reading_under_covers's Reviews (1.61k)

Identical twins, Lenora and Cassie, have been living in Cabin Two at an isolated campground in an effort to escape their past and “that night.” When the grounds come under new management, and the teenage daughter of a visiting family goes missing, Cassie and Lenora both start reliving the past and begin to question who they can trust.

WHEN SHE WAS ME by Marlee Bush is a really strong debut suspense novel! 

The sisters were both intriguing characters with very interesting careers and the isolated campground setting was so so good!

The alternating past timeline kept the suspense up and also had me questioning everything I thought to be true.

This one is on the lengthier side, which I didn’t feel was completely necessary, but it still managed to be a quick read regardless.

I’m definitely curious to see where Marlee goes from here!

Huge thanks to NetGalley and Poisoned Pen Press for an ARC in exchange for an honest review!

Publication Date: May 7

Ella was the most popular (and hated) girl in school, so when she turns up murdered, there are too many suspects to count. Unfortunately for Dawn, being the new girl puts her in suspect spot number one. She puts on her own investigative hat to find out who the killer is.

PERFECT LITTLE MONSTERS by Cindy R. X. He is a bingeable YA thriller that will have you screaming at the meanness of the popular kids and rooting for the outcasts!

This isn’t the strongest book I’ve read - some of the characterization fell flat and the pacing never really took a moment to breathe. It was overall lacking a bit of substance…

BUT, with that being said, this was a very quick read and, being a debut, I’m very intrigued to see what Cindy may be cooking up next!

Huge thanks to NetGalley and Sourcebooks Fire for an ARC in exchange for an honest review!

Publication Date: May 7

tw: suicide, suicidal thoughts, eating disorder, murder, bullying, fatphobia, mental health

I really love how much research and sensitivity Cassidy works into his books - he deals with such heavy topics in a horror light that I just find so fascinating!

This had some gross goo and slurping (lol), but I really loved the setting and the New York nods!

Damn, Kubica really put Meghan through it 😅

This book was packed with twists and I absolutely cruised through it!! Definitely in my top reads from Mary Kubica’s work!

Ever since Jo’s nudes were leaked, she has become an outcast at her high school. When her ex-best friend Maddie goes missing, she must face all of those who turned against her to get answers and find her friend.

I always enjoy diving into a YA novel because I love the teenage mess and angst! 🙄

It was so easy to root for Jo and all of the demons she faced as she put on her investigative cap, while also seeing her come to terms with some of her own past traumas.

This one was dark, but also had a cute romance - HELL YEAH, JO!!!

Thanks to Bloomsbury YA and Libro.fm for an early copy in exchange for an honest review!

Pub date: April 30

When a murdered teen is found in the coastal Maine town of Granite Harbor, the teen’s close friends and parents come together to get answers and hopefully save their own kids from the same fate.

This book was dark and gritty and such a fantastic crime fiction 🔪

The chapters flip through several points of view AND a past timeline which allow you to really get to know everyone in this small town!

Thank you to Celadon for the ARC in exchange for an honest review!

The gross bits in this book really grossed me out, BUT this was such a spooky and creative exploration of grief and addiction. 

“Fuck it. Let’s get haunted.”

 

MARY by Nat Cassidy took me by surprise in all of the best ways! 

 

The Foreword and Afterword were both exceptionally insightful and, I’m sure I won’t be the first to say it, but Nat was meant to tell Mary’s story. 

 

In Carrie fashion, Mary follows a nearly-50-year-old woman as she enters her second puberty in life, while also returning to her hometown to face down the demons of her past 👻 

 

This book was full of gore, women empowerment, and soooo many dead people! It also really brought back that nostalgia that can be found in older horror novels 🖤 

 

OH WAIT, THERE’S ALSO A CULT! 

 

So pleased to have started my Nat Cassidy journey with this gem right here 🛁 

DC Morgan is back in action when a reality tv production sets up shop in her backyard - Dragon Mountain. Seven contestants must find out the others’ deepest secrets or risk confronting their biggest fear in the confession pod. When one of the contestants goes missing, DC Morgan is tasked with getting answers from people who aren’t willing to offer up their trust…

A GAME OF LIES is the second book in the DC Morgan series (the first being THE LAST PARTY) by Clare Mackintosh, and brings us back into Morgan’s small Welsh town full of its familiar characters, families, and lost loves.

Adding a reality television element to this story was such a fun idea and opened up this world and story to some new and interesting characters!

However, I found the plot of the television show (and the secrets) to be immensely lacking, though seeing Leo and Ffian back together again was such a treat!

A fine read, but not one that leaves me itching for a third.

Thanks to NetGalley and Sourcebooks Landmark for an ARC in exchange for an honest review!

Publication Date: April 23