Two Can Keep a Secret

“There’s not easy way of knowing, which direction we are going….” Remember that crazy boat ride in Willy Wonka? Things were spinning and there were strange images popping up. As you looked at each one, you were wondering where were we going with it all and what a ride! That is this book. I loved it! Ellery and Ezra arrive at a hometown that they have never known. Their actress mother grew up there. She was homecoming queen and in this town, that is not a good town. She is in a drug rehab and they are going to live with their grandmother. A murder of the homecoming queen years earlier seems to be repeating itself when weird images and things start popping up around town, warning that it could happen again. Ellery is somewhat of a murder nut and she starts to put clues together. This also includes clues about her own mother’s twin sister who disappeared years ago, the night of homecoming. After a weird exchange with a fellow student, Brooke, she goes missing. Cue the dah dah daaahhhhh music. Ellery becomes friends with Malcolm. who’s brother was thought to be the killer of the dead homecoming queen and Mia, whose sister was best friends with said homecoming queen. Such a delicious tangled web! I had no idea where this wonderful ride was going to end up. It could have been in the horribly named Murder Land. I mean, really, would you go to a theme park named Murder Land? They do rename it to Fright Farm but being the wuss I am, still a big no. Whodunit? Whydunit? You will not be disappointed and you will tear through the pages of this book. If you have not yet read Karen’s book One of Us is Lying, pick it up, you slacker! You will not be disappointed in either of these books. In fact, you will thank me. You are welcome.

I bought this last spring and finally finished it today. It wasn’t boring or anything—I just kept procrastinating. I’d read a few chapters, forget about it for a while, and then come back to it later. When I finally picked it up again, I ended up binge-reading the rest. Surprisingly, I’m not usually someone who binge-reads, but this was a really pleasant experience. The story switches between two POVs. Malcolm and Ellery. I thought there would be more characters narrating like in her previous book but I still really liked the writing style. It’s very easy to read and doesn’t make you go back and reread sentences just to understand what’s happening. Finishing it all in one go was quite an experience. I’d love to see this book adapted into a movie or series, especially since I really enjoyed One of Us Is Lying.

Two Can Keep a Secret is the latest young adult mystery from Karen McManus. Knowing her debut mystery was an excellent read (I heard many readers raved about it) I was really excited to see how her newest one panned out. Well, I was thrilled with it! For a young adult novel, I really fell into the story. I was consumed by it from page one and and devoured it page by page until the end. This is an easy read, and being 323 pages, a book you can read rather quickly. Also, seeing as the topic of the story is so interesting, I knew I would fly through it! If you are a fan of these types of mysteries, ones with EPIC TWISTS (I didn't see THAT coming), then I would recommend this one to you. In Two Can Keep a Secret, readers will meet Ellery, Ezra, Malcolm, and a slew of secondary characters. The main characters of the story are Ellery and Malcolm and the book is told in dual POV's through them. When Ellery and Ezra come to live with their grandmother in Echo Ridge, they don't realize they are going to become part of a murder mystery from the past that bleeds into the present. You see, someone is stalking homecoming queens, and when one goes missing? All hell breaks loose in this small town. Ellery, a true crime buff, stops at nothing and uses her knowledge of crime to try and figure out the mystery of the disappearance of a classmate, and that of her mothers twin sister many years ago. The author does a wonderful job at weaving the crime of the past into the present and shocks readers with some epic twists along the way. The characters are very likable, albeit a little naive, and make the story as interesting as the plot. There were so many things that I didn't see coming while reading, and I found myself shocked at the ending! I think many will agree that this is the author who needs to be watched because based on this book and her prior release, she is bound to create more amazing and thrilling stories.

Any book by Karen is amazing and this one is no different! I am not going to spoil it, you just need to read it for yourself!

I set a goal to read a book a month. This book makes it easy with interesting characters and an engaging storyline.

**SPOILERS** Do not read my review if you have not read this book! I honestly enjoyed reading this book (i was hooked and read it completely the first day I got it) but ultimately I felt let down by the lack of explanation on many subjects throughout the book. Like why was Sadie targeted? Just because they went on a few dates and didnt click? How did he meet Lacey? When did Brooke and he start a relationship? How long did it last? Who exactly was the twins father...we were giving flimsy details about him and a name but his character had as much depth as the stuntman who Sadie said may have been the father. It would have been way more interesting if he was one of the characters in the book that we could have gotten to know. The last line in the book sent a shiver down my neck but once again WHY?! And why such long time spans b/t disappearances/murders? A lot of it just didnt feel resolved...I finished that book wanting more explanation. Where was Sarah? None of it seemed to mingle together well. I felt like the killer revealed was out of left field...and when he did reveal himself it was so out of no where. Pretty sure he could have talked his way out of being a suspect if Mal and Ellery accused him but instead decided to go completely crazy after keeping it cool and charming for 20 years?

Ominous and intense! Thanks to NetGalley and Delacorte Press for the opportunity to read and review Two Can Keep a Secret by Karen M. McManus! Twins, Ellery and Ezra, travel to their Nana’s home to stay while their mother is in rehab. They’ve known about their aunt Sarah’s mysterious disappearance for a long time and when they get to Echo Ridge, they get more than they bargained for. Another young woman went missing five years ago and now new threats are popping up right before a new teen comes up missing. The story is ominous and becomes suspenseful when danger becomes reality. Endearing characters and a creepy killer sum up this book, 5 stars! *All opinions and thoughts are my own.

Ok, so this book wasn't bad at all. But I will say that I can see where it would not be for everyone. Having not read McManus' previous novel, One of Us Is Lying, but hearing great things about it I was excited to begin it. First of all the title had me thinking of Pretty Little Liars and the synopsis totally backs that up. I wasn't disappointed with this book. I had heard that people thought it wasn't as good as the first. But I can see why. It is a basic YA mystery thriller. It reads like the script for a season of PLL. Now, for me this wasn't a problem. But if you're not a fan of YA or you're looking for something a bit deeper and edgier then this will likely not be your cup of tea. I think it worked great for what it was. It is a quick and fun read. Parts of it are predictable and a little cheesy and cliche, but it's not aiming to be the next great thriller. It is a great palate cleanser between genres or after a deep book. And for that, I enjoyed it. I do wish we had half stars because I felt it was more of a 3.5, but I rounded up because it made me nostalgic for PLL.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️💫/ 4.5 👥 Two can keep a secret is a mystery book where homecoming queens disappeared in the past and the person who did this seems to be back. 👥 I just love the writing style of McManus! She writes in a way that makes the characters seem real and relatable! I loved Ellery and Ezra! Twins is not something you see much in books and I loved their relationship! Malcolm was also a really interesting character and I really enjoyed his chapters. The relationships in this book were also realistically portrayed! The chapters where really well written. The plot was really intriguing and it sucked me right in! I loved the horror/Halloween theme throughout the book as well! I also really didn’t see the plot twist coming and that just makes the book and story more exciting to me! The book ended but did leave me with one question. It was answered partially with the very last sentence of the book but not completely (that last sentence though was honestly the most chilling ending to a book I’ve ever read!!). It annoys me a bit that I’ll never get the answer and is the reason I didn’t give the book 5 stars🙈 👥 Overall it was a really well written, fast-paced mystery book that reveals its clues in a well-plotted way!

die Geschichte gewinnt etwas langsam an Fahrt, Die True Crime Gedanken von Ellery sind spannend und kommen immer wieder neue Hinweise dazu. Die Geschichte ist sehr spannend undman weis bis zum Ende nicht, wer der Täter ist. Klasse. Ich lese die Bücher gern in Englisch da sind manche Passagen einfach passender

Fast delivery and very nice cover Like it !

J’étais un peu déçu de ne pas être surprise par l’identité du tueur mais sinon ça reste un bon livre

Great plot and twists; great characters. Keeps you wanting to read more. I really enjoyed it. Can’t wait to read more from this author