I really enjoyed this book! the twist got me and it was honestly such a good summer read! perfect for when you need something fast paced or a pallet cleanser!

This was such a quick and fun thriller that gave off the best campy summer slasher vibes! I guessed one of the main plot twists right away but I definitely was not expecting the major twist at the end that took me by surprise. The only issues I had with this book was with the way that some of the characters acted and some of the dialogue felt a little childish and immature for my liking, but overall I loved the dual timelines in the story and the fast pacing throughout.

Thank you to NetGalley and G.P. Putnam’s Sons for a copy of this book in exchange for a review!

Thank you to NetGalley and PENGUIN GROUP for this eARC. All thoughts are honest and my own.

Unfortunately, I didn’t like this book. I don’t really know why, but the whole book fell super flat for me. It was definitely for younger readers. I know it is YA, I don’t mind reading YA, but this was distinctively for young readers.

The setup for this YA thriller had all the makings of a great mystery—murders at a summer camp, hidden identities, long-buried secrets, and two teens on a mission to uncover the truth. Unfortunately, the execution left a lot to be desired.

The dual POV structure was confusing and choppy, with the two main characters, Olivia and Reagan, reading like near-carbon copies of each other. I often had to flip back to the chapter heading just to remember whose perspective I was in. The alternating timelines felt awkwardly placed, especially early on, almost as if they were added in at the last minute rather than integrated intentionally into the narrative.

Character-wise, I found myself frustrated with nearly everyone, especially the four central teens. Their decisions were often baffling, and the emotional stakes didn't always feel believable. (Also…maybe skip the make-out sessions when there's an active murderer on the loose?) The romantic elements felt forced and unrealistic under the circumstances.

Overall, while the premise was intriguing and the mystery had potential, the uneven writing, lack of character distinction, and poor pacing kept me from fully engaging with the story.

Loved, loved, loved this book. Finished it in a day. I was on the edge of my seat trying to figure it out the whole time. So good.

Another good read from Danielle Valentine! It originally centers around the site of a prior summer camp massacre so it's great for those wanting that summer slasher vibe. There were things that could've been done better but overall I enjoyed. Definitely will read more from the author.

What a twisty plot with turns you continue to not see coming! Another great read by this talented author. Highly recommend!

I liked this one. It was campy and summery and was exactly what I expected it to be. Did I love it? No, not really. I actually found it had too many twists and turns to be plausible and I found that some of the twists were super transparent from the first few chapters.

I would recommend this one as a fast paced summer slasher thriller if that’s what you’re looking for. I’d also read more from this author.

⭐️⭐️⭐️

3.5 ⭐️

I wanted to love this one more than I did. Her other book How to Survive Your Murder was phenomenal, so I had high expectations going into this one. Nothing is inherently bad about this book it just didn’t wow me. There are a lot of characters to keep straight and it took me a bit to wrap my head around them all. The “twists” were predictable and I think she did such a good job in the above referenced book with the twists that I was expecting that here as well. I also wasn’t crazy about the camp setting. Just didn’t really do anything for me. At times I was screaming in my head MOVE/ RUN / BE QUIET!!! Typical in the slasher genre, so I think that was spot on writing wise. Not a bad book, but nothing I’m going to be telling everyone to read.


📖 ʜᴜɢᴇ ᴛʜᴀɴᴋ ʏᴏᴜ ᴛᴏ @penguinteen ᴀɴᴅ @netgalley ғᴏʀ ᴛʜɪs ᴀʀᴄ ᴄᴏᴘʏ ɪɴ ᴇxᴄʜᴀɴɢᴇ ғᴏʀ ᴀɴ ʜᴏɴᴇsᴛ ʀᴇᴠɪᴇᴡ 📖

Danielle Valentine is a gem! I loved this book - just like her others and am a forever stan. This book was super bingeable and I finished it quick!

I loved this concept the execution was amazing. It gave major groundhog day/totally killer movie vibes

A chilling and clever psychological thriller that keeps you guessing until the very end, this novel flips the script on classic murder mysteries. Valentine’s gripping writing unravels layers of suspense, revealing the complexity of guilt, perception, and truth. It’s a smart, twisty ride that’s impossible to put down.

I'm currently in my camp slashers era, so this was a perfect time to pick this up! I found this to be a fun read full of twists and turns, and read it all in one day. I enjoyed how easy the writing style was to get into, and while dual POV can be hit or miss for me, I thought this one was done well. All in all, there were a couple logistical things for me that I'd question if we were talking real life, but I think they worked out for the sake of the story. This was my first Danielle Valentine read, but will not be my last!

5-Star Review of Two Sides to Every Murder by Danielle Valentine



This book kept me on the edge of my seat from start to finish. This is my second book by the author, and just like her first, she managed to leave me stunned until the very last moment.



The twists and turns in this thriller are impeccable. There were moments when I thought I had it all figured out, only to be completely wrong, and that’s what makes this book such a joy to read. As someone who doesn’t try to guess the ending and prefers to let the story unfold naturally, I was completely invested. In fact, I listened to the entire audiobook in one go and ended up staying up until 3:30 AM because I just couldn’t stop! I was hooked, and I had to know what happened next.



What truly stands out in this novel is the way Danielle Valentine brings a unique twist to a slasher-film-inspired narrative. Now, I am not someone who EVER enjoys horror or slasher films, but this book? Absolutely LOVED it. The pacing, suspense, and atmosphere all created a thriller that felt fresh and unexpected in the best way possible.



The author is truly a master of the genre, and I can’t wait to see what she comes up with next. If you’re a fan of thrilling mysteries, with a healthy dose of horror and crime fiction, this is a must-read. I can’t recommend it enough!

I received this novel as an advanced review copy and offer my honest opinion voluntarily.

4.5/5

I was very entertained by this book! It was short, fast, and so much like the scream movies that it made my heart happy. I felt like screaming at some of the characters because of how stupid their decisions were, but that was part of the fun. It was just like a horror movie. I really liked the two main characters. Although some were obvious, there were soo many twists! This book was great, and I recommend everyone to read it. As always, thank you netgalley & penguin random
house for the opportunity to read this book, and give my honest review.

a dark and thrilling mystery that combines family secrets, long-buried truths, and dangerous revelations. The story alternates between two perspectives: Olivia, whose birth was intertwined with the infamous Camp Lost Lake murders, and Reagan, whose life has been shaped by the accusations against her mother, who was believed to be responsible for the deaths.

Olivia’s perfect life is shattered when she learns that the man she thought was her father isn’t biologically related to her, setting her on a quest for answers that leads her straight to the reopened Camp Lost Lake. Meanwhile, Reagan is determined to prove her mother’s innocence, even as both women are drawn back to the camp where everything started.

The tension ramps up as the secrets of the past slowly unravel, and it quickly becomes clear that someone is willing to go to extreme lengths to keep those secrets buried. The pacing is tight, and the suspense builds as both Olivia and Reagan get closer to the truth—only to find themselves facing deadly consequences. The ending delivers the kind of shocking twists that will leave readers questioning everything they thought they knew.

Two Sides to Every Murder is a must-read for fans of Mystery and Thrillers. It is a compelling and insightful book that lingers in the reader’s mind long after the last page.

Two Sides to Every Murder is a thriller that is a bit like The Parent Trap but with murder. It follows Olivia and Reagan, two girls who are impacted by a murder that happened the year they were born in very different ways. Olivia is the daughter of the woman who directed the summer camp where it happened, and Reagan is the daughter of the woman who is believed to have carried out the murders. The book alternates between their first-person POVs, and while the two seem so different at first, it was really interesting to see how their stories converged. Valentine also does a great job at helping the reader understand the original crime by installing a few short chapters set on the day of the murder 16 years prior.

What makes this book a truly intriguing read, though, is the inclusion of family dynamics for both girls. It becomes apparent pretty quickly that they both come from complicated families--Olivia starts out the book questioning her paternity, and Reagan believes her father is dead and has been on the run since her mom is a wanted woman--but it turns out that it's much more messed up than that. As Olivia and Reagan both unravel the truths about their families (implicating their parents and siblings in the process), they learn that their stories are in fact, pretty heavily intertwined, and that they're connected in a way that neither could have guessed.

I gave Two Sides to Every Murder by Danielle Valentine 3 out of 5 stars. It was a fun, quick read with an interesting premise, but it didn't quite blow me away. The story kept me engaged with its twists and turns, and I appreciated the alternating perspectives, but I found the pacing a bit uneven at times. The characters were intriguing, though I felt like some of their motivations could have been fleshed out more. Overall, it’s an enjoyable mystery if you're looking for something light and entertaining, but not one that will stick with you long after.

This was a hard for me to get into unfortunately. The teen scene just isn’t, well, MY scene.

This is most definitely a YA mystery about a couple murders and a missing camper. A story of legends, campers have been telling the story around campfires for almost two decades.

The audiobook multi-narration was fun, and I was able to easily slip right into the story. The narrator’s were excellent!

It was hard to rate this one because although I appreciate a good mystery, I struggled with the highschool teen pov. If you dig this type of book, you’ll probably really like this!

I think the story structure could have been a little better, but ultimately was a fun sort of listen.