2.5 stars! (Rounding up to 3)

This book definitely screams YA and I'm not sure if I mean well. One thing I didn't like too much about this book was how predictable it was. The setting was giving a summer camp horror like RL Stein's Fear Street 1978, but the execution wasn't all too great. I wish I didn't guess some of the twists but it was okay for the most part.

I almost gave this book higher than 3 stars actually, but the ending???? That cliffhanger? Like I know what the author was trying to do with Andie's story but it seemed unnecessary. Like, if this is meant to be a continuation, cool, but this is a standalone... right? I did also like the dual POVs and the easy readability, but there were some times where the multiple perspectives was a bit confusing.

All in all, for fans of Holly Jackson, this book can be for you!

Thank you, NetGalley for allowing me to read and review this book.

Fun, twisty and creepy mystery/thriller. Not just a sleep away camp slasher story as questions of familial relations abound in addition to the whodunit portion of the story. Recommended for fans of YA thrillers and mysteries.

Big thank you to the advanced copy I received from Penguin and Netgalley!

Fans of Karen McManus and Holly Jackson can jot Danielle Valentine as another author to auto-buy because holy... heaven.

If you think you know where this is going, you genuinely don't because the plot twists gave more than I was bargaining for. With breath stealing scenes and characters who have amazing depth, Valentine delivers a YA thriller that I devoured in one sitting. Olivia and Reagan POVs plus flashbacks weave this story together in a way that really delivers on the thriller/horror front. I was excited for this book, but it delivered beyond what I was expecting.

A must read and I cannot wait to see what else this author cooks up!

Thank you Penguin Teen for an eARC of this book.

It was a wild ride... like really wild.

Tropes: Separated at Birth, Redemption ARC, Summer Camp, Small Town

This also had a cliffhanger which makes me intrigued...

I really enjoyed this- and I mean who doesn't love a story set at a summer camp at a lake- its a traditional horror/thriller story. The twists were great, I definitely did not see like two of them coming and the second half of the story had me on the edge of my seat.

The Lake Witch has been a legend because years ago she murdered three people right before the camp was supposed to open for the summer. Now they are cleaning out the camp to try and re-open it, but the Lake Witch as returned.

<spoiler>The twins separated at birth was wild, and who their mom is- that was something that I was not expecting. Also Matthew at the end-what on earth is happening. I kind of hope there's a second book... </spoiler>

3.5 stars

There have been murders at a summer camp and for some reason people are now back at camp and dying again? Count me in every time. This is a short, snappy YA thriller that follows two main characters, Olivia and Reagan, and includes two timelines--2008, when the original murders took place, and present day.

Olivia's family has lived in the little town of Lost Lake for as long as they can remember, and have always worked at the camp. Olivia's mom, the camp director, gave birth to her on the night of the original murders, shocked into labor early by the bloody events. Reagan's mom was accused of the murders, and the two have been living on the run. Reagan has come to the camp in an attempt to exonerate her mom and find the real killer. But when more murders start up, the two meet and are forced to run for their lives together as they attempt to unmask the current killer and solve what happened in 2008.

This book is under 300 pages, so it's a fun, quick read. I did not guess who the killer was, so that's always fun! There were some elements that got convoluted or that I wish had been more fleshed out, though, and others that I thought took up a little too much page time (like the romantic subplots). The epilogue threw me for a loop but I can appreciate the slasher movie vibe of it. Overall, this was a fun time and would make a good pool or vacation read! Thanks to Penguin Teen and the author for the advance copy in exchange for my honest review.

This book is intriguing and moves along at a good pace. However, there is nothing about it that feels especially unique. It feels like mostly a mixture of things that you've read or seen in other stories of this type.

Two Sides to Every Murder by Danielle Valentine was such a fast paced and wild ride.
The mystery was a great one because you never see any of this coming.
A gripping book of suspense that had me gripping my Kindle.
The characters were relateable and I was immediately invested in them.
I was immediately drawn in by the characters in the setting.
The plot had some twists and turns that made the book exciting to read.

Thank You NetGalley and G.P. Putnam's Sons Books for Young Readers for your generosity and gifting me a copy of this amazing eARC!

This book kept me on my toes with all the twists and turns that occurred. I was able to guess who the killer behind the camp lost lake was but the ending was really unexpected. I’m hoping there will be a sequel because I really do want to know what happens next.

This book was so camp (excuse the pun).

Valentine does such a great job combining horror stereotypes while also making us surprised with plot twists. I love the way she writes complex female characters in her writing, particularly young girls. I also love the fact the these characters keep going "we are in a horror film, movie, genre and shouldn't do the dumb thing" but then they do the dumb thing anyway because when you are stressed you are not thinking. 10/10 YA horror novel.

Summer camp mystery + Parent Trap vibes = count me in!

Two Sides to Every Murder was intriguing from page one. I read it in a single sitting! I just had to know what happened next. Quick, thrilling and fast paced. It hit all the high points of a great YA thriller.

As I was reading I thought the entire time that this should be made into a movie. The summer camp mystery is something that appeals to many whether its the nostalgia of it being done many times or just interesting in general.

Valentine did a great job with the dual timelines to enhance the story and not detract. It was done so well! Also she brought around a great group of characters that made you question everything.

While I did slowly guess some of the twists, I couldn't put all the pieces together. But that LAST TWIST at the end of the book, bravo!

Highly recommend if you love a good YA thriller! Will check out Valentine's other works!

Thank you to NetGalley and the Penguin Group for the eARC copy!!!

I Really enjoyed this summer camp slasher story reminiscent of the Friday the 13th movies but with mostly smart characters and mortal villians.

Though I thought some of the events that occurred seem a bit far fetched, it kind of just adds to the Jason vibes. I read this in one sitting on summer vacation and it was a great use of my solo time!

Big thanks to NetGalley and PENGUIN GROUP Penguin Young Readers Group for the ARC!

Horror fan that I am, I couldn’t pass on the chance to read Danielle Valentine’s latest YA thriller. It had a lot going for it…creepy campground setting? Check! A classic slasher villain who has great aim with a bow and arrow? Check! A layered plot with decent twists? Check and check!

The trouble is, I correctly guessed EVERY SINGLE ONE of those twists. So, while this book had the makings of a total winner, the shock value just wasn’t there, which I definitely need in a thriller. Granted, this is a YA thriller and may be plenty shocking for younger readers!

I also had to suspend my disbelief quite a bit when it came to one of the main twists. Though, extra points to the author for giving the characters a chance to explain themselves. I appreciated the effort to tie up loose ends! Predictability aside, Two Sides to Every Murder was fun from start to finish and will check a lot of boxes for anyone who loves a good, old-fashioned slasher film.

Regan and Olivia are returning to Camp Lost Lake looking for different things, but when they come face to face with each other, a new set of questions need to be answered. Too bad a killer is stalking both of them, and they won't stoop until they are both dead. Two Sides to Every Murder was fast-paced, hooked me from the first page, and only got better and more interesting. I really enjoyed both Olivia and Regan and getting the story from both POVs. There are plenty of twists and turns to keep you guessing, and that ending! Dang, it was completely unexpected!!!

I really enjoyed this. I found the tone and the atmosphere of this book to be really well cultivated, and it definitely added to this sort of...stressed out feeling I had the whole time I was reading this, haha. I loved the mystery, and it was plotted so well with lots of twists that I genuinely did not guess/see coming--to be fair I was busy being stressed out, lol. I enjoyed the characters and I liked the narrative voice that this story had. Overall, really enjoyed it and I can definitely see this being really popular with our YA readers once we get our physical copies in!

What do you get when you take a bloody camp murder spree, conflicting evidence, and two girls determined to solve the mystery? This book! It's a bit of that horror you've come to expect from this genre mixed with some fine storytelling. There are clues dropped throughout the book that are so clear it is relatively easy to pin who you think the murderer was. However, the end has a nice resolution with some unexpected gems. It's a quick read once you get into it and so fun!

4 of 5 stars
https://lynns-books.com/2024/06/25/two-sides-to-every-murder-by-danielle-valentine-review/
My Five Word TL:DR Review : Slasher Alert at Band Camp

I thoroughly enjoyed Delicate Condition and so couldn’t wait to see what this author came up with next. I guess I wasn’t really expecting a teen slasher at a lakeside camp but this one worked for me and kept me reading into the wee hours.

Camp Lost Lake closed down years ago following a number of murders. The suspected murderer managed to slip through the police’s fingers although at the time a local myth grew about the witch in the woods and this urban myth is one that still refuses to go away, kept alive by the mysterious disappearance of a number of hikers through the woods over the years .

Now, a generation later, the camp is reopening and the locals are rallying round to get the place ready. A group of teenagers have descended on the place to help. What could possibly go wrong?

I really had a good time reading this. It’s a bit cheesy, there are two sweet little unconnected romances which seem to have been thrown in simply to keep your mind otherwise occupied (and away from clues) and there are plenty of secrets and lies.

Okay, if you’re a horror aficionado this might have some plot holes, to be fair, I found myself stumbling over one or two (maybe not plot holes so much as puzzlers) myself but I’d already decided to simply run with this and enjoy it for what it is. Which for me was one of those stories where young people keep doing eye rollingly ill-advised things like running off into the forest alone, at night, during a storm. Because of course you would. Or finding time to gaze at each other longingly whilst a complete psychopath is creeping around with a bow and arrow. I think I was in the mood for some popcorn munching thrills and this story was a case of the right book at the right time.

I realise I’ve not mentioned much about the plot. I’m wary of giving away spoilers. I mentioned secrets above. Basically, one young girl has unwittingly discovered something about her family that has turned everything on its head and is determined to have some answers at camp. Another young girl is heading to camp with a friend, also in search of answers, her aim, to prove someone’s innocence.

What you can expect.

Fast pacing.

Never a dull moment.

Some dreadful decisions that make you want to turn into a pantomime audience shouting “he’s behind you!”

Sideline romances.

Young people rushing headlong towards disaster without a care in the world.

A storyline that I didn’t manage to unpick (although you might manage to do so).

A totally OTT ending in the style of all good slasher stories.

I would say that this isn’t too horror soaked so if you’re in search of a dramatic body count type slasher you won’t find it here. Which is perhaps why it was more my cup of tea.

In conclusion this kept me engaged and entertained.

I received a copy through Netgalley, courtesy of the publisher, for which my thanks. The above is my own opinion.

My rating 4 of 5 popcorn munching stars

Thank you to the publishers for an early copy of this book! 3.5 stars. I thought this was a compelling setting and storyline. I felt like the characters could have been a little more developed. I enjoyed that it shifted POVs and time periods. But for me the shifting POVs got a little confusing and hard to follow at times. This is perfect for anyone who enjoys mystery novels and wants a quick fun read.

I loved this horror mystery. I could feel my adrenaline kicking in when the protagonists were running from the murderer. I was actually scared. The ending had a twist that reminded me of how Natasha Preston likes to end her stories.

Absolutely loved this!! I don’t read YA books too often because I feel like they have the tendency to come off immature, especially in the conversations.

Danielle Valentine NAILED the book. The characters were well-rounded and interesting to read about. The POV switches were easy to follow - Olivia and Reagan both had very distinct voices. I love flashbacks woven throughout the book. They were integrated at the perfect times and helped to drive the backstory behind the mystery.

In terms of the mystery itself, Valentine perfected the twists within the story. Every time I thought I had it predicted, some new evidence proved me wrong. The reveal was perfect and believable.

Jaw dropping ending. The last chapter genuinely blew my mind. The last sentence gave me chills.

After finishing Two Sides to Every Murder, I will be adding How to Solve Your Own Murder to my TBR. I can’t wait for more from Valentine.

Thank you to Penguin Group for providing me a copy of the book in exchange for my honest opinion!

Olivia was born during the infamous Lost Lake murders, and it seems like the person in the witch mask may have returned.
Reagan is desperate to prove that her mother is not that witch, accused of murdering her husband, her son, and a camp counselor.

This was a pretty interesting book. The whole "twins separated at birth" plot point by now is a bit tired and played out, especially since we are not really given the right amount of clues that Olivia and Reagan are actually twins. There were also several plot holes, the most glaring of which is the fact that Reagan's mother was able to make off with a baby with no birth certificate and that baby seemingly participates in life normally? Is this something we're supposed to overlook because it's a YA book? Even YA books are supposed to clear up those loose ends before ending the book.

I'm also getting fairly tired of authors not tying up all the loose ends and then slapping on an epilogue with an explanation. I've read at least FOUR thrillers in the last couple of months that use this trope and it...it needs to stop. It's fine every once in a while, but when literally every thriller you read starts relying on this plot device, it looses it's luster and just lessens the impact of the book.

Overall, I did really enjoy the book--I read it fairly quickly and didn't want to put it down when I was reading it. The characters could have used a bit more fleshing out, because there are a lot of them to keep track of out there in the woods, and pretty much all of the male characters and some of the female characters felt interchangeable. Like some of them, their only purpose was to die. And yeah, when you need to kill of characters that is the only purpose they have...but you can still give them some life, right? This felt more like a cardboard cutout was left on the forest floor rather than an actual person.

I SWEAR I liked this book, there was a lot to like--the pacing was really good, the story itself at the heart is a really good story. I liked that we got snippets of the original investigation through crime reports and flashbacks. There were some good minor twists (though the big one you could honestly see coming even through all the trees lol) and it was compelling enough I flew through it and didn't want to put it down when I was reading it.

I think I like Valentine's adult novels (well, novel) better than her YA ones. 3.5 stars