BLOG TOUR - THE COUSINS BY KAREN M. MCMANUS - YA FICTION [REVIEW + GIVEAWAY]

Title: The Cousins

Authors(s): Karen M. McManus
Publication Date: December 1, 2020
Edition: Hardcover, eBook, Audiobook; 336 pgs
Publisher: Delacorte Press
Source: Rockstar Book Tours
Buy: Amazon - Kindle - Audible -

Barnes & Noble - iBooks - Kobo - The Book Depository - Bookshop.org
Disclaimer: I received a copy from the publisher in exchange for an honest review. My thoughts and opinions are my own.

Tour Schedule

Week One

11/16/2020 BookHounds YA Excerpt

11/17/2020 Kait Plus Books Excerpt

11/18/2020 YA Books Central Excerpt

11/19/2020 Moonlight Rendezvous Review

11/20/2020 PopTheButterfly Reads Review

Week Two

11/23/2020 Nerdophiles Review

11/24/2020 Not In Jersey Review

11/25/2020 Cuzinlogic Review

11/26/2020 booksaremagictoo Review

11/27/2020 Jenguerdy Review

Week Three

11/30/2020 midnightbooklover Review

12/1/2020 Lisa Loves Literature Review

12/2/2020 A Dream Within A Dream Review

12/3/2020 Thepagesinbetween Review

12/4/2020 Becky on Books Review

Week Four

12/7/2020 Mallory Books Review

12/8/2020 onemused Review

12/9/2020 fictitious.fox Review

12/10/2020 Momfluenster Review

12/11/2020 Eli to the nth Review

The Summary

From the #1 New York Times bestselling author of One of Us Is Lying comes your next obsession. You'll never feel the same about family again.

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.

(Goodreads)

My Review

One of is Lying, Karen McManus's debut novel, is what really turned me on to the mystery/thriller genre.  And each of her subsequent novels just sucked me in further.  The Cousins is no different.  Twisty, engulfing, and oh so full of secrets, the plot drives you along, but the characters ground you in the story.  You follow along with Milly, Aubrey, and Jonah as they spend time on a island filled with so many secrets the place is choking with them.

Karen definitely has a deft hand when writing characters.  While making the final "reveal" in a mystery as surprising as possible is important, it is the characters that you really have to care about.  Who wants to read about these crazy twists happening to characters you hate?  Karen really makes the reader invested in what happens to these three, and then the Story family at large.  What happened to make their grandmother disown all her children? What secrets are being hidden, both from the past and in the present? And can they figure it out to "heal" the family rift, if it's even worth it?

I enjoyed that the setting change up in this book, heading outside of high school.  The focus on family, while present in her other books, is so important to this story.  I enjoy when I get to see the family dynamic of teens, as family was (and is still) so important when I was a teenager.  Parents, siblings, etc. can really effect your life in so many ways.  This is handled beautifully, and in a very real way through texts and phone calls for the most part.

You will definitely have your assumptions and theories as you read, but they will change by the ending (unless you are a super sleuth, which I am not).  I really loved the whole book, and found myself eating it up in one sitting.  That really nails it for me if it was a successful thriller/mystery.

Out in stores now, scroll down to enter to win a finished copy or grab a copy at your local retailer.  You will want to add The Cousins by Karen M. McManus to your collection because it is just so fun!

Final Rating

About the Author

Karen M. McManus is the #1 New York Times, USA Today, and international bestselling author of One of Us Is Lying, Two Can Keep a Secret, and One of Us Is Next. Her fourth novel, The Cousins, will publish in December 2020. Her work has been translated into more than 40 languages worldwide. Karen lives in Massachusetts and holds a master's degree in Journalism from Northeastern University, which she mostly uses to draft fake news stories for her novels.

Website | Twitter  | Goodreads | Instagram 

Giveaway

3 winners will receive a Finished Copy of THE COUSINS, US Only.

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