After a traumatic semester, Neve is sent to a girl's empowerment camp to get her confidence back. Here she meets self-assured Inera, shy Charlotte and the seemingly perfect Diane. But everything isn't what it seems with her new friends and Neve has to figure out who to trust. This is a great read for McNeil fans who enjoyed the #murdertrending series. McNeil write great LBGTQ characters; she creates fully dimensional characters that go past tokenism. Her mysteries are always very engaging; we have a hard time keeping them on the shelves! This book feels more upper middle school (8th grade) than some of her others so I am excited to have a title to share with my middle schoolers and not just high schoolers. The book covers themes of bullying, toxic female friendships, gaining confidence, and LGBTQ.

Pairs well with: You Owe Me a Murder; Strangers on a Train; With Malice

I loved this updated murder mystery/film noir in which the main character is self aware enough to consider herself a "final girl" but who dresses in 40's styles and quotes film noir. During a visit to a girls camp, Neve begins to come into her own and find friends who she feels she connects with. By the last day of camp she finds herself unwittingly part of a murder pact, and one of the murders have already been committed. The book acknowledges that it is using the plot from Strangers on a Train, although it does veer away from being a total copy cat, and does a nice job of keeping the reader on their toes.

There are allusions to characters being LGZBTQ+ and the main character actually comes out as bisexual, which is important because it lends credence to her connection to someone who the reader might realize is fake and not trustworthy. But Neve is young, and has romantic feelings for her, which clouds her judgement.

Overall, I found this to be a compelling, fun and scary read. I will recommend to any of my teens who like true crime!

This is like an LGBTQ version of Strangers on a Train....kind of like that movie "Breaking the Girls" but with a different plot and a similar premise. While I liked the story, I didn't feel like the characters were fully formed and the writing wasn't as strong as some of McNeil's previous work. I did, however, read it in one sitting and found myself wanting to put the pieces together even though it ended up being *somewhat* predictable.
**Special thanks to NetGalley, the publisher, and the author for the advanced copy of this book in exchange for my honest feedback.**

This book is pretty dark and intense, with a very serious plot. That said, it is a book a lot of older kids will love. After a very chaotic year at school where her social life was basically ruined by the cool kids, Neve goes off to a camp for girls and meets Diane. On the last night of camp, Neve and Diane joke about getting rid of each others' problems back home. When Neve returns to school the following school year, she walks in to a hallway of crying kids. It turns out the the girl who ruined Neve's previous school year was found murdered, and Neve is now the prime suspect.

Neve is just as shocked as anyone, only things get worst when her cell dings with a text from an unknown number saying "Your turn." Is it possible Diane really went through with what they had joked about? Is there any way Neve can clear her name when she had every motive to actually get rid of her former best friend turned rival?

This book will keep you guessing and the surprises don't stop until the final chapter. I loved this book, just like I have loved every book Gretchen McNeil has written. I will definitely be recommending it to my students!

Rounded up from 3.5 stars. A thrilling, fun read, but I was a bit dissatisfied by the ending. Bisexual, and lesbian rep, but a weird obsession with the lesbian/plaid stereotypical pairing throughout.

After being betrayed by her best friend, Neve goes to summer camp and gets swept into a questionable new friendship. Though the general set up a little unrealistic, it works for the sake of the story. The twists and turns are a fun ride, even if you can see them coming.

Thanks to netgalley for this early read.

This was a quick read. The story moved at a fast pace but I don’t think it really helped the story. It could have benefited from more details.
For example, I had an easy time believing Diane’s evil side but had the author spent more time developing the friendship between she and Neve, it would have been easier to see her manipulation.
The story was easy enough to follow until the introduction of the Boston characters and then the story got muddied.
Overall, this was a quick and easy read but nothing more than another book to add to my end of the year reading goal. I’ve read other books by Gretchen McNeill and this was not one of my favorites.

This novel had me at the edge of my seat all the way through. I thought I had it figured out early on, but there were several twists throughout the story. I loved the main character, she was very quirky and I enjoyed her style. I would recommend this book to any mystery lover, it is a must read!

Dig Two Graves is an intense thriller for YA and Disney books fans.

Thank you Lyssa, Disney Hyperion and NetGalley for this e ARC.

This was like... a 1.5 rounded up to a 2 star read. Gretchen McNeil has been pretty solid in the past for a quick, entertaining read, even if the plots aren't the most groundbreaking--and that's okay. But this one didn't do it for me at all, unfortunately. It read as if it was written for a much younger audience, and I know that I'm much older than the typical YA reader as well, so that isn't so much a criticism as it is an observation. I think there's plenty of readers who will like this!

But as for me... I hated Neve. She was aggravating to read, the "not like other girls"-isms were unbearable and the book was FULL of them. She was constantly internally monologuing about how different she was and how much better she was for it. The film noir references also didn't add a whole lot, and felt shoehorned into the dialogue in a way that felt awkward. Also I HATED the twist. It felt gross and didn't actually contribute anything.

It was VERY quick to read, though! I got through it in two-ish days, spread across both afternoons. So definitely easy to read. So unfortunately a miss for me, but hopefully other readers enjoy it.

Deliciously thrilling, wonderfully Hitchcock-esque, and impossible to put down. Dig Two Graves may be my new favorite Gretchen McNeil book (though I love everything she likes). Teens are going to devour this one- the characters are relatable, the pacing is superb, and the length is perfect for both regular and reluctant readers. The twist ending is just the cherry on top.

This wasn't my favorite YA mystery/thriller, but I didn't hate it. It was predictable at times, which is a problem I find myself running into with many other books in the genre. It wasn't the strongest that I've read, but I don't think it was a complete flop.

I’m usually pretty good at figuring out plot twists in suspense/mystery books; Not this time. McNeil did a great job of keeping me on my toes, with twists and turns throughout the book (but not so many that it made it confusing). Definitely an ode to film noir and mystery buffs.

Neve has been a bit of an outcast all her life. After her best friend betrays her, her parents send her to a summer camp to make new friends and fix her self-esteem. She meets Diane there, and then Diane strikes a deal with Neve: get back at her ex-best friend in return for a favor. While Neve thinks it's a joke, Diane certainly doesn't.

This book was fine. There was a lot happening, but it was somehow boring in the beginning.. and I found that I didn't care what really happened in the end. THAT IS NOT A GOOD SIGN WITH SUSPENSE! I think that the writing wasn't amazing, and the random mentions of the noir films was a little annoying; they didn't add anything to the style or character of Neve.

I would still recommend this to younger readers who are getting into the thriller genre. It's definitely not for everyone, though.

It is a given that I live a YA mystery qnd I am always looking for good ones for my classroom. Gretchen McNeil’s book Ten has long been a classroom favorite so I was excited to get this new book by her. This book did not disappoint, full of full boil references and very cool protagonists this murder mystery developed over tome and had a surprise ending for sure. When Neve meets Dianne at camp she falls in love with her, until she realizes that what she thought was playful banter was actually a pact to kill each other’s enemies! In a Strangers on a Train reference this murder plot isn’t all it seems. A great read!

Ever wished someone was dead? Yasmin is dead and Diane killed her. Who's next? Who's laughing at the joke?

Gretchen McNeil did not disappoint with her book, "Dig Two Graves." She is one of my favorite YA authors, and her characters always manage to keep me on the edge of my seat with suspense! Just like her Agatha Christie retelling in "Ten," Gretchen McNeil masterfully weaves a retelling of Alfred Hitchcock's "Strangers on a Train" into her newest novel, "Dig Two Graves." Everything will keep you awake at night, and reading

As the new girl befriends her, Neve thought she was so lucky. Neve is a bit eccentric and loves old films and just doesn't make friends easily. So when Yasmin shows up and the two seem to hit it off, Neve is thrilled. Until she isn't. Because right before the summer of their junior year, Yasmin betrays Neve. Neve's parents and grandma convince her to go to a girl power camp over the summer, to work on her social skills. There, she meets a whole crew of new girls, including the beautiful Diane. And that's where the mystery/thriller aspect of this book comes in (which took way too long to get to, if you ask me).

I found the book boring and far-fetched. I really enjoyed McNeil's #murdertrending series, so this one was a disappointment. It dragged on and on in places. Also, he way Neve talked about her dad and his mental health problems was off-putting.

Author Gretchen McNeil sets up the relationship between Neve and Diane in a very believable way.The relationship between Neve and Javier seemed a little forced and desperate. The concept of strangers on a train for this reader, was a little stretch. Having said that, the story really picks up at the end of the book and was a page turner at the end. The ending was a surprise and made up for the premise that someone would kill someone and the reciprocator would just blindly kill because of casual statement. Fans of McNeil, will overlook the premise and find this satisfying. Not one of her strongest efforts but worth a read on a cold winter night.

I received an ARC ebook from NetGalley and the publisher, Disney Publishing Wordwide, Hyperion , in exchange for an honest review.

I received an ARC of this title from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own and were not affected by the free copy.

Our main character is Neve, film noir buff and outcast extraordinaire. We meet her on the day her life falls apart. Skip ahead, her best friend Yasmin has betrayed her, so her mom and grandmother send her off to a girl's empowerment camp. Enter, Diane. Seemingly perfect, beautiful and charismatic, Neve gets sucked into Diane's plot, and jokingly agrees to murder Diane's stepbrother in ex. At least, she thought it was a joke; at least, until Yasmin is found dead. And everyone believes that Neve killed her.

Gretchen McNeil's #murdertrending series is one of my favorite YA mystery thriller series, so I was so excited to see she had a new book coming up. The book blurb includes this line: "In this twisted game of cat and mouse, the reader never quite knows who’s telling the truth, who’s playing games, and who is going to end up dead." Sadly, this book did not live up to my expectations. I saw all of the twists coming. The pacing was a little awkward, but was not a deal breaker. The plot was a bit cheesy, but I honestly expected that. Our villains are truly unlikeable and Neve is mostly likeable (I did get a little annoyed by her constant whining about not having friends and her thoughts about her forced independence).

As someone who has never watched any of the films that were mentioned in the book, they felt like odd interjections that added nothing to the book. It might mean more to others, but for me, it just felt awkward.

I absolutely love the cover! I may not have loved the book, but I will be recommending it to YA mystery thriller lovers.

Betrayal! Murder! More betrayal!

Plot:
High school girl Neve Lanier just cannot catch a break when it comes to friendship. As a social pariah, she thinks she hits the jackpot when new girl Yasmin Attar befriends her. The two become best friends. Until they aren’t. Just before school lets out, Neve is betrayed by Yasmin. Left alone and broken, her family encourages her to attend an all-girl’s empowerment camp called GLAM (a bit cheesy, but okay.) The girls at the camp seem friendly, her roommate much like her, and she makes friends quickly and easily, catching her off-guard and possibly affecting her decision making skills. Although warned by others, she is especially drawn to beautiful Diane, both as a friend and a potential love interest. One night at camp, the girls attend Confession, a tell-all time in theater class where they are encouraged to let loose of any burdens. It’s here that they learn each other’s secrets. And it’s at this point that Neve’s life changes forever. On the last night of camp, during a sleepover in Diane’s room, they make a joke -- Diane will murder Yasmin if Neve will murder her brother -- only one of them doesn’t consider it a joke.

“I did my part, BFF. Now it’s your turn.”

Soon, Neve learns that everything about Diane is a lie. She has to figure a way out of this mess without becoming a murderer.

Thoughts:
This book is straight-up young adult mystery/suspense. If you like that type and genre, then this book is for you. Neve is a likeable character, and I felt anxious for her whether it was her trying to make friends, trying to convince herself it was okay not to have a best friend, or trying to get out of the whole “Strangers on a Train” murder for murder situation. One thing that drives me nuts about this type of story is when teenagers are trying to “solve” the crime rather than leaving it to the police. And in this case, it wasn’t that she was trying to take care of it herself, the police didn’t believe her when she confessed all she knew, so she really didn’t have a choice but to try to take care of the situation on her own. And it actually worked!

One of Neve’s hobbies, which conveniently gives her a connection with hot guy Javier is her love of noir films...hence the reference to “Strangers on a Train.” Aside from this connection to the “you murder for me, I’ll murder for you” plot line, the other noir film references felt disconnected and forced. They really didn’t add much to the story -- just random tidbits that I felt were trying to make this storyline unique. It didn’t detract from the story, but it didn’t add anything either.

I think the story was a bit predictable but there was one twist at the end that I think caught me off guard. It made total sense when it happened but I didn’t really see it coming.

And the cover is to die for!

Recommendation:
Did I like this book? Yeah -- I think I did. I would recommend this book to avid readers of young adult mysteries.

Rating:
3.5/5

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