The Write Reads Ultimate Blog Tour: You’ll Be the Death of Me (ARC) by Karen M. McManus

Hello everyone!

I’m so excited for this post because today is my stop on the blog tour for You’ll Be the Death of Me by Karen M. McManus.

Shameful confession: prior to signing up for the book tour, I hadn’t actually ready anything by McManus. In fact, it wasn’t until TheWriteReads contacted me about this tour that I finally decided to finally give this author a try.

Guy, I am so grateful that I managed to get a spot, because this book is not only incredible, it also convinced me buy the rest of the author’s books too.

Let’s get right into it!

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Summary

From the author of One of Us Is Lying comes a brand new addictive thriller.

Ivy, Mateo and Cal used to be close – best friends back in middle school.

Now all they have in common is a bad day. So for old time’s sake they skip school together – one last time.

But when the trio spot Brian ‘Boney’ Mahoney ditching class too, they follow him – right into a murder scene.

They all have a connection to the victim. And they’re ALL hiding something.

When their day of freedom turns deadly, it’s only a matter of time before the truth comes out . . .

It’s Ferris Bueller’s Day Off with murder, perfect for fans of One Of Us Is Lying and A Good Girl’s Guide To Murder. This explosive new thriller is impossible to put down.

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You know when you’re having one of those where, despite your best efforts, absolutely nothing goes according to plan? This book is that day times a thousand for Ivy, Mateo, and Cal.

Although close when they were younger, the three have since drifted apart. When they happen bump into each other, they decide to skip school to relive the “Greatest Day Ever” from when they were kids. But the great adventure immediately turns into a nightmare, when they stumble across the body of their murdered classmate, and find themselves dead center in the investigation. Unable to escape the media storm – and each hiding secrets of their own – the trio races to try and figure out who the murderer really is before their lives come crashing down around them.

I loved this book. Absolutely adored it. I’ve heard other reviews refer to the author as the Queen of Teen Crime, and I can confirm she one hundred percent deserves to wear that crown.

“Nobody should be that good at so many different things. It doesn’t build character.”

― Karen M. McManus, You’ll Be the Death of Me

From the first chapter I was completely hooked. McManus has a writing style that feels instantly engaging, and the entire book is well structured and completely engrossing. Seriously, I was practically glued to the page – you would have needed a crowbar to pry my hands away. Every clue and every cliff-hanger (so many cliff-hangers) just pulled me deeper and deeper into the mystery. The plot unfolded at breakneck speed through multiple, complex layers of story, but I never felt rushed or confused, just anxious to know what happens next! All the elements were perfectly set up to keep me invested, not just in the mystery, but in the characters as well.

All of the characters were superb, but my favourites were, without question, the main trio. Ivy is an anxious perfectionist who can’t meet her own insane standards; Mateo is serious and determined, and always taking far too much upon his shoulders; Cal is desperate to be understood, and feels like he doesn’t belong anywhere. And I love these three idiots with all my heart.

It’s rare that I connect so strongly to so many characters in the same book, but the author managed give them all a great sense of personality – quirks, faults and all – that I fell in love with them from the first chapter. The author clearly knows how to write real, believable characters who are heavily flawed and yet still so easy to root for.

I feel like I’ve been in each of their positions at least once in my life (probably more than once, really) and it’s a huge part of why I loved this book.

The author manages to weave together multiple POVs, balancing the characters as a brilliant, effective trio, and as individuals hiding secrets of their own. The way they author flipped between each point of view was also a fantastic way to keep certain bits of information hidden from the reader without slowing down the story at all. And the drama between them rivals the mystery in terms of how invested I was in it!

“You can be right in principle and still wrong in approach.”

― Karen M. McManus, You’ll Be the Death of Me

That brings us to the actual mystery of the entire book. And I am in no way exaggerating when I say that this is one of the best mysteries I’ve read in a LONG time.

Everything from the set up, to the false leads and plot twists were absolutely phenomenal. The author gives us just enough to keep me guessing until the very end, positioning the reader right in the centre of a beautifully woven rug right before she pulls it out from under you. It led me down a route of hidden clues and tiny hints while giving nothing away until the very last moment. The final reveal of the whole mystery was masterful in its execution. I never would have seen the finale coming, and yet everything came together in a way that made it seem so obvious!

And there were even more smaller twists that just about knocked me out of my seat. Each one built upon the next, until the tension was so high I couldn’t take my eyes off the page. I felt thoroughly outmaneuvered, and I have never been happier about it.

You’ll Be the Death of Me by Karen M. McManus is a fantastic, non-stop, thrilling mystery from start to finish that will pull you in and keep you guessing until the very last page. I absolutely loved everything about this book, from the mystery to the characters to the sequel hook at the end. If you enjoy YA mystery thrillers, or just amazing books in general, I cannot recommend this book highly enough. Five stars, no question about it.

Now if you’ll excuse me, I’m off to read everything the Queen of Teen Crime has ever written.

Thanks for reading everyone!

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A huge thank you to Dave @ The Write Reads, PenguinUK, Netgalley, and the author for providing me with an eARC of this book and the chance be a part of this amazing tour.

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