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avidreaderandgeekgirl's review against another edition
emotional
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
I really enjoyed this book, it was layered, and not super predictable. Once a particular clue was revealed I knew who the killer was but wasn't clear on why. The final few twists kept the book interesting. I didn't find many of the characters likable however, some were but many weren't.
The narrator did a fantastic job and helped make the book come to life.
I also liked how the author made it so that technology wasn't a giant part of the mystery. That added to the atmosphere of the story.
Overall a decent mystery with great narration.
The narrator did a fantastic job and helped make the book come to life.
I also liked how the author made it so that technology wasn't a giant part of the mystery. That added to the atmosphere of the story.
Overall a decent mystery with great narration.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Drug use, Infidelity, Suicide, Toxic relationship, Toxic friendship, and Alcohol
Moderate: Death, Blood, Murder, and Deportation
Minor: Adult/minor relationship, Child death, and Violence
bekah1210's review against another edition
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
Content Warnings
Graphic: Murder
Moderate: Infidelity, Suicide, and Deportation
Minor: Adult/minor relationship, Drug abuse, Drug use, Death of parent, and Alcohol
thenovelmaura's review against another edition
dark
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
5.0
A huge thank you to Penguin Teen for sending me a gorgeous copy finished copy of this book to read and review. This is one of those books where, even though I finished it a few months ago, I remember it so vividly because I was hooked from start to finish!
I mentioned in a previous post that this book is marketed as a YA version of Knives Out, and that was an incredibly accurate description! We had a big shot detective who showed up uninvited, a glamorous locked-room setting, and a suspicious cast of characters who all had motive and opportunity. The fabulous wealth of these teens is tempered by our main character Izzy, a Latina student who was only able to attend their fancy private school because her mom is a teacher there. Izzy had her own secrets to hide and ended up helping and hindering the official investigation whenever it fit her agenda. Some parts of this book were quite dark, which pleasantly surprised me; I wasn't expecting that level of intensity from a YA book.
I was immediately swept up in the glitz and glamour of the island manor setting while trying to keep track of all the secrets and motives. Not spoiling anything, but Muñoz had a clever way of keeping Izzy up-to-date on the investigation so that the reader doesn't feel limited by her 1st person POV. Rather, it felt like we were solving the mystery alongside her as the plot thickened and the lies were revealed one by one. The ending was a wild ride and there was one aspect of it that I would have done differently, but it didn't detract from my overall enjoyment. Again, I can't say much without revealing too much, so you'll have to experience this one for yourself! I can't wait to see what Muñoz writes next after this fun, twisty debut.
I mentioned in a previous post that this book is marketed as a YA version of Knives Out, and that was an incredibly accurate description! We had a big shot detective who showed up uninvited, a glamorous locked-room setting, and a suspicious cast of characters who all had motive and opportunity. The fabulous wealth of these teens is tempered by our main character Izzy, a Latina student who was only able to attend their fancy private school because her mom is a teacher there. Izzy had her own secrets to hide and ended up helping and hindering the official investigation whenever it fit her agenda. Some parts of this book were quite dark, which pleasantly surprised me; I wasn't expecting that level of intensity from a YA book.
I was immediately swept up in the glitz and glamour of the island manor setting while trying to keep track of all the secrets and motives. Not spoiling anything, but Muñoz had a clever way of keeping Izzy up-to-date on the investigation so that the reader doesn't feel limited by her 1st person POV. Rather, it felt like we were solving the mystery alongside her as the plot thickened and the lies were revealed one by one. The ending was a wild ride and there was one aspect of it that I would have done differently, but it didn't detract from my overall enjoyment. Again, I can't say much without revealing too much, so you'll have to experience this one for yourself! I can't wait to see what Muñoz writes next after this fun, twisty debut.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Infidelity, and Murder
Moderate: Suicide, Alcohol, and Deportation
Minor: Adult/minor relationship and Drug use
kassidyreads's review against another edition
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
Content Warnings
Graphic: Infidelity, Suicide, Grief, and Murder
Moderate: Drug use and Alcohol
Minor: Adult/minor relationship and Deportation
hobbithopeful's review against another edition
lighthearted
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.0
Thank you Penguin for this arc
You put enough rich kids in a room with a scholarship kid, there's going to be a murder. It's a basic bookish fact at this point.
Suddenly a Murder follows the tried and true premise of a group of rich friends (and one not so rich) going on a getaway to celebrate graduation. Lies, betrayal, and infidelity threaten the group dynamic, but when one of them is murdered everything comes to light.
Diversity in books is always a treat to read, one of the reasons I was excited to read Suddenly a Murder is that BIPOC authors typically can be counted on to have a great cast of characters with BIPOC voices. Izzy's experience with race, her Father's deportation, and how she views herself is one aspect that I loved the most during reading.
The beginning is a bit clunky to get through, the writing at times just felt awkward. I did consider DNF-ing the book with how much I was struggling with it, but I am glad I stuck with it because it improved. The more I kept reading the more I enjoyed it, with the final chunk of the book having the strongest writing and most immersive reading experience.
There are a lot of different characters and at times they blend together with how similar they are in terms of "rich, privileged, spoiled". I do believe the plot would have been stronger with less voices.
I would have liked to have seen the whole book, or at least a pov or two from Pilar. She is easily the most interesting and engaging character, to the point where she was outshining the "main characters". I would sooner read and enjoy a book following her adventures, her character is just so much more fleshed out then others.
The flashbacks account for about half of the book, and felt jarring with the shifting of going from first person in the present to third in the past. I wish there were less flashbacks or less people.I don't think a book should rely so heavily on flashbacks to set the tension and reveals as much as it does in this one.
I have mixed feelings about the romance. I don't think there is enough chemistry between the characters for it to have felt real.
The reveal wasn't a surprise, though other secrets that are uncovered are a huge shock. The question I want to pose is as follows: Were there enough bread crumbs leading to the big secret, or was it so out of left field with no evidence to support it that it feels cheap and out of nowhere?
While I don't love this book, I did have a mostly enjoyable experience. I say if the premise intrigues you, give it a try and see what you think! This is Lauren Muñoz's debut novel, and I would read further books from her.
The cover is very poor, it feels very dated in terms of design and composition. I do not like it, nor would I pick it up if I saw it in a bookstore.
You put enough rich kids in a room with a scholarship kid, there's going to be a murder. It's a basic bookish fact at this point.
Suddenly a Murder follows the tried and true premise of a group of rich friends (and one not so rich) going on a getaway to celebrate graduation. Lies, betrayal, and infidelity threaten the group dynamic, but when one of them is murdered everything comes to light.
Diversity in books is always a treat to read, one of the reasons I was excited to read Suddenly a Murder is that BIPOC authors typically can be counted on to have a great cast of characters with BIPOC voices. Izzy's experience with race, her Father's deportation, and how she views herself is one aspect that I loved the most during reading.
The beginning is a bit clunky to get through, the writing at times just felt awkward. I did consider DNF-ing the book with how much I was struggling with it, but I am glad I stuck with it because it improved. The more I kept reading the more I enjoyed it, with the final chunk of the book having the strongest writing and most immersive reading experience.
There are a lot of different characters and at times they blend together with how similar they are in terms of "rich, privileged, spoiled". I do believe the plot would have been stronger with less voices.
I would have liked to have seen the whole book, or at least a pov or two from Pilar. She is easily the most interesting and engaging character, to the point where she was outshining the "main characters". I would sooner read and enjoy a book following her adventures, her character is just so much more fleshed out then others.
The flashbacks account for about half of the book, and felt jarring with the shifting of going from first person in the present to third in the past. I wish there were less flashbacks or less people.I don't think a book should rely so heavily on flashbacks to set the tension and reveals as much as it does in this one.
I have mixed feelings about the romance. I don't think there is enough chemistry between the characters for it to have felt real.
The reveal wasn't a surprise, though other secrets that are uncovered are a huge shock. The question I want to pose is as follows: Were there enough bread crumbs leading to the big secret, or was it so out of left field with no evidence to support it that it feels cheap and out of nowhere?
While I don't love this book, I did have a mostly enjoyable experience. I say if the premise intrigues you, give it a try and see what you think! This is Lauren Muñoz's debut novel, and I would read further books from her.
The cover is very poor, it feels very dated in terms of design and composition. I do not like it, nor would I pick it up if I saw it in a bookstore.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Infidelity
Moderate: Bullying, Death, Abandonment, and Deportation
Minor: Adult/minor relationship, Death of parent, and Murder
vicwaltz's review against another edition
dark
emotional
funny
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.25
A very fun, fast story! Similar in vibes to Five Survive but also entirely different. The seven teenagers are all so very teenaged and stupid but in the believable way that makes a reader want to throttle them but also tell them to sit down and have a cookie. Muñoz does an admirable job of creating seven distinct characters (more if you include the side characters) all with compelling friendships and situations. Our primary person, Isadora, is strikingly relatable and the more you learn about her the more you want her to be innocent (or maybe want her to be guilty, choosing violence is sometimes the way).
There are some pacing hiccups - the book starts slow but all the table setting pays off in the back half. Some of the characters really are annoying but again, they're teenagers and if I were also a teenager (the target demo for this) I think I wouldn't have noticed the annoyingness. If this is Muñoz's debut, I'm stoked to see where she goes. It takes a lot for a YA thriller to surprise me with an earned twist and this one definitely did.
--
Thanks to netgalley/Putnam for providing me an advanced copy in exchange for an honest review.
There are some pacing hiccups - the book starts slow but all the table setting pays off in the back half. Some of the characters really are annoying but again, they're teenagers and if I were also a teenager (the target demo for this) I think I wouldn't have noticed the annoyingness. If this is Muñoz's debut, I'm stoked to see where she goes. It takes a lot for a YA thriller to surprise me with an earned twist and this one definitely did.
--
Thanks to netgalley/Putnam for providing me an advanced copy in exchange for an honest review.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Murder and Deportation
Moderate: Drug abuse and Alcohol
arthur_ant18's review against another edition
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.25
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death and Murder
Moderate: Cursing, Pedophilia, Suicide, Alcohol, and Deportation