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The Reunion
From the author of I Killed Zoe Spanos comes a YA thriller in the vein of The White Lotus and Karen M. McManus’s The Cousins following a doomed family reunion at a posh Caribbean resort, where old grudges and dangerous secrets culminate in murder.
Eleven Mayweathers went on vacation. Ten came home.
It’s been years since the fragmented Mayweather clan was all in one place, but the engagement of Addison and Mason’s mom to the dad of their future stepbrother, Theo, brings the whole family to sunny Cancún, Mexico, for winter break. Add cousin Natalia to the mix, and it doesn’t take long for tempers to fray and tensions to rise. A week of forced family “fun” reveals that everyone has something to hide, and as secrets bubble to the surface, no one is safe from the fallout. By the end of the week, one member of the reunion party will be dead—and everyone’s a
The Addison needs a better hiding place.
The Theo just wants to mend fences.
The Natalia doesn’t want to talk about the past.
The Mason needs to keep his temper under control.
It started as a week in paradise meant to bring them together. But the Mayweathers are about to learn the hard way that family bonding can be deadly.
Eleven Mayweathers went on vacation. Ten came home.
It’s been years since the fragmented Mayweather clan was all in one place, but the engagement of Addison and Mason’s mom to the dad of their future stepbrother, Theo, brings the whole family to sunny Cancún, Mexico, for winter break. Add cousin Natalia to the mix, and it doesn’t take long for tempers to fray and tensions to rise. A week of forced family “fun” reveals that everyone has something to hide, and as secrets bubble to the surface, no one is safe from the fallout. By the end of the week, one member of the reunion party will be dead—and everyone’s a
The Addison needs a better hiding place.
The Theo just wants to mend fences.
The Natalia doesn’t want to talk about the past.
The Mason needs to keep his temper under control.
It started as a week in paradise meant to bring them together. But the Mayweathers are about to learn the hard way that family bonding can be deadly.
317 pages, Kindle Edition
First published August 29, 2023
19 people are currently reading
6517 people want to read
About the author
Kit Frick
10 books681 followersKit Frick is the author of multiple mysteries and thrillers for teens and adults including B&N YA Book Club pick and Thriller Award finalist I Killed Zoe Spanos and the forthcoming adult mystery The Split. Her other books include Before We Were Sorry (previously titled See All the Stars), All Eyes on Us, Very Bad People, The Reunion, and the poetry collection A Small Rising Up in the Lungs.
Readers interested in signing up for a monthly newsletter including book news and giveaways should visit her website at kitfrick.com. Kit doesn't accept GR friend requests but you can still follow her here for updates or connect with her on Instagram.
Readers interested in signing up for a monthly newsletter including book news and giveaways should visit her website at kitfrick.com. Kit doesn't accept GR friend requests but you can still follow her here for updates or connect with her on Instagram.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 253 reviews
July 29, 2023
The YA White Lotus comp is spot on with this one! The Reunion has compulsive plotting, but I think the characters would have served the reader better if their voices had been a little more unique per character, as there are many narrators in this story. The big reveal for the main mystery felt a little lackluster, but I still had a fun time reading this one.
*Many thanks to the publisher for providing my review copy.
*Many thanks to the publisher for providing my review copy.
August 29, 2023
Intriguing YA family drama mystery. Too much setup for the quick info dump conclusion.
There are loads of characters and POVs, you get quite a few of their insights into what is going on and let me tell you, they all have secrets.
Eleven members of the Mayweather family head off on vacation in Cancun, Mexico. The three siblings, their significant others, and their children. The book is told mostly from the points of view of four of the older teen children: Twins Addison and Mason, their soon-to-be stepbrother Theo, and their cousin Natalia. We know from the beginning that one of these teenagers is missing, so we go back in time to find out what happened leading up to the disappearance.
This is a entertaining story as each of the members of the family work to keep their secrets under wraps. Like I said before, there was WAY too much buildup of the story, and then at the end, all of the secrets get revealed in one fell swoop and it is too much all at once. Especially the "BIG INCIDENT" that Addison, Mason, and Natalia experienced a few years previously that gets referred to about every other page and isn't revealed until the end, and then it was pointless and honestly not that big of a deal.
Overall though, this is a fast paced beach read sure to keep teens entertained with the rich people/White Lotus vibes.
I voluntarily reviewed a complimentary copy of this book, all opinions are my own.
There are loads of characters and POVs, you get quite a few of their insights into what is going on and let me tell you, they all have secrets.
Eleven members of the Mayweather family head off on vacation in Cancun, Mexico. The three siblings, their significant others, and their children. The book is told mostly from the points of view of four of the older teen children: Twins Addison and Mason, their soon-to-be stepbrother Theo, and their cousin Natalia. We know from the beginning that one of these teenagers is missing, so we go back in time to find out what happened leading up to the disappearance.
This is a entertaining story as each of the members of the family work to keep their secrets under wraps. Like I said before, there was WAY too much buildup of the story, and then at the end, all of the secrets get revealed in one fell swoop and it is too much all at once. Especially the "BIG INCIDENT" that Addison, Mason, and Natalia experienced a few years previously that gets referred to about every other page and isn't revealed until the end, and then it was pointless and honestly not that big of a deal.
Overall though, this is a fast paced beach read sure to keep teens entertained with the rich people/White Lotus vibes.
I voluntarily reviewed a complimentary copy of this book, all opinions are my own.
July 13, 2023
I won this book in a goodreads drawing.
A family of entitled twerps is going to a resort in Mexico, where the mother is bringing her fiance, who nobody really likes. Things go wrong, but I didn't feel sorry for anybody. People say the rich work hard, but if you read books like this, you rather doubt it.
A family of entitled twerps is going to a resort in Mexico, where the mother is bringing her fiance, who nobody really likes. Things go wrong, but I didn't feel sorry for anybody. People say the rich work hard, but if you read books like this, you rather doubt it.
April 10, 2023
Fans of the TV show The White Lotus will love this YA thriller!
🌊
Eleven Mayweathers are headed to an all-inclusive resort in Cancun to celebrate an engagement: twins Addison and Mason’s mom is getting married for the second time to guy she hasn’t been with that long. Mason, especially, is wary of the guy since he thinks he had anger problems like his own father does. But everyone wants Mason, Addison, and cousins Mia and Natalia to get along with the groom’s son, Theo so they can be one big happy family. It would a whole lot easier if everyone weren’t hiding secrets and unfortunately, one of them is killed for it.
🌊
The whole time I was reading this I was thinking of The White Lotus and Karen McManus’s The Cousins and those are the two things that the Goodreads review compared it to as well. Since I loved both of those, it stands to reason this thriller book was right up my alley. I couldn’t put it down! I had to know what everyone was hiding and how it ended. Very great pacing, characterization and suspense. Thank you to the author for sending me a bound manuscript. This book releases August 29!
CW: death, murder, car accident (recounted), anger issues, physical assault, manslaughter, boating accident (recounted), adultery, catfishing, coming out themes, microaggressions, blackmail, threatening, theft
4.5 ⭐️
🌊
Eleven Mayweathers are headed to an all-inclusive resort in Cancun to celebrate an engagement: twins Addison and Mason’s mom is getting married for the second time to guy she hasn’t been with that long. Mason, especially, is wary of the guy since he thinks he had anger problems like his own father does. But everyone wants Mason, Addison, and cousins Mia and Natalia to get along with the groom’s son, Theo so they can be one big happy family. It would a whole lot easier if everyone weren’t hiding secrets and unfortunately, one of them is killed for it.
🌊
The whole time I was reading this I was thinking of The White Lotus and Karen McManus’s The Cousins and those are the two things that the Goodreads review compared it to as well. Since I loved both of those, it stands to reason this thriller book was right up my alley. I couldn’t put it down! I had to know what everyone was hiding and how it ended. Very great pacing, characterization and suspense. Thank you to the author for sending me a bound manuscript. This book releases August 29!
CW: death, murder, car accident (recounted), anger issues, physical assault, manslaughter, boating accident (recounted), adultery, catfishing, coming out themes, microaggressions, blackmail, threatening, theft
4.5 ⭐️
June 11, 2023
A sorta DNF review??
I really wanted to like this book and honestly I'm so sad. I read to about 100 pages in before realizing I was bored and uninterested. I didn't get hooked into the little mysteries and felt like I had no idea what direction was going in. At this point I skimmed ahead to find the answers to the mysteries that had been mentioned and was not super thrilled by them.
There's a whole situation with three characters and the mysterious backstory between them, along with the HUGE overall mystery just didn't do it for me. I really wanted to connect to the story but I was honestly just bored :(
Thank you so much to the publisher for providing me with an ARC. Even if this book wasn't for me, I am still so incredibly grateful for the chance to read it early!
I really wanted to like this book and honestly I'm so sad. I read to about 100 pages in before realizing I was bored and uninterested. I didn't get hooked into the little mysteries and felt like I had no idea what direction was going in. At this point I skimmed ahead to find the answers to the mysteries that had been mentioned and was not super thrilled by them.
There's a whole situation with three characters and the mysterious backstory between them, along with the HUGE overall mystery just didn't do it for me. I really wanted to connect to the story but I was honestly just bored :(
Thank you so much to the publisher for providing me with an ARC. Even if this book wasn't for me, I am still so incredibly grateful for the chance to read it early!
April 15, 2025
I honestly LOVED this! I was not thinking I was gonna give this five stars but omg
(Slight spoilers but not really)
See if this was my family, one of my aunts would just say “no drama. Talk about it after the trip.” And would make sure of it
The book always had you guessing for something! Not just the murder. It wasn’t written as a typical whodunnit. It was more centered around the drama of the family. The murder was always luring and would pop up every so often. But you’re reading up to it and learning more and more about the drama. The list of questions getting longer. What was in Addison box, what was the incident, why was Mason not on good terms with Theo. Later everything with Natalia and Seth. Mason and Holly. Pop-pops kids and his favoritism. I loved that it was the lead up and not the typical: kill in the first half to after math to reveal. The mixing worked so well!
My jaw kept dropping. So many things I wasn’t expecting. I couldn’t wait to keep reading after some time.
Yes the incident wasn’t the most shocking thing ever. But I’m glad it wasn’t because it work better for the story/book as a whole. Like it’s shocking for them when they were 13 and for the whole family cult feeling they had. It 100% made sense.
Same thing goes for the reveal on who killed the person. I’m usually not a fan of that reveal but the after math?! Ohhhhh you’re keeping your five stars!
ALMOST everything got wrapped up in a tiny bow and I love it. Everything was connected and much bigger than I thought.
I really liked the four POVs. Sometimes they would repeat what I just read but the story was good so I overlooked it lol. It was fun seeing how everyone thought especially what they deemed as important. The characters felt real and like they were 16-17. I liked how all the characters felt different and real. I mean they were doing stupid things that you would do only in front of your family. Or make choices that are clearly not the right one but it’s clear why they did.
I loved the final POV. Absolutely iconic. My roommate asked me if I think they’ll be a sequel. While I don’t think there will be, if there was I would 100% read it. And if you know me I’m not a huge sequel person if it wasn’t planned.
It’s been a minute since I read a murder mystery and I’m so happy this was the one I picked up after some time. I’m so excited as well that I have a new book that I love so much it’s five stars! :) (I don’t have a lot of five star books unless it’s by my favorite authors/franchises) 100% going to be recommending it and checking out other books by this author!
(Slight spoilers but not really)
See if this was my family, one of my aunts would just say “no drama. Talk about it after the trip.” And would make sure of it
The book always had you guessing for something! Not just the murder. It wasn’t written as a typical whodunnit. It was more centered around the drama of the family. The murder was always luring and would pop up every so often. But you’re reading up to it and learning more and more about the drama. The list of questions getting longer. What was in Addison box, what was the incident, why was Mason not on good terms with Theo. Later everything with Natalia and Seth. Mason and Holly. Pop-pops kids and his favoritism. I loved that it was the lead up and not the typical: kill in the first half to after math to reveal. The mixing worked so well!
My jaw kept dropping. So many things I wasn’t expecting. I couldn’t wait to keep reading after some time.
Yes the incident wasn’t the most shocking thing ever. But I’m glad it wasn’t because it work better for the story/book as a whole. Like it’s shocking for them when they were 13 and for the whole family cult feeling they had. It 100% made sense.
Same thing goes for the reveal on who killed the person. I’m usually not a fan of that reveal but the after math?! Ohhhhh you’re keeping your five stars!
ALMOST everything got wrapped up in a tiny bow and I love it. Everything was connected and much bigger than I thought.
I really liked the four POVs. Sometimes they would repeat what I just read but the story was good so I overlooked it lol. It was fun seeing how everyone thought especially what they deemed as important. The characters felt real and like they were 16-17. I liked how all the characters felt different and real. I mean they were doing stupid things that you would do only in front of your family. Or make choices that are clearly not the right one but it’s clear why they did.
I loved the final POV. Absolutely iconic. My roommate asked me if I think they’ll be a sequel. While I don’t think there will be, if there was I would 100% read it. And if you know me I’m not a huge sequel person if it wasn’t planned.
It’s been a minute since I read a murder mystery and I’m so happy this was the one I picked up after some time. I’m so excited as well that I have a new book that I love so much it’s five stars! :) (I don’t have a lot of five star books unless it’s by my favorite authors/franchises) 100% going to be recommending it and checking out other books by this author!
July 16, 2023
I loved Kit Frick's
I Killed Zoe Spanos
and was beyond excited to read her upcoming ya thriller, but unfortunately I didn't enjoy this one as much as I'd hoped. I enjoy when books start at the end and then flash back so you can try to uncover how everything happens, and The Reunion uses this plot device well by interspersing the regular narrative with more "news" as it becomes available. The readers don't find out who went missing until halfway through the book, and then you're left trying to figure out how, which was fun.
The story is told in the alternating first person perspectives of the four teenagers on the trip to Cancun, Mexico: Addison, Mason, Theo, and Natalia. I often struggle with multiple POVs but can enjoy them in thrillers when used to relay information to the reader that the other characters don't know. That really didn't happen here and unfortunately, each character POV sounded the same and it was a little confusing to keep track of. Barring a few surface-level characteristics, each felt paper thin. There's a big Secret that Addison, Mason, and Natalia have been holding for the last three years that blew them apart, and I felt it was a little anticlimactic when revealed considering it is mentioned all the time. However, I appreciated how queer normative the world is, especially how identity and finding oneself is handled.
Ultimately, this was a quick and enjoyable read but I was left wanting on the character development front. The mystery itself is well done and engaging, making this a good summer read on the beach or poolside.
eARC provided by the publisher via NetGalley for consideration. This does not affect my opinion nor the contents of my review. Quotations are from an unfinished proof and subject to change upon final publication.
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The story is told in the alternating first person perspectives of the four teenagers on the trip to Cancun, Mexico: Addison, Mason, Theo, and Natalia. I often struggle with multiple POVs but can enjoy them in thrillers when used to relay information to the reader that the other characters don't know. That really didn't happen here and unfortunately, each character POV sounded the same and it was a little confusing to keep track of. Barring a few surface-level characteristics, each felt paper thin. There's a big Secret that Addison, Mason, and Natalia have been holding for the last three years that blew them apart, and I felt it was a little anticlimactic when revealed considering it is mentioned all the time. However, I appreciated how queer normative the world is, especially how identity and finding oneself is handled.
Ultimately, this was a quick and enjoyable read but I was left wanting on the character development front. The mystery itself is well done and engaging, making this a good summer read on the beach or poolside.
eARC provided by the publisher via NetGalley for consideration. This does not affect my opinion nor the contents of my review. Quotations are from an unfinished proof and subject to change upon final publication.
Blog • Twitter • Instagram • Pinterest • Ko-fi • Patreon
June 14, 2024
This one started off really strong with a lot of intriguing secrets and characters, but it fell off a bit by the halfway point.
August 5, 2023
This book suffered from something similar to a few other books I’ve reading lately – too many narrators. There were just so many and I had no idea how they really all worked together. I found it rather odd that we would get multiple POV’s in the same chapter and they were all similar. It just didn’t really work for me. I think as a result of this I struggled hard with how this was a thriller. Had this been labeled contemporary fiction I would understand. Nothing happened. Apparently one of the points of view dies, but it happens at the end of the book. The rest of the book is just hearing about the vacation they were one.
Overall I really wanted to love this one but it missed the mark for me. It was however a quick read, and for that I was thankful.
Thank you so much to the publisher and netgalley for this e-arc in exchange for an honest review.
Overall I really wanted to love this one but it missed the mark for me. It was however a quick read, and for that I was thankful.
Thank you so much to the publisher and netgalley for this e-arc in exchange for an honest review.
September 10, 2023
It’s been 2 days since I finished this and I already forget how it ended, but I do remember that the main “reveal” was supremely underwhelming, as was the “incident.”
Still had fun reading it though, mainly because of the beach resort location. This could have taken place literally anywhere because in the end, the location ended up mattering zero to the story, but it gave wannabe white lotus vibes and I was here for it.
Still had fun reading it though, mainly because of the beach resort location. This could have taken place literally anywhere because in the end, the location ended up mattering zero to the story, but it gave wannabe white lotus vibes and I was here for it.
August 21, 2023
I enjoyed Frick's I KILLED ZOE SPANOS a lot and when I read the description of this book, I knew I was in for a treat. It didn't disappoint! I love posh resort settings and dark family secrets. The multiple POVs were fun and I enjoyed the police interviews and resort announcements mixed in with the prose. I had no idea who the killer was and when they were ultimately revealed, it made perfect sense. There were so many mysteries and secrets that the Mayweather clan was keeping, some more shocking than others, but it played into the narrative seamlessly. Overall, a fast-paced compelling thriller!
Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for the e-galley.
Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for the e-galley.
March 17, 2025
Overall, a pretty decent mystery. However, the author built a lot of suspense around secrets that weren’t actually that shocking and that also didn’t really connect to each other. Also, the reverse order or the book (which I did enjoy) made the murder more sad than shocking at the end. Because the author allowed the reader to get to know the person who was killed so well, it made their death more tragic. All that being said, this book was engaging and difficult to put down.
April 18, 2024
Very YA and predictable but very good!
August 28, 2025
Boring as all hell. The ending isn't bad, but the build up towards it is such a slog to get through. Like for over a half of the book, the characters either avoid each other or have conversations that are so mundane and dry, that it's very difficult to get invested in the story. The final revelation wasn't remotely worth putting up with all of this.
May 3, 2024
2,8/5
i found the majority of the characters quite shallow, to say the least, the dialogues were oftentimes artificial as well. it was a fun&gripping read, tho!!
i found the majority of the characters quite shallow, to say the least, the dialogues were oftentimes artificial as well. it was a fun&gripping read, tho!!
May 25, 2023
(Disclaimer: I received this book from the publisher. This has not impacted my review which is unbiased and honest.)
Told in multiple POV, The Reunion is a testament to never knowing the secrets of our family. We can think we know everything about our parents, our sister, the ones we see every day. But The Reunion calls everything into question. All the secrets turn sinister. Every mistake, harsh word, or chilling silence turn into accusations against us. I finished The Reunion in three days because I had to know what happens.
Frick does this fantastic writing trick where we are given snippets of the future reports, witness statements, and news posts. The tension keeps building and we don't know who to turn to. What new clue will be revealed which will call everything into question. Frick takes this normally idyllic setting - a resort - and infuses tension and suspension in every word. The distance between who we show ourselves to be and who we are grows with shadows in the night and secretive moments.
Told in multiple POV, The Reunion is a testament to never knowing the secrets of our family. We can think we know everything about our parents, our sister, the ones we see every day. But The Reunion calls everything into question. All the secrets turn sinister. Every mistake, harsh word, or chilling silence turn into accusations against us. I finished The Reunion in three days because I had to know what happens.
Frick does this fantastic writing trick where we are given snippets of the future reports, witness statements, and news posts. The tension keeps building and we don't know who to turn to. What new clue will be revealed which will call everything into question. Frick takes this normally idyllic setting - a resort - and infuses tension and suspension in every word. The distance between who we show ourselves to be and who we are grows with shadows in the night and secretive moments.
October 26, 2023
I’ve only tried one other book by this author and I DNFed it. However since the publisher sent me this one, I decided to give the author another try. And this one was definitely interesting enough that it kept me going till the end.
It started out with a lot of characters and I was unsure if I would be able to connect to them. But most of the characters were easy enough to tell who was who through their POV sections. Now you know from the beginning that one of the teens disappears, you just don’t know which one. Even with all the different updates as hotel bulletins, etc., between chapters, it doesn’t give it away till closer till the end when you start to have some thoughts about who might be the one.
Once I found out who it was, my ideas on what I’d read changed and I wasn’t sure what all the clues had been leading me to meant. And that is what I like, a mystery that can keep me guessing. In the end it was totally a surprise on what happened, and I liked that! I will definitely be getting this for my school library and hope to read more by this author in the future.
It started out with a lot of characters and I was unsure if I would be able to connect to them. But most of the characters were easy enough to tell who was who through their POV sections. Now you know from the beginning that one of the teens disappears, you just don’t know which one. Even with all the different updates as hotel bulletins, etc., between chapters, it doesn’t give it away till closer till the end when you start to have some thoughts about who might be the one.
Once I found out who it was, my ideas on what I’d read changed and I wasn’t sure what all the clues had been leading me to meant. And that is what I like, a mystery that can keep me guessing. In the end it was totally a surprise on what happened, and I liked that! I will definitely be getting this for my school library and hope to read more by this author in the future.
July 16, 2023
the death in this book and what lead up to it felt so stupid and unimportant?? This book had many chances to tie things together in twisty ways and just didn’t
April 17, 2024
Lubicie kryminały o rodzinnych sekretach gdzie każdy jest podejrzany?
„The Reunion” to kwintesencja takich książek. Mamy tu tyle tajemnic, motywów, zbiegów okoliczności i intryg, że aż boli głowa.
Powieść wciąga od samego początku a równie szybko pojawiają się tajemnice i niewiadome na które poznajemy odpowiedzi w trakcie lektury. Było tego tak dużo, że aż zaczęłam sobie wypisywać wszystko na ostatniej stronie i odznaczać to, co już wiemy. Na szczęście autorka nie zgubiła żadnego rozwiązania i mogliśmy na końcu odetchnąć w spokoju wiedząc już wszystko.
Pochylmy się też na chwilę nad tym pięknym wydaniem – jestem w szoku jak rynek wydawniczy idzie do przodu a książki stają się małymi arcydziełami. Zapach ananasa? Czuję się jakbym miała gazetkę z avonu w wersji premium! Genialne <3 Oprócz tej innowacji mamy do czynienia z pięknymi wstawkami, wyklejkami, skrzydełkami. Dodatkowo mamy „notatki” od hotelu z jego logo, przepiękne rozpoczęcia rozdziałów w iście tropikalnym stylu.
Sama książka była trochę czymś innym niż się spodziewałam, ale to nie odbiera jej niczego. Bardzo szybko mnie wciągnęła i zanurzyłam się do głębi w historii Mayweatherów. Mamy tu dużo zagadek, ciekawą perspektywę, w której wcześniej wspomniane notki z hotelu są w czasie rzeczywistym a akcję poznajemy „z opóźnieniem” wiedząc już co się stanie. Uwielbiam to, że każdy jest podejrzany i sami możemy typować sprawców, dopatrywać się szczegółów i snuć teorie.
Powieść ma jednak minusy. Niesamowicie irytowało mnie to, że bohaterowie bawili się ze sobą w „kotka i myszkę”. Fabuła dąży do tego, aby dwie grupy bohaterów porozmawiały ze sobą nawzajem. Wiemy o tym od samego początku. Jednak gdy TYLKO zostają sam na sam ktoś od razu im przeszkadza, coś się dzieje, ktoś kogoś woła albo niespodziewanie dołącza do grupy. Dzieje się tak w przypadku obu grup i miałam już tego momentami dość. Dosyć długo też była budowana akcja, ale finalnie nie było to aż tak nużące, znając już zakończenie podchodzę do tego neutralnie. Trzeba też zaznaczyć, że tak jak wspominałam książka jest poniekąd samospoilerująca. Od początku wiemy, że ktoś zaginął, później dowiadujemy się o konsekwencjach, szukamy winnych a w następnym rozdziale ta osoba pojawia się normalnie jako narrator. Wiem, że dla niektórych może to być problemem, we mnie jednak wzbudzało ciekawość i podejrzliwość, obudziło we mnie domorosłego detektywa.
Dobrze się bawiłam, choć uważam, że książka zyskałaby gdyby była choć o 100 stron dłuższa. Dała mi dużo frajdy i emocji choć nie zachwyciła mnie aż tak, żeby zostać ulubieńcem, Zdecydowanie plasuje się na „półce” pozytywnych zaskoczeń i zasługuje na ocenę 7.5/10.
Sami sięgnijcie i przekonajcie się jakie mroczne sekrety skrywa pozornie idealna rodzina Mayweatheów .
Materiał powstał we współpracy reklamowej dla Harper Ya
„The Reunion” to kwintesencja takich książek. Mamy tu tyle tajemnic, motywów, zbiegów okoliczności i intryg, że aż boli głowa.
Powieść wciąga od samego początku a równie szybko pojawiają się tajemnice i niewiadome na które poznajemy odpowiedzi w trakcie lektury. Było tego tak dużo, że aż zaczęłam sobie wypisywać wszystko na ostatniej stronie i odznaczać to, co już wiemy. Na szczęście autorka nie zgubiła żadnego rozwiązania i mogliśmy na końcu odetchnąć w spokoju wiedząc już wszystko.
Pochylmy się też na chwilę nad tym pięknym wydaniem – jestem w szoku jak rynek wydawniczy idzie do przodu a książki stają się małymi arcydziełami. Zapach ananasa? Czuję się jakbym miała gazetkę z avonu w wersji premium! Genialne <3 Oprócz tej innowacji mamy do czynienia z pięknymi wstawkami, wyklejkami, skrzydełkami. Dodatkowo mamy „notatki” od hotelu z jego logo, przepiękne rozpoczęcia rozdziałów w iście tropikalnym stylu.
Sama książka była trochę czymś innym niż się spodziewałam, ale to nie odbiera jej niczego. Bardzo szybko mnie wciągnęła i zanurzyłam się do głębi w historii Mayweatherów. Mamy tu dużo zagadek, ciekawą perspektywę, w której wcześniej wspomniane notki z hotelu są w czasie rzeczywistym a akcję poznajemy „z opóźnieniem” wiedząc już co się stanie. Uwielbiam to, że każdy jest podejrzany i sami możemy typować sprawców, dopatrywać się szczegółów i snuć teorie.
Powieść ma jednak minusy. Niesamowicie irytowało mnie to, że bohaterowie bawili się ze sobą w „kotka i myszkę”. Fabuła dąży do tego, aby dwie grupy bohaterów porozmawiały ze sobą nawzajem. Wiemy o tym od samego początku. Jednak gdy TYLKO zostają sam na sam ktoś od razu im przeszkadza, coś się dzieje, ktoś kogoś woła albo niespodziewanie dołącza do grupy. Dzieje się tak w przypadku obu grup i miałam już tego momentami dość. Dosyć długo też była budowana akcja, ale finalnie nie było to aż tak nużące, znając już zakończenie podchodzę do tego neutralnie. Trzeba też zaznaczyć, że tak jak wspominałam książka jest poniekąd samospoilerująca. Od początku wiemy, że ktoś zaginął, później dowiadujemy się o konsekwencjach, szukamy winnych a w następnym rozdziale ta osoba pojawia się normalnie jako narrator. Wiem, że dla niektórych może to być problemem, we mnie jednak wzbudzało ciekawość i podejrzliwość, obudziło we mnie domorosłego detektywa.
Dobrze się bawiłam, choć uważam, że książka zyskałaby gdyby była choć o 100 stron dłuższa. Dała mi dużo frajdy i emocji choć nie zachwyciła mnie aż tak, żeby zostać ulubieńcem, Zdecydowanie plasuje się na „półce” pozytywnych zaskoczeń i zasługuje na ocenę 7.5/10.
Sami sięgnijcie i przekonajcie się jakie mroczne sekrety skrywa pozornie idealna rodzina Mayweatheów .
Materiał powstał we współpracy reklamowej dla Harper Ya
September 8, 2023
I'm going to start with the good things!
-I see an almost universal criticism of "too many characters, too many narrators." But honestly, I didn't even notice that at all. I'm completely unbothered by the amount of narrators, and the big cast is a huge benefit overall in my opinion- though I do agree that the narrators are all similar and generally written to be widely likable, the non-pov characters are all complex with little overlap in traits. This book had me suspecting almost every single character at points.
-The framing device of articles and police interrogations is PERFECT, and I honestly cannot praise it enough. My guess on who the victim would be was completely wrong, and the gradual buildup of dread as the victim went from missing, to dead, to murdered, then as more and more shades of detail were added in? I loved getting to find out who died before it happened, and I loved that we went so long not knowing. While I certainly have my issues with the pacing in this book, there was no problem here. I actually went back and reread all of the interviews after the reveal to look for connections and hidden details!
-I really enjoyed reading this book. While I do have several criticisms of it, and objectively would not rate it the most highly, I had a lot of fun and honestly that's what matters to me. Several times in the day it's been since finishing, I've wished I had more to keep reading.
-While the lack of communication and bonding time was a little frustrating, the scenes we DID get were really satisfying. I loved the small connections we got to see- Theo and Paola, Mason and Holly, Natalia and Mia, and Natalia and Theo, to name a few!
-Even though I wasn't a huge fan of the killer or the motive, the reveal scene and the death scene were so exciting to me
-The slight twist at the very end, the last minute stinger hook, really got me! I can't say any more without delving into spoilers but five stars for that little reveal
And now onto the negatives:
-The pacing in this book was a hot mess. I can't express to you what it was like. We got the same couple scenes over and over again for 400 pages. Addison is trying to talk to Mason and Natalia, they avoid her for two chapters each. Theo tries to talk to Mason, Mason avoids him and sulks for three chapters. Rinse and repeat, sprinkling in ENTIRELY too frequent and cryptic (in a way that's actually hurtful despite the mystery) mentions to various secrets and/or "incidents."
We don't learn the details of almost any of these secrets until the very end, after HUNDREDS of pages of hyping them up, and when they were revealed, they just left me kind of confused. That was it? How does that even tie into the plot? A question that never got answered.
I really think that the mystery would have benefited from some of these secrets being revealed sooner.
If Mason's secret was revealed to more characters, that could have led to some great tension and anger between the extended cast, and would have really complicated things. Instead, only two characters learned it, and the rest I guess just found out offscreen after the fact?
If "the incident" was revealed sooner, there would have been a much deeper aspect to the mystery- added motives for sure, and possibly even added suspects depending on who you were already wary of!
If Addison's secret was revealed sooner, it would have felt less out of nowhere, and there would have been MUCH more time to let the dread of it being discovered sit very uncomfortably with the readers. I don't mean letting it out halfway through the book, but even just a couple chapters sooner would have done so much for me! I would love to read the version of this book where the audience learned her secret just a little earlier.
-I didn't believe the killer. While I ADORED the scene, and I loved the slight subversion of expectations, I just didn't really buy it given the facts that had been established. As mentioned, the twist that motivated the murder didn't tie into the plot almost at all, and it was hard to believe the victim's motivation in the whole scenario. Though their actions in the scene were entirely believable, the overall premise itself just felt a little out of character for the killer.
Neutral:
-Theo really didn't have anything to do. Another reviewer was spot on with their statement that he was just in the wrong place at the wrong time. This whole vacation was the wrong place. He's just trying to live his life, and he doesn't even get wrapped up in the mystery at all- he's kind of just chilling all book. I can respect that. Gives us some perspective!
OVERALL THOUGHTS:
The pacing of this book was rough for sure, and I was very dissatisfied with every single twist except one thrown in on the last paragraph or two. But I had a lot of fun, and I loved every single one of the characters. There were tons of great individual scenes. I would recommend this book to people who are also just looking for a good time and not necessarily literary masterpieces!
-I see an almost universal criticism of "too many characters, too many narrators." But honestly, I didn't even notice that at all. I'm completely unbothered by the amount of narrators, and the big cast is a huge benefit overall in my opinion- though I do agree that the narrators are all similar and generally written to be widely likable, the non-pov characters are all complex with little overlap in traits. This book had me suspecting almost every single character at points.
-The framing device of articles and police interrogations is PERFECT, and I honestly cannot praise it enough. My guess on who the victim would be was completely wrong, and the gradual buildup of dread as the victim went from missing, to dead, to murdered, then as more and more shades of detail were added in? I loved getting to find out who died before it happened, and I loved that we went so long not knowing. While I certainly have my issues with the pacing in this book, there was no problem here. I actually went back and reread all of the interviews after the reveal to look for connections and hidden details!
-I really enjoyed reading this book. While I do have several criticisms of it, and objectively would not rate it the most highly, I had a lot of fun and honestly that's what matters to me. Several times in the day it's been since finishing, I've wished I had more to keep reading.
-While the lack of communication and bonding time was a little frustrating, the scenes we DID get were really satisfying. I loved the small connections we got to see- Theo and Paola, Mason and Holly, Natalia and Mia, and Natalia and Theo, to name a few!
-Even though I wasn't a huge fan of the killer or the motive, the reveal scene and the death scene were so exciting to me
-The slight twist at the very end, the last minute stinger hook, really got me! I can't say any more without delving into spoilers but five stars for that little reveal
And now onto the negatives:
-The pacing in this book was a hot mess. I can't express to you what it was like. We got the same couple scenes over and over again for 400 pages. Addison is trying to talk to Mason and Natalia, they avoid her for two chapters each. Theo tries to talk to Mason, Mason avoids him and sulks for three chapters. Rinse and repeat, sprinkling in ENTIRELY too frequent and cryptic (in a way that's actually hurtful despite the mystery) mentions to various secrets and/or "incidents."
We don't learn the details of almost any of these secrets until the very end, after HUNDREDS of pages of hyping them up, and when they were revealed, they just left me kind of confused. That was it? How does that even tie into the plot? A question that never got answered.
I really think that the mystery would have benefited from some of these secrets being revealed sooner.
If Mason's secret was revealed to more characters, that could have led to some great tension and anger between the extended cast, and would have really complicated things. Instead, only two characters learned it, and the rest I guess just found out offscreen after the fact?
If "the incident" was revealed sooner, there would have been a much deeper aspect to the mystery- added motives for sure, and possibly even added suspects depending on who you were already wary of!
If Addison's secret was revealed sooner, it would have felt less out of nowhere, and there would have been MUCH more time to let the dread of it being discovered sit very uncomfortably with the readers. I don't mean letting it out halfway through the book, but even just a couple chapters sooner would have done so much for me! I would love to read the version of this book where the audience learned her secret just a little earlier.
-I didn't believe the killer. While I ADORED the scene, and I loved the slight subversion of expectations, I just didn't really buy it given the facts that had been established. As mentioned, the twist that motivated the murder didn't tie into the plot almost at all, and it was hard to believe the victim's motivation in the whole scenario. Though their actions in the scene were entirely believable, the overall premise itself just felt a little out of character for the killer.
Neutral:
-Theo really didn't have anything to do. Another reviewer was spot on with their statement that he was just in the wrong place at the wrong time. This whole vacation was the wrong place. He's just trying to live his life, and he doesn't even get wrapped up in the mystery at all- he's kind of just chilling all book. I can respect that. Gives us some perspective!
OVERALL THOUGHTS:
The pacing of this book was rough for sure, and I was very dissatisfied with every single twist except one thrown in on the last paragraph or two. But I had a lot of fun, and I loved every single one of the characters. There were tons of great individual scenes. I would recommend this book to people who are also just looking for a good time and not necessarily literary masterpieces!
August 31, 2023
3.25 stars
The Reunion is my third book by Kit Frick, and her mysteries always give me plenty to think about. If you’re a fan of the White Lotus style, you might enjoy this young adult interpretation. With a beach setting in sunny Cancún, Mexico, it’s a great choice for a pool or beach read!
I always prefer to write my reviews immediately after finishing a book, while the material is fresh on my brain. Unfortunately, I came down sick before I could do that with The Reunion. So you’re getting a review several days after I finished it. I did manage to jot down a pros and cons list, so that seems like the best way to go.
Let’s start with what I enjoyed about the book:
The beach setting in Cancún the week before New Year’s Day is fun!
Frick is great at setting up an intriguing plot with interesting characters, and I was sold on this premise: a family reunion trip with secrets, lies, and a death!
I never found myself bored while reading. It was always easy for me to pick the book back up and dive in.
The ending actually surprised me, but I’m not sure if it was exactly believable or organic to the story.
Here’s what I didn’t love about the story, or what gave me pause:
While the characters are interesting, their voices are all very similar. It was hard at times to know which narrator was speaking unless I went back to the chapter heading. And there are four narrators!
Several of our characters have anger issues, and I felt like it was overused. I’m sure it’s just to throw us off and make us suspect several people, but I wanted something new.
I’ve read several books lately where there is a lack of communication between characters, and maybe this was just one too many. Just talk to each other, already!
While I liked the idea of this mystery, the similarity of the voices from the narrators distracted me a bit. I still really enjoyed the story, reading it fairly quickly over a few days. Overall, I had fun with The Reunion!
I received a complimentary copy of this book. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own. Thank you to Margaret K. McElderry Books and Netgalley for providing me with an advance copy.
Check out my reviews and playlists at A Book Wanderer
The Reunion is my third book by Kit Frick, and her mysteries always give me plenty to think about. If you’re a fan of the White Lotus style, you might enjoy this young adult interpretation. With a beach setting in sunny Cancún, Mexico, it’s a great choice for a pool or beach read!
I always prefer to write my reviews immediately after finishing a book, while the material is fresh on my brain. Unfortunately, I came down sick before I could do that with The Reunion. So you’re getting a review several days after I finished it. I did manage to jot down a pros and cons list, so that seems like the best way to go.
Let’s start with what I enjoyed about the book:
The beach setting in Cancún the week before New Year’s Day is fun!
Frick is great at setting up an intriguing plot with interesting characters, and I was sold on this premise: a family reunion trip with secrets, lies, and a death!
I never found myself bored while reading. It was always easy for me to pick the book back up and dive in.
The ending actually surprised me, but I’m not sure if it was exactly believable or organic to the story.
Here’s what I didn’t love about the story, or what gave me pause:
While the characters are interesting, their voices are all very similar. It was hard at times to know which narrator was speaking unless I went back to the chapter heading. And there are four narrators!
Several of our characters have anger issues, and I felt like it was overused. I’m sure it’s just to throw us off and make us suspect several people, but I wanted something new.
I’ve read several books lately where there is a lack of communication between characters, and maybe this was just one too many. Just talk to each other, already!
While I liked the idea of this mystery, the similarity of the voices from the narrators distracted me a bit. I still really enjoyed the story, reading it fairly quickly over a few days. Overall, I had fun with The Reunion!
I received a complimentary copy of this book. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own. Thank you to Margaret K. McElderry Books and Netgalley for providing me with an advance copy.
Check out my reviews and playlists at A Book Wanderer
July 3, 2025
This book was great, honestly. I mean it started off slow but once the mystery started to get revealed I could not put it down!! I was reading this as I read shiver and the writing styles were totally different. I dont think ive ever read a book that used "She says" rather than "She said" and that bothered me a little as my prefered writing style is past tense. About halfway through the book tho i got used to it, luckily. I think the author did a great job pulling the story together but she didnt aay a lot about the true villain of the story until close to the end and by then I kind of forgot about them lol!
Spice level:
0/5 there was no spice let alone kissing, but there was still romance, just mostly long distance.
Rating:
3.75
I really did enjoy the book but when I looked at my rating scale I felt like 3 stars made the most sense: It was really good but something was missing. Something that really bugged me was the whole hot dog thing: trust me it is as weird as it sounds. Because of their grandfathers past trauma with hot dogs no one else in the family ate them out of respect. like what???? Idk but that was just a bit weird imo!
Reccomend for:
Honestly, this is for the people who wans to read a deep thinker story because the author did a good job not giving the story away and I appreciated that! If you enjoy suspense, a "she says" writing style, and a dysfunctional rich family scenario than this is your novel!😱⚡️
Overall it was a good book but it dragged on for far too long: 10 days???? And for the first, like, 3 days nothing happened😭 And the chapter dividers were really confusing: like why cant you just tell me about what this chapter is about in the chapter?? Maybe it was just me but that was my opinion on it all. Now for some positive thoughts I thought it was really creative and it really hooked you in, i just wish she had gotten rid of some things: it couldve been a lot shorter💙
Spice level:
0/5 there was no spice let alone kissing, but there was still romance, just mostly long distance.
Rating:
3.75
I really did enjoy the book but when I looked at my rating scale I felt like 3 stars made the most sense: It was really good but something was missing. Something that really bugged me was the whole hot dog thing: trust me it is as weird as it sounds. Because of their grandfathers past trauma with hot dogs no one else in the family ate them out of respect. like what???? Idk but that was just a bit weird imo!
Reccomend for:
Honestly, this is for the people who wans to read a deep thinker story because the author did a good job not giving the story away and I appreciated that! If you enjoy suspense, a "she says" writing style, and a dysfunctional rich family scenario than this is your novel!😱⚡️
Overall it was a good book but it dragged on for far too long: 10 days???? And for the first, like, 3 days nothing happened😭 And the chapter dividers were really confusing: like why cant you just tell me about what this chapter is about in the chapter?? Maybe it was just me but that was my opinion on it all. Now for some positive thoughts I thought it was really creative and it really hooked you in, i just wish she had gotten rid of some things: it couldve been a lot shorter💙
September 5, 2023
⭐️⭐️⭐️✨
3.5/5 STARS
Genre: YA thriller
Synopsis:
While on a family vacation at a Caribbean resort, someone is murdered.
This is a YA thriller that has major White Lotus vibes but young adult. I really liked the concept and the mystery surrounding the police interviews. There were definitely a lot of red herrings to keep you guessing. There was a lot of build up to the reveal at the end which to me was not a big deal at all and did not warrant the drama. I wanted a much juicier secret!
Overall, a solid YA thriller with an ending that fell a little short for me.
Thank you to Simon Teen for the gifted copy! 🏝️
3.5/5 STARS
Genre: YA thriller
Synopsis:
While on a family vacation at a Caribbean resort, someone is murdered.
This is a YA thriller that has major White Lotus vibes but young adult. I really liked the concept and the mystery surrounding the police interviews. There were definitely a lot of red herrings to keep you guessing. There was a lot of build up to the reveal at the end which to me was not a big deal at all and did not warrant the drama. I wanted a much juicier secret!
Overall, a solid YA thriller with an ending that fell a little short for me.
Thank you to Simon Teen for the gifted copy! 🏝️
August 23, 2023
OH I had so much fun reading this. Give me rich families and a mystery and I'm all here for it.
Full review coming soon on the blog :)
Thank you to the author for sending me an ARC. This did not, in any way, influence my thoughts & rating.
My Blog - Drizzle & Hurricane Books - Twitter - Bookstagram -
Full review coming soon on the blog :)
Thank you to the author for sending me an ARC. This did not, in any way, influence my thoughts & rating.
My Blog - Drizzle & Hurricane Books - Twitter - Bookstagram -
September 7, 2023
This was a pretty good young adult mystery. I really enjoyed the author’s writing style in this book and how the story was told through multiple POVs. I found this to be a fun, quick book that I managed to read in one sitting. The Reunion had multiple characters, all with different secrets and motives.
Read If You Like:
✨ Family Drama
✨ Multiple POV
✨ Unreliable Narrators
✨ YA Mysteries/Thrillers
✨ Caribbean Resort Settings
Overall this was a good young adult mystery that is bound to keep you intrigued.
Read If You Like:
✨ Family Drama
✨ Multiple POV
✨ Unreliable Narrators
✨ YA Mysteries/Thrillers
✨ Caribbean Resort Settings
Overall this was a good young adult mystery that is bound to keep you intrigued.
September 8, 2023
Although it had a lot of pov's , it turned out to be an interesting read. But for a family that's supposed to be on a trip to bond, that didn't really happen. I did appreciate how it showed how secrets as well as , favoritism, jealousy and not having an actual conversation can destroy a family. And there were plenty of shock factors ( that youngest one seem like trouble TBH). And you could tell they were entitled, because i would have never been able to talk to a parent like some of these teens did.
September 9, 2023
3.75 stars
There were some issues with the audiobook I got from the library it skipped a few times I couldn't get the little 5 sec parts to play in two spots so hopefully I didn't miss anything essential.
It did keep me guessing throughout the book! Which always makes a good thriller. I liked the diversity, and most of the MCs were likable, just one wasn't. Overall it was a pretty good book, but the ending was frustrating because I don't know what the secret was! I have a few guesses though.
The narrators did an amazing job and made it easier to get into a book with so many POVs.
There were some issues with the audiobook I got from the library it skipped a few times I couldn't get the little 5 sec parts to play in two spots so hopefully I didn't miss anything essential.
It did keep me guessing throughout the book! Which always makes a good thriller. I liked the diversity, and most of the MCs were likable, just one wasn't. Overall it was a pretty good book, but the ending was frustrating because I don't know what the secret was! I have a few guesses though.
The narrators did an amazing job and made it easier to get into a book with so many POVs.
Read
September 1, 2023Graded By: Brian
Cover Story: Is a Wire Plugged in Wrong or Something?
Drinking Buddy: Swim Up Bar
MPAA Rating: R (sexuality, violence, alcohol use, language)
Talky Talk: I Know Something You Don’t Know
Bonus Factors: Whodunnit, Resort
Bromance Status: Until Next Year
Read the full book report here.
Cover Story: Is a Wire Plugged in Wrong or Something?
Drinking Buddy: Swim Up Bar
MPAA Rating: R (sexuality, violence, alcohol use, language)
Talky Talk: I Know Something You Don’t Know
Bonus Factors: Whodunnit, Resort
Bromance Status: Until Next Year
Read the full book report here.
October 3, 2023
I really enjoyed The Reunion for the tropical vacation setting and plot. I didn't necessarily think there were too many characters or points of view, but I could understand being overwhelmed at times keeping track of the family members. It's a complicated family dynamic and there's secrets and lies that get uncovered.
The reveal of who dies comes out around the halfway mark, but the real surprise was who did it. Well done. I might add more thoughts later but I'm pretty tapped out.
The reveal of who dies comes out around the halfway mark, but the real surprise was who did it. Well done. I might add more thoughts later but I'm pretty tapped out.
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