What do you think?
Rate this book
You're Next
When a girl with a troubled history of finding dead bodies investigates the murder of her ex, she uncovers a plot to put herself---and everyone she loves---on the list of who's next.
Flora Calhoun has a reputation for sticking her nose where it doesn't belong. After stumbling upon a classmate's body years ago, the trauma of that discovery and the police's failure to find the killer has haunted her ever since. One night, she gets a midnight text from Ava McQueen, the beautiful girl who had ignited Flora's heart last summer, then never spoke to her again.
Just in time to witness Ava's death from a gunshot wound, Flora is set on a path of rage and vengeance for all the dead girls whose killer is never found. Her tunnel-visioned sleuthing leads to valuable clues about a shocking conspiracy involving her school and beyond, but also earns her sinister threats from the murderer. She has a choice---to give up the hunt for answers, or keep digging and risk her loved ones' lives. Either way, Flora will regret the consequences. Who's next on the killer's list?
Flora Calhoun has a reputation for sticking her nose where it doesn't belong. After stumbling upon a classmate's body years ago, the trauma of that discovery and the police's failure to find the killer has haunted her ever since. One night, she gets a midnight text from Ava McQueen, the beautiful girl who had ignited Flora's heart last summer, then never spoke to her again.
Just in time to witness Ava's death from a gunshot wound, Flora is set on a path of rage and vengeance for all the dead girls whose killer is never found. Her tunnel-visioned sleuthing leads to valuable clues about a shocking conspiracy involving her school and beyond, but also earns her sinister threats from the murderer. She has a choice---to give up the hunt for answers, or keep digging and risk her loved ones' lives. Either way, Flora will regret the consequences. Who's next on the killer's list?
480 pages, Hardcover
First published July 7, 2020
154 people are currently reading
8198 people want to read
About the author
Kylie Schachte
2 books124 followersKylie Schachte lived in nine different cities–from Moscow to Los Angeles–before making her home in Portland, Oregon. She’s a graduate of Sarah Lawrence College, and an active member of the Pitch Wars online community as both a program alum and mentor. When she’s not writing, she can be found attending concerts, exploring the Pacific Northwest, and refereeing between her tiny cat and giant dog—the cat always wins.
YOU’RE NEXT is Kylie’s debut novel. Learn more about her at kylieschachte.com, and follow her on Twitter or Instagram @kylieschachte
YOU’RE NEXT is Kylie’s debut novel. Learn more about her at kylieschachte.com, and follow her on Twitter or Instagram @kylieschachte
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 30 of 332 reviews
April 1, 2020
This is a tough one to review, because on the one hand if was fast paced, held my attention well, and had a diverse cast of characters doing interesting things, yet on the other we are left wondering why this book is 464 pages long, with an extremely unlikable main character, and a final chapter that did nothing but add an unnecessary dramatic flair and confusion. I'm not the target audience, so I think I'll leave it here, but the writing is quality and I would definitely give this author another try.
*Many thanks to the publisher for providing my review copy.
*Many thanks to the publisher for providing my review copy.
July 7, 2020
You’re Next by Kylie Schachte is a young adult mystery/thriller novel. This one is sort of like a modern day Nancy Drew with a teenage protagonist who is determined to find out who murdered her ex-girlfriend.
Flora Calhoun is not a stranger to finding dead bodies. A few years before she had stumbled across a murder victim which led to her beginning to investigate crime. This doesn’t make Flora exactly popular among her peers but Flora has her one best friend and that’s all she needs.
When Flora’s old girlfriend calls her up and asks to meet she immediately agrees. Unfortunately though as Flora is on her way to the location she hears gunshots and when she arrives her friend is on the ground taking her last breathes. Flora vows to find out what happened as she begins to look into the last words she’ll ever hear her friend speak.
You’re Next really started off with a bang heading at a fast pace that kept the pages flying by. The lead is a typical teen that may do some questionable things but that only seemed to reflect her age in a realistic way to me.
The problem I found with this one though was the longer it went on it seemed to get a little repetitive to me. After getting going the story felt as if begin to drag and I questioned why it wasn’t a lot shorter as you seem to get pointed the right way fairly early but then stall out. Overall I’d give this one 3 1/2 stars, it would have made more if edited down instead of such a lengthy read.
I received an advance copy from the publisher via NetGalley.
For more reviews please visit https://carriesbookreviews.com/
Flora Calhoun is not a stranger to finding dead bodies. A few years before she had stumbled across a murder victim which led to her beginning to investigate crime. This doesn’t make Flora exactly popular among her peers but Flora has her one best friend and that’s all she needs.
When Flora’s old girlfriend calls her up and asks to meet she immediately agrees. Unfortunately though as Flora is on her way to the location she hears gunshots and when she arrives her friend is on the ground taking her last breathes. Flora vows to find out what happened as she begins to look into the last words she’ll ever hear her friend speak.
You’re Next really started off with a bang heading at a fast pace that kept the pages flying by. The lead is a typical teen that may do some questionable things but that only seemed to reflect her age in a realistic way to me.
The problem I found with this one though was the longer it went on it seemed to get a little repetitive to me. After getting going the story felt as if begin to drag and I questioned why it wasn’t a lot shorter as you seem to get pointed the right way fairly early but then stall out. Overall I’d give this one 3 1/2 stars, it would have made more if edited down instead of such a lengthy read.
I received an advance copy from the publisher via NetGalley.
For more reviews please visit https://carriesbookreviews.com/
June 8, 2020
Thanks to NetGalley and Jimmy Patterson Books(an imprint of Little, Brown, and Company) for an egalley in exchange for an honest review.
When teenage investigator, Flora Calhoun witnesses the death of her love interest, Ava McQueen she vows that she will find the person responsible. With the help of her best friend, her sister, and her ex-CIA grandfather, Flora gets closer to the mystery but may lose her life in the process.
This book read like a sequel in the series with a very elaborate backstory of the main protagonist who has a history of discovering the bodies of dead classmates and irritates the local police force. I could argue that Flora doesn't talk like any teen I know, but that would be taking away from the eccentric qualities of her character. It was a good read with its different storylines of political corruption and an underground fight club adding to the murder mystery.
Goodreads review published 08/06/20
Expected publication date 07/07/20
When teenage investigator, Flora Calhoun witnesses the death of her love interest, Ava McQueen she vows that she will find the person responsible. With the help of her best friend, her sister, and her ex-CIA grandfather, Flora gets closer to the mystery but may lose her life in the process.
This book read like a sequel in the series with a very elaborate backstory of the main protagonist who has a history of discovering the bodies of dead classmates and irritates the local police force. I could argue that Flora doesn't talk like any teen I know, but that would be taking away from the eccentric qualities of her character. It was a good read with its different storylines of political corruption and an underground fight club adding to the murder mystery.
Goodreads review published 08/06/20
Expected publication date 07/07/20
May 24, 2020
Many thanks to Julie at Jimmy Patterson Presents for sending me a copy in exchange for an honest review
"Flora, I need your help. Come fast."
This book was 100 pages too long.
So, what's this book about?
Flora Calhoun has a reputation for sticking her nose where it doesn't belong. After stumbling upon a classmate's body years ago, the trauma of that discovery and the police's failure to find the killer has haunted her ever since. One night, she gets a midnight text from Ava McQueen, the beautiful girl who had ignited Flora's heart last summer, then never spoke to her again.
Just in time to witness Ava's death from a gunshot wound, Flora is set on a path of rage and vengeance for all the dead girls whose killer is never found. Her tunnel-visioned sleuthing leads to valuable clues about a shocking conspiracy involving her school and beyond, but also earns her sinister threats from the murderer. She has a choice---to give up the hunt for answers, or keep digging and risk her loved ones' lives. Either way, Flora will regret the consequences. Who's next on the killer's list?
I didn't not enjoy this book. It had a cold open which I loved and it was fast at first but I felt that it was drawn out for a bit too long. This book would definitely be shortened a little bit. I did enjoy the ending as it was decently fast.
Overall, this book was bad and I recommend giving it a chance when it comes out.
Happy reading!
Side note - These opinions are based on the ARC I read. I don't know how different the finished copy will be but, considering the drastic changes in page numbers and release date, I'm hoping edits were made.
------------
Review to come
------------
Yes! YES! YASSSSSSSSSSS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
| Goodreads | Blog | Pinterest | LinkedIn | YouTube | Instagram
October 8, 2020
3.5 Stars, rounded down. The ending was very open-ended leaving me to believe this will undoubtedly become some sort of series, with what I'm sure will be dozens more books to follow with this protagonist, which I'm not a huge fan of. Never have liked series and probably never will. Maybe due to the lack of finality, who knows. I'm sure I'm in the minority with that opinion! That being said, this was absolutely an amazing debut, especially for a YA audience!
April 1, 2020
I will not bash this young adult LGBTQ+ story. It did not work out for me because of the length and the secondary plot lines thrown in throughout the narrative. It will definitely be a book that YA fanatics will flock too, but maybe I should stop giving them a try.
January 29, 2025
Book Blog | Bookstagram
For me, this book just didn’t work. At the most, I’ll call it a mixed bag of good and bad pieces. The writing was subpar and overly dramatic, and the plot was way too convoluted.
And I think we can all agree this is just way too long. It’s nearly 500 pages, and I have no idea why. The base plot didn’t require that many pages, and it destroyed the pacing.
For me, once the novel started getting into political corruption storylines and the underground fight club for teens, I was just like…
But there is a super diverse set of characters in this and lots of LGBTQ+ rep, so there is definitely an audience for this. Because of the substance of the plot, it's just not me.
⭐⭐½ | 2.5 stars rounded down
For me, this book just didn’t work. At the most, I’ll call it a mixed bag of good and bad pieces. The writing was subpar and overly dramatic, and the plot was way too convoluted.
And I think we can all agree this is just way too long. It’s nearly 500 pages, and I have no idea why. The base plot didn’t require that many pages, and it destroyed the pacing.
For me, once the novel started getting into political corruption storylines and the underground fight club for teens, I was just like…
But there is a super diverse set of characters in this and lots of LGBTQ+ rep, so there is definitely an audience for this. Because of the substance of the plot, it's just not me.
⭐⭐½ | 2.5 stars rounded down
July 29, 2020
This one was a bit of a mixed bag...
On the positive side, the plot was interesting, fast-paced, and kept me engaged and guessing until the end.
However, this read like a second book in a series with an entire backstory that wasn't fleshed out enough, and really could have been a book on its own. On top of that, the main character was extremely unlikable. Flora was genuinely an awful daughter, sister, granddaughter, and friend. Last, what the heck was that ending?! Will there be another book? I hope so, because otherwise, what a crappy way to leave a reader hanging!
November 14, 2019
the ending... i don't even wanna talk about it
p.s this is m/f
rep: bisexual mc
tw: sapphic character dies (in the synopsis, not a spoiler), domestic abuse/violence
p.s this is m/f
rep: bisexual mc
tw: sapphic character dies (in the synopsis, not a spoiler), domestic abuse/violence
July 24, 2020
Okay but why is there no book 2 pending? You CAN'T give me THAT ending and expect me to be okay. Wtf man
November 10, 2021
5 SPECTACULAR SHINING STARS
Flora keeps finding dead bodies. The modern day Nancy Drew has a talent for investigation and a tenuous relationship with following rules, making her a thorn in the side of the police. Flora’s penchant trouble and screw-you attitude makes her unpopular at school and often puts her at odds with her best friend Cass, little sister Olive and custodial grandfather. When Flora finds her ex-girlfriend bleeding from a gunshot wound, she doesn’t buy the cop’s theory that it was a mugging. Soon Flora is deep into the investigation of an underground teen fight club run by a sleazy congressperson. What could possibly go wrong?
Debut writer Kylie Schatche gave Flora such a strong, damaged voice, I could hardly believe YOU’RE NEXT was her first book. At times I laughed out loud at Flora’s sarcastic audacity, but mostly I held my breath in anticipation. So often books billed as thrillers are anything but. YOU’RE NEXT is a true thriller filled with twists and turns, heart and soul.
Flora defines complexity. She’s one of the few bisexual characters who shows an attraction to both girls and guys. Abandoned by her mother, she and Olive are being raised by the coolest grandfather ever to hit YA lit. Former CIA, he’s got connections and vacillates between helpfulness and trying to rein in Flora. All of the secondary characters has personality and depth.
I hope that YOU’RE NEXT is the start of a new series because I can’t get enough of Flora, or Schatche’s writing.
Flora keeps finding dead bodies. The modern day Nancy Drew has a talent for investigation and a tenuous relationship with following rules, making her a thorn in the side of the police. Flora’s penchant trouble and screw-you attitude makes her unpopular at school and often puts her at odds with her best friend Cass, little sister Olive and custodial grandfather. When Flora finds her ex-girlfriend bleeding from a gunshot wound, she doesn’t buy the cop’s theory that it was a mugging. Soon Flora is deep into the investigation of an underground teen fight club run by a sleazy congressperson. What could possibly go wrong?
Debut writer Kylie Schatche gave Flora such a strong, damaged voice, I could hardly believe YOU’RE NEXT was her first book. At times I laughed out loud at Flora’s sarcastic audacity, but mostly I held my breath in anticipation. So often books billed as thrillers are anything but. YOU’RE NEXT is a true thriller filled with twists and turns, heart and soul.
Flora defines complexity. She’s one of the few bisexual characters who shows an attraction to both girls and guys. Abandoned by her mother, she and Olive are being raised by the coolest grandfather ever to hit YA lit. Former CIA, he’s got connections and vacillates between helpfulness and trying to rein in Flora. All of the secondary characters has personality and depth.
I hope that YOU’RE NEXT is the start of a new series because I can’t get enough of Flora, or Schatche’s writing.
October 6, 2020
WTF was that ending???
May 14, 2020
On my blog.
Rep: bi mc, Chinese-American side character, Black side characters
CWs: death, violence
Galley provided by publisher
You’re Next reads to me like a posterchild (posterbook?) for why there should be an intermediate age group in publishing between YA and adult. Because it was a good book, yes, but the plot just felt ridiculous when you consider that the main character, and most of the people involved, are just sixteen.
I mean, the writing is solid. The mystery is solid. The characters were great and I loved their relationships and the development.
It’s just I couldn’t get past the age thing.
I know, I know. Suspend your disbelief, you say. But I could not. I tried, and I failed.
But let’s back up a moment and look at what you, the hypothetical reader who is more successful at suspending their disbelief than I, might enjoy about this book.
The mystery. It’s a very tense and tightly plotted mystery, for all that there were a number of times I said, incredulously, they’re SIXTEEN. And Kylie Schachte is very good at incrementally increasing the tension until you’re desperately reading to find out if everything’s okay.
The characters and relationships. Probably the central relationship in the book is Flora’s family relationship, which is full of angst, even though they all love one another (which, let’s be real, is the best sort of angst). But there’s also a ride-or-die friendship going on. And a very good romantic relationship (though 16/18 was a little ehhhh for me, but the dynamic was great).
The writing. I loved the writing, to be honest. Like I said above, Kylie Schachte is excellent at ratcheting up the tension, and I think that’s down to just how good her writing is.
But, as I mentioned at the start of this review, all of this was tempered because I couldn’t get past the characters being sixteen. I mean, the plot was more intense and dark than a lot of adult mysteries I’ve read, and I’m supposed to believe it’s all carried out by people who are still 9 years from a fully-developed brain? Okay.
So if you think you can suspend your disbelief sufficiently, go ahead, read this book. (I mean, read it even if you think you might not be able to, because you never know. Also it’s a very good book in itself.)
One last thing: I want it noted I do not appreciate that ending, thank you.
Rep: bi mc, Chinese-American side character, Black side characters
CWs: death, violence
Galley provided by publisher
You’re Next reads to me like a posterchild (posterbook?) for why there should be an intermediate age group in publishing between YA and adult. Because it was a good book, yes, but the plot just felt ridiculous when you consider that the main character, and most of the people involved, are just sixteen.
I mean, the writing is solid. The mystery is solid. The characters were great and I loved their relationships and the development.
It’s just I couldn’t get past the age thing.
I know, I know. Suspend your disbelief, you say. But I could not. I tried, and I failed.
But let’s back up a moment and look at what you, the hypothetical reader who is more successful at suspending their disbelief than I, might enjoy about this book.
The mystery. It’s a very tense and tightly plotted mystery, for all that there were a number of times I said, incredulously, they’re SIXTEEN. And Kylie Schachte is very good at incrementally increasing the tension until you’re desperately reading to find out if everything’s okay.
The characters and relationships. Probably the central relationship in the book is Flora’s family relationship, which is full of angst, even though they all love one another (which, let’s be real, is the best sort of angst). But there’s also a ride-or-die friendship going on. And a very good romantic relationship (though 16/18 was a little ehhhh for me, but the dynamic was great).
The writing. I loved the writing, to be honest. Like I said above, Kylie Schachte is excellent at ratcheting up the tension, and I think that’s down to just how good her writing is.
But, as I mentioned at the start of this review, all of this was tempered because I couldn’t get past the characters being sixteen. I mean, the plot was more intense and dark than a lot of adult mysteries I’ve read, and I’m supposed to believe it’s all carried out by people who are still 9 years from a fully-developed brain? Okay.
So if you think you can suspend your disbelief sufficiently, go ahead, read this book. (I mean, read it even if you think you might not be able to, because you never know. Also it’s a very good book in itself.)
One last thing: I want it noted I do not appreciate that ending, thank you.
November 27, 2019
Honestly, if you're fan of thriller mystery, DO NOT MISS THIS! Pre-order now!
This is way too good and I could barely put down the book. Flora is relatable and full of flaws. She's real. Literally, I don't wanna spoil anything, but there are surprises that will stick with you for days!
Not many books can surprise me like You're Next did.
This is way too good and I could barely put down the book. Flora is relatable and full of flaws. She's real. Literally, I don't wanna spoil anything, but there are surprises that will stick with you for days!
Not many books can surprise me like You're Next did.
December 19, 2020
This book was one that I asked our library to buy and imagine my surprise seeing the release date as the 7th July which is my birthday, that's pretty cool. When I saw that this was a James Patterson presents and that the main girl was a teen detective, that captured my attention. I love books that have teen detectives like modern-day Nancy Drew and Veronica Mars. In this book, we meet Flora Calhoun who seems to have a habit of finding dead bodies and stumbling upon mysteries. She also is a bisexual character, I was a little worried about this as I am not normally one for reading books where the characters are in an F/F or M/M relationship but I did like how her sexual orientation was touched on but not to be made the main issue of the novel. In this book, it starts with Flora's ex-girlfriend Ava calling her to say she needs her - Flora arrives just in time to see Ava get shot three times and hold her before she died. Ava's last words were Wes Grays and this leads Flora onto a new investigation as she plans to solve who killed Ava and why as the police are writing it off as a mugging gone wrong. As Flora continues to dig, did she ever know Ava, and what about her school classmates? Has Flora been selfish and focused on herself as she has been blind to what has been around her all this time? As well as the mystery aspect, You're Next by Kylie Schachte also has a strong focus on Flora's family life and friends/relationships and of course trying to survive her year at high school. If you love Teen thrillers/mysteries, then check out You're Next by Kylie Schachte today.
June 13, 2020
4.5 stars.
This book took everything that was great about A Good Girl's Guide to Murder (except for the cool formatting) and added more depth. Teenage sleuth? Let's make her darker and harder and sharper - but also give her an actual reason to be sleuthing to the point of obsession and potential personal harm. A town's big mystery? Let's make it a big conspiracy with lots of moving parts and big money changing hands. A budding romance? First, let's make our MC bisexual (!!) and then focus on trust and security and equality before moving on to actually dating or not. Threats to her person? Let's make them feel real by getting a real taste of it: surveillance, a fight, a car accident, a fire.
Flora breaks down... A lot. She's prickly but also very emotionally vulnerable. She's also more than a little manipulative - even to her friends - but she's aware and tries to fix it (and of course only makes things worse). She's lonely and desperate and screwed up and it made her feel so much more real as the kind of person who would essentially throw her life away in the rash hunt for justice.
Valentine and Cass were really great supporting characters. Valentine is like Flora's mirror: a picture of where she could be if she continues on this path and alienates everyone in her life, but also a badass and emotionally supportive, despite having his own trauma to sort through. And Cass is the ultimate best friend: despite being constantly sidelined and needing to drop everything to get Flora out of trouble, she values communication and loyalty and is the perfect foil for Flora.
Honestly I was all in up until the last section. The ending kind of leaves us with a lot of stuff unresolved. We get the answer that sparked the plot: who killed Ava McQueen? But there's so much else roiling in the background that there will simply have to be another book to answer. Also the final confrontation with the murderer... was a little too "evil mastermind reveals all their secrets because they believe they've already won" and that's not really my jam.
This book took everything that was great about A Good Girl's Guide to Murder (except for the cool formatting) and added more depth. Teenage sleuth? Let's make her darker and harder and sharper - but also give her an actual reason to be sleuthing to the point of obsession and potential personal harm. A town's big mystery? Let's make it a big conspiracy with lots of moving parts and big money changing hands. A budding romance? First, let's make our MC bisexual (!!) and then focus on trust and security and equality before moving on to actually dating or not. Threats to her person? Let's make them feel real by getting a real taste of it: surveillance, a fight, a car accident, a fire.
Flora breaks down... A lot. She's prickly but also very emotionally vulnerable. She's also more than a little manipulative - even to her friends - but she's aware and tries to fix it (and of course only makes things worse). She's lonely and desperate and screwed up and it made her feel so much more real as the kind of person who would essentially throw her life away in the rash hunt for justice.
Valentine and Cass were really great supporting characters. Valentine is like Flora's mirror: a picture of where she could be if she continues on this path and alienates everyone in her life, but also a badass and emotionally supportive, despite having his own trauma to sort through. And Cass is the ultimate best friend: despite being constantly sidelined and needing to drop everything to get Flora out of trouble, she values communication and loyalty and is the perfect foil for Flora.
Honestly I was all in up until the last section. The ending kind of leaves us with a lot of stuff unresolved. We get the answer that sparked the plot: who killed Ava McQueen? But there's so much else roiling in the background that there will simply have to be another book to answer. Also the final confrontation with the murderer... was a little too "evil mastermind reveals all their secrets because they believe they've already won" and that's not really my jam.
August 16, 2020
I speed read the last few hundred pages, and I'm not that sure what happened, but I do know I'm screaming.
Flora is an unlikeable main character, but I enjoyed seeing her being self-aware and growing throughout the novel.
I loved all the secondary character and thought that they added layers to the story that made it more interesting.
The mystery was an interesting take on Fight Club, and I thought that even though it was a little bit unrealistic for teenagers to be doing, it was very entertaining.
The writing style was easy to read while discusing possibly triggering and mature topics. That's really hard to do, but this book managed to make it work.
However, I don't believe that there was enough backstory on Flora. It did feel as if we were missing a lot of information that we should already know.
I also didn't belive that the murderer was who it was; there weren't enough clues in my opinion. The thing I love about mystery novels is trying to figure out who commited the crime using all the clues you're given. I wouldn't have guessed it, and that's saying something since I was suspecting almost everyone.
That ending kinda annoyed me. There's no information on a second novel that I could find, and leaving a book like that without any sense of future made me a little upset.
Flora is an unlikeable main character, but I enjoyed seeing her being self-aware and growing throughout the novel.
I loved all the secondary character and thought that they added layers to the story that made it more interesting.
The mystery was an interesting take on Fight Club, and I thought that even though it was a little bit unrealistic for teenagers to be doing, it was very entertaining.
The writing style was easy to read while discusing possibly triggering and mature topics. That's really hard to do, but this book managed to make it work.
However, I don't believe that there was enough backstory on Flora. It did feel as if we were missing a lot of information that we should already know.
I also didn't belive that the murderer was who it was; there weren't enough clues in my opinion. The thing I love about mystery novels is trying to figure out who commited the crime using all the clues you're given. I wouldn't have guessed it, and that's saying something since I was suspecting almost everyone.
That ending kinda annoyed me. There's no information on a second novel that I could find, and leaving a book like that without any sense of future made me a little upset.
December 30, 2021
Ya know that random piece of writing advice that’s like “start a book like it’s the middle of a story and finish it as if it’s the beginning” or something like that?
Ms. Author took that way too far.
ANYWAY, aside from me dying, it was a really good book. Debated giving it 4 stars, but honestly— it deserves 5.
The most notable part that stands out to me is the character development of Flora. You see her at the beginning: reckless, driven, but she has a definite goal— that’s not finding the person that murdered her ex-girlfriend. She’s sad that they’ve broken up, and the repeated “7 mouths and 4 days”, along with going through her Instagram really show how broken up she is.
Wow how quickly that changes. All of a sudden she’s on a mission, pushing aside her grief, focusing on her goal. And with good reason!
The pendulum swing between the two is so important to the story, but also adds a feeling of human to Flora, something that is usually lost in murder mysteries when authors favor a more Sherlock Holmes character (which there is nothing wrong with, but with this being a person she knew, if it was disconnected detective work, it would’ve get off)
The characters are what really made this— the sense of human-ness in them while they all are making bad decisions and not telling the whole truth. And it’s not in a psychology way, it’s presented really well so you just see them as they are: flawed people that are learning.
The mystery itself is predictable… well, not one I would be surprised someone predicted. Did I predict it? …well, no. But I was focused on the characters, sooo.
Moving on, I would most certainly recommend this to people who want to get into murder mysteries or people that liked One of Us is Lying and Good Girls Guide to Murder (I liked this more than both of those, but that’s just my personal preference), or anyone for that matter! I would consider rereading, but I’ll need to recover from that ending.
Overall, great character development with the pendulum swing of Flora’s personality before and after Ava’s murder, and the human-ness of Flora was refreshing. All of the characters had their own flaws and all were expressed so humanly it was great! Would recommend and possible reread.
Ms. Author took that way too far.
ANYWAY, aside from me dying, it was a really good book. Debated giving it 4 stars, but honestly— it deserves 5.
The most notable part that stands out to me is the character development of Flora. You see her at the beginning: reckless, driven, but she has a definite goal— that’s not finding the person that murdered her ex-girlfriend. She’s sad that they’ve broken up, and the repeated “7 mouths and 4 days”, along with going through her Instagram really show how broken up she is.
Wow how quickly that changes. All of a sudden she’s on a mission, pushing aside her grief, focusing on her goal. And with good reason!
The pendulum swing between the two is so important to the story, but also adds a feeling of human to Flora, something that is usually lost in murder mysteries when authors favor a more Sherlock Holmes character (which there is nothing wrong with, but with this being a person she knew, if it was disconnected detective work, it would’ve get off)
The characters are what really made this— the sense of human-ness in them while they all are making bad decisions and not telling the whole truth. And it’s not in a psychology way, it’s presented really well so you just see them as they are: flawed people that are learning.
The mystery itself is predictable… well, not one I would be surprised someone predicted. Did I predict it? …well, no. But I was focused on the characters, sooo.
Moving on, I would most certainly recommend this to people who want to get into murder mysteries or people that liked One of Us is Lying and Good Girls Guide to Murder (I liked this more than both of those, but that’s just my personal preference), or anyone for that matter! I would consider rereading, but I’ll need to recover from that ending.
Overall, great character development with the pendulum swing of Flora’s personality before and after Ava’s murder, and the human-ness of Flora was refreshing. All of the characters had their own flaws and all were expressed so humanly it was great! Would recommend and possible reread.
November 16, 2023
I devoured this in one day! Honestly it took me a bit to get into it because the writing style was much more simple than the beautiful writing of the book I read right before this one, but the plot and pacing hooked me and kept me glued to the page. I mean, 450 pages in a day is super rare for me. I love books this fast-paced! I found myself really loving the characters, especially VT. It was a good book to fill the A Good Girl’s Guide to Murder-shaped hole in my heart (not quite as good, of course, but lots of similarities!). My only gripe is THE ENDING. Everything resolved and then suddenly in the last two pages they decided to cliffhanger us which is ONLY OKAY IF THERE’S A SEQUEL. WHICH THERE’S NOT. As far as I can tell, there aren’t even PLANS for a sequel. I screamed when I finished the book and then ran to my sister to rant at her about it. Those last two pages SUCKED 😂
April 20, 2020
RTC
Thank you to James Patterson Presents for my review copy.
Thank you to James Patterson Presents for my review copy.
April 15, 2020
I rarely write reviews. I give my star rating and move on, but I couldn’t help but notice a lot of, well, complaints in the reviews. I’m not sure if this counts as a spoiler, but the main character is not a Mary Sue. She is the most realistic main character I’ve seen in a YA novel in a very long time.
I’ve noticed the same people who complain about unrealistic main characters will say they’re unlikeable when they’re slightly flawed. This main character makes bad decisions and is flawed, but she is a teenager, so I’m not sure what people expected. This book was incredibly refreshing, very well-written, and held my attention the whole time. I didn’t have a problem understanding the ending and it did shock me (which is super rare in YA these days!), so I loved it!
Overall, this author has a fan for life! I’ll be reading whatever she writes!
I’ve noticed the same people who complain about unrealistic main characters will say they’re unlikeable when they’re slightly flawed. This main character makes bad decisions and is flawed, but she is a teenager, so I’m not sure what people expected. This book was incredibly refreshing, very well-written, and held my attention the whole time. I didn’t have a problem understanding the ending and it did shock me (which is super rare in YA these days!), so I loved it!
Overall, this author has a fan for life! I’ll be reading whatever she writes!
October 23, 2020
2☆ - as thrilling as the synopsis is, this book was a bit... underwhelming. this book didn't need to be over 450 pages long. this story kept building up and up until the plot twist at the end, which might i add was very random and didn't make much sense. all the teenage characters didn't even sound like teenagers. they way they talked and exchanged dialogue with each other just seemed off. flora, the main character, was so unlikeable that by the time i was 3/4 into the book, i really stopped caring about her. she has absolutely no character development. you would expect a 450+ page book to have good character development, but nope. she kept on making the same mistakes, each time promising she wouldn't do it again. the ending? i don't even know. i don't want to spoil it, but just know that it's disappointing.
October 30, 2020
You're Next by Kylie Schachte is a solid YA mystery thriller that sets a fast pace and keeps you on your toes until the very end. However, I wasn't a fan of the lead character and there isn't much of a reason for the novel to be a whopping 449 pages long. I usually like it when books drop you right into the action, but in this case I felt like I was missing something right from the beginning and that never let up.
March 28, 2025
OMG. This book was SO good!! 449 pages of pure suspense, romance, murder, and dark, dark things. When I actually found out who had murdered Ava, I was like “WHAT?!”. Elle, the murderer, had been helping Flora the whole time! (Flora thought it was originally Elle’s dad.) But Olive, she got hurt and was helping Flora on the side! (Awesome sister moment❤️🥰) I actually too, agreed with Flora and was very surprised to hear that Elle was the murderer. Then, Boyd and Elle dropped her into the open water, and I actually thought she was dead. So you should ALL read this book!! 📚📖
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
April 14, 2022
That ending though
😭😭😭
I can't deal with it!
This book was very well written. The characters just felt so human. Like I could actually go to school with them.
I really like how this book, kept me guessing at very turn. It made me questioning everything I thought I knew.
Which is the best book in my opinion.
😭😭😭
I can't deal with it!
This book was very well written. The characters just felt so human. Like I could actually go to school with them.
I really like how this book, kept me guessing at very turn. It made me questioning everything I thought I knew.
Which is the best book in my opinion.
March 4, 2024
i honestly don’t even care what anyone else says about this book i loved it so much. the way it was written was amazing, and the way the story developed. even if my favorite character is probably dead and it ends on a cliffhanger.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
October 25, 2020
A good mystery and some edge of your seat moments that kept you entertained, but it took me a while to get through this book. The book absolutely channeled some Veronica Mars, but lacked in the dark humor and sarcasm that I was needing from Flora.
As a MC, it was difficult to connect to her, but I was along for the ride and appreciated the reveals at the end.
As a MC, it was difficult to connect to her, but I was along for the ride and appreciated the reveals at the end.
December 13, 2022
review to come (i've put off homework 'cause of this book long enough ;) )
totally forgot about this but um, anyway. when i tell you i was POSSESSED by this book! there was something about it that just pinned me in a chokehold until the last page. maybe it was the fast pace, maybe it was the flawed but endearing characters, or the satisfaction of watching the puzzle pieces slot into place. this book was the definition of “it’s the journey, not the destination.” i’m still in denial about the last 20 pages or so, and am really hoping that the author will write a sequel (and just write more period). overall a fun, exciting murder mystery.
totally forgot about this but um, anyway. when i tell you i was POSSESSED by this book! there was something about it that just pinned me in a chokehold until the last page. maybe it was the fast pace, maybe it was the flawed but endearing characters, or the satisfaction of watching the puzzle pieces slot into place. this book was the definition of “it’s the journey, not the destination.” i’m still in denial about the last 20 pages or so, and am really hoping that the author will write a sequel (and just write more period). overall a fun, exciting murder mystery.
June 20, 2023
The ending 😭😭. This book has been many mixed feeling for me. It is really fast paced which I love, and it’s a really good YA murder mystery. However, I feel like the book ended with many wholes that still needed to be solved. I hope these wholes are a cliffhanger to a next book. Another thing that made this a 4 star not a 5 star is that I found the main character kind of annoying only AT TIMES. Many people wanted to help her but she just kept betraying them and treating them unfairly, which made the ending the way it was. This book was really good and I recommend!!!
June 26, 2020
This is a brilliant debut. Make sure you pick this one up.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 332 reviews