When I first read the synopsis of this book, I knew I had to get my hands on a copy. When the lovely Laura over at Usborne made that a possibility, I just had to grab the chance. Sadly customs in The Netherlands are a real bitch and held the book for more than a month, but it finally arrived yesterday and I dove right in.

Trigger warnings: murder, assault, violence, bullying, classism, racism, toxic friendship, mentions of suicide, hit and run (in the past), hospitalisation of a friend The mystery was phenomenally well done with twists, turns, scandals and secrets literally everywhere (along with several well placed red herrings) that I found myself (fuelled by paranoia and an incredibly late night of reading) suspecting literally everyone. Parents, teachers, the headmistress—EVERYONE! A really gripping boarding school murder mystery full of entitlement, gossip, secret societies and threats. I also really liked Summer, fellow Scholarship student and Tommy, Jess’s longtime crush and the deceased Hugh’s best friend. And I admit, given how sweet their interactions were I was wholeheartedly rooting for Jess and Tommy to become more that friends.What I loved about the characters, was that each character was unique and that a friend group of completely different people was formed. Al final, me encontré leyendo y terminando la historia por un misterio que nunca revelaron, porque al parecer ni siquiera existió: el de la prota. Incluso cuando ella misma, narradora de su propia historia, lo niega, creí que era sencillamente el recurso narrativo y que en el futuro sabríamos qué ocultaba y por qué se negaba a decirlo, pero no. Jess va preguntando y acosando por ahí a todo el que mira extraño. También va contando sus hipótesis y descubrimientos en voz alta a donde quiera que va, sabiendo que el asesino se encuentra entre los estudiantes y que puede estar escuchando lo que dice. Pero eh, que es ella la que sabe. Full Book Review: The One About A Boarding School Murder: This Book Kills by Ravena Guron | Book Review I did adore the conversations this book had on identity and privilege. We have Jess, an Indian girl, on a scholarship to a private school full of rich white people. Her thoughts and feelings on her experiences were really well done and it was one of the highlights of the book. It touched on how she never really felt like she could fit in anywhere, and how she’s constantly working twice as hard as her peers for less. It was brilliantly articulated.

I did guess the murderer quite early on. However, there are so many twists and turns with other discoveries coming up and stuff that it definitely made me rethink multiple times. There were definitely moments where I had sidestepped from my first suspicions, but after about 65%-70% I was sure who had done it. I’m kind of disappointed that it already became pretty obvious after that point due to the author pointing out certain reactions (in conversations, actions, et cetera) of the murderer. Maybe it was intended to be like that, but I would have liked to be on the edge of my seat for just a little longer! And those bits were very well written, especially considering this was a debut book. The red herrings and the smaller reveals were expertedly placed, you can tell the author has read a lot of mysteries and she knows what she is doing. Sometimes, when I read mysteries, it seems to me the author has never actually read one, but in this case you could really feel the love Ravena Guron has for the genre reflected in the way she wrote this book.

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It's a murder plot in a school, done before maybe, but this YA was hugely enjoyable, with a two-timing murder victim, a secret society, love interests, detectives and police involvement, and a scholarship student caught up in a fight for her education. I can’t remember the last time I was so immersed in a book, that I spent a full all-nighter finishing it, gasped at every hint and literally jumped (all the while dropping the book in excitement) when I correctly guessed who’d done it! When Hugh Henry Van Boren, one of the most popular and richest kids in Jess Choudhary's school, is found dead, the student body is left reeling and wondering who the murderer could be... Jess, a student under strict instructions to keep her record clean or risk losing her scholarship, finds herself at the centre of the investigation when it's revealed that Hugh died in the exact same way as a character in a short story she wrote. Hello Yellow - 80 Books to Help Children Nurture Good Mental Health and Support With Anxiety and Wellbeing - And then Jess receives an anonymous text thanking her for the inspiration… With her scholarship on the line Jess must now uncover the identity of the murderer before she becomes their next victim.

A Millie le encanta hacer rabietas donde todo el mundo la vea, a Clem le gusta ir actuando como una tonta sin cerebro, pero de buen corazón, por todas partes. Hugh Van Boren se siente triste y ofendido porque le dijeron Hugh Van Boring, como si el peor de los insultos se tratase. Los chicos son todos simps, incluso los que no tienen razones para ser simps, además de tontos que no pueden pensar por sí mismos o hacer cosas sin ayuda femenina. Los que son adultos y pueden valerse por su cuenta están tirados a desaparecidos, incompetentes o padres a quienes sus hijos odian. If there is one thing I really dislike, though, it’s being left in the dark. Whether it’s in a book or in a movie, when people have been teaming up to solve a murder mystery and one of them suddenly remembers something but then storms off???? Like, just say it. If you have been teaming up, that’s what people would do in a “normal” situation. That happened in this book as well, and the moment just felt off with the character saying “But it can’t be - but if it is…. No…. I’ll have to to tell…. Oh, but I can’t….” Nah, that just made me want to throw the book to be honest 😂 I’ll make it clear from the start: I did not kill Hugh Henry Van Boren. I didn’t even help. Well, not intentionally.” I mean, there's a character called Clementine-Tangerine, because her parents own a fruit company. This isn't a dour, serious book at all!I felt Guron touched on different societal themes and did a great job with the pacing of the story. Just when I thought I nailed the suspect, I was thrown a curve ball and proven wrong. However, she finds herself at the centre of the investigation when it’s revealed that Hugh died in the exact same way as a character in a short story that she wrote. On top of this, Jess receives an anonymous tip, thanking her for the inspiration, and sending a threat her way. Author Guy Bass introduces SCRAP, about one robot who tried to protect the humans on his planet against an army of robots. Now the humans need his... Well this was a blast. The premise was pretty ridiculous - teenage girl who's on the outs at school because she's a poor scholarship student at an elite boarding school writes a story for class. Said story features murder. Someone steals her story and uses the exact mode of death to murder their richest and most popular classmate, then texts to thank her for the inspiration. At once fun, twisty, and insightful, This Book Kills is a gripping murder mystery that will keep you on the edge of your seat. - Adiba Jaigirdar, YA Book Prize winning author of Hani and Ishu's Guide to Fake Dating