Member Reviews

Fans of Pretty Little Liars, this is a book written just for you. The messages sent by Monday reminded me so much of that series, and I really enjoyed the similarities a lot. It was perfect.

I loved the mystery. A lot of mystery books have left me a little unsatisfied lately, but this one was just right. It had enough work by the main character to make the conclusion completely satisfying as well as twists and turns that I couldn’t see coming!

I loved the characters too. Crime novels are made or broken by the cast of characters in them and both the alive characters in the novel and the ones who are in the past made this a really great book.

A really fantastic novel.

Was this review helpful?

Ravens Guron is the queen of mysteries.

This was a twisty, multilayered mystery that kept me guessing until the very end. It had my heart thumping and my mind whirring trying to solve all of Monday’s clues.

The central friend group were phenomenal and felt like their very own scooby gang.

A must read for any fast paced mystery lovers.

Was this review helpful?

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for this ARC.

Guron has written an interesting concept here and I did enjoy seeing how it all unfolded over the course of the novel. However, there were just too many twists and turns for my liking - when reading detective noir-type books I like to be able to look back and see where seeds were planted for the big reveal, but it felt like the ending of this just came out of nowhere (at least for me!). Maybe others disagree but this did slightly dull my enjoyment of an otherwise fun book.

Was this review helpful?

I loved this book and it got me out of a slump. It was an easy to read YA thriller and an easy to follow storyline. I was guessing who Monday could be all the way through the book. I was happy I wasn't correct in my assumptions and that it had a good few twists. I thought the plot was really cleverly written and I'll miss the characters. Overall a great easy read for anyone who loves a good plot and rememberable characters.

Was this review helpful?

This was an intriguing and clever read. There are threatening letters from a mysterious “Monday”, a death that may not have been accidental, and a young woman determined to find out the truth.

Seventeen-year-old Kay is back in the small village of Longrove a year after she left it with her family. First the death of her friend Ivy in what was considered an accident and then the death from cancer of her aunt Sandra, who always treated her more like a daughter than her own mother did, led her family to move to London. Longrove is a sleepy town run by the sinister town Committee and now Kay is back to stay with her uncle and her cousin Nikki while her parents are enjoying a week away to celebrate their anniversary. However, on her first day back there, Kay finds a message on her bed in which someone, who signs themselves as “Monday”, describes a series of threats for her that will end with her death the following Monday. And as each threat takes place, Kay needs to figure out who is behind it with the help of her aunt’s notebooks and murder boards. From her cousin Nikki to her former best friends Mickey and Sophie, Kay’s list of suspects includes everyone in town and, as the threats become more dangerous and people start dying, Kay needs to figure out who “Monday” is and if their plan is connected to the death of her friend Ivy a year earlier.

I must admit that I had a bit of a slow-start in reading Mondays Are Murder, but as the pace picked up and the characters became more vivid and the story more suspenseful, I found myself completely immersed in the plot, the interesting characters, and the surprising twists. I liked being drawn into the mystery and trying to solve it together with Kay and her friends. Mondays Are Murder is the second book I’ve read by Ravena Guron, I like her writing and I am looking forward to her next story!

Was this review helpful?

Ravena Guron has created another gripping YA thriller that is sure to entice readers. Set against the dual tragedies of her aunt's death and the accidental death of a close friend, Kay thought that she had left the trauma behind her, when her parents moved away. However, a temporary visit to her Uncle propels Kay back into the world that she tried to forget.

Guron weaves a taut narrative of misdirection as secrets are unveiled and truths exposed. Familiar themes of school friendships, first love and social politics are all interwoven, but in a seemingly uncontrived way. Kay plays amateur sleuth often with dangerous consequences that will keep the reader on the edge of their seat.

Nobody is quite who they seem and potentially everyone is in danger.

Was this review helpful?

Fabulously intriguing and fast paced. I loved the character building and the twists involved. Very enjoyable read.

Was this review helpful?

Another fabulous twisty plot from Ravena which keeps you guessing right to the end. Confession, I didn’t work out who the villain was!
Kay has to go stay a week in the small town that she and her parents left a year ago, devastated by the death of her aunt. But that was not the only disaster to have struck before the family left and bit by bit we get to find out what the other local tragedy was.

Almost on arrival, Kay is left a threatening note telling her how each day that week something bad will happen, culminating with her own murder on the following Monday. Can Kay work out who the mysterious ‘Monday’ is before her own demise – and along the way confront and work through strained relationships with family and former friends who feel that she deserted them whilst confronting her own grief about her lost aunt and friend.

An excellent YA book, but will also work for middle grades with a high reading ability as there are no serious relationships/dating there.
Loved it and was unashamedly hooked from start to finish.

Was this review helpful?

Liked it . Due to health issues cannot not but will write a proper review at a later time
Recommended.
Many thanks to the publisher for this ARC, all opinions are mine

Was this review helpful?

4.5 stars

I have previously enjoyed both of Ravena Guron’s YA thrillers so I was very much looking forward to reading Mondays are Murder: I was not disappointed! Fast paced, fuelled with emotion and exploring the intricacies of friendship and family, this thriller had me hooked.

When Kay receives a note detailing a week of (what can only be described as) hell, leading to her own murder the coming Monday, we find ourselves in a race against time to discover the identity of ‘Monday’. Visiting her hometown brings a lot of emotion to the surface, and whilst I initially didn’t warm to Kay, it didn’t take long before I was fully invested and trying to solve the mystery for myself.

A whole host of characters, complicated relationships and an edge of your seat mystery, which genuinely had me feeling on edge at times, this is another brilliant addition to any YA thriller fan’s bookshelf.

Thank you to Usborne, Ravena Guron and NetGalley for my early review copy in exchange of a fair and honest review.

Was this review helpful?

Thank you NetGalley and Usborne for the ARC

Ravena Guron is fastening her position as a new YA thriller queen. Her plots are always tightly plotted and impossible to see through. Her characters are relatable and realistic. They might not be perfect but that make them even better in my opinion. As usual the mystery is fantastically plotted and I couldn't predict the ending. It was fast-paced, suspenseful and impossible to put down

Was this review helpful?

When Kay's parents book an anniversary cruise without her she is forced to return to her hometown to stay with her uncle and cousin - a place with a lot of bad memories as both her aunt and her best friend, Ivy, died there. And as soon as she arrives she receives an intriguing message promising her a thrill on Tuesday, a wreckage on Wednesday, treachery on Thursday, a fire on Friday, sabotage on Saturday, a stabbing on Sunday - and her murder on Monday. At first, she thinks it's all an elaborate game but soon things turn deadly and she must unmask the killer to save herself and her family.

It's a brilliantly intriguing concept and the author kept me hooked through all the twists and turns of the plot, and I have to say that I did not guess the murderer. Another pacy, tightly-plotted murder mystery from Ravena Guron.

Was this review helpful?

I really enjoyed Catch Your Death and This Book Kills so I was excited when I learnt that Guron had a new book coming out. Mondays are Murder is a pacy and twisty YA thriller that will keep you on the edge of your seat throughout. I will say some readers who are well versed in YA, New Adult or general thrillers may get a few guesses right but I doubt all the loose ends can be guessed before the big reveal.

What I do like about Guron is how their characters are realistic. Whether you like all of them or not you will at least get dragged in to their lives. I also think there is a nice mix of characters with their own motives and reasons for doing what they do. I don’t personally think, within the genre, it’s farfetched at any point though.

This was a really good read and I think it has serious re-read potential. If you have enjoyed Guron’s previous books like me you will love this one.

As always thank you to Usborne for the advanced copy to review, my reviews are always honest and freely given.

Was this review helpful?

The different ways people grieve is explored in this novel. Kay receives a strange threat when she returns to her hometown - in the letter it states that she will be (amongst other things) murdered the following Monday. As the days progress and other threats come true, her time is limited to work out who the antagonist is and what they want from her. Reconnecting with old friends she uncovers the truth about her friend Ivy's death and helps her cousin and uncle grieve for her aunt.
The mysterious threat within this novel is nicely balanced with the exploration of grief, and keeps the plot fresh and pacey

Was this review helpful?

I liked this book a lot, it was quite slow at the beginning but once it got going I was hooked! I was constantly guessing who Monday could be and was surprised by the ending. Perfect for a quick and fun mystery read!

Was this review helpful?

Another gripping novel from Ravena Guron. I've really enjoyed her other books, so was very excited to read this one. It had definite touches of Good Girl's Guide to Murder, with massive family overtones to the plot. I did find the story a bit long, however. I found myself losing focus on the plot as the week went on, and the "week" as the plot device seemed to last an extremely long time, which made it feel very unrealistic. Otherwise, I found the story and the ending satisfying, and overall enjoyed the characters (whom I flip-flopped on "whodunnit" multiple times! Great job).

Was this review helpful?

Ravena Guron quickly became one of my favourite YA thriller / mystery authors after reading just one book of hers. Mondays Are Murder keeps her in that category.

Mondays Are Murder is fast paced and twist. It took me a while to determine who Monday was! I did have a suspicion but no clues or evidence directly pointed in that direction so I wasn’t sure. I did enjoy the big reveal, it felt very sinister.

I loved the plotting of this story, and while the packing was fast, sometimes I felt this book could’ve been sharper and a bit quicker. It felt like the story got lost in the middle, with no real determinations being made, nothing substantial happening.

I liked the mystery element surrounding Ivy’s death and how that was impacting present day events in terms of the threats being made, but also how this had an impact on all the relationships in the book, like Kay’s with her friendship group.

I unfortunately did not find myself on board with the side plot romance, not because anything was wrong with it but because there was such a lack of chemistry! I knew it was going to happen because that’s typical, but the characters themselves just didn’t have any romantic chemistry. To be fair, the love interest didn’t really seem to have any personality outside following Ivy around.

I wish the book focused more on Kay and Nikki and their relationship, and their shared grief for Sandra. I feel like while Kay had some inner development with Nikki’s perspective on things, it would’ve been nice to see them have a conversation and work together through it. While it did end with them in a better place, I would have liked to see some of the in between stuff to get them there.
This was a good book, with some really great writing and scenes of tension. I just think it maybe could have been shorter.

Was this review helpful?

j'ai aimé le contexte et les personnages même si j'ai trouvé dommage que le rythme ne soit pas complétement au rendez-vous. La tension et la curiosité sont pourtant bien présentes et j'avais envie d'avoir les réponses à mes nombreuses questions. Les protagonistes sont à la fois attachants et agaçants, on a envie de les voir découvrir la vérité, on se méfie de tout le monde mais j'avoue, je me suis totalement laissée berner par le final et ses révélations. Une intrigue certes un peu lente mais qui réserve un final en feu d'artifice qui m'a permis de refermer ce roman sur une note positive ! Une autrice que je suivrai avec plaisir !

Was this review helpful?

This book has such a fun premise. A girl returns to a place where she used to live to find a note on her bed from an anonymous source who calls themselves Monday saying that they are going to play a game which will end with her murder. Kay finds herself wondering who she can trust while trying to discover who is targeting her.

This book gave me Pretty Little Liar vibes. Some chapters would end with an exciting event making me want to read on as fast as possible and at other times you would be given space to breathe just as the characters themselves felt themselves lulled into a false sense of security.

Was this review helpful?

4.5 Stars. This would’ve been five stars because the story was amazing, I loved the characters, the suspense, EVERYTHING. But, there was one little bit that took me out of the story and really irked me. Everything else was amazing and I devoured this, but I had to put it down for a while because of this line.

spoiler:
I took off a half star for this: When the paramedic tells Kay “you’ve fractured your ankle - but its not a break”. Because… thats just straight up wrong. A paramedic can say “you’ve probably fractured your ankle” but I can’t think of any medical staff that can confirm a fracture without a scan - XRAY. So they really can’t say that. Second thing - a fracture IS a break. They’re the same thing, people seem to think theres a difference, but there really isn’t. I think the idea is people think a break is right through the bone, and a fracture is just a little bit. But they’re BOTH breaks and so this line just really bothered me, especially when Kay then jokes that she told Nikki she’s not break her leg falling off the roof …. Because she broke her ANKLE (which, most people would refer to as leg) falling off the roof.

Was this review helpful?