THE COUSINS BY KAREN M. MCMANUS

12/25/2020

Young adult mystery and thrillers are my guilty pleasure and McManus slays the genre! I love a book that not only keeps me interested but surprises the heck out of me just like this one!

Rating: ★★★★
Release Date: December 1, 2020
Genre: Young Adult Mystery and Thriller
Series: None. Complete standalone.
Pages: 330 pages
Format: Hardcover. Purchased.

Milly, Aubrey, and Jonah Story are cousins, but they barely know each another, and they've never even met their grandmother. Rich and reclusive, she disinherited their parents before they were born. So when they each receive a letter inviting them to work at her island resort for the summer, they're surprised . . . and curious.

Their parents are all clear on one point--not going is not an option. This could be the opportunity to get back into Grandmother's good graces. But when the cousins arrive on the island, it's immediately clear that she has different plans for them. And the longer they stay, the more they realize how mysterious--and dark--their family's past is.

The entire Story family has secrets. Whatever pulled them apart years ago isn't over--and this summer, the cousins will learn everything.

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READ MY BOOK REVIEW

My Rating: 4 Stars
Genre Young Adult Mystery

Family can be terrifying and McManus proves this in her latest release, COUSINS. This book was a pure JOY to read. Not only because I was shocked at the twist and turn of events towards the end but because I was able to DEVOUR this book at warp speed. You guys, I have had the HARDEST time when it comes to being able to read a book in a day (I used to be able to, but the past few months has changed this). With this one, it was NO TROUBLE AT ALL. That’s how good it is; the novel is intriguing, mysterious, and downright FRIGHTENING when it comes to what is actually happening. AH! I loved it. If you’re a fan of young adult mysteries (yes, this book is more of a mystery instead of thriller like her other books), then this is the book for you! Sometimes readers can be turned off by the age of the characters but trust me, you really don’t notice that these kids are teens in this one. You’re so sucked into a story of secrets, shame, and lies that you forget how old they are!

Alright, so now we’re getting into my specific likes and dislikes for the novel (this is a fairly new thing I’m doing so I hope it helps potential readers who want something a bit more specific in reviews they read). You can read them below. I’ll keep spoilers out of it as no one wants to know a plot twist before they read a mystery like this one!

𝗪𝗛𝗔𝗧 𝗜 𝗟𝗢𝗩𝗘𝗗 𝗔𝗕𝗢𝗨𝗧 𝗧𝗛𝗜𝗦 𝗕𝗢𝗢𝗞

📝 Despite the beachy setting, this book has some dark undertones. Normally a setting can set the tone for a story but with this one that’s not the case. What seems like an idyllic location to spend the summer is actually a mask for the crazy things that go down in the story. It’s as if the scenery itself is HIDING all the lies behind it. I loved this so much! I don’t always need to read about a gothic setting when it comes to dark family secrets and issues (although that type of setting always works and sets the tone) and that’s proven here.

📝 The way the story is presented through 3 POV’s works so well for this story. Usually, I prefer the POV’s stay at 2 because I get confused when too many characters are talking to me (LOL) but I think Jonah, Milly, and Aubrie’s POV was NEEDED to bring this one full circle.

📝 The twist at the end was EPIC. I love an EPIC TWIST especially when I don’t figure it out before it happens and that’s what we get here. I was SHOOK. It’s also what freaked me out to be honest because I didn’t see it coming and I could only IMAGINE that being real life **shudders*

📝 The book is compulsively readable. It’s so intriguing and you WANT to know the answers so bad that you continue reading despite the time. I love a book that can take over and this one did that! When my son gets a little older, I’m going to have him read these books because I KNOW he’ll find them to be awesome!

𝗪𝗛𝗔𝗧 𝗜 𝗗𝗜𝗦𝗟𝗜𝗞𝗘𝗗 𝗔𝗕𝗢𝗨𝗧 𝗧𝗛𝗜𝗦 𝗕𝗢𝗢𝗞

📝 We know that there is something seriously wrong within the Story family (you can literally FEEL it though her writing) but things don’t really present themselves until the end. AS I’ve mentioned in other reviews, I am not a big fan of slow-moving mysteries or suspense and that’s what this book is. I did enjoy how the story unfolded but it was a tad slow getting there.

📝 The kids parents were all morons. I hate seeing the parents of children act so childish and horrible and you see a lot of that in this book. A LOT.

𝗦𝗨𝗠𝗠𝗜𝗡𝗚 𝗜𝗧 𝗨𝗣

In McManus’s latest release, readers are going to uncover that not all families are perfect. The Cousins is one heck of a young adult thriller and reading it in one sitting won’t be difficult at all. If you’re like me then you won’t be able to stop! It’s compulsively readable, engaging, mysterious, and TWISTED. I very much recommend it!

𝗠𝗬 𝗥𝗔𝗧𝗜𝗡𝗚: ⭐⭐⭐⭐