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What's Murder Between Friends
'I think it was one of us,' Walter says … 'We had the perfect opportunity. Everyone's thinking it, I'm just saying it.'
The last thing Hallie and her drama classmates expect to find on a high school scavenger hunt is a dead body. In a town with a population of about thirty-six, no one has experience with murder investigations, but now everyone's asking who killed Ms Lovelace.
The drama kids thought they were the only people nerdy enough to be at school on a Sunday. When they learn that Adam Tolentino, football star, drama-club nemesis and the hottest boy in school, was there too, Hallie is given the task of finding out what he knows – but she soon learns there's more to Adam than meets the eye.
Although still grieving her favourite teacher, Hallie knows the show must go on. Managing a musical and a murder investigation is a lot, but Hallie and her friends won't give up on Ms Lovelace – or each other.
The last thing Hallie and her drama classmates expect to find on a high school scavenger hunt is a dead body. In a town with a population of about thirty-six, no one has experience with murder investigations, but now everyone's asking who killed Ms Lovelace.
The drama kids thought they were the only people nerdy enough to be at school on a Sunday. When they learn that Adam Tolentino, football star, drama-club nemesis and the hottest boy in school, was there too, Hallie is given the task of finding out what he knows – but she soon learns there's more to Adam than meets the eye.
Although still grieving her favourite teacher, Hallie knows the show must go on. Managing a musical and a murder investigation is a lot, but Hallie and her friends won't give up on Ms Lovelace – or each other.
304 pages, Paperback
First published June 4, 2024
7 people are currently reading
165 people want to read
About the author
Meg Gatland-Veness
4 books25 followersMeg Gatland-Veness is a high school drama teacher in New South Wales, Australia.
Meg Gatland-Veness was born in a tiny country town called Milton and now lives on the Central Coast of New South Wales with her boyfriend and two cats. She attended the University of Newcastle where she studied a Bachelor of Arts and a Bachelor of Secondary Teaching.
Meg has been writing stories for as long as she can remember and reading them even longer. She always carries a notebook with her in case inspiration strikes or she encounters a beautiful new word. Equal to her love of words is her passion for championing local youths and fostering important conversation about issues facing young Australians.
When she's not writing novels, Meg is a high school drama teacher who channels her creativity into choreographing and directing musicals, writing poetry, singing and dancing.
Meg Gatland-Veness was born in a tiny country town called Milton and now lives on the Central Coast of New South Wales with her boyfriend and two cats. She attended the University of Newcastle where she studied a Bachelor of Arts and a Bachelor of Secondary Teaching.
Meg has been writing stories for as long as she can remember and reading them even longer. She always carries a notebook with her in case inspiration strikes or she encounters a beautiful new word. Equal to her love of words is her passion for championing local youths and fostering important conversation about issues facing young Australians.
When she's not writing novels, Meg is a high school drama teacher who channels her creativity into choreographing and directing musicals, writing poetry, singing and dancing.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 46 reviews
May 28, 2024
3.5 ⭐️
June 1, 2024
This is a very solid little YA mystery/thriller about a bunch of Aussie drama kids who find their drama teacher dead and are set on figuring out what happened to her.
I enjoyed the friendship vibes in this story and those teen feels of awkward crushes and friendships changing that I think a YA audience will relate to.
Some of the aspects regarding the information they get from the police and the idea that they could eavesdrop on police interviews doesn't hold up to much scrutiny but it's easy to let it go for the sake of a very readable story.
I did read an uncorrected advance copy so hopefully the fairly major continuity error towards the end has been fixed, I'll check my finished copy when I get home from holiday and update this.
I was definitely kept guessing the whole way through the story, with a lot of different players involved, which kept things interesting and kept me turning pages. It wrapped up pretty well... or so I thought, until it drops a major ".... wait, what?!" moment on you right at the end. Now, I love me a bonus twist after the twist, but it has to be done well. I loved the idea of this particular twist, but when you start backtracking to see how it fits into the story, you're left with quite a few questions and "hang on, how does that make sense?" moments. I feel like I need a debrief where someone explains how some events make sense in light of this new twist.
For me, this makes it probably a 3.75 overall, as I'm left a little more confused than satisfied. But otherwise I did honestly enjoy the read a lot.
Note that there are some fairly heavy themes mentioned, including suicide, drug use and eating disorder.
I enjoyed the friendship vibes in this story and those teen feels of awkward crushes and friendships changing that I think a YA audience will relate to.
Some of the aspects regarding the information they get from the police and the idea that they could eavesdrop on police interviews doesn't hold up to much scrutiny but it's easy to let it go for the sake of a very readable story.
I did read an uncorrected advance copy so hopefully the fairly major continuity error towards the end has been fixed, I'll check my finished copy when I get home from holiday and update this.
I was definitely kept guessing the whole way through the story, with a lot of different players involved, which kept things interesting and kept me turning pages. It wrapped up pretty well... or so I thought, until it drops a major ".... wait, what?!" moment on you right at the end. Now, I love me a bonus twist after the twist, but it has to be done well. I loved the idea of this particular twist, but when you start backtracking to see how it fits into the story, you're left with quite a few questions and "hang on, how does that make sense?" moments. I feel like I need a debrief where someone explains how some events make sense in light of this new twist.
For me, this makes it probably a 3.75 overall, as I'm left a little more confused than satisfied. But otherwise I did honestly enjoy the read a lot.
Note that there are some fairly heavy themes mentioned, including suicide, drug use and eating disorder.
July 26, 2024
Read in one sitting because it was so intense and full of drama, I couldn’t get enough
This felt different from the authors other books and I mean that in a good way. One thing does stay the same in all her books though, her talent for writing realistic characters who feel so real.
So this is the third book I’ve read by this author (who it turns out she went to the same university as me??? What?????) and I think I can now officially say she is one of my favourite authors. Auto buy and preorder type of author for me for sure.
This felt different from the authors other books and I mean that in a good way. One thing does stay the same in all her books though, her talent for writing realistic characters who feel so real.
So this is the third book I’ve read by this author (who it turns out she went to the same university as me??? What?????) and I think I can now officially say she is one of my favourite authors. Auto buy and preorder type of author for me for sure.
March 17, 2024
Twisty and suspenseful. Mostly satisfying (I only have a couple of questions).
July 25, 2024
Excuse you. That was not the ending line I wanted.
September 30, 2024
oh my god.
June 23, 2024
What a great book! I was completely hooked from the start, and I finished this super quickly.
We follow a group of friends as they try to find the murderer of their drama teacher, after she was killed during a scavenger hunt at their school. During the search, our MC Hallie is tasked with learning more about a suspect, Adam. After spending time with him, she realises there is more to him than she first thought.
This book tackles a lot, with mentions of eating disorders, drug use and suicide. As a YA book, it focuses on the difficulties experienced by youth, particularly those in a small town.
There are lots of twists and turns, and just when you think you've worked it out... No you haven't! I was genuinely left in a state of pure surprise at the ending, and I feel like I now need to go back and reread it, to see what I missed. This is definitely the mark of a great murder mystery for me, when the ending completely surprises me.
This is a great YA murder mystery, with plenty of unpredictable moments. I highly recommend this to fans of Karen McManus and Holly Jackson.
We follow a group of friends as they try to find the murderer of their drama teacher, after she was killed during a scavenger hunt at their school. During the search, our MC Hallie is tasked with learning more about a suspect, Adam. After spending time with him, she realises there is more to him than she first thought.
This book tackles a lot, with mentions of eating disorders, drug use and suicide. As a YA book, it focuses on the difficulties experienced by youth, particularly those in a small town.
There are lots of twists and turns, and just when you think you've worked it out... No you haven't! I was genuinely left in a state of pure surprise at the ending, and I feel like I now need to go back and reread it, to see what I missed. This is definitely the mark of a great murder mystery for me, when the ending completely surprises me.
This is a great YA murder mystery, with plenty of unpredictable moments. I highly recommend this to fans of Karen McManus and Holly Jackson.
July 4, 2024
My brain is like a keyboard that has had coffee poured on it ☕️
May 16, 2025
I didn't like this much. It's very juvenile for a book about 17 year olds. Twelve year olds might enjoy it, although all that murder and every "teen issue" there is, might not be age appropriate. With the "teen issues," a book doesn't have to include every single one, especially when they're inserted so clumsily. The last line that sets up a sequel is clever.
And this may be the funniest line ever written:
And this may be the funniest line ever written:
"They fired the au pair after they found her drinking milk straight from the carton in their fridge."
April 8, 2025
this WOULD have been three stars but what the fuck was that last line?????
but anyway shout out to my youth group kid that lent this to me
but anyway shout out to my youth group kid that lent this to me
July 4, 2024
Thank you Meg and Pantera Press for sending us a copy to read and review.
Growing up in country towns has its challenges and saving graces for many kids.
Friendships are more heightened, private lives less private and the realisation that everything will change once school finishes is prevalent.
A group of kids from the drama class create all sorts of drama as they become sleuths when their beloved teacher is murdered.
The mystery along side typical teenage behaviours unravels and exposes underlying traumas, love and drug related issues.
Dysfunction often at the core of home life.
Celebrations and triumphs overshadowed by the truth which inevitably surfaces.
Country town life as a teenager totally resonated with me and the mystery element captivated my attention.
This essence of reality added not only to the authenticity but highlighted the skill of the writer as she brought these characters and plot to life.
A reminder how young lives need a good influence and a couple of wrong turns can be detrimental.
Growing up in country towns has its challenges and saving graces for many kids.
Friendships are more heightened, private lives less private and the realisation that everything will change once school finishes is prevalent.
A group of kids from the drama class create all sorts of drama as they become sleuths when their beloved teacher is murdered.
The mystery along side typical teenage behaviours unravels and exposes underlying traumas, love and drug related issues.
Dysfunction often at the core of home life.
Celebrations and triumphs overshadowed by the truth which inevitably surfaces.
Country town life as a teenager totally resonated with me and the mystery element captivated my attention.
This essence of reality added not only to the authenticity but highlighted the skill of the writer as she brought these characters and plot to life.
A reminder how young lives need a good influence and a couple of wrong turns can be detrimental.
December 10, 2024
This was really bad but most people seem to have really liked it??? The writing was just not very good, the plot is all over the place, and the narrator is not good.
Which is really disappointing because I was super hype for this book. A YA thriller about a bunch of theatre kids is so my niche, but this was a massive letdown.
I hate how it has become acceptable to throw a bunch of crazy twists at your reader and call it good writing. Why is it so hard to find a well written, well crafted book in this rapidly over saturated genre.
Also, you don’t get to add a plot twist in the final line and pretend it will undo the 300 pages of bad writing that came before it.
Which is really disappointing because I was super hype for this book. A YA thriller about a bunch of theatre kids is so my niche, but this was a massive letdown.
I hate how it has become acceptable to throw a bunch of crazy twists at your reader and call it good writing. Why is it so hard to find a well written, well crafted book in this rapidly over saturated genre.
Also, you don’t get to add a plot twist in the final line and pretend it will undo the 300 pages of bad writing that came before it.
June 14, 2024
I loved this book but still a little confused who the actual murderer was! Definitely recommend and I will be reading her other books
October 11, 2024
Actual rating: 3.5 stars.
The ending!!!!!! Ughhhh 😩 I just want to know!!
The ending!!!!!! Ughhhh 😩 I just want to know!!
August 18, 2024
I really enjoyed this book. Each page kept you guessing to who could have been the murderer. It was really well written and I'm really glad to have picked up this book.
November 27, 2024
More of a 3.5 tbh
May 21, 2025
Ok so, i loved this book, all the characters, but the cover is so bad. I had so many theories about who was the murderer, and i hate books that have predictable endings and easily guessed murderers, so this book was a really good change, and the way it's written is a bit similar to Eleanor Jones is not a murderer.
Okay after this is spoilers.
So, at the end the guy that lives next to her confesses to the murder , and then he goes to jail and all that fun stuff, but then the last sentence say. Sometimes I think back to Walter, the guy who would do anything for me, even confess to a murder he didn't commit. That was the best last sentence ever.
So I think this means that she was the murderer but then if she was how did he know that Victoria was pregnant???? I just have so many questions now but it was so good.
Okay after this is spoilers.
So, at the end the guy that lives next to her confesses to the murder , and then he goes to jail and all that fun stuff, but then the last sentence say. Sometimes I think back to Walter, the guy who would do anything for me, even confess to a murder he didn't commit. That was the best last sentence ever.
So I think this means that she was the murderer but then if she was how did he know that Victoria was pregnant???? I just have so many questions now but it was so good.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
July 27, 2024
I loved this book! Very twisting and fabulous! At the end I had thought that I had guessed the murder but a big twist confused me! I still don’t know who did it.
June 13, 2024
What's Murder Between Friends, from the first page, wraps you up in its melding of murder mystery and theatre. Creating a fusion of incredibly dramatic characters and mysterious circumstances that go hand in hand... the dramatics definitely add to the overall vibe of the novel.
I adore the Australian-ness of this novel. The slang, the way friends talk to and treat eachother, the school hierarchy. It makes me feel right at home and gives the book another layer readers can relate to.
There are so many complex characters within the pages of this novel. Each dealing with issues and traumas that every reader will find something to relate to. That being said, it isn't overwhelming, it feels real, authentic. Like a friend group you may be part of. There are characters from all walks of life, nationalities, sexualities, socio-economic status and belief systems.
This is the second novel by Gatland-Veness for me. And I find her writing so easy to read. It is clear and concise and allows the reader to follow where she is going, quickly and with time to process.
What's Murder Between Friends is a mid paced, easy to read novel. It's fun, it's flirty, it's murder-y and showy. The combination of detective and theatre make for an entertaining combination. Not to mention the plot twist!
This is a fantastic entry level, murder mystery. YA readers are going to be on the edge of their seats.
Thankyou so much to Pantera for sending me a review copy of this title. All thoughts and opinions are my own.
I adore the Australian-ness of this novel. The slang, the way friends talk to and treat eachother, the school hierarchy. It makes me feel right at home and gives the book another layer readers can relate to.
There are so many complex characters within the pages of this novel. Each dealing with issues and traumas that every reader will find something to relate to. That being said, it isn't overwhelming, it feels real, authentic. Like a friend group you may be part of. There are characters from all walks of life, nationalities, sexualities, socio-economic status and belief systems.
This is the second novel by Gatland-Veness for me. And I find her writing so easy to read. It is clear and concise and allows the reader to follow where she is going, quickly and with time to process.
What's Murder Between Friends is a mid paced, easy to read novel. It's fun, it's flirty, it's murder-y and showy. The combination of detective and theatre make for an entertaining combination. Not to mention the plot twist!
This is a fantastic entry level, murder mystery. YA readers are going to be on the edge of their seats.
Thankyou so much to Pantera for sending me a review copy of this title. All thoughts and opinions are my own.
July 4, 2024
3.5 stars
Thank you Pantera Press for sending me a copy of this book and having me on this book tour!
This was a really fun YA thriller. Easy to read, lots of twists and turns, compelling characters you can’t help but root for, and a lot of musical theatre references.
I really liked Hallie, our main character. She’s loyal and daring and has such a big heart. She never truly believes any of her friends could have killed their teacher no matter who’s under suspicion or why, which I really loved about her.
The murder mystery itself was interesting. I was hooked the whole time wanting to know who did it and I honestly didn’t pick it.
There were a few things that didn’t quite add up or felt rushed, like children’s fingerprints just being on file to compare to, but they didn’t impact my overall enjoyment too much.
Thank you Pantera Press for sending me a copy of this book and having me on this book tour!
This was a really fun YA thriller. Easy to read, lots of twists and turns, compelling characters you can’t help but root for, and a lot of musical theatre references.
I really liked Hallie, our main character. She’s loyal and daring and has such a big heart. She never truly believes any of her friends could have killed their teacher no matter who’s under suspicion or why, which I really loved about her.
The murder mystery itself was interesting. I was hooked the whole time wanting to know who did it and I honestly didn’t pick it.
There were a few things that didn’t quite add up or felt rushed, like children’s fingerprints just being on file to compare to, but they didn’t impact my overall enjoyment too much.
November 14, 2024
Content warning this book has themes which involve suicide, eating disorders and drug use
With an ending I didn’t see coming is a story about a group of drama loving high school kids who didn’t expect to find the body of their dead drama teacher while on a scavenger hunt. In a small town murder isn’t something have seen much of or have they?…. Now with a murder to solve and a musical to prepare for the classmates have a lot on their plate but the show must go on!
From the start this book had me guessing and had an ending I didn’t see coming which let me thinking what the… I did find there to be to be moments in the book that had me thinking that can’t possibly make sense and also noticed some mistakes with wording and spelling errors but overall, I did find this book to be a nice easy read that I enjoyed reading I look forward to reading more from this author in the future.
With an ending I didn’t see coming is a story about a group of drama loving high school kids who didn’t expect to find the body of their dead drama teacher while on a scavenger hunt. In a small town murder isn’t something have seen much of or have they?…. Now with a murder to solve and a musical to prepare for the classmates have a lot on their plate but the show must go on!
From the start this book had me guessing and had an ending I didn’t see coming which let me thinking what the… I did find there to be to be moments in the book that had me thinking that can’t possibly make sense and also noticed some mistakes with wording and spelling errors but overall, I did find this book to be a nice easy read that I enjoyed reading I look forward to reading more from this author in the future.
May 21, 2025
This is my third Meg Gatland-Veness book and without even really looking at the blurb, I bought it and do NOT regret at all!
This book was so thrilling and entertaining to read that I just couldn't put it down, and read it all in one sitting. This novel had it all, the murder mystery, the romance, the friendships. Everything.
I was not ready for that end though, and am still confused and need answers...
SPOILER!!!!!
If it wasn't Walter... who was it?
This book was so thrilling and entertaining to read that I just couldn't put it down, and read it all in one sitting. This novel had it all, the murder mystery, the romance, the friendships. Everything.
I was not ready for that end though, and am still confused and need answers...
SPOILER!!!!!
If it wasn't Walter... who was it?
February 17, 2025
3.5 rounded down because I personally don’t think it’s a 4 although I definitely enjoyed this book.
This book is a YA murder mystery set in a small rural down in Australia and features a bunch of drama nerds trying to solve the murder of their drama teacher.
The characters were fine and I quite enjoyed the growing relationship between Adam and Hallie, as well as the bonds the group had with each other. I didn’t particularly like a few interactions between Walter and Hallie at the end, especially because they seemed to have the ‘I’m not interested in you in that way’ chat like 3 times. He was also characterised as nice-guy-esque at the end which gave me the ICK and it was cliche but fair enough to the author for trying to make him seem less desirable.
I also think this novel navigated topics such as eating disorders and drug abuse pretty well, considering the narrative voice came from a teenager.
Something that really broke immersion for me was the setting. The author establishes a few times that was only 37 people in the town. However, they have a teacher for music, teacher for drama and a head teacher for the performing arts.
Everyone has siblings, there’s at least 10 people in her year and for some reason this really irked me. For a town of 37, it’s likely you’d have 10 people in the entirely of a K-12 school. It’s such a small thing but it’s something that I feel like could’ve been changed pretty easily.
I didn’t mind the writing style but I also didn’t love it, I think there was little introspection from the main character so it was harder to connect to her but I also understand this was a novel that this wasn’t entirely possible by the end (if you know, you know). However, this made it harder to connect with her throughout the novel. It was a very easy read though and I devoured it in 2-3 sittings.
I didn’t mind the outcome of the ending (as you know, THAT LAST LINE) however. I felt it somewhat unsatisfactory in the sense that it wasn’t made clear what her motive was. I could guess that Hallie didn’t like her father and she wanted him to leave but there was no indication that she had it in her, she could’ve also confronted him and her mother and had the same outcome. I figured from the front cover, she was still a likely suspect but it didn’t make enough sense that I wanted to reread the book searching for clues.
The ending didn’t neatly fit with the relationship that Hallie and Walter had in the end considering he knew she didn’t love him.. and was willing to go to gaol for it??
Although, I don’t know whether the ending has to be something that should neatly fit, but it almost felt like the author wanted to write the last line before she knew what the whole ending looked like, like it was purely to shock, not because it actually made sense.
This book is a YA murder mystery set in a small rural down in Australia and features a bunch of drama nerds trying to solve the murder of their drama teacher.
The characters were fine and I quite enjoyed the growing relationship between Adam and Hallie, as well as the bonds the group had with each other. I didn’t particularly like a few interactions between Walter and Hallie at the end, especially because they seemed to have the ‘I’m not interested in you in that way’ chat like 3 times. He was also characterised as nice-guy-esque at the end which gave me the ICK and it was cliche but fair enough to the author for trying to make him seem less desirable.
I also think this novel navigated topics such as eating disorders and drug abuse pretty well, considering the narrative voice came from a teenager.
Something that really broke immersion for me was the setting. The author establishes a few times that was only 37 people in the town. However, they have a teacher for music, teacher for drama and a head teacher for the performing arts.
Everyone has siblings, there’s at least 10 people in her year and for some reason this really irked me. For a town of 37, it’s likely you’d have 10 people in the entirely of a K-12 school. It’s such a small thing but it’s something that I feel like could’ve been changed pretty easily.
I didn’t mind the writing style but I also didn’t love it, I think there was little introspection from the main character so it was harder to connect to her but I also understand this was a novel that this wasn’t entirely possible by the end (if you know, you know). However, this made it harder to connect with her throughout the novel. It was a very easy read though and I devoured it in 2-3 sittings.
I didn’t mind the outcome of the ending (as you know, THAT LAST LINE) however. I felt it somewhat unsatisfactory in the sense that it wasn’t made clear what her motive was. I could guess that Hallie didn’t like her father and she wanted him to leave but there was no indication that she had it in her, she could’ve also confronted him and her mother and had the same outcome. I figured from the front cover, she was still a likely suspect but it didn’t make enough sense that I wanted to reread the book searching for clues.
The ending didn’t neatly fit with the relationship that Hallie and Walter had in the end considering he knew she didn’t love him.. and was willing to go to gaol for it??
Although, I don’t know whether the ending has to be something that should neatly fit, but it almost felt like the author wanted to write the last line before she knew what the whole ending looked like, like it was purely to shock, not because it actually made sense.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
October 6, 2024
3.5 stars
Hallie lives in a small town of thirty-six people. She is in Year 12 and can't wait to escape to Sydney to pursue her career in musical theatre. With only five students taking Drama, they are a tight-knit group and classes are the highlight of the school week. That is, until their beloved teacher, is found dead on the school grounds. Since the local police seem unable to find the killer, Hallie and her friends decide to investigate and find the murderer on their own.
What's Murder Between Friends was a good little YA thriller with complex characters. I liked the friendship between the teens and the various bonds they shared, especially Hallie and Walter, the constable's son. I thought I had the killer pegged until the very end which had quite the plot twist, although I was left with questions I still want answered.
However, I enjoyed the Aussie-ness of the novel, and think it will be a popular read in the library since our students devour whodunits at an amazing rate.
Hallie lives in a small town of thirty-six people. She is in Year 12 and can't wait to escape to Sydney to pursue her career in musical theatre. With only five students taking Drama, they are a tight-knit group and classes are the highlight of the school week. That is, until their beloved teacher, is found dead on the school grounds. Since the local police seem unable to find the killer, Hallie and her friends decide to investigate and find the murderer on their own.
What's Murder Between Friends was a good little YA thriller with complex characters. I liked the friendship between the teens and the various bonds they shared, especially Hallie and Walter, the constable's son. I thought I had the killer pegged until the very end which had quite the plot twist, although I was left with questions I still want answered.
However, I enjoyed the Aussie-ness of the novel, and think it will be a popular read in the library since our students devour whodunits at an amazing rate.
October 18, 2024
This book was so good with the perfect mix of drama and murder mystery.
At the start I had no idea who the murder was but as I was going I had three suspects
-sergeant Griffiths
-Addie
-Dimitri
Now I was wrong about them but at some point in the story I did think it was Walter but with all the drama happening I was confused.
They kept thinking it was Gus who was the killer but I was literally like shouting “no it’s not” because he thought Ms Lovelace was cheating on him when they snuck into the house. I love this book, great plot and plot twists. Definitely recommend.
At the start I had no idea who the murder was but as I was going I had three suspects
-sergeant Griffiths
-Addie
-Dimitri
Now I was wrong about them but at some point in the story I did think it was Walter but with all the drama happening I was confused.
They kept thinking it was Gus who was the killer but I was literally like shouting “no it’s not” because he thought Ms Lovelace was cheating on him when they snuck into the house. I love this book, great plot and plot twists. Definitely recommend.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
April 26, 2025
3.5/5
A small town murder mystery where nearly everyone has been touched by either poverty, substance abuse, family violence, self harm, abandonment or all of the above. Five drama friends find their teacher dead and a whole slew of secrets unravel. Some parts weren’t realistic (paramedics removing the body before police arrive etc.) but there’s enough suspense and teen romance to hook in readers.
13/14+ years
A small town murder mystery where nearly everyone has been touched by either poverty, substance abuse, family violence, self harm, abandonment or all of the above. Five drama friends find their teacher dead and a whole slew of secrets unravel. Some parts weren’t realistic (paramedics removing the body before police arrive etc.) but there’s enough suspense and teen romance to hook in readers.
13/14+ years
December 1, 2025
This book was crazy! I was guessing the whole time and got it wrong the whole time. I like Adam and Hallie and I think their scenes were done really well. To be honest I liked all the main characters except for Walter because of some of his scenes throughout the book. I could not put this book down I was that hooked. The only thing I did not enjoy about this book was how Hallie spoke sometimes, but other than that it was a good book.
January 8, 2026
I gotta be honest, I'm sadly really disappointed by this book :(
The dialogue felt very unnatural and awkward and the writing was maybe too simplistic? I had very high hopes as I absolutely LOVED When Only One, but this book was no where near to the same level of writing.
Lots of people seem to be a bit 'wtf??' at the last line and unpleased with it, but I quite liked it. Thats quite a fun way to end a book, so points there for that one.
Anyway, I only gave it 3 stars.
The dialogue felt very unnatural and awkward and the writing was maybe too simplistic? I had very high hopes as I absolutely LOVED When Only One, but this book was no where near to the same level of writing.
Lots of people seem to be a bit 'wtf??' at the last line and unpleased with it, but I quite liked it. Thats quite a fun way to end a book, so points there for that one.
Anyway, I only gave it 3 stars.
December 7, 2024
Content warnings: murder, death, cheating, mentions of incarceration
A compelling YA murder mystery that I had a fabulous time with. The characters were great, I loved the romance that develops over the course of the story, and I really enjoyed that it's set in rural Australia in an impoverished area because that's a side of Australia that's represented all too infrequently.
A compelling YA murder mystery that I had a fabulous time with. The characters were great, I loved the romance that develops over the course of the story, and I really enjoyed that it's set in rural Australia in an impoverished area because that's a side of Australia that's represented all too infrequently.
June 20, 2024
Gripping combination of murder mystery and the life of drama students preparing a school musical - with a totally unexpected twist at the end!
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