novel (and all of McManus’s novels, for that matter). I’d recommend this book for 7th grade up.

*This review is completely honest and voluntary in exchange for the ARC.