Status
Available
Genres
Collection
Publication
Delacorte Press (2020), 336 pages
Description
Mystery. Suspense. Thriller. Young Adult Fiction. HTML:#1 NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER �?� From the 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. Fans of the hit thriller that started it all can watch the secrets of the Bayview Four be revealed in the One of Us is Lying TV series now streaming on NBC'… (more)
Original publication date
2020
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User reviews
LibraryThing member khal_khaleesi
Whenever Karen McManus releases a book, I feel obligated to read it since I loved her first book, One of Us Is Lying. I also read the sequel, Two Can Keep a Secret. When The Cousins was released, it was one of those books that I had to read. While it wasn't as good of a read as her first two books,
Mildred Story cut ties with all of her children twenty-four years prior. All of her children swear they have no idea what they did to be cut off. However, when Mildred's grandchild receive a letter from Mildred inviting them to stay and work on her island, her grandchildren are a little suspicious but end up going. However, when they decide to try to figure out the mystery, things take a dangerous turn.
The plot really reeled me in. I love a good mystery, so The Cousins was right up my alley. While the story did flow together really well, I felt that the pacing was a bit on the slow side. It wasn't painfully slow, but it made it where The Cousins wasn't one of those books where you can't put it down. I guess I was just hoping for more action. There were a few plot twists which were a bit unpredictable which was enjoyable. The setting and world building were done nicely. It was easy to feel like I was on the island with everything that was going on. I enjoyed the flashbacks from Mildred's children - Adam, Anders, Archer, and Allison. I felt like there were no cliff hangers and that all my questions were answered by the end of the book. I suppose McManus could make a sequel from this book, but I think that this book would be better left as a standalone.
The characters in The Cousins were written decently enough although I never really cared too much for any one character. I just had a hard time relating to any of the characters, so it was hard to really care for them. Milly came across as being too standoffish and stuck up a lot of the time. While I liked that she wasn't afraid to speak her mind, sometimes I felt like she went a bit overboard. Jonah was an alright character, but I felt like he lacked enough depth to really like him. I just felt like there was something missing with his backstory. Aubrey was an okay character too, but I felt like she wasn't much of a main character. I would have liked to see more of Aubrey because I felt like she didn't really add anything to the story and that her character was kind of pointless. Aubrey's character felt more like a filler in the book. I would have also liked to see more scenes with Mildred as she isn't in many. Knowing the whole story, I can see why she wasn't as present, but it would have been nice to at least have her in the book a bit more.
Trigger warnings for The Cousins include swearing, murder, death, minor violence, drinking (including underage), miscarriage, and teenage pregnancy,
Overall, The Cousins does have an interesting plot despite the execution. The world building is done fantastically, and the plot twists are plentiful. I would recommend The Cousins by Karen M. McManus to those aged 15+ that like mysteries.
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it was still a decent book.Mildred Story cut ties with all of her children twenty-four years prior. All of her children swear they have no idea what they did to be cut off. However, when Mildred's grandchild receive a letter from Mildred inviting them to stay and work on her island, her grandchildren are a little suspicious but end up going. However, when they decide to try to figure out the mystery, things take a dangerous turn.
The plot really reeled me in. I love a good mystery, so The Cousins was right up my alley. While the story did flow together really well, I felt that the pacing was a bit on the slow side. It wasn't painfully slow, but it made it where The Cousins wasn't one of those books where you can't put it down. I guess I was just hoping for more action. There were a few plot twists which were a bit unpredictable which was enjoyable. The setting and world building were done nicely. It was easy to feel like I was on the island with everything that was going on. I enjoyed the flashbacks from Mildred's children - Adam, Anders, Archer, and Allison. I felt like there were no cliff hangers and that all my questions were answered by the end of the book. I suppose McManus could make a sequel from this book, but I think that this book would be better left as a standalone.
The characters in The Cousins were written decently enough although I never really cared too much for any one character. I just had a hard time relating to any of the characters, so it was hard to really care for them. Milly came across as being too standoffish and stuck up a lot of the time. While I liked that she wasn't afraid to speak her mind, sometimes I felt like she went a bit overboard. Jonah was an alright character, but I felt like he lacked enough depth to really like him. I just felt like there was something missing with his backstory. Aubrey was an okay character too, but I felt like she wasn't much of a main character. I would have liked to see more of Aubrey because I felt like she didn't really add anything to the story and that her character was kind of pointless. Aubrey's character felt more like a filler in the book. I would have also liked to see more scenes with Mildred as she isn't in many. Knowing the whole story, I can see why she wasn't as present, but it would have been nice to at least have her in the book a bit more.
Trigger warnings for The Cousins include swearing, murder, death, minor violence, drinking (including underage), miscarriage, and teenage pregnancy,
Overall, The Cousins does have an interesting plot despite the execution. The world building is done fantastically, and the plot twists are plentiful. I would recommend The Cousins by Karen M. McManus to those aged 15+ that like mysteries.
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LibraryThing member jothebookgirl
Usually cousins Are quite familiar, but not in this case. Milly, Aubrey, and Jonah Story barely know each another, and they’ve never even met their grandmother. Mildred is rich and reclusive and maybe eccentric. After all she disinherited the cousins’ parents before their children were even
Their parents are all clear on one point– you will go. So Milly, Aubrey and Jonah all converge at the luxury resort. 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 from her reaction, she had no idea they were Even coming. The longer they stay, the more they realize how mysterious and dark their family’s past really is.
The entire Story family has secrets. The biggest mystery is what was it that pulled them apart years ago. Whatever the case it isn’t over, and with great satisfaction to the reader, this summer, the cousins learn everything.
This was an interesting and well paced mystery
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born. One day out of the blue they each receive a letter inviting them to work at her island resort for the summer, they’re surprised, yet curious.Their parents are all clear on one point– you will go. So Milly, Aubrey and Jonah all converge at the luxury resort. 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 from her reaction, she had no idea they were Even coming. The longer they stay, the more they realize how mysterious and dark their family’s past really is.
The entire Story family has secrets. The biggest mystery is what was it that pulled them apart years ago. Whatever the case it isn’t over, and with great satisfaction to the reader, this summer, the cousins learn everything.
This was an interesting and well paced mystery
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LibraryThing member kmartin802
Family secrets come out when three cousins who barely know each other are all invited to Gull Cove Island to work for a resort. The island is the home of the grandmother who disinherited all four of her children before the cousins were born. Each one has a different reason to want to reconcile or
Milly Story-Takahashi is the daughter of Allison, the only girl. She is named for her grandmother and has a difficult relationship with her own mother who seems to have unreasonable expectations for her. Milly would like to get to know her grandmother.
Aubrey Story is the daughter of Adam who is the oldest Story child. He was always his mother's favorite but hasn't had a very successful life since he was disinherited. He wrote a book which gave him fifteen minutes of fame but has done nothing since. He lets his wife who is a nurse support him while he dwells on his own sense of entitlement and keeps putting his daughter down. Now, he has done something that Aubrey is finding hard to forgive and it is a secret she's carried with her to the island.
Jonah is supposed to be the son of Anders Story. He is an imposter who has dreams of revenge since Anders convinced his parents to take part in an investment scheme that cost Jonah all his college fund and has almost driven his parents to bankruptcy and the near loss of their business.
When they arrive at the island, they find that their grandmother wasn't the one who invited them to come and really wants them all to leave. They also begin to have a number of questions about their family.
Part of the story also includes Milly's mother Allison's activities the summer of 1996 which laid the seeds of all that comes later.
This was a wonderfully twisty mystery with intriguing characters. I enjoyed trying to solve the mystery along with the cousins. The story had a nice mixture of suspense and development of the characters of the cousins. All of them grew and changed over the month they spent on the island before it all come to a fiery conclusion.
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at least get to know their grandmother.Milly Story-Takahashi is the daughter of Allison, the only girl. She is named for her grandmother and has a difficult relationship with her own mother who seems to have unreasonable expectations for her. Milly would like to get to know her grandmother.
Aubrey Story is the daughter of Adam who is the oldest Story child. He was always his mother's favorite but hasn't had a very successful life since he was disinherited. He wrote a book which gave him fifteen minutes of fame but has done nothing since. He lets his wife who is a nurse support him while he dwells on his own sense of entitlement and keeps putting his daughter down. Now, he has done something that Aubrey is finding hard to forgive and it is a secret she's carried with her to the island.
Jonah is supposed to be the son of Anders Story. He is an imposter who has dreams of revenge since Anders convinced his parents to take part in an investment scheme that cost Jonah all his college fund and has almost driven his parents to bankruptcy and the near loss of their business.
When they arrive at the island, they find that their grandmother wasn't the one who invited them to come and really wants them all to leave. They also begin to have a number of questions about their family.
Part of the story also includes Milly's mother Allison's activities the summer of 1996 which laid the seeds of all that comes later.
This was a wonderfully twisty mystery with intriguing characters. I enjoyed trying to solve the mystery along with the cousins. The story had a nice mixture of suspense and development of the characters of the cousins. All of them grew and changed over the month they spent on the island before it all come to a fiery conclusion.
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LibraryThing member AVoraciousReader
4.5
Book source ~ Tour
Milly, Aubrey, and Jonah Story are the grandkids of Mildred Story who disinherited her own four children twenty-four years ago. The kids, Adam, Anders, Allison, and Archer, never understood why. They only received a letter through the family lawyer that said, “You know what
Strap yourselves in because this is going to be a wild ride. Not so much action-packed, but full of questions, a few answers, more questions, holy sh*t moments, and finally answers. Wow. There’s a few spots where the story drags just a tiny bit, throwing me off my stride, but on the whole, it flows smooth as delicious frozen custard. Mmmmm. Where was I? Oh yeah! The cousins are fully fleshed out (and likeable!), there are multiple POVs, so I was able to see it in 360º technicolor and the plot, while being a teensy bit over the top, is still a doozy. I highly recommend this twisty-turny YA Mystery.
Book source ~ Tour
Milly, Aubrey, and Jonah Story are the grandkids of Mildred Story who disinherited her own four children twenty-four years ago. The kids, Adam, Anders, Allison, and Archer, never understood why. They only received a letter through the family lawyer that said, “You know what
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you did.” But they don’t. Or so they say. When the now teenaged grands each get an invitation to work the summer at the family resort, they are resentful, but also a bit curious about the grandmother they never met. So they go (with much pushing from their parents) and, whoa boy, they have intrigue coming out of their ass. Not literally.Strap yourselves in because this is going to be a wild ride. Not so much action-packed, but full of questions, a few answers, more questions, holy sh*t moments, and finally answers. Wow. There’s a few spots where the story drags just a tiny bit, throwing me off my stride, but on the whole, it flows smooth as delicious frozen custard. Mmmmm. Where was I? Oh yeah! The cousins are fully fleshed out (and likeable!), there are multiple POVs, so I was able to see it in 360º technicolor and the plot, while being a teensy bit over the top, is still a doozy. I highly recommend this twisty-turny YA Mystery.
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LibraryThing member miss.mesmerized
Twenty-five years ago, their parents were disowned by their grandmother Mildred. The four Story children Adam, Allison, Archer and Anders only got a letter saying that they knew what they had done. Unfortunately, they didn’t and haven’t been in contact with their mother who still lives on the
I liked Karen McManus’ former young adult novels a lot since she knows how to create suspense without being actually violent and because her characters are often teenagers one can easily identify with since they show the same fears and insecurities every knows. “The Cousins” offers an interesting setting and much more twists and turns than expected and thus was an enjoyable read.
The story is told alternatingly from the three teenagers’ point of view thus giving insight not only in their thoughts but also in the secrets they hide from each other. It also adds to the fast pace and at times gives you an advance since you already know what’s coming when the characters in the novel are still in the dark.
There are also flashbacks in which we meet their parents when they were teenagers which is quite an interesting comparison and also provides the necessary background to understand the behaviour of the characters on the island.
Overall, I totally enjoyed the novel which had an unforeseeable ending and some fascinating characters.
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family estate Catmint House on Gull Cove Island off the coast of Massachusetts which has been turned into a successful vacation destination for the rich. Unexpectedly, Milly, Aubrey and Jonah, Mildred’s grandchildren who have not seen each other for years, are invited to spend the summer there and to get to know their granny. Has the old lady finally changed her mind? Not really, but this is only one of the many, well buried family secrets of the Storys.I liked Karen McManus’ former young adult novels a lot since she knows how to create suspense without being actually violent and because her characters are often teenagers one can easily identify with since they show the same fears and insecurities every knows. “The Cousins” offers an interesting setting and much more twists and turns than expected and thus was an enjoyable read.
The story is told alternatingly from the three teenagers’ point of view thus giving insight not only in their thoughts but also in the secrets they hide from each other. It also adds to the fast pace and at times gives you an advance since you already know what’s coming when the characters in the novel are still in the dark.
There are also flashbacks in which we meet their parents when they were teenagers which is quite an interesting comparison and also provides the necessary background to understand the behaviour of the characters on the island.
Overall, I totally enjoyed the novel which had an unforeseeable ending and some fascinating characters.
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LibraryThing member Twink
Teen fiction makes for great escapist reading. My latest escape is New York Times bestselling author Karen M. McManus' new book, The Cousins.
The Cousins has all the right elements - three teens who are related, but haven't seen each other since they were young. Their parents don't speak to each
The three leads are great - all with different personalities, strengths and weaknesses. Their interactions ring true with believable dialogue. I think Aubrey was my favorite character - she grows as the book progresses. They are each given a voice with their own chapters. Also given a historical voice are the parents - from when they were teens on the island. This gives the reader a chance to have a different perspective, knowing more about the why and the what of that ' You know what you did' letter.
The setting is well imagined and easy to picture. (I want to be on the beach!) But it is the mystery of what happened all those years ago that drives the book forward. The three are slowly putting things together....and then BAM....McManus throws in a twist, a revelation and promptly turns things in a different direction. I love being caught off guard and kept on my toes. And the last page provides one last gotcha.
The book moves along at a good clip with those twists. There's a romantic subplot that is well done and doesn't overshadow the mystery. There are some truths woven into the book as well - family relationships are complicated and messy sometimes.....
The Cousins was a fun, lazy Sunday read for me.
The Cousins has all the right elements - three teens who are related, but haven't seen each other since they were young. Their parents don't speak to each
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other either and everyone has been estranged from the family matriarch for twenty five years. Her choice. She made it clear with a "You know what you did' letter to her four children. So, Milly, Aubrey, and Jonah Story are quite surprised to be invited to Gull Cove Island to work for their grandmother's resort. The three are excited and hope to meet her. But things don't go quite as imagined...The three leads are great - all with different personalities, strengths and weaknesses. Their interactions ring true with believable dialogue. I think Aubrey was my favorite character - she grows as the book progresses. They are each given a voice with their own chapters. Also given a historical voice are the parents - from when they were teens on the island. This gives the reader a chance to have a different perspective, knowing more about the why and the what of that ' You know what you did' letter.
The setting is well imagined and easy to picture. (I want to be on the beach!) But it is the mystery of what happened all those years ago that drives the book forward. The three are slowly putting things together....and then BAM....McManus throws in a twist, a revelation and promptly turns things in a different direction. I love being caught off guard and kept on my toes. And the last page provides one last gotcha.
The book moves along at a good clip with those twists. There's a romantic subplot that is well done and doesn't overshadow the mystery. There are some truths woven into the book as well - family relationships are complicated and messy sometimes.....
The Cousins was a fun, lazy Sunday read for me.
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LibraryThing member ShellyPYA
After receiving an invitation to spend the summer with their estranged grandmother, the Story cousins arrive at her house only to discover that she is not there, and the longer they stay on the island, the more they realize their mysterious family history has some deadly secrets.
LibraryThing member Sarah220
Ms. McManus has written another compelling and surprising mystery. Everyone is hiding something and the secrets that are eventually revealed are surprising, terrible, and yet still believable.
LibraryThing member sennebec
Twisty, involved, with diabolical aspects both current and in the past. It's a very satisfying read with some unexpected surprises (for me, at least) near the end. It's the kind of book I've come to expect and enjoy from this author.
LibraryThing member ethel55
The twists, turns and surprises just keep coming as the point of view shifts between the three cousins who are beckoned to Gull Cove Island by their estranged grandmother. Their parents were banished 24 years ago and all claim to not know why. Aubrey, Millie and Jonah begin to hear whisperings upon
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arrival. The Story's stories are many n this small island community. Show Less
LibraryThing member SapphireMoonlight23
So, I've read all of McManus' books so far, and I really enjoy her writing. But I feel like, even though this book is absolutely amazing, it is my least favourite book by her.
The ending felt quite rushed and I feel like a heap of information was dumped on me at the end. This isn't necessarily a
However, I really loved the book - the storyline, suspense, flashbacks... it all helped to make this book as amazing as it is!
Recommended!
The ending felt quite rushed and I feel like a heap of information was dumped on me at the end. This isn't necessarily a
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problem, but I just didn't like it that much.However, I really loved the book - the storyline, suspense, flashbacks... it all helped to make this book as amazing as it is!
Recommended!
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LibraryThing member bookworm12
Three cousins meet for the first time when they receive a letter from their grandmother asking them to spend the summer working at her resort. Family secrets abound as the teens explore the small town. Not my favorite from this author, but an entertaining read. A bit too predictable with lots of
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obvious bad choices and not enough twists. Show Less
LibraryThing member rmarcin
The Story family had a break about 25 years ago when the wealthy grandmother disinherited the parents. Now, the cousins, Milly, Aubrey, and Jonah are invited to work at her island resort. They don't know their grandmother, but the parents force them to go, hoping they will be brought back into the
While on the island, Milly and Aubrey discover a secret about Jonah. As they share each other's stories, and meet their uncle, they discover secrets about their families, and what happened in a fateful summer 25 years earlier.
I enjoy reading YA novels and I like McManus as an author, this one did not disappoint. I liked the last sentence, too! Quick read.
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grandmother's good graces. While on the island, Milly and Aubrey discover a secret about Jonah. As they share each other's stories, and meet their uncle, they discover secrets about their families, and what happened in a fateful summer 25 years earlier.
I enjoy reading YA novels and I like McManus as an author, this one did not disappoint. I liked the last sentence, too! Quick read.
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LibraryThing member ewyatt
The storied Story family has a lot of drama and deception. When the cousins, Milly, Aubrey, and Jonah are invited/summoned to spend the summer working on the family's island, their parents encourage them to go with the chance to meet their grandmother. 24 years earlier, Mildred disowned her
As the teens are on the island, they get to know each other and dig into their family's sordid past as well as their complex relationships with their parents.
I had to consult the family tree for a bit at the beginning of the story. There is a lot going on with each character in this book. The cousin generation is likeable, the story readable and engaging.
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children and hadn't seen them since cutting them from their family fortune. As the teens are on the island, they get to know each other and dig into their family's sordid past as well as their complex relationships with their parents.
I had to consult the family tree for a bit at the beginning of the story. There is a lot going on with each character in this book. The cousin generation is likeable, the story readable and engaging.
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LibraryThing member Familiar_Diversions
This book alternates between the past and present, as well as between several POVs. Milly, Aubrey, and Jonah Story are cousins. They hardly know each other, but they're united by family mysteries and drama. Twenty-four years ago, wealthy Mildred Story shocked everyone by suddenly disinheriting all
Until now. Out of the blue, Milly, Aubrey, and Jonah have been invited to spend the summer working at one of Mildred's properties, the Gull Cove Resort. None of them particularly want to go there, but their parents, hopeful that Mildred might be softening in her old age, don't give them much of a choice.
The Story family has more secrets than any of the cousins ever realized, and Gull Cove Resort is going to give them an opportunity to find them all out.
I think this might be the best of McManus' books I've read so far. It does start off a bit slow, with only a few hints of potential "rich people" drama to keep readers interested, and I never really got into the scenes set in the past as much as the scenes in the present. Eventually, however, the hints of something else going on under the surface became more intriguing.
Milly and Aubrey were a great pair - I loved their interactions and the friendship blossoming between sunshiney Aubrey and cool and sharp Milly. I was iffier about Jonah, especially since McManus seemed to be hinting at a development I wasn't wild about (thankfully that went better than I initially expected it would).
Maybe I just read this at the right time - it was nice to read a YA thriller that didn't take place at school, and I was definitely in the mood for a little rich people drama - but for the most part I really enjoyed this.
Extras:
A book club discussion guide and an interview with the author.
(Original review posted on A Library Girl's Familiar Diversions.)
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four of her children. The only explanation she gave was a letter sent through her lawyer that said "You know what you did." Mildred has refused to have any contact with her children since then, and she's certainly never contacted her grandchildren.Until now. Out of the blue, Milly, Aubrey, and Jonah have been invited to spend the summer working at one of Mildred's properties, the Gull Cove Resort. None of them particularly want to go there, but their parents, hopeful that Mildred might be softening in her old age, don't give them much of a choice.
The Story family has more secrets than any of the cousins ever realized, and Gull Cove Resort is going to give them an opportunity to find them all out.
I think this might be the best of McManus' books I've read so far. It does start off a bit slow, with only a few hints of potential "rich people" drama to keep readers interested, and I never really got into the scenes set in the past as much as the scenes in the present. Eventually, however, the hints of something else going on under the surface became more intriguing.
Milly and Aubrey were a great pair - I loved their interactions and the friendship blossoming between sunshiney Aubrey and cool and sharp Milly. I was iffier about Jonah, especially since McManus seemed to be hinting at a development I wasn't wild about (thankfully that went better than I initially expected it would).
Maybe I just read this at the right time - it was nice to read a YA thriller that didn't take place at school, and I was definitely in the mood for a little rich people drama - but for the most part I really enjoyed this.
Extras:
A book club discussion guide and an interview with the author.
(Original review posted on A Library Girl's Familiar Diversions.)
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LibraryThing member fred_mouse
This book started slow, and even the shifting between the viewpoints of the three cousins didn't really help with that. It did do good things for filling in a range of background, as well as setting up a number of details that didn't become relevant until much later.
It wasn't until the first major
For all that I found this slow paced, according to the reading app it too me an hour (across multiple commutes) to finish, which seems much shorter than I would have assumed.
I loved that most of the twists had to do with identity. And that the various people all had such interesting ways of interlacing their two selves. There are definitely some parallels that can be drawn between being a Story (or pretending not to be) and pretending to be a Story.
I was frustrated by the inevitable confrontation followed by risk to life and limb, but eh, I accept that that is a trope of the genre. It is just one of the things that make me not love the murder mystery genre.
It wasn't until the first major
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twist, at something like a quarter or a third through, where I started getting invested. I have some spoilery thoughts about the twists and turns of this story, so I've put that below. For all that I found this slow paced, according to the reading app it too me an hour (across multiple commutes) to finish, which seems much shorter than I would have assumed.
I loved that most of the twists had to do with identity. And that the various people all had such interesting ways of interlacing their two selves. There are definitely some parallels that can be drawn between being a Story (or pretending not to be) and pretending to be a Story.
I was frustrated by the inevitable confrontation followed by risk to life and limb, but eh, I accept that that is a trope of the genre. It is just one of the things that make me not love the murder mystery genre.
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Pages
336