I've been an avid lover of YA murder mysteries and thrillers for a while now and 'This Book Kills' satisfied everything I look for in a murder mystery.

This Book Kills is a murder mystery with a very straightforward premise. One of the most popular and richest kids is found dead and it is up to Jess--the main character--to solve it. Why? Because her scholarship is at risk. And also because the kid who died, did so in the exact same way as a character in a short story Jess wrote.

This Book Kills is an atmospheric story that captures the heart of school drama really well.. It tackles the very real difficulties of being a fish out of water. Coupled with the murder mystery, it makes for a tense and thrilling ride. As the story progresses information is revealed expertly, as though one is peeling back layers of an onion one by one. And the pay off is superb. The murder, their means and motive all made sense and while I did not fully comprehend the magnitude of the reveal, I was proud to have pieced together parts of the mystery.

If you enjoy a grounded, tense mystery that features an entertaining cast, boarding school shenanigans, drama, and the importance of being your true self, I cannot recommend this book highly enough!

I enjoyed reading this, although it felt a little amateurish at times - but it’s aimed at young people and so taking that into account I think it’s a very well written book. It would be perfect for fans of ‘The Good Girls Guide to Murder’ and ‘One of Us Is Lying’ as it felt very similar in style to both these novels.

This Book Kills is set at a prestigious boarding school, with an engaging cast of characters who are all more complex than they first appear. It's smart, well-paced and although it may be a little predictable at times (yes, I guessed whodunnit), the conclusion is ultimately satisfying.

The mystery is well-structured, very much designed to get the reader involved in the investigation, with clues and red herrings interwoven throughout to keep you guessing. Jess really grew on me as a narrator - you rarely get to see a detective figure with some character development - and I found her amateur investigations entirely believable.

An enjoyable and gripping YA thriller - This Book Kills is a real page-turner, and I couldn't put it down.

Pacing of thriller/mystery books seem to be really hit and miss for me personally, but this one definitely did it perfectly. I read over half the book in one sitting, and if it wasn't for my plane landing I think I'd have probably continued until I finished!

The start had enough build up to get us up to speed with the characters and setting, but not too much that I get bored waiting for something to happen. Similarly the endings to these types of book are often far too abrupt for my liking, again not the case here! I was so satisfied with how things were wrapped up.

I am also a big fan of diverse characters who have real personalities outside of their diverse characteristics and stereotypes, which again, is the case here. Three dimensional characters are so important and I really hate when they're reduced to a caricature.

4.5 stars rounded down to a 4. Definitely something I would recommend if you enjoyed One of Us is Lying, or Good Girls Guide to Murder!

Though the pace and premise of this book were good, it was not for me.

The story had potential and did keep me guessing throughout, however, I found the characters difficult to empathise with. I think this was due to the lack of detail given to their descriptions, which made them pretty two-dimensional. Not only this but, all of the characters were very cliché - I know it's a young adult book but these were definitely same-old-same-old personalities.

I also felt that the settings could have been afforded a little more description.

Maybe all this is just coming from the fact that I usually read Middle Grade and these generally have such rich description of places and people, but I just feel like the story would have benefitted from a deeper portrayal of these things.

Thanks to Netgalley and Usborne for allowing me to read this arc!

Wowwwww what a book! A fantastic YA mystery thriller which I gobbled up in a couple of days. The perfect blend of humour, wit, twists and turns! A fun cast of characters, super grateful for the South Asian representation as I haven't read many books that have an Indian main character.

The location and setting was fun, many mystery, thriller books are set in a boarding school so felt very familiar. Gave me truly devious vibes.

Loved this book, and I'm super excited for other people to read it. 4.5/5

I quite enjoyed this book. It kept me interested and, although I was able to solve some of the clues dropped along the way, I wasn't able to work it all out. Definitely a YA book but I wonder how much interest there is in the target group for crime fiction because I dont know any young adults.

An incredibly satisfying YA murder mystery that celebrates Agatha Christie-esque plots and adapts them for the twenty-first century. With a likeable, snarky heroine, and an immensely fun vibe running throughout, 'This Book Kills' is a joy to read. Did I solve the murder? Yes - but only down to some great plotting and well-fleshed out characters. I'll be keeping an eye out for Ravena Guron's future works.

An enjoyable read with a number of hints and twists that keep you on your toes. It touches on a variety of real world issues alongside the plot of the novel. Characters are interesting and it would be great to have a sequel set 10-15 years in the future with a more adult feel! Lots of scope for that to happen. Looking forward to reading more from this author in the future.

I really loved this book. I love UKYA. I love boarding school books. This has me hooked from the outset and I really did not want to put it down as I needed to know what happened next.

'This Book Kills' by Ravena Guron has a great story and is even a little bit interactive (which I found very exciting!). I will not spoil the surprise but keep an eye on all the clues along the way for a chance to play detective. Jess is a scholarship student at an elite boarding school. After the murder of her classmate Hugh, she finds herself famous for all the wrong reasons as a short story she co-authored seems to have inspired the murderer's choice of weapon and location. Plus, she is now getting threatening texts telling her she will be next!

This is a fast-paced and enjoyable read. Your suspicions as to the identity of the murderer will change every two pages (as mine did) and the book really keeps you guessing. Wrapped up the mystery we have secret societies, corruption and relationship drama, everything you could want in a detective story to get your teeth into. If you love 'Truly Devious', then this book has the vibes, characters and plot for you.

Overall, an easily awarded five stars. Bring on future Ravena Guron books I say!

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher who provided an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.

If you have a teenager in your life who, when younger, was a fan of Robin Stevens’ superb 1930s-set Wells & Wong series, then you can’t go far wrong with giving them a copy of This Book Kills.

While the setting is contemporary, many of the same themes - privilege as exemplified by the British boarding school system, race, belonging - are present in this debut novel. And the murder mystery is as twisty and satisfying as Stevens’ best.

Highly recommended for teens age 13-14 up. Fans of Karen McManus will also find much to enjoy.

3.5 stars

I was super intrigued by the concept of This Book Kills, mainly because I'm a huge fan of thrillers and this sounded so interesting. This book definitely lives up to my high expectations going into it! The pacing was done incredibly well, which meant I ended up flying through the pages, and the constant twists and turns in the plot kept it fresh and exciting. All the characters are developed amazingly and I particularly enjoyed reading from Jess's perspective because of the writing style and unique voice.

Though I had no clue who the murderer was for the first half of the book, I think it became more obvious in the latter half due to the deliberate framing of certain dialogue and actions. When the reveal happened, I found it difficult to be too surprised. Luckily though, this mostly didn't affect my enjoyment of the book.

Overall, a strong entry into the YA thriller scene, and I'm definitely excited to see what this author writes in the future!

Scheduled for release in January 2023, thanks to NetGalley for giving me the opportunity to review this early…a debut influenced heavily by A Good Girl’s Guide and the Truly Devious series. Great fun, and definitely one to recommend.
Jess Choudhary is a scholarship student at an elite school. She’s used to feeling on the outskirts of things, but when one of the wealthiest and most popular boys in the school is found dead things get difficult. Though it’s hushed up, his murder was carried out almost word for word like the story Jess and another student wrote for a school assignment. When Jess receives a text thanking her for the inspiration, we know things are about to become difficult.
Impeded by the stipulation that their behaviour is exemplary, neither Jess nor Summer can take the risk of stirring up too much trouble. With a secret society stirring trouble for the ‘poors’, it’s apparent that someone is exploiting the institutional issues for their own gain.
With its dark undertones of institutionalised racism, and the very apparent exploitation of status for personal gain, this gave a rather derivative book a real bite. Jess and her attempts at investigation are well-meaning but rather inept…and she comes to depend on the very people who are so keen to ostracise her just a little too much for my liking.
While this didn’t exactly offer anything new, it is still a great read. I can’t wait to see how it fares when it’s let loose on the world.

This is the sort of book that reluctant readers can really get on board with!
I am reviewing this book as a professional librarian not as a fan of YA because I think that is fairer and more helpful.
Overall the basic premise of the book is good. A murder at an elitist boarding school with a relatable protagonist is an easy sell to a YA audience!
The text is not simplistic but the language is accessible, the plot contains twists and turns without being overly complex and the narrative voice is believable as a teenager. All these aspects make it very successful in my opinion.
Personally, I found some characters almost caricaturish particularly Millie, and the ending was almost too neat (although got to love a kiss in the fireworks) but this does not take from the positives of Guron's writing.
Definitely a must buy for librarians who have mystery fans from KS3+

Perfect for fans of Truly Devious, This Book Kills does a great job of combining the most popular themes in boarding school fiction, like relationship drama, elitism and secret societies, with a well-paced and intriguing murder mystery that keeps the reader turning pages.

Boarding school books are very popular in my libraries, whether they are mysteries or otherwise. I'll definitely be purchasing copies and recommending them to readers of Murder Most Unladylike and Truly Devious.

There's a murderer on the loose in an elite boarding school... But who is going to be next? This Book Kills is the YA thriller of 2023, perfect for fans of Holly Jackson and Karen McManus."I'll make it clear from the start: I did not kill Hugh Henry Van Boren. I didn't even help. Well, not intentionally."When Hugh Henry Van Boren, one of the most popular and richest kids in Jess Choudhary's school, is found dead, the student body is left reeling and wondering who the murderer could be... Jess, a student under strict instructions to keep her record clean or risk losing her scholarship, finds herself at the centre of the investigation when it's revealed that Hugh died in the exact same way as a character in a short story she wrote.And then Jess receives an anonymous text thanking her for the inspiration.With time running out, Jess knows if she doesn't solve this mystery she'll finally have something in common with Hugh Henry. She'll be dead too.
Really enjoyed this book totally recommend
Thank You NetGalley and Usborne Publishing
I just reviewed This Book Kills by Ravena Guron. #ThisBookKills #NetGalley

What an amazing book!
The book is super exciting and would love to read more from the author!

Thankyou netgalley for the ARC

Wow, this was an incredible debut novel! The writing was phenomenal; the setting was very immersive and the perfect setting for a murder mystery. During one particular scene, my heart was thumping and I had to turn the lights on, which never happens to me! That just shows how well written and gripping this novel is. I did guess the murderer quite early on, however this did not take anything away from my experience of reading this book which I was very happy about as this is a common issue I have with YA mysteries. I absolutely adored the interactive element before the final reveal; it was so cool to turn the page and get to watch a video from the author them self giving you a recap of the clues. The note pages were also a great addition and I think that more books should add this as it makes the whole experience really engaging; it feels like you also solved the murder!

As for the characters, I thought they were really well developed, despite there being so many of them. You got given just enough knowledge about the background characters to make them familiar, but not too much so that mysterious atmosphere remains. Overall, I thoroughly enjoyed this book and I highly recommend it to everyone!

Thank you so much to Netgalley and Usborne for the ARC!

This was an excellent YA thriller that had me gripped from the start, to the point where I barely wanted to stop reading until I finished and was disappointed that I had to eat and sleep in between.

There was a very strong narrative voice and the main character was even snarky and sarcastic at times which did provide some effective comic relief in the storytelling. Jess was portrayed very realistically, allowing you to relate to her struggles, and the prejudices she sometimes experienced were sensitively handled. All of the characters in this novel were believable, realistic and multi-dimensional.

The plot itself was crafted brilliantly - I was not able to guess who the murderer was, and upon finding out it was still believable enough that I wanted to go back and reread the book to spot all the clues that I had missed, which to me is a mark of a great murder mystery - it takes the reader by surprise, but there were enough clues planted that you could have figured it out earlier.

Overall, I thoroughly enjoyed this book, and would love to read anything that Ravena Guron writes next.