I was super excited to get accepted for this blog tour, as I really love McManus’ thrillers, they always keep me on my toes! I am very glad to share that this one did not disappoint!

In this new thriller, we follow Ivy, Mateo and Cal, three teens who used to be best friends but have drifted apart. They make a spur of the moment to ditch class together, and what follows could be described as the ‘worst day ever!’ They come across a murder scene involving one of their classmates, and suddenly find themselves caught in a web of lies and accusations.

This book is awesome! I was struggling to pick up books earlier in November, nothing was really capturing my attention and holding it for any length of time. You’ll Be The Death of Me was the perfect antidote! This book is pacy and twisty and I honestly couldn’t put it down. From the first page until the last this novel is non-stop!

The three main characters are relatable and excellent teen protagonists as usual. McManus’ teen characters are some of my faves because of this relatability. Her teens have distinct voices, all well developed and feel real when you read them.

You’ll Be The Death of Me is a real page turner. I couldn’t put it down and I didn’t see some of the twists coming! I highly recommend it to lovers of YA thrillers, it won’t disappoint!

Thank you to The Write Reads and Penguin for having me on this blog tour!

Was it a page-turner? Absolutely, yes. The alternating points of view kept things moving forward and interesting. It is a very cleverly-plotted novel and it kept me on my toes throughout the reading experience!

Did the book meet my expectations? I knew I would like this book based on the author’s previous work and I wasn’t wrong. I liked all the characters, the intrigue, the locations… it was a fast-paced and fun read and I would thoroughly recommend it. I did however reach the last paragraph and thought ‘Where is the rest of the book?’. I sincerely hope there is going to be a sequel…

Three words to describe it. Addictive. Fast-paced. Young.

Do I like the cover? Yes, it’s simple and fresh, plus it ties in very well with her previous books.

Have I read any other books by the same author? Yes, I read One of Us Is Lying and One of Us Is Next and thoroughly enjoyed both.

Karen M. McManus has been one of my favourite YA crime writers since her first novel, One of Us is Lying, so I was thrilled to get the opportunity to review her latest novel.

You'll Be the Death of Me is a stand-alone thriller, unconnected to her previous novels, so we get to meet a new trio of main characters. As with her previous novels, the point-of-view shifts between the three in a rather irregular pattern, meaning that we get to see the events that unfold through a variety of different viewpoints. This was really well done, and as the novel progressed and it became clear that each of the main characters had secrets they were keeping from the others the way things were obscured and revealed was really effective and deepened the mystery.

The central trio are teenagers who had been friends and had drifted apart, and the reasons for this are slowly revealed as their day unfolds. It was really quite fascinating seeing the different layers of secrets and lies and regrets being slowly peeled away to reveal what actually happened in the past.

The relationship between Ivy, Mateo and Cal is the heart of the novel and one of the best things about it. There is this really wonderful tension between them. There are forces pulling them closer to each other, whether it's physical attraction or the bond of shared traumas, and there are forces pulling them apart, their secrets, the pressures of their own personal lives, and so on. These opposing forces are so perfectly balanced throughout the book that there is this palpable feel of tension, like they're caught inescapably in each other's orbits.

But for all the teen drama, this is also a crime novel and it's not long before they're tripping over the first body. The crime thriller elements of this novel were exceptional. I found myself fully absorbed in it, with countless suspicions and doubts but no substantial theories until the shocking reveal.

With its taut, tense teen drama and gripping crime mystery, Karen M. McManus has produced her finest YA thriller yet!

Another roaring success by Karen McManus! I'm always hyped to read her books because they're engaging, read-in-one-sitting, super atmospheric stories and You'll Be the Death of Me was no different! Ivy, Mateo and Cal were such intriguing characters and I love how the mystery of their lost friendship was unraveled, and in the veins of Groundhog Day and Ferris Bueller, no less!

Ivy, Cal and Mateo used to be good friends but as seniors in high school they’ve since lost touch. One day when anticipating a bad day at school, the three of them decide to skip school and go into Boston instead. While there, they spot another kid from school, and decide to follow him to see why he skipped school too. But when they finally catch up with him, he’s dead, and with police sirens approaching, they decide to flee the scene, with terrible consequences.

I really enjoyed this book and was hooked from the very start! When Ivy, Cal and Mateo decide to skip school they think it will be like old times when the three of them used to hang out, but after finding their classmate dead, the three run away from the crime scene and try to work out what happened. They can’t just go to the police and tell them what happened, because they could be suspects of the crime, and when one of them is soon implicated as a possible suspect it makes it even harder for all of them to simply tell the truth.

Like with all the book I’ve read so far by McManus, this one is as brilliantly twisty as the others. The book is narrated in the first person and each chapter is told from a different point of view, either Ivy, Cal or Mateo’s. I like the way things go and what happens throughout the story, although the build up to finding their classmate dead was a little slow at first. I enjoyed getting to know all of the characters and the things that were revealed about them kept me glued to the pages. There are a lot of interesting and shocking moments I wasn’t expecting and I love how every chapter has more and more information revealed leaving you wondering who is behind everything and why.

I enjoyed all the different viewpoints and how different all of the characters are and how different their circumstances are. There is a great build up towards the ending and I do like what happens in the end and what’s finally revealed, even in the last chapter. There are some great twists in this book that kept me gasping with shock, but if I’m honest, I did manage to guess one or two twists towards the end, especially the one in the last chapter, several paragraphs before it was revealed. I don’t know if this is because it was more obvious, or because I’ve read so many thriller books by this author that I’m now getting good at spotting the twists! 🙂

The book has occasional use of the s and f swear words, there are also a few descriptions of fighting and a death and mentions of drugs though there’s nothing overly descriptive or gruesome. There are some interesting twists that really will shock you and I just love how this book kept me guessing all the time! Overall, if I’m honest this wasn’t my favourite book by McManus (for me that’s still The Cousins – maybe because I just love the setting of that story! 😀 ) but this was such a good story and I love how I didn’t guess what was happening throughout (only managing to guess a couple of final twists a few moments before they were revealed). The whole story was very satisfying to read and it’s definitely another brilliant thriller I’d recommend for anyone who is a fan of McManus, oranyone wants to try reading a great ya high school thriller!

I love a good McManus mystery and enjoy attempting to solve them next to our protagonists. There are always some final twists I never see coming and You’ll Be the Death of Me really got me good. It wasn’t her typical set up and actually takes place in a day, but that just added to the suspense. While it’s not my favorite book by her, it was definitely an enjoyable read.

Three old friends decide to link up again and skip school for what turns out to the worst day ever. There’s a murder, drugs and deceit. Honestly they’d have been better off staying at school but where’s the fun in that? Not only do we have all that happening, but why the trios friendship ended is finally dissected and some other truths come to light. It was a fast paced and fun read that I couldn’t put down.

The trio had great chemistry even with their initial awkwardness. I truly had no idea where the story was going or the rabbit hole we’d fall into with Cal, Matteo and Ivy. I love a good murder mystery and this one was so well laid out, so many twists and turns that I wasn’t able to predict. If you’re looking for a quick yet mysterious read you won’t be disappointed.

Narrated by the three main characters and taking place through the span of one day, You’ll Be The Death Of Me is a fast paced crime thriller which keeps the pages turning and the brain ticking all the way through.
Mateo, Ivy and Cal were best friends who have drifted apart. All feeling down and fed up for various reasons, they decide to try and recreate their best ever day but become distracted by another student ditching school. What they weren’t expecting is to be in the middle of a murder scene with a victim they have links to and a lot of secretes to hide.
Young adult this may be however it is highly entertaining, tense and a lot of fun!
I loved how the narration alternated between the three main characters and gave a different perspective and thoughts to events. Each chapter drew me into that character’s narrative but then often a curve ball is thrown in the next chapter completely changing my perceptions and suspicions. This meant I quickly became suspicious of everyone which was a lot of fun for me.
Be open minded when reading – the characters are teens and will act and behave like teens which is often frustrating to older readers but it’s important to try and put yourself in those adolescent shoes. I actually found the adults in the book more frustrating. If you allow yourself to relax into the nostalgia of being younger (unless you are still younger) and go with it the novel is such an enjoyable experience.
A great, YA crime novel which has left me very curious about donuts with Cheeto dust on them.

4☆ A Compelling YA Mystery

This is my first book by this Author, I really enjoyed it and I have already purchased the other books.

This book is about Three teenagers who decide to skip school, then they become embroiled in a murder scene mystery....I mean talk about wrong place, wrong time! But what is the connection and why?

You'll Be the Death of Me is a Web of Deceit, Secrets, Lies, Betrayal, and Truths.
The story develops slowly in fact it takes place over one day, but as the twists are uncovered the pace became a bit more suspenseful, which I actually liked as it kept me guessing. I love a Mystery that doesn't give you everything all at once as then I feel there's nothing left to solve.
I didn't find the characters particularly likeable but given the style of storyline I'm guessing I wasn't meant to.
Overall I enjoyed You'll Be the Death of Me, if you like YA Mystery books then I think you will enjoy this one.

Another cracker of a book by Karen M McManus - I love the story and the setting. Three kids skip school - they used to be friends but have slipped away from each other - and head into Boston, and they witness the murder of a school friend. They spend the day on the run because one of them has a motive to kill Boney, and tons of secrets and lies come out. Thank you for having me on the blog tour!

Now I loved One of us is lying and could easily see the comparison to the film The Breakfast Club. So when this was compared to Ferris Bueller’s Day Off but with murder I jumped at the chance. That was my first mistake, as thinking about it while I loved The Breakfast Club, I didn’t really get Ferris. My second mistake was probably getting stuck in 80’s films and forgetting I’m now nearly 50.

I don’t like to put an age limit on books and quite happily read YA but I didn’t get a few of the references (what the heck is Redditt?) Putting my mistakes aside I did like the characters and that is definitely the author’s biggest strength. She gets teenage kids and all the hierarchy that comes with them.

This was slower than her previous books but again that was mainly down to character building so I felt it was necessary. Narrated by Ivy, Mateo and Cal it all takes place over just one day and them trying to recreate their greatest day ever (never a good idea) especially when it ends in murder.

While there were some really good plot twists that I didn’t expect I did feel the motive was slightly lazy and a bit of a cop out. That was until my friend Gemma pointed out the obvious that it’s high school and that’s always the reason. Things have obviously changed quite a bit since I went to school!

My thoughts 







Narrative and Plot 




One of the good things about multiple perspectives is that it gives you a better idea about your main characters. Not just what they think of themselves but how others view them. This is why the narrative from the main characters' point of view gave them a much better three-dimensional persona.

The plot is evenly paced. I like that thrillers dwell enough on the emotional aspect and keep the clues moving at the same. The story managed to strike that balance throughout. My only problem would be - which is quite common with any YS thrillers- is the absent and clueless adults in the picture.  




Characters and Conflicts  





The friendship dynamics between Mateo, Cal and Ivy was quite compelling. The three clearly shared history and the curiosity keeps you hooked as you dive deeper into the book. Each character had an arc which is definitely great character development. It didn't end up getting back to normal after such a hardcore day. But it brought a lot of things buried within the characters out and had them reflect on it if or when they reach the other side of the chaos.

The conflict is one of the fundamental things that had me interested in the book. It is quite the opposite end of the classic "I miss school for one day and suddenly the president visit happens, kids are given free candies and the math teacher doesn't show up for that test". In other words, the opposite of FOMO. That's the hook that makes you want to know how things are going to end up for the three main characters.
The ensemble characters made it a wholesome mystery thriller. The whole social media viral thing was dealt with cleverly. 

 





Conclusion  



Overall, You'll be the Death of Me is a cosy YA mystery thriller that you can curl up with and finish in a weekend. It is packed with twists and turns and dark secrets that you can devour like Sugar Babies.

You’ll Be the Death of Me is billed as Ferris Bueller’s Day Off … with murder.

It is definitely all that and more. You couldn’t have a worse day than Ivy, Mateo, and Cal. The former best friends decide to skip school and recreate what they remember as their best day together. It turns into anything but a great day.

The story is told from the POV of the three main characters, which leads to different perspectives on the same details. There is something very nostalgic about friends trying to regain the feelings they once had for each other. Secrets always drive a wedge into friendship and they are each keeping important secrets.

The pace is fairly steady with the mystery building page by page. There are quite a few coincidences that seem a bit convenient but definitely add to the story. Because ultimately this is a fictional tale meant to entertain the reader.

The mother/grandmother part of me was a little horrified by the circumstances the trio find themselves embroiled in, starting with not being missed when they slipped away from an 8th-grade class trip and ending with them held hostage by a drug dealer as high school seniors.

However, that isn’t the point of this review. The focus is on the readability and entertainment factor of the book. The author grabs your interest and keeps it from the opening page to the last, making you care intensely about the characters.

As far as I know, this is a stand-alone novel, but the ending leaves room for a sequel.

If you have read other McManus books, you will certainly enjoy this one. If You’ll Be the Death of Me is your first experience with the author’s skill at twists, turns, red herrings, and suspense, you are in for a wild ride.

I received a copy of the book for the tour. This review is my honest, unbiased opinion.

I didn't know I needed a Ferris Bueller-inspired mystery until today but this book truly gave me life.

Wow, what a fun time. This book had me hooked from the very first page and I truly did not think that it'd have me as as engaged as I was.

Can you tell I really enjoyed this book?

Let's start off with writing, because I really learnt to appreciate McManus's writing style in this book. It's easy to read and has just enough description to not overwhelm you, and I just thoroughly enjoyed it. I was hooked from almost the very first page which, as I mentioned before I really did not expect. I absolutely loved the premise, mostly because I love the idea of skipping school. I lowkey need to go and rewatch Ferris Bueller's Day Off as it's been a hot second, but I think this book had some great ties and comparisons to that film. I really like the idea of taking old movies and giving them a twist in book form, and McManus has not done that since her debut.

I really enjoyed this book's setting. We love a good small-town with mysterious going-ons. I found the town easy to navigate ad was never confused about location or anything like that. This author does a good job with her creation of mystery backdrops that don't overshadow the overall mystery but still play a prominent role in the storytelling.

Though I will say a minor issue I had (I say minor because it might have been a me thing) was that I did sometimes forget whose POV I was in and get confused. I'd be thinking I was in another character's POV and only realise when their name was said that it was someone else.

This book takes place in the span of basically one whole day, with an exception at the end. I was actually worried about this but I think the author did a fantastic job and it didn't feel rushed AT ALL. However, with the book being so fast-paced, I won't say that it had a weak plot necessarily, but I do think that the mystery could've been slightly stronger. I was still curious to see what had happened but I wasn't making 1000 theories because I was so engaged with that element of the story. If that makes sense. This book definitely stands out more in the character and their relationships department over its mystery element. That being said, I really liked the reveal and what was going on behind the scenes, even though I wasn't really making any guesses as to who the murderer was, nor was I shooketh to my core or anything. It's a bit of see-saw hehe

I absolutely loved all three of our main characters and they were 100% the reason I was so invested. I just wanted them all to be friends again and I was so invested in their dynamic omg. As I was reading, I really tried to take note of their characterisation, and in my opinion, McManus does a fairly good job at writing relatable teenagers. Their struggles and personalities feel authentic and in my opinion, the representation is accurate. I'm not sure how McManus did it but she made me care for all of these characters so deeply from not only basically the first page but also in just one day. Another thing I loved about these characters is that it didn't feel like they got to know each other in just a day. I could instantly feel their chemistry and it felt like they'd been friends forever, and definitely not like they'd been estranged for years. Round of applause to Karen M. McManus for creating such a palpable friend group!!!!!

Cal was absolutely adorable and I wanted to smother him in hugs. Mateo was also such a well-written character and I loved his relationship with his mom and cousin, Autumn. But my favourite character has to be my gal, Ivy. I found myself relating to Ivy in so many ways and saw 17 year old me in her quite a lot. I loved how driven she was and rule-abiding, because that is SO me! Also, as a certified simp, I was also bound to love the romance and I have a weakness for McManus romances. Ivy and Mateo were instantly adorable and I absolutely loved the two of them together *insert all the heart eyes*

Overall, I highly recommend this book if you're looking for an easy to fly through mystery with all the fun elements you look for in YA. This page-turner has a strong cast of characters, a fun whodunnit and will have you addicted from page one. Read at your own risk *wink wink*

Ivy, Mateo and Cal used to be friends. But that was middle school. Now they’re all in high school and dealing with their own lives. Ivy lives in the shadow of her gifted and talented younger brother, Daniel. Mateo and his cousin, Autumn, have to work multiple jobs to help his ailing mother pay for things after her bowling alley had to shut down from the fallout of a lawsuit. And Cal, well Cal’s swept up in a whirlwind romance with a new girl… one he’s supposed to keep secret.

So when they decide to ditch school in an attempt to recreate the best adventure from their time as friends, they don’t expect too much in the way of excitement. But they wind up walking in on an actual murder scene – where the victim is another student from their high school no less. Soon a tip starts to circulate that the murderer matches the description of Ivy, and it’s suddenly a race against time to figure out what actually happened that day in order to clear their own names…

As always, Karen M. McManus can write a solid YA murder mystery. In a similar vein to how One of Us is Lying was a take on The Breakfast Club, You’ll Be the Death of Me, a take on Ferris Bueller’s Day Off, is a fast-paced, nail-biting thriller that’s impossible to put down!

The characters were interesting and well developed, as always. I really enjoyed the trio’s dynamic and interactions, and the way they played off each other. Especially Cal, my heart just went out to him! I wanted to wrap him up in a big, warm hug and pile him under a million blankets, the poor thing.

When it came to the plot, there were definitely more than a few unexpected twists. But it did feel like that was in part because there weren’t enough hints in the text to have foreshadowed most of them. Rather, some “clues” were complete misdirects. And while they led to a high-level shock factor, it felt like they came completely out of nowhere, so slightly disjointed.

Like, I’m kind of glad about what was done with the character who ended up being a red herring – but even still, it felt a little stilted, because all the hints were sort of leading you to believe that that person was the killer. So it felt like the rug was pulled out from under you when they weren’t and some totally other person was. (But that could have been the point?!)

Nevertheless, You’ll Be the Death of Me is still a really fun romp, as to be expected with Karen M. McManus. (I’m just being picky because I have high expectations for this author.) My god, that one character – I won’t spoil, but if you know, you know – was so insidious. And that ending?! Is there going to be a sequel to find out what happens next?!

Thank you to The Write Reads Tours and the publisher, Penguin Random House Children’s UK, for providing me with an e-ARC of this book via NetGalley. All thoughts are my own.

A fine book. Not really for me; I was aware obviously that is was YA but have read titles that would be classed as this more in the fantasy kind of area. Books based around character, intrigue and secrets as the central device/plot are not my main interest in 'adult' fiction.

That said I read to see what they (McManus) were like and this is a fine book, well put together good characters, story and structure. Told in alternating chapters between three main characters, friends who have become a little estranged, skipping school and stumbling into a murder scene...

I’m here today with another book review as part of a blog tour! This time we have You’ll Be The Death Of Me, the latest YA mystery by bestseller Karen M. McManus. I’ve read and enjoyed the vast majority of her books, so I’m happy to be on The Write Reads Ultimate Blog Tour for this one. Thank you so much to the team at The Write Reads for letting me take part in this tour, fun fact, I had already been granted the e-arc for this one when I signed up, but I couldn’t resist participating.

You’ll Be The Death of Me is inspired by Ferris Bueller’s Day Off, and it follows three old friends who randomly decide to skip school together only to stumble across the corpse of a murdered classmate.

I’d usually write a little more of a summary, but I don’t want to give anything away. Though this isn’t the most original mystery, it’s thoroughly enjoyable, and you’ll want to go in as blind as possible.

The three protagonists are Ivy, the type-A former class president, Mateo, who is working multiple jobs to earn money for his family and Cal, who has lost himself in his relationships and doesn’t know what he wants. I liked all three of them in their own ways, even if there were also moments where I was judging them so hard. They’re as imperfect as real teenagers are, and they make mistakes. That’s okay. I did actually tear up a little at a scene with Ivy near the end due to her relationship with her brother. So I was glad how that changed throughout the book.

What I didn’t really care so much about was the romance sub-plot. I didn’t dislike it, as it was cute enough. But it did feel a little unnecessary. I get that it added drama and changed dynamics. It also explained why their friendship group split up. But if you’re arguing with someone over a relationship when the police are looking for you for murder? Not smart. But then again, they are teenagers. And teenagers do think that their relationships are the be-all-end-all. So I do understand, but it knocked me out of the story a little bit.

I did enjoy the friendships, as well as all the familial relationships. They were interesting, and I enjoyed them.

The mystery element was good. I was intrigued throughout, even if wasn’t anything particularly original. Mysteries don’t need to be though, and this one still stands out on its own. If you are upset by drugs, then they are mentioned in this book quite a lot. There should also be trigger warnings for paedophilia, so bear that in mind.

Overall, I enjoyed this book a lot and I got through it super quickly when I finally sat down to read it. Karen M. McManus has done it again with a thrilling mystery that throws it’s teenager characters in at the deep end whilst keeping them relatable.

‘You’ll Be the Death of Me’ is the fourth book I’ve picked up from Karen M. McManus. Ivy, Cal & Mateo became a tight knit trio when they ditched school to have ‘The Greatest Day Ever’. Years later, they’ve drifted apart and are all struggling with their personal lives. By chance, they run into each other and decide to recreate the amazing day they once had by ditching school and heading to Boston. But when a classmate is found dead Ivy is the prime suspect and the group only have a few hours to unravel their tangled secrets and figure out what has happened.
This was a really readable story, I was interested in what was going to happen and flipped through the pages quickly. I liked the friendship dynamic between the three teenagers. I ran out of steam a bit with the story, because everything’s happening in a few hours and there’s so much going on I felt a lot of it just washing over me and I didn’t have any particular feelings about it. However, I still really liked the characters and writing! If you enjoyed any of her other novels then this one is worth picking up too!

I would recommend this to my students. I love this author and this is another good YA thriller. It lacked the pace of some of her earlier books and the middle part was a little slow for me but interesting characters and plot twists along the way.

You'll Be the Death of Me is my first Karen M. McManus book! Karen M. McManus is a prolific author in the YA thriller and mystery section and it was one that I have never gone too far into. McManus has always been on my radar, so when the opportunity to take part in this tour came up, I had to jump on it.

There has been a theme in my reviews lately, and that is me praising multiple perspectives. I have been really enjoying having multiple perspectives to dive in and out of. I felt all three were really interesting. Sometimes with books with more than two perspectives, I find myself waiting for a particular or a favourite perspective to come around. With You’ll Be the Death of Me, I enjoyed all of the perspectives and really enjoyed my time with each of the characters.

It was a fast-paced book that I probably should not have started reading at night, because it was difficult to force myself to put down the book and then go to sleep. Many of you know that I have been struggling with YA books recently, especially contemporary YA. But this novel, it didn’t seem to bother me too much. Maybe it is because thriller/mystery aren’t genres that I normally pick up or gravitate to. I did thoroughly enjoy the novel despite this!

I am still intrigued about Karen M. McManus’ other novels, particularly One of Us is Lying, so I think I will be picking up another one of hers in the future!

You’ll Be The Death Of Me is a really fast paced read that kept me clinging on and not wanting to put it down! There is so much happening especially as the book takes place within a day, so you really get to know the characters as you make these discoveries. We follow the three main characters Ivy, Mateo and Cal as they decided to skip school one day when they spot another student also skipping school. They decide to follow him but turns out that something unexpected has happened. They are at a murder crime scene. But what happened to him? Who is involved? Do they have secrets that they don’t want to share with each other?
I would highly recommend this book to anybody who loves suspense and mystery. Karen M McManus’ books are always so captivating and you do not need to have read any of her previous books either.