Today, I’m sharing another instalment of my Mini Review Mondays and the final one for August, 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.
First up, I’d like to talk about Suddenly a Murder by Lauren Muñoz. Thank you to Hot Key Books for sending me an eARC in exchange for an honest review.
Everyone has a secret. Everyone has a motive. But only one of them brought a knife to the party…
To celebrate the end of high school, Izzy Morales joins her best friend Kassidy and five friends on a luxury 1920s-themed getaway at the glamorous Ashwood Manor. There, Izzy and her friends party in vintage dresses and expensive diamonds – until Kassidy’s boyfriend turns up dead. And when a raging storm traps them on the island with two detectives, the sparkling young socialites become the prime suspects in his murder.
There’s the girlfriend, and the other girl. The old friend, and the new friend. The brooding enigma. And then, there’s Izzy – the girl who brought the knife…
Publication Date: 5th September
TW: death, murder, stabbing, racism, classism, overdose, homophobia, blackmail, inappropriate relationships
My Thoughts:
Suddenly a Murder was an excellent YA mystery – solid in its plotting, atmosphere and characterisation. It draws on those Golden Age mystery vibes, but feels entirely modern and refreshing.
Right from the start, I was entirely drawn into this story. The opening page is such an excellent hook and I was all in. Muñoz has crafted a conniving whodunnit, following the traditional structures of the very mystery films Izzy and Kassidy love. The tension only ramps up from there. This is such a well-plotted story with excellent twists and turns, mostly revealed through these individual interviews and of course, the final denouement scene that I adored. There is such a sense of love and honouring of these Golden Age mystery narratives. However, Muñoz is careful to challenge many of the bigoted and outdated ideas embedded in some of these narratives. Here, we have a diverse and far more modern cast of characters, albeit most from luxurious and wealthy backgrounds. There is a keen sense of classism and racism being explored throughout the narrative.
Muñoz has such a way with characterisation. Through both the interview snippets and their interactions with other characters, we get to learn so much about each person through very little information. It is all in the slight quirks and the layered levels of secrets each character is holding dear. Of course, everyone here is a suspect. There is the extra pressure of the locked room style claustrophobia in the remote location. Muñoz adds an extra gloss of privilege and power to these proceedings. It is all gilded facades and moneyed luxury. That power imbalance adds a new atmosphere to the book, as with the theme of the party. This is a place out of time, seemingly in limbo while the mystery unfolds.
Suddenly a Murder is the YA equivalent of Knives Out – carefully balancing a love letter to the roots of its mysteries with an entirely new, surprising and thoroughly enjoyable story.
Next up, I’d like to talk about There’s No Way I’d Die First by Lisa Springer. Thank you to Samuel Bonner at Penguin Random House International for sending me a copy in exchange for an honest review.
Noelle Layne knows horror. Every trope, every warning sign, every survival tactic. She even leads a successful movie club dedicated to the genre. Thus, who better to throw the ultimate, most exclusive Halloween party on all of Long Island?
And with the guest list including the coolest kids in her senior class, her popularity is bound to spike. Hopefully, enough to warrant an expansion into podcasting. Plus, the fact that attractive, singer-songwriter Archer Mitchell is coming is honestly the candy corn on top. Nothing is going to kill her party vibes.
Except…maybe the low-budget It clown she hires to lead a classic round of tag. He’s supposed to be terrifying, though in a comforting, nostalgic way. Instead, the guy is giving major creeps. But maybe Noelle’s just that good at hosting?
Her confidence is immediately rocked when the night’s entertainment axes one of her guests. And he’s not done yet. If an evil, murderous clown thinks life is a game, then Noelle is ready to play. She’s been waiting a long time to prove that she’s a Final Girl.
Publication Date: 5th September
TW: murder, violence, death, gore, graphic violence, torture, racism
My Thoughts:
There’s No Way I’d Die First is easily one of the best YA horrors I have read this year.
This is a slasher narrative unlike any other. It is gory, violent and so imaginative in its kills. Springer has created some truly nightmarish scenarios, which will stay with me for quite some time. I love how much the narrative is immersed in the horror genre itself, from Noelle’s knowledge of the genre, her podcast and her regular quipping in various films. At the same time, it is careful to critique the consideration of horror within the media and particularly how horror has traditionally treated Black characters. Through Noelle, Springer has ignited such an important conversation. I absolutely loved her as a protagonist as well. She had such strong Final Girl energy, determined, driven and wanting to survive at all costs. It was interesting to see how her knowledge both helped and hindered her within an actual horror narrative unfolding around her.
The way this plot unfolds is nothing short of spectacular. This is a tight, incredibly atmospheric and claustrophobic book. Every second is like being on a knife edge. The tension is kept at a high at all times. Like any good slasher, there are plenty of surprises up its sleeve. There were a couple of moments that made my stomach curl up in dread. As a key part of this, the eventual motivations that are laid out are perfectly chaotic and yet terrifyingly rational at the same time. You can exactly recognise the kind of person that is laying these out. They recontextualise the deaths and frame the entire narrative in a completely new light. It is just so real and cuts to the bone in a terrifying manner.
There’s No Way I’d Die First is a book mired in blood, guts and gore. Do not read with the lights out.
Finally, I’d like to delve into Welcome to Camp Killer by Cynthia Murphy. Thank you to Barrington Stoke for sending me an eARC in exchange for an honest review.
When an American-style residential camp is set up in the grounds of an English stately home, the teenage camp counsellors are looking forward to a fun summer of activities.
But right from the outset, things don’t feel quite right at Camp Miller. Rumours circulate of a tragedy that took place in the grounds and there are unexplained sightings of a ghostly presence.
Then the incidents begin – a near-drowning out on the lake, a fatal fall from a cliff-face… are these tragic accidents or is there something more sinister going on at Camp Killer?
Publication Date: 7th September
TW: death, violence, gore, murder
My Thoughts:
Welcome to Camp Killer was such a fun, pacy and twisty read.
This novella chilled me on a hot, summery day. It is a quick read that does not let up on the graphic violence within its pages. Murphy has a reputation for consistent, creative and chilling YA horror narratives that is duly upheld here.
The setting is a uniquely bizarre one, with an Americanised summer camp within the grounds of a derelict English mansion. From just this, everything feels slightly off kilter and out of place. Murphy just lets rip from there with a rip-roaring narrative. The shorter pace, designed in keeping with Barrington Stoke’s aims, meant that I zipped through this. For a bit of context, Barrington Stoke works hard to publish super-readable, accessible books that help every child experience the joy of reading. This focus on accessibility and inclusion means that I have long been a champion of their work. It also means that their books are incredibly easy to read and feel like binge-watching one of your favourite TV shows. They just flow so well and their shorter length allows for pages to just keep turning.
Murphy packs one hell of a punch within that shorter space though. This is just as twisty and gut-punching as her other works. I always love that interplay between realistic slasher horror and the slight hint of the supernatural she always weaves in. Here, that is played off to great effect. You are constantly questioning everything and everyone you are presented with. The characterisation is distinctive and three-dimensional as well.
Welcome to Camp Killer proves just why Cynthia Murphy remains a consistent standout of YA horror.
A Short Book Lover 
5 thoughts on “Mini Review Monday #119”