I’m sharing another instalment of my Mini Review Mondays, the most recent of which was last week. In case you haven’t seen any of my previous posts, I do ‘mini’ reviews of books that I’ve previously read and am now ready to share my full thoughts about.
Today, I’m delving into two brilliant and highly intense reads, both of which are YA thrillers of the highest calibre.
First up, I’d like to talk about Liar’s Beach by Katie Cotugno. Thank you to Penguin Random House Children’s and Delacorte for sending me an eARC in exchange for an honest review.
WE WERE LIARS meets GOSSIP GIRL – this YA thriller with a splash of dark academia is full of secrets, lies, privileged teens and beach parties. The perfect summer read.
A body in the pool. A friend who might be an enemy. A vacation they’ll never forget . . .
Linden has always felt like an outsider and spending the summer at his best friend’s vacation house, surrounded by money and privilege is doing nothing to lessen his imposter syndrome. But he soon has bigger concerns than fitting in – there’s a body in the pool and everyone’s a suspect – including him.
Publication Date: 4th May
TW: death, murder, drug abuse, hospitalisation, injury, cheating
My Thoughts:
Liar’s Beach is the perfect summer mystery to pick up this year.
As soon as I heard about a new YA take on Hercule Poirot and a particular favourite of mine out of his cases, I knew I had to have it in my life. Liar’s Beach pays a gorgeous homage to the intense atmosphere, claustrophobia and resultant paranoia of Christie’s locked-room mysteries. It has that same character study, with added nuance and a social awareness more benefitting current times. Cotugno weaves in an excellent discussion around class and privilege that I really enjoyed. It is thoughtful and provides context to the actions of the characters, giving the story an extra layer of depth. Also, it helps create a particular atmosphere evoked by incredible wealth and the ability to access a place like Martha’s Vineyard.
I absolutely fell in love with Cotugno’s fierce, funny and incredibly smart new Poirot in the form of the undeniable Holiday. She misses nothing but does not always reveal her conclusions to Linden or subsequently us as readers. This allows armchair detectives to revel in shared suspicions, but also build to an explosive conclusion. The way Holiday provides a classic laying out of the who, what and whydunnit is amazing and also updated in a way that makes it relevant and believable to a modern audience. Linden is an interesting protagonist, with plenty of his own secrets and entangled relationships. He is not always a morally supportable character, but his flaws are all too human and the pressures surrounding him are all too heavy at times.
Liar’s Beach is a rip-roaring, riveting and remarkable YA thriller that I highly recommend. It takes the ethos and spirit of the original story it is inspired by, but gives it a fresh new twist, so do not presume that you already know how this one will end.
Next up, I’d like to talk about Every Word a Lie by Sue Wallman. Thank you to Scholastic for sending me a copy in exchange for an honest review.
Award-winning author Sue Wallman tells a nail-biting story of a catfishing prank that gets out of control … and gets deadly.
Two friends, Amy and Stan, plan revenge on their prankster friend Hollie by catfishing her as her crush. They only mean to do it for a day or two – but then Hollie ends up dead. As the catfish continues to strike others, Amy needs to find out: who is really in control of the catfish? Can she trust anyone? And is she the killer’s next target?
Sue Wallman is the author of books such as I Know You Did It, Such a Good Liar and Lying About Last Summer.Perfect for fans of Holly Jackson, Karen McManus and E. Lockhart
Publication Date: 11th May
TW: death, murder, stalking, catfishing, death threats, stabbing, hospitalisation, animal death, graphic details of dead animals, violence, injury
My Thoughts:
Sue Wallman got me again.
Every Word a Lie spins an intriguing tale of deceit and double bluffing. In a story where pretence is a major theme, suspect everyone and trust nothing. Yet again, Wallman has created another twisty, heart-racing mystery that kept me guessing until the very end. Her writing is so compulsively readable, letting me speed through the pages in a couple of sittings. The pacing is spot on, never allowing you to fully relax and draw breath, but also ensuring there are quieter moments of character work. This is a double edged sword though, as it also allows time for your theories to grow and Wallman to lead you down yet another rabbit hole.
Wallman always creates such complex and nuanced characters that I deeply connect with. I love how messy and authentically teenage she makes them. They are often unlikable and make mistakes, but they are all too human. Above all, they are realistic and understandable – with clear motivations. Hollie is another example of this, making a fundamental mistake but also recognising the impact this has. The arc of her confronting and learning to live with her guilt, while also recognising that she is not responsible for someone else’s actions is stunning. Wallman also continues that fracturing impact of guilt and grief across the side characters, showing how it causes a myriad of reactions. Though, these differing reactions create some suspicion, with plenty of red herrings along the way. Here, I suspected every single character and Wallman gave me ample reason to, with plenty of suspicious moments and intriguing details that pulled on my interest.
Every Word a Lie is another excellent YA mystery from a heavyweight of the genre. As long as Wallman wants to keep writing these incredible mysteries, I will keep picking them up.
A Short Book Lover 
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