natashaleighton_'s review
emotional
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
5.0
Ravena Guron’s second YA Thriller was a masterfully executed and beautifully compulsive, locked room murder mystery that Cluedo-loving fans of Holly Jackson and Agatha Christie are gonna absolutely devour!
Told from the POV of three protagonists (Devi, Lizzie and Jayne) who all find themselves stranded at the grand Bramble Estate during a snowstorm and inadvertently end up at the heart of a sophisticated murder plot.
For wealthy hostess, Emily Vanforte has been poisoned (at her own dinner party no less), and as they’re already trapped until morning—Devi, Lizzie and Jayne decide to solve the case themselves.
Having loved Guron’s debut YA Thriller (This Book Kills) back in January, I was beyond excited to get my hands on an early copy of Catch Your Death and can finally confirm that it surpassed all my expectations.
I loved our protagonists Devi, Lizzie and Jayne (who ranged from fabulously sharp witted and impulsive to socially awkward and endearingly compassionate) and found them all really intriguing. Their complexity, depth and meticulously crafted backstories were phenomenally compelling and really helped to keep the narrative flowing.
Though if I had to pick a fave I would probably be Devi, who’s opinionated take charge attitude (and ability to speak her mind) was utterly entertaining.
Like Jess from This Book Kills, Devi gives us a refreshingly candid view on how wildly out of touch the extremely wealthy can be, and the power imbalance which allows them to ruin lives (or break laws) with little consequence. I can’t really go into too much detail on this (for fear of spoilers), but it’s an aspect that’s startlingly relevant right now and something that really resonated with me.
Like Jess from This Book Kills, Devi gives us a refreshingly candid view on how wildly out of touch the extremely wealthy can be, and the power imbalance which allows them to ruin lives (or break laws) with little consequence. I can’t really go into too much detail on this (for fear of spoilers), but it’s an aspect that’s startlingly relevant right now and something that really resonated with me.
If you love the classic whodunnit-style, murder mystery format—where pretty much every character is a suspect— then you will definitely appreciate how intricately woven and plot twisty this is. The moral ambiguity of every character and the lies and secrets exposed along the way had me on the edge of my seat —which I loved!
I also enjoyed the interactive elements (note pages to write down our guesses for who the culprit was) which gave us the chance to really think through our suspects, and get into the mindset of a detective (or the killer) —which I had soo much fun with. Though as mine was a proof I’m unsure if this will be included in the final copies.
Unfortunately I didn’t manage to guess who Emily’s killler was, (the revelation of which I’m still impressed by.) But I did manage work out one of the other twists, which did make me feel quite clever.
Overall, a satisfyingly empowering, YA Murder Mystery with more plot twists than you can shake a stick at —amateur sleuths and arm chair detectives alike will definitely want to add this to their TBRs this winter.
Also, a huge thank you to Jess over at Usborne for the proof.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Emotional abuse, Death, and Murder
Moderate: Classism, Gun violence, Toxic relationship, Racism, and Death of parent
Minor: Injury/Injury detail, Toxic friendship, Grief, and Infidelity
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