This was an incredibly fast paced read and it hooks you from the very first page. I truly enjoyed the alternating perspectives of the two girls and the mystery was fun to speculate at throughout the entire story. I would recommend this book to anyone that is into YA thrillers. If you're not into that genre, I would even consider this to be a good introductory for it.

The best way I could describe this is Camp Crystal Lake with family issues and drama!

Olivia lives in a small town with her parents, she has an older sister who has moved back home to open up Camp Lost Lake. Camp Lost Lake closed when there was a series of murders and Olivia was born there during the scene of the murders in 2008. Upon researching her family history for a project, Olivia discovers her father is not her father, upset and confused, she believes the only way to find information is to go back to Camp Lost Lake.

Reagan also has a connection to Camp Lost Lake, her mom is the alleged murder. They’ve been on the run since a podcast came out about the murders. Reagan thinks the only way she can clear her mother’s name is to go back to where the murders began.

With the camp reopening both girls may be able to find the answers they’re looking for.

I enjoyed this book! It was fun and fast paced. I love a young adult thriller and this one was full of twists and turns. Some I think you can see coming but others were great and caught me off guard. I felt like we didn’t get to know the characters in depth but it didn’t take away from the story, you learn more about them as the story progresses. Overall, a good story and a lot of fun!

PS… Danielle Valentine…I need to know more about the ending….

Thank you to Penguin Young Readers Group and Netgalley, for a copy of this book in exchange for an honest opinion.

This was captivating and a wild ride! When I saw the synopsis for this book, I just knew I had to read it and I was not disappointed.

Reagan and her mom, Lori Knight, have spent sixteen years on the run. Running from the town who blames Lori for the murders at Camp Lost Lake. They have overwhelming evidence that Lori murdered her son, husband and nosy girl, Gia. However, Reagan doesn’t believe a word of it and knows the answers she’s looking for are buried at Camp Lost Lake. Olivia’s family used to own the camp, but it hasn’t been used since that dreadful night sixteen years ago that rocked the town. Everyone has always been scared of the Witch who wore a mask and killed those innocent people. When Olivia finds information that her dad is not actually her dad, she knows that all the answers she’s looking for are within Camp Lost Lake. Andie, Olivia’s sister is reopening the camp for one of her businesses and has enlisted the town’s teens to help clean it up. While there, Olivia and Reagan find each other, but before they can get answers, the witch is hunting them. Can they figure out what really happened that night all those years ago or will they become the witch’s next victims?

Fast paced, fun and with just a dash of added romance, this kept me intrigued to the very last page! While a tad predictable, the journey to get there was still fun.

I did like the characters, however I didn’t feel like I had much time to connect with them, so it made it hard to actually care about what happened to them as a whole. However, I did enjoy the story and how well thought out it was overall. The ending was absolutely wild!

If you loved Valentine’s How to Survive Your Murder, you’ll love this one as well!

This book follows two teenage girls, Olivia and Reagan, where they are trying to figure out what really happened when the murders occurred 16 years ago at Camp Lost Lake.

I enjoyed the chapters swapping points of view between the two girls and with what happened in the past. You get little snippets of the truth and start putting together what you think happened so you can play detective along with them. I also enjoyed the diverse cast of characters and found them mostly likable.

Some parts of this book were a little cheesy, but I think that is appropriate for the target audience for this book. I also wish the police reports were in separate chapters because it felt a little random being placed at the end of certain chapters.

Overall, I really liked this book. I think I would have liked it even more if I was in the YA age range. Fans of authors like Holly Jackson would enjoy this book I think.

I still have How to Survive Your Murder on my TBR but couldn't resist reading Two Sides to Every Murder when I saw it on NetGalley. The synopsis sucked me in, and this book did not disappoint. I loved everything about this book. I am a complete sucker for summer camp murders and this book had so many mysteries surrounding the Camp Lost Lake murders that occurred seventeen years ago. This book was fast paced with so many different twists and turns, that it was difficult figuring out who the killer was. However, I was completely shocked by the ending. If you are looking for the perfect murder/thriller book for summer, Two Sides to Every Murder is the book for you.

Two Sides to Every Murder comes out on June 4th, 2024.

Thank you to NetGalley and Penguin Group for the opportunity to review Two Sides to Every Murder. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

The novel "Two Sides to Every Murder" follows Olivia, who uncovers the truth about her parentage and Reagan, seeking to clear her mother's name from a past tragedy at Camp Lost Lake. The story unfolds as they investigate family secrets with the camp's reopening, leading to dangerous confrontations in their quest for the truth. The book provides a thrilling, fast-paced experience reminiscent of a hit slasher film, featuring compelling characters and creating an immersive setting. The pacing and suspense contribute to the story's appeal, making it an exciting read with an unexpected twist. This novel is set to release on June 4, 2024.

Thank you NetGalley and Penguin Teen for the copy of Two Sides to Every Murder by Danielle Valentine. All I can say is WOW! I love it when a book starts off with a bang right away instead of slowly building up to it. The first page hooked me immediately, and I didn't want to stop reading. Olivia and Reagan are great protagonists, but there were chapters where it was hard to remember whose POV I was reading. Murders, a podcast, teens and a murderer on the run, what’s not to love? The story was suspenseful and well-paced, and the characters were entrancing. Then that reveal! The ending! WOW again. You don’t have to be a YA aficionado to enjoy this book, so make sure to check it out. 4.5 stars rounded up to 5.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publishers for the free copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. My opinion was not affected by the free copy.

This is a fairly entertaining murder mystery with a unique twist. I like that our POV characters have such different perspectives on the murder--one was born the night it happened, one is related to the accused. For the most part, they're different enough that I probably would've known whose perspective we were in without the chapter title letting me know. The minor characters were okay, though I'm not sure what the point of most of the other characters were. They might as well have not been mentioned in the story at all!

It's going to be difficult talking about this book without giving away spoilers. I will say one of the twists is so obviously broadcast that I don't think it was really supposed to be a twist. There's another twist that's more subtle, but looking back all the clues were there. I think that is one of the strengths of this book: the twists and reveals will surprise a reader, but when they go back through the book they'll see how the author set everything up. I will say there's one reveal that, while I guessed what it was very early on, feels tacked on and unnecessary. It almost read like the author was pretty much done but then she realized "oops, I didn't tie this loose end yet!" I think the book would've been perfectly fine if this specific reveal was left out.

I'm far outside the age demographic so I'm not sure how teens are going to feel about the romance aspects of the book. I will say that at least the characters themselves acknowledge how this really isn't the time for this kind of thing. Which does beg the question why the author included it, but whatever. It doesn't add much and can be taken out without much lost in the story. I'm also curious how teens will feel about the constant jumping to conclusions all the characters make. I tried to be a little forgiving since they were in an extremely high-stress situation and fearing for their lives, but my goodness, they jumped to conclusions so often in this book I wanted to scream at them. So many times they wouldn't even let the other person finish their sentence!

There are some things about this story that don't really hold up to scrutiny. For example, I think I missed the part where they found the right cord to charge the video camera. It also said that the thing fell on concrete but didn't even break, but hopefully that will be caught in editing. There's also a part where someone pries open a bear trap with their hands and that's just not how that works! All it took me was a quick Google search to see that there are springs you press down to open the trap. I don't want to touch on who dies versus who doesn't, but it did sometimes feel like it was a matter of plot convenience rather than what would actually happen in reality. There's another little plot-hole concerning the bear traps, but I won't go into it because of spoilers. I wish I could talk spoilers, since the reveal contradicts something that was established only a few pages ago.

On the plus side, I will say that the mystery is pretty good. While I did figure out a few of the reveals pretty early on--like I said, I think the author wants you to know one of the twists, it's so obvious--the book did have me guessing on some things for a while. I can't say I particularly liked the third act, but unfortunately I think it's just a murder mystery trope where the killer monologues about why they committed the crime and explains what they did. I was still invested along the way, though. There was some good tension and just bloody enough with the murders. I think the target audience will be entertained!

3/5 Stars
*ARC Review*


Two Sides to Every Murder is a fast paced thriller told from dual perspectives of Olivia and Reagan, two girls who both need answers about the Camp Lost Lake murders. Their separate investigations quickly become connected as another killer is on the loose in the present determined to keep the past hidden. With so much excitement and action, I found the book hard to put down.


Reagan and Olivia are two very distinctive and fascinating characters who play well off one another given their vast differences. Where Reagan is reckless and effortless, Olivia is careful and clumsy. It works well to instantly separate the two while also showing how their stubborn desire for the truth brings them together. I do wish we'd gotten more scenes with just the two of them instead of pushing their own romantic subplots as their connection seemed more important. Still, I enjoyed their dynamic and found myself rooting for them to make it out.


Unfortunately, the book suffers from trying to throw one too many plot twists in the mix. Up until the final killer reveal, I was on board for most of the surprises. After that point though, it felt like instead of tying up the loose ends, Valentine chose instead to set up a potential sequel which felt unearned and unnecessary. It also left more room for questions as the final explanation of everything that happened made no sense. I'll avoid spoilers until the book is released, but I'd love to talk over some of the details that don't make sense no matter how you try to explain them away.


Despite its far too twisty ending, Two Sides to Every Murder is a fun thriller with enough intrigue to keep anyone reading. I wouldn't put it in my top favorite books, but I think it's a nice light read for a thriller fan.

Very fast paced/exciting read, I knocked it put in a couple hours. There is just nothing like a good summer camp horror-there’s a good reason it’s a classic storyline trope. You have the old abandoned camp, which conjures up dust/spiders/hiding places, against the great outdoors with no hiding places and ripe for a chase scene through the trees. Always a good time! Throw in a green witch mask (I see you, Halloween 3 silver shamrock mask!) and it’s all the more creepy.

It was fun to try to figure out who the killer was, my first guess was correct. I did not figure out the secondary twist, but I liked how that particular murder turned out to be just an accident. THE ENDING SCENE? Ugh. I almost took it down a half star until I thought about it…it really does close the book out like a horror movie, that last second bombshell😆

Thanks to Danielle Valentine, can’t wait to pick up your next one! And to Penguin/GP Putnam’s Sons and NetGalley for providing the advance readers copy.

This book was a 5/5 star read for me! Oh my goodness, it was so good! I was drawn in from page one and read it so quickly! I didn't want to put it down and flew through it. I loved everything about this book! It was well written, the plot was extremely intriguing and well thought it. There were so many plot twists and the ending was definitely a big one! The book ended on what I feel was a plot twist and I'm already hoping for a book two! There just aren't enough words to explain how much I fell in love with this book! Danielle Valentine will be an auto buy author for me now! I will be recommending this book forever!

Thank you NetGalley for allowing me to read this book early!
A solid 4.5/5 for me. I love a good YA thriller. Danielle Valentine knows how to do a good twist. I really liked the call back to Valentine’s other book “How to Survive Your Murder” with the mention of the podcast. The entire story was so fast paced and tense. I was on the edge of my seat! Perfect summer camp-but-not YA thriller.
Plot: Olivia was born on the night of murders that happened at her mom’s summer camp, Camp Lost Lake. The story is, Lori Knight, also known as The Witch of Lost Lake, was behind it and has been on the run ever since. Reagan happens to be the daughter of Lori Knight. When Reagan learns about her mom’s past from a true crime podcast “How to be a Final Girl”, she goes to the camp where it all happened to prove her mother is innocent. Olivia happens to be there the same day, reopening the camp after 16 years with her older sister, looking for answers to her own question: is she the daughter of the man killed those 16 years ago? Meanwhile, someone is dead set on keeping those answers a secret. Is the Witch of Lost Lake returning for more murder?

Thank NetGalley and Penguin Teen! This one of my favorite troupes to read so I’m happy to have the opportunity to do so with Two Sides to Every Murder. I loved the rapidly moving plot that had me reading faster and faster to see how it ended. Although some parts were predictable to me, it didn’t take away from the story. If you loved her previous books, then you will love this one

This was fine, it reminded me too much of her first book though or maybe horror just isn’t for me. I could see this being a B list slasher film but I just wasn’t really invested in the characters and with two POVs was hoping I’d at least care about one of them.

The killer was predictable and at the same time not that interesting or believable. Lots of plot holes as well. I was disappointed and had higher hopes. This may be my last book by this author.

Thank you Penguin Teen and Netgalley for this eARC, these opinions are my own! An incredible thriller! Years ago Lori Knight killed her husband, her son, and a girl named Gia at Camp Lost Lake, and then she disappeared. Meanwhile the camp director was giving birth to her daughter in the parking lot. Now Olivia, the directors daughter, has just learned that the man she grew up with isn’t her father. Should she confront her parents? It was rumored that Jacob Knight, Lori’s husband, was cheating, was it with Olivia’s mom? When Reagan’s mom tells her that she was innocent of the murders, Reagan believes her. But Lori as resisted all of Reagan’s attempts to clear her name. When Andie, Oliva’s sister, decides to reopen the camp both girls will go looking for the answers they seek. But the two are in for a shock when they finally meet. Can Olivia find out who her father is? Can Reagan prove her moms innocence? Can the two girls trust each other? A story with so many over lapping mysteries it was impossible for me to but it down! I could figure pieces but not how they fit together and the who dunnit I did not see coming! Plus twists until the very end! With a hint of romance as well! A fast paced thriller that I couldn’t put down! Can’t wait to read it again!

4.5 rounded up. Thank you NetGalley for the ARC of this book from an author that's quickly becoming a must read. I loved the story and it completely sucked me in from the beginning. I had a very hard time putting it down at all. I loved seeing all the pieces coming together as I was reading. I liked how the ending was tied up with little breadcrumbs along the way. It lost a half star due to the last chapter or more so the final few paragraphs for me. Left a little too much of a question for me when everything was tied up fairly well previously. Definitely my favorite of this authors so far and I will continue to read her books in the future.

I received an ARC in exchange for an honest review for this book. All I can say is... wow. This kept me on the edge of my seat throughout the entire story. Although I did piece together one of the mysteries, the twists just kept coming. I'm a fan of Danielle Valentine's other books, but I think this is my new favorite. Highly recommended for anyone looking for a fun, twisty, edge of your seat thriller! (I've posted this to my Goodreads.com/SingleChord).

Who am I to resist the charm of a camp slasher mystery that reminisces the millennium version of Fear Street: Part Two - 1978, which is also based on "Friday the 13th!"

Grab your popcorn, find your most comfy spot, and enjoy this full, twisty page-turner that you may not consume in more than one sitting. Because as soon as you start, you won't want to stop until you reach the final chapter.

Multi-narrations take us back and forth between 2008 when the Camp Lost Lake murders occurred and the present time when two girls' paths are crossed to solve two unknown mysteries—Reagan and Olivia—who might have more in common than their thirst to reveal the secrets their mothers told them.

Olivia D'Angelis, the younger daughter of the family who owns Camp Lost Lake, where her mother gave birth in the middle of the camp massacre. She accidentally finds out from an ancestor's site that her biological father is someone else, and she decides to go to the place where everything started to fish out more information about her upbringing.

Reagan Eleanor is on the run with her mother when a podcaster starts digging out about the Camp Lost Lake massacre, and she finds out the terrifying witch of Lost Lake, who ran away from the crime scene after killing her husband and son, is her mother Lori Knight. But she cannot accept that this woman, who did everything to give her a proper living style, might be a killer. She yearns to get her old life back without running for her life, which means she needs to go to Camp Lost Lake to trace the evidence to find out who put the blame on her mother and exonerate her as it should be. But as soon as she walks into the camp land with Jack, her only friend she has harboring feelings for, she realizes there's someone in the camp copycatting the crimes the witch of Lost Lake committed. Could the person be the same killer or a partner?

She also feels like her mother kept more secrets from her as soon as she meets with Olivia. The girls' common plan turns into staying alive when a serial killer is on the loose. Could they achieve to find out the truth and bring long-time justice? First, they have to find a way to be the last girls!

This was a fast, engaging, one-sitting page-turner I truly enjoyed and graded with four stars, recommending slasher thriller/YA mystery fans!

Many thanks to NetGalley and PENGUIN GROUP- Penguin Young Readers Group/G. P. Putnam’s Sons for sharing this digital reviewer copy with me in exchange for my honest opinions.

Contains spoilers!
4.5 stars ⭐️ ⭐️⭐️⭐️ two sides to every murder ha great slasher movie vibes. Going to an old summer camp to solve a 16 year old murder just to be hunted through the woods by the with of lost lake is wild!
The ending left me with questions but that’s ok.
Justice for Eric

Fun ya thriller that felt a lot like Holly Jackson’s works, the whole feel was excellent and I would def recommend. Thanks for the arc