*Four-Letter Word* by Gretchen McNeil is a gripping and twisty YA thriller that keeps readers on edge with its fast-paced plot and unexpected turns. McNeil expertly balances suspense and drama, creating a story that's both intense and highly entertaining.

Izzy lives in a sleepy north Californian coastal town. She wants to get out, even if that means following her mom's dream instead of her own. When her family has a chance to host a foreign exchange student from Italy, her mom jumps at the chance so Izzy can work on her italian before going to Italy to study art. At first, Alberto is a nice change to the town. andsome & charming, he helps Izzy's mom get out of her depression and excited about life again. Izzy thinks he's cute, but her best friend Peyton practically throws herself at him. Alberto loves the attention, and seems like a regular college guy. At first. Then they FBI comes knocking on Izzy's door about a serial killer that has moved up the coast of California in the last coulpe of months. They tracked him down to the flight Alberto flew in on. Even though she ha her suspicions before, Izzy knows Alberto is the killer after her visit with the FBI. But, she will have to survive the threats to her life in order to prove he's the killer.

This was a pretty good YA thriller, A few twists and turns, a little romance, some friend drama, and a serial killer! Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the advance copy in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.

I was very intrigued about the storyline of hosting an exchange student from Italy and how it changes lives in a small town. Add to that a serial killer that is on the loose and the town is in trouble. Alberto, Izzy's exchange student, may not be who he says he is and Izzy decides that she needs to find out what is going on quickly more people get hurt. Thank you to the author, publisher and NetGalley for providing an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Gretchen McNeil's Four Letter Word is a story about a family that welcomes an exchange student into their Eureka, California home only to find out that things aren't what they seem. Elizabeth (Izzy) Bell is a true crime fan. She loves listening to "Murder Will Speak" which is a true docuseries featuring a serial killer they call Casanova who targets single women in bars.

Izzy has been looking forward to fulfilling her mother’s dream of studying abroad in Italy. Going into her senior year, Izzy is counting down the days until she can leave her humdrum life behind, until Alberto Bianchi, a handsome and mysterious Italian exchange student shows up for his stay with her family. Now life in her hometown doesn’t seem so drab, as Izzy, and everyone else, is immediately charmed by Alberto and his irresistible accent. But something about Alberto isn’t quite…right.

As an avid true crime fan, Izzy has been following a serial killer case in San Francisco, and the murderer, whose description bears a passing resemblance to the Italian exchange student living in her house, seems to have made his way north. As Izzy pays closer attention to Alberto—his actions, his temper—she finds more and more holes in his story that he has trouble explaining away. When a local girl who was friendly with her brother Riley is murdered, Izzy thinks Alberto might not be who he seems.

Worse, a series of “accidents” seem to target Izzy herself. In a race against the clock, Izzy must convince anyone that Alberto could be a notorious killer before another girl ends up dead.

*Thoughts* Four Letter Word reimagines the classic Hitchcock film Shadow of a Doubt from a fresh perspective. Overall, a decent mystery although it was pretty clear who the killer was. Didn't see the betrayal by a family member though. Izzy is a character who has been the lost sheep of the family, as it were. Her brothers are doing things they want to do, but Izzy is expected to live the life her mother left behind when she started having kids.

The author does do a good job of explaining how Beth Bell has dealt with BiPolar issues as well as other things I shant spoil. Effective immediately, if you have a white character who bitches about white privilege, I am reducing my rating by a minimum of 1 rating point. I am in my 60s and I would love to know WTF white privilege is because I need some of it in my life as do the 50% of homeless people who have white skin.

Izzy dreams of escaping her hometown, but instead she is stuck trying to live her mothers dream. Now a charming foreign exchange student named Alberto has come to stay with them. There is a serial killer on the loose and Izzy is an advid fan of following the case. Why does Alberto suddenly seem to have many similarities of this murderer? Can Izzy solve this without getting herself killed? Enjoyable mystery to try to solve. Recommended read.

For so long Izzy has been trapped in her hometown. With her older brothers all having left, she is the one stuck at home dealing with her mum’s mental health disorder. While she can’t think of a way out, Izzy is stuck living a life she dislikes.
When we meet Izzy she is preparing for the arrival of her foreign exchange student, Alberto. Much as she dislikes the thought, it has become a way of keeping her mum happy. Just like going to study abroad has become her aim, though it’s really the lost dream her mother had.
The arrival of Alberto seems positive in so many ways. He is charming, and people fall under his spell. But there is a serial killer on the loose, and the most recent kills have been close to home. Is Izzy presumptuous in thinking her exchange student might not be quite what he says?
From the moment we’re given the info about the serial killer it’s hard not to see where this is headed. The set-up seems ridiculous, and I’m struggling to imagine that so many people could be so dense - even when the evidence is staring them in the face.
This is the kind of book that could rate as one of the silliest I’ve read in a while. However, I’m sure it will have its share of fans.

Izzy has always wanted to study abroad in Italy, and when her family hosts an Italian exchange student, she is excited to learn from him. Alberto is handsome, charming... and possibly a serial killer. Izzy is obsessed with true crime podcasts, and begins to suspect Alberto, especially when it begins to look like she could be the next victim.

I generally enjoy Gretchen McNeil's books, and this one was pretty decent. My biggest pet peeve was the way she wrote in Alberto's accent. I have personally hosted an exchange student, and most of them don't sound like that, with-a an a-a at the end-a of every word-a. It's kind of stereotypical and insulting, on top of being pretty inaccurate. Italians don't generally sound like Mario. Other than that, it was solid, if a bit forgettable. A lot of my students will enjoy it.

I received this ARC courtesy of NetGalley in return for my honest review.

I couldn't finish this book. The opening was so discombobulated that I had to go back and re-read the description to even figure out what the book was supposed to be about. The characters didn't stand out from one another, and when I got to the main girl character calling her dad some a "white guy who thought his jokes and opinions" apparently needed to be said no matter what I was just done. I won't continue reading books where the author thinks it's ok to use race as part of an insult for a character.

Thank you Netgalley and Disney Hyperion for the ARC!

I have read many reviews that call the story predictable. Yes, you figure out who the serial killer is early in the book, but the author keeps us in suspense as Izzy figures it out. In addition to wondering if she is right about him, there is a romance brewing, issues with her best friend, many things going wrong in her family, and a foreign exchange student living in her house. This is not the summer Izzy thought she would have right before her senior year.
McNeil's descriptions of Eureka, California and the house Izzy lives in are rich in detail, immersing the reader in the scenes.
I really enjoyed this book & will be purchasing it for my high school library.


Content Warnings: Language, murder, mental illness (bipolar), violence, & since the publisher as it rated at age 12+, I think I should mention:
*there is a make out session that gets a little steamy, Nothing explicit. (pushes her shirt up & kisses her stomach, hands caressing her body)
*There are gory details of some of the killings and debate on whether the killer had sex with the female victims before, during or after killing them.

Four Letter Word by Gretchen McNeil was an interesting read with some great characters. I would like a follow up to this book.

The author did an amazing job in her descriptions of the settings, her characters, etc. I was easily able to create a vision of what was happening in my mind. I did feel as though a lot of the story was predictable. I appreciated the rawness of Izzy exploring her relationship with her mother and working on trying to find a way to form her own identity and life fulfilling her wants and wishes. Overall not a bad read.

Thank you to Netgalley for a digital ARC.

I tend to love all of Gretchen McNeil's books. While I enjoyed reading Four Letter Word, something was missing for me. I would recommend reading it and also checking out other books by her.

Izzy’s mom has planned for her to study abroad in Italy and Izzy has looked forward to leaving her boring life behind. When Alberto, an Italian foreign exchange student, moves in with them, she realizes that her life isn’t as boring as she thought. Izzy is also a true crime fan and has been following a case of a serial killer in San Francisco. When the murderer seems to have traveled north, Izzy wonders if Alberto is who he says he is.

Four Letter Word is a predictable mystery that was still enjoyable to read. McNeil was able to put in a few unexpected twists and turns, but the trajectory of the story followed the usual path. I was satisfied with the ending, but I only recommend this for those who need a simple escape and not a heart-pounding mystery.

This book is so-called "young adult" fiction, but it would more accurately be described as "adolescent" fiction. The structure and wording are often awkward and unpolished; the language is definitely filled with our society's idea of adolescent language - often crude and profane. The story itself is well structured, with many unpredictable plot twists, smooth scene transitions, etc. A younger reader would likely identify with the characters more; I found them a little stereotypical and unrelatable. The extra star in my rating is a gift to compensate for the genre being out of my preference.

An okay young adult thriller, with a protagonist who sometimes leans towards sounding like a middle grade character, while about to go to college. This is a quick book, so don't expect too much character development for the side characters/friends/family, and when deaths start occurring, there may not be a huge emotional impact as a result. I would recommend this book for fans of Karen McManus and Holly Jackson, though the plot is a bit more predictable.

Four Letter Word is a gripping, entertaining YA thriller that keeps you hooked through the last page. The storyline is predictable but the storytelling and main character- Izzy- make up for it. You’re rooting for Izzy and her growth throughout the book; it is satisfying and empowering which, for me, overshadowed the predictability.

I received a digital ARC courtesy of NetGalley and Disney Hyperion.

Thank you Netgalley and Disney Hyperion for the ARC!

"Four Letter Word" by Gretchen McNeil is a thrilling mystery that intertwines the hunt for a serial killer with themes of family, friendship, love, and self-discovery. Izzy, the protagonist, grapples with the challenges of her family dynamic—her mom's mental illness, her dad's constant work, and her attempt to fulfill her mom's dreams. The introduction of an Italian exchange student into their lives adds an element of mystery as Izzy begins to question whether things are truly as they seem.

Some parts of the mystery were a bit predictable, specifically with hints/clues about the exchange student. I thought McNeil was piling on a little too much in regards to the clues, but I think if you’re a younger reader, this type of mystery would work well. While the MC is close to graduating high school, this book read younger, like with Izzy’s inner monologue and the actions of her best friend. I think this book would work best with younger YA readers.

Despite the clues surrounding the exchange student, there were still some unexpected twists, keeping me on the edge of my seat during the final stretch of the book. The family dynamic explored throughout this book was the most interesting part to me as I found the mystery cliché, but the family aspect, like with Izzy’s mom, was well-developed and explored through different angles. Izzy’s self-exploration was also interesting to read as she tried to figure out how to live her own life instead of her mother’s, which some readers may be able to connect with throughout the book.

I will say that Arnaldo’s accent throughout the book was the one thing that kept taking me out of the story. I just kept thinking of Mario whenever Arnaldo would add -a to the ends of random words, like “take-a me home-a.” It was done throughout the book to show he had an accent, but I just honestly thought the accent was a bit overdone, though that could have been what the author was trying to do (in relation to the mystery).

I would definitely consider this a light-hearted, entertaining read. One that you could read in a day or to help you overcome a book slump. I would rate this 3 stars.

This was a tough one for me to get through. I had hoped it would be better as I’d loved #murdertrending, but the last few books by this author just haven’t worked for me. The pacing is way too slow to keep one’s interest. If I had trouble pushing through, I’m not sure the high schoolers I work with would even finish it. The premise is interesting, but the synopsis gives too much away and there is little else to be revealed.

First of all, thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for an advance copy of Four Letter Word. In the past, I've enjoyed most of Gretchen McNeil's work, and it circulates well in my library. However, Four Letter Word just fell flat for me. I felt like the bulk of the story was laid bare in the synopsis, and I was able to predict what was going to happen beat by beat. If I have extra money in my budget to spend, I'll add this as an additional selection because the author's works do usually circulate, but it's not a first choice for me.

I took a chance and requested this because it sounded so intriguing.....unfortunately the author's writing style is so boring - pace included.

I wanted to be scared because the plot is very interesting, but none of that even happened. What a chore to read.