Reviews with content warning for Alcoholism - Nothing More to Tell

I slung this down in two days while working, though it was one of those books that are fun to read despite not being the strongest plot-wise. It felt a bit all over the place, and the ending was very unsatisfying

given that finding out who murdered Mr. Larkin was the entire premise of the book.

I really liked Brynn and Tripp together, though. I think the characters in this book were one of the main reasons I finished it so quickly.

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bea_reads_books's review against another edition

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medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? No
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? No
Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

3.75

I enjoyed this book, but there were some issues I had with it. For one, a lot of side characters and plot elements kind of get picked up when it’s convenient and then set back down again for an indefinite amount of time. Tripp’s mom, for example. She kind of just vanished two thirds of the way into the book even though she was part of the main conflict.

There's this reporter guy who’s supposedly trying to make it look like Tripp and his friends are guilty of murder, and the set up in the first half made it seem like this would be a much bigger issue. But then it just isn’t. Nothing happens at all.

Also, this author has her character profiles and just recycles them for new books, or at least it seems like that sometimes. She really likes the “deadbeat mom is back in town” trope too.

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sydneyns1990's review against another edition

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dark mysterious medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Plot
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? No
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

3.0

The book started out a bit slow. Of course there was a lot of exposition and world building upfront but at the sacrifice of excitement or intrigue. I couldn’t even remember any of the character’s names because they were so bland at the beginning. It picked up around the middle, 60% mark but the ending feels so rushed and convoluted that I just wanted it to end. McManus chose to include the plot twist and red herrings all at the very end which gave me whiplash in a way that made me ill. I did enjoy that middle section but overall this book is forgettable.

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chloek608's review against another edition

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adventurous dark mysterious tense fast-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

I recommend this book if you like:
-YA mystery
-high school setting
-whodunnit

I am a big fan of Karen M. McManus books which all started with One of Us is Lying. I have enjoyed all her books and they are so easy to read yet have a lot of mystery and intrigue packed into them. The covers and sprayed book edges also make a beautiful addition to my collection.

Brynn is returning her hometown and her old school for senior year. She has also landed a cool internship with a crime tv show where she pitched the idea of looking into a cold case which is right on her doorstep. Her old teacher was murdered in the woods and three of her classmates found him. Were they involved in the murder or just in the wrong place at the wrong time?

Brynn reunites with her ex-best friend Tripp. He was one of the classmates involved but is he guilty of anything?

This whodunnit kept me guessing until the end and I didn’t see it coming!

Brynn had to quit her job at Motive to prove loyalty to her friends, although it didn’t stop her investigation. She uncovered that the teacher Mr Larkin had changed his name and was looking to reconnect with his younger brother who studied at the school. This turned out to be Mason. Somehow Charlotte had overheard a conversation which led her to believe that Mr Larkin’s brother was actually Shane, her boyfriend. Mr Larkin posed a threat to his brother by telling their abusive father where he could find Mason. Charlotte would do anything to protect her boyfriend so she did the ultimate crazy girlfriend move and killed their teacher.

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aformeracceleratedreader's review against another edition

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dark mysterious medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Plot
Loveable characters? It's complicated
Diverse cast of characters? No

4.0

Not my favorite by Karen M McManus but def better than You'll be the Death of Me.
I liked the twists and turns and finding out who really was responsible for Mr Larkin's death. I wasn't expecting the whodunnit but I am notoriously bad at figuring that sort of thing out. Also liked the little nod to One of Us is Lying.
My only complaint with her books overall is the lack of diversity.

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