Title: This Book Kills
Author: Ravena Guron
Genre: YA Thriller
Publisher: Usborne
Pages: 384
Release Date: 5 January 2023
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Hello fellow book lovers, today I'm sharing my review for Ravena Guron’s masterfully plotted debut, This Book Kills. A sharp witted and plot twisty YA Thriller that Agatha Christie loving, murder mystery fans are practically guaranteed to love!
Synopsis
"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.
Review
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 manages to perfectly tackle themes of elitism and institutional corruption whilst also 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.
Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️/5
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