"Murder on a School Night" by Susanna Calkins is a captivating murder mystery set in a high school environment, where the protagonist finds herself entangled in a suspenseful investigation after a teacher's untimely death. As a high school teacher, I find this novel to be a compelling addition to our classroom library, earning a solid four-star rating for its immersive storyline and relatable characters.

Calkins skillfully combines elements of suspense, humor, and teenage drama, creating a narrative that resonates with adolescent readers. The well-developed characters grapple with typical high school challenges, making it easy for students to connect with the story and its themes.

Moreover, "Murder on a School Night" offers ample opportunities for critical thinking as readers follow the protagonist's investigation. Through analyzing evidence and considering multiple perspectives, students engage in deductive reasoning and problem-solving—a valuable exercise in building analytical skills.

Beyond its entertainment value, the novel prompts important discussions about justice, morality, and human nature, enriching students' reading experiences and fostering empathy and moral reasoning skills. "Murder on a School Night" is an engaging and thought-provoking read that deserves a place in any high school classroom library. I highly recommend it for independent reading, as it is sure to captivate students and stimulate meaningful discussions.

At first I did enjoy the comedic writing of Kate Weston. But this is supposed to be a YA thriller. Why were they talking about periods so much? Why did it seem like the main characters were in middle school not juniors in high school? Feminism is more than periods and vaginas…..

Ok so I know this was Young Adult and I am usually a big lover of Young Adult books, but this one felt a bit on the younger side of YA which is not my favorite.

I enjoyed the silliness of the plot and the characters, but didn't find that there was a ton of depth to their character arcs or relationships.. I was also a bit bothered by the mystery element because there was NO way to have solved the murders correctly as the culprit was believed to be dead by everyone in the book and the reader.

Unfortunately I think I have outgrown this type of book and it is definitely meant for an even younger audience than I thought. It's more at the 13-15 age level than the "young adult" age range which I see as more 16+

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for granting me free access to the advanced digital copy of this book, as this book has already been published, I will not share my review on Netgalley at this time.

I am too old for this book. This is way too much body positivity for me.


I received an advance copy. All thoughts are my own.

I didn't love this one. It took me a while to finish it and to decide if I even wanted to review. It was fun, but not for me. The plot is awkward and drawn out. Thank you to NetGalley and Harper Collins for the opportunity!

This was such a fun read! I love the banter and humor in the book, despite it being a thriller. The characters are relatable and the story was fast-paced. I think fans of YA mysteries will enjoy it, especially fans of The Agathas. I found it to have very similar vibes to The Agathas.

This is the first Kate Weston book that I've read. Murder on a School night is a young adult mystery that will keep you guessing right along with the main characters.

I thought this book was pretty awful and cringey and not as comedic as I thought it would be with the whole "death by menstrual cup" set up in the premise. I felt a little duped and sad.

Kerry and Annie are two teenagers who have spent most of their school years trying to be popular. They finally get their chance when the school’s most popular girl, Heather, recruits Kerry and Annie to figure out who is trolling her on Instagram. But when the girl who is trolling Heather turns up dead, along with two other people, Kerry and Annie find themselves investigating the murders and uncovering a huge town secret.

This is the most dramatized version of high school and teenagers I’ve ever read. It’s super corny. The humor tries too hard, and it constantly crosses the line into cringey. I didn’t mind Kerry as a narrator, but Annie is obnoxious. There are also so many red herrings that I started to lose interest. I like YA books, but I think even most of my students would find this immature. Thanks to NetGalley, Harper Collins Children’s Books, and Kate Weston for this free ARC in exchange for my honest review.

I can't stand how good this book was! I mean, I can't remember the last time I've laughed so hard at a book that 's main premise had a murder. The book centers around Kerry and Annie who are trying to solve the murder by menstrual cup. I loved the dynamics between the two main characters. This read was a whole lot of wacky fun, and a pretty sure it's about to become my personality for a while.

Kerry and Annie are two friends who are about to start their junior year. Annie is determined to be one of the popular kids and when they are finally invited to a party, there's a murder. When a second murder happens, it seems like there may be a serial killer or someone trying to cover something up. Annie ropes Kerry into investigating the murders, while Kerry gets closer to new kid Scott, who the police seem to think may be involved in the murders. Overall, a off-beat mystery featuring two friends who keep ending up in crazy situations. The two friends are quite different where Kerry would rather stay home and not venture out while Annie would rather throw herself into new things, but they have a strong bond. Fans of Booksmart will like this one.

3.75 stars

This is a YA murder mystery + satire (apparently I’m on a streak with these) that was a lot of fun to read!

Kerry and Annie are high schooler outsiders and best friends that get wrapped up in solving a murder mystery. When a popular classmate turns up dead at a party, apparently having been murdered with a menstrual cup (yes, you read that right) the school's queen bee welcomes the girls into her inner circle, on the condition that they prove her innocence, since the cops aren't taking things seriously. They are, after all, middle-aged men who insist it was “probably an accident” until a second victim turns up with a pad stuck over their eyes.

There's a light bit of romance in this, which I probably was only as invested in as I was because I immediately pictured Scott, the new guy and Kerry's crush, as Cliff Pantone from "Bring it On", the superior teen movie love interest of our generation. My one pet peeve about him was that he brought up "The Shining" while in a house that had animal-shaped topiaries in the yard and did not make a joke about them. Huge missed opportunity, but no one's perfect.

The clues/leads were engaging and came together in a satisfying way, I did not guess the killer or the way the mystery came together, so that was fun. I didn't really connect with the characters, or I would have rated it higher, and some of the satire was a little heavy-handed, but overall it was a fun read that kept me guessing (and laughing), and I'd recommend as a palette-cleanser between heavier books.

Thank you to NetGalley, the publishers, & the author for the advance copy in exchange for my honest review.

So, Murder on a School Night was a fun read, but it was also wildly unrealistic and forced in some areas. I will say that I didn’t expect the big twist, but I also probably don’t watch enough soapy teen shows. I didn’t love the main characters (Annie = highly annoying, Kerry = highly neurotic), but their dynamic could be very sweet. It doesn’t help to realize that I was 25 when these kids were born. I just felt old when reading their constant outrage over a certain topic. I really appreciate the inclusivity of today’s youth (I just grew a gray streak after typing that) but it got tiring to keep reading about. Maybe I’m just not the right audience anymore. In any event, this book was nicely written and pretty funny, and I’m sure plenty of people will enjoy it.
Thank you to NetGalley and Katherine Tegen Books for the opportunity to read this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

This book is definitely for someone. However, it’s not for me. I didn’t really get any of the humor in the story and didn’t care for the characters. The plot wasn’t really interesting and I was overall disappointed.

This was an entertaining murder mystery, with a good amount of humor and a lot of talk about vaginas (maybe too much? lol). There are definitely cringey moments, like one of the characters talking about burning loins and being pretty sex-obsessed throughout the story, as well as yelling about vulvas for no real reason other than a vague notion of feminism I guess.

I liked following the girls as they investigated the murders and thought the plot was fun. Annie was my favorite, she's the true crime fan and makes a murder board with red string and everything. The image of her pedaling a child's Paw Patrol bike cracked me up every time.

The ending could use a bit of work, it just sort of crashes down and then everyone moves on. I didn't quite buy how things worked out, but it's not necessarily supposed to be that realistic I think.

If you don't take this book too seriously and don't mind constant dialogue about vaginas and menstrual products, you may want to pick this up for a quick read.

I voluntarily read and reviewed this book. All opinions are my own. Thank you to Katherine Tegen Books and NetGalley for the copy.

Fast-paced, hilarious young adult murder mystery featuring Kerry and Annie, two English teens who are social pariahs compared to Heather and Les Populaires.

Annie is addicted to true crime; Kerry is neurotic, and our humble narrator. When Queen bee Heather asks them to investigate who's Cyber-bullying her, Annie jumps at the chance and drags reluctant Kerry along for the ride.

A serial killer in the village complicates matters, and everyone is a suspect. Their calling card: Heather's family's period products!

From the Paw Patrol bike to the sex- and period-positivity, Kate Weston lifts authentic vibes and attitudes from real life teens while creating a comical yet pointed take on young feminism and teen sleuths.

Okay. All the characters are so unserious when there are murders happening in their town. And I am HERE FOR IT! I read quite a lot of mystery novels but most of them are pretty serious. This book has a comedic element which kept my interest. The main character’s best friend, Annie was funny and enigmatic. Both of them somehow are able to bring laughter in any tension filled situation which made this read very light hearted. As a person who usually figures out the killer’s identity, I was surprised at the plot twist but not too shocked. All of the characters are two dimensional and I would think it would bother me but it didn’t. I think it’s because it was more of a quick comedy murder-mystery. But I would have liked to see more of Kerry and Annie’s friendship. Also, there were dialogues about menstrual cycles that was repeated word for word. And I also felt that certain reveals was done before. Overall, if you are looking for a light read then I would recommend this book!

Murder on a School Night is a captivating tale that skillfully blends genres, focusing on the intricate dynamics of girls' friendships and the ambitions of two best friends. In this engaging narrative, Weston masterfully weaves together the elements of mystery and comedy, creating a story that is both entertaining and thought-provoking. As the plot unfolds, readers are taken on a thrilling journey where the bonds of friendship are tested, and unexpected twists keep them on the edge of their seats.