Young adult mysteries are one of my favorite genres and this one did not disappoint. This book has every thing I like about a young adult mystery. It's my favorite Kara Thomas book so far.

Thank you to NetGalley for the ARC. While I loved the first book, The Cheerleaders, this one fell a little more flat for me. I still think teens and tweens who are looking for mysterious and suspenseful books will enjoy it so it will be added to our collection.

I absolutely adore this series!! This book was so good! I loved going back to Sunnybrook! I also enjoyed seeing Petey in high school! The details and twist & turns in this were on par! I really loved this one! I read it too quick!! Highly recommend this book & the first in the series!!

Le sigh…another book I read almost a year ago, enjoyed, and now can’t remember enough to write a fair review.

I can say, I have enjoyed all the Kara Thomas books I’ve read and plan on reading more!

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

While not as good as the first book in the series, this book was still an excellent mystery. Kara has a way of writing characters readers love and care for while understanding they also have flaws. Love the mystery, love the characters, love the book.

I am a huge fan of Kara Thomas's books, and this was no exception. The Champions was a highly anticipated read for me and sequel to The Cheerleaders. I liked this sequel just as much as the original. The twisty story telling kept me engaged until the very end. I would highly recommend this book.

I was riveted! It's been a while since I've read a YA novel that's kept my interest from start to finish, but then The Champions came along! I read Thomas' The Cheerleaders back when it first came out and I really liked it, but this was beyond better. Fans of her earlier novel will appreciate the nods to the OG story and its characters, but while this is a continuation of sorts one doesn't have to read The Cheerleaders in order to really get into the story.

The drama centers around the new girl in school, Hadley, who just happens to be the superintendent's daughter and is vying for the editor position of the school newspaper. When she finds herself stuck doing a feature on the two-time champion football team, what starts as an eye-rolling assignment turns into life or death. The "champions" are hiding something -- maybe a lot of somethings -- and Hadley's stuck in the middle. When an anonymous source gives her a tip that leads to a ton of drama, Hadley ends up investigating a murder instead.

Thoughts: The characters were incredibly realistic, as was (tragically) the plot itself, and the drama never stops throughout the story. I couldn't put it down at times. While it might seem outlandish at times, unfortunately so much of this story could easily happen (if it isn't/hasn't already) in any American high school. Thomas captures the voice and spirit of teenagers so well, and the plot unfolds in a fascinating, surprising, and heartbreaking way. If you thought The Cheerleaders was dramatic, you're in for quite the ride!

** Thank you, Netgalley and publishers, for a DRC in exchange for an honest review. **

“The Champions” by Kara Thomas improves on “The Cheerleaders” and still keeps things suspenseful and dark. Football, Murder, and Small-Town Trauma—What More Could You Want?

Okay, Kara Thomas really said, “You thought cheerleaders were bad news? Hold my Gatorade.” “The Champions” takes us back to the murder-y little town of Sunnybrook, where apparently no one can just go to high school without tripping over a mystery or a suspicious death. And honestly? I ate it up.

I liked this one much more than “The Cheerleaders”. Where the first book took a little time to get going, “The Champions” hits the ground running—with a poisoned football player at a party (because, of course), cryptic messages, and Hadley, our snarky new girl who's just trying to win the title of Editor-in-Chief for her school newspaper and not die. Mood.

Hadley doesn’t care about football—which made her immediately relatable—but she *does* care about not letting attempted murderers run free. Also relatable. She’s funny, a little messy, and determined in a “probably should have minded her own business but I’m glad she didn’t” kind of way.

The mystery here is twisty, fast-paced, and weirdly fun for a book with two suspicious “accidents.” There’s small-town paranoia, secrets that refuse to stay buried, and a football team that is definitely hiding something (besides the playbook). And the ending?? Very satisfying.

So yeah, four stars. Darker and sharper than book one, with fewer slow moments and more *please tell me what’s going on* vibes. Just don’t drink anything at a Sunnybrook party, and you’ll probably be alright. Maybe.

*Special thanks to NetGalley and the publisher, Delacorte Press, for sharing this eARC with me in exchange for my honest opinion. This review is based off of an uncorrected proof which did not sway my opinion either way.

𝐫𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐧𝐠: ★★★★☆
𝐠𝐞𝐧𝐫𝐞: ya mystery
𝐭𝐫𝐢𝐠𝐠𝐞𝐫 𝐰𝐚𝐫𝐧𝐢𝐧𝐠: this book has mentions of r!pe, murder, and su!cide

"𝙄 𝙙𝙤𝙣𝙩 𝙬𝙖𝙣𝙩 𝙮𝙤𝙪 𝙩𝙤 𝙗𝙚 𝙨𝙤𝙧𝙧𝙮," 𝙨𝙝𝙚 𝙨𝙖𝙮𝙨. "𝙄 𝙬𝙖𝙣𝙩 𝙮𝙤𝙪 𝙩𝙤 𝙛𝙞𝙣𝙞𝙨𝙝 𝙬𝙝𝙖𝙩 𝙮𝙤𝙪 𝙨𝙩𝙖𝙧𝙩𝙚𝙙"

*DISCLAIMER: Thank you to the publisher, St. Martins Press, for the ARC in exchange for an honest review. BOOK IS NOW RELEASED*

OVERVIEW
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I enjoyed this book, I think its very well written. I read the first book in this series, the Cheerleaders about a year ago, and that book was FABULOUS! In my opinion the first book was better, but I still liked this one. I recommend reading the Cheerleaders first, as this book references it a lot. The plot of this book was ok, albeit a little confusing. However even when I was confused, I was still on the edge of my seat, and wanted to continue reading. I think this is a good YA mystery if you like twists and turns and would recommend it for kids older than 12 as some of themes are very complex and could be triggering. ( I added some at the top of this review )

CHARACTER REVIEW
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I really like the main character Hadley. I thought she was very smart and a cool character. She was good at taking care of herself while still trying to help others and get to the bottom of the truth. I would say she was a solid main character, no complaints here. The side characters were also extremely well written and intertwined. They all had complex personalities and felt like real people, you were cheering for some of them, and angry at others. The writer does a superb job with the character development throughout the story, all the characters become more complicated and new information changes how you see some them. I think the characters as a whole were extremely well done.

PLOT REVIEW
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The plot itself is not that confusing (if you've read the first book) but the ending WAS SO CONFUSING! This may be because I read the first book a year ago, or maybe I was tired while reading this one, but I just didn't get it all. I didn't love the ending, its very complex and everything is VERY intertwined. I had trouble remembering all the names, people, and their connections. It was hard to follow at points and some points were a little unrealistic. But, there was still lots intrigue and suspense sprinkled throughout the book, and the mystery plot and the investigation was interesting. I liked how everything slowly comes together. (Even if I didn't really understand how) The setting is super interesting and I think the themes in the ending of the book are very relevant in todays society.

WRITING REVIEW
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The writing is what kept me reading. The author did a really good job of keeping me interested. The developments that occur throughout the book are super well written, and the characters are well written. I think that the author did a good job of writing complex issues and emotions, and all the craziness that comes with being a teenager, while simultaneously the mystery also takes place. I love this authors writing style, both of her books Ive read, I have liked a lot.

ENDING THOUGHTS
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Well written but some parts were confusing. I would recommend this book, but the first one was better, and I recommend reading it first. I enjoyed this book, its a good mystery, but it does have some pretty complex themes, just a heads up!

Thanks! Ellie,

Kara Thomas wrote another novel that I am excited to get into the hands of my high school students. I have already purchased a copy for my classroom library! I would recommend that people read The Cheerleaders first before reading The Champions because I did have to reread it to get a refresher on the plot. Hadley, a new girl, starts to get messages warning her about foul play on the football team, and Hadley goes out to investigate the mystery emails she has been receiving. The choice to investigate has dire consequences for the popular football team.

This book was very fun. It was a sequel to "The Cheerleaders", which I also enjoyed. It has been a while since I read the first one but the author does a nice job of summarizing the first one. This one was entertaining and readable.

A good follow up to the first book in this series. I liked the characters of the story. There was a lot of unknowns in the story that took too long to reveal. Also the main character not having any real friends fell flat. Peter and her relationship didn't develop as well as I thought it could have for me. Overall the storyline was good enough for me to finish the book!

I remember reading books by her when I was in highschool. I would def say I think I 100% outgrew her writing, but she did a great job with this book. I just sis not enjoy it as much

Kara Thomas brings us back to the world of Sunnybrook that she introduced in The Cheerleaders in this new mystery, and for the most part the sequel is as good as the original. You can read this book even if you haven't read the first one, but there are connections you can appreciate more if you have the background.

If you are going to read this one, check the trigger warnings because there are some pretty heavy topics, but Thomas does a respectful job of handling them. Overall, I recommend this book for high school students.

I like this book better than the first one, The Cheerleaders, though I rated them both three stars. I believe some schools will go to great lengths to see their sports teams succeed, especially football, and this was a prime example of that.

Little disclaimer here, I didn't realize that this book was sort of a sequel to another book by the author. Kara did a good job for readers like myself that hadn't read the first book. She did a good job making this a standalone yet interconnected "sequel".

In this book, Hadley a new girl to Sunnybrook looking to make her mark on the school newspaper, shooting for the Chief Editor role. This leads to her having to cover her least favorite thing, sports - specifically their football team. A player is poisoned which kicks off our mystery. Hadley is determined to get to the bottom of it no mater how dangerous (and drama filled) it becomes.

I enjoyed it brought me back to my R.L. Stine's Fear Street, and Christopher Pikes but for the youth of the 2020's.

Thank you to Random House Children's and NetGalley for a DRC in exchange for an honest review.

This is the sequel to the Cheerleaders. This takes place 5 years after the town experienced all the deaths. They are trying to overcome the horrible reputation and become known for something else. They want to be famous for their football team. The school and coaches will do almost anything to make sure this happens. But murder? Blah blah has recently moved to the town and she wants to be editor of the school newspaper. Breaking the mystery behind the 5 year old murders and the current mischief going on could be her big break and help her get into the college of her choice. But, could it also mean her death?

A murder that remains unsolved. I did enjoy that this one was technically looking at a cold case crime. And that we get a teenage sleuth that's determined to solve it.

High school is tough for everyone, but more so when scandal seems repeat itself.

Well written and full intrigue, this is the perfect entry for any YA mystery. Can Hadley keep her sanity while fighting for editor-in-chief of the HS newspaper? Will the newest death in a town that has only recently recovered from a series of murders derail everything she has worked towards?

Hadley fights the good flight, deals with her rivals and being the new girl. She is strong when others expect her to be weak.

Hadley is a hero all young girls needs.

Content Warning: sexual assault, bullying, death, cheating, toxic relationships, car accident, abortion

Kara Thomas does it again! I consider her an auto-buy author. I can always expect lots of twists and carefully laid out clues.