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

This was so much fun. I love a quick, fast paced YA thriller. I especially liked the summer camp setting it reminded me of Riley Sager’s Last Time I Lied. This will be a great read for the summertime.

Well this story just jumps right out and grabs you! A family full of lies and betrayal and truths you just are sure can be a reality! All the twists and turns keep you glued to this story!! I finished this book in one sitting it was that good! Every time I thought I had enough clues that I had figured out who the witch was I was wrong!!! Then when all the peices finally fit and you think, ok that’s the story! BAM your hit in the face with the ending!!! My mouth hit the floor!! You just have to read this!!! Man what a trip!!! Thank you Netgalley for allowing me access to this eARC!! Truly enjoyed this one!!

Review
5⭐
TWO SIDES TO EVERY MURDER was full of so much suspense and mystery from Oliva and Reagan looking alike to Olivia's mother lying about her father, the murders and who did it, M. Edwards, where Matthew's body is, and  everything in between. When I tell you I was hooked, I was hooked...shocked and on the edge of my seat. TWO SIDES TO EVERY MURDER was twisty and eventful. It was gripping, thrilling, and a great story. I was enthralled and every chapter brought something new. I had to keep reading so I could get closer to finding out the truth, and, of course, knowing the thing Gia figured out.And the new conflict(someone running around with a bow and arrow 16 years later) was an added bonus for this enticing murder mystery, I was able to 'solve' after getting it wrong so many times, but I never seen that ending coming---it was the biggest twist of all.  If you haven't, add this to your 2024 TBR.

What I Liked About It:
*the twists
*guessing and guessing again because I was wrong
*the story of the witch

Karen M. McManus meets Holly Jackson in the YA thriller that must be on your reading list this summer.

I don't even know where to start because this was just *perfection* (visualize a chef’s kiss gesture while rereading the sentence).
I could lie and tell about the hundreds of times I've guessed who did what - I was very close, tho -, how the horror-like woods scenes were just too much to imagine or that the end is too similar to a cosmic justice to be genuine… but nothing would be true.

“Two Sides to Every Murder” is the story that’ll keep you holding your breath chapter after chapter, while adding new information to the imaginary board you'll have to build to contain all the knowledge you’ll end up having about the night when a witch came out of the woods to kill three innocent people at a lake summer camp.
If this isn't creepy enough, I don't know what is.

Thanks to PENGUIN GROUP Penguin Young Readers Group and NetGalley, who provided me with a copy of this book in exchange for an honest opinion.

A good and quick read. I was not really surprised by any of the twists and turns, but the book itself was still entertaining.

Two Sides to Every Murder is the perfect example of what a YA thriller should be — cleverly written, full of twists, and fast-paced. Multiple narrations are a hard sell for me, but this is a case where it's done really well. Each perspective was tight and moved the overall story forward without revealing too much too quickly. That said, the pacing was so fast that at times I had to stop to remember how characters were related or what happened earlier in the story. Otherwise, this was a great read and I can't wait for what the author does next!

I forgot how much fun a YA thriller can be! Quick, thrilling and fast paced, this thriller had me guessing pretty much until the end! Did I suspect a few things and was correct? Yes! But did I have fun nonetheless and there were still twists I didn’t see coming?! Absolutely!!

Just like I said about Valentine’s, How to Survive your Murder, the slasher vibes of her books are EVERYTHING to someone (me) who’s favorite kind of scary movies are the 80s slasher-esque kind of movies. Not saying this has 80s vibes, but you know the kind of movies I’m talking about. The ones that are cheesy (for the most part) but have you on the edge of your seat the entire time. The ones that are way more believable than the paranormal kind of scary movies.

The summer camp setting really helped to sell the vibes to me. I also really enjoyed the supporting cast and the kind of dual timeline we were getting!

Overall, this book helped solidify Valentine being on my auto-buy list for YA thrillers and a go to recommendation when spooky season rolls around!

P.S. Valentine, if you’re reading this.. I need to know about the ending 👀.

Something about this was very readable. Maybe it was the fast-paced nature or because it felt like every horror story about going to camp that you've heard but it was very engaging. I had a harder time remembering who was who and their relationship to one another because that got twisty.

3.5 stars, rounded up.

Kindly received an ARC from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

4.5 stars
Love the summer camp vibes of this book + add in a YA murder, and you have me hooked!

This is a great YA thriller with many plot twists, nail-biting moments and red herrings. This book had me saying, just one more chapter and I'll go to bed, and then BOOM- it 3AM and you've just finished a satisfying mystery.
It was very well paced, and there truly isn't a "good place" to put this book down. Highly recommend reading it in one sitting.

Our main characters are Regan and Olivia. Regan is on the run with her mom who is suspected of the three murders that happened at Camp Lost Lake 17 years earlier. She wants to know what happened that night. Is her mom guilty? If not, who did it? Olivia was born during this time and seeking answers. Both return to Camp Lost Lake hoping to get answers, but of course, there are people who would really prefer secrets of that time stay burried.

Thank you Netgalley for the arc in exchange for a fair and honest review.

I enjoyed this YA thriller. It was a quick and easy read and had many plot twists I didn't see coming. I enjoyed the camp feel vibes throughout the book. It was a good mystery that would make a great YA series for streaming.

In Two Sides to Every Murder, we meet Olivia and Reagan. It begins in a flashback 17 years earlier where 3 people lost their lives at Camp Lost Lake. Once in the present we learn that Olivia was born during the infamous murder spree. She now has questions about her birth that she wants answers to. Reagan has been on the run with her mom who is suspected to have committed the triple homicide 17 years earlier. She wants answers as to what really happened that night. Both Reagan and Olivia return to Camp Lost Lake in search of answers but there are obstacles standing in their way and people who don't want them to find the answers they are looking for. Will they be able to find those answers and make it out of Camp Lost Lake alive? Do yourself a favor and pick up a copy of this book when it is released on June 4, 2024.

A quote that I enjoyed from this book is:
"I came here to learn the truth, but the truth was so much more complicated than I ever thought it could be."

Thank you NetGalley and Penguin Group for the advanced reader copy of this book.

*Quotes subject to change upon release of the book.

4.5/5

Two Sides to Every Murder has all the makings of a hit slasher film. It's fast paced, the characters are fun, and the writing makes you feel like you're really there.

I loved everything about this. The pacing was perfect, the suspense of the book kept me from guessing the twist, and the ending is probably my favorite part about it. I could basically hear the scream sound clip right before the credits start rolling. This is so much fun, and I felt the same way about Valentine's first book, How to Survive Your Murder.

Valentine is easily an auto-read author for me, and I can't wait to see what she does next.

Two Sides to Every Murder by Danielle Valentine is a very good YA thriller book. There were so many good twists and turns. The story had solid characters, suspense, red herrings to keep you on your toes, and was fast-paced.

The ending was shocking. Overall, a very good mystery. Two Sides to Every Murder would make a great teen movie.

I would recommend this book and this author.

#TwoSidestoEveryMurder #NetGalle @PenguinTeen

Such a fun YA thriller! No dull moments and an exciting to read. Interesting storyline and concept. I guessed one of the plot twists earlier than I anticipated but couldn’t put all the pieces together. Thanks for the ARC!!