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Dead Girls Can't Tell Secrets
A gripping new psychological thriller from the author of Little Creeping Things—can a grieving girl discover the twisted truth behind her sister’s hiking accident?
Piper Sullivan never should have been at Suicide Point the day she fell. Her older sister, Savannah, knows this with all her heart—just as she knows that Piper’s “accident” was entirely her fault. Savannah did something awful, something she can barely stand to think about, and now Piper is in a coma.
But just as Savannah’s guilt threatens to swallow her whole, she finds something strange in Piper’s locker: a note inviting Piper to a meeting of their school’s wilderness club…at the very place and on the very day she fell. Which means that there’s a chance Piper wasn’t alone.
Maybe it isn’t Savannah’s fault, after all. Someone in the club might know what really happened. Someone might have done something. But why? If Savannah wants to find out the truth about that tragic day, she’ll have to join the club on their weekend long camping trip…on the very same mountain where her sister fell. And with everyone in the club a suspect, she’ll need to be careful or she might follow her sister into the dark.
Piper Sullivan never should have been at Suicide Point the day she fell. Her older sister, Savannah, knows this with all her heart—just as she knows that Piper’s “accident” was entirely her fault. Savannah did something awful, something she can barely stand to think about, and now Piper is in a coma.
But just as Savannah’s guilt threatens to swallow her whole, she finds something strange in Piper’s locker: a note inviting Piper to a meeting of their school’s wilderness club…at the very place and on the very day she fell. Which means that there’s a chance Piper wasn’t alone.
Maybe it isn’t Savannah’s fault, after all. Someone in the club might know what really happened. Someone might have done something. But why? If Savannah wants to find out the truth about that tragic day, she’ll have to join the club on their weekend long camping trip…on the very same mountain where her sister fell. And with everyone in the club a suspect, she’ll need to be careful or she might follow her sister into the dark.
336 pages, Paperback
First published April 5, 2022
About the author
Chelsea Ichaso
6 books444 followersChelsea Ichaso writes twisty thrillers for young adults, including Dead Girls Can’t Tell Secrets, They’re Watching You, and The Summer She Went Missing. She is also the author of the adult thriller So I Lied. A former high school English teacher, Chelsea currently resides in Southern California with her husband and children. She likes to think she plays guitar and would succeed on a survival television show, though neither is true. You can visit her online at chelseaichaso.com or on Instagram @chelseaichaso.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 1,049 reviews
April 16, 2022
Twisty, riveting, juicy, unputdownable and absolutely addictive!
Piper and Savannah are sisters who are the definition of polar opposites.
Piper is a year younger, a Wunderkid, ambitious, smart, competitive, great achiever with perfect grades, tons of extracurriculars, guaranteed her place at Ivy League. On the other hand, Savannah with average grades, living in the shadow of her sister thinks how her life could be if her sister was out of picture. As if her prayers are answered, something truly tragic happens to Piper putting her into coma: probably she will never wake up!
The clues prove she might have committed suicide but her parents insist it was hiking accident. Savannah doesn’t believe either of the theories : she did something so bad to her sister that resulted with her silent treatment to her. Now she’s struggling for her life: the same competitive girl who falls for her best friend Noah and finally starts dating with him. So why she wanted to end her life when she finally found her happiness?
As a verification of her suspicions, she finds a note attached to her sister’s sweater which summoning her to extra skills sessions after school. The note is signed by Survival Club’s advisor Mr. Davis. The location and date of the meeting matches with exact date and place where her sister fell on September 16th.
Savannah attends to the Survival Club and finds a way to get sign from Mr. Davis to compare the signatures. She realizes Mr. Davis didn’t write the note her sister got. Who did write it? Is there any possibility that someone tried to kill her sister?
To find the answers of the mystery she attends to weekend long camping trip on the same mountain Piper fell with bunch of suspects who may be the perpetrator!
It was smart, high tension, extra twisty, quick paced, whodunnit mystery makes you keep guessing till the end!
I enjoyed Little Creeping Things but I loved this book more!
Special thanks to NetGalley and Sourcebooks Fire for sharing this digital reviewer copy with me in exchange my honest opinions.
Piper and Savannah are sisters who are the definition of polar opposites.
Piper is a year younger, a Wunderkid, ambitious, smart, competitive, great achiever with perfect grades, tons of extracurriculars, guaranteed her place at Ivy League. On the other hand, Savannah with average grades, living in the shadow of her sister thinks how her life could be if her sister was out of picture. As if her prayers are answered, something truly tragic happens to Piper putting her into coma: probably she will never wake up!
The clues prove she might have committed suicide but her parents insist it was hiking accident. Savannah doesn’t believe either of the theories : she did something so bad to her sister that resulted with her silent treatment to her. Now she’s struggling for her life: the same competitive girl who falls for her best friend Noah and finally starts dating with him. So why she wanted to end her life when she finally found her happiness?
As a verification of her suspicions, she finds a note attached to her sister’s sweater which summoning her to extra skills sessions after school. The note is signed by Survival Club’s advisor Mr. Davis. The location and date of the meeting matches with exact date and place where her sister fell on September 16th.
Savannah attends to the Survival Club and finds a way to get sign from Mr. Davis to compare the signatures. She realizes Mr. Davis didn’t write the note her sister got. Who did write it? Is there any possibility that someone tried to kill her sister?
To find the answers of the mystery she attends to weekend long camping trip on the same mountain Piper fell with bunch of suspects who may be the perpetrator!
It was smart, high tension, extra twisty, quick paced, whodunnit mystery makes you keep guessing till the end!
I enjoyed Little Creeping Things but I loved this book more!
Special thanks to NetGalley and Sourcebooks Fire for sharing this digital reviewer copy with me in exchange my honest opinions.
December 14, 2023
(Thank you Netgalley and the publisher for the eARC in exchange for a review)
Savannah is determined to unearth the truth when her sister, Piper went into a coma from an accident that seems unlikely to be a suicide attempt by joining Piper's Survival Club and befriending all of her friends that may be potential suspects. As she unraveled one clue after another, Savannah concluded there was more to this incident than meets the eye and she has a feeling she isn't the only one with secrets hidden beneath it.
I initially DNF this book when I first received the copy because it did not pique my interest enough to keep me going. However, when I noticed the book has been published, I tried my luck once again and decided to give it another chance. Though I managed to finish the book this time around, I mostly skimmed through it and the writing sadly did not get any less prosaic.
One thing that is very much obvious is how formulaic this book seems to be. I can see the author employing red herring (as any mystery book should) by having clues and using misdirection to both untangle the mystery and heighten the suspense except, I did not feel any tension in the mystery. Savannah went as far as pinpointing one suspect from the one clue she received to being overt in having them confess and soon finding another suspect to blame just because they said they "didn't do it."
That is to say, I appreciate that Ichaso tried to write a constructive convincing character by having an unreliable narrator with an inept ability to investigate the truth behind Piper's horrific fall. Savannah is fallible and it makes so much sense given the genre of the book itself, so you wouldn't expect Savannah to pull a Sherlock Holmes. Nonetheless, good mystery writing shows instead of tells, but Ichaso did not allow the reader to explore and discover the clues. Once it ended, it just ended there.
I was hoping this book to be on par with AGGTM but Holly Jackson raises the bar high for Pip as this book is nothing as such. I know, I hate comparing too, but it's really hard not to when you've got a taste of how a good YA mystery/thriller book should be. This book just seems to lack a lot in every department. The writing is incoherent and had no sense of continuity, the characters are all unlikeable, the plot is not exactly unpredictable and the ending was rushed. While I can see the author trying to embark on the mystery, this book also had lots of unnecessary teen drama that only serve to paint other characters as possible culprit but was unavailing.
Dead Girls Can't Tell Secrets is an easy read, thanks to the simple wording but still wasn't an exciting one to me. Everything harbored here is not the uncharted territory that you wouldn't encounter if you have read many mystery books, to begin with (surprisingly, I didn't read many mystery books but still find this book a bit tedious). I didn't think this book was horrible but some parts could definitely do a few improvements.
Savannah is determined to unearth the truth when her sister, Piper went into a coma from an accident that seems unlikely to be a suicide attempt by joining Piper's Survival Club and befriending all of her friends that may be potential suspects. As she unraveled one clue after another, Savannah concluded there was more to this incident than meets the eye and she has a feeling she isn't the only one with secrets hidden beneath it.
I initially DNF this book when I first received the copy because it did not pique my interest enough to keep me going. However, when I noticed the book has been published, I tried my luck once again and decided to give it another chance. Though I managed to finish the book this time around, I mostly skimmed through it and the writing sadly did not get any less prosaic.
One thing that is very much obvious is how formulaic this book seems to be. I can see the author employing red herring (as any mystery book should) by having clues and using misdirection to both untangle the mystery and heighten the suspense except, I did not feel any tension in the mystery. Savannah went as far as pinpointing one suspect from the one clue she received to being overt in having them confess and soon finding another suspect to blame just because they said they "didn't do it."
That is to say, I appreciate that Ichaso tried to write a constructive convincing character by having an unreliable narrator with an inept ability to investigate the truth behind Piper's horrific fall. Savannah is fallible and it makes so much sense given the genre of the book itself, so you wouldn't expect Savannah to pull a Sherlock Holmes. Nonetheless, good mystery writing shows instead of tells, but Ichaso did not allow the reader to explore and discover the clues. Once it ended, it just ended there.
I was hoping this book to be on par with AGGTM but Holly Jackson raises the bar high for Pip as this book is nothing as such. I know, I hate comparing too, but it's really hard not to when you've got a taste of how a good YA mystery/thriller book should be. This book just seems to lack a lot in every department. The writing is incoherent and had no sense of continuity, the characters are all unlikeable, the plot is not exactly unpredictable and the ending was rushed. While I can see the author trying to embark on the mystery, this book also had lots of unnecessary teen drama that only serve to paint other characters as possible culprit but was unavailing.
Dead Girls Can't Tell Secrets is an easy read, thanks to the simple wording but still wasn't an exciting one to me. Everything harbored here is not the uncharted territory that you wouldn't encounter if you have read many mystery books, to begin with (surprisingly, I didn't read many mystery books but still find this book a bit tedious). I didn't think this book was horrible but some parts could definitely do a few improvements.
April 26, 2022
girl what. that was so unrealistic rip
April 8, 2022
This book is the perfect example of how to write a book with extremely unlikeable characters. I didn't like a single character and not in a good way. They were all extremely selfish and stupid and self-centred. And please don't tell me that all teens are like this nowadays. I don't think anyone can be as selfish as Savannah, the lead character, and get away with it. The ending was also so contrived that I was left rolling my eyes.
2 stars because the book was a quick read if nothing else.
2 stars because the book was a quick read if nothing else.
June 19, 2023
Help. Actually help. That might have been the most anticlimactic ending to a book I’ve ever read. Girlie was in a coma for a month and her sister went cookoo for Cocoa Puffs trying to figure out how. She figures out that her boyfriend accidentally shoved her off of a cliff. Help??? The last sentence made me gouge my eyes out. I think I might mail them to the author to show my pain. The plot itself want bad but the ending was rushed and I’m going to eat dry cereal from a mug as my reward for this bs. This was so unrealistic and I want to cleanse myself from this experience. Good day🫡🫡🫡
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
December 30, 2021
2/5⭐
Thank you Netgalley and the publisher for providing me with the arc in exchange for a review!
The premise and vibes for this novel were quite promising, however, the execution was mediocre... It was just like every other YA murder mystery novel I've read. It was fast-paced and kept me entertained till the end, although it was generally a little underwhelming. At one point, I didn't even care who was to blame for the accident.
I don't completely remember everything that happened but-
TW: su!cide attempt? and I do mention it in the review.
Plot:
The story is about two sisters, Piper and Savannah. They are completely different in every aspect. Piper is really smart and cares about her education a lot (would be considered the "teacher's pet") while Sav is athletic and doesn't really care about school, she just wants to get a soccer scholarship. The book starts with Piper in a coma after she presumably jumped off a cliff, so Sav is trying to find out if her sister tried to commit suicide or if someone pushed her off. Her clues lead to her sister's survival club, so she joins and goes on a camping trip to study everyone and figure out who it may have been.
It was kind of very predictable, even if the suspects changed every chapter, I always kind of knew who it was because it's always the same with these kinds of books. I thought the turns and twists were entertaining, but I expected something more. It was a little basic.
Also, if you think of a camping trip, you expect completely different vibes than what this gave. I don't know how to explain it, but it didn't give me the mystery, dangerous, adventurous, dark vibes that camping trips usually give (even more in mystery books).
Characters:
- Savanah: I really despised her character, she came off as annoying and obnoxious. Savanah's main reason for investigating the accident wasn't the fact that her sister was in a coma and she was worried about her, it was because she might have been the one to push her sister into committing suicide. It was because she felt guilty for the way in which she treated her sister, she didn't want her parents to find out that she was the reason why they might lose their "favorite" daughter. And the way she handled the whole investigation was so stupid like she might as well have gone around asking people if they tried to kill her. And she would literally reveal information she had discovered to random people! even some that she didn't trust. I have to admit that the last plan at the hospital was really smart, but apart from that she definitely shouldn't be an investigator.
The rest of the characters were pretty one-dimensional and the fact that my favorite character was the one in the coma should tell you some things about the rest of the cast. Piper deserves way better.
If you enjoy basic YA mystery, that's easy to read without having to think much, definitely recommend this one! It was entertaining at least :)
Thank you Netgalley and the publisher for providing me with the arc in exchange for a review!
The premise and vibes for this novel were quite promising, however, the execution was mediocre... It was just like every other YA murder mystery novel I've read. It was fast-paced and kept me entertained till the end, although it was generally a little underwhelming. At one point, I didn't even care who was to blame for the accident.
I don't completely remember everything that happened but-
TW: su!cide attempt? and I do mention it in the review.
Plot:
The story is about two sisters, Piper and Savannah. They are completely different in every aspect. Piper is really smart and cares about her education a lot (would be considered the "teacher's pet") while Sav is athletic and doesn't really care about school, she just wants to get a soccer scholarship. The book starts with Piper in a coma after she presumably jumped off a cliff, so Sav is trying to find out if her sister tried to commit suicide or if someone pushed her off. Her clues lead to her sister's survival club, so she joins and goes on a camping trip to study everyone and figure out who it may have been.
It was kind of very predictable, even if the suspects changed every chapter, I always kind of knew who it was because it's always the same with these kinds of books. I thought the turns and twists were entertaining, but I expected something more. It was a little basic.
Also, if you think of a camping trip, you expect completely different vibes than what this gave. I don't know how to explain it, but it didn't give me the mystery, dangerous, adventurous, dark vibes that camping trips usually give (even more in mystery books).
Characters:
- Savanah: I really despised her character, she came off as annoying and obnoxious. Savanah's main reason for investigating the accident wasn't the fact that her sister was in a coma and she was worried about her, it was because she might have been the one to push her sister into committing suicide. It was because she felt guilty for the way in which she treated her sister, she didn't want her parents to find out that she was the reason why they might lose their "favorite" daughter. And the way she handled the whole investigation was so stupid like she might as well have gone around asking people if they tried to kill her. And she would literally reveal information she had discovered to random people! even some that she didn't trust. I have to admit that the last plan at the hospital was really smart, but apart from that she definitely shouldn't be an investigator.
The rest of the characters were pretty one-dimensional and the fact that my favorite character was the one in the coma should tell you some things about the rest of the cast. Piper deserves way better.
If you enjoy basic YA mystery, that's easy to read without having to think much, definitely recommend this one! It was entertaining at least :)
November 20, 2021
Piper Sullivan has been in a coma for a month as a result of a strange hiking accident. The outcome doesn’t look good and its highly likely that Piper will not be waking up. Her sister Savannah is devastated. She and her sister were not on good terms before the accident, and a text message sent to Piper in the heat of the moment has her wracked with guilt.
While borrowing a sweater from her sister’s locker at school, Savannah discovers a startling note inviting Piper to attend a meeting of the wilderness club. This meeting was to take place in the same location, on the same day of Piper’s accident. Her accident was no accident. Determined to find the answers shes looking for, Savannah joins the club. She quickly finds out that her sisters seemingly perfect life isn’t so perfect. Savannah attends the wilderness club’s weekend long camping trip at the same location Piper was last seen. Everyone is a suspect and things quickly escalate as secrets are revealed and friendships are tested.
I wasn’t sure how I was going to feel going into this but I quickly, and unexpectedly got sucked in. I could not stop reading, and as I anxiously turned the page, I was filled with anticipation. I thought I knew who Savannah was looking for, however I was wrong multiple times. The plot twists were pretty good. I did not see them coming and the final reveal truly surprised me. I really enjoy books where I cannot predict how it ends and this one definitely delivered.
Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for this arc.
While borrowing a sweater from her sister’s locker at school, Savannah discovers a startling note inviting Piper to attend a meeting of the wilderness club. This meeting was to take place in the same location, on the same day of Piper’s accident. Her accident was no accident. Determined to find the answers shes looking for, Savannah joins the club. She quickly finds out that her sisters seemingly perfect life isn’t so perfect. Savannah attends the wilderness club’s weekend long camping trip at the same location Piper was last seen. Everyone is a suspect and things quickly escalate as secrets are revealed and friendships are tested.
I wasn’t sure how I was going to feel going into this but I quickly, and unexpectedly got sucked in. I could not stop reading, and as I anxiously turned the page, I was filled with anticipation. I thought I knew who Savannah was looking for, however I was wrong multiple times. The plot twists were pretty good. I did not see them coming and the final reveal truly surprised me. I really enjoy books where I cannot predict how it ends and this one definitely delivered.
Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for this arc.
February 28, 2022
Thank you so much to Chelsea Ichaso and Sourcebooks Fire for my ARC of this book. The cover is stunning and really draws the reader into the book. It's about Piper, a girl who was in a strange hiking accident that led to a coma. Her sister thinks she won't ever get answers, until she finds a note in Piper's locker that invited Piper to meet with the school's wilderness club at the same time and place that she fell. To discover what really happened, Savannah joins the club and goes on a camping trip on the same mountain where her sister fell. She knows there are secrets to uncover, and she will stop at noting until she finds something out.
Thoughts: This is a fun and basic YA mystery. There was a lot of build up but not much of a conclusion. It was an interesting premise but Savannah made such dumb decisions just to make this a story, which was irritating and hard to read. The book is short, predictable, and the end doesn't make it worth reading. If this is your very first YA book or YA mystery, I think you would enjoy it, but besides that, it was just too basic. 2 stars.
Thoughts: This is a fun and basic YA mystery. There was a lot of build up but not much of a conclusion. It was an interesting premise but Savannah made such dumb decisions just to make this a story, which was irritating and hard to read. The book is short, predictable, and the end doesn't make it worth reading. If this is your very first YA book or YA mystery, I think you would enjoy it, but besides that, it was just too basic. 2 stars.
January 29, 2024
what a bore
December 10, 2021
First of all, I'll say I know I'm probably not the targeted audience for this book, so keep that in mind while reading this. That said though, I don't think that was the main reason I didn't enjoy this book.
I was hoping to find a fun, Good Girl's Guide to Murder/Pretty Little Liar vibes YA thriller book and while I think at its core it was trying to get there, it didn't quite meet the requirements.
I will say one good thing though and that is that it is very easy to read, so if you're looking for a novel that doesn't require a lot of thinking/concentration and just want to pass the time, maybe give it a go if it sounds like you might enjoy it.
Now onto the things I didn't like. Mild spoilers ahead:
I found the plot to be quite basic and almost non-existent, every twist was quite predictable and lacked a lot of substance.
The main character was annoyingly stupid about how to handle the whole "investigation", pretty much just telling everyone every single thought that went through her brain. She would just go to the person of interest and be like, "Hey, did you try to kill my sister?". The reactions the rest of the characters had were not very natural either. Apart from that, every single character was a different stereotype of a high school student and they were all very much one-dimensional.
The writing was, again, too plain and basic and the solution to the mystery was not only predictable but also very anticlimactic.
The title is also misleading, no one is actually dead and there aren't a lot of secrets to tell anyways. It is a bit clickbaity for my taste.
To sum up, I did not expect great things from this novel and I was still disappointed.
I was hoping to find a fun, Good Girl's Guide to Murder/Pretty Little Liar vibes YA thriller book and while I think at its core it was trying to get there, it didn't quite meet the requirements.
I will say one good thing though and that is that it is very easy to read, so if you're looking for a novel that doesn't require a lot of thinking/concentration and just want to pass the time, maybe give it a go if it sounds like you might enjoy it.
Now onto the things I didn't like. Mild spoilers ahead:
I found the plot to be quite basic and almost non-existent, every twist was quite predictable and lacked a lot of substance.
The main character was annoyingly stupid about how to handle the whole "investigation", pretty much just telling everyone every single thought that went through her brain. She would just go to the person of interest and be like, "Hey, did you try to kill my sister?". The reactions the rest of the characters had were not very natural either. Apart from that, every single character was a different stereotype of a high school student and they were all very much one-dimensional.
The writing was, again, too plain and basic and the solution to the mystery was not only predictable but also very anticlimactic.
The title is also misleading, no one is actually dead and there aren't a lot of secrets to tell anyways. It is a bit clickbaity for my taste.
To sum up, I did not expect great things from this novel and I was still disappointed.
January 6, 2022
thank you to netgalley for providing me with an arc!
the premise of this book is really exciting: after her younger sister, piper, falls off a cliff during a hiking accident, and has been in a coma since, savannah is determined to find out what really happened to piper. savannah follows a note that she found in piper's locker to the survival club that piper was involved in and starts unraveling more secrets.
unfortunately, i think that this book fell short on its actual execution and pacing. i feel like there was a lot of buildup to each individual "reveal" but the actual reveal would be anticlimactic. without spoiling i didn't really like the final reveal-- at the end of the day, it just felt like a lot of buildup to nothing that exciting. savannah was either overly trusting or overly skeptical of everyone which made it annoying to read from her pov. i wish we had more of piper's chapters because i really did enjoy those especially because they added to the mystery element.
overall, i would say this book is okay in terms of the plot idea but could do a lot better in terms of execution.
the premise of this book is really exciting: after her younger sister, piper, falls off a cliff during a hiking accident, and has been in a coma since, savannah is determined to find out what really happened to piper. savannah follows a note that she found in piper's locker to the survival club that piper was involved in and starts unraveling more secrets.
unfortunately, i think that this book fell short on its actual execution and pacing. i feel like there was a lot of buildup to each individual "reveal" but the actual reveal would be anticlimactic. without spoiling i didn't really like the final reveal-- at the end of the day, it just felt like a lot of buildup to nothing that exciting. savannah was either overly trusting or overly skeptical of everyone which made it annoying to read from her pov. i wish we had more of piper's chapters because i really did enjoy those especially because they added to the mystery element.
overall, i would say this book is okay in terms of the plot idea but could do a lot better in terms of execution.
December 10, 2021
Piper has been in a coma since her hiking accident but her sister, Savannah, isn't so sure it was an accident at all. The group she ventured with all seem to have something to hide and so Savannah decides to first infiltrate their ranks, second discover just what these secrets are, and third plot to avenge her sister after uncovering them.
This proved itself an angsty YA thriller, with an equal focus on teenage drama and murder. The ending definitely took me by surprise and the concluding twists were my favourite part of the story. The journey to get there sometimes focused too closely on the interpersonal relationships of the characters rather than on the surrounding mystery for me, however. I definitely had a fun time whilst reading this though, which was enhanced by the fast-pace and my intrigue over Piper's history.
I received a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. Thank you to the author, Chelsea Ichaso, and the publisher, Sourcebooks Fire, for this opportunity.
This proved itself an angsty YA thriller, with an equal focus on teenage drama and murder. The ending definitely took me by surprise and the concluding twists were my favourite part of the story. The journey to get there sometimes focused too closely on the interpersonal relationships of the characters rather than on the surrounding mystery for me, however. I definitely had a fun time whilst reading this though, which was enhanced by the fast-pace and my intrigue over Piper's history.
I received a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. Thank you to the author, Chelsea Ichaso, and the publisher, Sourcebooks Fire, for this opportunity.
April 2, 2022
This was such a slog to get through and so dull despite being just 200 pages long. I kept reading because I wanted to know whodunit but it ultimately didn't deliver at all despite its potential.
The storytelling is weak while the character development is non-existent. The protagonist is also an all-round shitty person, sister and friend. Every time I thought there was a tense moment, the story would flatline almost immediately. To top things off, you get a super lame reveal and conclusion.
This is one of the most unremarkable YA thrillers I've ever read. The only noteworthy thing is the beautiful cover. There are a few reviews describing this book as "basic" and I can't think of a better word because basic is exactly it.
Thank you to Sourcebooks Fire and Netgalley for an ARC of this book.
The storytelling is weak while the character development is non-existent. The protagonist is also an all-round shitty person, sister and friend. Every time I thought there was a tense moment, the story would flatline almost immediately. To top things off, you get a super lame reveal and conclusion.
This is one of the most unremarkable YA thrillers I've ever read. The only noteworthy thing is the beautiful cover. There are a few reviews describing this book as "basic" and I can't think of a better word because basic is exactly it.
Thank you to Sourcebooks Fire and Netgalley for an ARC of this book.
May 20, 2023
This was horrible.
He said, she said.
“Did you push my sister off a cliff?”
“No”
“Oh okay, here’s the clues I found that made me believe it was you.”
Oh and let’s blame the teacher who paid to win soccer games. Clearly he tried to kill a teenager because of some useless blackmail.
GTFO, save your money.
He said, she said.
“Did you push my sister off a cliff?”
“No”
“Oh okay, here’s the clues I found that made me believe it was you.”
Oh and let’s blame the teacher who paid to win soccer games. Clearly he tried to kill a teenager because of some useless blackmail.
GTFO, save your money.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
March 5, 2024
i don’t think YA mysteries are meant for me anymore 🙁
December 29, 2022
2.25 Stars
Trigger warning: mentions of suicide
ARC provided by NetGalley in exchange for an honest review
Dead Girls Can't Tell Secrets follows Savannah Sullivan as she tries to piece together what led to her younger sister, Piper, falling off a cliff on a popular hiking route and ending up in a coma. Everyone assumes that Piper fell intentionally, but Savannah thinks there's more to the story, and thinks that someone (or multiple someones) in her school's Survival Club knows more than they're letting on. Savannah joins the Survival Club on one of their trips to get closer to the other members and, hopefully, find clues to unravel the mystery.
First things first: the "mystery" in this book is mediocre. I think part of the reason why I was so disappointed is that I wanted this book to have a more thought-out and clever plot than it actually did. Of all the possible explanations for Piper's fall that were introduced, the one that was true was by far the least interesting and most infuriating. To put it as vaguely as possible, I felt like the entire plot didn't suit the final reveal - the point of the story was to find information to solve the mystery, but most of the information we gathered was kind of irrelevant in the end. Honestly, I couldn't help but think I wasted my time reading this. There were also some parts where people acted so strangely purely to make them look suspicious, but no proper reasons were given for their behaviour, so it didn't make sense (nor did it really matter in the end).
Another of the shortcomings of this novel were the characters, none of whom were particularly likeable. In addition to being incredibly selfish, they also seemed intent on competing for the title of Dumbest Person Alive™. Just when I'd think that maybe they have some brain cells after all, the next decision they'd make would have me questioning why I ever bothered thinking that at all. The characters also kept secrets unnecessarily, and while the lack of communication was obviously meant to serve as a plot device, I did not appreciate it. I don't even want to comment on the romance, which wasn't really the main focus of the book but still annoying nonetheless.
The writing style was fine. I do think someone quite a bit younger than me would have thought it was better than fine, which makes sense since this is a YA book, but I still feel like it could have been a bit more sophisticated (yes, I am aware that I am judging the author's writing while my reviews are of this quality). That being said, this was extremely easy to read, and in this regard, I enjoyed my reading experience.
Overall, this book is pretty unremarkable, and I will probably forget that I even read it in a couple of weeks, but I definitely did not hate this.
Trigger warning: mentions of suicide
ARC provided by NetGalley in exchange for an honest review
Dead Girls Can't Tell Secrets follows Savannah Sullivan as she tries to piece together what led to her younger sister, Piper, falling off a cliff on a popular hiking route and ending up in a coma. Everyone assumes that Piper fell intentionally, but Savannah thinks there's more to the story, and thinks that someone (or multiple someones) in her school's Survival Club knows more than they're letting on. Savannah joins the Survival Club on one of their trips to get closer to the other members and, hopefully, find clues to unravel the mystery.
First things first: the "mystery" in this book is mediocre. I think part of the reason why I was so disappointed is that I wanted this book to have a more thought-out and clever plot than it actually did. Of all the possible explanations for Piper's fall that were introduced, the one that was true was by far the least interesting and most infuriating. To put it as vaguely as possible, I felt like the entire plot didn't suit the final reveal - the point of the story was to find information to solve the mystery, but most of the information we gathered was kind of irrelevant in the end. Honestly, I couldn't help but think I wasted my time reading this. There were also some parts where people acted so strangely purely to make them look suspicious, but no proper reasons were given for their behaviour, so it didn't make sense (nor did it really matter in the end).
Another of the shortcomings of this novel were the characters, none of whom were particularly likeable. In addition to being incredibly selfish, they also seemed intent on competing for the title of Dumbest Person Alive™. Just when I'd think that maybe they have some brain cells after all, the next decision they'd make would have me questioning why I ever bothered thinking that at all. The characters also kept secrets unnecessarily, and while the lack of communication was obviously meant to serve as a plot device, I did not appreciate it. I don't even want to comment on the romance, which wasn't really the main focus of the book but still annoying nonetheless.
The writing style was fine. I do think someone quite a bit younger than me would have thought it was better than fine, which makes sense since this is a YA book, but I still feel like it could have been a bit more sophisticated (yes, I am aware that I am judging the author's writing while my reviews are of this quality). That being said, this was extremely easy to read, and in this regard, I enjoyed my reading experience.
Overall, this book is pretty unremarkable, and I will probably forget that I even read it in a couple of weeks, but I definitely did not hate this.
November 8, 2021
I don't always love YA books - the premise can be too facile, the feelings and emotions..just to, TOO. This book however was very addictive, quick moving and utterly engaging.
Piper Sullivan was in an accident and has been in a coma ever since. Her older sister, Savannah can't believe it was an accident and is trying to find out more. In her search through Piper's things, she finds a note inviting her to a special meeting of the wilderness club. Savannah's own boyfriend is a member along with his ex-girlfriend and Piper's own friends. Needless to say, there is a lot of history between the group and this only complicates Savannah's search.
Savannah joins a weekend hiking/camping trip to learn more and the adventure starts there! Who wanted to hurt Piper? Why? What secrets are Piper's friends keeping from Savannah and what is her own, very dark secret.
Very twisty, very turny, this book will keep you engaged from start to finish. The ending was a bit over the top, but I truly enjoyed it and recommend it for all who like a YA thriller #NetGalley #DeadGirlsCantTellSecrets
Piper Sullivan was in an accident and has been in a coma ever since. Her older sister, Savannah can't believe it was an accident and is trying to find out more. In her search through Piper's things, she finds a note inviting her to a special meeting of the wilderness club. Savannah's own boyfriend is a member along with his ex-girlfriend and Piper's own friends. Needless to say, there is a lot of history between the group and this only complicates Savannah's search.
Savannah joins a weekend hiking/camping trip to learn more and the adventure starts there! Who wanted to hurt Piper? Why? What secrets are Piper's friends keeping from Savannah and what is her own, very dark secret.
Very twisty, very turny, this book will keep you engaged from start to finish. The ending was a bit over the top, but I truly enjoyed it and recommend it for all who like a YA thriller #NetGalley #DeadGirlsCantTellSecrets
April 6, 2022
Review coming up
July 13, 2023
Oh my god Savannah was SO ANNOYING and I cannot STAND her. This could have been written better by a monkey, and probably shorter too, this did not need to be 300+ pages.
February 23, 2022
Okay. So, hear me out. This book is, like, bad. But it’s also just really stupid and fun. And you should totally read it. It’s like a goddamn tubi tv original movie, and really, that’s the best descriptor I can give you.
ARC provided by the publisher via Netgalley. All opinions are my own.
Savannah Sullivan (yes. yes, motherfucker, we are doing alliteration) is your average blond haired, blue eyed, beautiful, popular small town girl (in a loooonely woooorld)(okay i am sorry) whose sister, Piper, was involved in an accident a few months prior to the beginning of this story. She’s currently in a coma at the hospital, and Savannah feels a lot of guilt surrounding the accident because of a fight that she had with her sister just before the accident. Oh, also! Her sister’s case is not investigated because she falls off a cliff, and it is considered a deliberate suicide attempt after a customary look into all her known friends and acquaintances by the police. And we all know how useless the police are, especially in thrillers like this.
Anyway, Savannah discovers a note in Piper’s locker asking her to be present at the scene of the accident. It has something to do with a club that she takes part in at school. Seeing the note shocks her. Wracked with guilt as she is, she sets out to find out who was the one who was responsible for her sister’s accident, and thus begins this wild, ridiculous and campy ride.
As I said right off the bat, this book is just a very ridiculous and campy ride, and I would not go in expecting a whole lot of, you know, serious thriller-y stuff. The story is mostly from Savannah’s perspective, interspersed with flashbacks to the day of the accidents from Piper’s perspective – which, these don’t exactly serve a proper purpose, imo. Like, it’s nice to see her side of the story, for sure, but the way that the information comes to light does not add much to the story in the way exposition like this often does. There was definitely an intent that was obvious behind these flashbacks, but the execution was kind of not all that.
The cast of characters that we get to meet in this book is a pretty solid bunch. But, the way we learn more about them is just so insane, I’m obsessed with it. The story goes about dismantling these people’s motivations and their movements one by one, and once you clear someone, they’re just done and they’re the good guy now. It’s absolutely batshit and hilarious! And the main character suspects EVERYONE! It takes very little to convince Savannah of each person’s guilt, and she just jumps on them with baseless allegations and goes to the extreme in her confrontations. She’s very stupid about it, which, you know, not off-brand for a teenager, but it’s still just this side of unbelievable that it veers off into funny. I do think that this mode of understanding the characters can work in a thriller, but it’s usually thrillers that double as investigative efforts from a removed third party observer after the fact and not thrillers that have the protagonist interacting with these people on an everyday basis and having a personal relationship with them.
The writing is pretty snappy and contemporary-esque, so we don’t really get a lot of atmosphere either. It’s definitely very easy to fall out of the book because of this. The characters spend a majority of time on a camping trip, and there was definitely an opportunity to lean into the isolation and eeriness of a setting like that, but that didn’t happen. The climax of the book suited the writing style more because of the high-energy action filled nature of it, but the rest of it just felt unpolished.
There’s also this whole thing with the teacher that was just so freaking crazy. Like everything we learn about the people on this camping trip is just crazy. Very Euphoria-esque. But what makes it all so unbelievable is that Savannah is not a character who is an outcast in any way. She’s kind of smart and popular, and she’s involved in the sports teams and all that. So it’s just bizarre to me that she’d be oblivious to this degree! Also, her relationship with her sister is just, not really well done, imo. Her parents favour Piper, and it does fuck with your head when there’s that level of imbalance in your home life, but something about the portrayal was just a tad bit off. It all felt very disingenuous. Not enough emotional weight in these scenes and this story to really sell it to the reader. And that’s kind of what makes it..bad.
Also, the culprit and his entire thing is just….bro. Come on.
Overall, again, I won’t say I didn’t enjoy this book, because I did. It’s ridiculous and probably, objectively bad, but my love for bad media made reading this a really funny and fun experience. That being said, I wouldn’t really recommend this as such. You should totally read it if you like bad media and have a couple of hours to spare - because it’s super short-, but if you’re not into that kind of stuff, you’ll definitely hate this. Unless you're, like, really young. In which case, you might not hate it. I read Chelsea Ichaso’s debut as well, and tbh, I much prefer that to this. Still, I am kind of curious about what this author does next!
ARC provided by the publisher via Netgalley. All opinions are my own.
Savannah Sullivan (yes. yes, motherfucker, we are doing alliteration) is your average blond haired, blue eyed, beautiful, popular small town girl (in a loooonely woooorld)(okay i am sorry) whose sister, Piper, was involved in an accident a few months prior to the beginning of this story. She’s currently in a coma at the hospital, and Savannah feels a lot of guilt surrounding the accident because of a fight that she had with her sister just before the accident. Oh, also! Her sister’s case is not investigated because she falls off a cliff, and it is considered a deliberate suicide attempt after a customary look into all her known friends and acquaintances by the police. And we all know how useless the police are, especially in thrillers like this.
Anyway, Savannah discovers a note in Piper’s locker asking her to be present at the scene of the accident. It has something to do with a club that she takes part in at school. Seeing the note shocks her. Wracked with guilt as she is, she sets out to find out who was the one who was responsible for her sister’s accident, and thus begins this wild, ridiculous and campy ride.
As I said right off the bat, this book is just a very ridiculous and campy ride, and I would not go in expecting a whole lot of, you know, serious thriller-y stuff. The story is mostly from Savannah’s perspective, interspersed with flashbacks to the day of the accidents from Piper’s perspective – which, these don’t exactly serve a proper purpose, imo. Like, it’s nice to see her side of the story, for sure, but the way that the information comes to light does not add much to the story in the way exposition like this often does. There was definitely an intent that was obvious behind these flashbacks, but the execution was kind of not all that.
The cast of characters that we get to meet in this book is a pretty solid bunch. But, the way we learn more about them is just so insane, I’m obsessed with it. The story goes about dismantling these people’s motivations and their movements one by one, and once you clear someone, they’re just done and they’re the good guy now. It’s absolutely batshit and hilarious! And the main character suspects EVERYONE! It takes very little to convince Savannah of each person’s guilt, and she just jumps on them with baseless allegations and goes to the extreme in her confrontations. She’s very stupid about it, which, you know, not off-brand for a teenager, but it’s still just this side of unbelievable that it veers off into funny. I do think that this mode of understanding the characters can work in a thriller, but it’s usually thrillers that double as investigative efforts from a removed third party observer after the fact and not thrillers that have the protagonist interacting with these people on an everyday basis and having a personal relationship with them.
The writing is pretty snappy and contemporary-esque, so we don’t really get a lot of atmosphere either. It’s definitely very easy to fall out of the book because of this. The characters spend a majority of time on a camping trip, and there was definitely an opportunity to lean into the isolation and eeriness of a setting like that, but that didn’t happen. The climax of the book suited the writing style more because of the high-energy action filled nature of it, but the rest of it just felt unpolished.
There’s also this whole thing with the teacher that was just so freaking crazy. Like everything we learn about the people on this camping trip is just crazy. Very Euphoria-esque. But what makes it all so unbelievable is that Savannah is not a character who is an outcast in any way. She’s kind of smart and popular, and she’s involved in the sports teams and all that. So it’s just bizarre to me that she’d be oblivious to this degree! Also, her relationship with her sister is just, not really well done, imo. Her parents favour Piper, and it does fuck with your head when there’s that level of imbalance in your home life, but something about the portrayal was just a tad bit off. It all felt very disingenuous. Not enough emotional weight in these scenes and this story to really sell it to the reader. And that’s kind of what makes it..bad.
Also, the culprit and his entire thing is just….bro. Come on.
Overall, again, I won’t say I didn’t enjoy this book, because I did. It’s ridiculous and probably, objectively bad, but my love for bad media made reading this a really funny and fun experience. That being said, I wouldn’t really recommend this as such. You should totally read it if you like bad media and have a couple of hours to spare - because it’s super short-, but if you’re not into that kind of stuff, you’ll definitely hate this. Unless you're, like, really young. In which case, you might not hate it. I read Chelsea Ichaso’s debut as well, and tbh, I much prefer that to this. Still, I am kind of curious about what this author does next!
September 3, 2024
I really enjoyed this book and it keeps you hooked and I loved all the characters. I just wish they added more to the ending but I still really loved it! Definitely read it if you get the chance.
January 11, 2021
Thanks to the publisher for providing an eARC of The Dark Way Down in exchange for an honest review.
This was a fun, fast, YA mystery! Ichaso's narration style is really good for the genre and keeps you hooked without ever slowing down too much to lose your interest and the cast of characters and suspects was really well thought out. If you're anti "thriller protagonists who make dumb decisions for the sake of keeping the story a thriller" you might get a tad annoyed with a lot of the choices the protagonist makes, but all together, this was a good read.
This was a fun, fast, YA mystery! Ichaso's narration style is really good for the genre and keeps you hooked without ever slowing down too much to lose your interest and the cast of characters and suspects was really well thought out. If you're anti "thriller protagonists who make dumb decisions for the sake of keeping the story a thriller" you might get a tad annoyed with a lot of the choices the protagonist makes, but all together, this was a good read.
July 23, 2022
reading this gave me a headache
May 29, 2024
2.75 ⭐️
A decent Young Adult crime book.
This was definitely for a younger demographic!
Still a good book!
A decent Young Adult crime book.
This was definitely for a younger demographic!
Still a good book!
March 19, 2022
Thank you to NetGalley and Sourcebooks Fire for an e-arc of this book in exchange for an honest review. I didn't expect much out of this one and haven't been having too much luck with the young adult genre recently but I found this to be a refreshing thriller entry into the genre. The premise got me interested and the story and characters kept me reading. This read at lightning pace and at no point did I want to put the book down (finish the last sixty percent in one day). This is my first book by Chelsea Ichaso but now I definitely want to go back and read her other novel. Her ability to keep me guessing until the very end is something that does not usually happen to me while reading young adult but I had no idea what the twist was going to be up until it was revealed. Everyone had secrets and everyone was a suspect. Another great aspect of this one was the setting. The majority of this book is set in the wilderness with a high school survival club and it was very refreshing. Recommend to anyone who loves thrillers, young adult, or otherwise.
March 16, 2022
Captivating, twisty and addictive!
This was such a good book that i found myself wanted to just read it all the time and find out the answer to how piper was put in a coma.
This was fast paced and so much fun to read! The twists in this book did shock me and made me just want to read faster!
I loved how the characters were portrayed in this book and the ending was perfect. i’m hoping we can maybe get a novella from Piper or see the events from her perspective!
The only reason this is not 5 stars is because the start of the book was a bit slow but once i got a few pages in i was hooked.
Perfect for fans of One Of Us Is Lying and A Good Girls Guide to Murder ( i haven’t read this but i am recommending based of the synopsis)
Thank you to Netgalley and Sourcebooks Fire for a digital copy of ‘Dead Girls Can’t Tell Secrets’ in exchange for an honest review.
This was such a good book that i found myself wanted to just read it all the time and find out the answer to how piper was put in a coma.
This was fast paced and so much fun to read! The twists in this book did shock me and made me just want to read faster!
I loved how the characters were portrayed in this book and the ending was perfect. i’m hoping we can maybe get a novella from Piper or see the events from her perspective!
The only reason this is not 5 stars is because the start of the book was a bit slow but once i got a few pages in i was hooked.
Perfect for fans of One Of Us Is Lying and A Good Girls Guide to Murder ( i haven’t read this but i am recommending based of the synopsis)
Thank you to Netgalley and Sourcebooks Fire for a digital copy of ‘Dead Girls Can’t Tell Secrets’ in exchange for an honest review.
April 16, 2022
2.5 stars- it was alright.
While this wasn't a terrible book, I think there is a lot of room for improvement. I didn't hate this, but I am indifferent to it; I have absolutely no emotions regarding this book. It was entertaining while it lasted, and I don't regret picking it up, but I've definitely read stronger YA mysteries.
Main points are in bold, if you'd rather skim :)
what I liked:
-a short, sharp, easy read. The author got straight into the mystery, which I liked. A lot of other mysteries I've read tend to give a lot (too much) background info (cough, cough, Truly Devious) which bores me, but I was sucked right into this one.
-there was a lot of diversion of attention. It was a very messy mystery- lots of things happened that led to Piper's presence at the Point and her subsequent fall, but did not cause it. There was a solid attempt to draw the audience to different conclusions, and it was hard to decipher what was necessary and what was coincidental.
-good pacing. Things were constantly happening and being revealed.
what I did not like:
-the main character is extremely dislikable. Her temper and her accusations put me off a lot, and I hated how when she'd find new information, she'd go straight to the "culprit" and accuse them of killing her sister. She'd accuse everyone, despite wanting to keep her investigation (mostly) a secret, to keep the "killer" from getting onto her. I disliked her personality, her temper, her actions, her self-pity, her stereotypical "popular girl"/ "prom queen" act.
-I thought the ending was a little anticlimatic.
-I would've liked an ending to tie together all the points of the story. I mentioned before that it was a messy mystery, and while I liked the author's attempt to maintain suspense, I needed an ending that combined the big points of the diversions, because otherwise they felt brushed over. For example,
-the characters are one-dimensional and a bit flat.
Thank you to the author for sending me an ARC copy, I really appreciate all your efforts in getting this book to me from across the world ❤
While this wasn't a terrible book, I think there is a lot of room for improvement. I didn't hate this, but I am indifferent to it; I have absolutely no emotions regarding this book. It was entertaining while it lasted, and I don't regret picking it up, but I've definitely read stronger YA mysteries.
Main points are in bold, if you'd rather skim :)
what I liked:
-a short, sharp, easy read. The author got straight into the mystery, which I liked. A lot of other mysteries I've read tend to give a lot (too much) background info (cough, cough, Truly Devious) which bores me, but I was sucked right into this one.
-there was a lot of diversion of attention. It was a very messy mystery- lots of things happened that led to Piper's presence at the Point and her subsequent fall, but did not cause it. There was a solid attempt to draw the audience to different conclusions, and it was hard to decipher what was necessary and what was coincidental.
-good pacing. Things were constantly happening and being revealed.
what I did not like:
-the main character is extremely dislikable. Her temper and her accusations put me off a lot, and I hated how when she'd find new information, she'd go straight to the "culprit" and accuse them of killing her sister. She'd accuse everyone, despite wanting to keep her investigation (mostly) a secret, to keep the "killer" from getting onto her. I disliked her personality, her temper, her actions, her self-pity, her stereotypical "popular girl"/ "prom queen" act.
-I thought the ending was a little anticlimatic.
-I would've liked an ending to tie together all the points of the story. I mentioned before that it was a messy mystery, and while I liked the author's attempt to maintain suspense, I needed an ending that combined the big points of the diversions, because otherwise they felt brushed over. For example,
-the characters are one-dimensional and a bit flat.
Thank you to the author for sending me an ARC copy, I really appreciate all your efforts in getting this book to me from across the world ❤
December 4, 2021
is it okay for a book to be written as of by a teen just because it has young main characters??
Now, to be clear, i didn't read the synopsis before requesting the book, which in hindsight is one of the dumbest decision I've taken this year... yay me!!!
.
the writing style was my main issue throughout the book, not only was it so basic, it was actually really irritating, the author wanted to give the main character the role of an unreliable narrator which is totally okay with me ,but the result was an unreliable narrator who also happens to be super moody, dumbly aggressive and downright unlikeable..
.
i dearly wished for a mysterious or gripping edge to the novel, but it felt like reading a manuscript of a failed disney teen movie, the conversations between the characters were so cringe worthy, the author's main goal was to make you suspect every character and then gives you reasons why that specific character is actually innocent, it was like playing cat and mouse with the reader through the whole book which in my opinion was kind of lame.
.
The other problem with the book was the unoriginality of it, when you say teen thriller you think of One of Us Is Lying or A Good Girl's Guide to Murder, these were some good thrillers who kept me hooked from the beginning, had characters worth reading about and most importantly, a good plot!
.
but at the end for the sake of sounding not too salty, i liked the cover.
*i received an ARC of this book in exchange of an honest review through netgalley and the publishe*
Now, to be clear, i didn't read the synopsis before requesting the book, which in hindsight is one of the dumbest decision I've taken this year... yay me!!!
.
the writing style was my main issue throughout the book, not only was it so basic, it was actually really irritating, the author wanted to give the main character the role of an unreliable narrator which is totally okay with me ,but the result was an unreliable narrator who also happens to be super moody, dumbly aggressive and downright unlikeable..
.
i dearly wished for a mysterious or gripping edge to the novel, but it felt like reading a manuscript of a failed disney teen movie, the conversations between the characters were so cringe worthy, the author's main goal was to make you suspect every character and then gives you reasons why that specific character is actually innocent, it was like playing cat and mouse with the reader through the whole book which in my opinion was kind of lame.
.
The other problem with the book was the unoriginality of it, when you say teen thriller you think of One of Us Is Lying or A Good Girl's Guide to Murder, these were some good thrillers who kept me hooked from the beginning, had characters worth reading about and most importantly, a good plot!
.
but at the end for the sake of sounding not too salty, i liked the cover.
*i received an ARC of this book in exchange of an honest review through netgalley and the publishe*
December 11, 2021
Thank you NetGalley and Sourcebooks Fire for sharing an eARC in exchange for an honest review.
Genre: YA Murder Mystery
TW: mention of suicide, murder.
Rating: 4/5
Piper Sullivan is in a coma for the last one month. Piper’s elder sister, Savannah Sullivan doesn’t believe that Piper committed suicide. One afternoon when Savannah goes to Piper’s locker to look for her (Piper’s) sweater and found a very uncanny note. Piper was always the ‘perfect’ student, the over-achiever and the daughter her parents would expect her to be. However, Piper’s relation with her sister and her friends wasn’t exactly great around the time she fell. Savannah doesn’t seem to forget about the note she found inside Piper’s locker. She (Savannah) joins the wilderness club to find out by whom that note was and maybe was, the same person who murdered her? Continuing to find clues further, Savannah goes to the point where Piper committed suicide, from a school trip. Savannah still thinks that someone murdered her sister, Piper. Who would do that? And why?
To find this out, read this book which gets published on 5th April, 2022!
This was a fun and unputdownable YA mystery book.
Pros:
-Pacing: It was neither too slow nor too fast.
-Writing style of the author: It was in a way that kept my interest throughout the book.
-It was easy to get into.
-Suspense.
Cons:
-Main character got a little infuriating sometimes.
-Some sentences were a little odd.
-More character development and personality would have been nice.
This was just like another young adult mystery book that included teens and murder. Even though the plot was not much different than other mystery books, the twists and turns took me by surprise. This book is definitely one of my favorites and if you’re a fan of murder mysteries, I’d absolutely recommend reading it at least once. After reading Dead Girls Can’t Tell Secrets, I’m excited to read other books (s) by the author.
Genre: YA Murder Mystery
TW: mention of suicide, murder.
Rating: 4/5
Piper Sullivan is in a coma for the last one month. Piper’s elder sister, Savannah Sullivan doesn’t believe that Piper committed suicide. One afternoon when Savannah goes to Piper’s locker to look for her (Piper’s) sweater and found a very uncanny note. Piper was always the ‘perfect’ student, the over-achiever and the daughter her parents would expect her to be. However, Piper’s relation with her sister and her friends wasn’t exactly great around the time she fell. Savannah doesn’t seem to forget about the note she found inside Piper’s locker. She (Savannah) joins the wilderness club to find out by whom that note was and maybe was, the same person who murdered her? Continuing to find clues further, Savannah goes to the point where Piper committed suicide, from a school trip. Savannah still thinks that someone murdered her sister, Piper. Who would do that? And why?
To find this out, read this book which gets published on 5th April, 2022!
This was a fun and unputdownable YA mystery book.
Pros:
-Pacing: It was neither too slow nor too fast.
-Writing style of the author: It was in a way that kept my interest throughout the book.
-It was easy to get into.
-Suspense.
Cons:
-Main character got a little infuriating sometimes.
-Some sentences were a little odd.
-More character development and personality would have been nice.
This was just like another young adult mystery book that included teens and murder. Even though the plot was not much different than other mystery books, the twists and turns took me by surprise. This book is definitely one of my favorites and if you’re a fan of murder mysteries, I’d absolutely recommend reading it at least once. After reading Dead Girls Can’t Tell Secrets, I’m excited to read other books (s) by the author.
December 28, 2021
THANKS TO NETGALLEY AND THE PUBLISHER FOR THIS REVIEW COPY IN EXCHANGE FOR AN HONEST REVIEW.
“... you never really know people the way you think you do.”
Piper is the golden child of her parents and Savannah has always been the neglected one. Savannah wanted her parents' attention but it can't be possible in presence of Piper. One day Piper had an accident and as a result, is in a coma. Savannah used to have wild fantasies about life without Piper but not like that. She doesn't believe that her sister can commit suicide so she is on the mission of finding the real reason.
“But here we are, bonded by our mistakes. Bonded by something dark.”
If I'll have to define this book in a word, it would be BASIC. This book was definitely easy to read and had a promising start but with time it just turned boring and bland. The attitude and reasoning while solving the case were so childish or sometimes even stupid. Savannah was an idiot MC who thinks so highly of herself. It was funny how no one wasn't able to keep secrets and openly call each other murderers.
“... you never really know people the way you think you do.”
Piper is the golden child of her parents and Savannah has always been the neglected one. Savannah wanted her parents' attention but it can't be possible in presence of Piper. One day Piper had an accident and as a result, is in a coma. Savannah used to have wild fantasies about life without Piper but not like that. She doesn't believe that her sister can commit suicide so she is on the mission of finding the real reason.
“But here we are, bonded by our mistakes. Bonded by something dark.”
If I'll have to define this book in a word, it would be BASIC. This book was definitely easy to read and had a promising start but with time it just turned boring and bland. The attitude and reasoning while solving the case were so childish or sometimes even stupid. Savannah was an idiot MC who thinks so highly of herself. It was funny how no one wasn't able to keep secrets and openly call each other murderers.
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