I liked the premise, and there were definitely parts that hit for me... but more parts that didn't. Primarily, there were so many twists (aka cover ups) that just seemed too big to ignore or be plausible.

The pacing worked ok. The setting, however, made it a little hard to follow along with whom was where when. The convenience of no cell service was one of those annoying elements that just felt too much like a necessary plot element, too forced. I enjoyed the various characters; they all brought something interesting to the table.

But the Parent Trap meets I Know What You Did Last Summer feels very young YA, so it fell flat for me.

Overall: 3 stars (I liked it)

**Thank you to NetGalley & PENGUIN GROUP Penguin Young Readers Group | G.P. Putnam's Sons Books for Young Readers for the free ARC. All opinions expressed are my own.**

Absolutely geared towards the YA, the plot itself had solid potential. The unexpected twist, though, was quite a delightful surprise.

“She said that even strong people need to fall apart. And if you go too long without letting yourself do that, your body’s going to do it for you. We’re not made of stone.”

Fun Summer camp slasher book!

What can I say? I grew up watching all the 1980s horror movies set at summer camps and loved the idea of a teenager born as the result of some kind of 1990s camp mayhem.

Plus, twins? A nod to that twin summer camp movie classic The Parent Trap? Yes, please.

Will this appeal to adult mystery readers? Only if they are seriously 1980s-90s nostalgic and can look past the fact that this is clearly geared to younger readers.

Spectacular like always!!!!!! I devoured this book! It was amazing, really amazing! So interesting, I loved the plot and it was really fast paced and interesting throughout the whole book.

I’m not 100% sure how I feel about this yet…. It’s hovering between 3.5 and 4 stars at the moment.
There were parts of this book that were really good and creepy and suspenseful that I absolutely loved. There were also parts that I thought were super predictable. Then there was the ending which made me wonder why the hell the book was ending like that.
The overall story was good, the book was fast paced, and there were attempts at twists and turns that weren’t as surprising as the author intended (I assume)
Good but not great, maybe slightly better than good. Still not really sure how to feel 🤷🏼‍♀️

This is very much a YA book with the normal aspects that come with that. But I think overall it was a good book and a good story line. Some of it was easily guessed early on but watching it come together was still fun.

I love a YA thriller (especially one set at a summer camp!), so I was ecstatic to receive an ARC for Two Sides to Every Murder by Danielle Valentine. This is a perfect book for those who are fans of Karen C. McManus and Holly Jackson.

Our main character, Olivia, is a seventeen year old who was born during the infamous Camp Lost Lake murders. She's living a relatively normal teenage life until she learns that the man she has thought was her dad her entire life is not in fact her biological father. She wants answers, and she knows to get them, she has to go back to Camp Lost Lake. Her mother spent her formative years with an alleged murderer, and in the court of public opinion, she is perceived as guilty. Olivia believes in her mother's innocence and is determined to clear her mother's name. Camp Lost Lake is reopening, which is perfect for Olivia trying to get the answers she desperately needs, except there is someone out there making sure to keep secrets hidden in the past.

Wow, this was fantastic! I loved the pacing and it was such an eerie setting that was perfect for a thriller. I'm typically good at guessing the twist in a YA thriller, but this one kept me guessing and I enjoyed the twisty road to getting there. Highly recommend to anyone in a book slump that may be looking for a quick and entertaining read.

Thank you to #netgalley for the ARC. My students are really into mysteries and murder mysteries. I was really hoping this could be a book club pick for us. However, the book was disappointing. The plot seemed to jump focus often, and there seemed to be concentration on random characters or plots. The DNA sections were confusing and I wondered why they were included. The plot "twists" weren't treated as twisty, and left the reader dissatisfied. The revelation of the guilty party(ies) was anti-climatic. And while to book leaves us open to a sequel, I won't be reading it.

The Witch of Lost Lake mystery is one that every child has heard growing up in their town. The book traces the adventures of Olivia, and Reagan as they tell what they know or what they think they know about the Witch of Lost Lake. The book shows the two different perspectives as these characters unravel the mystery of Camp Lost Lake. Well developed plot and subplots throughout the novel.

This book was unique. The plot and twists were truly something else. I read a lot of psychological thrillers but I didn’t see all the twists and turns that this book took. However, the twists and turns fit the story. Nothing felt too out there in this world. And, despite all of that, the ending fit.

It just feels like an author can throw whatever weird thing into the story to shift the scent of a murder or murderous rampage and it really not make sense but ultimately make it fit to make sense by the end. So this one has the hallmarks of a thriller-- a set of murders happening at a lake the summer that Olivia was born. There's also Reagan, returning to the camp just like Olivia to figure out what happened because her mother has been the accused murderer, an excellent archer, though Reagan doubts it.

As a new details emerge, there are new tragedies popping up because someone doesn't want to see anything resolved. Lots of twists and turns, a witch in the woods, and the biggest mystery is just how Reagan and Olivia are connected with it all.

Two Sides to Every Murder follows Olivia and Reagan, two teens whose lives have been defined by horrific murders at Camp Lost Lake. As preparations begin for the camp to reopen, both girls find themselves searching for answers. Unfortunately, this also means they find themselves targeted by a murderer who will stop at nothing to keep those answers hidden.

This is an enjoyable thriller. It lacks some of the uniqueness that made the author’s first book so interesting, but it was a quick read with some solid twist and turns. I recommend it to anyone who enjoys YA thriller, especially one with scary summer camp vibes!

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for giving me the opportunity to be able to read and review this book!

3.5/5

Thank you Netgalley and Penguin Group for the ARC in exchange for an honest review!

Danielle Valentine’s “Two Sides to Every Murder” delivers a classic camp horror thriller with a modern YA twist, bringing mystery and slasher vibes to the infamous Camp Lost Lake. Seventeen years after the notorious camp massacre, two girls—Olivia, born on the night of the murders, and Reagan, the daughter of the alleged killer—return to Camp Lost Lake to uncover buried secrets and confront their haunting connections to the past. But as they dig for answers, they realize that someone is willing to kill to keep the truth hidden.

Valentine’s choice to alternate between Olivia and Reagan’s points of view gives the story depth and suspense, allowing you to uncover layers of each girl’s troubled history and their clashing motivations as each tries to escape the killer as well as try to figure out the killer’s identity, all while avoiding death themselves. Olivia’s quest to uncover her real father’s identity and Reagan’s determination to clear her mother’s name give this horror plot an emotional center, blending personal stakes with the adrenaline of a survival thriller. The book also includes flashbacks to the night of the murders, gradually revealing the mysterious events of 2008, which add to the tension and keep you guessing.

The story is both fast-paced and action-packed, with plenty of twists to keep you turning pages. The atmospheric setting—a dark, stormy summer camp surrounded by mystery—amplifies the suspense. The setup echoes classic horror movies like “Friday the 13th,” complete with isolated woods, ominous legends, and the kind of constant dread that fans of slasher tropes will love. While I enjoyed Valentine’s writing, certain twists were predictable, and the mystery's conclusion was a bit simple. Nonetheless, the eerie camp setting and the tension between the characters make this book hard to put down. The horror elements were a bit too reliant on familiar tropes, though I did enjoy figuring out the different troupes as they appeared. That said, the suspenseful atmosphere, along with Valentine’s ability to blend YA mystery with horror, still make this a fun, immersive read—especially for those who love a good campfire story gone wrong.

If you’re a fan of thrillers with a classic horror twist, “Two Sides to Every Murder” will provide an engaging, one-sitting read. It’s perfect for YA thriller fans or anyone in search of a nostalgic yet fresh camp slasher that balances thrills, chills, and a dash of teen drama.

This story had such great bones. It had a good plot and some interesting ideas. Unfortunately, it got muddled up. The characters were barely distinguishable from one another and I had to often remind myself from whose persective I was reading. It became tedious at times. I was hoping for a haunting mystery set in a creepy woods. Instead, it was a bunch of “there’s the witch!”. “Oh! An arrow!”

Two Sides to Every Murder is a quick read. It starts with action and keeps going until the end. We follow Olivia and Reagan as they try to find the truth behind murders that happened the night they were born.

This definitely reads as YA, which is fitting. The writing is good and clear. The plot kept moving, though I didn’t feel like I really got to know any of the characters. I also didn’t like the romantic aspect. These people didn’t know their romantic counterparts. It just didn’t make sense to me. The last twist is also unnecessary. There was no build up to it, and we get no explanation.

I received this ARC from NetGalley for my honest review.

4.5 Went from 0-60 within a chapter and never stopped. This fast paced story had me on the edge of my seat suspecting everyone and gasping when the story unfolded. That ending? I need more

This book was so fun! Changing POVs are not usually my favorite, but this one was done SO well! There were several twists I didn’t see coming. And that ending! Awesome!

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC in exchange for my honest opinion!

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for providing me with a galley in exchange for an honest review.

High drama and horror tropes—just add murder. Very fun story with some enjoyable melodramatic twists and turns. You can't beat a derelict summer camp for a setting! The characters were okay, maybe a little thin. Most of the plot twists were predictable but I did like them. I even liked the ending!

I do wonder if the book didn't subtly imply that Matthew and Andie were siblings. I love that little nugget that peeped from under the surface.

A good, quick read!

Four stars.

When I say what the 'heck' I mean literally what the heck! I quite literally never had what I thought was happening correct in my head, at the end ALL I could think about was all of the loose ends that were not cleared up, and iykyk about what happened at the end because I no doubt screamed! Andy, bless your soul, because you need it!

This book was good, had me hooked from beginning to end and I will be seeking out more books by Danielle Valentine because holy heck, I love a great YA suspense/thriller novel! The characters were so relatable (Don't know why because I'm 12 years older than them) but they were and I enjoyed the perspectives, the thought processes that were being shown with the writing, and the surprises that kept popping up. The fact that she wasn't afraid to harm the main characters I found VERY interesting, because some books seem unrealistic because somehow main character comes out unscathed, this was flawless.