Thank you to NetGalley for the ARC of this unrelenting take on the Lizzie Borden mystery. I was totally expecting it to be a closer tie to the infamous story, a la 'See What I Have Done' or 'Miss Lizzie', but I was pleasantly surprised with what turned out to be an exploration into what may have been Lizzie Borden's mindset at the time of the crime, as well as the open-ended whodunnit that has stumped investigators and interested parties for decades. These focuses created a narrative that was so addictive that I absolutely could not put it down. I've had a hard time reading this year-- but I think It Will End Like This has reignited my passion.

We begin the journey into madness by meeting Charlotte and her sister, Maddi. Their mother recently died, but even before that, the family had been falling apart. The stress of a miscarriage caused the household to fall into grief, but none more than the matron of the house. The girls were told that her heart had just stopped-- but neither one believed it. Charlotte fell into a deep depression after her mother's death, and she quit therapy, school, and herself. It caused a sort of split in her mind; one that Maddi tried to glue together. When she was finally able to pull her back out into the real world, the two began to find clues that led them to believe their mom may have not died from natural causes at all. They suspected murder.

It is in this vein that this twisted and heartbreaking view into a broken home continues. There is no one to trust; not the sisters' friends, not their dad, and definitely not their mom's personal assistant who has now taken up her role in the household. Paranoia runs rampant, and the stress wears down on both Charlotte and Maddie. The mental exhaustion manifests differently in both, and we get an honest look on how tragedy alters life. And at its climax, we are left wondering what truly happened to the matriarch-- and also who penned the grisly end of this tale. I was impressed with the amount of raw emotion poured onto these pages, and how easily I was sucked into the dark mystique. This is well worth the read, not only for any follower of Lizzie's story, but also for those searching for an honest look at just how messy human lives (and deaths) can be.

This is a new to me author, and this book will definitely not be my last by this author! She irrefutably wrote a book that provoked an all-nighter to finish the book!
So this book is told from two girls' perspectives, which they are both struggling with daily life stemming from their mother's passing. While that situation alone is enough to manifest a stressful situation with pain surrounding everything. The girls are seeing their father move on with their mother's assistant and moving her into the family home.
While the girls are struggling with these situations a girl from school starts showing them letters that the girl's mother had written to her mother. So the letters create more turmoil with the girls, then their father parading the assistant in their house and taking their mother's things and such, it all starts to get to them. Then, the girls find poison in the house and they start suspecting their father for murdering their mother with his new fiance.
So while all of this is going on the girls are falling deeper and deeper within the rabbit hole of the whole ordeal. I know my review cannot do this book enough justice, but as the girls start spiraling as the reader you will notice that some of their attention shifts, and the tone of the book starts to shift. Then that twist happens, the one that you want to kick yourself for not connecting the dots sooner! Reading late into the night was totally worth it for that twist!
If you love crime, the descent into madness then you will love this book and while you are trying to figure out what is actually going on and what is going to happen then this should be your next read!
I would like to thank Netgalley and Delacorte Press for the opportunity to read and review this one! It was definitely a treat!

This was a dark & disturbing YA thriller that centers around grief. I did not realize until the end that it was a Lizzie Borden retelling. This was definitely gripping and kept me interested. It’s a page turner for sure. The bond between the sisters was well written even though the story was heartbreaking.

t Will End Like This by Kyra Leigh is a YA thriller that stuns and scares the heck out of you, all at the same time. The word I think of most when I look back at this book is intense. Leigh portrays the unraveling of a teenage girl with no punches pulled. As the pages go on, you can feel her hurtling towards the conclusion and I couldn’t read quick enough to find out what was going to happen. Although there were younger themes included, such as bullying, It Will End Like This read older. The unlikability of the characters didn’t detract from my enjoyment of the story.

I received an ARC from the publisher and am voluntarily posting a review. All opinions are my own.

It Will End Like This is billed as a modern retelling of the infamous Lizzie Borden case, but I would definitely take the comparison very loosely, especially as a “retelling” of real events is much different than a fictional story, especially when you take into account the difference in the context of the time period of the event vs. the contemporary time period this one is set, which likely was the impetus for many of the changes made in the narrative.

I really enjoyed the general setup and how it proceeded from there for the most part. Charlotte and Maddi are both grieving the loss of their mother, and can’t understand how their father was able to move on to someone else so quickly, much less someone their mother trusted. The beginning really set the right tone, and I knew right away I was in for something where both girls would struggle to deal with their mess of emotions, but especially Charlotte. I appreciate how this comes through textually as well, with there being a frequent sense of detachment. While it does make it be bit confusing at times, it works to set up the feel of the story.

I can’t help feeling like Charlotte was the better drawn of the two, however. Clearly she’s set up to be the contemporary equivalent of Lizzie, while Maddi is akin to the more “stable” Borden sister, Emma. But given the amount of ambiguity and doubt around both characters and their actions, I could not help but want to know more about Maddi.

I also appreciated that, in slightly changing the family dynamics to suit the contemporary setting, Leigh further presented some mysteries around the fate of their mother and their father’s true intentions. There’s a big reveal about the supposed truth at the end, but it’s hard to tell if it’s not just gaslighting from beyond the grave to further torment the emotionally fragile Charlotte and Maddi or not.

This is a really well-executed book, and while I wouldn’t recommend it specifically based on the Borden connection, I do think fans of thrillers with unreliable narrators will enjoy this.

*This review will be posted to my Instagram, @bookishblondegirl, on 12/22/21*

This was posited as a modern retelling of the Lizzie Borden case, and while I don't think that is necessarily an apt comparison, it still was riveting in many ways.

We switch between the POVs of sisters Maddi and Charlotte. Maddi's POV is definitely more of the secondary narrative, and we spend the majority of the time in Charlie's head. Both sisters are grappling with their grief surrounding their mother's death. They can only rely on each other, since their father is distracted by his romance with his late wife's personal assistant. A disturbing discovery makes the girls start to believe that their mother's death was more sinister than it appeared, and as they search for answers they begin to wonder if those closest to them are capable of murder.

Charlotte obviously has mental health issues beyond her grief, as shown by her oft-disorganized thoughts. I think the author intended for Charlie's thoughts to become increasingly paranoid as the story goes on, so that the readers aren't sure what to believe, and I think she that successfully as the plot progresses. While Charlie's narrative was always dramatic and a little over-the-top, I definitely viewed her as a reliable narrator at the start of the book, and so as she becomes less and less reliable throughout the book, it adds to the thematic paranoia of the entire story.

I felt some of the writing was overdramatic at times, even though I knew that it was in the name of evoking a sense of paranoia. That aside, I'd say my number one issue with this is its direct comparison to the Lizzie Borden case. As someone who knows a lot about this case, this story deviated in a lot of ways, some major. I disagree with this being described and marketed as a Lizzie Borden retelling, and think it is considerably more accurate to say that the story is inspired by the Borden case. Knowing that it is supposed to be a retelling, I can see the parallels between this book and the real-life case, but I honestly don't think I would ever had made the connection if I wasn't told beforehand that it was a 'retelling'.

Some aspects of this worked for me, while others didn't, but I'd say that it was overall a captivating read. I'd recommend this for those that enjoyed Kara Thomas' That Weekend or Jessica Goodman's They'll Never Catch Us; as well as people who maybe are less familiar with the Lizzie Borden story and its details. Thanks to NetGalley and Random House Children's for letting me read this in exchange for an unbiased review. It Will End Like This publishes on Jan. 4, 2022!

This story is loosely inspired by Lizzie Borden and the murder of her father and stepmother. The book follows two sisters, Maddi and Charlotte, as they cope with grief and the recent loss of their mother. As time unfolds, and their father grows cold and distant, the girls begin to believe that their mother's death was a homicide, not a suicide. Then, the story follows the girls and their search for answers. As they receive more "answers," they begin to question their father and his fiancee more and more.

Readers also meet their annoying Uncle Jack, quiet Aunt Alex, Stephen, Lana, and Nancy, the therapist.

Personally, I can see the similarities between the Lizzie Borden story and this one. This is a quick read that is somewhat predictable but allowed for a couple of twists at the end of the story. Overall, I enjoyed the story.

This is marketed as a Lizzie Borden retelling, but unfortunately, if you are even mildly versed in that particular true-crime case- you'll be disappointed. This book has all the pieces of a truly unique thriller but the writing and attempt at retelling fails to provide it. You read primarily from Charlotte's point of view, Maddie's being very secondary. For some reason, the author included every single irrelevant thought process and internal dialouge for Charlotte. This ruined any interest I had in the book and frequently made me want to scream.

I thoroughly enjoyed this book. A classic who-done-it, but much darker and more disturbing. Throughout the book, we are narrated by Charlotte and Maddi, who have experienced a terrible tragedy. This novel takes you on a journey of their grief, but also a mystery featuring them trying to make sense of their mom’s sudden death. The best part of having the perspective of two sisters as narrators is you have to decide who to trust - both of them, neither of them, or one of them. Are their family members and friends trustworthy? I thought the author did a really great job detailing real, terrible grief, which can be hard to articulate. This book had so many twists that will leave you second guessing until the very end!

(I was provided a complimentary copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.)

In this modern twist on the Lizzie Bordon story, Maddi and Charlotte are two sisters who have just lost their mother. When their father moves on too quickly, with their mother's old personal assistant, they begin to get suspicious. People's hearts don't just stop. So what really happened?

This was a fast-paced and gripping read, with short, quick chapters and a punchy, vivid narrative style. Though I had a lot of awareness of Lizzie Bordon and found much of this book familiar, it was still constantly full of surprises and kept me guessing until the end.

The story is compelling and it was impossible to put down. It is a quick and interesting read with great writing.

A complex story of grief that I recommend.

First off, thank you Netgalley and Random House Children’s for the ARC.

When I read this synopsis, I was super excited. I always love a good “true crime” retelling. Obviously, this doesn’t complete stick to the true story of Lizzie Borden. But, it was still pretty good!! And the cover is to die for!

I love and unreliable narrator, so having all the POVs be unreliable was my bread and butter. The beginning was a little slow. It was still a good read and I would definitely recommend for people who love mystery/thrillers! This would be perfect for a Halloween read.

I never finished this book, to be honest. But that doesn't mean I won't write a review.

The plot was somewhat slow at the beginning, but it did catch up. Characters were good, and I enjoyed the swap of Point of views.

I didn't finish the book because so many things went on at once, and my mind couldn't take it.

But overall, I guess three stars would be an accurate way to tone it.

I was fascinated with the Lizzie Borden murders way back when, so when I saw that this was a modern retelling I knew I had to read it. I was not disappointed. This is quite the riveting read, even when you know how it is going to end.

The chapters switch between Charlotte’s and Maddie’s points of view, although Charlotte has way more page time than Maddie. Both girl’s are struggling and coping with grief and it is interesting to see how each of them choose to deal with it. You can tell that Charlotte has other issues as well, and it was hard sometimes to read those chapters. I found them both captivating, although I did not really like either of them. They are very self-centered and entitled and to some extent paranoid of those around them and their motives.

We only see the girl’s dad and stepmother through their eyes and their interpretations of their actions were tainted by that. There were times when I thought both girls were being unfair to their father and there were also times when I thought he really did care about them. Of course he was hiding things from them as well, which didn’t help in the end.

There is a character named Lana who tries to befriend the girls and who is also keeping secrets. Some of the twists involved her. I liked her at first, but then I started to question her motives and then when she shows her true stripes at the end, I was pretty shocked. Charlotte’s ex-boyfriend Stephen was also someone who I felt sorry for at first because of the way she treated him, but by the end he was just as much to blame for what happened as Lana.

The story itself is quite compelling and it was hard at times to put the book down. It is a fairly quick read with short chapters and concise writing. There were some twists to the story that I didn’t see coming and even though you know the ending, I was never sure which of the girls would commit the murders. The ending was a bit rushed, as was the aftermath, but otherwise a very stimulating read.

A very complex story of grief and madness that I would recommend to you, especially if you were ever interested in the Lizzie Borden case.

"For fans of They Wish They Were Us and Sadie comes a propulsive thriller that reminds us that in real life, endings are rarely as neat as happily ever after. A contemporary take on the Lizzie Borden story that explores how grief can cut deep.

Charlotte lost her mother six months ago, and still no one will tell her exactly what happened the day she mysteriously died. They say her heart stopped, but Charlotte knows deep down that there's more to the story.

The only person who gets it is Charlotte's sister, Maddi. Maddi agrees - people’s hearts don’t just stop. There are too many questions left unanswered for the girls to move on.

But their father is moving on. With their mother’s personal assistant. And both girls are sure of one thing: she's going to steal everything that's theirs for herself. She'll even get rid of them eventually.

Now, in order to get their lives back, Charlotte and Maddi have to decide what kind of story they live in. Do they remain the obedient girls their father insists they be, or do they follow their rage to the end?"

I'm sure watching a TV movie on Lizzie Borden at such a young age is why I am the way I am, but that also means any book that name checks Lizzie Borden is a must read!

This was a quick read in a genre well-loved by my students, so it will find a place on our shelves. On the other hand, for my own reading, I felt like knowing this was a Lizzie Borden story took away from my ability to enjoy the story since, like the title said, I knew it would end like this. If I hadn't known the Lizzie Borden connection from the beginning, I probably would have been more invested in the possibilities and enjoyed the middle of the book more than I did.

I read and reviewed this ARC from Netgalley. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

Honestly, I don’t have much to say about this book. I didn’t enjoy it at all. It was very hectic and chaotic. It jumped from present time to something in the past with no lead in or even a flashback warning. You really had to be pay attention to the story to understand what was going on. Even then I still had issues understanding what was going. I could appreciate that the author used Lizzie Borden as inspiration but it needs a lot of work. I really hope before it’s released it gets another look over by an editing team.

The style of writing is hard for me to read. I didn't enjoy the book. The characters are involved didn't seem to fit the plot..

Charlotte and Maddi's mother died six months ago and neither one is coping well with the loss. Their father isn't much help to them as he has moved on and is now engaged to their mother's personal assistant. The girls were told simply that their mother's heart stopped, but they both know that people's hearts don't simply stop. They both want answers and when they start to find clues, they find themselves deeply engrossed in the mysterious circumstances behind their mother's death. Soon the girls start to see a pattern that terrifies them and makes them fear for their own safety. Are they too late to save themselves? The author states that the story of the Borden murders inspired this novel and I was pleased with how many details she included from the actual events.

After what happened to their mother they think that their mom’s heart won’t stop that easily. They think there’s more of it and they both discovering what really happened.
Thank you so much Netgalley, Penguin Random House and Kyra Leigh for my advance e-ARC in exchange for the honest review.

Charlotte and Maddi’s dad was an asshole. After their mother died he didn’t even felt sad and now, he’s engaged with Amber their mother’s assistant. Their dad has been with Amber from the beginning. His been cheating even though his wife was pregnant. And for Amber she acts like as if she’s the mother. She used their mother’s bedroom, used their mother’s favorite necklace and even the wedding ring. She doesn’t care what the siblings feel.

I like Maddie, because no matter what happened to them she always stick to Charlotte’s side. She always keep her temper inside her so Charlotte can come down. I love how strong she is, how she manage all the chaos that’s going on in their family.

Finally after reading a lot of crime books this is the first time I discovered what really happened to their mother. But…… there is one thing that I still didn’t guess because that twist makes me shock. I know she won’t do it, but she did. Overall, I love this book so much. I love reading crime or thriller books. So if you have any recommendations just make a comment.