The Cousins: TikTok made me buy it

by Karen M. McManus

An explosive YA thriller from international bestselling author of One of Us is Lying.

The Storys are the envy of their neighbours: owners of the largest property on their East Coast island, they are rich, beautiful, and close. Until it all falls apart. The four children are suddenly dropped by their mother with a single sentence:

You know what you did.

They never hear from her again.

Years later, when 18-year-old cousins Aubrey, Milly and Jonah Story receive a mysterious invitation to spend the summer at their grandmother's resort, they have no choice but to follow their curiosity and meet the woman who's been such an enigma their entire lives.

This entire family is built on secrets, right? It's the Story legacy.

This summer, the teenagers are determined to discover the truth at the heart of their family. But some secrets are better left alone.

"A twisty, enthralling thriller" -The Daily Mail

• ISBN10: 0241376947
• ISBN13: 9780241376942
• Publish Date: 3 December 2020 (first published 1 December 2020)
• Publish Status: Active
• Publish Country: GB
• Imprint: Penguin Books Ltd
• Format: Paperback (B-Format (198x129 mm))
• Pages: 336
• Language: English

Reviews

[chillywilly]

I really enjoyed this book. It was a nice change from what I have been reading lately. It is a modern YA mystery that gets wrapped up nicely. I like the family setting; it hits a little close to home with the disgruntled family members at the end. It was nice to see that some things will work out and some things don't. I took a guess at the answer to the mystery, I came close, but it still surprised me. The characters seemed well developed as they were relatable. I'll be reading this authors other works since I liked this one so much.

[writehollydavis]

Really enjoyed this thriller! So many twists I couldn't have even guessed and easy characters to connect to. The flashback scenes left me a bit confused at times with all the names mentioned, but overall it was done well.

[alindstadtcorbeax]

Star Rating: —> 3.5 Stars

[kimbacaffeinate]

The Cousins by Karen M. McManus narrated by Sarah Skaer, Kate Reinderes, David Garelik, and Julia Whelan shares an intriguing summer filled with mystery, secrets and family drama.

I’ve heard a lot of great things about Karen M. McManus and was excited to listen to the audio with its stellar cast of narrators. Listeners will be treated to a young adult thriller as they spend the summer with cousins Milly, Aubrey and Jonah Story.

The Story children have been estranged from their wealthy and reclusive mother since before their children were even born, but when a letter arrives, they send the three cousins off with hopes of a reconciliation. No pressure. The cousins are going to spend their summer working at their grandmother’s island resort.

I loved getting to know Millie, Aubrey and Jonah. The cousins haven’t been in contact since they were younger, so watching them work together to figure out why their grandmother cut off her family and why she seemed so surprised to see. After all, she invited them. Or did she?

Throughout it all we witness character growth, a budding romance, family drama, and miscommunications. The author delivers plenty of twist and turns to keep the listener completely engaged.

This was a clever tale with a wonderful set of narrators who brought their characters to life. They worked well together, and the pacing and transition from one POV to another was smooth.

This review was originally posted at Caffeinated Reviewer