You’ll Be The Death Of Me

Disclaimer: I received a copy of this book from the publisher as part of my participation in the tour hosted by The Write Reads.

Book Overview

You’ll Be The Death Of Me: Karen M. McManus
Genre: Young Adult, Mystery, Thriller
Length: 336 pages
Rating: ★★★★ (4 Stars)

Published November 30, 2021 by Penguin

Book Tour Info

I read this book as part of a book tour with The Write Reads.

Book Synopsis

Ivy, Mateo and Cal used to be close – best friends back in middle school.

Now all they have in common is a bad day. So for old time’s sake they skip school together – one last time.

But when the trio spot Brian ‘Boney’ Mahoney ditching class too, they follow him – right into a murder scene.

They all have a connection to the victim. And they’re ALL hiding something.

When their day of freedom turns deadly, it’s only a matter of time before the truth comes out . . .


It’s Ferris Bueller’s Day Off with murder, perfect for fans of One Of Us Is Lying and A Good Girl’s Guide To Murder. This explosive new thriller is impossible to put down.

Review

I really wish it were acceptable for me as a teacher to give a student a book and tell them “see! This is why we don’t skip school!” Why? Well, that’s exactly the whole premise of this book. Three high school students decide to skip school, and in the process, get caught up in an active murder investigation. Would telling my students to read this book cause them to be less likely to skip school? I’m not sure, but I certainly enjoyed reading it.

I did really enjoy the plot, and for once I actually enjoyed the fact that the story was told from multiple perspectives. I never once had to look back to the beginning of the chapter to figure out who was providing the narration, something that I usually struggle with. Ivy, Mateo, and Cal each had their own unique voice, and added their own little pieces to the story. In fact, I felt that each of their subplots played into the main plot perfectly.

My biggest complaint is that I felt that the book was weirdly paced. I had to keep reminding myself that this all was taking place all over the course of a single day. There were so many crazy things happening, I found it hard to believe that everything was happening over the course of a single day. I know that if I were to skip work with a few friends and end up in a similar situation, we likely wouldn’t end up finding time to talk about our past together. We’d be too busy trying to figure out what to do next.

Rating & Final Thoughts

Rating: 4 out of 5.

At the end of the day, this wasn’t one of my favorite books to read, but it’s still one that I’m going to recommend. I definitely think that it’s the perfect book for a younger reader who’s looking to get into mystery-thrillers, but it’s likely to disappoint a more seasoned mystery-thriller reader.