This Book Kills

By Author / Illustrator

Ravena Guron

Genre

Suspense & Thrillers

Age range(s)

14+

Publisher

Usborne Publishing Ltd

ISBN

9781803705415

Format

Paperback / softback

Published

05-01-2023

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. She'll be dead too.

"For fans of Holly Jackson and Karen M McManus." The Observer. "Fun, twisty and insightful...will keep you on the edge of your seat." Adiba Jaigirdar, YA Book Prize winning author of Hani and Ishu's Guide to Fake Dating.

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Reviews

This Book Kills is set in a prestigious boarding school called Heybuckle School. It is written by the main character Jess Choudhary as a recount of events that happened to the students at the school, and a murder. Jess makes it very clear from the outset that she did not commit the murder.

The story is laced with twist and turns and touches on life as a scholarship student who is under the strict instructions to not get in to any trouble, contrasted with the life of those with money who can try to make anything go away with it. Will they this time?

Jess begins life at school with only one close friend and is a budding writer. That is until one of her short stories is used as inspiration for a murder in the school. Jess finds herself caught up in the middle of it and with soon to be friends begins an investigation of her own to find out what happened and keep her space at the school. Spreading her wings and gaining confidence is something Jess definitely needs but the question is will she be safe or will she be next?

As someone who enjoys a murder mystery, this book was one I could sink into and finished within a day.

384 pages / Reviewed by Emelia