McManus doesn’t disappoint in her 4th novel Cousins. Intrigue and mystery abound as we are drawn into the hidden past of the Story family.

I loved the structure of the novel, which is told 1st person, changing character and timeline with each chapter which allows us to really get to know and root for each of the cousins. I especially liked how when the novel jumps back in time we are shown how the main characters’ parents are feeling when they were the same age their children are now. McManus cleverly mirrors the emotional feelings the characters experience in the parallel narratives, while weaving a thrilling mystery complete with a plot twists.

Three cousins, Milly, Aubrey and Jonah are invited to spend the summer on the island where their estranged, wealthy grandmother lives. They grudgingly accept the invitation, not only to earn some money working on their grandmother's resort, but also to uncover the secret behind why their parents were disinherited and banished from the island before they were born.

Family secrets, mind-blowing twists and a little bit of romance. What more could you want from a YA mystery?

Thank you #NetGalley and Penguin Random House Children's UK for the free copy in exchange for an honest review.

Karen McManus knocks it out of the park once again! The story takes cliches and flips them around into an unpredictable twist. The message that I got the most out of it all was that family doesn't mean blood. Family means whatever you make it and often it far better than the ones we are born into. The mystery aspect of it all definitely surprised me at the end and I must say that I was cackling deliciously at the end knowing that the 'Story kids' got what they deserved. And also I found that the morality of people getting away with horrible actions was really realistic and touched me deeply. Loved the writing and am looking forward to buying it when it comes out!