A young adult mystery about the secrets we keep and what it means to be family.
March was a great month of reading! (Even if I didn’t complete as many as I would have liked to.)
Now April is almost upon us and, I don’t know about you but, it’s been a bit of a task trying to squeeze in a last minute read or two.
Karen M. McManus, author of One of Us Is Lying, (now a darkly compulsive television adaptation, as well, first aired in October of 2021) has only continued to grow in popularity with each book she releases.
If that’s true.. Why, you ask, did I happen to pick up The Cousins first then?
Another blogger suggested it and that’s as good as gold on here.
Fans of We Were Liars are going to love this one.
(Disclaimer: This post contains affiliate links. Any purchases made through my links may earn me a small commission at no additional cost to you.)
The Cousins by Karen M. McManus
Publication date: December 1, 2020
Genre: Teen and Young adult, Fiction, Mystery, Thriller
Pages: 330
Standalone
First line: I’m late for dinner again, but this time it’s not my fault. There’s a mansplainer in my way.
Once Upon a Time.. There was a wealthy, powerful family who lived in relative peace on their very own island.
They wanted for nothing.
Until, one day, something terrible happened and the Story children were banished.
Each one claims to have no knowledge of why.
All of them could be lying.
Now, almost twenty years later, Mildred Story has invited her three grandchildren to spend a summer on that same island.
And, while none of the teens are interested in going, their parents are eager, almost desperate, to find a way back into Mildred’s good graces..
Even if it means using their own children to do so.
Four Stars!
Characters: Young. Unhappy.
Storyline: A tad predictable but enjoyable, nonetheless. It did manage to keep me turning pages.
Pace: Decent enough and suitable for the story.
Writing: Good. Intelligent. Interesting.
Multiple POV’s: Milly, Aubrey, Jonah, and a younger Allison (Milly’s mother)
The Story Cousins:
Mildred ‘Milly’: The beauty. Blunt. Intelligent. Angry. Observant.
Aubrey: The nice girl. Quiet. Sweet. Avoids confrontation.
Jonah: The unfriendly one. Smart. Secretive. Bitter.
The author did a good job at creating the characters.
None of the Story children (the parents) were likable, in fact, I was just about ready to smack a little sense into them for some of the crap they pull with their kids. They were a perfect example of why some people just need a good spanking. You know those people. Full of themselves, entitled, just expecting the world to fall at their feet. They showed no concern for what their children wanted and no consideration for their feelings.
It irked me.
Now, the cousins had their flaws, as well, but they’re teenagers.. That’s expected. They’re supposed to be making mistakes, growing, and finding themselves. But each one worked, like puzzle pieces, the characters fit into their places in the storyline remarkably well. Each one seems to make up for what the others lack, filling any spaces that might have dragged the story down.
Were there many twists and turns that kept you on the edge of your seat guessing, wondering, imagining what might be just around that next corner? Unfortunately, no. I had pretty much guessed the shocking truth of the story early on.. but that’s what you get for reading too many mysteries sometimes.
Something that impressed me was how McManus skillfully tip-toes around potentially triggering subjects.. done it in a way that speaks of careful consideration towards the reader.
Would I recommend The Cousins? Absolutely. It has actually made me even more interested in reading her other books.
My only warning would probably be.. Don’t be surprised when these kids actually act their age, it is a YA.
Quotes:
“I’m not sure which is more frustrating: that my mother is trying to blackmail me into spending the summer working for a grandmother I’ve never met, or that it’s totally going to work.”
“In the seconds before my grandmother regained her composure, one of my tangled thoughts separated from the rest with total, piercing clarity.
She had absolutely no idea that we were coming.”
“The Story family is seriously messed up.”
The simple truth of that hits me with more surprise than it should. Even though I’ve always known my father’s family wasn’t exactly normal, I used to think there was something…romantic, I guess, about their particular brand of dysfunction.
“The more time I spend around Aubrey, the more I think she couldn’t care less about the money. She just wants somebody in this messed-up family to give a shit about her.”
“There’s something dangerously seductive about Story secrets; they snake their way into your heart and soul, burrowing so deep that the very idea of exposing them feels like losing a part of yourself.”
And that’s all I have for today..
I appreciate you taking the time to read my review, I hope it was helpful, and here’s to April being a great month of reading for us all!
Have you read any of McManus’ books?
If so.. which one and what did you think of it?
Your review made me chuckle at points. I thought the ending of this one was shocking and oh, so creepy (if I remember correctly) and you are very right, McManus’ teen characters are truly YA. Excellent review!
Lol, I’m glad I could make you laugh!
I think I was a little disappointed that it wasn’t more convoluted than it was.. but maybe I’ve been reading too many adult mysteries lately.
Thank you, Tessa, I hope you’re enjoying your April reading so far!
What a great review and I like that you warn people that these characters will act their age as this is YA.
Lynn 😀
Thank you, Lynn! 😅
That’s a bit of a pet peeve of mine. YA or not..You almost never know what age the characters will act.
Wow sounds like a really interesting plot. Definitely adding it to my TBR list.
It was well done.. Not very heavy or dark but there were some decent twists.
I hope you enjoy it! ☺