Of course this was amazing, because anything a Tamaki does is. I loved the hint of mystery surrounding the murder and our main character. The setting was fleshed out really well and I loved that it took place in the 90's. The art was beautiful and all the emotions were expressed brilliantly.

I was so excited for this one! And I mean it was from just the title alone lol So imagine my surprise when I was just handed one at ALA. So of course I read it as soon as I could. I wanted to make sure what I had built up in my head was everything. And yes, for the most part, it was.

OK so the art was amazing. I was sad that it was an ARC because I wanted to see it in all it’s glory. But for the most part, what I did see was incredible. And this was without color and all. Goux did a bang up job, even with just the sketching. I really loved it. I also really liked the way she drew the things that were meant to be focused on at the time. She brought it front and center and it worked wonderfully.

As for the story, I really need to start reading the synopsis. I had no idea what this book was about until I started reading it. It was a mystery but not a thriller like I had originally thought about. Anyway, I thought the story was fun, but because it IS a graphic novel, it was still a little choppy. I’m not sure if it was because of the always missing info in graphic novels, or if its because the story itself was that way. I enjoyed it, but I wanted more. I know you’re supposed to use the images to get the full depth of the book, but I will ALWAYS gravitate to the words.

This was so good. I wanted more from it, but I’m not sure if it’s because I read an ARC or if it’ll really stay this way. I’ll be sure to look at a physical copy when it’s finally out and I’ll let you know what’s different. I’m dying to know myself.

thank you abrams for the arc!

4/5 - this is for sure my favourite mariko tamaki i've read. i think her voice is so strong in this one and i really liked abby a lot! the art was fantastic and the atmosphere was gorgeous. and of course, the way that theatre was used was fantastic, both as an inciting incident and as a way to play with the "characters" that all of the characters put on. very interesting. i did think the pacing was a little weird sometimes (it was sometimes hard to tell how much time had passed between pages and scenes) and i think that abby could have been even more fleshed out as a character but those were my only very minor issues! i totally recommend this one, especially if you want to get into mariko tamaki's work and/or are a little theatre freak like me! cannot wait to see this one in full colour in the full print version!

This was a fun little thriller graphic novel. It had me hooked from the beginning! The art was beautiful, the story was engaging. Just all in all a good time. I do definitely recommend readers check trigger warnings before jumping into this book.

Tamaki blends classic hard boiled tropes, the detective with a checkered past, powerful institutions covering up criminal behavior, etc., with dark academia in this murder mystery set in an all girls school in the late-eighties/early nineties. The taboo, unspeakability of queerness at the time plays a huge role in the story, and Tamaki and illustrator Nicole Goux ably navigate it by depicting whisper smear campaigns and self loathing closeted antagonists, I really loved this and hope its successful enough we get a second mystery.

I had more fun than expected with this murder mystery YA graphic novel. It’s set in an all girls private school Wilberton Academy with a revered elite theatre society. When their star thespian is found dead, it’s deemed a suicide. Outcast transfer student Abby, who was the last to see her, senses something else at play. She is determined to uncover the truth.

I flew through these pages. I was appalled when the truth was revealed! This is a great layered story exploring grief, queer identity, bullying, etc. I really enjoyed the art style and I think it complements the story so well. It captures the eerie, elite boarding school atmosphere. It’s definitely worth the read.

This is an engaging and page turning mystery for teens set in an all girls boarding school in the 1990s. Abby is new at Wilberton, and the other girls have already marked her as an outsider, whispering behind her back. Then she’s the last person to see Elizabeth, one of the most popular students, alive — and the rumor mill churns some more. Abby realizes there is something suspicious about what the police determine to be suicide, so she digs further into the secrets hiding in her school. Tamaki writes sensitively about Abby’s experiences, and the story is more complex than a simple whodunit, giving readers a perspective into the life of a queer teen in a hostile environment.

4 stars This book was such a strange little gut-punch. Some of the stories made me feel like I was right there—awkward, angry, confused, just trying to figure things out. Mariko Tamaki really gets that feeling of being stuck in your own skin, or in a place that doesn’t quite fit.

Not every story was my favorite, but the ones that hit? They really hit. It’s messy and raw and kind of beautiful in its own way. I finished it feeling a little haunted, a little seen. Definitely recommend if you like stories that aren’t afraid to be weird and real.

Atmospheric, unsettling, and razor-sharp, 'This Place Kills Me' is a masterfully told graphic novel that blends mystery, psychological drama, and emotional honesty into a haunting coming-of-age story.

Abby Kita never expected to feel at home at Wilberton Academy - but when her classmate Elizabeth Woodward is found dead in the woods still wearing her Juliet costume, the school's carefully curated image begins to crack. The official word is suicide, but Abby and her roommate Claire aren't convinced. As they dig deeper, they uncover a web of secrets, power plays, and buried traumas that run far deeper than one girl's death.

Tamaki's storytelling is nuanced and layered, peeling back the emotional truth of what it means to be a young woman navigating grief, guilt, and the pressure to survive in a world that looks the other way. Nicole Goux's illustrations elevate the tension and tone perfectly - her stark palette and bold lifework carry the weight of the narrative with eerier beauty, while inventive page layouts give voice to silent moments.

Told through a collage of diary entries, flyers, notes, and traditional comic panels, this isn't just a whodunnit - it's a portrait of institutional rot, performative allyship, and the quiet power of speaking out.

Abby Kita has been sent to an all girls school to start over. But it's hard to start over when everyone thinks you're a freak. Elizabeth was different; she was nice, beautiful, and thought all the snobby girl fighting was garbage. So when Elizabeth is found dead in the woods, Abby needs to know what happened.
Set in the 1990s, this graphic novel hits right in the feels for anyone who lived through it. Anyone different is a freak, and ignoring people with your walkman on full blast was a major coping mechanism. I already loved Tamaki, and this is another A+ from her.

The Wilberton Theatrical Society is an exclusive group at the all girls Wilberton Academy known for their beauty, talent, and the mysteries that surround them. After opening night of Romeo and Juliet, the star of the show is found dead in the woods. The police rule it a suicide, but Abby Kita thinks that something else is going on. As the new girl at school, she's an outcast and everyone suspects her of being involved in the death since she was one of the last people to see Elizabeth alive. Enlisting the help of her journalist roommate, Abby and Claire work to uncover he dark secrets that Wilberton Academy is hiding.

This was a super engaging and enjoyable mystery. The pacing was really quick, so I absolutely flew through the book. I always love a book set in a boarding school and the time is never really defined, but it was sometime during the 90s, which is always fun. I enjoyed the characters, although I would have liked to get to know them all a little bit better. There was a flashback scene that I was slightly confused by while I was reading the story. It felt like I had skipped a section, but I think that the reading experience on the computer just leaves something to be desired. I'm a big fan of Tamaki's work, so those who enjoy her other graphic novels should definitely check this one out as well. This will also be a great one for mystery lovers, especially fans of mysteries in a boarding school setting.

4.5 stars
I really enjoyed this book. The mystery was very interesting and exciting to follow along with our main character, Abby. The art style was great. I loved how the lore unfolded throughout the story. The only thing was a wish we could have seen more of Abby's train of thought as she pieces things together. Overall, loved this book. I finished it in a couple of hours. I just couldn't put it down. I'm excited for everyone to get to read this book in August.

Honestly, I devoured this! I'm a big fan of Mariko Tamaki's writing and Nicole Goux's art, so as soon as I saw this ARC, I knew I had to hop on it, and I'm so glad I did! The world of the boarding school felt very real, and I empathized with Abby and how awfully everyone there treated her. I also found the mystery very compelling, and I desperately wanted to know what happened. Parts of it I guessed, while other parts I did not, and that's my favorite way of feeling at the end of a mystery, so it worked very well for me!

Abby Kita is a transfer student at Wilberton Academy, a place known for the Wilberton Theatrical Society. An exclusive club featuring all of the talented drama students at the Academy. Elizabeth Woodward was the elite member of the WTS, until she’s found dead the day before the debut of Romeo and Juliet. And Abby was the last person to see her alive.

Though her death is initially ruled a suicide, Abby thinks there’s more to the story. So, she starts investigating Elizabeth’s death. Not knowing that the school itself is harboring a dark secret.

Thanks to Abrams and NetGalley for an advanced copy of This Place Kills Me by Mariko Tamaki to review! I always love Tamaki’s work, so I was excited to check this one out! Especially because it is a graphic novel, and we all know how I feel about teen graphic novels. This one has a little bit of a mystery, a little bit of a school story, and a little bit of an identity story.

I’m assuming the finished version will be in color, though even without the color, the artwork is fantastic. There are some really gorgeous panels in the book that bring the story to life. There is a bit of a suspense element to this, leaving you wanting to read more to figure out what the deep dark secret is. And though there were kind of hints throughout about the secret, the reveal still worked well for shock value.

Tamaki always crafts intriguing stories that will keep yoy engaged until the end. I can’t wait to see what the final version looks like when it comes out at the end of August.

3/5
Thank you to NetGalley and Abrams Fanfare for an arc. All opinions are my own.

Art: 4/5
Story: 2/5
Characters: 3/5
Dialogue: 3/5

I think this book had a lot of good intrigue, but it missed the mark a bit for me. It was definitely a believable depiction of teenage girls being mean and messy. However, I really hate when a character is clearly being groomed/sexually abused by an adult, but they’re treated like mean evil people for choosing to be around a creep. I do think that it is probably how a teenager would react to the information, but it’s a bit frustrating that it wasn’t ever challenged. I also found a lot of the characters to be a little too black and white.

The art is lovely though.

Mariko Tamaki is a bit hit or miss for me, but teaming with Nicole Goux for the illustrations helped push this girls school murder mystery into the thumbs up territory for me.

Abby Kita's well-earned bitterness and negativity might make the narration challenging for some, but I felt sympathy for this outsider who becomes a teen detective out of a combination of spite and self-defense.


Disclosure: I received access to a copy of this book from the publisher through NetGalley.com.

a great idea, excellently and succinctly executed. an all-girl’s school is thrown into conflict by a terrible crime. as the mystery unfolds, as do the characters backstories and secrets. very realistic depictions of a messy age.

Dive into this captivating graphic novel that weaves a heart-wrenching tale wrapped in a visually stunning package. Even in black and white, the artwork shines with intricate details and emotive illustrations that pull you into its world. I can only imagine how breathtaking it must be in full color—here’s hoping for a vibrant re-release!

The story centers on a complex, deeply human protagonist whose journey anchors the narrative. The plot unfolds with care and thoughtfulness, masterfully balancing suspense and mystery. Each twist is amplified by a cast of delightfully awful characters who add layers of juicy tension, keeping you hooked from page to page. While the ending feels a tad abrupt, leaving you craving more resolution, it doesn’t detract from the thrilling ride.

This graphic novel is a must-read for fans of emotionally rich mysteries with striking visuals. I’m already eager for a sequel to follow this compelling protagonist on their next adventure. A gripping, artful triumph!

I will be purchasing this book upon it's release. I thoroughly enjoy the story of a young girl sent away to catholic school to reform and 'be better'' but instead she's driven to isolation and uncovers something darker lurks under the surface at this school. It was engaging and the art so beautiful and compelling. This is a 5 star book in my realm

This book was solidly written and heartbreaking on multiple accounts. The main one is the thought that all of the students characters, one way or another are seeing things that they cannot comprehend with no one to tell them what is truly right or wrong with them. Something that Mariko Tamaki has gotten right with every single YA book is that for young adults, it's less about feeling special and more about feeling as though you're not the odd one out. Highly recommend but please put some content warnings in here.