I enjoyed this adventure quite a lot. The twists and turns kept me engaged despite some of their improbability. I alternated between the ebook and audio, and both mediums were compelling. I appreciated the commentary on elite liberal arts colleges and how it prepares many of us to blend in amongst the wealthy - a great skilled acquired as an undergraduate.

It sounds like you’re asking for a review of Killer Potential by Hannah Deitch. Here’s a 4-star review based on the novel’s overall strengths and areas that could have been improved:

Rating: 4/5 stars

Killer Potential by Hannah Deitch is a gripping psychological thriller that keeps readers on the edge of their seats from start to finish. The novel’s strength lies in its intricate plotting and well-developed characters. The protagonist, whose journey into the depths of crime and deception unfolds with every twist, is both compelling and relatable. Deitch masterfully explores themes of trust, betrayal, and the human capacity for manipulation.

The pacing of the story is well-balanced, with suspense building steadily, and there’s a constant undercurrent of tension that makes it hard to put down. The author’s ability to surprise the reader with unexpected developments and complex relationships is impressive.

However, while Killer Potential is undeniably engaging, there are moments where the narrative feels slightly predictable. Some secondary characters are a bit underdeveloped, leaving a few threads in the plot unresolved, which might leave some readers wanting more depth.

Overall, Killer Potential offers an exciting read for fans of psychological thrillers. Deitch’s storytelling is sharp, and while the novel isn’t perfect, it certainly lives up to its

Dark, delicious, sexy, queer.
One of those - what did I just read? Where did it go wrong? How did I MISS THAT?
A struggling former gifted student, Evie tutors Serena - until she discovers her murdered parents, harms Serena in self-defense and finds a woman bound in the closet. On the run, Evie pieces together what really happened while trying to get a traumatized mute woman to trust her.
With just enough detail to keep me obsessed, harshly realistic and just utter chaos with mystery and intrigue.

Read Killer Potential by Hannah Deitch, and honestly? I feel like I just watched a true crime doc while stress-eating popcorn. The setup was chef’s kiss—murder, privilege, and an SAT tutor who suddenly finds herself in the middle of absolute chaos. The dark humor? Loved it. The pacing? Ehh, kind of all over the place. And the characters? Let’s just say I wanted to shake them a few times. It had its moments, but I didn’t love it. A fun but uneven ride!

This isn’t my usual genre but I was curious after seeing so many positive reviews. I’m so glad I took a chance as this was a hoot and I could not put it down. It is fast-paced, mysterious, gruesome yet tender, and totally engrossing. Even if you figure out a big twist early on, there are other twists that emerge and the journey to the twist is an enjoyable one. Recommended to anyone looking for an exciting read.

Thank you to William Morrow and NetGalley for the opportunity to read a copy.

Thank you to NetGalley and William Morrow for an early release copy of Killer Potential by Hannah Deitch.

Killer Potential unfortunately doesn’t stand out to me, there isn’t much I can say that I enjoyed about the book. Evie and Jae were decent characters to follow but again nothing really stands out about them. The story itself held my interest enough for me to wonder what’s going to happen but I didn’t find it to be particularly thrilling, things were happening but at the same time things felt kind of convenient, the thrilling bits just weren’t hitting for me.

The writing also felt strange to me, it sometimes felt overly detailed about things that didn’t need that much of a description. Evie would have this inner monologue type of thing going (about her past) and it just didn’t add anything to the story, it happens quite a few times in here and I just wished she would have focused more on the present matters or did a full flash back type of thing. The romance adds an interesting aspect to the story but it just ends up falling flat, the characters hardly knew each other but by the end they are supposedly giving “I’d do anything for you” kind of vibes. I just didn’t feel that between them, they needed more time with each other for it to develop into something like that.

I really enjoyed this debut novel by Hannah Deitch. Former Gifted and Talented student turned SAT tutor, Evie Gordon, goes on the run for a crime she didn’t commit. I really liked Deitch’s writing style and look forward to more of her books! Thank you NetGalley and William Morrow for the ARC!

The description definitely caught my attention and I thought I would be into it. The Thelma and Louise comparison drew me in. However the book want for me and I guessed the plot twist early on and lost my drive to continue reading. I feel bad for rating it so low.

Let’s start with the title- so good, so apt. This book is all about potential- potential career, potential dreams, potential storylines, potential murder. I was up late flipping pages. The book had interesting themes and was well written- an impressive debut! That said, I also had some challenges. Evie is supposed to come from a lower income background in rural NC, she’s Jewish and gay- I had a hard time believing her identity...and I’ll acknowledge that might have been the point- she bucks assumptions, but I didn’t quite buy it. The romance was also…interesting. Without giving anything away, I’ll just say I wanted more from the last third of the book, but I was intrigued overall. I’m curious to see what the author writes next.

Short summary: Evie arrived at the Victor’s house prepared to tutor their daughter for the SATs, not become wanted for murder…even less to become a fugitive with a woman she discovered tied up beneath the stairs.

Thanks to Netgalley and William Morrow. ARC provided in exchange for an honest review.

This was quite an entertaining read! I liked the unique premise and the pace really kept me turning the pages. Recommended!

I tried to get into this book but it just wasn't for me. I was just board and was trying to get into it. I just don't think this author is for me.

I just finished “Killer Potential”, the debut novel of Hannah Deitch, and I’m honestly struggling to find anything positive to say about it.

I didn’t necessarily like it for reasons I can’t seem to pinpoint other than it felt very disingenuous to me. Like when people want you to know how smart and clever they think they are and it comes across as annoyingly presumptuous. This book was like someone who constantly drops into conversations that they went to Harvard.

At best I would say this book was overambitious. The plot really made no sense and it’s so obvious what the twist is that I hesitate to even call it a twist. I’m generally fine with suspension of disbelief, but there were just too many idiotic things that a supposedly intelligent and gifted woman did that had me sighing in annoyance and frustration.

If you like books that try to be overly academic while meandering around a patchy plot, metaphors that make zero sense and sound uber pretentious, and insta love between artificial characters that comes outta nowhere, then you’ll probably enjoy this book. I really wanted to like it based on the blurb, but unfortunately it fell short.

I received an ARC copy courtesy of William Morrow and NetGalley, however my review is completely my own unbiased personal opinion, left of my own volition.

Wow!! That a debut! Really enjoyed this cat and mouse game thriller! Thank you NetGalley and publisher for early arc of this book and opportunity to read it early! It’s well written, haunting and leaving you wanting more! Great book

Cover: I do not really like the cover, I would most likely pass up picking this book up on a shelf to inspect further.

What I liked the most about this book: I thought I knew exactly how this book was going to go after a few chapters, and I almost had my first 'no feedback' book of the year. Thankfully I finished the book. The book took a major turn on the interesting factor. Overall I liked Evie, she is a strong main character with totally understandable angst. Evie was my favorite thing about this book.

What I liked the least about this book: Well, the fact that I almost put it down. I can see many people DNF this book because of the 'assumed' predictability of this book.

Rating: 3.5 Stars

This book started with a bang, struggling SAT tutor Evie stumbles upon the bodies of her employers. Things go terribly wrong and now she’s on the run with a woman who was tied up in the closet but cannot speak. This was fun a mix of a literary thriller and a Thelma and Louise love story. Thank you NetGalley for the ARC!

Thelma and Louise but make it a love story!

I really enjoyed this thriller! It felt like Thelma and Louise meets The Guest by Emma Cline meets Natural Born Killers. When Evie arrives at the house of her client, she not only stumbles onto a murder scene, but rescues a woman she finds tied up in a secret room.

Both Evie and Jae were likable characters, and I rooted for them until the end. The story gripped me from the start. I was intrigued by Jae's character, and what she experienced inside the Victors' home. Her flashbacks later on were fascinating, especially learning about how she ended up inside the walls of the house. The pace was steady, and I enjoyed following along as they drove across state lines causing chaos in order to survive. The author's voice was compelling and kept me engaged from beginning to end. A great debut! I'm excited to read whatever she publishes next.

4/5⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

For readers who enjoy a fast pace, compelling female characters, and unreliable narrators.

I read this book in a single day—it is compulsively readable, delightfully dark, and overall a wicked good time. Evie is a fascinating narrator, part of a generation of "gifted kids" who have grown up to find out that being good at school most certainly does not mean being good at life. The social commentary in the book is cutting without being overly didactic or distracting from the lightning-quick plot. The twist is not at all surprising, but it is still enjoyable.

That said, there were a few things that bothered me. The introductory framing, Evie looking back at this period from a remove in the future, is intended to reduce some forms of tension while introducing others—I almost DNFed the book right from jump because of it. It didn't work for me. I'm glad I stuck it out, but I was feeling pretty "meh" for a minute. Evie's fixation on using rich people's bathrooms, something that comes up at least three times, got distracting—we get it, you think pooping in a fancy toilet is somehow sophisticated/funny scatological class commentary.

There's also a scene where Evie and Jae are wounded in what is described as pretty horrific ways (slight spoilers ahead). There's a car crash, and Evie gets absolutely wailed on by a group of drunk teenage boys in a way that she describes as breaking things internally. Those injuries go on to play absolutely no role in subsequent events. They have zero impact on Evie and Jae's ongoing activities, ability to get around, steal transportation, etc. That moment was one of a few that took me directly out of the storytelling, because something that should have clear, direct consequences on the characters' actions just...doesn't? What happened there?

On the whole, however, this was a fun romp of a read.

Thank you William Morrow and NetGalley.

Too a bit to get into but once I was in I was hooked. Felt like a game of cat and mouse in the best way. Loved the murder mystery aspect

A straight A scholarship student, they told Evie that she was gifted, that she was destined for great things. But after graduating from a top university with a ton of debt Evie’s stuck as an SAT tutor for LA’s ultra wealthy. What starts out as a normal day ends with the unexpected murder of her student’s parents and the discovery of a woman tied up under the stairs. One thing leads to another and sets up circumstances that has the two women on the run. What exactly happened that day? If they figure out who the real killer is can they be exonerated or will they be forever on the run?

Killer Potential is adventurous and fast paced. Think of Thelma and Louise or Bonnie and Clyde but sapphic. The majority of the novel is fast paced and humorous and I really enjoyed the relationship between the two main characters. As Evie and her mysterious companion flee across the country and try to find out what exactly happened that day the tension and chances of being apprehended made it impossible to put down. But the last third slams the break on the pace that was established. And while that slower more reflective and poignant pace and tone was effective and brought an emotional weight, it really threw off the momentum. I thought the elements of falling through the cracks living on the fringe of society and the exploration of class were explored in an interesting way. The wistful and bittersweet feeling of those final chapters very much stayed with me. Despite some issues with pace I really enjoyed this debut novel and am eagerly anticipating what Hannah Deitch writes next. 

Thank you very much to NetGalley and the publisher. I received an advance review copy, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

A twisty thriller with unexpected surprises, great characters and a story I couldn’t put down. It’s gritty, full of adventures and a wild ride until the last page.