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Blog tour: The Cousins by Karen M. McManus

Title: The Cousins

Author: Karen M. McManus

Genre: Young Adult Thriller

Publication date: 3rd December 2020

My rating: ★ ★ ★

Summary:

“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.”

My review:

The Cousins is set in Mildred Story’s fancy resort on Gull Cove Island. Rumours have roamed on the island about the reasons Mildred disowned her children twenty-five years ago however the reasons are still unknown. When Mildred’s three grandchildren receive a surprising letter inviting them to work at the resort during their summer break, everyone is keen to understand why she made contact after so many years and if there is something sinister behind her actions.

Family drama and tension is at the center of The Cousins and a big chunk of the first half of the book focuses on the three cousins trying to under the relationship between their parents and their grandmother. The messy family dynamic was at times difficult to follow, especially as there were many characters introduced in both timelines however once I learnt the relationship between the characters it became easier to discern.

I often struggle with YA Thrillers as the plot is usually too oversimplified however there was plenty of action in The Cousins. The twists were unexpected and the ending quite unpredictable. The alternating chapters from 1996 to now allowed for progression of both storylines and created an ever increasing tension as more secrets were revealed.

Although there were some moments which made me cringe, The Cousins was overall both engaging and enjoyable. It felt like there were many paths the plot could take but I was ultimately satisfied with the ending and outcome. It was a quick read for me and I can see many readers speeding through it.

Many thanks to Dave at TheWriteReads for providing an advanced reader’s copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.

The Cousins will be out to buy on 1st December 2020!

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