Reviews

You'll Be the Death of Me by Karen M. McManus

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olivercoast's review against another edition

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adventurous mysterious sad medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? It's complicated
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.5

cajunliterarybelle's review against another edition

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4.0

Each protagonist here - Ivy, Mateo, and Cal - are all given solid backstories and family dynamics before the action even gets started. That helped in caring about how each is connected to the murder and to each other's lives. The entire murder mystery that is the main plot of the story occurs during one shockingly eventful day. Every time I thought I knew the answer to another clue, I was wrong and encountered another twist. Thinking back, every player and their motives line up, but while everything unfolds, that isn't so obvious. Again, I like how Ivy, Mateo, and Cal have unique narrators for the audiobook. Another great performance of McManus's books. Always stay tuned until the very end, because the final twist tends to come at the last moment.

dsimpson06's review against another edition

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adventurous mysterious fast-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Plot
Strong character development? It's complicated

4.0

angelagm's review against another edition

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adventurous mysterious fast-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.5

nikkihrose's review against another edition

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4.0

I’ve loved every book by McManus, and this was no exception. The characterization in this one was captivating and I didn’t want to put it down, once the plot got rolling.

Three students, Ivy, Mateo, and Cal used to be best friends. But then high school happened. Actually, there’s more to it than that, but too many things have been kept a secret, and some of them can’t come to terms with why their friendship fell apart. But then they fall together again, as the three of them decide to skip school – all for different reasons – and find themselves in a mess they don’t know how to get out of. A fellow student has shown up dead, and they don’t know who did it. But the news is making it out to be Ivy, as are her classmates back at school.

Playing detective, Ivy, Mateo, and Cal need to figure out what happened – but when their own secrets get in the way, and they discover further secrets about their joined past, things get a bit messy.

Definitely clever and filled with teenage indecision and insecurities, McManus captures the teenage voice beautifully.

If you haven’t picked up a book by @writerkmc you should change that as soon as possible.

susannahmiller's review against another edition

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4.0

I really liked this book! I think I enjoyed this book more as I became attached to the characters very quickly (Mateo is the very dark and mysterious guy in my head hehehehe). It kind of had vibes like a good girl's guide to murder but more enjoyable as it was believable about everything that happened. I also tried to turn off my brain whilst reading this book as I'm usually too analytical and I think that made the multiple plot twists more enjoyable and unexpected.