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A Night to Die For
The Night Of meets Carrie when a boy finds a girl's body in the ditch on prom night...and becomes the primary suspect in her murder.
All Mario wants is one normal night before he graduates. He's spent most of high school riding solo and gaming with his only friend, Lucas. But when his mom asks him to take Elana Dexter to the prom as a favor to her father, his mother’s boss, he figures this might be his chance to be less of a loner.
Only, the night takes a turn quickly. First, Mario gets crowned Prom King alongside the school’s it-girl, Maribelle Starr. Which is weird enough. But what’s weirder is that when they put the crown on his head, hundreds of worms slither out of it and all over Mario. Just when Mario thought the night couldn’t get any worse, he sees something on the side of the road while driving Elana home. That something is Prom Queen Maribelle Starr—murdered and left for dead.
All Mario wanted was to go to prom...but somehow, he ended up in hell.
Underlined is a line of totally addictive romance, thriller, and horror paperback original titles coming to you fast and furious each month. Enjoy everything you want to read the way you want to read it.
All Mario wants is one normal night before he graduates. He's spent most of high school riding solo and gaming with his only friend, Lucas. But when his mom asks him to take Elana Dexter to the prom as a favor to her father, his mother’s boss, he figures this might be his chance to be less of a loner.
Only, the night takes a turn quickly. First, Mario gets crowned Prom King alongside the school’s it-girl, Maribelle Starr. Which is weird enough. But what’s weirder is that when they put the crown on his head, hundreds of worms slither out of it and all over Mario. Just when Mario thought the night couldn’t get any worse, he sees something on the side of the road while driving Elana home. That something is Prom Queen Maribelle Starr—murdered and left for dead.
All Mario wanted was to go to prom...but somehow, he ended up in hell.
Underlined is a line of totally addictive romance, thriller, and horror paperback original titles coming to you fast and furious each month. Enjoy everything you want to read the way you want to read it.
288 pages, Paperback
First published March 1, 2022
49 people are currently reading
2844 people want to read
About the author
Lisa Schroeder
39 books2,100 followersLisa Schroeder is the author of more than twenty books for kids and teens. Her latest novel is A NIGHT TO DIE FOR, a YA murder mystery. She lives in Oregon where she works full-time and writes when she can.
twitter: www.twitter.com/lisa_schroeder
instagram: lisaschroeder15
twitter: www.twitter.com/lisa_schroeder
instagram: lisaschroeder15
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 254 reviews
March 10, 2022
Well…I can hear choo choo sound of my approaching disappointment train! Another book kept me in limbo: neither I liked nor I hated it line.
I mostly enjoy whodunnit mysteries with multi POVS and plot line about prom queen who is found death lying in a ditch as the prom king is the person of the interest who insists he’s found her when he’s passing through with his car is intriguing enough to hook me up.
But: investigation process of the crime was a little nonsense. They blamed Mario as soon as he opens his mouth to tell them how he’s found the victim.
And the parents of the victim find out who’s arrested by their son who checked out the social media. Really?
The investigators are so ready to pin this up Mario ( math wizard, prom queen who’s been abused by the victim on social media: she even put worms inside his crown and she warned his date Elena how bad kisser he’s on twitter) from the beginning because he resembles a guy who seemed innocent but later they found out he was drug dealer who was the reason of several innocent deaths. Really?
And Lucas: Mario’s best friend is the only one who believed in his innocence, finding more concrete evidence than entire police department! Really?
And let’s not forget about Elena: she was the date of Mario at that night. Mario’s mother works for Elena’s father. Mario’s mother gets sad how Elena is depressed after her mother’s sudden left and putted pressure on her son to ask her for prom date. Sweet and people pleaser Mario couldn’t say no to her mom. When the police stopped the car of Mario, Elena was also in there, passed out, drunk. After they got arrested Mario, they easily let Elena go without further investigation! Really? They were at the same freaking car. Couldn’t they suspect she’s been faking her condition?
There are so many plot holes in here and the adults of the book acted so clueless from the beginning. I’m suspecting they were all seven years old kids disguised inside adult bodies!
Overall: the plot line, multi POV-Ed story telling, pacing were good things about my reading journey!
But plot holes made me exhausted. And I think I truly disliked the victim. After reading what she’s done, I even empathized with the perpetrator!
So I decided to give solid three stars! I wish I enjoyed my reading more! The plot line and beginning of the book were truly promising!
Special thanks to NetGalley and Random House Children’s for sharing this digital reviewer copy with me in exchange my honest thoughts.
I mostly enjoy whodunnit mysteries with multi POVS and plot line about prom queen who is found death lying in a ditch as the prom king is the person of the interest who insists he’s found her when he’s passing through with his car is intriguing enough to hook me up.
But: investigation process of the crime was a little nonsense. They blamed Mario as soon as he opens his mouth to tell them how he’s found the victim.
And the parents of the victim find out who’s arrested by their son who checked out the social media. Really?
The investigators are so ready to pin this up Mario ( math wizard, prom queen who’s been abused by the victim on social media: she even put worms inside his crown and she warned his date Elena how bad kisser he’s on twitter) from the beginning because he resembles a guy who seemed innocent but later they found out he was drug dealer who was the reason of several innocent deaths. Really?
And Lucas: Mario’s best friend is the only one who believed in his innocence, finding more concrete evidence than entire police department! Really?
And let’s not forget about Elena: she was the date of Mario at that night. Mario’s mother works for Elena’s father. Mario’s mother gets sad how Elena is depressed after her mother’s sudden left and putted pressure on her son to ask her for prom date. Sweet and people pleaser Mario couldn’t say no to her mom. When the police stopped the car of Mario, Elena was also in there, passed out, drunk. After they got arrested Mario, they easily let Elena go without further investigation! Really? They were at the same freaking car. Couldn’t they suspect she’s been faking her condition?
There are so many plot holes in here and the adults of the book acted so clueless from the beginning. I’m suspecting they were all seven years old kids disguised inside adult bodies!
Overall: the plot line, multi POV-Ed story telling, pacing were good things about my reading journey!
But plot holes made me exhausted. And I think I truly disliked the victim. After reading what she’s done, I even empathized with the perpetrator!
So I decided to give solid three stars! I wish I enjoyed my reading more! The plot line and beginning of the book were truly promising!
Special thanks to NetGalley and Random House Children’s for sharing this digital reviewer copy with me in exchange my honest thoughts.
February 17, 2022
The prom queen is dead along the side of the road. Standing right next to her is the prom king. Dun, dun, dun. The narrative includes text messages, letters, and newspaper articles. I found this to be an entertaining mystery with a multitude of POVs that kept the pages turning. If Mary Higgins Clark were still with us and wanted to write a YA novel, it might be a bit like this. Hand this one to fans of April Henry and Natalie Richards.
Thank you to Random House and NetGalley for a DRC in exchange for an honest review.
Thank you to Random House and NetGalley for a DRC in exchange for an honest review.
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December 11, 2021This will be my first YA novel in over 7 years! A murder mystery that takes place on prom night. I had so much fun writing it and I'm thrilled to be published by the Underlined line of Penguin Random House - page-turning reads for teens. Coming March 1, 2022 - appreciate it SO much if you'd add it to your shelves and help spread the word!!
January 30, 2022
I'm torn on this book. On one hand, I couldn't put it down and it was incredibly fast-paced. On the other, I felt overwhelmed by the number of viewpoints and underwhelmed by the plot as a whole. The killer was too obvious, but yet their motive wasn't fleshed out enough. Additionally I thought it was weird that everyone loved Mirabelle, when she seemed like a total mean girl. It was all just really confusing. I might not be the target audience for this one though - it felt aimed towards the younger end of YA.
*Thank you to TBR and Beyond Tours, Underlined, and NetGalley for the gifted ARC*
*Thank you to TBR and Beyond Tours, Underlined, and NetGalley for the gifted ARC*
April 13, 2022
Rating: 3.5
The synopsis for this book along with the cover immediately had me intrigued. Unfortunately, right away I could tell this book was not for me. While I do love and enjoy YA books this felt too YA. I don’t mean that in a bad way but it almost felt like it was for a younger preteen audience. The writing was simple, the chapters were short, the twists were predictable, and there weren’t many thrills. The story is told from multiple character POVs. It was interesting to get more backstory from the parents or the police officer but it wasn’t necessary. If anything it just made the book feel longer and added some confusion to the story in my opinion. I was unable to really feel connected with any character because there was no time to get invested with them.
While this book wasn’t for me I am still glad I read it. I will definitely be purchasing this book for my library because I know the teenagers will enjoy it and that’s what truly matters. When you don’t vibe with a book it’s important to understand why. In this case I knew immediately it was because I’m not the target audience it was written for. Honestly I cannot be shocked that I didn’t enjoy it as much as I would have liked. I still think it's a good book with a creative idea that was executed in a unique way. There are definitely some changes that could have been made to make it stronger but overall, I think it will be a hit with younger kids. I don’t think I would recommend this one to adults but if you have teen kids then I would recommend it for them.
Thank you so much @getunderlined & @penguinrandomhouse for the #gifted copy, #partner , #GetUnderlinedPartner
The synopsis for this book along with the cover immediately had me intrigued. Unfortunately, right away I could tell this book was not for me. While I do love and enjoy YA books this felt too YA. I don’t mean that in a bad way but it almost felt like it was for a younger preteen audience. The writing was simple, the chapters were short, the twists were predictable, and there weren’t many thrills. The story is told from multiple character POVs. It was interesting to get more backstory from the parents or the police officer but it wasn’t necessary. If anything it just made the book feel longer and added some confusion to the story in my opinion. I was unable to really feel connected with any character because there was no time to get invested with them.
While this book wasn’t for me I am still glad I read it. I will definitely be purchasing this book for my library because I know the teenagers will enjoy it and that’s what truly matters. When you don’t vibe with a book it’s important to understand why. In this case I knew immediately it was because I’m not the target audience it was written for. Honestly I cannot be shocked that I didn’t enjoy it as much as I would have liked. I still think it's a good book with a creative idea that was executed in a unique way. There are definitely some changes that could have been made to make it stronger but overall, I think it will be a hit with younger kids. I don’t think I would recommend this one to adults but if you have teen kids then I would recommend it for them.
Thank you so much @getunderlined & @penguinrandomhouse for the #gifted copy, #partner , #GetUnderlinedPartner
May 29, 2022
Wow, that was terrible. All the characters were boringly terribly, including our murder victim. Especially when they start telling us how great she is. She great artist, actor, writer and she going to study the oceans because love animals. Also, vegetarian and all the mistakes she made are okay because her little brother was dying. Her tag name was Miracle, a very ew name to give yourself.
I like grey characters but you can't have it both ways. She was cheating on her boyfriend for no reason and like a fool, I got excited for the potential of a random queer character. She wasn't, she just cheated on her boyfriend for months. She would be in the wrong either way, but that would at least be an excuse for her behaviour. I got this book randomly from the library so I'm not too mad, except for the emotions I feel towards the character who covered up a crime. Also, you have other characters messing with evidence.
I won't say I don't buy the incompetence of the police because the police are incompetent and will pick the first person they see until they are proved to be wrong. They were right though, Mario had committed a crime and it was him who dumped a body at the side of the road.
I guess Alanda (or whatever) also killed her mum for some reason. My biggest problem with this book is that we're in their heads so when they keep back vital information of how that night went down, it feels like lying to the reader. Why would they be lying to themselves when they know what happened?
Don't lie to your lawyer, or get involved in a crime to help someone you barely know.
I like grey characters but you can't have it both ways. She was cheating on her boyfriend for no reason and like a fool, I got excited for the potential of a random queer character. She wasn't, she just cheated on her boyfriend for months. She would be in the wrong either way, but that would at least be an excuse for her behaviour. I got this book randomly from the library so I'm not too mad, except for the emotions I feel towards the character who covered up a crime. Also, you have other characters messing with evidence.
I won't say I don't buy the incompetence of the police because the police are incompetent and will pick the first person they see until they are proved to be wrong. They were right though, Mario had committed a crime and it was him who dumped a body at the side of the road.
I guess Alanda (or whatever) also killed her mum for some reason. My biggest problem with this book is that we're in their heads so when they keep back vital information of how that night went down, it feels like lying to the reader. Why would they be lying to themselves when they know what happened?
Don't lie to your lawyer, or get involved in a crime to help someone you barely know.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
March 16, 2022
Billed as The Night Of and Carrie, A Night To Die For is about Mario, a boy who finds the body of the prom queen Maribelle in a ditch on the side of the road after prom. All Mario wants is one normal night before he graduates, but things go from weird to weirder. First, Mario gets crowned Prom King alongside the school’s it-girl, Maribelle Starr. Then, when they put the crown on his head, hundreds of worms slither out of it and all over Mario. Just when Mario thought the night couldn’t get any worse, he sees Maribelle on the side of the road, left for dead. Thanks to Underlined and Lisa Schroeder for my copy.
Thoughts: This was such a fun premise and an amazing cover to draw the reader in. It is set up as a YA whodunnit, where the reader tries to figure out what happened. The book was pretty confusing and stretched a lot to make it readable. There are tons of plot holes in this book and no one was logical or likable. There were way too many points of view and the ending was pretty obvious. It was strange that everyone loved the mean girl and that the detectives were like a poorly written tv show. They didn't utilize evidence, jumped to conclusions, and didn't do any police work. Lame. 2 stars.
Thoughts: This was such a fun premise and an amazing cover to draw the reader in. It is set up as a YA whodunnit, where the reader tries to figure out what happened. The book was pretty confusing and stretched a lot to make it readable. There are tons of plot holes in this book and no one was logical or likable. There were way too many points of view and the ending was pretty obvious. It was strange that everyone loved the mean girl and that the detectives were like a poorly written tv show. They didn't utilize evidence, jumped to conclusions, and didn't do any police work. Lame. 2 stars.
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February 23, 2022The prom queen is dead along the side of the road. Standing right next to her is the prom king. Dun, dun, dun. The narrative includes text messages, letters, and newspaper articles. I found this to be an entertaining mystery with a multitude of POVs that kept the pages turning. If Mary Higgins Clark were still with us and wanted to write a YA novel, it might be a bit like this. Hand this one to fans of April Henry and Natalie Richards. *Reviewed by Darla from Red Bridge*
April 20, 2022
TW: cancer, bullying, underage drinking, child abandonment
*****SPOILERS*****
About the book:Mario wants is one normal night before he graduates. He's spent most of high school riding solo and gaming with his only friend, Lucas. But when his mom asks him to take Elana Dexter to the prom as a favor to her father, his mother’s boss, he figures this might be his chance to be less of a loner. Only, the night takes a turn quickly. First, Mario gets crowned Prom King alongside the school’s it-girl, Maribelle Starr. Which is weird enough. But what’s weirder is that when they put the crown on his head, hundreds of worms slither out of it and all over Mario. Just when Mario thought the night couldn’t get any worse, he sees something on the side of the road while driving Elana home. That something is Prom Queen Maribelle Starr—murdered and left for dead. All Mario wanted was to go to prom...but somehow, he ended up in hell.
Release Date: March 1st, and 2022
Genre: YA Horror
Pages: 288
Rating: ⭐ ⭐
What I Liked:
• All the characters aren't as annoying as teenagers in books can be
• This book had me going back and forth on who did it
What I Didn't Like:
• TOO many pov's (11 characters pov's!)
• The ending was a car crash
Overall Thoughts: Honestly I really enjoyed this book. I racked and racked my brain going back and force on who it did it. I would suspect someone and then have to change it.
For the most part I was enjoying this book and thought it had so much going for it. The story flowed and the writing was pretty good. I was engaged and sucked into who murdered Maribelle. I am a sucker for these kind of stories - Hello Twin Peaks - but for me where it all went downhill was that ending.
We find out that Maribelle ends up with the typical rebel boy that does graffiti. He's not the one that kills her. It's kind of confusing at the why and who.
So as we go along we find out that Mario lied about pretty much EVERYTHING that happened to protect Elana because she told him that her dad would ruin his mom's life. This sounds like a threat a 5-year-old would tell you, not that an 18-year-old would listen to. Like dude she just murdered someone and you decide over that threat to help her cover up this murder. Ah. So Elana murdered Meri, who by the way had no other marks on her. Elana wasn't even so much as scratched. Who gets strangled and doesn't defend themselves to get out of it? She just lied down and let herself die? Plus at this point wasn't Elana so drunk that when she did a test she was past the legal limit? But she managed to murder a girl. Okay….It's never really explained why Elana killed Meri, only that she was mean and I think we find out that Elana had at some point dated Zain, which is weird that Meri wouldn't have wanted to know the girl he dated from her school. What teenage girl wouldn’t have asked? Then I was confused why it was proven that Mario couldn't have killed Meri. So just because he was gone at the convince store for 20 minutes that means he isn't the murderer? He could have killed her before went or when he got back. So just because Elana wasn't with him that means in the detective's mind that she was the killer. In the ending Mario is released from prison and Elana is now the one on trial for the murder, but why? Just because Mario said what really happened doesn't prove anything. He has lied the whole time during the investigation so why would the police believe him now? Plus he has more motive and means to commit the crime. He was bullied by her at prom. He was "alone" with her and then Elana saying she saw him pull a body from the back of the truck makes sense.
Final Thoughts: If only this book could have just ended 3/4th of the way in. That ending ….no.
IG | Blog
*****SPOILERS*****
About the book:Mario wants is one normal night before he graduates. He's spent most of high school riding solo and gaming with his only friend, Lucas. But when his mom asks him to take Elana Dexter to the prom as a favor to her father, his mother’s boss, he figures this might be his chance to be less of a loner. Only, the night takes a turn quickly. First, Mario gets crowned Prom King alongside the school’s it-girl, Maribelle Starr. Which is weird enough. But what’s weirder is that when they put the crown on his head, hundreds of worms slither out of it and all over Mario. Just when Mario thought the night couldn’t get any worse, he sees something on the side of the road while driving Elana home. That something is Prom Queen Maribelle Starr—murdered and left for dead. All Mario wanted was to go to prom...but somehow, he ended up in hell.
Release Date: March 1st, and 2022
Genre: YA Horror
Pages: 288
Rating: ⭐ ⭐
What I Liked:
• All the characters aren't as annoying as teenagers in books can be
• This book had me going back and forth on who did it
What I Didn't Like:
• TOO many pov's (11 characters pov's!)
• The ending was a car crash
Overall Thoughts: Honestly I really enjoyed this book. I racked and racked my brain going back and force on who it did it. I would suspect someone and then have to change it.
For the most part I was enjoying this book and thought it had so much going for it. The story flowed and the writing was pretty good. I was engaged and sucked into who murdered Maribelle. I am a sucker for these kind of stories - Hello Twin Peaks - but for me where it all went downhill was that ending.
We find out that Maribelle ends up with the typical rebel boy that does graffiti. He's not the one that kills her. It's kind of confusing at the why and who.
So as we go along we find out that Mario lied about pretty much EVERYTHING that happened to protect Elana because she told him that her dad would ruin his mom's life. This sounds like a threat a 5-year-old would tell you, not that an 18-year-old would listen to. Like dude she just murdered someone and you decide over that threat to help her cover up this murder. Ah. So Elana murdered Meri, who by the way had no other marks on her. Elana wasn't even so much as scratched. Who gets strangled and doesn't defend themselves to get out of it? She just lied down and let herself die? Plus at this point wasn't Elana so drunk that when she did a test she was past the legal limit? But she managed to murder a girl. Okay….It's never really explained why Elana killed Meri, only that she was mean and I think we find out that Elana had at some point dated Zain, which is weird that Meri wouldn't have wanted to know the girl he dated from her school. What teenage girl wouldn’t have asked? Then I was confused why it was proven that Mario couldn't have killed Meri. So just because he was gone at the convince store for 20 minutes that means he isn't the murderer? He could have killed her before went or when he got back. So just because Elana wasn't with him that means in the detective's mind that she was the killer. In the ending Mario is released from prison and Elana is now the one on trial for the murder, but why? Just because Mario said what really happened doesn't prove anything. He has lied the whole time during the investigation so why would the police believe him now? Plus he has more motive and means to commit the crime. He was bullied by her at prom. He was "alone" with her and then Elana saying she saw him pull a body from the back of the truck makes sense.
Final Thoughts: If only this book could have just ended 3/4th of the way in. That ending ….no.
IG | Blog
March 2, 2022
I am addicted to true crime on YouTube and this feels like it is one of those stories that would cause a sensation and require multiple people to post about it. When the prom queen ends up dead and the prom king finds her body, well, this should be an open and shut case. But it's not. I really tried to guess the outcome of this one and normally I am successful at picking out the killer, but WOW - I was really wrong. This book is a page-turner! It is so fast-paced and full of wit that I finished this in record time.
Mario, the prom king, becomes the prime suspect since Mirabelle is liked by everyone even though she can be a bit snarky. As you read through the elements and the gossip, it becomes easy to rule out some characters while others remain on your radar. This is told from multiple viewpoints and while that works for me, some readers may have issues following the story. This story has it all, news articles, text messages, and brief conversations that lead you to the killer but not as expected.
Mario, the prom king, becomes the prime suspect since Mirabelle is liked by everyone even though she can be a bit snarky. As you read through the elements and the gossip, it becomes easy to rule out some characters while others remain on your radar. This is told from multiple viewpoints and while that works for me, some readers may have issues following the story. This story has it all, news articles, text messages, and brief conversations that lead you to the killer but not as expected.
February 12, 2022
3.5 stars
When Mirabell, the prom queen is found dead in a ditch, everything seems to point to the prom king as the culprit—he did just happene to discover the body afterall, but the real question is—did he do it? From here we are treated to an inside look into the lives (and thoughts) of the people closest to them (including the investigating officers) as events and truths from the night in question are fo finally revealed.
This was a fairly fast paced and quick murder mystery that I really enjoyed, however I do feel there were far too many POVs (over 10!) which, although really insightful into the process of solving a murder and the toll it takes on the family’s of the victim (and the people who know the victim) it also explores the fallible human aspect and biases that can be involved in investigating such as case.
The emphasis on the friends and family of the victim (and even the suspect) was really good and felt quite authentic, I imagine what it must be like to question everything you know about someone you care about only to find out something completely different.
I have to admit I did kinda guess who the killer was but I did enjoy the plot twist aspect, some of which were a surprise. So, if you enjoyed mysteries but are short on time I’d definitely recommend checking this out!
Also, thanks to TBR & Beyond Tours and Underlined for the e-arc.
When Mirabell, the prom queen is found dead in a ditch, everything seems to point to the prom king as the culprit—he did just happene to discover the body afterall, but the real question is—did he do it? From here we are treated to an inside look into the lives (and thoughts) of the people closest to them (including the investigating officers) as events and truths from the night in question are fo finally revealed.
This was a fairly fast paced and quick murder mystery that I really enjoyed, however I do feel there were far too many POVs (over 10!) which, although really insightful into the process of solving a murder and the toll it takes on the family’s of the victim (and the people who know the victim) it also explores the fallible human aspect and biases that can be involved in investigating such as case.
The emphasis on the friends and family of the victim (and even the suspect) was really good and felt quite authentic, I imagine what it must be like to question everything you know about someone you care about only to find out something completely different.
I have to admit I did kinda guess who the killer was but I did enjoy the plot twist aspect, some of which were a surprise. So, if you enjoyed mysteries but are short on time I’d definitely recommend checking this out!
Also, thanks to TBR & Beyond Tours and Underlined for the e-arc.
March 6, 2022
1.5 stars In A Night to Die For, Mario finds a dead body in a ditch and ends up getting charged with her murder. He says he is innocent. There are several other people who had means and motive enough to kill the prom queen. This may get a little spoiler, but honestly I'm saving you time. I don't really recommend this book. I had just way too many issues with it.
I wanted to throw this book across the room, but then I would have broken my iPod. I predicted the killer very easily, I just couldn't figure out the how. I think I could rant for a long time on this so I'll just end with don't bother with this one. Save your reading time.
I wanted to throw this book across the room, but then I would have broken my iPod. I predicted the killer very easily, I just couldn't figure out the how. I think I could rant for a long time on this so I'll just end with don't bother with this one. Save your reading time.
August 27, 2022
this book was the first one i've finished after an eight month just long reading slump. it just had me hooked and i was so happy to see my guess was right at the end haha
March 9, 2022
4 ⭐️
Este fue un thriller bastante entretenido, con una mirada en retrospectiva de lo que pasó aquella noche a través de varios puntos de vista, mensajes de texto/tweets y conversaciones entre los chicos. Pese a que se me hizo un poco predecible el descubrir al asesino de Maribelle, fue una lectura rápida y muy disfrutable.
Algo que sí rescato es la manera en que está escrito, la autora manejó muy bien las emociones de los chicos y en este libro SÍ los sentí como adolescentes que pensaban y actuaban como tal, eso me hizo conectar con ellos y verlos mucho más reales.
Le bajo un punto porque el final se me hizo un tanto confuso, pero no por ello deja de ser una buena lectura para jugar al detective o para salir de un bloqueo lector.
Este fue un thriller bastante entretenido, con una mirada en retrospectiva de lo que pasó aquella noche a través de varios puntos de vista, mensajes de texto/tweets y conversaciones entre los chicos. Pese a que se me hizo un poco predecible el descubrir al asesino de Maribelle, fue una lectura rápida y muy disfrutable.
Algo que sí rescato es la manera en que está escrito, la autora manejó muy bien las emociones de los chicos y en este libro SÍ los sentí como adolescentes que pensaban y actuaban como tal, eso me hizo conectar con ellos y verlos mucho más reales.
Le bajo un punto porque el final se me hizo un tanto confuso, pero no por ello deja de ser una buena lectura para jugar al detective o para salir de un bloqueo lector.
April 3, 2024
3.25⭐️
A night to die for is a thriller about a prom night, when suddenly a dead body shows up. Lies, mystery and guilt…
I must say it was an okay book. Sometimes it was ab bit boring and most of the time I felt frustrated cause why are people like they are???
Also I am asking myself why they seemed so chill and furthermore it does not seem like they really investigate a murder (they did but somehow it was pushed into the background). Sadly I also think there were too many POVs
Surprisingly the end was emotional and beautiful, yet sad and uplifting at the same time. I almost let a tear fall
Overall a quick book you could read ✔︎
A night to die for is a thriller about a prom night, when suddenly a dead body shows up. Lies, mystery and guilt…
I must say it was an okay book. Sometimes it was ab bit boring and most of the time I felt frustrated cause why are people like they are???
Also I am asking myself why they seemed so chill and furthermore it does not seem like they really investigate a murder (they did but somehow it was pushed into the background). Sadly I also think there were too many POVs
Surprisingly the end was emotional and beautiful, yet sad and uplifting at the same time. I almost let a tear fall
Overall a quick book you could read ✔︎
March 9, 2022
A Night to Die For by Lisa Schroeder 📚
"A Night to Die for" was a fast paced, entertaining, YA Thriller. It was so fun to read and I read the whole book in a matter of 2-3 hours. The book has a few characters but they are all so interesting and annoying in their own ways. The book was very entertaining and there was so much teenage drama.
The whole clique thing and bullying seems like the same old formula, but there is a reason it works well. There was so much jealousy and toxicity among the characters. It was the perfect setting for a murder to happen. The story was set in the prom night where Mario and his date Elana find a body.
The body belonged to their classmate, Maribelle.
A cop walks in and the whole thing gets pinned on Mario. Investigation ensues and a lot of secrets get revealed. I was a bit disappointed with the ending. There were a lot of unreliable narrators in the book. So it made it very confusing, but the ending could have been a better for me. Nevertheless, it was a very fun book to read and I recommend it to all lovers of YA thrillers.
"A Night to Die for" was a fast paced, entertaining, YA Thriller. It was so fun to read and I read the whole book in a matter of 2-3 hours. The book has a few characters but they are all so interesting and annoying in their own ways. The book was very entertaining and there was so much teenage drama.
The whole clique thing and bullying seems like the same old formula, but there is a reason it works well. There was so much jealousy and toxicity among the characters. It was the perfect setting for a murder to happen. The story was set in the prom night where Mario and his date Elana find a body.
The body belonged to their classmate, Maribelle.
A cop walks in and the whole thing gets pinned on Mario. Investigation ensues and a lot of secrets get revealed. I was a bit disappointed with the ending. There were a lot of unreliable narrators in the book. So it made it very confusing, but the ending could have been a better for me. Nevertheless, it was a very fun book to read and I recommend it to all lovers of YA thrillers.
March 12, 2022
A Night To Die For is a twisty thriller where a prom queen is found dead and the prom king is the main suspect. It sounded really interesting and I couldn't wait to get into it.
When I did read it, I came away from the story with mixed feelings. Now I generally do love thrillers and this is one is classed as YA, but i felt like in a way it was a bit too safe for a thriller. One element it seemed to really struggle with was bleeding the story through multiple point of views as I felt that there was some which was not really needed. However, I did really enjoy getting to know some of the characters such as Lucas who wanted to discover the truth no matter what.
I actually enjoyed the plot and the twists within it and I think the author did a great job in developing the characters even the one who actually killed the prom Queen. The whole whodunnit side of the plot was well handled as multiple characters had their reasons.
Overall, I enjoyed the YA Thriller so I give it 3 stars ⭐️⭐️⭐️
When I did read it, I came away from the story with mixed feelings. Now I generally do love thrillers and this is one is classed as YA, but i felt like in a way it was a bit too safe for a thriller. One element it seemed to really struggle with was bleeding the story through multiple point of views as I felt that there was some which was not really needed. However, I did really enjoy getting to know some of the characters such as Lucas who wanted to discover the truth no matter what.
I actually enjoyed the plot and the twists within it and I think the author did a great job in developing the characters even the one who actually killed the prom Queen. The whole whodunnit side of the plot was well handled as multiple characters had their reasons.
Overall, I enjoyed the YA Thriller so I give it 3 stars ⭐️⭐️⭐️
January 3, 2024
Trigger warnings: bullying, death, murder, incarceration, vomit, sibling with cancer (in the past), mental health
Look, maybe this is on me because I thought this was slasher-esque horror and it is, instead, just a very bog standard crime story. But this was BORING. There were so many narrators that I struggled to keep track of who everyone was. And just when I thought I had my head around it, there would be a random chapter from the perspective of the adult detective or one of the parents to throw me off the track again.
Ultimately, I didn't feel like I knew enough about the victim to care who killed her or why. And there were so many characters that I ultimately didn't know enough about the perpetrator to care either. It should be a crime for a book to have a cover like this and then deliver ABSOLUTELY NOTHING.
Look, maybe this is on me because I thought this was slasher-esque horror and it is, instead, just a very bog standard crime story. But this was BORING. There were so many narrators that I struggled to keep track of who everyone was. And just when I thought I had my head around it, there would be a random chapter from the perspective of the adult detective or one of the parents to throw me off the track again.
Ultimately, I didn't feel like I knew enough about the victim to care who killed her or why. And there were so many characters that I ultimately didn't know enough about the perpetrator to care either. It should be a crime for a book to have a cover like this and then deliver ABSOLUTELY NOTHING.
July 9, 2022
The only thing I liked about this book was the last chapter in Josh’s pov
October 31, 2024
Oh, that feeling of clicking the I'm Finished button was so satisfying! It's been a while since I've finished a book and I'm so happy to say I'm back.
That being said, this book fell short of my expectations, but the audiobook was an entertaining experience, indeed. Thanks to the multiple narrators who made listening interesting, and the pacing was perfect for a YA thriller, too.
However, the premise of the prom king finding out the prom queen was murdered by seeing her in a ditch left me wanting when the execution part came. It was a whodunnit mystery and trying to found out the killer didn't feel as hard as I was expecting.
Overall, it was good, but not great that I'll remember what happened years from now.
That being said, this book fell short of my expectations, but the audiobook was an entertaining experience, indeed. Thanks to the multiple narrators who made listening interesting, and the pacing was perfect for a YA thriller, too.
However, the premise of the prom king finding out the prom queen was murdered by seeing her in a ditch left me wanting when the execution part came. It was a whodunnit mystery and trying to found out the killer didn't feel as hard as I was expecting.
Overall, it was good, but not great that I'll remember what happened years from now.
June 27, 2022
rated 3.5
September 5, 2022
Absolutely shocked. Elana being the killer and threatening Mario is not was I saw coming?! I understand why she did it but jeez. And Zain and Elana being a thing? I kinda suspected when he first brought her up. "Weird girl in art camp". Mirabelle on the other hand..she a player. I can't imagine what it's like loosing the girl you were crazy about and finding out during the funeral she was cheating on you. Not swag bruh. I totally recommend this book. I loved it and I kinda didn't like how the ending felt rushed? But I'll allow it.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
February 16, 2022
thank you to get underlined for sending me an arc of this book! all opinions are my own.
i was very conflicted about the rating of this book, because the premise is very interesting and the mystery was enrapturing enough, but the characters and resolving of the mystery were so flat. none of the characters had distinct voices even though there were a ton of them with their own narration chapters, which just made me confused when reading because i couldn't remember who was who. the mystery solution also felt really rushed and came after a needlessly long "middle act." even still, i was invested in the mystery, and that's what kept me reading. if not for the cool premise, this book would've gotten one star. there was potential in the beginning, i just wish the middle and end hadn't snuffed it out.
i was very conflicted about the rating of this book, because the premise is very interesting and the mystery was enrapturing enough, but the characters and resolving of the mystery were so flat. none of the characters had distinct voices even though there were a ton of them with their own narration chapters, which just made me confused when reading because i couldn't remember who was who. the mystery solution also felt really rushed and came after a needlessly long "middle act." even still, i was invested in the mystery, and that's what kept me reading. if not for the cool premise, this book would've gotten one star. there was potential in the beginning, i just wish the middle and end hadn't snuffed it out.
December 27, 2022
4 /5 ⭐
If you liked one of us is lying, READ THIS BOOK RN.
This book was soo good and when I tell you, I didn't expect that ending or that person to be the killer. Honestly, I was counting on Parker on being the killer and then BOOM. however, I did find it weird that they blamed Mario for the murder almost instantly because of something that happened with their last case like?? And how they arrested Mario but released Elena when they were found at the crime scene together like ???
I loved the writing. I'm usually very confused when a book has more than two povs because I pay more attention to who's who than the actual story, but the author did it very well. I just really disliked all of the plotholes.
also I feel so bad for zain 😭
If you liked one of us is lying, READ THIS BOOK RN.
This book was soo good and when I tell you, I didn't expect that ending or that person to be the killer. Honestly, I was counting on Parker on being the killer and then BOOM. however, I did find it weird that they blamed Mario for the murder almost instantly because of something that happened with their last case like?? And how they arrested Mario but released Elena when they were found at the crime scene together like ???
I loved the writing. I'm usually very confused when a book has more than two povs because I pay more attention to who's who than the actual story, but the author did it very well. I just really disliked all of the plotholes.
also I feel so bad for zain 😭
August 9, 2024
Throughout the entire book I wondered how this 'detective', who can't even use his last remaining braincells, came to be one and who allowed him to investigate in a murder. His judgement is way too clouded and maybe he should consider therapy if he cannot handle it anymore instead of failing at his job.
April 30, 2022
Soo boring and way too many characters have a voice
October 27, 2022
Mochte eigentlich die ganzen Charaktere nicht, bis auf Lucas vielleicht und Marios Verhalten hat mich so aufgeregt!
Aber generell war das Buch auch nicht soo spannend, wie ich es erwartet habe.
Aber generell war das Buch auch nicht soo spannend, wie ich es erwartet habe.
March 2, 2022
Disclaimer: I received this e-arc from the publisher. Thanks! All opinions are my own.
Book: A Night To Die For
Author: Lisa Schroeder
Book Series: Standalone
Rating: 3/5
Recommended For...: young adult readers, mystery, murder mystery, prom night
Publication Date: March 1, 2022
Genre: YA Mystery
Age Relevance: 16+ (underage alcohol consumption, abelism, death, sexual content, language, drugs, religion)
Explanation of Above: There is one slight comment about abelism and talking down to a character because they have cancer. It felt a little infantizing, but the character who said it was a rude character so it fit their MO a little. There is a lot of references and mentions and showings of underage alcohol consumption. There is death mentioned, a dead body described, and some slight gore mentioning vomit and slight blood. There is some slight mentions of sexual content, mostly in jokes. There is very slight cursing; there are probably just a handful of curse words in the book. There are drugs that are just mentioned a couple of times. There is also one mention of religion.
Publisher: Underlined
Pages: 288
Synopsis: All Mario wants is one normal night before he graduates. He's spent most of high school riding solo and gaming with his only friend, Lucas. But when his mom asks him to take Elana Dexter to the prom as a favor to her father, his mother’s boss, he figures this might be his chance to be less of a loner.
Only, the night takes a turn quickly. First, Mario gets crowned Prom King alongside the school’s it-girl, Maribelle Starr. Which is weird enough. But what’s weirder is that when they put the crown on his head, hundreds of worms slither out of it and all over Mario. Just when Mario thought the night couldn’t get any worse, he sees something on the side of the road while driving Elana home. That something is Prom Queen Maribelle Starr—murdered and left for dead.
All Mario wanted was to go to prom...but somehow, he ended up in hell.
Review: This was an ok book. The book was a fast paced mystery read with mixed media format. The book had a good premise and it was interesting as it kept my interest throughout. The book also did fairly good with the mystery aspect of it.
However, the book was a bit of a let-down. There are a ton of POVS (10+) and I didn’t feel like I got a good sense of who was talking and I didn’t feel like any of these voices were distinct. The character development itself is horribly lacking and nothing clearly defines anyone. The only character who is developed is the dead girl and while this style could have been played off well, it wasn’t in this instance. There was a weird back and forth between the timelines without indication of where we were. The world building was lacking in a bunch of scenes. I had a big issue with how the investigation was handled. One of the characters questioned is a minor and should not have been questioned without being in the presence of her parent. The said minor also later went to the police twice and gave them further information, again without their parent which is illegal and something the “competent” detectives would have known. It was also foggy if the other character was a minor or not, but it was found out he was. I also was reminded of how unfair the criminal justice system was in this book, in which a family’s life savings are completely drained proving another’s innocence and they’re not paid back for the police’s mistake in arresting the wrong perpetrator, which I think needs to be overhauled when we start prison reform in this country. Anyways, aside from that I think the book would have been better if it was just a bit more developed and if the author took more time to develop the killer through hints and clues.
Verdict: It’s good, just too fast paced and needs a bit more details in it.
Book: A Night To Die For
Author: Lisa Schroeder
Book Series: Standalone
Rating: 3/5
Recommended For...: young adult readers, mystery, murder mystery, prom night
Publication Date: March 1, 2022
Genre: YA Mystery
Age Relevance: 16+ (underage alcohol consumption, abelism, death, sexual content, language, drugs, religion)
Explanation of Above: There is one slight comment about abelism and talking down to a character because they have cancer. It felt a little infantizing, but the character who said it was a rude character so it fit their MO a little. There is a lot of references and mentions and showings of underage alcohol consumption. There is death mentioned, a dead body described, and some slight gore mentioning vomit and slight blood. There is some slight mentions of sexual content, mostly in jokes. There is very slight cursing; there are probably just a handful of curse words in the book. There are drugs that are just mentioned a couple of times. There is also one mention of religion.
Publisher: Underlined
Pages: 288
Synopsis: All Mario wants is one normal night before he graduates. He's spent most of high school riding solo and gaming with his only friend, Lucas. But when his mom asks him to take Elana Dexter to the prom as a favor to her father, his mother’s boss, he figures this might be his chance to be less of a loner.
Only, the night takes a turn quickly. First, Mario gets crowned Prom King alongside the school’s it-girl, Maribelle Starr. Which is weird enough. But what’s weirder is that when they put the crown on his head, hundreds of worms slither out of it and all over Mario. Just when Mario thought the night couldn’t get any worse, he sees something on the side of the road while driving Elana home. That something is Prom Queen Maribelle Starr—murdered and left for dead.
All Mario wanted was to go to prom...but somehow, he ended up in hell.
Review: This was an ok book. The book was a fast paced mystery read with mixed media format. The book had a good premise and it was interesting as it kept my interest throughout. The book also did fairly good with the mystery aspect of it.
However, the book was a bit of a let-down. There are a ton of POVS (10+) and I didn’t feel like I got a good sense of who was talking and I didn’t feel like any of these voices were distinct. The character development itself is horribly lacking and nothing clearly defines anyone. The only character who is developed is the dead girl and while this style could have been played off well, it wasn’t in this instance. There was a weird back and forth between the timelines without indication of where we were. The world building was lacking in a bunch of scenes. I had a big issue with how the investigation was handled. One of the characters questioned is a minor and should not have been questioned without being in the presence of her parent. The said minor also later went to the police twice and gave them further information, again without their parent which is illegal and something the “competent” detectives would have known. It was also foggy if the other character was a minor or not, but it was found out he was. I also was reminded of how unfair the criminal justice system was in this book, in which a family’s life savings are completely drained proving another’s innocence and they’re not paid back for the police’s mistake in arresting the wrong perpetrator, which I think needs to be overhauled when we start prison reform in this country. Anyways, aside from that I think the book would have been better if it was just a bit more developed and if the author took more time to develop the killer through hints and clues.
Verdict: It’s good, just too fast paced and needs a bit more details in it.
February 25, 2022
A Night to Die For was phenomenal! I was drawn in by the cover and intriguing title and was hooked when I read the synopsis! I was hooked and kept guessing the entire time, never knowing which person was truly at fault. The author did a phenomenal job of making me feel like I knew and understood everyone before ripping the rug right out from under me with new information. I loved the main characters you get to meet - the ones you spend the most time with are Mario, Mirabelle, and Elena, though there are some you get brief POVs for as well.
Mario, someone who would have been fine not going or going alone is pressured to ask Elena to Prom, it's at that prom that Mirabelle is named Prom Queen and then, within the first few pages of the book she is found dead in a ditch the very same night. A cop finds Mario and his date at the side of the road with Elena and all chaos ensues. Mario is quickly a suspect, and everything gets pinned on him - but is everything exactly as it seems?
Honestly, this was such a fun, intense, and fast-paced YA thriller - it kept me turning pages and guessing all night long so I highly recommend it. The storytelling is done in a unique way with the changing POVs, which is perfect because you have no idea who to trust! A Night to Die For would be perfect for fans of the Truly Devious series by Maureen Johnson as well as They Wish They Were Us by Jessica Goodman.
Mario, someone who would have been fine not going or going alone is pressured to ask Elena to Prom, it's at that prom that Mirabelle is named Prom Queen and then, within the first few pages of the book she is found dead in a ditch the very same night. A cop finds Mario and his date at the side of the road with Elena and all chaos ensues. Mario is quickly a suspect, and everything gets pinned on him - but is everything exactly as it seems?
Honestly, this was such a fun, intense, and fast-paced YA thriller - it kept me turning pages and guessing all night long so I highly recommend it. The storytelling is done in a unique way with the changing POVs, which is perfect because you have no idea who to trust! A Night to Die For would be perfect for fans of the Truly Devious series by Maureen Johnson as well as They Wish They Were Us by Jessica Goodman.
June 20, 2025
Thank you to NetGalley for this ARC. I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.
A Night to Die For is a fast-paced, engaging read that dives into the chaos of prom night when everything takes a dark turn. Told through multiple perspectives, the story offers a multifaceted look at the events leading up to and following the tragedy, especially from those closest to Maribelle. The drama hooks you early on, and the narrative is enriched with police interviews and snippets from social media, gradually revealing the full picture of what really happened.
You’ll need to suspend some disbelief when it comes to the portrayal of police procedures. And poor Mario, his situation is made worse by a well-meaning but clueless mother, which makes his part in the story especially sympathetic.
I will say I got really frustrated with how the police very clearly had a suspect in mind from the get go and wouldn't let up. Whereas I figured out very quickly who done it.
A Night to Die For is a fast-paced, engaging read that dives into the chaos of prom night when everything takes a dark turn. Told through multiple perspectives, the story offers a multifaceted look at the events leading up to and following the tragedy, especially from those closest to Maribelle. The drama hooks you early on, and the narrative is enriched with police interviews and snippets from social media, gradually revealing the full picture of what really happened.
You’ll need to suspend some disbelief when it comes to the portrayal of police procedures. And poor Mario, his situation is made worse by a well-meaning but clueless mother, which makes his part in the story especially sympathetic.
I will say I got really frustrated with how the police very clearly had a suspect in mind from the get go and wouldn't let up. Whereas I figured out very quickly who done it.
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