Title: The Cousins

Author: Karen M. McManus

Year of Publication: 2020

Genre: Young Adult Mystery

Number of Pages: 336

Summary: From Goodreads: “Milly, Aubrey, and Jonah Story are cousins, but they barely know each another, and they’ve never even met their grandmother. Rich and reclusive, she disinherited their parents before they were born. So when they each receive a letter inviting them to work at her island resort for the summer, they’re surprised . . . and curious.

Their parents are all clear on one point—not going is not an option. This could be the opportunity to get back into Grandmother’s good graces. But when the cousins arrive on the island, it’s immediately clear that she has different plans for them. And the longer they stay, the more they realize how mysterious—and dark—their family’s past is.

The entire Story family has secrets. Whatever pulled them apart years ago isn’t over—and this summer, the cousins will learn everything.”

Review: Thank you, Dave, at The Write Reads for organizing and inviting me to be part of this blog tour! Thank you to the publisher (Penguin), the author, and Net Galley for providing me with a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

When Milly, Aubrey, and Jonah Story receive a letter from their mysterious grandmother, who cut off all ties with her family decades ago, they’re curious about what it could all mean. Next thing they know, the cousins who barely know each other are meeting on a ferry with plans to spend the summer working at their grandmother’s resort. As the summer goes by, secrets are revealed, and mysteries unfold as the Story cousins start to piece together why their parents were disinherited through a mysterious letter years ago.

I’ve heard a lot of great things about Karen M. McManus, but this is the first book of hers that I’ve read, and it certainly will not be the last. The Cousins is a twisty tale, full of family secrets, hidden scandals, and a series of events that become more mysterious as the book goes on. If you like books that keep you on the edge of your seat, this is one to check out.

My favourite thing about this book is all of the secrets and lies. I love a good family drama, and this is one of the better ones that I’ve read. I loved that the three main characters barely knew each other before arriving on the island, and I thought that added an extra layer of mystery to the story. I also love that this book took place in a small, close-knit community because it provides a wealth of information to the main characters, even if they don’t always know what to do with that information. Obviously, I can’t go into much detail about all of the secrets and lies, but I can say that they layer together beautifully and that I was impressed when everything was unravelling and falling into place.

I liked the characters in this book. I liked that they each had their own personality and that I got to see them grow throughout the story and become more independent. I liked that they arrived on the island with their own Story baggage that they were working through, and I thought it added another layer to the mystery.

One thing more thing that I want to mention before I wrap up this review is that there is one super cringy scene. I won’t go into any details about it, but when you get to it, you’ll know what I’m talking about, and you will cringe too.

Overall, I really enjoyed this book. I loved all of the twists and turns, the family drama, and the mystery that was unfolding. I’m looking forward to reading more books by this author, and I hope I enjoy them as much as I enjoyed this one!

Rating: 4 stars!