One of the things I love best about Karen McManus’s books is how easy they are to read and how the story just sucks you in. She’s back to her best with this one, the pacing and plotting are spot on, and the energy kept up right to the last page.

Another gripping and enjoyable YA crime mystery from one of the best in the game. A quick read with good characters, and exciting twists and turns.

Brilliant read!

Thanks to Netgalley and the publishers for the chance to read a digital arc in exchange for my feedback.

Karen McManus has done it again! The pages just flew by.
In this book Ivy, Cal, and Mateo bunk off school for the day only to be thrown into a murder mystery with plenty of secrets revealed along the way.
Perfect for fans of YA mysteries.

I really loved this book! Mystery and intrigue! On par with other McManus books! I love how most of the book only took place lover 1 full day and that it all came together in the end. Was honestly not expecting that ending and it’s wide open for a sequel!

You’ll Be the Death of Me is brilliant! I don’t know How McManus does it, they get better every time. Is it some sort of witchcraft?? I was hooked, and I mean hooked from the start. I loved it, could not put it down! The book follows Ivy, Mateo and Cal as they skive off school and unwittingly enter a murder scene, where they find classmate, Boney. In typical McManus fashion things only get better and more intense from there.

I know I’ve already said this, but this book is So. Damn. Good! I don’t have a single complaint. I love the writing style. I’m a huge fan of multiple POVs, getting an insight onto how each character works adds to tension, you know that secret one is keeping will blow up spectacularly! I’m definitely rereading this one asap.

If you liked Karen’s previous books, you’ll love You’ll Be the Death of Me

You'll Be the Death of Me is probably one of my favorite books by Karen M. McManus. In some of her other books, there are things that just don't make sense and kind of ruin the book for me, but that didn't happen with You'll Be the Death of Me. The story is fast pace and keeps your interest. The characters are relatable and likable. If I were Ivy I would be so mad at my classmates!

If your favoured reading material is a novel with a good sprinkling of secrets, suspense, shared memories, humour, adrenaline rush, relationship issues, infidelity and romance, then feel free to read this novel by Karen McManus - You'll Be the Death of Me.

Ivy, Mateo, and Cal used to be best friends at middle school but time and age have allowed them to drift apart. Carlton High is all they seem to have in common these days so when they run into each other again, on a bad day, they decide to bunk off school. But they are not the only ones to be skipping classes; so is Brian 'Boney' Mahoney...

Bursting with fun, though also plenty of darkness and furiously fast-paced, this is another tale chock full of secrets and of sinister discoveries, from Karen McManus. The characters appear initially clichéd before becoming unique and nuanced as their true selves are unpackaged. I had no faults with this story and had a ball deciphering the puzzles it presented. I was never bored but instead, was lured deeper and deeper into this thrilling, dramatic, angst-ridden tale.

Even the parts that appeared to be of no relevance to the main plot were great anyway as I was so invested in the characters' lives. I flew through the book in a race to its conclusion that I applauded, for its big reveal that definitely pulled the rug from under my feet. Highly recommended, well written and a solid page-turner. Be warned - you will not want to put this one down!

I received a complimentary copy of this novel at my request from Penguin Random House via NetGalley. This review is my own unbiased opinion.

This is an incident-packed and absorbing story where almost all of the action takes place over the course of one very long, dramatic day. A plot containing a multitude of revelations and no shortage of teenage angst provides every reason to keep on reading for the thrill of discovering what will happen next, and true to form, this author makes that delightfully difficult to predict at every opportunity.

The pace gradually increases and with that comes growing tension as an intricate yet well executed mystery takes several intriguing directions, with three main protagonists who are all developed strongly and come across as really authentic. As a young adult thriller, it most certainly hits the right notes and moreover, makes for a genuinely exciting read.

It is the day after Ivy Sterling-Shepard lost the high school council election to Brian 'Boney' Mahoney, and she has not taken it well. She is dreading the prospect of having to attend the formal ceremony, but when she meets her estranged friends Mateo and Cal outside the school gates, they mutually decide to truant and try to relive a glorious day they spent together a few years previously.

At first they cannot decide where to go, until Cal eventually drives them to an art studio. There, they unexpectedly run into someone they know and he ends up dead in mysterious circumstances, so they flee the scene of the crime all while trying to work out what actually happened. It is the beginning of a chain of events that creates a media storm and puts their lives in severe danger.

Meanwhile, all three of them are hiding massive secrets from one another, which threaten to tear their friendships apart. Ivy feels overshadowed by her precocious brother Daniel and has long harboured romantic feelings for Mateo, who is having to work several jobs after a lawsuit and a medical condition ruined his mother's livelihood. As for Cal, he is desperately trying to fit in, but has many surprises of his own.

If anything, the start is actually quite low-key as it introduces the three main characters and they initially wonder around rather aimlessly, but once they arrive at the art studio and the murder takes place, the story totally bursts into life. From there, the mystery just opens out into something with a whole world of possibilities and becomes something wholly gripping, with twists never far away.

Although the romance sub-plot involving Ivy and Mateo follows a very predictable trajectory, the balance that is struck between each character's storyline and the central mystery is more or less perfect. It really does keep you guessing, not least because of some intelligent red herrings that are scattered along the way, and in the final reckoning it all reaches a satisfying conclusion.

The book is told in the first person, mostly alternating between the perspectives of Ivy, Mateo, and Cal with events taking place very much as they happen. This technique adds a genuine sense of urgency to proceedings and allow the individual personalities of each one of the trio to come to the fore. Some chapters end with a transcript of a podcast or video recorded by some of their classmates with updates and speculation on the case, containing a number of laugh out loud moments.

There are times when each of the main characters are likeable or frustrating or both, such are their flaws, yet it is this that makes them so well written. Ivy is kind hearted, determined, and an excellent problem solver, but is guilty of taking herself much too seriously. As for Mateo, he is far more impulsive, though his circumstances make him quite easy to empathise with.

Cal is perhaps the most complex one of the three, and the least likeable. His desire to be liked leads him to make foolish decisions, and the most irritating aspect of his character is the way he is always very quick to point the faults of other people while being acutely aware of his own. All the same, McManus does a brilliant job of capturing his teenage naivety.

There are lots of other characters and the chances are that you have suspicions about most of them at some point along the way. Lara is extremely calculated beneath her breezy exterior; never to be underestimated. Daniel is portrayed as arrogant and demeaning, always intent on getting one over on Ivy. I liked Autumn and the dynamic between Cal's dads, and anyone would love to have to friend like Emily.

The writing lacks a little bit of sophistication at times, especially with how the school never seemed overly worried about the death of one of its students, although that can be forgiven as it is such an exciting read. Even when everything appears to be said and done, McManus often provides one final twist and she does not disappoint again here. It is one that catches you slightly off guard and leads to a fascinating, uncertain ending.

Overall, this is a thriller which delivers a handful of good mysteries rolled up into one, and never makes you feel as if the whole puzzle is categorically solved. The characters are full of depth and the execution is so accomplished that there is nothing that feels overly contrived or out of place, making it a compulsive ride almost from start to finish.

Where do I start with this one? I loved the characters in You’ll Be The Death of Me: everyone had their own secrets and nothing was revealed too soon which I enjoyed. I also enjoyed the dynamic between the three main protagonists. The way their friendship had a long history that was broken up by a few years made it really interesting, especially as it meant that we got to read more about the rekindling of friendship!

The story was very gripping and paced really well, as always! The book takes place over 1 day in which so much happens! Nothing felt too rushed thankfully and there were so many twists and turns that I was kept hooked right up until the very last page. I love a multi-POV book, and this book had just that. I think this always makes for an interesting story, as you see the thoughts and perspectives of situations through different characters’ eyes. This was great in this book as everyone had something to hide, and everyone knew things about other characters for different reasons. It was one of those books where I wasn’t sure who I could trust, and I loved the way everything came together at the end.

Overall Thoughts: Overall I gave this book 4/5 stars. It was fast-paced, adventurous, and had some great characters in it. As always, Karen M. McManus has delivered an excellent YA thriller, and I’m excited to see what comes next!

I really love the way that Karen M. McManus writes. She really has a way of keeping you hooked and writing intriguing and entertaining mysteries. Whilst this book had a rather slow start, it took quite a few chapters before the mystery was introduced, it quickly picked up pace and I was hooked.

I loved the perspectives of our three protagonists and really enjoyed how we flicked back and forth between their perspectives and found the set-up of the mystery, and how the three of them ended up in the wrong place at the wrong time. It was fun, and I really enjoyed all the backstory that led the main three to get to the point they were at. I did find some of the relationship moments unnecessary but I loved the way that family relations were portrayed throughout, it was really wonderful.

I do have to say that I had absolutely no idea where this book was going (in a really good way) and absolutely did not predict the twists and turns that happened throughout. I was actively shocked a number of times and really liked the way there were a number of mysteries that all tied together at the end.

Despite all of the twists being a surprise, I did find the general tone of the book to be a bit ridiculous and unbelievable. It was rather over the top and I’m not sure that I enjoyed the direction that the book took, but I was definitely entertained throughout and found myself desperate to keep reading.

Whilst I wouldn’t say that this was my favourite of her books, it was definitely a fun read and I would highly recommend it.

I wanted to enjoy this a lot more than I did I loved the characters and the friendship between them, I just found the events of the day too implausible and it took me out of the story.

𝑾𝒉𝒂𝒕 𝑰 𝒍𝒊𝒌𝒆𝒅:
-As with this author's previous books I really enjoyed the characters. Karen has a way of building up friendships and giving them each of them backgrounds that somehow entangle with each other as the story progresses.
-The mystery element of this book was quite good. I had absolutely no idea who the killer was until it was revealed and there were some exciting scenes toward the end as well!
-The writing style as always is fun with short and snappy chapters that leave you wanting more! It is a really quick and easy read.

𝑾𝒉𝒂𝒕 𝑰 𝒅𝒊𝒅𝒏'𝒕 𝒍𝒊𝒌𝒆:
-I wasn't all that keen on the romance element in this one. I felt like the characters didn't really go together and like it wasn't really needed.

-𝑶𝒗𝒆𝒓𝒂𝒍𝒍:
A fast paced teen thriller that keeps you on the edge of your seat. If you want something quick, fun and that keeps you guessing then you really can't go wrong with Karen M McManus!

Another triumph from Karen M McManus here - I practically devoured this book in one sitting.

Although as a massive fan of her I’ve not found anything close to the excitement I found reading her debut novel, this book came damn close to it.

Similarly to The Cousins, this book follows a trio, in what turns out to be a Ferris Bueller’s Day Off with deadly consequences and I was once again in awe of McManus’ ability to write an outlandish yet somehow still entirely plausible Murder mystery with all of the best features shining brightly: well written characters, red herrings, suspects, motives. All handled with her trademark flair.

And as with all of her books, there is a gut punch of an ending waiting for you in the final pages.

I will forever be recommending Karen’s books to whoever will listen and You’ll Be the Death of Me is no exception.

I’ve finally finished this book this evening, after three weeks (that felt like six) of having this book on my ‘Currently reading’ shelf on Goodreads. And maybe I wouldn’t have been so offended by that if most other people couldn’t put this book down. It feels like I was reading a different book?
I think my biggest issue was I was never invested in the characters. I didn’t care about who was murdered so I didn’t care about finding out whodunnit from a justice point, but I also didn’t care about the narrators*. I don’t think they ever had a secret you wanted to learn about and I didn’t think they were ever a suspect, so I didn’t think we needed to “clear their names”. They also all seemed very samey - both in their narrative voices, but also in the type of characters they are, fitting into high school stereotypes like with previous Karen M. McManus books.
*I’ve only read one Karen M. McManus book before and this didn’t have quite the same issue. Previously, I never suspected the narrators because they all get their own POV, but I don’t think these three narrators are ever considered a suspect.
But I don’t think it was just the characters that felt samey, the plot felt… formulaic too. It was like there were just certain plot points we had to hit, certain characters we had to meet before anything could happen. I never wanted to just read on because I was excited by the story or interested it what was happening, I only read on because 1) I needed to finish it for a blog tour (didn’t happen) or 2) I wanted to finish it before the end of the year and to write the review.
The only thing I can say is I never guessed whodunnit - the only time I kept reading on is at the end when I got frustrated at the reveal because they kept skipping to the next POV and never revealing anything. Whodunnit was kept under wraps, I think, because the character was barely mentioned before.
So yeah… I don’t think Karen M. McManus books are for me.

Having read a few of Karen M. McManus’s previous books, and not loving them entirely I was a little apprehensive in starting this one but I’m pleased to say this one didn’t disappoint!

You’ll be the Death of Me follows Ivy, Mateo and Cal who used to be best friends before high school they grew apart. But one day in senior year the trio reunite and decide to skip school as all three are having a hard time and don’t feel like facing anyone at school. They skipped class once before which turned out to be a great day, but this time things turn out not to be as fun when they discover a murder. Things turn even crazier, when they discover the person that has been murdered is one of their classmates.

I have to admit the book did start off a tad slow, and nothing much really happens until about the 30% mark (on the eBook) but beyond this point things pick up and it’s at this point where I couldn’t get enough. The whole storyline is pretty easy to follow and I could have easily finished this book in a couple of sittings if life and commitments didn’t get in the way. I really enjoyed the fact that the although some of the twists were predictable I didn’t actually manage to work out the killer until just before the final reveal.

I also liked how the story unfolds through the narrative of the 3 main characters Ivy, Mateo and Cal and also like how one chapter flowed into the next effortlessly even when the narratives change between the 3 characters. I’ve seen this done in several books before but the majority of the time they don’t seem to flow as well.

As for the characters well, they start of being your stereotypical teenagers and I have to admit I wasn’t a fan of them, but as the plot develops so do the characters. They become unique in their own way and you can really see their true personalities come out. if I had to choose my favourite it would have to be Mateo, even with his temper he seems like someone I would really get on with in person.

Now, for the one thing holding me back from giving this a 5 star rating was the romance. I was expecting it as most YA novel have the trope incorporated into the story somewhere but I’m not a fan especially when it comes to YA mystery thrillers.  If you like reading about cute romances between the characters then you’ll like this one.

Aside from the slow start and the romance I thought this was a wonderful read! Definitely recommend this one to anyone who has enjoyed McManus’s previous books and to anyone looking for a fast paced YA mystery thriller full of secrets and drama.

Having read ‘The Cousins’, I was very pleased to get my hands on the latest YA thriller by Karen McManus, ‘You’ll Be The Death of Me’. Thanks to NetGalley and Penguin for my copy of the book in exchange for an honest review, and ‘The Write Reads’ for inviting me on the blog tour.

The story opens with three friends – who have been a little estranged in recent times – agreeing to skip school together and have a big day out. They plan fun…maybe even a trip to the zoo to see the penguins, but life has other plans. Instead, the trio see a fellow classmate, Boney Mahoney, and blunder into the scene of a murder. This is one day off that will change everything…

Because I am ahem of a certain vintage, this book had lots of echoes of ‘Ferris Bueller’s Day Off’ for me – albeit a version in which there is a murder and bucketloads of secrets. Indeed, everyone has a secret and the plot is carefully managed across the different perspectives of the central trio. Every time I felt that I was beginning to see the bigger picture, McManus threw in another twist or another secret and I was off down yet another blind alley!

I don’t read a lot of YA fiction, but I was impressed (as I was when I read ‘The Cousins’) that McManus convincingly presents the voices of teenagers. I particularly liked the character of Mateo as he seemed the most sympathetic of the three central figures, especially as his backstory with Ivy is revealed. I was also impressed that McManus doesn’t veer away from some hard-hitting issues (aside, obviously, from murder!) – I can’t say exactly what without giving major spoilers but it all seemed realistic and topical for a modern day American setting.

I’d recommend this to those who enjoy twisty thrillers told from multiple perspectives. McManus already has a huge following who will read this anyway, but it definitely should reach a wider audience of people who want to read well-written and engaging YA crime.

Another intriguing mystery from the Queen of Teen Drama. Compelling and complex and certainly enjoyable.

As soon as I saw the blog tour for You’ll Be the Death of Me, I instantly had to sign up. I read One of Us is Lying a few years ago and McManus became an instant buy author for me and all of her books since have amazed me. I’m so glad to say that she’s done it again with this one as well! You’ll Be the Death of Me is an incredible, gripping young adult thriller that will leave you wanting more.

Much like her other books, this story is told in the perspective of multiple teenage characters, but this time we meet Ivy, Mateo and Cal. I love how we get to learn so much about these main characters with a bit of their backstory and also seeing them overcome their own obstacles. With each of them having such different and distinct personalities, it makes the characters lovable, realistic and very interesting to get to know. Once they find out that cutting school to recreate the Best Day Ever, may have turned into the worst, I really couldn’t get through the pages fast enough to find out what happens.

What started out as a spontaneous trip to Boston, quickly turned into a terrifying escape from a murder scene and the police. The whole plot totally shocked me and kept me on the edge of my seat. But, the ending had me completely floored. It’ll keep you guessing throughout though you’ll have it finished in no time because it’s such an easy, quick read.

Overall, You’ll Be the Death of Me is a captivating, addictive thriller full of secrets and suspense, that will have you hooked until the very end. Among the murder, mystery, cute romance and indescribable twists, this has everything you could want from a McManus book and more.

Rating: 5/5

With the tv adaptation of One of Us is Lying hitting streaming services, it's definitely a great time for McManus to be bringing out a new book. Not only will the tv show bring new readers but will remind people about how much they enjoyed the murder and mystery, and scandal, shock and a little romance.

Ivy, Mateo, and Cal used to be best friends. And while time and misunderstandings have pulled them apart, for each of them, one perfect day of ditching school together and running wild is still a greatest memory for them. When strange circumstances draw them back together, they decide to recreate their Best Day Ever. Only they find themselves near strangers, full of misunderstandings and hurt feelings. And then they find themselves staring down at the dead body of one of their classmates in the last place that you'd expect. And on the news. And wanted by the police for questioning.......

To be honest, while there is a lot to enjoy about You'll be the Death of Me, if the reader is too familiar with much of McManus' back catalogue, it's likely to feel a little been there, done that. Her success with previous titles has led to her trying to recreate the 'feeling' that her readers have loved so much. So, yes, its a winning formula, but I would like to see her break out of it a little. Where Death of Me wins is in the details. Changing social movements have brought different elements that are highlighted within the book. The #MeToo movement is clearly at work, and I am super impressed that McManus has chosen to show a female predator in this position. She has also focused on a theme of chronic illness and the toll that it takes on an individual, and on that person's family. I definitely did not pick the murderer, or any of the twists and reveals, so well done Ms M!

One that I can see being devoured by YA audiences who are pretty hungry right now for good mysteries.