southernbellebooks's review
5.0
I loved this book so much. It was so interesting and I really liked Kennedy and Ravi being modern day, high school Sherlock Holmes and Watson respectively. Such a great mystery.
weedmacaroni's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
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
4.5
mmuellerleile's review
4.0
A good, well written mystery. It was also nice to see some asexual representation!
apocalypsehunter's review
5.0
I'll be honest, going into this and reading the first couple of chapters, I was worried it was going to be a "not like other girls" pseudo-mystery where there wasn't really a murderer all along, it was just some misunderstandings and everyone's fine in the end!
To my genuine delight, I was rather quickly proven wrong. I'm going to do my best to keep spoilers out, but I want to TALK about this one, y'all.
I did not expect to get as invested into the story as I did. It had twists and turns and though I did sorta guess the mystery, I kept doubting myself simply because the main character was so passionate about her thoughts. There's a slew of great issues that were touched on, like white privilege, classism, homophobia, and many others that are Just introduced enough to show that Mischa knows about and takes into account these issues, but she doesn't make the whole book about them. Now bullying, suicide, and the effects of such things on mental health are definite themes of the book and are handled bluntly, but with genuine care, which is appreciated. The story flowed smoothly, making it an easy read, and it ended up being one of those ones I just couldn't put down. The characters are believable, the growth is real, and it was a good time - y'know, in that true crime sort of way.
The only negative that I have is that the romantic subplot - and by virtue of that, the queer representation - felt a bit thrown in as an afterthought in the last quarter of the book. There were small hints throughout, but the scenes still felt out of place. Don't get me wrong, it was good writing, and as an ace person myself, the asexual representation was handled very well and accurately, but it sort of felt like scenes from a different book suddenly popping up in my murder mystery. HOWEVER, we almost never see canonical queer and ace characters - as Main Characters, no less - in stories that aren't romance or realistic fiction, so I'm happy to take it even if it did feel just a bit forced. In any case, 10/10 would recommend if you're into mysteries and true crime (btw, VERY impressed with the references to real cases). If you're wigged out by death and descriptions pertaining to such, I'd recommend skipping this one.
To my genuine delight, I was rather quickly proven wrong. I'm going to do my best to keep spoilers out, but I want to TALK about this one, y'all.
I did not expect to get as invested into the story as I did. It had twists and turns and though I did sorta guess the mystery, I kept doubting myself simply because the main character was so passionate about her thoughts. There's a slew of great issues that were touched on, like white privilege, classism, homophobia, and many others that are Just introduced enough to show that Mischa knows about and takes into account these issues, but she doesn't make the whole book about them. Now bullying, suicide, and the effects of such things on mental health are definite themes of the book and are handled bluntly, but with genuine care, which is appreciated. The story flowed smoothly, making it an easy read, and it ended up being one of those ones I just couldn't put down. The characters are believable, the growth is real, and it was a good time - y'know, in that true crime sort of way.
The only negative that I have is that the romantic subplot - and by virtue of that, the queer representation - felt a bit thrown in as an afterthought in the last quarter of the book. There were small hints throughout, but the scenes still felt out of place. Don't get me wrong, it was good writing, and as an ace person myself, the asexual representation was handled very well and accurately, but it sort of felt like scenes from a different book suddenly popping up in my murder mystery. HOWEVER, we almost never see canonical queer and ace characters - as Main Characters, no less - in stories that aren't romance or realistic fiction, so I'm happy to take it even if it did feel just a bit forced. In any case, 10/10 would recommend if you're into mysteries and true crime (btw, VERY impressed with the references to real cases). If you're wigged out by death and descriptions pertaining to such, I'd recommend skipping this one.
theoceanrose's review
4.0
CW: suicide, reference to teen corpses, murder
Thank you to NetGalley and BHC Press for an advanced electronic copy of this book in exchange for an honest review!
Kennedy is a budding journalist, and she is determined to tell important stories. Alongside her best friend Ravi, she creates a project for her journalism class to memorialize the entire school, and also do some research on the curse that plagues her school. So, when a popular classmate goes missing, people are left questioning, has the curse struck yet again? But there may be more hiding than an urban legend....
Kennedy and Ravi are a great duo, and I loved the asexual rep. I also found it to be similar to "A Good Girl's Guide to Murder" by Holly Jackson, which was great! The twist was a bit surprising, and I have some feelings about it that I can't share without giving spoilers, so read this book and get back to me! It publishes on June 10th, 2021!
Thank you to NetGalley and BHC Press for an advanced electronic copy of this book in exchange for an honest review!
Kennedy is a budding journalist, and she is determined to tell important stories. Alongside her best friend Ravi, she creates a project for her journalism class to memorialize the entire school, and also do some research on the curse that plagues her school. So, when a popular classmate goes missing, people are left questioning, has the curse struck yet again? But there may be more hiding than an urban legend....
Kennedy and Ravi are a great duo, and I loved the asexual rep. I also found it to be similar to "A Good Girl's Guide to Murder" by Holly Jackson, which was great! The twist was a bit surprising, and I have some feelings about it that I can't share without giving spoilers, so read this book and get back to me! It publishes on June 10th, 2021!
stuckonchapter13's review
4.0
The wonderful duo composed of Kennedy Carter and Ravi Burman will be your favorite mystery duo after the iconic Sherlock Holmes and John Watson. Their banter and their overall dynamic made the reading experience extremely fun. It will remind you of your favorite mystery partnership. I wasn't honestly expecting a romantic development between the two. But I enjoyed seeing the slight conversations between the two about possible romantic struggles with Kennedy being ace. The way they were both mature about it was really refreshing to see since not many authors do asexual people justice.
Bringing the sights to the actual mystery aspect, I loved how Kennedy would try to use typical Sherlock Holmes techniques to solve the crime. I'm a huge Sherlock Holmes fan so any homage I see definitely makes me smile. The mystery plotline was fun to follow and the conclusion made sense. I will have to say that I did predict who was the murderer before the ending. But the reasoning for the killings was a nice twist. I was not expecting that story.
Overall, this story has two great protagonists, many Sherlock Holmes references, and a solid mystery plot.
Thank you Netgalley, BHC Press, and Mischa Trace for the arc.
Bringing the sights to the actual mystery aspect, I loved how Kennedy would try to use typical Sherlock Holmes techniques to solve the crime. I'm a huge Sherlock Holmes fan so any homage I see definitely makes me smile. The mystery plotline was fun to follow and the conclusion made sense. I will have to say that I did predict who was the murderer before the ending. But the reasoning for the killings was a nice twist. I was not expecting that story.
Overall, this story has two great protagonists, many Sherlock Holmes references, and a solid mystery plot.
Thank you Netgalley, BHC Press, and Mischa Trace for the arc.
annarella's review
5.0
A gripping and well written story, full of twists and turns.
Well thought characters, an interesting plot full of twists and turns. The mystery is solid and kept me guessing.
Highly recommended.
Many thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for this ARC, all opinions are mine
Well thought characters, an interesting plot full of twists and turns. The mystery is solid and kept me guessing.
Highly recommended.
Many thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for this ARC, all opinions are mine
taylorsedona's review
4.0
Thank you to NetGalley for providing me a complimentary copy of Bury the Lead by Mischa Thrace in exchange for my honest review.
**4/5 stars
tw: suicide, bullying, drugs
Bury the Lead is a prime example of don't judge a book by its cover. Had I not been given this book to review I don't think this cover would have enticed me to pick it up on my own. I am so happy that wasn't the case.
Sure to be a huge hit among fans of A Good Girls Guide to Murder and The Cheerleaders, Bury the Lead far exceeded my expectations and I am certainly going to recommend it in the future. Kennedy and Ravi are high school students who aspire to be journalists. More than anything Kennedy wants to be a journalist who is heard and who makes a difference, and so when a classmate is found dead Kennedy knows there's more to the story. She's determined to find the truth, and she'll keep investigating until the real story is told.
While I saw that there was going to be romance in this book, I definitely wasn't expecting the asexual representation that I thought was really well written! YA thriller/mystery is a hit or miss genre, but Bury the Lead was well written quick read that had a compelling mystery, and a very satisfying conclusion. I do wish a couple of the characters and their background had been more fleshed out, but that didn't take away from the overall satisfaction. I also think the cover could be much more enticing. I look forward to what Mischa Thrace will write in the future.
**4/5 stars
tw: suicide, bullying, drugs
Bury the Lead is a prime example of don't judge a book by its cover. Had I not been given this book to review I don't think this cover would have enticed me to pick it up on my own. I am so happy that wasn't the case.
Sure to be a huge hit among fans of A Good Girls Guide to Murder and The Cheerleaders, Bury the Lead far exceeded my expectations and I am certainly going to recommend it in the future. Kennedy and Ravi are high school students who aspire to be journalists. More than anything Kennedy wants to be a journalist who is heard and who makes a difference, and so when a classmate is found dead Kennedy knows there's more to the story. She's determined to find the truth, and she'll keep investigating until the real story is told.
While I saw that there was going to be romance in this book, I definitely wasn't expecting the asexual representation that I thought was really well written! YA thriller/mystery is a hit or miss genre, but Bury the Lead was well written quick read that had a compelling mystery, and a very satisfying conclusion. I do wish a couple of the characters and their background had been more fleshed out, but that didn't take away from the overall satisfaction. I also think the cover could be much more enticing. I look forward to what Mischa Thrace will write in the future.
aimiller's review
adventurous
emotional
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.0
I received a copy of this book through the Early Reviewers program on LibraryThing, and I'm grateful for the opportunity to read this book.
There was much I enjoyed about this book--I think for teens who are interested in journalism and capital T Truth, there's a lot here to be interested in, and it's fun to see an asexual character's identity taken seriously but also allowing for her to I think the balance of Kennedy and Ravi--a kind of 'the head and the heart' thing going on--really works here, and also leaves room for both of them to have heart in ways that I enjoyed.
My issue with the book is two-fold:
So an interesting book, and then the end is a wild left turn that kind of disappointed me. But I think if teens are interested in investigative journalism in the way that Kennedy is, they'll enjoy it more than I did!
There was much I enjoyed about this book--I think for teens who are interested in journalism and capital T Truth, there's a lot here to be interested in, and it's fun to see an asexual character's identity taken seriously but also allowing for her to
Spoiler
develop a relationship!My issue with the book is two-fold:
Spoiler
the "making of a monster" part of the book is not a thing I enjoy generally--I know it's intent is to dangle red herrings for you, but the tone was very weird and I don't think this book needs red herrings to work? Especially given that the end reveal is SO WILD and out of left field, so I guess maybe it's built in to make it feel less wild but like there's no backtracking from how wild it is (especially how it wasn't just the main bullies in the book whose children were attacked but just like SO MANY, like EVERY SINGLE DISAPPEARANCE IN THE TOWN WAS MURDERED BY THIS WOMAN.)So an interesting book, and then the end is a wild left turn that kind of disappointed me. But I think if teens are interested in investigative journalism in the way that Kennedy is, they'll enjoy it more than I did!
Content Warnings
Moderate: Death, Child death, and Bullying
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