Written from the perspective of our lead investigator in a series of horrific events at her private school, Jess is a deep character with a passion for justice and takes us on a truly jaw dropping journey to find the truth. 

Not only were the plot twists unpredictable, but I loved that the book pauses to give you chance to put forward your own theories before the big reveal. Although I was truly shocked by our ending it was heartwarming to see that amongst all the journalists who wanted a good headline there was one person who wanted to provide a true chance for the truth to be published from Jess’s experience at the centre of it all. 

From betrayal, to growth, from new friends to fractured feelings about old ones this book was shockingly engaging, and while some of the betrayals were heartbreaking the growth in relationships between other characters as they form new friendships were heartwarming in their own right.  

Overall I’m kind of mad I didn’t get to this sooner. Having recieved this as a physical arc from YALC I ADORED it and I I’ll definitely continue to check out this author and reccomend this book. 

Ravena Guron’s masterfully plotted rollercoaster of a debut is every Agatha Christie loving, murder mystery fans dream come true!  With a compellingly sharp witted protagonist, fast paced storyline and twists around every corner (and behind every dormitory door) This Book Kills is practically guaranteed to have you on the edge of your seats. 

Set against the backdrop of an elite boarding school—where a secret society run by students often has more sway than it’s teachers. We follow introverted scholarship student, Jess who finds herself at the centre of a murder investigation when the most popular boy in school—Hugh Henry Van Boren, dies 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 her scholarship on the line Jess must now uncover the identity of the murderer before she becomes their next victim. 

This was such an addictively immersive read that I literally couldn’t put down! The writing was gorgeously compelling and I absolutely loved our shy and slightly awkward protagonist Jess, who as a scholarship student often feels like she must prove she’s worthy of her place at Heybuckle, especially as she’s one of only a handful POC students at the school. 

But I loved her refreshing voice and personality which was soo different from all the self entitled people around her and her singleminded goal helped to keep a fairly clear focus on uncovering the killer, and their motive for murder—which truly made for an immersive (and enjoyable armchair detective style reading experience.)

I also liked that she wasn’t ashamed of her poorer (and less privileged) background and understood that the struggles she and her mum have faced over the years in preparing for a school like Heybuckle was something she should be proud of. Not to mention her rather close bond with her mum, which stands in stark contrast with the majority of her peers who have strained or toxic relationships with their parents. 

I also really liked Summer, fellow Scholarship student and Tommy, Jess’s longtime crush and the deceased Hugh’s best friend. And I admit, given how sweet their interactions were I was wholeheartedly rooting for Jess and Tommy to become more that friends. 

The mystery was phenomenally well done with twists, turns, scandals and secrets literally everywhere (along with several well placed red herrings) that I found myself (fuelled by paranoia and an incredibly late night of reading) suspecting literally everyone. Parents, teachers, the headmistress—EVERYONE! 

But I have to admit it wasn’t until very close to the end (when Jess uncovers a really big secret of Hugh’s) that I started to suspect who the killer was, though I wasn’t 100% correct in my guess. I loved the interactive aspect of solving the murder and loved that the proof even had notebook style page to jot down who I thought was the killer—it really added to the experience and I hope this is something that also makes it into the finished copy. 

Overall, an utterly gripping and plot twisty murder mystery that that manages to perfectly tackle themes of elitism and institutional corruption whilst simultaneously providing a deliciously satisfying ending that fans of Holly Jackson and Maureen Johnson are going to absolutely love! 

Also massive thank you to Nina Douglas and Usborne for the proof (and the chocolate which was delicious.) 

 A YA whodunnit set in an English boarding school. 

Between a crime fiction module at university, the thrillers I devoured on my year abroad and the occasional other book that has crossed my path; I have read a few mysteries, but I’ve never come across one aimed at or centred around teens in this way. It felt traditional in its style - I realised while reading there are similarities between the teens in This Book Kills and the older characters you often find in a Miss Marple for example, in that gossip is rife. This helps to create the red herrings that throw both the reader and the characters off finding the killer. I’ll be honest and say while I had suspected some of the twists that came towards the end, the killer was a complete surprise to me. 

I think Jess as the narrator was great; perhaps naïve in places - but she is a teen trying to solve a murder. We’re taken on the journey with her as she solves it but also while she’s trying to find her place in a school that has made her feel excluded because of class and race, and I think this discovery is what will make her relatable for younger readers.