If Anything Happens To Me

by Luanne Rice, Marli Watson (narrator)

From celebrated New York Times bestselling author Luanne Rice comes a hotly anticipated YA thriller about two girls desperate to catch a murderer who's still on the loose.

Oli Parish is numb after the death of her sister Eloise. She was her other half who went missing one day and was later found buried in the woods. And the killer? He's still on the loose. This should scare Oli but nothing gets in the way of her visiting the site in the woods where her sister's body was discovered. Oli can sense Eloise's spirit there.

But on one of her visits, Oli hears a voice calling for help and then she sees a hand clawing its way through the dirt. But this is no ghost -- it's a young girl named Iris. She has no memory of what happened to her and how she ended up in the same shallow grave as Eloise. But Oli knows that Iris must in some way be connected to her sister's murder. Together, the two girls team up to try to help Iris recover her memory and unravel the mystery of who is behind the crimes.

Their detective work leads them all around Oli's seemingly idyllic small town -- and to her shock, to a classmate of hers named Harry, who may or may not be looking for a desperate way to help his ailing sister... and at the expense of other girls.

Told in Luanne Rice's breathtaking prose, and at a breakneck pace, this riveting mystery about sisters, hope, and the fight for what's right is perfect for fans of Family of Liars and A Good Girls' Guide To Murder.

Genres: Mystery, Young Adult, Thriller, Mystery Thriller, Suspense, Murder Mystery, Contemporary

Audio CD

First published September 17, 2024

About the author

Luanne Rice is the New York Times bestselling author of thirty-eight novels, translated into thirty languages. Rice often writes about love, family, nature, and the sea. Most recently she has written thrillers, including one based on a murder that affected her family. She received the 2014 Connecticut Governor’s Arts Award for excellence and lifetime achievement in the Literary Arts category.
Connecticut College awarded Rice an honorary degree and invited her to donate her papers to the College’s Special Collections Library. They are archived in the Luanne Rice Collection.
Rice has also received an honorary doctorate of humane letters from St. Joseph University in West Hartford, Conn.
Several of Rice's novels have been adapted for television. Her monologue for the play Motherhood Out Loud premiered at Hartford Stage and has been performed Off-Broadway in NYC and at the Geffen Playhouse in Los Angeles.
Rice is a Creative Affiliate of the Safina Center. She lives in southeastern Connecticut.

Reviews

[Tiffany · Rating 2 out of 5]

Let me start by saying I am glad this was a library loan… a solid 2 stars for majority of the book, I honestly wanted to dnf a quarter way in but I’ve never done that before and wasn’t going to let this book be the first. The book did pick up at the end and had SOME redeeming parts, which would make me give this a generous 2.5. I was going to round up but thinking back to books I’ve rated a 3 and that just wouldn’t make sense. So keeping this as a two. Just super unrealistic. I will say the author writes decently but the plot and logic of the characters had me wanting to throw the dang book against the wall. A bit of a rant. Might come back and write a more thoughtful review but for now, the review matches my feelings. This one just wasn’t for me!

[ੈ✩‧₊˚ faithreads *ೃ༄ (inactive) · Rating 2 out of 5]

not very well written honestly. the characters were eh, the plot was lowkey confusing, and it just wasn’t smooth?? idk how to explain it lol. I hated the Matt storyline! cmon man like he’s lying!? and the sister thing was sweet but idk it just felt very mediocre

[cyd · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5
Thank you to NetGalley and the author for providing me with an arc of this book in exchange for an honest review. To be honest this book was not at all bad… That being said I definitely think it was intended for a younger audience which definitely skews my rating a bit. If I had read this in middle school I think I would have enjoyed this more but alas I am not and i found this a bit predictable. The characters were interesting but not very complex which isn’t necessarily bad just my opinion. This books started really slow and it was honestly kind of hard to get through. Once it picked up thought it vastly improved. the slight bit of romance felt unnecessary and i think it took up too much of the book. I was much more interested in the female friendships/sisterhood. I also think that the “villain” was just not scary or interesting. I never once believed the main characters were in any real danger due to the way that character as written. And the “plot twist” happened far too early for it to have any real impact. Even though this review is mostly negative I would totally recommend to the younger side of the young adult audience. A perfect introduction to thriller novels for anyone transitioning from middle grade to young adult books!

[Mary · Rating 4 out of 5]

If Anything Happens To Me by Luanne Rice is something I basically decided to read on a whim and I’m quite happy with the way that turned out! I don’t read too much YA anymore, but this was a great mystery/thriller as well as being quite emotional. I also learned something new that may or may not be a real thing, and I loved watching Oli and Iris try to solve the mystery of Eloise’s death. Some moments are quite tense and there is lots of action as well which created a very fast paced ride.

I really enjoyed the audiobook and was a fan of Marli Watson as the narrator. Her voice fit with what I would imagine for someone Oli’s age, and her narration was very smooth and emotive. I couldn’t believe the climax, and I do think you have to suspend a bit of disbelief since I’m not sure everything that happened in here would be possible for the age they are at. Read this if you are in the mood for YA you can consume in one sitting and unreliable narrators! It would also be perfect for a younger audience since it isn't very intense and the sisterhood theme is a touching one.

[Kara DeLorey · Rating 4 out of 5]

Luanne Rice’s newest novel, If Anything Happens to Me, is a fast paced book that follows Oli and Iris’s journey to uncover the real reason that young women are being kidnapped and murdered. Nothing is what it seems in this twisty thriller. I'd say more, but I don't want to give anything away.

Thank you to NetGalley and Scholastic Books for the opportunity to read this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

[Autumn (Nerdy Silly Goose) · Rating 5 out of 5]

I... was not expecting... any of this... like, any of it...

[Olga Rudnitska · Rating 2 out of 5]

2.5⭐️

Я рідко даючи погані оцінки, але тут треба.

Почнімо з того, що я в принципі люблю читати як підлітки розслідують кримінальні справи. Але тут це намагались зробити тупі підлітки.

Далі спойлери.

1. Ти знаходиш дівчину, і могилі своєї сестри. Вона каже "без поліції" і ти така окей. Я допоможу тобі знищити всі докази і допоможу знайти твою сестру.
Піпа так би не зробила.
Олі навіть не загуглила її. Так, вона спочатку не знала її ім'я. Але ж є missing person report. Дівчина поводиться дивно, каже, що нічого не пам'ятає. Я їй не вірила до останнього.

2. Типовий підліток, який грає в лікаря і хоче знайти ліки від недуги сестри. Підліток! Викрадає дівчат! Бо думає, що він великий лікар.
Тут просто якийсь сюр. Бо після того, як дівчата вмирали, він посипав їх золотим пилом, алхімік сраний.
Я думала його лінія не може бути гірше. Але ні, може. Бо в 12 років, під час першого приступу сестри він каже, що завжди хотів, щоб вона захворіла, щоб її вилікувати! В 12 років.

3. Метт, хлопець в якого закохана Олі, типу не допомагав Фінчу, брату вбивці. Відмовки його срало мазало. І мені здається Гейлі згадувала, що бачила ще одного хлопця до того, як зустріла Олі.

Все це загалом було погано.

[Jessica Di Salvio · Rating 3 out of 5]

It was an interresting read, because of the whole mystery and all. We can feel Oli's grief in every decision and thought she has. That's why she helps the girl she finds in her sister's grave. Help her recover her memories and mostly : find the killer.

The killer part was the painful part of the book. It was predictable on whom it was, but not the why. And the why was too fucked up for my brain. I understand most part of the reasons the criminal did what they did, but at the same time, it was too far fetched. Too much, too mainstream, too weird. The whole experiments and crazy scientific medley with sorcery bullshit, eh...

The big problem was... I couldn't hate the killer. I hate what they did, but the book doesn't build up the hatred torward them enough for me to completely hate them. I had some empathy.

The other problem was that for 80% of the books, I thought the characters were 13 or 14 years old. Young teenagers. But they were not. They were almost adults but the book was written like they were younger and it didn't help the build up tension of the mystery. You have more empathy torwards kids than adult, it's a fact.

So weirdly written, but not extremely bad either. It's an okay read.

[finn✮⋆⭒˚.⋆ (mostly inactive) · Rating 3 out of 5]

-3.5 stars-
honestly, it was pretty good it just felt like there was something lacking from the whole story

[Becky · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is marketed as a YA & I could feel that at times, but as a NOT so young adult, I felt the story was solid.
Parts are sad. But mostly this is a murder mystery, older teens getting caught up in things that they don't understand & also a little alchemy. I liked reading about some of the places I am familiar with in Connecticut. I love how Luanne always works nature into her stories & loved reading about the many birds. I feel it lightened what some might consider a heavier story.
Good read!

[Magen • Bone Chilling Books · Rating 3 out of 5]

Light young adult murder mystery along the same veins of A Good Girl’s Guide to Murder.

I enjoyed the themes of sisterhood/siblings and friendship.

Something easy and fast to read.

[Molly (hiatus) · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5

[Kylie Taylor · Rating 2 out of 5]

2.6 ⭐️

This book was so frustrating, despite the fact that it was highly addicting. The chapters were short and read very fast paced so that made it easy to get through and the book itself wasn’t very long. When the book arrived at my home (Via delivery), I was actually shocked at how thin it was lol. But anyways, the actual story was so frustrating to me Like I said in my opening sentence. The plot twist was honestly so lackluster and made zero sense. There wasn’t any suspense honestly and I never sensed an immediate danger from what the plot twist surrounded until It actually happened. I actually was more suspicious of one particular character that’s mainly introduced to the main character early on, as everything she said felt so off and disingenuous. The author would’ve been better off exploring that opportunity or writing the character in a less suspicious way. I just didn’t care about the actual villain of the story at all??? I felt like the story had an interesting enough premise to go off of but it read like a children’s book while talking about a serious subject. It just left me so irritated. The book cover is incredibly beautiful but even the book name lacked sense to me? It just wasn’t very good in my opinion. It wasn't awful but it wasn't anything I’ll be thinking about again in the near future.

The characters felt very one dimensional, the plot felt half cooked and it might be more appealing to a middle grade reader? Maybe that was the purpose and I was misled by it, I don’t know lol. I just didn’t connect to this book, however I was addicted to the fast paced aspect even when the story/plot fell flat for me. But yeah, I just don’t feel anything towards this book despite “it was a fun time, the book frustrated me over and over again and I hated the writing style!!”.

[Cyd’s Books · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was a 3.5 - 3.75 book for me, I enjoyed the atmosphere of the book. It felt like a very small town american version of a good girls guide to murder, but with less depth due to being a smaller book.

We are dropped into the core of the plot from early on which I didnt mind because it had me intrigued wanting to figure out what’s going on. I do however wish that it was longer so we could have slightly more build up and flesh out the characters and the suspects abit more.

All in all for an autumnal/spooky season read this is good and fits the vibe very well.

[Amelia Rachelle · Rating 5 out of 5]

I really enjoyed this teen thriller. I got it at the Scholastic book fair at the school I work at and wanted to read it myself because the book trailer pulled me in! Highly recommend if you’re into mystery, thrillers!

[✩▹Lily◃✩ {Newt's Version} · Rating 3 out of 5]

RTC

[Alexandria · Rating 4 out of 5]

Okay I actually really enjoyed this for it being a YA thriller. Didn’t realize it was YA until after I started but not bad!

[Megan (ReadingRover) · Rating 1 out of 5]

Well that was just ridiculous. Like come on. People in this book were so oblivious and it’s not like the “bad guy” was some scary powerful guy. Just dumb. 2 stars

[PinkAmy loves books, cats and naps · Rating 5 out of 5]

4.5 STARS

Ollie knows lost. Her parents died when she was younger. The grandmother who raised her has Alzheimer’s. And her beloved younger sister’s murderer remains unknown after six months. She wonders if one of her nature group, her closest friends, is responsible. Isolating and trusting no one hasn’t worked. When she revisits the murder scene Ollie finds a young girl half-buried in the exact spot of the murder.

I enjoy Luanne Rice’s young adult novels more than her adult ones. I wasn’t certain whether to trust Ollie as a reliable narrator or the young teen she found, or any of her friends.

I recommend IF ANYTHING HAPPENS TO ME to all YA mystery and thriller readers.

[Suz McDowell · Rating 2 out of 5]

Luanne Rice is capable of much better writing, so this book left me incredibly disappointed. Whatever she had that made me buy every book of hers is over. The book before this was a DNF for me because it was so poorly written. I bought this book on the off chance that the previous book was just a fluke. No, this book is very poorly written as well. This author is now off my list of favorites, unfortunately.

[Dianne · Rating 2 out of 5]

This was one of the most boring books I have read lately. I only read it because usually I like the authors books. But wow, she missed the mark on this one. Was she really its author???

[the great wizard ella · Rating 2 out of 5]

had to force myself to finish this

[Kim Bahr]

A little slow to get going, but the end had intensity

[Ashley · Rating 3 out of 5]

It was a quick read. I enjoyed it.

[Ashton Atkins · Rating 1 out of 5]

Lots of exposition, definitely an ok book for middle grades. The b word was used and it was uncomfortable.

I did not like this book. Corny. Boring. The twisty twist happened waaaay too soon and the way it all unfolded was very pedestrian.

[Melinda Hendrix · Rating 3 out of 5]

Enjoyed the book but definitely not LuAnne Rice’s best work. Liked the characters but plot was a little far fetched for me.

[Daria · Rating 3 out of 5]

3+

[Penelope Stephens · Rating 4 out of 5]

OMG the plot twist! Good read!

[Brynn | readyourworriesaway · Rating 4 out of 5]

IF ANYTHING HAPPENS TO ME is a gripping small-town YA thriller about two girls attempting to catch a murderer.

Oli is a main character that’s easy to root for. She has never been the same since her sister was found buried in the woods. On one of her trips to the woods, Oli finds a girl buried in the same spot where Eloise was found. Oli knows that there must be a connection to her sister’s death, and she won’t stop searching for answers until she finds the killer.

The vibes were perfect for this spooky season! Rice’s writing kept me engaged and yearning for the truth. I devoured this story in only a couple sittings — it was such a wild ride! I loved the twist early on and the action in the latter half.

[Avery Preddy · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was such a cute book. I loved how through out all the characters little interests were being mentioned. And hello?! Matt and Olí!❤️‍🩹❤️‍🩹 had me worried for a second. And I was a little bit worried about the pacing since I guessed who did it and they revealed it half way through, but it was paced like perfectly. The whole thing with the birds, cats, sisters, magic, and the disease was so cool to add. I loved this book so much and I loved the connections with literally everything. My teacher told me I should read this book and I love it. I also finished a series right before this so I was still connected to the characters, but the first chapter made me feel for oli and her sister.