Another McManus novel worth pulling an all-nighter for.
The Story family is full of secrets—and three cousins will unearth them.
Once inconsequential Gull Cove Island off the coast of Massachusetts was transformed into a luxurious getaway by Abraham Story. In the late 1990s, his widow, Mildred, suddenly disinherited her four young adult offspring—Adam, Anders, Allison, and, Archer—without explanation except for a mysterious letter, sent by her lawyer to each sibling, that read: “You know what you did.” A couple of decades later, the three Story grandchildren—Milly, Aubrey, and Jonah—receive letters from the grandmother they’ve never met, inviting them to spend the summer working at her island resort. Sensing an opportunity to regain entry into their mother’s world, Allison, Adam, and Anders force their respective children to accept her invitation. Upon their arrival at Gull Cove Island, where the Story family is a hot topic of gossip among the locals, it’s clear that the family’s past is darker than the cousins imagined. Not only is someone trying to get them to leave, but their grandmother was not expecting them. In classic McManus fashion, perspectives shift, providing insights into the three cousins’ distinct stories and personal motives while maintaining a steady pace that leaves readers flipping pages. Every twist is gasp-inducing, and the ending will satisfy some and make others yearn for a sequel. The main cast is White except for Milly, who is biracial (White and Japanese).
Another McManus novel worth pulling an all-nighter for. (family tree) (Thriller. 14-18)Pub Date: Dec. 1, 2020
ISBN: 978-0-525-70800-1
Page Count: 336
Publisher: Delacorte
Review Posted Online: Aug. 3, 2020
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Aug. 15, 2020
Lush, angsty, queer horror.
When the monsters they imagine come to life, two boys fight for their lives—and each other.
Andrew Perrault, who’s from Australia, writes beautiful, macabre fairy tales. His roommate at his American boarding school, Wickwood Academy, is talented artist Thomas Rye, who brings his stories to vivid life in paint and charcoal. Andrew’s twin sister, Dove, is all but ignoring him, so he has plenty of time to focus on Thomas’ increasingly odd behavior. Thomas’ parents disappeared just before the new school year started, and Andrew noticed blood on his roommate’s sleeve on their first day back. When he follows Thomas into the forest one night, Andrew discovers him fighting one of the monsters that Thomas has drawn from these stories. The boys soon find themselves coping with vicious bullies by day and fighting monsters by night. At the same time, Andrew struggles to reconcile his feelings for Thomas with his growing awareness of his own asexuality. But when the sinister Antler King breaches Wickwood’s walls, Andrew realizes that he and Thomas may not survive their own creations. This novel, written in rich, extravagant prose, features frank portrayals of disordered eating, self-harm, bullying, and mental illness. Andrew grapples realistically with his sexual identity, and the story has ample genuinely creepy moments with the monsters. Andrew, Thomas, and Dove are white.
Lush, angsty, queer horror. (content warning) (Horror. 14-18)Pub Date: Oct. 29, 2024
ISBN: 9781250895660
Page Count: 336
Publisher: Feiwel & Friends
Review Posted Online: Aug. 3, 2024
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Sept. 1, 2024
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
Shocking yet bittersweet, this captivating page-turner truly delivers.
Teens fight to survive a harrowing boat expedition in Mexico.
High school seniors Hannah and Emmy couldn’t be more different: After graduation, steady and staid Hannah plans to enter Linfield University and work toward a nursing degree, while impulsive Emmy aims to fulfill a longtime dream of traveling the world. As graduation looms, the girls take a spring break trip to Puerto Vallarta along with Emmy’s parents and college-age brother, Jackson. When Emmy meets the handsome and smarmy Ben, the four young people head out—at Ben’s insistence—on an ill-advised boat trip with the sketchy hipster captain, Keith, on his weathered craft, the Be-Yacht-Ch. A day of Instagram-perfect partying quickly devolves into something else. While a series of predicted storms, which led other boat tours to cancel outings, threatens the group, secrets and accusations drive a deadly wedge into an already fraught situation. As romantic feelings simmer between Hannah and Jackson and Ben’s sinister psychopathy emerges, the teens are left to fight for their lives. Reading like a YA White Lotus seen through a Freida McFadden–tinted lens, this work will satisfy Lally’s fans, who will revel in the jaw-dropping twists and rapid-fire pacing alongside the subtle commentary on toxic masculinity, entitlement, and privilege. Each chapter ends on a pulse-pounding cliffhanger, adding to the already unrelenting tension. Even the most seasoned thriller readers will be surprised by the tense and emotional ending. Apart from the Mexican locals, characters present white.
Shocking yet bittersweet, this captivating page-turner truly delivers. (Thriller. 14-18)Pub Date: March 31, 2026
ISBN: 9781728270173
Page Count: 288
Publisher: Sourcebooks Fire
Review Posted Online: Dec. 26, 2025
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Feb. 1, 2026
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
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