The saying goes that ‘two can keep a secret if one of them is dead,’ but what isnt mentioned is that secrets like to be shared. its in their very nature and karen mcmanus definitely understands that. this book is full of secrets just dying to get out!
And whilst i didnt think this was quite as good as ‘one of us is lying,’ it definitely does not feel like a sophomore slump of a novel. its fast-paced, clever, and downright mysterious. i actually didnt find this to be predicable, which is the case with most YA thrillers, so that was exciting for me. I enjoyed how my opinion of everyone and everything constantly changed as the story progressed, and i think thats a sign of good storytelling.
And really, the only issue i have is with some particular writing style choices that made the story feel a bit disjointed. for example, a chapter ends right in the middle of a scene/situation. the reader is then told what occurs next through little introspective flashbacks via a main character in the next chapter, which happens to begin halfway through the day after said scene/situation. this happens consistently - its just a weird way of telling a story to me and not really beneficial in any way. i feel like a much more consecutive storytelling method would have been more effective.
Regardless of my nit-picking, i really did enjoy the book. its entertaining, discreet, and everything i would expect from KM. if you enjoyed ‘one of us is lying,’ then you really need to pick this up ASAP!
>3.5 out of 5