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hermoonreads's review
5.0
The only thing better than one surprise sapphic in a book is MULTIPLE surprise sapphics!!!
Heartbreak homes is a teen thriller set around the murder of a classmate at a party, too often with these types of stories the pacing is either way too slow, or rushed at several points which I absolutely can not stand, HH does not have this issue at all. Both the pacing and the engagement levels are pretty constant throughout.
The story is told from a good number of perspectives which keeps the story feeling fresh as well as giving us multiple perspectives on the events ongoing, this mixed with the short chapters makes it super easy to speed through this book.
As I mentioned earlier there ended up being multiple queer characters which was a great surprise for me, as time goes on I'm no longer having to search for specifically queer books to get representation, I get to see queer main characters by accident, which is so refreshing!
4.5 stars rounded up to a 5, I loved this!
Big thanks to netgally, the publisher, and Jo Treggiari for providing me with an ARC in exchange for an honest review.
Heartbreak homes is a teen thriller set around the murder of a classmate at a party, too often with these types of stories the pacing is either way too slow, or rushed at several points which I absolutely can not stand, HH does not have this issue at all. Both the pacing and the engagement levels are pretty constant throughout.
The story is told from a good number of perspectives which keeps the story feeling fresh as well as giving us multiple perspectives on the events ongoing, this mixed with the short chapters makes it super easy to speed through this book.
As I mentioned earlier there ended up being multiple queer characters which was a great surprise for me, as time goes on I'm no longer having to search for specifically queer books to get representation, I get to see queer main characters by accident, which is so refreshing!
4.5 stars rounded up to a 5, I loved this!
Big thanks to netgally, the publisher, and Jo Treggiari for providing me with an ARC in exchange for an honest review.
lillanaa's review
4.0
This is really interesting, and has a great true crime vibe but it felt like some things in the story to do with characterization were just anecdotes. That said, I did really enjoy our POV characters; Frankie was interesting if a little confusing in how sheltered she actually is, Martin was probably my favourite because I get his motivations all the way through, and Cara was probably the parts of the story I understood the most for why she acted the way she did. There were definitely some confusing moments with how fast the POV switched at times, but I'd say this was strong.
msvenner's review
3.0
A solid YA suspense/mystery book. Well done. I’ll recommend this to my young readers.
kookie9200's review
4.0
Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for allowing me to review this book.
This book is a sort of murder mystery for teens. After a party in an abandoned house goes horribly wrong, a group of teens tries to figure out who murdered the popular kid.
I liked this book but it wasn't anything that kept me on the edge of my seat. I thought the pace was a little slow and there were times when it was difficult to stay engaged in the story. It isn't a bad story at all, but I look for something a little more snappy and quick in a thriller.
This book is a sort of murder mystery for teens. After a party in an abandoned house goes horribly wrong, a group of teens tries to figure out who murdered the popular kid.
I liked this book but it wasn't anything that kept me on the edge of my seat. I thought the pace was a little slow and there were times when it was difficult to stay engaged in the story. It isn't a bad story at all, but I look for something a little more snappy and quick in a thriller.
themorbidlibrary's review
4.0
Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for providing me with an advanced copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
3.5 stars, rounded up to 4.
Spoilers ahead. I will not reveal anything big - most of the review vaguely alludes to plot, structure, and characters.
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Loved the idea of this plot and the three different narrators were distinct enough to justify them; I found the discussion of the poverty and decline of !Martin's family and his subsequent "fall from grace" to be the most interesting backdrop for a character - he was my favorite narrator. The mystery aspect of the book was just okay. Things moved too slowly for my taste, and the twist was a bit predictable and simple for my tastes. However, it is a good read for fans of character-driven mysteries looking for a quick read.
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Again, thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for providing me with an advanced copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
3.5 stars, rounded up to 4.
Spoilers ahead. I will not reveal anything big - most of the review vaguely alludes to plot, structure, and characters.
---
Loved the idea of this plot and the three different narrators were distinct enough to justify them; I found the discussion of the poverty and decline of !Martin's family and his subsequent "fall from grace" to be the most interesting backdrop for a character - he was my favorite narrator. The mystery aspect of the book was just okay. Things moved too slowly for my taste, and the twist was a bit predictable and simple for my tastes. However, it is a good read for fans of character-driven mysteries looking for a quick read.
---
Again, thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for providing me with an advanced copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
kba76's review
dark
mysterious
medium-paced
3.5
Told from varying perspectives this is a murder mystery that had an intriguing premise.
We begin at a party that’s been organised in a remote woodland location. Set in a town where lots of people have been affected by the collapse of a building scheme, Mal Bradley is not wholly unaware of the statement he’s making by allowing people to trash his father’s building.
Unfortunately, Mal is found dead during the course of the party. His girlfriend is found in a coma, and nobody is certain who could be responsible.
We shift perspective, focusing on three different characters caught up in events. Our primary narrator, Frankie, is probably the most personable of the characters. As she tries to uncover what could have happened to her best friend Jesse she realises that a number of people are hiding things…and wonders who’s determined enough to kill to keep them hidden.
The actual uncovering of the story seemed to go tortuously slowly. I also felt that once things started to unravel it all fell into place a little too easily. That aside, this was an entertaining read. Thanks to NetGalley for offering me the opportunity to read and review it.
We begin at a party that’s been organised in a remote woodland location. Set in a town where lots of people have been affected by the collapse of a building scheme, Mal Bradley is not wholly unaware of the statement he’s making by allowing people to trash his father’s building.
Unfortunately, Mal is found dead during the course of the party. His girlfriend is found in a coma, and nobody is certain who could be responsible.
We shift perspective, focusing on three different characters caught up in events. Our primary narrator, Frankie, is probably the most personable of the characters. As she tries to uncover what could have happened to her best friend Jesse she realises that a number of people are hiding things…and wonders who’s determined enough to kill to keep them hidden.
The actual uncovering of the story seemed to go tortuously slowly. I also felt that once things started to unravel it all fell into place a little too easily. That aside, this was an entertaining read. Thanks to NetGalley for offering me the opportunity to read and review it.
danielleblechle's review
4.0
For my first Netgalley ARC, Jo Treggiari knocked it out of the park! This book sucked me in from the beginning and kept me engaged and guessing all the way through - I finished it in a matter of hours. The short chapters, told from different points of view, made it easy to keep reading. Though YA thrillers tend to have some stock character types (the jock, the cheerleader, the outcast, etc) and this novel is no exception, I was really pleased with the character development of both Frankie and Martin. I was particularly fond of Martin and loved the recurring nods to his journalistic mind.
Though I was anticipating a more complex twist in terms of who is behind it all, I still found myself satisfied at the end. Hats off to Treggiari for an engaging, well thought out thriller and I look forward to more of her books to come!
Though I was anticipating a more complex twist in terms of who is behind it all, I still found myself satisfied at the end. Hats off to Treggiari for an engaging, well thought out thriller and I look forward to more of her books to come!
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