Status
Available
Call number
Publication
Penguin (2021), 336 pages
Description
Mystery. Suspense. Thriller. Young Adult Fiction. HTML:INSTANT #1 NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER �?� From the author of One of Us Is Lying comes a brand-new pulse-pounding thriller. It's Ferris Bueller's Day Off with murder when three old friends relive an epic ditch day, and it goes horribly�??and fatally�??wrong. Ivy, Mateo, and Cal used to be close. Now all they have in common is Carlton High and the beginning of a very bad day. Type A Ivy lost a student council election to the class clown, and now she has to face the school, humiliated. Heartthrob Mateo is burned out from working two jobs since his family�??s business failed. And outsider Cal just got stood up . . . again. So when the three unexpectedly run into each other, they decide to avoid their problems by ditching. Just the three of them, like old times. Except they�??ve barely left the parking lot before they run out of things to say. . . . . . until they spot another Carlton High student skipping school�??and follow him to the scene of his own murder. In one chance move, their day turns from dull to deadly. And it�??s about to get worse. It turns out Ivy, Mateo, and Cal still have some things in common...like a connection to the dead kid. And they�??re all hiding something. Could it be that their chance reconnection wasn�??t by chance after all? 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 strea… (more)
User reviews
LibraryThing member AVoraciousReader
Book source ~ Tour
Ivy, Mateo, and Cal became fast friends in middle school when they skipped a lecture while on a class trip in Boston. After wandering around for several hours they returned to find no one had even missed them. WUT?! That is…appalling. But the incredibly lax attitude and
I’m still flabbergasted about how they took off during a field trip in middle school and no one even noticed! In any case, skipping a day as a Senior is much more appropriate. Except this particular day turns out to be a no good horribly bad day. When they see a classmate in Boston, who should be in school making an acceptance speech for Class President (that he won over Ivy), they decide to follow him and see what he’s up to. And what he was up to was no good that gets him murdered. Now, the friends are determined to find out what the hell happened and it’s a day of harring off to chase leads, avoiding authorities, and staying silent to everyone trying to find out where they are.
I’ll admit, it took me quite some time to unravel the mystery surrounding Boney’s death. In fact, I didn’t make a connection until just before the Big Reveal. Kudos to the author for keeping me chasing my tail. However, I just want to slap the three of them for running around playing detective when they should have just come clean to the police. But I do get why they didn’t and there’d be no story if they had. Still…slap slap slap to the backs of three heads. Finally, I didn’t like the ending. It was too…well, just too much to believe. And too lip curling. And convenient. But anyway, it’s still a pretty great read. If you like a good young adult twisty mystery then you should definitely give this one a go.
Ivy, Mateo, and Cal became fast friends in middle school when they skipped a lecture while on a class trip in Boston. After wandering around for several hours they returned to find no one had even missed them. WUT?! That is…appalling. But the incredibly lax attitude and
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irresponsibleness of the chaperones aren’t what this story is about. It’s about how, after their trio broke up and went their separate ways, they suddenly have aligned one day in their Senior year and decide to attempt a repeat of The Best Day Ever. Only, it doesn’t turn out to be. Best, that is. More like the Absolutely Worst Day Ever. I’m still flabbergasted about how they took off during a field trip in middle school and no one even noticed! In any case, skipping a day as a Senior is much more appropriate. Except this particular day turns out to be a no good horribly bad day. When they see a classmate in Boston, who should be in school making an acceptance speech for Class President (that he won over Ivy), they decide to follow him and see what he’s up to. And what he was up to was no good that gets him murdered. Now, the friends are determined to find out what the hell happened and it’s a day of harring off to chase leads, avoiding authorities, and staying silent to everyone trying to find out where they are.
I’ll admit, it took me quite some time to unravel the mystery surrounding Boney’s death. In fact, I didn’t make a connection until just before the Big Reveal. Kudos to the author for keeping me chasing my tail. However, I just want to slap the three of them for running around playing detective when they should have just come clean to the police. But I do get why they didn’t and there’d be no story if they had. Still…slap slap slap to the backs of three heads. Finally, I didn’t like the ending. It was too…well, just too much to believe. And too lip curling. And convenient. But anyway, it’s still a pretty great read. If you like a good young adult twisty mystery then you should definitely give this one a go.
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LibraryThing member bibliovermis
The tone of this was wildly uneven. The problems in these characters' lives were just on monumentally different levels of seriousness, and to have all of them given equal weight was a real "one of these things is not like the other" situation. I was definitely entertained, but mainly because I kept
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laughing out loud at the contrast—but sadly I don't think that was intentional! Show Less
LibraryThing member kmartin802
This was an engaging thriller with well-rounded and interesting characters. Told alternately by Ivy, Matteo, and Cal, it is the story of a very bad day. Cal, Ivy, and Matteo used to be good friends in eighth grade. But now they are seniors in high school and they have each gone their separate ways.
Ivy is a Type A personality who is struggling in her own mind to live up to her genius younger brother. She has just lost the election to be senior class president to the class clown Boney Maroney and knows attending her rival's acceptance speech will be nothing short of humiliating.
Matteo's life has spiraled since their eighth grade year. His mother has developed osteoarthritis and needs an expensive medicine which is beyond the family budget since a lawsuit caused their bowling alley to go bankrupt. He's working two jobs and his cousin Autumn is working three to try to keep the family afloat.
Cal has just suffered his most recent breakup and has realized how alone he is. His circle of friends only hang out by default if they can't find anyone else to hang out with. His last girlfriend has accused him of being "not real." Fact is that he's developed a crush on a very unsuitable person and needs to keep it hidden.
The three of them meet one morning when they are all late for school and decide, each for their own reasons, to ditch school and try to recreate the happy memories of the day they ditched a field trip in eighth grade and had a great time in Boston.
Things go wrong almost immediately when they follow their new class president Boney to a location in Boston and find his dead body with a syringe beside it. The location happens to be an art studio when Cal had previously gone to meet his new girlfriend.
Then rumors start about seeing a blond woman fleeing the scene - and Ivy's blond. The three of them don't know what to do besides run and try to figure out what happened to Boney. They are all keeping secrets about various things that could help solve the crime.
This was an excellent story. I especially loved the characters who are all realistic and flawed human beings.
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Ivy is a Type A personality who is struggling in her own mind to live up to her genius younger brother. She has just lost the election to be senior class president to the class clown Boney Maroney and knows attending her rival's acceptance speech will be nothing short of humiliating.
Matteo's life has spiraled since their eighth grade year. His mother has developed osteoarthritis and needs an expensive medicine which is beyond the family budget since a lawsuit caused their bowling alley to go bankrupt. He's working two jobs and his cousin Autumn is working three to try to keep the family afloat.
Cal has just suffered his most recent breakup and has realized how alone he is. His circle of friends only hang out by default if they can't find anyone else to hang out with. His last girlfriend has accused him of being "not real." Fact is that he's developed a crush on a very unsuitable person and needs to keep it hidden.
The three of them meet one morning when they are all late for school and decide, each for their own reasons, to ditch school and try to recreate the happy memories of the day they ditched a field trip in eighth grade and had a great time in Boston.
Things go wrong almost immediately when they follow their new class president Boney to a location in Boston and find his dead body with a syringe beside it. The location happens to be an art studio when Cal had previously gone to meet his new girlfriend.
Then rumors start about seeing a blond woman fleeing the scene - and Ivy's blond. The three of them don't know what to do besides run and try to figure out what happened to Boney. They are all keeping secrets about various things that could help solve the crime.
This was an excellent story. I especially loved the characters who are all realistic and flawed human beings.
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LibraryThing member Twink
Time for a YA fiction read! Karen M. McManus is one of my favourite teen fiction writers. Her newest is You'll Be The Death of Me.
Cal, Mateo and Ivy were the best of friends in Grade eight. They've since drifted apart and are now seniors. A chance meeting outside the school entrance has them all
McManus has created three very different protagonists. They're all likable and each brings a different dynamic. McManus always captures and portrays her teen characters in a believable manner. You'll Be the Death of Me is told in rotating chapters from each of the three. As readers, we're privy to their thoughts, angst - and secrets. McManus devotes time to the romantic entanglements as well as family issues of the the three, but this only adds to the overall feel of the book.
That crime scene? Each of them has a connection to what has occurred.....
McManus gives us lots of choices for the whodunit. The final aha won't be overly hard to suss out, but it's the journey there that's the most fun. And I did have fun reading this one. Ferris Bueller with a side of Scooby Doo. McManus has a formula that works - and she had me happily ensconced on the couch for on rainy Saturday afternoon.
Cal, Mateo and Ivy were the best of friends in Grade eight. They've since drifted apart and are now seniors. A chance meeting outside the school entrance has them all
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deciding to pull a Ferris Bueller day. They've each got their own reason for wanting to ditch school. It's a great idea - until it's not. They stumble across a crime scene....McManus has created three very different protagonists. They're all likable and each brings a different dynamic. McManus always captures and portrays her teen characters in a believable manner. You'll Be the Death of Me is told in rotating chapters from each of the three. As readers, we're privy to their thoughts, angst - and secrets. McManus devotes time to the romantic entanglements as well as family issues of the the three, but this only adds to the overall feel of the book.
That crime scene? Each of them has a connection to what has occurred.....
McManus gives us lots of choices for the whodunit. The final aha won't be overly hard to suss out, but it's the journey there that's the most fun. And I did have fun reading this one. Ferris Bueller with a side of Scooby Doo. McManus has a formula that works - and she had me happily ensconced on the couch for on rainy Saturday afternoon.
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LibraryThing member jmchshannon
You’ll Be the Death of Me by Karen M. McManus makes for an interesting twist on the day-off adventure, a la Ferris Bueller. Instead of having fun playing hooky from school, Ms. McManus’ story has our three friends stumble upon a murder and decide they have to be the ones to solve it. Except to
Thankfully, Ms. McManus does not attempt to stretch our imaginations by trying to convince us that three high school students are more competent than detectives. Instead, Ivy, Mateo, and Cal only uncover clues through dumb luck and wild guesses. In truth, their missteps are almost comedic. The fact that they are even close to solving the murder mystery is a testament to their collective stubbornness and stunning ability to stumble upon the puzzle pieces rather than their sleuthing skills.
For all their bumbling, I still found You’ll Be the Death of Me to be quite clever. In addition, there is also a real poignancy to the story as the continued investigations force the three former friends to confront the circumstances which broke apart their friendship. Even better, Ms. McManus plays the resolution close to her chest so that the ending is as much a surprise for you as it is for our three amateur detectives, which is exactly what you want in a murder mystery. In the end, You’ll Be the Death of Me is another strong offering from Ms. McManus, who is rapidly making a name for herself in the young adult thriller world.
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say they are friends is a stretch. They are more like former friends, which only adds to the stressors of the day.Thankfully, Ms. McManus does not attempt to stretch our imaginations by trying to convince us that three high school students are more competent than detectives. Instead, Ivy, Mateo, and Cal only uncover clues through dumb luck and wild guesses. In truth, their missteps are almost comedic. The fact that they are even close to solving the murder mystery is a testament to their collective stubbornness and stunning ability to stumble upon the puzzle pieces rather than their sleuthing skills.
For all their bumbling, I still found You’ll Be the Death of Me to be quite clever. In addition, there is also a real poignancy to the story as the continued investigations force the three former friends to confront the circumstances which broke apart their friendship. Even better, Ms. McManus plays the resolution close to her chest so that the ending is as much a surprise for you as it is for our three amateur detectives, which is exactly what you want in a murder mystery. In the end, You’ll Be the Death of Me is another strong offering from Ms. McManus, who is rapidly making a name for herself in the young adult thriller world.
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LibraryThing member sennebec
Three teens, Ivy, Cal and Mateo, who were best friends in middle school, but drifted apart arrive at high school on a day none really look forward to. On a whim, they skip, heading into Boston. On the way to the aquarium, they spot a classmate who's supposed to be giving his acceptance speech back
Thus begins a story with many seemingly disparate and unconnected threads, but the author weaves them together seamlessly, gradually revealing not only what led up to the murder, but why the trio drifted apart. There are tense moments and some bruised (both emotionally and physically) characters by the time everything gets sorted out, but there's a surprise at the end that might lead to another book, or simply let the reader imagine what it leads to Another dandy read by Karen McManus
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at school where he defeated Ivy for student council president. When he enters the building where Cal's girlfriend has an art studio, Ivy rushes in to confront him, only to find him dead with a syringe lying nearby.Thus begins a story with many seemingly disparate and unconnected threads, but the author weaves them together seamlessly, gradually revealing not only what led up to the murder, but why the trio drifted apart. There are tense moments and some bruised (both emotionally and physically) characters by the time everything gets sorted out, but there's a surprise at the end that might lead to another book, or simply let the reader imagine what it leads to Another dandy read by Karen McManus
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LibraryThing member Familiar_Diversions
Ivy, Mateo, and Cal used to be close friends due to the Greatest Day Ever, a time when they all skipped school together and had an amazing day. They've since drifted apart, and they're now all in high school and mostly hang out with different people. But the Greatest Day Ever still ties them
Unfortunately, the Greatest Day Ever isn't exactly something that can easily be replicated. Things go from vaguely disappointing to horrible when the three of them spot Boney (who should be at school, delivering his acceptance speech), follow him into an abandoned building, and then discover his body. For various reasons, none of them want to be around when the police arrive, but the end result is that Ivy becomes the prime suspect in Boney's murder. Finding out what really happened will involve digging into all of their secrets and getting to know the people they've become since they drifted apart.
This entire book takes place during the course of one school day. This was probably supposed to mirror the Greatest Day Ever, but it was also a necessary limitation on the story, because the entire thing would have fallen apart if it had dragged on for more than a day. It certainly would have fallen apart if Ivy, Mateo, and Cal had taken the time to talk to some responsible adults (Ms. Jamison doesn't count).
Ivy and Mateo initially reminded me a lot of Bronwyn and Nate from McManus' One of Us is Lying. In the end, though, I liked Ivy and Mateo as a couple a lot more than Bronwyn and Nate. It warmed my heart that Mateo knew Ivy was an anxious over-thinking mess and totally didn't mind.
All three of them had huge secrets. Cal's is revealed relatively early, and the way it was handled in the end kind of irked me -he's in a relationship with his art teacher. Once I found out about this, there was one thing I figured was guaranteed to happen no matter how things turned out with Boney's death, and yet somehow that thing did not happen.
Honestly, the book's ending is infuriating on multiple levels. It reads 99% like a standalone, and then the last couple pages swoop in an turn it into something that practically begs for a sequel. Which I would mainly only want to read if I was guaranteed, in advance, the ending that this book should have had.
I can usually count on McManus' books to be decent reads, but this one missed the mark.
(Original review posted on A Library Girl's Familiar Diversions.)
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together, so when Ivy is faced with coming to school after a humiliating senior-year class president election loss to Brian "Boney" Mahoney, she easily agrees when Cal suggests that the three of them skip school together like old times.Unfortunately, the Greatest Day Ever isn't exactly something that can easily be replicated. Things go from vaguely disappointing to horrible when the three of them spot Boney (who should be at school, delivering his acceptance speech), follow him into an abandoned building, and then discover his body. For various reasons, none of them want to be around when the police arrive, but the end result is that Ivy becomes the prime suspect in Boney's murder. Finding out what really happened will involve digging into all of their secrets and getting to know the people they've become since they drifted apart.
This entire book takes place during the course of one school day. This was probably supposed to mirror the Greatest Day Ever, but it was also a necessary limitation on the story, because the entire thing would have fallen apart if it had dragged on for more than a day. It certainly would have fallen apart if Ivy, Mateo, and Cal had taken the time to talk to some responsible adults (Ms. Jamison doesn't count).
Ivy and Mateo initially reminded me a lot of Bronwyn and Nate from McManus' One of Us is Lying. In the end, though, I liked Ivy and Mateo as a couple a lot more than Bronwyn and Nate. It warmed my heart that Mateo knew Ivy was an anxious over-thinking mess and totally didn't mind.
All three of them had huge secrets. Cal's is revealed relatively early, and the way it was handled in the end kind of irked me -
Honestly, the book's ending is infuriating on multiple levels. It reads 99% like a standalone, and then the last couple pages swoop in an turn it into something that practically begs for a sequel. Which I would mainly only want to read if I was guaranteed, in advance, the ending that this book should have had.
I can usually count on McManus' books to be decent reads, but this one missed the mark.
(Original review posted on A Library Girl's Familiar Diversions.)
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LibraryThing member Kiaya40
Another interesting YA mystery/thriller by Karen M. McManus that's a spin on the Ferris Bueller adventure of ditch day from school, but this one has murder, drugs, secrets, and twists throughout the story.
This is about 3 friends getting together to hang out on a ditch day in high school, who
I enjoyed this story a lot and thought it was another great book by Karen M. McManus that everyone should check out most especially all the YA mystery and thriller lovers. Thanks so much to Random House Children's Publishing/Delacorte Press and NetGalley for letting me read and review this great read. All thoughts and opinions are my own.
This is about 3 friends getting together to hang out on a ditch day in high school, who
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haven't been in touch with each other for a long time and how they reconnect like no time has gone by. They go wandering around to have an adventure together for ditch day and come across a dead body and everything goes wrong. They try to figure out who's involved and what happened with their fellow student and what led to his own murder. They each have their own issues and try to figure things out for themselves and all sorts of adventure, intrigue, and secrets are discovered and revealed. There are also some great twists in the story.I enjoyed this story a lot and thought it was another great book by Karen M. McManus that everyone should check out most especially all the YA mystery and thriller lovers. Thanks so much to Random House Children's Publishing/Delacorte Press and NetGalley for letting me read and review this great read. All thoughts and opinions are my own.
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Awards
Soaring Eagle Book Award (First runner-up — 2023)
Pacific Northwest Library Association Young Reader's Choice Award (Nominee — 2024)
Iowa High School Book Award (Nominee — 2024)
Quick Picks for Reluctant Young Adult Readers (Top Ten — 2023)
Language
Physical description
336 p.; 7.8 inches
ISBN
0241473667 / 9780241473665
Other editions
You'll Be the Death of Me by Karen M. McManus (Paperback)
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