Murder On A School Night by Kate Weston Review

Title: Murder On A School Night

Author: Kate Weston

Genre: YA Thriller/ Mystery

Publisher: Electric Monkey

Pages: 336

Release Date: 6 July 2023

Goodreads | Amazon | Waterstones | Blackwells | B&N 

Hello fellow booklovers! Today I'm sharing my review for Murder On A School Night by Kate Weston. A fast paced, feminist and wickedly funny YA murder mystery that reads like A Good Girl’s Guide To Murder meets Georgia Nicholson. If you love your suspense with a healthy does of humour then I definitely suggest checking this out.

Synopsis

 Sixth formers Kerry and Annie are nerdy, horny, hilarious, and exceptionally uncool.

They’re never invited to parties, picked for sports teams or included in jokes, yet together they form a unit so great that they don’t need anyone else.

But, when they’re approached by the popular Heather and invited to one of the coolest parties in town to help her find out who’s been trolling her from an account claiming to be her dead dad, their investigations take a turn.

Heather’s best friend is found murdered. Suffocated with a mooncup.

Uncovering eye watering secrets, Kerry and Annie learn that everyone’s got dirty secrets to hide, no matter their popularity…

Review

Navigating friendships, first love, and period positivity (as well as being packed with Kate Weston’s signature brand of British humour), we follow two socially awkward teens (Kerry and Annie) as they try to solve the recent spate of tampon and period pad-based murders plaguing their small town.

Firstly, I just want to say, the marketing and PR for this book has been insanely creative (the period pad bookmark is quite possibly my new fave and should you buy from a UK store definitely check to see if they still have any left.) And I’m glad to report that it also lived up to all my expectations with its satirical, Holly Jackson meets Sex Education style premise.

Our protagonists, Kerry and Annie were refreshingly relatable (and endearing) in all their teenage awkwardness. Especially Kerry, who would rather stay home and fantasise about cute boys, than risk the humiliation of trying to hang out with the popular kids.

Her introverted nature really resonated with teenage me and her ride or die loyalty for bestie (and resident sleuth) Annie was soo adorable. Given Annie’s determination to become popular by finding the killer, leads them into soo much danger—I applaud their Pretty Little Liars-level of curiosity, as I could never have been that brave.

The murder mystery aspect was also well explored with plenty of suspects and red herrings to keep us readers on our toes. And I can honestly say I didn’t work out who the murderer was, which is rare as I usually manage to (at least partially) guess correctly before the big reveal.

Like most YAs, the adults are for the most part absent, with the town’s local Police officers being woefully inadequate and condescending. But their interactions with Kerry and Annie though infuriating at times were also quite entertaining—one officer actually thought a menstrual cup was a shot glass, which make me chuckle.

The conversation around menstruation and periods is an important one (and pretty pivotal to the book’s narrative), so I was impressed with openness and humour with which Kate Weston manages to explore it.

I’m not the target audience for this (given I am in my 30s) but I’m confident a lot of teens will enjoy this and hopefully come away with a more positive outlook on periods, I just wish I’d been able to read this when I was teen.

Overall, a fun and entertaining read that’s perfect for YA loving fans of Holly Bourne, Holly Jackson or Sex Education.

Also, a huge thank you to Electric Monkey books for the proof.

Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️/5

About The Author 

Kate Weston is an ex–stand-up comedian (never won any awards) and a bookseller (never won any awards at that either). She now writes books for teenagers. Her first book, Diary of a Confused Feminist, was longlisted for the CWIP Prize and nominated for the Carnegie Medal. Murder On A School Night is her third book for teens.

Website | Twitter | Instagram | Goodreads