This book is a fun easy ride, I didn’t feel like the characters were fleshed out enough for me to become attached to, but there were enough characters to stop that being an issue. I had a good time with it, but I had gone into it with the right expectations of suspense and I think that really helped!

This dark, psychological thriller hooked me from the very first chapter. Everyone has a motive, and every page reveals just enough to make you question what’s really happening. The short, sharp chapters keep the pace racing, while the tangled web of secrets never lets up. A gritty, addictive read with a final reveal that lands. Perfect for fans who love their thrillers fast and twisty

I can see why teens would like this! Super quick and bingable. It was a tad more young YA than I like to read but will fit the audience it's meant for.

There are a lot of unanswered questions from this book. I’m not sure how I truly felt about it. It wasn’t what I wanted it to be.

I just can’t get past how unlike-able all of the characters are. This just felt like one dumb decision after another, and not in a fun thriller-y way.

So… story time. I requested this book because the description was right up my alley! I finally sat down to read it with the release only a month away, and I had this nagging feeling of déjà vu—like I’d read it before or at least something else by the author. Sure enough, I hopped onto Goodreads and, lo and behold, I had already marked it as Read.

Here’s the deal: when publishers pick up an indie author’s book, they usually just add their edition to the existing listing. But in this case, they created a whole new one, even though the original already had thousands of reviews. Normally, that wouldn’t bug me, but since the book wasn’t significantly revised or transformed, it feels misleading. It’s the same book… and, honestly, it’s still not good.

My biggest issue with it is that the writing is chaotic and not fluid at all. The content itself feels geared toward a younger YA audience—probably around an 8th-grade level—who might find the story engaging, but the prose is often clunky and difficult to follow. And that’s frustrating, because the book had so much potential. There were so many moments where I wanted to scream at it—not because it’s fiction (I get that), but because it’s grounded in the real world, and yet the teen characters were making choices they simply wouldn’t make. And here’s the thing: you can absolutely write outlandish scenarios, but you have to give them support, you have to explain the “why” so the reader can buy into it. This book skipped that step.

Overall, it just feels like a missed opportunity. With a publisher picking it up, this could have been the perfect moment for a heavy edit—to clean up the prose, smooth out the plot, and make the story flow better—while still keeping the heart of it intact. That kind of revision could have opened it to a much wider audience.

When I first read it back in June 2024, I had to borrow the only copy available in the entire Commonwealth through interlibrary loan, and I remember being disappointed. At the time, I gave it 2⭐️. Now, rereading and reflecting, I still stand by my critiques, but I do think I was a bit too harsh. So I’m amending my rating to 3⭐️—especially since it clearly has an audience that’s connecting with it.

I fortunate to receive a complimentary eARC from Sourcebook Fire via NetGalley, which gave me the opportunity to share my voluntary thoughts.

How I Rate
Because I mostly read ARCs, I focus on how I think fellow readers with similar tastes will respond. I sometimes round up or down based on pacing, prose, or overall impact, and I try to keep my personal preferences from weighing too heavily.

⭐️ 1 Star – Finished, but not for me; I never DNF ARCs.
⭐️⭐️ 2 Stars – Struggled due to writing, content, or editing issues.
⭐️⭐️⭐️ 3 Stars – Decent read with untapped potential; recommend with some reservations.
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ 4 Stars – Really enjoyed it and would recommend for several reasons.
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ 5 Stars – Exceptional; lingers in my mind well after reading. A story I’d gladly revisit.

Michele Leathers sets up a promising YA mystery: a teenage girl, a dead mean-girl, and a small town full of secrets. On paper, it’s giving Pretty Little Liars energy. But for me, the execution fell flat.

The Good
• Fast pace: It’s quick to read and pretty bingeable if you want something light.
• Drama-filled premise: High school rivalries plus murder? Always a fun hook.

The Not-So-Good
• Flat characters: Most of them felt stereotypical, without depth or growth. I didn’t care enough about their fates.
• Predictable twists: Instead of shocking reveals, it was more like “yeah, saw that coming.”
• Immaturity in the writing: Some scenes felt unrealistic, like the main character making choices no one would logically make. It pulled me out of the story.
• Rushed ending: It wrapped up too neatly, almost like the author ran out of steam.

Final Thoughts

While the premise is solid, the story never really lands. If you’re in the mood for a quick, drama-heavy YA thriller, it might scratch the itch. But if you’re craving a layered mystery with compelling characters, you’ll probably be disappointed.

I like YA reads, but this was a really YA read. I was all in to begin with but the main character seemed too young for the role. She started off a strong high schooler but some things were put off as a much younger kid. I just couldn't stay interested. It wasn't bad but took longer for me to read than it should have.

They All Had a Reason presents a good blend of mystery and teen drama. The story follows Charlotte, who finds herself at the center of a murder investigation after her high-school bully, Bellany, is found dead.

I felt the characters were well-drawn, particularly Charlotte, whose inner turmoil is relatable as she grapples with her feelings about Bellany's death and the subsequent fallout. The dynamics of friendships, teenage angst, and the impact of rumors are portrayed convincingly, reflecting typical high school experiences. While the plot was engaging, some parts felt predictable. The pacing sometimes slowed down in the middle.

Overall, They All Had a Reason is a good read for fans of young adult mysteries. It tackles themes of bullying, friendship, and the consequences of secrets, making it worthwhile for those looking for an interesting story. It's an entertaining book, though it may not fully satisfy readers seeking a more intricate plot.

#NetGalley

This book starts with a really intriguing premise: Charlotte quickly finds herself entangled in the disappearance and supposed death of Bellany, and the early chapters pulled me in with plenty of tension and mystery.

Unfortunately, as the story went on, I struggled more and more with Charlotte as a main character. She is meant to be 17, but many of her choices and reactions felt much younger, almost like a 13-year-old making impulsive mistakes. Instead of driving the suspense, her decisions mostly made the situation worse and weakened the believability of the plot.

The writing itself isn’t bad, and the pacing in the beginning is engaging, but I felt that the book didn’t fully deliver on its potential. The ending is surprising, but for me it wasn’t executed in a way that felt satisfying.

Overall, this had a strong setup and some potential, but the development and conclusion left me disappointed.

I truly enjoyed this book! This is the first time I've read this author and it definitely will not be my last. I enjoyed the flow of the story and the MC's. Thank you for the ARC!

I really wasn't a massive lover of this book, I was SO excited for this book as i thought it sounded great, really creepy and I personally love a "who did it" story, however I didn't love this book. I found the writing style quite bland, I think this is more for probably YA readers and I think younger adults would quite like this book and like following the characters so id say if you're more of a younger reader this might be your cup of tea!

I really wanted to love this story, and there were a lot of things that I liked about it. I love the high school murder mystery genre, and the premise - 16-year-old Charlotte's nemesis Bellany Silverfield was murdered and all of the evidence points to her - was really intriguing. I just think that some of the characters were a little underdeveloped. We can understand Charlotte's motives, because she was bullied by Bellany and Bellany ruined her mother's relationship, but she's also best friends with Bellany's twin brother, Bridger? The friendship does not really ring true, nor does the friendship with Quentin, Charlotte's crush and Bellany's boyfriend. The title is that "They All Had a Reason," but most of the "reasons" characters might want to kill Bellany seemed superficial. Gemma, Charlotte's female "best friend" (who honestly doesn't seem like much of a friend at all), had her cheerleading tryouts ruined by Bellany, and Quentin might have found out that Bellany was cheating on him with someone named Big G. The mysterious Vivy dislikes her because Bellany made fun of her for having lice. None of the characters' motives seemed extreme enough to commit murder. And then, there were several unfinished or seemingly unnecessary plotlines - what was going on with Vivy and Coop? Why was Quentin's mother Ruby, who had been imprisoned for killing her husband, a suspect in the murder of a teenage girl? And WHAT was with the epilogue? I did enjoy the high school drama, but the mystery fell a little flat for me. But if you're a fan of the high school murder mystery genre, I think you'd enjoy it.

Sorry, but I didn’t like this one. The plot line felt juvenile and was full of holes. The main character was an idiot and made stupid decisions. Not worth the read.

Charlotte is going to a birthday party for her friend Bridger and his twin sister Bellany. She doesn't care for Bellany at all, she is mean and vindictive. Bellany locks Charlotte in the basement but she finds a way out. She follows Bellany to the woods because she is meeting someone. She finds her dead and now Charlotte is the prime suspect.

I thought this was well done and had some good twists to it. I would read another Leathers book.

🔪✨ Review ✨🔪

📖 They All Had a Reason by Michele Leathers

A rumor. A secret. A lie. A murder. And I was hooked from page one. 👀

This YA thriller has everything: Charlotte finds her high school bully, Bellany Silverfield, dead in the woods, and while part of her feels relieved the torment is over… the whole town suddenly thinks she’s the killer. Cue the paranoia, shifting friendships, and small-town whispers that had me flipping pages like a madwoman. 🩸📚

What I loved:
✨ Unreliable characters + deliciously messy drama
✨ The way suspicion jumps from person to person and no one feels safe
✨ That “do I trust my friends or are they setting me up?” tension
✨ Sharp YA voice: angsty, chilling, and addictive

It gave me major One of Us Is Lying x Pretty Little Liars energy, but darker, and I could not stop reading. Fans of twisty YA mysteries? Add this one to your fall TBR immediately. 🍂

⭐ YA Mystery
⭐ Unlikable characters done RIGHT
⭐ Fast-paced + bingeable

#TheyAllHadAReason #MicheleLeathers #YAMystery #ThrillerReads #SourcebooksFire #YAFiction #Bookstagram #BookTok #MysteryBooks #OneOfUsIsLyingVibes #DarkReads #SourcebooksFire

I would have loved this book in middle school. As an adult, not so much. Thankfully, it was a short and quick read.

I received a free copy of, They All Had a Reason, by Michele Leathers, from the publisher and Netgalley in exchange for an honest review. This is book one of seven in the , All had a Reason series. Charlotte is 16, and thinks she has it figured out, then when her enemy dies, she rethinks this idea. What if she is a suspect, or the prime suspect? Being a teenager in high school is not always easy, so much emotions and peer pressure. This book is something else though. I don't know if I liked it.

Short, sweet, and an ending hard to predict.

After being trapped in a basement by her arch enemy, Charlotte escapes only to find the girl who locked her up dead in the woods. Now she’s being framed for the murder and she needs to figure out who did it before she’s the one arrested.

So… this book is a 2 star for me. The whole plot wasn’t really plotting for me, I wasn’t able to fully connect with any of the characters and I wasn’t fully engaged by the first couple of chapters.