What do you think?
Rate this book
Breakout
Trapped at a luxurious resort off the coast of Florida, a group of elite teens are about to have a spring break they will never forget … but not all of them are coming home. The star-studded team of authors behind New York Times bestsellers Blackout and Whiteout returns with a thrillerfull of intrigue, betrayal, and heart-stopping romance.
For Thurgood Marshall Academy's best and brightest–five friends who've been thick as thieves since kindergarten–this spring break is all about they want nothing more than to wash away last year's tragedy, and the human-shaped hole it left in their friend group.
It's a hole the new kid, Anthony Brooks, seems to fit right into. So when he invites the Five to join him on a private island for a week at his dad's luxury resort, they agree with zero hesitation. No one's counting on a freak tropical storm swooping in and killing the vibe. And speaking of killing, they're also ill-prepared for the mounting collection of dead bodies… including (another) one of their own.
As their dream trip unravels, everything they tried to leave behind–secrets, lies, betrayals, dead best friends–seems to be washing up on the shore of their lives for everyone to see. Will any of them make it out alive?
From the bestselling, award-winning team behind Blackout and Whiteout —Dhonielle Clayton, Tiffany D. Jackson, Nic Stone, Angie Thomas, Ashley Woodfolk, and Nicola Yoon—comes a thriller that begs the is it possible to outrun the worst thing you've ever done?
For Thurgood Marshall Academy's best and brightest–five friends who've been thick as thieves since kindergarten–this spring break is all about they want nothing more than to wash away last year's tragedy, and the human-shaped hole it left in their friend group.
It's a hole the new kid, Anthony Brooks, seems to fit right into. So when he invites the Five to join him on a private island for a week at his dad's luxury resort, they agree with zero hesitation. No one's counting on a freak tropical storm swooping in and killing the vibe. And speaking of killing, they're also ill-prepared for the mounting collection of dead bodies… including (another) one of their own.
As their dream trip unravels, everything they tried to leave behind–secrets, lies, betrayals, dead best friends–seems to be washing up on the shore of their lives for everyone to see. Will any of them make it out alive?
From the bestselling, award-winning team behind Blackout and Whiteout —Dhonielle Clayton, Tiffany D. Jackson, Nic Stone, Angie Thomas, Ashley Woodfolk, and Nicola Yoon—comes a thriller that begs the is it possible to outrun the worst thing you've ever done?
Audible Audio
First published June 2, 2026
About the author
Dhonielle Clayton
48 books2,699 followersDhonielle Clayton is a New York Times bestselling author of The Marvellers series, The Belles series, Shattered Midnight, co-author of Blackout, Whiteout, The Rumor Game, and of the Tiny Pretty Things duology, a Netflix original series. She hails from the Washington, D.C. suburbs on the Maryland side. She taught secondary school for several years, and is a former elementary and middle school librarian. She is COO of the non-profit We Need Diverse Books. She is the President and founder of Cake Creative and Electric Postcard Entertainment, IP story companies creating diverse books for all ages. She’s an avid traveller, and always on the hunt for magic and mischief. Find her on Instagram: @brownbookworm.
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 30 of 79 reviews
May 29, 2026
What a group of authors! This book is basically about a group of rich kids with powerful parents who’ve known each other since kindergarten, who go on a spring break trip and people start dying. Not the most original concept but usually works! The opening chapter is especially strong. This is the definition of a beach read (engaging, high readability factor) perfect for summer.
Despite this being for a younger audience, certain parts of this book were impressively written. The only thing is, it isn’t really consistent. Which, when you have a big group of authors collaborating on one book, consistency of writing style is hard, so that’s to be expected. It’s never jarring or super obvious, but for example, the intro chapter was so impressively written and the ones following were more generic. Not in a bad way, or anything unlike 95% of everything else out there, but when you have such an expertly written first chapter, you kind of have expectations for how the rest will go, so it feels a bit disconnected when it’s not. But again, this is understandable with so many authors!
I do agree with the other reviews saying there’s too many different POVs. It’s not just with the core group of teens but even random people working the grounds there have a random chapter in their POV. Some of the chapters do show a bit of the darkness and corruption taking place behind the scenes with the staff, and some did make a good addition. But others felt too much like filler. There was also too many time jumps, going from week before to present and without any real pattern. It felt a bit disjointed.
Was this anything ground breaking? Not really. Was the ending something super shocking? Not really. But it was a fun beach read and exactly what you’d expect if looking for a YA thriller. Not a stand out, but an afternoon well spent if you need a fun and mindless beach read!
Thank you to Netgalley for sending me an advanced copy in return for my honest review.
Despite this being for a younger audience, certain parts of this book were impressively written. The only thing is, it isn’t really consistent. Which, when you have a big group of authors collaborating on one book, consistency of writing style is hard, so that’s to be expected. It’s never jarring or super obvious, but for example, the intro chapter was so impressively written and the ones following were more generic. Not in a bad way, or anything unlike 95% of everything else out there, but when you have such an expertly written first chapter, you kind of have expectations for how the rest will go, so it feels a bit disconnected when it’s not. But again, this is understandable with so many authors!
I do agree with the other reviews saying there’s too many different POVs. It’s not just with the core group of teens but even random people working the grounds there have a random chapter in their POV. Some of the chapters do show a bit of the darkness and corruption taking place behind the scenes with the staff, and some did make a good addition. But others felt too much like filler. There was also too many time jumps, going from week before to present and without any real pattern. It felt a bit disjointed.
Was this anything ground breaking? Not really. Was the ending something super shocking? Not really. But it was a fun beach read and exactly what you’d expect if looking for a YA thriller. Not a stand out, but an afternoon well spent if you need a fun and mindless beach read!
Thank you to Netgalley for sending me an advanced copy in return for my honest review.
June 20, 2026
A solid YA thriller with plenty of secrets and twists. I enjoyed the characterization in this one—each of the teens is well-fleshed out with realistic motivations. I wasn’t totally surprised by any of the reveals but I was entertained.
Audio was inconsistently narrated imo (some narrators more skilled than others)
Audio was inconsistently narrated imo (some narrators more skilled than others)
June 10, 2026
My theory was part right, like I knew it would be! (I had known there would be more to it than I’d figured out.) The authors described these characters as “messy” and whooo is that right?! I was hooked to the story and wanting to figure out everything that happened. I do have some questions that weren’t quite clear to me. Also, I think I like exactly zero of these characters! Y’all were the worst, in like a “This is a train wreck and I can’t look away!” kind of way. Murder mysteries aren’t my jam, but it’s nice to change up my reading and give something new a try every once in awhile. Overall, I’d say go ahead and grab this one if you like Whiteout and Blackout, but know the vibe is soo different.
March 19, 2026
Thank you Quill Tree Books and Netgalley for the eARC!
Spring break was supposed to be a reset… not a body count. 😳🌴
Five friends. One tragedy they never got over. And a brand-new guy who fits into their group a little too perfectly…
When Anthony invites them to a private island getaway at his family’s luxury resort, it feels like the escape they’ve been desperate for. No drama. No memories. Just sun, ocean, and a fresh start.
Until the storm hits. ⛈️
And then… the bodies start showing up.
One by one, secrets they buried last year start washing ashore—lies, betrayals, and the truth about the friend they lost. And now? It’s happening again.
Trust no one.
Leave nothing buried.
Because this island? It remembers everything.
Who’s making it off alive… and who was never meant to? 👀🔪
Twists, turns, and surprises at every part of this story. LIke one of the characters says: "Nobody really knows anybody else because we are too busy trying to manage what other people think." Clayton/Jackson/Stone/Thomas/Woodfolk/Yoon knock it out of the park with this nonstop, heart pounding and sometimes "heart-wrenching" story of betrayal, deceit and oneupmanship. A very interesting cast of characters, compared to the characters in the two previous books by these amazing writers. The reader never knows who to truly trust. It's five, or six, if you count Ant, extremely unreliable narrators, who are so full of animosity against one another that they cannot see the trouble brewing right in front of their faces. If you like stories in the vein of One of Us Is Back, this one is for you!
Spring break was supposed to be a reset… not a body count. 😳🌴
Five friends. One tragedy they never got over. And a brand-new guy who fits into their group a little too perfectly…
When Anthony invites them to a private island getaway at his family’s luxury resort, it feels like the escape they’ve been desperate for. No drama. No memories. Just sun, ocean, and a fresh start.
Until the storm hits. ⛈️
And then… the bodies start showing up.
One by one, secrets they buried last year start washing ashore—lies, betrayals, and the truth about the friend they lost. And now? It’s happening again.
Trust no one.
Leave nothing buried.
Because this island? It remembers everything.
Who’s making it off alive… and who was never meant to? 👀🔪
Twists, turns, and surprises at every part of this story. LIke one of the characters says: "Nobody really knows anybody else because we are too busy trying to manage what other people think." Clayton/Jackson/Stone/Thomas/Woodfolk/Yoon knock it out of the park with this nonstop, heart pounding and sometimes "heart-wrenching" story of betrayal, deceit and oneupmanship. A very interesting cast of characters, compared to the characters in the two previous books by these amazing writers. The reader never knows who to truly trust. It's five, or six, if you count Ant, extremely unreliable narrators, who are so full of animosity against one another that they cannot see the trouble brewing right in front of their faces. If you like stories in the vein of One of Us Is Back, this one is for you!
June 19, 2026
Breakout is a compelling collaboration that exemplifies the power of collective storytelling by some of the most talented Black authors working today. Dhonielle Clayton, Tiffany D. Jackson, Nic Stone, Angie Thomas, Ashley Woodfolk, and Nicola Yoon come together to craft a riveting thriller packed with intrigue, betrayal, and heart-pounding romance, all set against the luxurious yet ominous backdrop of a private island off the Florida coast.
What impresses most about this novel is how seamlessly these authors' voices intertwine, creating a cohesive narrative that is both engaging and emotionally charged. Each chapter feels authentic to its respective voice, yet contributes to the larger, suspenseful tapestry of the story. The collaboration highlights not only their individual strengths but also how powerful they are collectively—delivering a story that is as intense as it is thought-provoking.
The story itself is a rollercoaster of tension, mystery, and secrets. A group of talented teens, all connected through their past tragedies and present secrets, find themselves trapped on an island during a freak tropical storm. The stakes escalate quickly as bodies begin to pile up and the line between friend and foe blurs. The sense of danger is palpable, and the mystery behind each death keeps you guessing until the very last page. I appreciated how the narrative explores themes of trust, betrayal, and the scars of past trauma, making the suspense feel even more visceral.
As someone who loves reading works by Black authors, I found Breakout to be a shining example of how Black voices can lead in the thriller and mystery genres while also highlighting the complexity of their characters beyond stereotypes. The characters are multi-dimensional, flawed, and relatable, which adds layers to the story’s emotional depth. This book is a prime example of how diverse voices can elevate genre fiction, and I sincerely hope we see more collaborations like this in the future.
While I thoroughly enjoyed the story, I am giving it 4 stars because there were moments where some plot twists felt slightly predictable, and I wished for a bit more development in certain character arcs. Nevertheless, the pacing is excellent, and the tension never wanes, making it a page-turner from start to finish.
Breakout is a masterful blend of suspense, romance, and social commentary, brought to life by an all-star team of authors who showcase the richness of Black storytelling. It’s a thrilling, emotionally resonant read that I highly recommend. I look forward to more collaborations like this from these talented writers—they truly know how to keep us on the edge of our seats.
What impresses most about this novel is how seamlessly these authors' voices intertwine, creating a cohesive narrative that is both engaging and emotionally charged. Each chapter feels authentic to its respective voice, yet contributes to the larger, suspenseful tapestry of the story. The collaboration highlights not only their individual strengths but also how powerful they are collectively—delivering a story that is as intense as it is thought-provoking.
The story itself is a rollercoaster of tension, mystery, and secrets. A group of talented teens, all connected through their past tragedies and present secrets, find themselves trapped on an island during a freak tropical storm. The stakes escalate quickly as bodies begin to pile up and the line between friend and foe blurs. The sense of danger is palpable, and the mystery behind each death keeps you guessing until the very last page. I appreciated how the narrative explores themes of trust, betrayal, and the scars of past trauma, making the suspense feel even more visceral.
As someone who loves reading works by Black authors, I found Breakout to be a shining example of how Black voices can lead in the thriller and mystery genres while also highlighting the complexity of their characters beyond stereotypes. The characters are multi-dimensional, flawed, and relatable, which adds layers to the story’s emotional depth. This book is a prime example of how diverse voices can elevate genre fiction, and I sincerely hope we see more collaborations like this in the future.
While I thoroughly enjoyed the story, I am giving it 4 stars because there were moments where some plot twists felt slightly predictable, and I wished for a bit more development in certain character arcs. Nevertheless, the pacing is excellent, and the tension never wanes, making it a page-turner from start to finish.
Breakout is a masterful blend of suspense, romance, and social commentary, brought to life by an all-star team of authors who showcase the richness of Black storytelling. It’s a thrilling, emotionally resonant read that I highly recommend. I look forward to more collaborations like this from these talented writers—they truly know how to keep us on the edge of our seats.
June 20, 2026
Thurgood Marshall Academy was ruled by a clique of the richest, brightest, & well-connected students nicknamed 'The Six': six friends who did everything together until the death of one of the group last year, Keisha, which caused seismic fractures of the friendships. Noelle is now on the outside after the betrayal of talking to a reporter about Keisha's death, River feels torn over whether or not to make a move on friend (& Keisha's boyfriend at the time) Quintin, whilst Sydney & Dwayne are drawn to each other but their families' rival politics make it impossible to be together.
The only person keeping the group together at the moment is newcomer, Anthony Brooks. Anthony is dating Noelle but invites the whole group to celebrate spring break at a newly refurbished hotel on an island owned by his father. They expect fun, sun, & partying not a tropical storm & several deaths. As things start to unravel, the secrets everyone is keeping rise to the surface & some of them could be deadly.
This is a YA mystery thriller with a diverse cast & multiple authors, unfortunately it was way too easy to work out what was going on. The multi-author aspect partly worked although it felt quite choppy to read rather than flowing in natural narrative. It was kind of fun though to see the fall out from the previous year take its toll on each one of them as none of them were particularly sympathetic characters so I wasn't rooting for any for them.
The main issues were that I felt that the murder side of things was a little unrealistic (), & the reveal was obvious. It's adequately entertaining but I found it lacking in some areas.
SUMMARY:
Plot: OK - It was way too easy to work out what was going on.
Writing Style: Good - The multi-author thing meant that it felt quite choppy to read rather than flowing.
Enjoyment Level: Moderately High - Reveal was obvious & all of the characters were very unsympathetic so I didn’t root for any of them tbh.
My thanks to NetGalley & publishers, Farshore/Electric Monkey, for the opportunity to read an ARC.
The only person keeping the group together at the moment is newcomer, Anthony Brooks. Anthony is dating Noelle but invites the whole group to celebrate spring break at a newly refurbished hotel on an island owned by his father. They expect fun, sun, & partying not a tropical storm & several deaths. As things start to unravel, the secrets everyone is keeping rise to the surface & some of them could be deadly.
This is a YA mystery thriller with a diverse cast & multiple authors, unfortunately it was way too easy to work out what was going on. The multi-author aspect partly worked although it felt quite choppy to read rather than flowing in natural narrative. It was kind of fun though to see the fall out from the previous year take its toll on each one of them as none of them were particularly sympathetic characters so I wasn't rooting for any for them.
The main issues were that I felt that the murder side of things was a little unrealistic (), & the reveal was obvious. It's adequately entertaining but I found it lacking in some areas.
SUMMARY:
Plot: OK - It was way too easy to work out what was going on.
Writing Style: Good - The multi-author thing meant that it felt quite choppy to read rather than flowing.
Enjoyment Level: Moderately High - Reveal was obvious & all of the characters were very unsympathetic so I didn’t root for any of them tbh.
My thanks to NetGalley & publishers, Farshore/Electric Monkey, for the opportunity to read an ARC.
June 5, 2026
I loved the idea of this book! Six teens go to a secluded island for spring break because…you know, they’re rich…but people start dying and a literal storm is on its way.
The I also LOVED that every character is Black. There are six main characters and a dual timeline, so quite a bit to keep track of, especially since I was listening to the audiobook. The full cast made things easier to follow, but it did take some time to get my bearings, so to speak. None of these characters are really likable, but this is never an issue for me. Makes things juicy and is real.
There’s a lot of teen drama and angst, which fits well in a YA book. I also was intrigued by the mystery surrounding past events as well as the current one. I was surprised by some of the reveals, BUT…
…the ending, imo, is a mess. Everything feels frantically resolved. There’s a big twist in the epilogue, which…I don’t know, maybe is a me thing, but for one this big it felt far too late. I really think this book suffers from pacing issues, which is probably the result of six authors. Also, because there are so many writers assumedly writing a designated character, the story feels a bit disjointed at times, which is a reasonable issue but an issue nonetheless.
I was really enjoying the story, but ultimately I think the ending fumbles. I was looking forward to everything coming together, but was still left with questions because things weren’t cleanly wrapped up.
🎧I love a good full cast audiobook! I didn’t have issues with most of the performances, but certain narrators sounded to me like adults vs teens, so maybe were not the best fit for their role. Even so, I sill think it’s worth listening to if you can handle an audiobook with lots of POVs.
The I also LOVED that every character is Black. There are six main characters and a dual timeline, so quite a bit to keep track of, especially since I was listening to the audiobook. The full cast made things easier to follow, but it did take some time to get my bearings, so to speak. None of these characters are really likable, but this is never an issue for me. Makes things juicy and is real.
There’s a lot of teen drama and angst, which fits well in a YA book. I also was intrigued by the mystery surrounding past events as well as the current one. I was surprised by some of the reveals, BUT…
…the ending, imo, is a mess. Everything feels frantically resolved. There’s a big twist in the epilogue, which…I don’t know, maybe is a me thing, but for one this big it felt far too late. I really think this book suffers from pacing issues, which is probably the result of six authors. Also, because there are so many writers assumedly writing a designated character, the story feels a bit disjointed at times, which is a reasonable issue but an issue nonetheless.
I was really enjoying the story, but ultimately I think the ending fumbles. I was looking forward to everything coming together, but was still left with questions because things weren’t cleanly wrapped up.
🎧I love a good full cast audiobook! I didn’t have issues with most of the performances, but certain narrators sounded to me like adults vs teens, so maybe were not the best fit for their role. Even so, I sill think it’s worth listening to if you can handle an audiobook with lots of POVs.
June 12, 2026
There's a reason these authors are at the top of their game. This book is Unputdownable. I devoured it. The absolute talent! Seriously one of my favorite reads this year!
June 5, 2026
I really wanted to love Breakout. Like… this author lineup? I was already sold. And don’t get me wrong, I had a good time, but this one landed at a 3 stars for me.
The setup is so my vibe: rich teens, private island, secrets, a storm rolling in, and bodies starting to drop?? Yeah, I was locked in. The drama, the mess, the tension in this friend group… that part hit. You can feel each author’s touch. But… the POVs started doing a little too much. I get why it was structured that way, but it felt like I never got to fully settle into any one character before we were switching again. Instead of adding depth, it kind of pulled me out of the story at times.
And the ending? That’s where it really slipped for me. After all that buildup, I needed more. More time, more fallout, more something. It just wrapped up way too fast for everything that was going on.
I’m still going to show up every time for Dhonielle Clayton, Tiffany D Jackson, Nic Stone, Angie Thomas, Ashley Woodfolk, and Nicola Yoon, no question. And if you like messy friend groups, high-stakes drama, and a thriller you can fly through, you’ll still probably enjoy this one.
It just didn’t hit as hard as I wanted it to.
The setup is so my vibe: rich teens, private island, secrets, a storm rolling in, and bodies starting to drop?? Yeah, I was locked in. The drama, the mess, the tension in this friend group… that part hit. You can feel each author’s touch. But… the POVs started doing a little too much. I get why it was structured that way, but it felt like I never got to fully settle into any one character before we were switching again. Instead of adding depth, it kind of pulled me out of the story at times.
And the ending? That’s where it really slipped for me. After all that buildup, I needed more. More time, more fallout, more something. It just wrapped up way too fast for everything that was going on.
I’m still going to show up every time for Dhonielle Clayton, Tiffany D Jackson, Nic Stone, Angie Thomas, Ashley Woodfolk, and Nicola Yoon, no question. And if you like messy friend groups, high-stakes drama, and a thriller you can fly through, you’ll still probably enjoy this one.
It just didn’t hit as hard as I wanted it to.
June 19, 2026
My Selling Pitch:
Absolutely idiotic YA thriller
On my do not read list.
Pre-reading:
I picked this up because I heard good things about Tiffany D. Jackson’s writing, and I figured this would be a good way to get a taste of a bunch of different authors.
(obviously potential spoilers from here on)
Thick of it:
I know I’m probably reading too much into it, but if it’s storming and the detective’s already sunburned, he didn’t just get there.
It’s already reminding me of Five Survive
You know, it’s really annoying that his name is Quintin, which means five, but then his nickname is Quatro, which means four.
YA quirky writing is EXHAUSTING.
Really hate when YA books sexualize teenagers like this. He’s 17. Don’t tell me about his tight end.
Hungry hummingbird is diabolical.
I wonder if someone’s gonna get concrete shoes?
I thought there was a pretty big argument that comparing skin color to food is offensive. I don’t share this belief, but I’m surprised all six of these authors are chill with it.
So much of this book is overwritten cringe. What do you mean, guava-colored pillows? Like grow up.
I fucking love hamachi crudo, but you can’t make a meal out of it.
As a reminder in memorial is redundant as hell. Just say in memorium of Key.
This reads like bad Gossip Hirl/ Pretty Little Liars fanfic.
I have a hard, hard time believing cops would be allowed to speak to these nepo babies without a lawyer present.
I know this is written by multiple authors, but holy fuck, I find this writing style obnoxious. Especially these River chapters. Channel her mother, fuck offff.
They’re rich enough that he has an iCloud backup of his phone. Be so for real right now. Also, there’s no way he doesn’t have blackmail stored on multiple devices.
I don’t like this book. I’ve totally checked out.
So help me god, if there’s a secret baby in this book because of her heterochromia, and they’re like look, she got one eye from one parent and one from the other!
And why does the general manager have the same sunburnt nose as the detective? Coincidence? I think not! (I am wrong.)
I wonder if that’s a nod to The Westing Game’s Turtle.
So she’s a ripoff Bailey Sarian gossip column for her school.
I’m supposed to believe a luxury resort like this doesn’t have a security feed on the pool?
I feel like they set it up where you can only drink from your one cup to pointedly poison someone.
Really harping on the sunburn.
Sausage casing dresses is never complementary.
Acab, baby.
They have obliterated these crime scenes to the point that they’re either not crime scenes or everybody going to jail for obstruction.
Why isn’t it the mess manifest not manifest the mess? Like don’t be stupid.
That is not how the cloud works.
Noelle and River’s characters are way, way too similar. All the characters feel like they have the same generic voice. This book is very bad.
I feel like his necklace has to be a matched set to Key’s bracelet because she’s his secret sister or something.
What is with all the fuckass Christianity in this book?
Oh, come off it. Just write she’s knocking on the door. Stop virtue signaling. You sound ridiculous.
You’re attempting to be a pro football player and you can’t break open a suitcase?
You kiss someone else the night your girlfriend dies? You’re a bad person.
I feel like Anthony isn’t dead and is the one murdering the hotel staff, but I don’t know how he faked his death. But like this has to be some And Then There Were None shit.
Why are we so fixated on his sunburn?
Oh my god, the repetitive writing is making me wanna put my head through the wall.
I’m so over this book. It’s very something’s gonna happen and then nothing actually happens. Everything is completely unbelievable. There’s no functional adults.
The timeline mishmash isn’t adding tension. It’s just unnecessarily convoluted.
But we know Prescott survives to advise her when talking to the cops so-
This is an incredibly idiotic whodunnit.
OK, I said she was related to him. I just thought it would be a closer relation than cousin, but like I’m counting that as correct.
So what was the dirt they got on Dwayne’s dad?
So they don’t release a minor from the hospital without the parents talking to the doctor.
A pool drowning looks very different from towel smothering on autopsy. I’m sure her loaded doctor parents would never get a second opinion about those results. God, this book is stupid!
Post-reading:
Incredible that you have six authors working on this book and not a single one of them or their editors knows how the cloud works. Um, this is too stupid to function. If you throw away any scrap of logic, this is technically readable. It reads like bad Pretty Little Liars or Gossip Girl fanfic. It’s wannabe Holly Jackson. I’m not convinced a single one of these authors has ever stayed at a luxury resort. I think they watched an episode of Zack and Cody and made their villains.
Stylistically, you can spot when different authors take over. One of them needed to be banned from foodie figurative language. The characters are bafflingly flat and all end up reading exactly the same. River and Noelle are the same character to the point it’s laughable. Jumping around in the timeline does nothing for the book’s tension. It’s exhausting to read. It’s unnecessarily convoluted for a mystery you’re gonna open and guess the gist of.
And I can’t stress to you enough how illogical villains’ motivations are. There is not a single functional adult in this story. It’s so beyond the suspension of disbelief, you’re gonna immediately check out.
I literally don’t have a single nice thing to say about this book. I think it’s an embarrassment of a thriller, and if I went solely off of this writing, I would not seek out a single one of these authors again. I don’t think you should read this. Even if you can tolerate a generic whodunnit, this is piss poor work, and stop pushing your toxic religion in YA books.
Who should read this:
Bad YA thriller fans
Ideal reading time:
Summer
Do I want to reread this:
Fuck no
Would I buy this:
No
Similar books:
* Five Survive by Holly Jackson-YA revenge thriller, mystery, family drama
* The Drop by S. R. Masters-revenge thriller, college friends
* Thin Air by Kellie M. Parker-YA revenge thriller, mystery, high schoolers
* She Lies in Wait by Gytha Lodge-crime procedural, revenge thriller, mystery, high schoolers
* And Then There Were None by Agatha Christie-OG revenge thriller mystery
Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
Absolutely idiotic YA thriller
On my do not read list.
Pre-reading:
I picked this up because I heard good things about Tiffany D. Jackson’s writing, and I figured this would be a good way to get a taste of a bunch of different authors.
(obviously potential spoilers from here on)
Thick of it:
I know I’m probably reading too much into it, but if it’s storming and the detective’s already sunburned, he didn’t just get there.
It’s already reminding me of Five Survive
You know, it’s really annoying that his name is Quintin, which means five, but then his nickname is Quatro, which means four.
YA quirky writing is EXHAUSTING.
Really hate when YA books sexualize teenagers like this. He’s 17. Don’t tell me about his tight end.
Hungry hummingbird is diabolical.
I wonder if someone’s gonna get concrete shoes?
I thought there was a pretty big argument that comparing skin color to food is offensive. I don’t share this belief, but I’m surprised all six of these authors are chill with it.
So much of this book is overwritten cringe. What do you mean, guava-colored pillows? Like grow up.
I fucking love hamachi crudo, but you can’t make a meal out of it.
As a reminder in memorial is redundant as hell. Just say in memorium of Key.
This reads like bad Gossip Hirl/ Pretty Little Liars fanfic.
I have a hard, hard time believing cops would be allowed to speak to these nepo babies without a lawyer present.
I know this is written by multiple authors, but holy fuck, I find this writing style obnoxious. Especially these River chapters. Channel her mother, fuck offff.
They’re rich enough that he has an iCloud backup of his phone. Be so for real right now. Also, there’s no way he doesn’t have blackmail stored on multiple devices.
I don’t like this book. I’ve totally checked out.
So help me god, if there’s a secret baby in this book because of her heterochromia, and they’re like look, she got one eye from one parent and one from the other!
And why does the general manager have the same sunburnt nose as the detective? Coincidence? I think not! (I am wrong.)
I wonder if that’s a nod to The Westing Game’s Turtle.
So she’s a ripoff Bailey Sarian gossip column for her school.
I’m supposed to believe a luxury resort like this doesn’t have a security feed on the pool?
I feel like they set it up where you can only drink from your one cup to pointedly poison someone.
Really harping on the sunburn.
Sausage casing dresses is never complementary.
Acab, baby.
They have obliterated these crime scenes to the point that they’re either not crime scenes or everybody going to jail for obstruction.
Why isn’t it the mess manifest not manifest the mess? Like don’t be stupid.
That is not how the cloud works.
Noelle and River’s characters are way, way too similar. All the characters feel like they have the same generic voice. This book is very bad.
I feel like his necklace has to be a matched set to Key’s bracelet because she’s his secret sister or something.
What is with all the fuckass Christianity in this book?
Oh, come off it. Just write she’s knocking on the door. Stop virtue signaling. You sound ridiculous.
You’re attempting to be a pro football player and you can’t break open a suitcase?
You kiss someone else the night your girlfriend dies? You’re a bad person.
I feel like Anthony isn’t dead and is the one murdering the hotel staff, but I don’t know how he faked his death. But like this has to be some And Then There Were None shit.
Why are we so fixated on his sunburn?
Oh my god, the repetitive writing is making me wanna put my head through the wall.
I’m so over this book. It’s very something’s gonna happen and then nothing actually happens. Everything is completely unbelievable. There’s no functional adults.
The timeline mishmash isn’t adding tension. It’s just unnecessarily convoluted.
But we know Prescott survives to advise her when talking to the cops so-
This is an incredibly idiotic whodunnit.
OK, I said she was related to him. I just thought it would be a closer relation than cousin, but like I’m counting that as correct.
So what was the dirt they got on Dwayne’s dad?
So they don’t release a minor from the hospital without the parents talking to the doctor.
A pool drowning looks very different from towel smothering on autopsy. I’m sure her loaded doctor parents would never get a second opinion about those results. God, this book is stupid!
Post-reading:
Incredible that you have six authors working on this book and not a single one of them or their editors knows how the cloud works. Um, this is too stupid to function. If you throw away any scrap of logic, this is technically readable. It reads like bad Pretty Little Liars or Gossip Girl fanfic. It’s wannabe Holly Jackson. I’m not convinced a single one of these authors has ever stayed at a luxury resort. I think they watched an episode of Zack and Cody and made their villains.
Stylistically, you can spot when different authors take over. One of them needed to be banned from foodie figurative language. The characters are bafflingly flat and all end up reading exactly the same. River and Noelle are the same character to the point it’s laughable. Jumping around in the timeline does nothing for the book’s tension. It’s exhausting to read. It’s unnecessarily convoluted for a mystery you’re gonna open and guess the gist of.
And I can’t stress to you enough how illogical villains’ motivations are. There is not a single functional adult in this story. It’s so beyond the suspension of disbelief, you’re gonna immediately check out.
I literally don’t have a single nice thing to say about this book. I think it’s an embarrassment of a thriller, and if I went solely off of this writing, I would not seek out a single one of these authors again. I don’t think you should read this. Even if you can tolerate a generic whodunnit, this is piss poor work, and stop pushing your toxic religion in YA books.
Who should read this:
Bad YA thriller fans
Ideal reading time:
Summer
Do I want to reread this:
Fuck no
Would I buy this:
No
Similar books:
* Five Survive by Holly Jackson-YA revenge thriller, mystery, family drama
* The Drop by S. R. Masters-revenge thriller, college friends
* Thin Air by Kellie M. Parker-YA revenge thriller, mystery, high schoolers
* She Lies in Wait by Gytha Lodge-crime procedural, revenge thriller, mystery, high schoolers
* And Then There Were None by Agatha Christie-OG revenge thriller mystery
Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
Read
March 30, 2026A multi pov YA thriller on an island no one can leave, where everyone has secrets. This was exactly what I wanted it to be!
The teens are all from elite or rich family’s, their parents politics and reputation having defined their lives. They’re the popular kids from the academy so this spring break is supposed to give them a chance to forget; their lives, their troubles, the tragedy of last year. So when the newest addition to the group, Anthony, invites them to his fathers private island luxury resort, they’re all for it. Unfortunately, the simmering tension isn’t their only problem. A tropical storm hits and people start turning up dead.
They characters all have secrets to hide so when things take a turn, we get to see them scramble and make poor decisions. The group is already fraught with problems and I enjoyed uncovering their dynamics and secrets. They were all pretty unlikeable and the story kept me on my toes as I was never sure what they’d do next. I liked the addition of the ‘present’ chapters with the police trying to work out what happened on that island and ultimately the reveal of who, what, why. It brought it together well.
Overall, an enjoyable ya thriller. I might have liked a little more concern about the bodies and less self involved worry about their secrets getting out but it fit their personalities and priorities. And the very end was really great, it changed how I saw some of the story and really finished the book off well.
Proof copy received at an electric monkey event. All thoughts are my own.
The teens are all from elite or rich family’s, their parents politics and reputation having defined their lives. They’re the popular kids from the academy so this spring break is supposed to give them a chance to forget; their lives, their troubles, the tragedy of last year. So when the newest addition to the group, Anthony, invites them to his fathers private island luxury resort, they’re all for it. Unfortunately, the simmering tension isn’t their only problem. A tropical storm hits and people start turning up dead.
They characters all have secrets to hide so when things take a turn, we get to see them scramble and make poor decisions. The group is already fraught with problems and I enjoyed uncovering their dynamics and secrets. They were all pretty unlikeable and the story kept me on my toes as I was never sure what they’d do next. I liked the addition of the ‘present’ chapters with the police trying to work out what happened on that island and ultimately the reveal of who, what, why. It brought it together well.
Overall, an enjoyable ya thriller. I might have liked a little more concern about the bodies and less self involved worry about their secrets getting out but it fit their personalities and priorities. And the very end was really great, it changed how I saw some of the story and really finished the book off well.
Proof copy received at an electric monkey event. All thoughts are my own.
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
I really wanted to love this one because I enjoy so many of the authors involved, but no matter how hard I tried, it just never fully came together for me.
I was thankful to receive a complimentary eARC from HarperCollins Children’s Books via NetGalley several months ago and started it right away. Unfortunately, it wasn’t pulling me in, so I set it aside for a bit. No big deal, I’m a mood reader and sometimes timing is everything. As publication day crept closer, I picked it back up again, hoping it would click, but I still struggled to stay engaged. Then the audiobook was offered up through Harper Audio via NetGalley and you know I immediately requested it and was thankfully approved.
Attempt number three worked the best because I tackled it as an immersion read. That finally helped me get over the invisible hump and into the heart of the story. Unfortunately, while the experience improved, it still wasn’t by much.
The biggest issue is that the book feels incredibly disconnected. You can absolutely tell it was written by multiple authors and, unfortunately, that lack of cohesion really shows. The writing styles vary wildly from chapter to chapter, and there never feels like there’s a strong enough thread tying everything together in a meaningful way.
I also struggled with the audiobook casting. This is a YA story centered on teen characters, but most of the narrators sounded far too mature for the roles, which really skewed the overall experience for me. It was narrated by Amber Dekkers, Korey Jackson, Marcella Cox, Kevin R. Free, James Fouhey, Liz Femi, and Cary Hite, all of whom delivered their performances well, but simply felt miscast for the age of the characters.
That said, there were elements I enjoyed. When I switched back to reading portions physically once I was more invested, the characters felt far more age appropriate on the page. The dialogue sounded natural without relying on overly trendy slang, which I appreciated.
I also really liked the representation of wealthy, messy, and unapologetically vapid Black teens. That perspective felt refreshing and added something unique to the story. At one point, I was genuinely invested in the buildup and excited to see how everything would come together. Unfortunately, the payoff just wasn’t there. The ending felt rushed, predictable, and underdeveloped, almost as though the authors hit a word count limit and had to wrap everything up before fully fleshing out the conclusion.
So in the end, my feelings are pretty mixed. I think younger readers may still find aspects of the story enjoyable, but when the writing itself feels uneven, it frustrates me because young readers deserve strong storytelling to grow with as well.
Overall, I was definitely disappointed because I went in with such high hopes. Maybe next time.
I was thankful to receive a complimentary eARC from HarperCollins Children’s Books via NetGalley several months ago and started it right away. Unfortunately, it wasn’t pulling me in, so I set it aside for a bit. No big deal, I’m a mood reader and sometimes timing is everything. As publication day crept closer, I picked it back up again, hoping it would click, but I still struggled to stay engaged. Then the audiobook was offered up through Harper Audio via NetGalley and you know I immediately requested it and was thankfully approved.
Attempt number three worked the best because I tackled it as an immersion read. That finally helped me get over the invisible hump and into the heart of the story. Unfortunately, while the experience improved, it still wasn’t by much.
The biggest issue is that the book feels incredibly disconnected. You can absolutely tell it was written by multiple authors and, unfortunately, that lack of cohesion really shows. The writing styles vary wildly from chapter to chapter, and there never feels like there’s a strong enough thread tying everything together in a meaningful way.
I also struggled with the audiobook casting. This is a YA story centered on teen characters, but most of the narrators sounded far too mature for the roles, which really skewed the overall experience for me. It was narrated by Amber Dekkers, Korey Jackson, Marcella Cox, Kevin R. Free, James Fouhey, Liz Femi, and Cary Hite, all of whom delivered their performances well, but simply felt miscast for the age of the characters.
That said, there were elements I enjoyed. When I switched back to reading portions physically once I was more invested, the characters felt far more age appropriate on the page. The dialogue sounded natural without relying on overly trendy slang, which I appreciated.
I also really liked the representation of wealthy, messy, and unapologetically vapid Black teens. That perspective felt refreshing and added something unique to the story. At one point, I was genuinely invested in the buildup and excited to see how everything would come together. Unfortunately, the payoff just wasn’t there. The ending felt rushed, predictable, and underdeveloped, almost as though the authors hit a word count limit and had to wrap everything up before fully fleshing out the conclusion.
So in the end, my feelings are pretty mixed. I think younger readers may still find aspects of the story enjoyable, but when the writing itself feels uneven, it frustrates me because young readers deserve strong storytelling to grow with as well.
Overall, I was definitely disappointed because I went in with such high hopes. Maybe next time.
June 18, 2026
Breakout follows five friends from Thurgood Marshall Academy as they head to new kid Anthony Brook's Dad's luxury resort on a private island resort for spring break, hoping to leave behind the tragedy that shattered their group the year before. But when a tropical storm traps them on the island and bodies begin turning up, old secrets, betrayals, and unresolved grief quickly rise to the surface.
One of the things that initially drew me to this book was the incredible collective behind it: Dhonielle Clayton, Tiffany D. Jackson, Nic Stone, Angie Thomas, Ashley Woodfolk, and Nicola Yoon. I've not yet read *Blackout* or *Whiteout*, but after finishing *Breakout* I'll definitely be checking them out. The collaboration works surprisingly well, with each POV feeling distinct and authentic despite the sheer number of voices involved.
There is an enormous amount of mess, drama, angst, secrets, and shifting loyalties (exactly the kind of thing that makes for an addictive YA read). The mystery kept me turning the pages and I enjoyed seeing how the past and present storylines informed one another.
I also appreciated seeing an all-black main cast at the centre of a mainstream YA thriller. The characters felt varied and well represented, with different personalities, motivations and flaws. None of them are particularly likeable, but they felt believable, and I was invested in uncovering what each of them was hiding.
My main criticism is that with multiple perspectives, I sometimes wished there had been more room to fully develop each individual storyline. The large cast is one of the book's strengths, but it occasionally comes at the expense of depth.
YA murder mysteries are very much flavour of the month with the young people I work with, thanks to the popularity of books like A Good Girl's Guide to Murder and One of Us Is Lying, and *Breakout* fits comfortably into that space while bringing its own unique perspective. Tense, dramatic, and packed with twists, this is a compelling addition to the YA thriller genre.
One of the things that initially drew me to this book was the incredible collective behind it: Dhonielle Clayton, Tiffany D. Jackson, Nic Stone, Angie Thomas, Ashley Woodfolk, and Nicola Yoon. I've not yet read *Blackout* or *Whiteout*, but after finishing *Breakout* I'll definitely be checking them out. The collaboration works surprisingly well, with each POV feeling distinct and authentic despite the sheer number of voices involved.
There is an enormous amount of mess, drama, angst, secrets, and shifting loyalties (exactly the kind of thing that makes for an addictive YA read). The mystery kept me turning the pages and I enjoyed seeing how the past and present storylines informed one another.
I also appreciated seeing an all-black main cast at the centre of a mainstream YA thriller. The characters felt varied and well represented, with different personalities, motivations and flaws. None of them are particularly likeable, but they felt believable, and I was invested in uncovering what each of them was hiding.
My main criticism is that with multiple perspectives, I sometimes wished there had been more room to fully develop each individual storyline. The large cast is one of the book's strengths, but it occasionally comes at the expense of depth.
YA murder mysteries are very much flavour of the month with the young people I work with, thanks to the popularity of books like A Good Girl's Guide to Murder and One of Us Is Lying, and *Breakout* fits comfortably into that space while bringing its own unique perspective. Tense, dramatic, and packed with twists, this is a compelling addition to the YA thriller genre.
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
3 stars
The greatest asset of this writing team is the combined star power and reputation they possess as individuals and now as a group after several joint efforts. Simultaneously, all of this acclaim comes with high expectations. I anticipate anything I read from some of these folks - including a couple of my all-time YA favs who are in this group - is not just going to be good. It'll be exceptional. That's why it's a bummer that this is just okay.
One huge barrier I experienced with this book is a fault of timing, not of these writers or anything else. Immediately prior to this book, I read a forthcoming YA novel centering on a murder mystery within a wealthy family. That book is so well done, so it was tough not to compare at times (especially when randomly a character with that afore-referenced author's name appears in this book)! So timing was not on this book's side. Aside from that, all of the challenges are inherent in this book.
There are a lot of characters, and I'm confounded by the choice to give some of them nicknames - even more for us to track. Overall, by doing too much, this book is not doing enough. Too many characters, too many details, not enough distinction between characters at times, multiple timelines, and an obvious point person... It's not BAD, but it's also not good, and that feels tough for this group of exceptional creators.
Would I read this again? Yes because I won't miss anything some of these folks generate. Do I think the short stories that evolve into a unified front (a la _Blackout_ and _Whiteout_) present a more exciting and impactful structure for this collab? Yes. I hope the next effort gives me more of that.
*Special thanks to NetGalley and Quill Tree Books for this arc, which I received in exchange for an honest review. The opinions expressed here are my own.
The greatest asset of this writing team is the combined star power and reputation they possess as individuals and now as a group after several joint efforts. Simultaneously, all of this acclaim comes with high expectations. I anticipate anything I read from some of these folks - including a couple of my all-time YA favs who are in this group - is not just going to be good. It'll be exceptional. That's why it's a bummer that this is just okay.
One huge barrier I experienced with this book is a fault of timing, not of these writers or anything else. Immediately prior to this book, I read a forthcoming YA novel centering on a murder mystery within a wealthy family. That book is so well done, so it was tough not to compare at times (especially when randomly a character with that afore-referenced author's name appears in this book)! So timing was not on this book's side. Aside from that, all of the challenges are inherent in this book.
There are a lot of characters, and I'm confounded by the choice to give some of them nicknames - even more for us to track. Overall, by doing too much, this book is not doing enough. Too many characters, too many details, not enough distinction between characters at times, multiple timelines, and an obvious point person... It's not BAD, but it's also not good, and that feels tough for this group of exceptional creators.
Would I read this again? Yes because I won't miss anything some of these folks generate. Do I think the short stories that evolve into a unified front (a la _Blackout_ and _Whiteout_) present a more exciting and impactful structure for this collab? Yes. I hope the next effort gives me more of that.
*Special thanks to NetGalley and Quill Tree Books for this arc, which I received in exchange for an honest review. The opinions expressed here are my own.
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
Thank you to Harper Audio Children's, Quill Tree Press, and NetGalley for providing me with a copy of this title to listen to and give my honest review. The opinions expressed here are my own.
I will admit, I had to rush through this one due to when I was approved and the publication date. But it wasn't a hardship to do so. I enjoyed this YA title but it wasn't my favorite. I read the short story collection from these authors when it was available so I was interested to see how they would incorporate all their voices into one story.
The audio is well done. All the narrators did their characters so well and really kept me wanting to listen. I was worried there would be too many voices for me to really enjoy the story but there were not. I appreciated having the different narrators as it made it easy to differentiate the POVs.
I love a book with multiple POVs. And for a book written by 6 different authors, this one was done really well. I never felt overwhelmed with the switches to the different characters and I appreciated how the voices were all very different and unique. It helped me connect more to the characters. I also enjoyed the diversity of the characters.
The plot was fun and interesting. I love a good mystery that incorporates other elements, in this case romance. The atmosphere was also good. I really felt like I was there with the characters. Lots of drama, a cool island and boat, a storm rolling in, and secrets galore. I was a bit disappointed in the ending. So much build up and little reward. It just didn't come together for me as I felt like it should.
Overall, this was fun. I think the age group it's intended for will enjoy it enough but it just didn't pack the punch I was expecting.
I will admit, I had to rush through this one due to when I was approved and the publication date. But it wasn't a hardship to do so. I enjoyed this YA title but it wasn't my favorite. I read the short story collection from these authors when it was available so I was interested to see how they would incorporate all their voices into one story.
The audio is well done. All the narrators did their characters so well and really kept me wanting to listen. I was worried there would be too many voices for me to really enjoy the story but there were not. I appreciated having the different narrators as it made it easy to differentiate the POVs.
I love a book with multiple POVs. And for a book written by 6 different authors, this one was done really well. I never felt overwhelmed with the switches to the different characters and I appreciated how the voices were all very different and unique. It helped me connect more to the characters. I also enjoyed the diversity of the characters.
The plot was fun and interesting. I love a good mystery that incorporates other elements, in this case romance. The atmosphere was also good. I really felt like I was there with the characters. Lots of drama, a cool island and boat, a storm rolling in, and secrets galore. I was a bit disappointed in the ending. So much build up and little reward. It just didn't come together for me as I felt like it should.
Overall, this was fun. I think the age group it's intended for will enjoy it enough but it just didn't pack the punch I was expecting.
June 6, 2026
An advance copy of this book was provided to me for free by the publisher.
Twisty, suspenseful, and impossible to put down, Breakout will keep you guessing from beginning to end. After spending the last year grappling with the death of their part-time friend/ part-time adversary, a group of well connected and financially privileged high school students embark on a chaperone-free tropical spring break. Their fractured friend group is put to the test when a destructive tropical storm interrupts their trip, just as bodies start to pile up.
Centered on complicated characters who all have explosive secrets, I really enjoyed grappling with clues of the underlying mystery woven throughout the storyline and trying to determine if anyone was a reliable narrator. I really enjoyed how this book explores the pressure to live up to parents' expectations and how that pressure impacts each character's decisions and fosters the need to keep secrets from those closest to you. These shaky relationships heighten the volatile nature of their friend group and force them to stay close, if only to ensure their past stays buried.
Each character is trying to break out both literally and figuratively, and I enjoyed how the authors showcase that tension until the final reveal.
🎧 Audiobook Commentary:
Narrated by Amber Dekkers, Korey Jackson, Marcella Cox, Kevin R. Free, James Fouhey, Liz Femi, and Cary Hite, the full cast vividly brings each character to life and helps you better understand their emotions and motivations. Each narrator complements their character, and I recommend reading via audio to experience their performances.
✨ If you love twisty stories full of complicated characters, Breakout should be on your reading list.
Twisty, suspenseful, and impossible to put down, Breakout will keep you guessing from beginning to end. After spending the last year grappling with the death of their part-time friend/ part-time adversary, a group of well connected and financially privileged high school students embark on a chaperone-free tropical spring break. Their fractured friend group is put to the test when a destructive tropical storm interrupts their trip, just as bodies start to pile up.
Centered on complicated characters who all have explosive secrets, I really enjoyed grappling with clues of the underlying mystery woven throughout the storyline and trying to determine if anyone was a reliable narrator. I really enjoyed how this book explores the pressure to live up to parents' expectations and how that pressure impacts each character's decisions and fosters the need to keep secrets from those closest to you. These shaky relationships heighten the volatile nature of their friend group and force them to stay close, if only to ensure their past stays buried.
Each character is trying to break out both literally and figuratively, and I enjoyed how the authors showcase that tension until the final reveal.
🎧 Audiobook Commentary:
Narrated by Amber Dekkers, Korey Jackson, Marcella Cox, Kevin R. Free, James Fouhey, Liz Femi, and Cary Hite, the full cast vividly brings each character to life and helps you better understand their emotions and motivations. Each narrator complements their character, and I recommend reading via audio to experience their performances.
✨ If you love twisty stories full of complicated characters, Breakout should be on your reading list.
Review of advance copy received from Netgalley
Thank you Quill Tree Books and Netgalley for this eARC, these opinions are my own. I always enjoy a good mystery within a mystery and this one had me hooked! Last year during Spring Break Keisha died, she was part of Thurgood Marshall Academy’s The Six. Six friends who’d been together since kindergarten and were all filthy rich. Now there’s only five and Noelle is the outcast after she gave broke the pact the five of them had made after Keisha’s death. Anthony Brooks is new to school and he’s made it his mission to get to know these five friends, Noelle’s even his girlfriend. Now these six are off on another Spring Break adventure, this time at Anthony’s father’s island resort where they’ll have the island to themselves as the resort is being partially renovated. Soon they are hit by tropical storms, all communication and electricity is gone from the island, and to top it off someone else is dead. It’s Déjà vu for the five friends, but who did it? As the already fractured friend group beings to fracture even more they’ll have to decide who can they trust? Especially when they all have secrets, secrets they’ll do anything to keep. As more people die it becomes clear that someone is out to get them, maybe someone who’s determined to find out what really happened to Keisha. What are the friends hiding? And can they make it out alive? Thrilling and kept me guessing! I loved the morally greyness of this group of friends! Lots of secrets, lies, mistrust, and betrayal in this one! Dhonielle Clayton, Tiffany D. Jackson, Nic Stone, Angie Thomas, Ashley Woodfolk, and Nicola Yoon do an excellent job of keeping the twists coming right up until the very end!
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
First things first -- unlike the other books by this group of authors, this is NOT a romance. However, it is a very twisty and well-written thriller/suspense/mystery novel that I think many teens will get into. It's about a group of six Black kids called "The Six" who attend school together and come from powerful and wealthy families. Together they go on spring break to Ant's father's resort on an island. However, as soon as they get there, the tropical storms start hitting, and everything spirals out of control. The story is told from multiple points of view -- and not just the teens but also the staff at the resort where they're staying. I will say the switching of not only perspectives but also going back and forth in time is going to be tricky for teen readers. There's a lot to keep track of -- not just the present storyline but also the past that led them there, namely the death of one of the original six, Keisha. As the story unfolds, we're forced to question who we can trust as narrators, just like the characters are questioning who they can trust, especially as one of them ends up murdered. I think readers who enjoy these authors, thrillers, suspense, mystery, or a forced proximity/trapped with a killer trope will like this one. Certainly the authors' notoriety will lead many to pick up this title. Though it was different from what I thought it was going to be, I still enjoyed it and look forward to recommending it in my high school library. Thank you to NetGalley for this ARC!
May 7, 2026
Read a free ARC on NetGalley.
New wealthy student Anthony Brooks becomes friends with the five most influential kids at his school. He invites them to Kuzimu, an all inclusive private island resort in the Florida Keys owned by his father. The teens are ready to have a good time but things go wrong pretty quickly. Tropical storms are coming, the resort is still under renovation in parts, and the teens can’t communicate with anyone as there is no wi- fi. The cracks in the friend group begin to show. A year ago, before Anthony got there, there were the Six- Keisha, Noelle, Dwayne, Sydney, Quatro and River. After Keisha’s suspicious accidental drowning, their friendship was never the same. Things have gotten worse since Noelle gave a recent interview to a reporter about Keisha. They are all anticipating an awkward, anger fueled vacation until people start dying. Now everyone is suspicious of everyone else compounded by the fact that everyone is hiding secrets that they don’t want exposed, secrets that someone out there seems to know about. The teens start to wonder if everything links back to Keisha and her death.
This gave me elements of And Then There Were None meets the telenovela Elite. I figured out who was responsible for Keisha’s death but not why- that was a surprise. The person behind the murders was surprising but I think I was more invested Keisha’s life with the Six and the circumstances behind her death as described in flashbacks than the current mystery murderer on the island and how the teens would escape it.
New wealthy student Anthony Brooks becomes friends with the five most influential kids at his school. He invites them to Kuzimu, an all inclusive private island resort in the Florida Keys owned by his father. The teens are ready to have a good time but things go wrong pretty quickly. Tropical storms are coming, the resort is still under renovation in parts, and the teens can’t communicate with anyone as there is no wi- fi. The cracks in the friend group begin to show. A year ago, before Anthony got there, there were the Six- Keisha, Noelle, Dwayne, Sydney, Quatro and River. After Keisha’s suspicious accidental drowning, their friendship was never the same. Things have gotten worse since Noelle gave a recent interview to a reporter about Keisha. They are all anticipating an awkward, anger fueled vacation until people start dying. Now everyone is suspicious of everyone else compounded by the fact that everyone is hiding secrets that they don’t want exposed, secrets that someone out there seems to know about. The teens start to wonder if everything links back to Keisha and her death.
This gave me elements of And Then There Were None meets the telenovela Elite. I figured out who was responsible for Keisha’s death but not why- that was a surprise. The person behind the murders was surprising but I think I was more invested Keisha’s life with the Six and the circumstances behind her death as described in flashbacks than the current mystery murderer on the island and how the teens would escape it.
Review of advance copy received from Publisher
Break Out
Can you outrun the worst thing you’ve ever done?
Five friends, inseparable since childhood, are invited by the new kid, Anthony, to his dad’s luxury resort. The dream getaway turns into a nightmare when one of their own turns up dead after a storm.
Secrets and lies will be revealed, and they may not all make it out alive.
I’ve never read a book with six authors, and you could occasionally tell when a different author was writing each chapter. The language, for example, varied. However, it did not detract from enjoying the book.
This is a modern take on the classic Agatha Christie who-done-it, with lots of twists I didn't always see coming, especially the ending. My prediction of the ending was completely off.
It would have been nice to know a little more about the secondary characters and have them fleshed out a bit more; all the main characters had very distinct personalities and characteristics, which led me to not like all of them. However, that's the sign of a well-written character.
I personally feel this book is aimed at the younger end of YA, as it’s not particularly graphic, and I feel older teens would not necessarily relate to the characters. (I'm an adult reader for context)
Overall, if you’re a fan of:
Murder mysteries
Secrets and lies between friends
Multiple POVs
Trapped together with the murderer
You will enjoy reading this book, and I give it 3.5 stars.
Thank you, Electric Monkey, for the opportunity to read this ARC.
Can you outrun the worst thing you’ve ever done?
Five friends, inseparable since childhood, are invited by the new kid, Anthony, to his dad’s luxury resort. The dream getaway turns into a nightmare when one of their own turns up dead after a storm.
Secrets and lies will be revealed, and they may not all make it out alive.
I’ve never read a book with six authors, and you could occasionally tell when a different author was writing each chapter. The language, for example, varied. However, it did not detract from enjoying the book.
This is a modern take on the classic Agatha Christie who-done-it, with lots of twists I didn't always see coming, especially the ending. My prediction of the ending was completely off.
It would have been nice to know a little more about the secondary characters and have them fleshed out a bit more; all the main characters had very distinct personalities and characteristics, which led me to not like all of them. However, that's the sign of a well-written character.
I personally feel this book is aimed at the younger end of YA, as it’s not particularly graphic, and I feel older teens would not necessarily relate to the characters. (I'm an adult reader for context)
Overall, if you’re a fan of:
Murder mysteries
Secrets and lies between friends
Multiple POVs
Trapped together with the murderer
You will enjoy reading this book, and I give it 3.5 stars.
Thank you, Electric Monkey, for the opportunity to read this ARC.
June 3, 2026
2.5 *
A group of five elite and filthy rich friends have all been inseparable since kindergarten. After tragedy strikes and they lose the 6th member of their group, the teens want nothing more than to get away for spring break to forget about the pain and find closure. With a gap in their friend group, new kid, Anthony Brooks, sees the perfect opportunity to join the group and become their new sixth member. He invites The Five to his dad's private island for a week which they all readily agree to. What starts as a carefree, dreamy vacation quickly turns into a nightmare, starting with a tropical storm and ending in the murder of multiple people, including another one of their own. Everyone starts pointing fingers and lies, betrayal, and jealously rise to the surface as the remaining crew tries to find the killer and escape with their lives.
With such a star-studded cast of authors I really wanted to like this book more than I did. I'm a big fan of the authors of this book, but for some reason it just did not come together for me. 6 friends plus additional characters and an occasional duel timeline is a lot to keep track of and it was difficult at times to keep up with who was talking and who was played what role. I listened to the audiobook so I wonder if this would have been different with a print book. Feeling a connection to the characters is an important feature for me when reading and I just did not feel that. The overall story entertained me and I did finish the book, but it was a bit of a miss for me.
A group of five elite and filthy rich friends have all been inseparable since kindergarten. After tragedy strikes and they lose the 6th member of their group, the teens want nothing more than to get away for spring break to forget about the pain and find closure. With a gap in their friend group, new kid, Anthony Brooks, sees the perfect opportunity to join the group and become their new sixth member. He invites The Five to his dad's private island for a week which they all readily agree to. What starts as a carefree, dreamy vacation quickly turns into a nightmare, starting with a tropical storm and ending in the murder of multiple people, including another one of their own. Everyone starts pointing fingers and lies, betrayal, and jealously rise to the surface as the remaining crew tries to find the killer and escape with their lives.
With such a star-studded cast of authors I really wanted to like this book more than I did. I'm a big fan of the authors of this book, but for some reason it just did not come together for me. 6 friends plus additional characters and an occasional duel timeline is a lot to keep track of and it was difficult at times to keep up with who was talking and who was played what role. I listened to the audiobook so I wonder if this would have been different with a print book. Feeling a connection to the characters is an important feature for me when reading and I just did not feel that. The overall story entertained me and I did finish the book, but it was a bit of a miss for me.
Review of advance copy received from Netgalley
Okay yeah… this book stressed me OUT!😭 After loving Blackout and Whiteout, I honestly didn’t expect Breakout to go this hard into thriller territory, but it absolutely worked for me.
The atmosphere becomes tense so fast once everyone gets trapped together on the island, and from that point on, I trusted NOBODY, and I mean NO ONE!
I loved that every character felt messy and real. The friendships already had cracks before things started spiraling, so once secrets started coming out, everything felt emotionally charged.
You could tell these characters had history. I felt resentment, grief, attraction, jealousy... just waiting to explode.
Not to mention the power house of authors on this project made it an instant need to read, and even with having so many creative ideas from so many talented authors, somehow, even with that, the story still flowed really well.
There was this constant tension hanging over the entire story that kept me reading “just one more chapter." Also… them being trapped on a private island with people who clearly don’t fully trust each other anymore?? Immediate chaos.
If you like:
friend group drama
locked-room mysteries
multiple POVs
secrets and betrayals
YA thrillers where literally everyone seems suspicious
…you’ll probably eat this up like I did.
By the end, I was sitting there like: “oh so NONE of y’all were okay.” 😭
Thank you to Netgalley for this ARC in exchange for my honest feedback.
The atmosphere becomes tense so fast once everyone gets trapped together on the island, and from that point on, I trusted NOBODY, and I mean NO ONE!
I loved that every character felt messy and real. The friendships already had cracks before things started spiraling, so once secrets started coming out, everything felt emotionally charged.
You could tell these characters had history. I felt resentment, grief, attraction, jealousy... just waiting to explode.
Not to mention the power house of authors on this project made it an instant need to read, and even with having so many creative ideas from so many talented authors, somehow, even with that, the story still flowed really well.
There was this constant tension hanging over the entire story that kept me reading “just one more chapter." Also… them being trapped on a private island with people who clearly don’t fully trust each other anymore?? Immediate chaos.
If you like:
friend group drama
locked-room mysteries
multiple POVs
secrets and betrayals
YA thrillers where literally everyone seems suspicious
…you’ll probably eat this up like I did.
By the end, I was sitting there like: “oh so NONE of y’all were okay.” 😭
Thank you to Netgalley for this ARC in exchange for my honest feedback.
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
Thank you Netgalley for the eARC.
As an individual who has read both Blackout and Whiteout and enjoyed them, I was excited to see another installment from these amazing authors. Upon beginning to read, I noticed the format for Breakout was different from the aforementioned. In the previous installments, you have each other following their "assigned" character(s) all linking up at the end. With Breakout, it read like one cohesive book written by one author (I am not complaining).
However, there were a couple of drawbacks:
- The timing. It was difficult to keep up with because timing wasn't easy to follow.
- Characters. I found myself taking notes just to keep up with who was who, dating who, and enemies of who.
What I truly enjoyed:
- The mystery aspect of it: A private island. A tropical storm. And, a case of who done it.
- Friendship: Wait...what? Despite the tragic events that took place, these individuals have been friends since starting school in Kindergarten. Their parents' statuses had them living amongst the rich which often times isolates you from peers because there is hardly anyone that looks like you.
I couldn't help but laugh every now and again because you have five teenagers stranded at a resort while being told what to do. Yet, they ignored all directives, planned escapes while trying to determine who they can and can't trust. Even amongst themselves. I thoroughly enjoyed this book.
As an individual who has read both Blackout and Whiteout and enjoyed them, I was excited to see another installment from these amazing authors. Upon beginning to read, I noticed the format for Breakout was different from the aforementioned. In the previous installments, you have each other following their "assigned" character(s) all linking up at the end. With Breakout, it read like one cohesive book written by one author (I am not complaining).
However, there were a couple of drawbacks:
- The timing. It was difficult to keep up with because timing wasn't easy to follow.
- Characters. I found myself taking notes just to keep up with who was who, dating who, and enemies of who.
What I truly enjoyed:
- The mystery aspect of it: A private island. A tropical storm. And, a case of who done it.
- Friendship: Wait...what? Despite the tragic events that took place, these individuals have been friends since starting school in Kindergarten. Their parents' statuses had them living amongst the rich which often times isolates you from peers because there is hardly anyone that looks like you.
I couldn't help but laugh every now and again because you have five teenagers stranded at a resort while being told what to do. Yet, they ignored all directives, planned escapes while trying to determine who they can and can't trust. Even amongst themselves. I thoroughly enjoyed this book.
June 8, 2026
I loved the premise of this book but unfortunately for me, the execution just didn't work. Too many timelines, too many points of view, and a group of too many unlikable characters was a recipe for disappointment.
Five students who have been friends and part of the in crowd since childhood are invited to a private island for spring break by Anthony, a fairly new student who has become part of their group. Just one year ago, one of their original group died, so this is more than just a vacation, it is also a remembrance. But then one of them is killed, the island is cut off due to a storm, and they don't know who to trust.
The setup is great, I'm a fan of stories about rich teens behaving badly, but this is just so disjointed. I didn't like that we had an extreme number of points of view--from all of the teens to so many random adults. It made it so there was no way to fully develop any of them, so we were left with cardboard characters and an inability to understand anyone's motives. Even when the reveal happened I wasn't very surprised because I honestly didn't care about any of them because I didn't know them.
The audiobook of this is excellent and probably the reason I stuck with it. It is a full cast with multiple narrators giving voice to the myriad characters. It kept things interesting and moving along. Not that I could tell the characters apart just by the voices, but fortunately the narrative is in the third person so it was easier to keep them straight.
Overall, unless you're a huge fan of this type of novel, I'd probably give this one a skip despite the excellent authors involved with this project.
I voluntarily reviewed a complimentary copy of this book, all opinions are my own.
Five students who have been friends and part of the in crowd since childhood are invited to a private island for spring break by Anthony, a fairly new student who has become part of their group. Just one year ago, one of their original group died, so this is more than just a vacation, it is also a remembrance. But then one of them is killed, the island is cut off due to a storm, and they don't know who to trust.
The setup is great, I'm a fan of stories about rich teens behaving badly, but this is just so disjointed. I didn't like that we had an extreme number of points of view--from all of the teens to so many random adults. It made it so there was no way to fully develop any of them, so we were left with cardboard characters and an inability to understand anyone's motives. Even when the reveal happened I wasn't very surprised because I honestly didn't care about any of them because I didn't know them.
The audiobook of this is excellent and probably the reason I stuck with it. It is a full cast with multiple narrators giving voice to the myriad characters. It kept things interesting and moving along. Not that I could tell the characters apart just by the voices, but fortunately the narrative is in the third person so it was easier to keep them straight.
Overall, unless you're a huge fan of this type of novel, I'd probably give this one a skip despite the excellent authors involved with this project.
I voluntarily reviewed a complimentary copy of this book, all opinions are my own.
Review of advance copy received from Netgalley
To use the star power of each of the writers to create a teen thriller is no joke. The names are great contributors to the scene of YA literature. Blackout and Whiteout were a short story collection that told a full story while this definitely reads as one complete story where they assumed the roles of characters in the murder mystery on a private island. The problem is that it feels like all of the rest in this genre from the last handful of years. A vengeful person from the outskirts comes in and upends the world of a group of teens because tragedy seems to strike again and again. It's a complete suspension of disbelief in that sense, but it's a comfort in the genre. So I don't begrudge the hallmarks of the story.
A group of friends, six at the time from a private academy enjoy a vacation together. One dies. A year later they get to a private island and a resort a few months from actually being completed- invited as part of their new friend's insistence. Readers are introduced to the friends in a mult-POV, nonlinear timeline which also includes the secondary characters like the chef, the bellhop, etc. Fast forward after a natural disaster, a first death and ultimately by the end, multiple deaths. Rich kids with egos and connections, but someone hellbent on revenge. It works and there will be fans.
A group of friends, six at the time from a private academy enjoy a vacation together. One dies. A year later they get to a private island and a resort a few months from actually being completed- invited as part of their new friend's insistence. Readers are introduced to the friends in a mult-POV, nonlinear timeline which also includes the secondary characters like the chef, the bellhop, etc. Fast forward after a natural disaster, a first death and ultimately by the end, multiple deaths. Rich kids with egos and connections, but someone hellbent on revenge. It works and there will be fans.
June 1, 2026
This a fast, thrilling page-turner about a group of privileged black teens who take a Spring Break trip on a yacht to an island in the Florida Keys on the anniversary of their friend’s death a year ago, and surprise, people start dying after a hurricane leaves them stranded and without power. They all have secrets and dirt on one another, and these bits of information all begin stirring as the bodies start piling up.
There are many perspectives—from each of the teens, as well as staff at the island resort—and while these do sometimes make it difficult to keep track of everyone, the pace of the book never falters, as it’s a mad race to figure out who is behind the killing—and the truth behind their friend’s death last year—and it all culminates in a jaw-dropping revelation that helps wrap up the novel despite a few weaknesses in the denouement.
(Spoiler: I really wanted to know what happened with Ant and the police/the staffers who were blaming him. How did that wrap up?)
I think if you love Tiffany Jackson & Nic Stone books, this one doesn’t disappoint and is a great one to steer teens to this summer, as its short chapters and breakneck pace will leave them entertained!
Thank you to NetGalley & Quill Tree Books/Harper Collins for the e-ARC! This one is out Tuesday, June 2nd, 2026.
There are many perspectives—from each of the teens, as well as staff at the island resort—and while these do sometimes make it difficult to keep track of everyone, the pace of the book never falters, as it’s a mad race to figure out who is behind the killing—and the truth behind their friend’s death last year—and it all culminates in a jaw-dropping revelation that helps wrap up the novel despite a few weaknesses in the denouement.
(Spoiler: I really wanted to know what happened with Ant and the police/the staffers who were blaming him. How did that wrap up?)
I think if you love Tiffany Jackson & Nic Stone books, this one doesn’t disappoint and is a great one to steer teens to this summer, as its short chapters and breakneck pace will leave them entertained!
Thank you to NetGalley & Quill Tree Books/Harper Collins for the e-ARC! This one is out Tuesday, June 2nd, 2026.
June 4, 2026
Thank you to NetGalley for an advance copy, but life happened and I took a break from reading.
Breakout brings back the team of authors from Blackout and Whiteout to tell a new story centered around a group of friends spending spring break at an exclusive resort. What starts as a fun getaway quickly turns into something much more complicated as old secrets, new questions, and unexpected events leave everyone wondering who can be trusted.
Of the three ___Out books, this was my favorite. I know some reviews have criticized the way six authors worked together on this story, but that wasn't my experience at all. I couldn't tell who wrote which parts. The story felt smooth from beginning to end, and I'd love to see interviews someday explaining how the authors divided up the work and developed the plot.
What I liked most was the mystery. The earlier books focused more on romance, but Breakout felt more like a teen murder mystery, because it was!. I enjoyed trying to figure out what was really going on and how all the pieces fit together. The suspense kept me reading, and the different points of view helped move the story along without becoming overly confusing.
If you've enjoyed the previous ___Out books, or if you like YA mysteries with a little romance mixed in, Breakout is worth picking up.
Breakout brings back the team of authors from Blackout and Whiteout to tell a new story centered around a group of friends spending spring break at an exclusive resort. What starts as a fun getaway quickly turns into something much more complicated as old secrets, new questions, and unexpected events leave everyone wondering who can be trusted.
Of the three ___Out books, this was my favorite. I know some reviews have criticized the way six authors worked together on this story, but that wasn't my experience at all. I couldn't tell who wrote which parts. The story felt smooth from beginning to end, and I'd love to see interviews someday explaining how the authors divided up the work and developed the plot.
What I liked most was the mystery. The earlier books focused more on romance, but Breakout felt more like a teen murder mystery, because it was!. I enjoyed trying to figure out what was really going on and how all the pieces fit together. The suspense kept me reading, and the different points of view helped move the story along without becoming overly confusing.
If you've enjoyed the previous ___Out books, or if you like YA mysteries with a little romance mixed in, Breakout is worth picking up.
March 18, 2026
3.5
I’m so bummed because I really love all of these authors and I have loved the last two books that they have done together as collaborations. However, those books very much felt like short stories that had characters in common as the overlap. Where is this really feels like one complete book. My main problem was that I could not keep track of who the people were, what time it was, past, present, on the island or off the island. Even when I was reading in large chunks to try to maintain some understanding, I had a really hard time following what was going on. They’re just seemed to be too many red herrings, and too many things thrown in to distract the reader that then it became hard to focus at all.
That being said, I did really like the concept of the story. These six friends get trapped on an island together during a hurricane, and all of them have secrets involving the death of their best friend the previous year. Not many of these people are likable and all of them are hiding something, but I couldn’t even stay focused on them because there was always new characters and new ideas being introduced. I will, of course, always ride hard for these authors, but this one was a little bit of a miss for me.
I’m so bummed because I really love all of these authors and I have loved the last two books that they have done together as collaborations. However, those books very much felt like short stories that had characters in common as the overlap. Where is this really feels like one complete book. My main problem was that I could not keep track of who the people were, what time it was, past, present, on the island or off the island. Even when I was reading in large chunks to try to maintain some understanding, I had a really hard time following what was going on. They’re just seemed to be too many red herrings, and too many things thrown in to distract the reader that then it became hard to focus at all.
That being said, I did really like the concept of the story. These six friends get trapped on an island together during a hurricane, and all of them have secrets involving the death of their best friend the previous year. Not many of these people are likable and all of them are hiding something, but I couldn’t even stay focused on them because there was always new characters and new ideas being introduced. I will, of course, always ride hard for these authors, but this one was a little bit of a miss for me.
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
Thanks to NetGalley for providing me with an ARC in exchange for an honest review.
When I saw that my favorite collectives of authors were collaborating again, I immediately knew I had to read this. I went in completely blind without reading the synopsis, trusting it would be a great experience.
Six teenagers on spring break at an all-inclusive island… what could possibly go wrong? Well… everything!! This book is packed with multiple POVs, twists, and turns that had me questioning everything I read up until the very end. And that ending? A COMPLETE surprise. I’m not even going to lie, I had a whole detective moment with a whiteboard trying to piece everything together.
It was definitely a page turner, but at times there was a lot going on. The number of perspectives and plot shifts made certain parts a little hard to follow, and I found myself wanting a bit more clarity and development in some areas.
Overall, it was an engaging and fast paced read, even if it felt slightly overwhelming at times. And somehow… I still have questions. If you’re looking for a book that will have you playing detective and second-guessing everything, this is definitely for you.
When I saw that my favorite collectives of authors were collaborating again, I immediately knew I had to read this. I went in completely blind without reading the synopsis, trusting it would be a great experience.
Six teenagers on spring break at an all-inclusive island… what could possibly go wrong? Well… everything!! This book is packed with multiple POVs, twists, and turns that had me questioning everything I read up until the very end. And that ending? A COMPLETE surprise. I’m not even going to lie, I had a whole detective moment with a whiteboard trying to piece everything together.
It was definitely a page turner, but at times there was a lot going on. The number of perspectives and plot shifts made certain parts a little hard to follow, and I found myself wanting a bit more clarity and development in some areas.
Overall, it was an engaging and fast paced read, even if it felt slightly overwhelming at times. And somehow… I still have questions. If you’re looking for a book that will have you playing detective and second-guessing everything, this is definitely for you.
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
Breakout had an interesting premise, but overall it didn’t work for me. The setup, a group of friends trying to move on from a tragedy while stranded on a private island during a storm, felt like it had a lot of potential for suspense and drama. The mystery aspect kept me curious enough to keep reading, and there were definitely moments that felt tense and atmospheric.
However, I struggled to connect with the characters. Since the story depends heavily on the dynamics within the friend group, it was hard to stay invested when most of them came across as unlikable or frustrating. I also felt that the emotional conflicts between the characters weren’t explored deeply enough, even though the book clearly wanted those relationships to carry a lot of weight.
The ending was probably my biggest disappointment. After all the buildup, the resolution felt underwhelming and didn’t fully pay off the suspense the story had been creating. I was expecting something more shocking or emotionally impactful, but instead it felt rushed and unsatisfying.
Even though this is a YA novel and I’m older than the target audience, I’ve enjoyed many YA thrillers before, so I don’t think age was the issue here. Breakout had a strong concept, but the weak character development and disappointing ending made it hard for me to fully enjoy.
However, I struggled to connect with the characters. Since the story depends heavily on the dynamics within the friend group, it was hard to stay invested when most of them came across as unlikable or frustrating. I also felt that the emotional conflicts between the characters weren’t explored deeply enough, even though the book clearly wanted those relationships to carry a lot of weight.
The ending was probably my biggest disappointment. After all the buildup, the resolution felt underwhelming and didn’t fully pay off the suspense the story had been creating. I was expecting something more shocking or emotionally impactful, but instead it felt rushed and unsatisfying.
Even though this is a YA novel and I’m older than the target audience, I’ve enjoyed many YA thrillers before, so I don’t think age was the issue here. Breakout had a strong concept, but the weak character development and disappointing ending made it hard for me to fully enjoy.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 79 reviews