Blog Tour - You'll Be the Death of Me

Title: You'll Be the Death of Me (Goodreads)

Publisher: Penguin

Genre: Mystery, Thriller, Contemporary, Crime

Author: Karen M. McManus

Age Group: YA

Source: Netgalley

I would truly like to thank TheWriteReads for asking me to be a part of this book tour. I am also very grateful to Penguin for providing me with a Netgalley link to this book. Lastly and most importantly the biggest thank you goes to Karen M. McManus for writing such an exciting book!

Review

If you are looking for a fun, quick and snappy read than look no further than You'll Be the Death of Me! This is my first time reading a book by McManus and I can see why she has become a popular fast-selling author. Her books are full of surprises and energy, they are very quick reads and accessible to all readers. I truly enjoyed the fast pace of You'll Be the Death of Me and the suspense of the murder mystery.

However, what this book lacked for me was complex characters and a fully engaging plot. Perhaps it is possible to argue that the murder mystery genre itself does not stereotypically allow for complex characters to develop and I am being unfair to the author and her book, in that case I will happily put my hands up and admit I am not reading the right genre. In relation to the plot, yes it moves quickly, but to me it did not feel like a lot developed in the middle of the book which would have allowed an exciting build up to the conclusion.

There was a lot a teen angst and perhaps this took centre stage instead of trying to resolve the murder mystery. Most of Ivy’s and Mateo’s narrative near the end of the novel shifted away from the murder focus and onto their unresolved teenage romantic feelings and it just didn’t fit in with the overall plot for me. Cal unfortunately becomes the desperate third wheel and struggles to get the narrative back on track towards finding out who the killer was. Their overall friendship then became unbalanced and off kilter which made me struggle with the final chapters of the book.

In the end, I did enjoy this book mainly because it was so easy and quick to read but overall I struggled with the lack of character development and midway detour through teenage love town. That being said, if you enjoy the murder mystery genre and don’t mind easy going characters than You'll Be the Death of Me is worth a read for you.

Synopsis

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.

Key Quotes

'I haven't been in a fight in years, but its like riding a bike, I guess - you don't forget how.'

"You know, you don't have to do everything on your own." "What?" My eyes are following hers, and my ears need a second to catch up. "You can ask people for help. It's not a sign of weakness."

"It's pretty crap security to have one key for everything," I say. "Well this is Carlton." Ivy steps through the doorway, and i follow. "Nothing bad is ever supposed to happen here, right?"

Similar Reads

Lies Like Wildfire, Killer Content, A Good Girl's Guide to Murder, One of Us Is Lying, The Inheritance Games, S.T.A.G.S

Blog Tour Spotlight - Lies Like Wildfire

Title: Lies Like Wildfire (Goodreads)

Publisher: Penguin

Genre: Mystery, Thriller, Contemporary

Author: Jennifer Lynn Alvarez

Age Group: YA

Source: Netgalley

I would like to thank TheWriteReads, Penguin and Jennifer Lynn Alvarez for such a great opportunity to read this book in advance of its official publication.

This is definitely a book that will entice and grab readers who love a fast paced action thriller mystery!

Available to buy now:

Waterstones

Foyles

Amazon

'Now that we've buried the secret, we have to bury it deeper. If there's one thing the law hates more than crime, its liars.'

Synopsis

An intense high-stakes story about five friends and the deadly secret that could send their lives up in flames, perfect for fans of Karen McManus and E. Lockhart.

In Gap Mountain, California, everyone knows about fire season. And no one is more vigilant than 18-year-old Hannah Warner, the sheriff’s daughter and aspiring FBI agent. That is until this summer. When Hannah and her best friends accidentally spark an enormous and deadly wildfire, their instinct is to lie to the police and the fire investigators.

But as the blaze roars through their rural town and towards Yosemite National Park, Hannah’s friends begin to crack and she finds herself going to extreme lengths to protect their secret. Because sometimes good people do bad things. And if there’s one thing people hate, it’s liars.

About the Author

https://www.jenniferlynnalvarez.com/about

I received my B.A. in English from the University of California at Berkeley. I'm fascinated by underdogs and power dynamics between groups of people. 

I'm the author of LIES LIKE WILDFIRE, a teen thriller soon-to-be published by Delacorte Press, and two middle grade book series, each published by HarperCollins Children's Books, THE GUARDIAN HERD (a quartet) and RIDERS OF THE REALM (a trilogy). Before this, I self-published a middle grade fantasy called THE PET WASHER. 

When I'm not writing, you'll find me galloping my little black mare through the foothills of Sonoma County or teaching free creative writing workshops to kids and adults at various branches of our local library system. 

The Healdsburg Literary Guild selected me as their 2019/2020 Literary Laureate for my work in building literacy in my community. It is an honor I hold dear. I am also the current SCBWI Sonoma County Coordinator and a volunteer on the Sonoma County Library Advisory Board.

I live in Northern California with my husband, three children, and more than my fair share of pets!

Checkout my fellow Book Bloggers reviews

@theartsyreader1

@WorldsUnlikeOO

@HanLovesToRead

@WhatMissTRead

 

@_forbookssake

@AboutGassing

@herbookish

@NickiRichards7

@bookscouldtalk

 

@SabrinaAccalai

@AmysBookishLife

@Hope__A_

@Brew_Fiction

 

@biblio_fi

@SofiBookLover

@JennMitchell3rd

@hybibiliophiliac

 

@bookreviewb

@lindsayglenne

@alexthebookish

@HelenByles

 

@ramblingmads

@JoannaLouisePar

@katrina_reads

@owlbookworld

 

@shazzierimmel

@bookdutchesses

@kerrimcbooknerd

 

@ThorogoodBryony

@ashortbooklover

@king_lyd

@ReadsMikaela

 

@Stephen1308

@bexbibliophile

@lilikmarcus

@prttylttlewrtr

 

@dellybird

@BooksAre42

@loisreadsbooks

@emsbookshelfx

 

@storywhispers

@Bookslovereade1

@maitaylor01

@stackedreviews

 

@MyBookishBliss

@CharityRau1

@notsotweets

@iheartbooks1991

 

@Bookscozy

@cheaprhyme

@PrythianBworm

@KCrommie

 

@inkandplasma

@cosybookcorner_

@RajivsReviews

@LoofyJ

 

@prdg

@elliemaiblogs

@ReadsRina

@WayfaringBiblio

 

@GinaRaeMitchell

@FeelTheRead1

@Rebbie_Reviews

@melanie05783871

 

@fangirl___blogs

@emmakuyateh

@rose_dxwn

@buckeye_gal4

 

@jenjenreviews

@Kate_everywhere

@sarah_totr

@mm_cheryl

 

@bookkaz

@OUATBookReviews

@shelfofunread

@emsibzz

 

@AVoraciousReadr

@karlou

@sunstormsatc

@agenuineopinion

 

@pagesplots

@alazyeggreviews

@lucyrambles

@BTPBookclub

 

@mugfullofbooks

@ShelleyFallows

@madsbooks

@AndOnSheReads1

 

@WCBLIBRARY

@frostatmidnite

@TheRomanceBloke

@SifaPoulton

 

@bookswithelise

@TheSunMaid

Upcoming Book Bloggers reviews

@manisbookcorner

@TPulyer

@ReadtoRamble

 

@NverJudgeaBook

@shazzierimmel

@lostinthelando1

@readtheweek

 

@AnAverageLife88

@Lou_Bookmarks

@Dough_nut81

Key Quotes

'The thing about love is, unless your best friend falls too, you fall alone.'

'California doesnt f*ck around when it comes to fire.'

Similar Reads

Dark and Shallow Lies, S.T.A.G.S, Burden Falls, Things to Do Before the End of the World, Burn, Lock Every Door