The Cousins by Karen M. McManus Published by Penguin on December 3rd 2020
Pages: 304
Goodreads
The Storys are the envy of their neighbours: owners of the largest property on their East Coast island, they are rich, beautiful, and close. Until it all falls apart. The four children are suddenly dropped by their mother with a single sentence:
You know what you did.
They never hear from her again.
Years later, when 18-year-old cousins Aubrey, Milly and Jonah Story receive a mysterious invitation to spend the summer at their grandmother's resort, they have no choice but to follow their curiosity and meet the woman who's been such an enigma their entire lives.
This entire family is built on secrets, right? It's the Story legacy.
This summer, the teenagers are determined to discover the truth at the heart of their family. But some secrets are better left alone.
I’m so excited to be part of the book tour for Karen M. McManus’ new book, The Cousins. Thank you so much to TheWriteReads and Penguin for a copy of the book in exchange for my honest review.
What’s one thing that will cause huge conflicts in relationships? Money. And especially in families, money can cause huge rifts. That’s the case for the Story family as well. Three cousins, Milly, Aubrey, and Jonah, are visiting their estranged grandmother over the summer after a mysterious invitation. Their parents were cut off over twenty years ago, leaving only a note: “You know what you did”. But do they? The kids want to figure out why they were invited and what happened all those years ago.
I really like the mystery and the build-up in the story. If you pay attention to the details, you can figure out what’s going to happen, but these details are so subtlely woven in, they’re easy to miss. I think this is what makes a great suspense story, and it encourages multiple read-throughs because, by the end, you know you missed out on some cues. Reading it again will give you the full story.
All of the characters are interesting with their own quirks and motivations. It’s hard to pick a favourite since every character has something I like about them. Even the supporting characters like Hazel and Archer are nice to read. You can’t help but root for the Story kids as they try to find who’s behind this.
I don’t want to say much about the second half of the book because it might spoil things, but I feel like this is how the story was meant to be. It makes sense, no character acts out of place, and the resolution feels like justice.
It’s hard to find something I didn’t like about the book. So it won’t surprise you that I’m giving The Cousins five stars. It’s a fast-paced story, with great characters, and a satisfying ending. It might not be the most surprising ending, but it’s good. Reading this and The Inheritance Games by Jennifer Lynn Barnes earlier this year made me realise I like these kinds of stories, and I’ll probably add more of these to my TBR soon (RIP TBR).
