I've loved Sue Wallman's suspenseful YA thrillers ever since I heard her speak at the Scholastic Bloggers Book Feast in 2016 and I was lucky enough to receive a copy of her incredible debut Lying About Last Summer soon after. So needless to say, when at this year's event her third novel was announced I did a little squee of excitement (also partly due to the fact that my review was quoted on the presentation just below Zoella, eep!) – and let me tell you, she has done it again.
Ever since she can remember, Leah has spend the week around New Year's with family at Roeshot House. Being roughly the same age as her cousin Ivy and family friend Jacob, they grow up together from children into teenagers but the close bond between the three amigos never changes. However, this year things feels different and off. Ivy father has passed away, Leah's parents are no longer together and her mum's boyfriend is joining them, an annoying teenage girl they don't know tags along, and Ivy's little sister Poppy is suffering from a mysterious illness. Oh, and a dead body has been found in the garden since their last stay...
Sue Wallman is the master of YA suspense thrillers and with Your Turn to Die she has created another super intriguing, edge-of-your-seat kind of read. She's envisioned an eerie location with a mystery rippling at the edges of the story that keeps the reader guessing until the very last page. There was a lot going on within this book; dead body, ill child, strange accidents, and a rickety old home hiding decades old secrets. And yet, despite some very strong hints throughout I didn't see any of the eventual revelations coming. Well played Sue, well played indeed.
I think out of all of her books, See How They Lie is still my favourite because the concept of the 'wellness retreat' being anything but healthy for its main protagonist was a location I personally really enjoyed reading about (and the significance of the digital watches in that one was a particularly clever addition). Nonetheless, she had me utterly gripped once more with her masterful storytelling skills and twisted thriller elements (bordering on horror at times), creating a very addictive page-turned that was impossible to put down.
Your Turn to Die is eerily atmospheric, extremely well-plotted and well-paced, and hugely unexpected. If you're already a big fan of Sue's work like me, than you'll not be disappointed by this wonderful new thriller by her hand. And if you've not yet tried one of her books (where have you been?!), then this is the perfect place to start. Just be warned that you WILL be buying copies of Lying About Last Summer and See How They Lie as soon as you finish the last page on this one, as you'll instantly be craving more excellent YA thrillers! 😉
Your Turn to Die will be published by Scholastic on 3 May 2018 and you can pre-order your copy now from Foyles or your own preferred retailer.
🎵 Listening to: Fall Out Boy – My Songs Know What You Did in the Dark
🔹 Mood: Good
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