The Cousins

This is a great novel from Karen M. McManus. It follows three cousins who are invited under mysterious circumstances to work on their grandmothers resort. All of their parents were disinherited years ago so the parents of the three see it as a chance to get their inheritance back or at least just reconnect with the grandmother. The more the summer goes on all three cousins become closer and band together to solve the mystery of why their parents were cut off while things get more dire and mysterious on the island. Most reviews on this book are mixed but I love it a lot more than most of McManus' fan base does. The reasoning is all of these characters are complicated especially the lead character Milly and the male lead Jonah who both seem one way in the story but the more you learn about them the more dimensions they have. I love characters that are complex like that and I love characters that you both sympathize with and root for them to become more caring and kind. The dilemmas that each cousin has with their parents are ones every person can find something to connect with and this book explores class issues very well especially in examining the devide between the family of the cousins and many other people in town. I also like that like all of her books Karen M. McManus splits the narrative between the three leads Milly, Aubrey and Jonah that helps the readers really get to know who they are and see their growth. Overall, a great coming of age mystery think of it as knives out meets Stephen King meets coming of age book. I fully recommend this book and the hardcover copy was amazing

Family can be terrifying and McManus proves this in her latest release, COUSINS. This book was a pure JOY to read. Not only because I was shocked at the twist and turn of events towards the end but because I was able to DEVOUR this book at warp speed. You guys, I have had the HARDEST time when it comes to being able to read a book in a day (I used to be able to, but the past few months has changed this). With this one, it was NO TROUBLE AT ALL. That’s how good it is; the novel is intriguing, mysterious, and downright FRIGHTENING when it comes to what is actually happening. AH! I loved it. If you’re a fan of young adult mysteries (yes, this book is more of a mystery instead of thriller like her other books), then this is the book for you! Sometimes readers can be turned off by the age of the characters but trust me, you really don’t notice that these kids are teens in this one. You’re so sucked into a story of secrets, shame, and lies that you forget how old they are!Alright, so now we’re getting into my specific likes and dislikes for the novel (this is a fairly new thing I’m doing so I hope it helps potential readers who want something a bit more specific in reviews they read). You can read them below. I’ll keep spoilers out of it as no one wants to know a plot twist before they read a mystery like this one!𝗪𝗛𝗔𝗧 𝗜 𝗟𝗢𝗩𝗘𝗗 𝗔𝗕𝗢𝗨𝗧 𝗧𝗛𝗜𝗦 𝗕𝗢𝗢𝗞📝 Despite the beachy setting, this book has some dark undertones. Normally a setting can set the tone for a story but with this one that’s not the case. What seems like an idyllic location to spend the summer is actually a mask for the crazy things that go down in the story. It’s as if the scenery itself is HIDING all the lies behind it. I loved this so much! I don’t always need to read about a gothic setting when it comes to dark family secrets and issues (although that type of setting always works and sets the tone) and that’s proven here.📝 The way the story is presented through 3 POV’s works so well for this story. Usually, I prefer the POV’s stay at 2 because I get confused when too many characters are talking to me (LOL) but I think Jonah, Milly, and Aubrie’s POV was NEEDED to bring this one full circle.📝 The twist at the end was EPIC. I love an EPIC TWIST especially when I don’t figure it out before it happens and that’s what we get here. I was SHOOK. It’s also what freaked me out to be honest because I didn’t see it coming and I could only IMAGINE that being real life **shudders*📝 The book is compulsively readable. It’s so intriguing and you WANT to know the answers so bad that you continue reading despite the time. I love a book that can take over and this one did that! When my son gets a little older, I’m going to have him read these books because I KNOW he’ll find them to be awesome!𝗪𝗛𝗔𝗧 𝗜 𝗗𝗜𝗦𝗟𝗜𝗞𝗘𝗗 𝗔𝗕𝗢𝗨𝗧 𝗧𝗛𝗜𝗦 𝗕𝗢𝗢𝗞📝 We know that there is something seriously wrong within the Story family (you can literally FEEL it though her writing) but things don’t really present themselves until the end. AS I’ve mentioned in other reviews, I am not a big fan of slow-moving mysteries or suspense and that’s what this book is. I did enjoy how the story unfolded but it was a tad slow getting there.📝 The kids parents were all morons. I hate seeing the parents of children act so childish and horrible and you see a lot of that in this book. A LOT.𝗦𝗨𝗠𝗠𝗜𝗡𝗚 𝗜𝗧 𝗨𝗣In McManus’s latest release, readers are going to uncover that not all families are perfect. The Cousins is one heck of a young adult thriller and reading it in one sitting won’t be difficult at all. If you’re like me then you won’t be able to stop! It’s compulsively readable, engaging, mysterious, and TWISTED. I very much recommend it!𝗠𝗬 𝗥𝗔𝗧𝗜𝗡𝗚: ⭐⭐⭐⭐

The premise of this book sounded interesting to me - 3 cousins who don’t really know each other are offered jobs at their grandmother’s New England resort. The same grandmother who disinherited their parents. The same parents who did something (they don’t remember doing) to be disinherited and don’t give the cousins an option to NOT work at the resort. Secrets are exposed; identities are questioned; murderers are revealed; and the cousins risk everything for the sake of a family fortune.But they soon realize that fortune - and family, for that matter - aren’t anything they promise to be.This book is identified as a “young adult” novel but I didn’t know that until AFTER I ordered it. So I read it, cautiously, thinking I’m either going to enjoy it or I’ll end up feeling like the creepy uncle peering into young peoples’ lives. Good news: I enjoyed it! Quite a bit, actually. And except for the ages of the three cousins, this book did not read like a YA novel. The other characters’ ages probably rang from 40-80 so there’s something for everyone.I liked this book so much I ordered two more from this author. Knowing they’re also YA novels, here’s hoping I enjoy them as much as “The Cousins” and the “creepy uncle” feeling doesn’t come up lol.

The book is a decent read. 3 5 stars.The main charecters are likeable. The pacing was good too. I did feel like the book slowed down a bit in the middle, but then picked back up. The ending was also good. Great for young adults.

Very good book some parts do get slow and seem unimportant but it dose tie in at the end it is a very big twist when you think your getting to a good part it takes you back to the past. But was a 10/10 read.

Story is a big name in Massachusetts. They are a big-name family, replete with wealth and affluence. They live on a remote island on the coast, near Martha’s Vineyard. You can say that they’re like the Kennedys, minus the political careers. But, like the Kennedys, they're full of mystery and scandal. The reason? The Story family is estranged from their matriarch, Mildred Story, since the nineties. Mildred abruptly cut all of her children off in the nineties, leaving them to fend for themselves. But why did she do it? Was she so heartbroken from her husband’s passing that she couldn’t bear to be around their children? Or does she know the terrible things they did one summer? No one knows.But the third generation Storys — now almost eighteen — want to know. So when Mildred invites her grandchildren to enroll on a summer job program on her island, Milly, Aubrey and Jonah cannot refuse. They’re curious about their parents’ past and, more important, want to meet and connect with their wayward grandmother. Milly has always wanted to belong to the Storys; Aubrey longs for the love that’s clearly absent from her aloof father; and as for Jonah — he’s got issues that have nothing to do with the Storys. When these cousins get together for the first time in their entire lives, they open a can of worms that they won’t be able to close again, no matter how hard they try.THE COUSINS is a fascinating mystery about a dysfunctional WASP family and the ties that bind. Love the Massachusetts setting. I am originally from MA, and this paints an accurate portrayal of affluent figures from Nantucket, Martha’s Vineyard, and the upper crust areas in the Cape. You can practically smell the blue blood in those parts. The story is well written, the red herrings are well thought-out, and the surprises are many. Too many sometimes. I don’t know how I feel about a big reveal or two (almost) per chapter, but that’s what we get here. That’s what sets YA apart from most adult mysteries — the need for faster pacing. You will enjoy this though. The main characters are sympathetic and well developed, and there’s a romance subplot as well. Downsides? I would’ve liked more interaction between the Story family from the nineties, and it would’ve been nice to see more dysfunction between the current children and their parents, and how the parents’ past actions affect them in their current lives. Other than that, I enjoyed THE COUSINS. This book is a cross between WE WERE LIARS and LITTLE MONSTERS. Four out of five mango and coconut smoothies, with oats and almond milk mixed in for that creamy consistency!

Very good book! Loved the plot

This was again another great book written by the awesome Karen McCmanus!! I have literally read every book that she has written and they’re all really awesome as usual she names her chapters after the characters and this makes it very easy to follow the reading it’s also great that she makes it very believable this is an issue that I’ve had with some authors in the past. There was too much unbelievable story plots that were not able to follow. Karen does a great job of making plots believable and easy to follow. The only gripe that I had was a a couple of small references , CNN, Democrat this or Democrat that. I also noticed that one of the villains in the book was named Donald...yes I noticed that.However that aside this was a great read and worth the 5 months or so I was waited for it! I would read this woman’s to do list!

V good book amazing plot twists

This book was a surprise to me. I bought it thinking it would pass some time. It was so fun to read. Lots of little twists, some expected others not. Anyone who reads books like these tries to stay a step ahead and figure it all out. I liked that inwas wrong in parts. I will read more by this author. She has a great writing style.

O livro é bom, a história é bem pensada, mas como um todo eu esperava mais. Agora, o Plot Twist... é totalmente inesperado!

Obsessed with everything Karen writes

wow this book is good! i have to say, serious we were liars vibes, but im not complaining! the characters are amazing, the twist was well thought out, and the style was great. not exactly similar to one of us is lying, but good all the same! :)