Review: People Like Us by Dana Mele

I was sent this awesome book by the lovely folks as Penguin Random House (Thank you!) and I loved it so much.

 

Kay Donovan may have skeletons in her closet, but the past is past, and she's reinvented herself entirely. Now she's a star soccer player whose group of gorgeous friends run their private school with effortless popularity and acerbic wit. But when a girl's body is found in the lake, Kay's carefully constructed life begins to topple.

The dead girl has left Kay a computer-coded scavenger hunt, which, as it unravels, begins to implicate suspect after suspect, until Kay herself is in the crosshairs of a murder investigation. But if Kay's finally backed into a corner, she'll do what it takes to survive. Because at Bates Academy, the truth is something you make...not something that happened.

 

 

Firstly, let's talk about this cover. It's incredible. How cute are those Prep School uniforms.. but slightly creepy, right? This cover suits the book perfectly! I'd describe this book as Dangerous Girls meets Pretty Liars in a prep school setting.

I find that the more YA thrillers I read, the fewer of them I find completely original and captivating. Thankfully, this is one of those rare YA mystery thrillers that is both complelling and completely unputdownable. It didn't feel cliche or predictable, but unpredictable and exciting. I loved it!

I loved Kay and her band of diverse friends/enemies! The characters were well written and imagined, and each feels very real. One of my favourite things about this book is that everyone is a little bit shady and no-one is perfect. Therefore everyone is a suspect... literally everyone! I couldn't guess at any point who the murderer was, but yet looking back the foreshadowing and clues were excellent. Everything was so well plotted, and nothing felt unnecessary or frivelous - I am so impressed given that this is a debut novel. I also loved the setting. There's something about the idea of murders in a school where no-one can get away... it's so creepy!

 

Dark and twisty... this book is a sure winner, and I'm sure it will be a bestseller in time.

Final thoughts:
The case is diverse and the setting is fabulous... all in all, one of the best YA thrillers I've read.

Quotes:

• "Beneath the silvery moonlight, our skin gleams like bones."

 

•  "Who will I be when I emerge this time?"

 

•  "I guess redemption doesn't work that way..."

 
What do you guys think? I'd love to know your thoughts!
Love,