Title: You’ll be the Death of Me
Author: Karen M. McManus
ISBN: 9780241473665
Publisher: Penguin
Pages: 326
Source: Private copy
From the author of One of Us Is Lying comes a brand new pulse-pounding thriller. When three old friends re-live an epic ditch day, it goes horribly-and deadly-wrong.
Ivy, Mateo, and Cal used to be close. Back in middle school they were best friends. So, when Cal pulls into campus late for class, and runs into Ivy and Mateo, it seems like the perfect opportunity to turn a bad day around. They’ll ditch school and go into the city. Just the three of them, like old times. Why did they stop hanging out, anyway?
As soon as they pull out of the parking lot Cal knows why. Ivy’s already freaking out about missing class, and heartthrob Mateo is asleep in the backseat, too cool to even pretend like he wants to be there. The truth is they have nothing in common anymore.
At least they don’t until they run into the fourth student ditching school that day. Brian “Boney” Mahoney is supposed to be accepting his newly won office of class president. Which is why Ivy follows him into an empty building, only to walk into the middle of a murder scene. Cal, Ivy, and Mateo all know the person lying on the ground of that building, and now they need to come clean. They’re all hiding something. And maybe their chance reconnection wasn’t by chance after all.
Official Summary
23 March 2023
This book follows Mateo, Cal and Ivy. With each of them having a bad morning, the three former friends decide to ditch school together. They head into town where they see a classmate and decide to follow him. They soon find themselves in the same room as their now-murdered classmate. They must try to solve the mystery of who is behind it before they become suspects.
Yet again, Karen M. McManus does not disappoint. I am slowly trying to get through every book McManus has ever written and I am having such fun doing it. So far four stars are the lowest rating I have given any of her books.
So I see the biggest criticism of this book is that it is very unrealistic. People keep saying that there is no way this would happen and it’s very far-fetched. Which is probably why it is called fiction. Is it realistic? Of course, not. Is it an exciting and gripping read? Of course, it is. I had such a hard time putting this down, which is not good since I was in the middle of test week.
I think the thing that stopped this book from getting five stars from me was the characters. Out of all the books I have read from McManus I find I always love one character if not all of them. However, it was very hard to like any of these characters. Mateo was just way too broody. Cal didn’t have much of a personality. Ivy, there were times when I could sympathise with her but there were also times when I just wanted to slap her. I find the conflict towards the end of the book within the friend group to be stupid and it just annoyed me. I also did not like how easily the conflict was resolved at the end when it felt like it wasn’t going to be.
Despite the conflict within the friend group being bad, the conflict of the book was actually so good. I find it surprising that I am still shocked that I never saw that ending coming. I always think I know what is going to happen and I think I can guess. Then the story just does a one-eighty and I am left with my jaw on the ground.
I one hundred per cent would recommend this to anyone looking for an unpredictable YA mystery thriller. I enjoyed this book and cannot wait to read my next Karen M McManus book.
Also by Karen M McManus
The Cousins
Milly, Aubrey, and Jonah Story are cousins, but they barely know each other, and they’ve never even met their grandmother. Rich and reclusive, she disinherited their parents before they were born. So when they each receive a letter inviting them to work at her island resort for the summer, they’re surprised… and curious.
Their parents are all clear on one point—not going is not an option. This could be the opportunity to get back into Grandmother’s good graces. But when the cousins arrive on the island, it’s immediately clear that she has different plans for them. And the longer they stay, the more they realize how mysterious—and dark—their family’s past is.
The entire Story family has secrets. Whatever pulled them apart years ago isn’t over—and this summer, the cousins will learn everything.
About The Author
Author Bio from the Author’s Site
Karen M. McManus is a #1 New York Times, USA Today, and international bestselling author of young adult thrillers. Her work includes the One of Us Is Lying series as well as the standalone novels Two Can Keep a Secret, The Cousins, You’ll Be the Death of Me, and the upcoming Nothing More to Tell. Karen’s books have been translated into more than 40 languages and have sold more than four million copies worldwide. She lives in Massachusetts and holds a master’s degree in Journalism from Northeastern University, which she mostly uses to draft fake news stories for her novels.
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