Danielle Valentine’s "Two Sides to Every Murder" skillfully intertwines the lives of two young women with a shared, tragic history, creating a suspenseful and engaging narrative. The story begins with Olivia, whose entry into the world is marked by the gruesome Camp Lost Lake murders. Fast forward seventeen years, Olivia’s seemingly idyllic life shatters when she learns that the man who raised her is not her biological father. Her quest for identity leads her back to Camp Lost Lake, the infamous site of her birth and the secrets it harbors.

Parallel to Olivia’s journey is Reagan’s, a girl whose life has been overshadowed by her mother’s notorious reputation. Raised in the shadow of public scorn and legal suspicion, Reagan’s formative years were spent evading authorities with her mother, whom she staunchly believes to be innocent. Reagan’s resolve to clear her mother’s name brings her back to the same camp, now reopening, where the original horrors took place. Valentine masterfully develops Reagan’s character, making her resilience and loyalty to her mother both poignant and compelling.

As both girls converge at Camp Lost Lake, the reopening of the site sets the stage for a tense and thrilling quest for truth. Valentine weaves a complex plot filled with twists and turns, maintaining a high level of suspense throughout. The dual perspectives of Olivia and Reagan add depth to the narrative, exploring themes of identity, justice, and the haunting grip of the past. The story’s conclusion ties together the disparate threads of mystery and personal discovery, cementing "Two Sides to Every Murder" as a gripping read that keeps you on the edge of your seat.

This book was the perfect amount of creepy! It truly left me on the edge of my seat. The imagery the author depicted, was so vivid, I felt like I was there. It gave me the perfect amount of anxiety and fear.

ARC Review: Two Sides to Every Murder by Danielle Valentine (June 28th)
Synopsis: Most people’s births aren’t immortalized in a police report—but Olivia was born during the infamous Camp Lost Lake murders. Seventeen years later, Olivia’s life looks pretty perfect . . . until she discovers the man she calls dad is not her biological father. Now she wants answers about her bloodline, and the only place she knows to look is Camp Lost Lake.

Most people don’t spend their formative years on the run with an alleged murderer—but Reagan did. In the court of public opinion, her mom was found guilty of the deaths at Camp Lost Lake, and both of them have been in hiding ever since. But Reagan believes in her mother’s innocence and is determined to clear her name.

Luckily for Olivia and Reagan, Camp Lost Lake is finally reopening, providing the perfect opportunity to find answers. But someone else is dead set on keeping the past hidden, even if it means committing murder.

Review: I really enjoyed this book. A lot. I thought it was really interesting and I read it in a single sitting. The book kept my attention the entire time. I absolutely loved it. It's the first thriller in a while thats managed to keep my attention so well. Definitely recommend it

If there is one thing I can expect from this author it’s a thrilling and fast paced book with a few unexpected twists. I enjoy how this gives me enough thrills to keep me on the edge of my seat but not too much to where it becomes sensory overload. The author is great at setting a vivid picture to make me feel like I was a part of the story.

Having the story told in both Olivia and Reagen’s perspective and the flashback of the story really helped enhance the buildup to the wild end. I, of course, never predicted the end, but I had one hell of a time trying to. This is the kind of book that both adult and YA thriller seekers would find enjoyment in.

Thank you to NetGalley and Penguin Teen for the ARC

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for allowing me to review this book.

Camp Lost Lake was made famous after three murders took place. Olivia's mother was the head of the camp and she was born that night. When her much older sister decides to reopen the camp, someone isn't happy about the secrets that may emerge.

This book was hard to explain. Not because of the content. It's a pretty straight forward camp slasher fic. I just don't know how I felt about it. I figured out most of the twists fairly early. The pace seemed both very quick and very slow at the same time. It's not quite silly enough to be campy and not dark enough to be serious, if that makes sense. This book is in limbo in a lot of ways. I'd still say it's an entertaining read.

Sadly, this book felt flat for me. Some parts were just cringeworthy. I do enjoy YA books, but I just couldn't connect with this one, particularly due to the dialogue. Characters were dull and underdeveloped. The twists were predictable. Some parts just felt forced. The love triangle really wasn't needed, and it took away from the suspense. I have heard good things about this author, so I would consider picking up future books.

This book left me on the edge of my seat, so Olivia is on a mission to try to find out who her real parents are after she found out her father isn’t her dad after taking a DNA test, then there is Reagan who will do anything to try to prove to the world that her mom is not that serial killer who killed her whole family over 16 years ago.

This all sounds wild, but I promise you this book is JUST THAT. The things we find out about these two girls and how they connect, they both get the answers to everything they were looking for and it was not pretty. I will say this, the scenes in the beginning and what happens when the girls are off at the camp site was pretty gruesome, and I was LOVING IT!

The secrets that started to unravel, this book moved really quickly. I feel like we need another part because the ending left me with my mouth open, and I need this RESOLVED!!! LOL

"That’s what had made her do it. Those words. Calm down...How dare he tell her to calm down?"
Sigh, when will they learn?
One deadly night sixteen years ago at Camp Lost Lake, a man told a woman to call down, resulting in a triple homicide. The End. Ha! I'm kidding, (am I?)

Present day, two teenage girls are strangers living very different lives but, the fate of both of their lives was determined that night. Olivia, the daughter of the camp director, was born that very night but, recently discovered that's there more to her birth story and believes the answers can be found at the camp. Reagan, the daughter of the alleged suspect, has been living a life on the run and knows her Mom is innocent and that there must be evidence at the camp to prove her Mom's innocence. But if Reagan is right, the killer is still out there and isn't going down without a fight.

I started this book this very morning, I did not want to go to bed tonight without knowing the ending! While a few pieces of the story were predictable, it kept you on the edge of your seat until the very end.

I was excited to read this one, but unfortunately I'm in the minority and this one fell flat for me. This is a YA thriller in a camp setting told in multiple POV with dual timelines. I had a hard time differentiating between characters as some were very underdeveloped. I did really enjoy the last 20% or so of this book.
Thanl you Netgalley and Penguin group for the ARC

Thank you @prha for the complementary audiobook. And @penguinteen for the #gifted book.

The Parent Trap but make it a slasher. The way that I need this to be a movie asap.
I love slasher films and of course I was obsessed with The Parent Trap so this was the perfect combo for me.

Going into this I was excited but slightly nervous. I previously read How to Survive Your Murder and loved 99% of the book. The last 1% made me want to throw the book 😅 I’m still not over the ending honestly. But I’m starting to think the author likes to end the books with a bang.

What I love about this authors books is how they remind me of a 90s slasher. It’s the horror that I love and she does it so well.

This one has family drama, cold cases, long lost twins and a camp setting.

I loved the dual POV plus the flashbacks. The book is so fast paced (basically 24 hours) that you don’t want to put it down.

The audiobook was narrated by Valerie Rose Lohman, Alex Finke and Hillary Huber.
They did a fantastic job with it. I loved it and basically listened to the entire thing in a few hours.

I highly recommend it if you enjoy YA thrillers!

This was so interesting! I saw part of the plot twists coming— but it was still so so so worth it!! This kept me on edge and I couldn’t wait to see it all unfold.

I wouldn’t be opposed to seeing a follow up story, with the two MC’s digging deeper into an element from the end of the book.

Thank you so much to @penguinrandomhouse for my #gifted advance copies of Valentine’s newest YA horror novel, Two Sides to Every Murder! I was so excited for this one after loving Valentine’s previous two books! She has a voice that demands to be heard! The setting of a summer camp for a horror novel is a favorite of mine!! This is a fun, addictive, bingeable read that will be in a lot of young reader’s hands this summer! The main characters were relatable and I enjoyed reading their perspectives. It was slightly predictable, but nonetheless, a fast paced, entertaining YA read!

Probably one of my favorite books so far this year! I can’t wait to read more by Danielle Valentine.

I loved this fast paced, thriller story!

I was definitely kept on my toes and being wrong about what happened next. I cannot however fathom being Andie in that situation and not knowing where my other twin was. Is she hurt? Is she alive?

Reagan and Olivia. At least they came out of this gaining a sister and someone to go through the aftermath with. But Reagan!! What? This poor girl!!

And the ending. OMG.

Thank you NetGalley and the publisher for the chance to read and review.

4.5/5!

I fell in love with Danielle Valentine’s writing back in 2022 when I read one of my favorite books, How to Survive Your Murder. Since then I’ve loved her adult release, Delicate Condition, and been eagerly waiting for this book to release.

This book is perfect for fans of the Fear Street series or Point Horror books! It felt like a nostalgic read set in modern times. I loved the flashbacks to the original Camp Lost Lake murders mixed in with alternating narratives from Olivia and Reagan. And the setting! Who doesn’t love a summer camp setting with a murderous background and an urban legend?

And that’s all you get! Seriously, it’s way too easy to spoil the plot to this one, so go in a bit blind and buckle in for a fun ride.

If you’re looking for a YA summer camp story, this one is chef’s kiss!

Fun YA slasher story. Fast paced, quick read. Enjoyable.

Reminds me of the stories I was super into in junior high and high school and remember fondly. I pieced together the plot early on bc it was the only thing that made sense. But there’s a couple fun surprises in there too.

My thanks for the ARC goes to NetGalley and PENGUIN GROUP Penguin Young Readers Group, G.P. Putnam's Sons Books for Young Readers. I'm voluntarily leaving a review.

Genre: Thriller, Mystery Thriller, YA Horror
Gore Level: Medium
Spice Level: Kissing on page, other situations are off the page
Representations: Two gay characters

Thrillers aren't my normal reading genre, but I decided to give this a try because I heard Danielle Valentine speak on TikTok.

Wow! I was sucked into this book so fast (as in, I read it in one day). I can see why people love thrillers.

Overall, we have the story from two main characters, and the setting is an abandoned camp, previously operated by one of the girl's family. One girl wants to exonerate her mother. The other is there to help her sister reopen the camp.

But the killer is back.
Why???
That's the crux of the story—we really don't know why and learn the clues as the characters do. It's gripping!

AND the ending!!! What the heck? The author took me on an unexpected twist, just when I thought I had everything figured out. And it was foreshadowed. So, now you can see if you figure out the ending before it's on the page.

I recommend this book!

Happy (nail-biting) reading!

Oh my! The way my jaw hit the floor! I was so engaged. I didn’t want this to end! I was constantly trying to guess who did it and each guess was wrong. I need more!!!

Very disappointing and predictable… I guessed the ending and twists all by 25%. There was some misguiding that led me to believe some new, or different would happen. But the author circled back to the original thought. It felt like a repeat of How to Survive Your Murder. Same concept, little less supernatural, and fell apart in the end.
I will not be reading this author's books again… I do not think they are for me.
However, I do believe there's an audience for these books. They are well written, and well plotted. Just because I didn't enjoy them, does not mean another reader won't. The story is intense, and there is a good amount of mystery and I do believe the hints were well spaced out. Either I've read too many books that are similar, or the hints were too revealing and gave it away. I guessed it pretty quick, but others might not.
Anyway, if you liked the first book, you'll like the second one, so don't let this review discourage you from reading it if you enjoyed the first book.
Thank you for joining me for another review, I hope you enjoyed it. Thank you Netgalley, the author, and publisher for the opportunity. I really appreciate it, even if this one was a miss for me. I hope this work finds the right audience and finds great success!
Happy Reading and Blessed Be.
Lily Ashtree

One-word review: Wild-Ride
Emojis: 🫣🫨😮
Rating: 4 🌟s

Two Sides to Every Murder by Danielle Valentine is a wild ride from beginning to end. And what an ending it was! I'm still stunned into silence.

The action in Two Sides to Every Murder kicks off in the first chapter and never lets up. It's a whirlwind of twists and turns that kept me on the edge of my seat. This book is a thrilling, unpredictable ride that I couldn't put down.

While I can't reveal much, I can assure you that the less you know about this book, the better. The character development may be limited, but the fast-paced storytelling more than makes up for it. The book has a slasher movie-style element that adds to its rapid pace, keeping you hooked and turning the pages.

Overall, I found this a thrilling summer read that is perfect for a day of pure entertainment. It's the kind of book that keeps you up all night, eager to find out what happens next.