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Writer's pictureAnnika Pillai

karen m mcmanus’ books have actual crack in them


I don’t think I have read a single Karen M. McManus book that I haven’t at least liked. One of Us Is Lying was great, the sequel was good, The Cousins was good, You’ll Be The Death of Me was good, Two Can Keep a Secret was great and this book was fucking amazing. I am such a sucker for a good YA thriller, and Karen M. McManus literally does not disappoint. I got through her newest release, Nothing More to Tell, in less than a day, and I cannot recommend it enough.


The story follows Brynn, a high school senior left Saint Ambrose School four years ago, after the shocking murder of her favorite teacher. The case wasn’t ever solved, but Brynn is positive that the three kids who found his body, know more than they are saying––especially Tripp Talbot, her ex-best friend. When Brynn gets an internship working on a popular true-crime show, she decides to investigate what really happened that day in the woods. But as she dives deeper into the mystery, the more and more secrets that she finds.


This book is told in a Dual POV between Brynn and Tripp and I just loved both of them. This book did fall on the more mature side of YA, which is why even though I don’t particularly read much YA, I still very much enjoyed this book.


The overall progression of the story was great––the pacing was just right, and I think the decision to tell the story in a Dual POV really elevated the book. Karen M. McManus loves to add a romantic subplot, and the romance between Brynn and Tripp did not disappoint. Their relationship was so cute, and I loved seeing them rekindle their friendship, slowly but surely.


I also really enjoyed the mystery, and the last chapter had me on the edge of my seat. I did not expect the final twist at all (or any of the previous twists), so it was a real shocker. I also really enjoyed how Karen M. McManus explored the class divide in town, and what it was like to be from a lower-income family. Tripp’s chapters were all too painful to read, seeing how he was desperate to obtain a scholarship to attend a local state school that he couldn’t afford. As someone who is also applying to college right now, it was all too real to read.


The only thing that I wish the book did, was delve deeper into the twisted/toxic friendship between Tripp, Shane and Charlotte. I understand that at the end of the day, this is a YA book, but I still thought that there was more that could have been done in that aspect. Other than that, I cannot recommend this book enough.


Nothing More to Tell ➳ 5/5 stars

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