The CheerleadersAuthor: Kara Thomas
Genre: YA Mystery/Thriller
Release Date: July 31, 2018
Publisher: Delacorte Press
Formats: Hardcover, ebook, audiobook
Pages: 384
Description:
There are no more cheerleaders in the town of Sunnybrook.
First there was the car accident—two girls gone after hitting a tree on a rainy night. Not long after, the murders happened. Those two girls were killed by the man next door. The police shot him, so no one will ever know why he did it. Monica’s sister was the last cheerleader to die. After her suicide, Sunnybrook High disbanded the cheer squad. No one wanted to be reminded of the girls they lost.
That was five years ago. Now the faculty and students at Sunnybrook High want to remember the lost cheerleaders. But for Monica, it’s not that easy. She just wants to forget. Only, Monica’s world is starting to unravel. There are the letters in her stepdad’s desk, an unearthed, years-old cell phone, a strange new friend at school... Whatever happened five years ago isn’t over. Some people in town know more than they’re saying. And somehow Monica is at the center of it all.
There are no more cheerleaders in Sunnybrook, but that doesn’t mean anyone else is safe.
The Cheerleaders is another fantastic YA mystery/thriller that fans of the genre and the author's other books are going to love. I've read the author's other works myself and have enjoyed all of them, so I knew immediately that I had to read this one. I was not disappointed. The plot was full of red herrings, tons of twists and turns, and several ideas/leads that have you thinking one thing only to be turned upside down. I had a hard time figuring this one out before the main character, which is something I try to do each time I read a mystery or thriller, and I have to admit that I didn't see it coming until right before Monica did. That doesn't happen much anymore, so when it does - I know that it's a great book.
Monica was a great main character and I immediately empathized and identified with her. She's been through hell in the past five years - after her sister and her friends were all killed within a month of one another. Monica's raw and incredibly realistic, which made me connect with her right away. We see how much all of this has effected her life, along with the lives of her family and other people who knew the girls. The secondary characters and even minor characters were all rounded and complex, which made the story richer and more realistic for me. I liked getting to know each of them and to see how they fit into the plot of it all. We learn the most about Monica because the majority of the book is written in the first person from her point of view. This is by far my favorite writing style and I love that the author chose to use it. One aspect I found interesting was that every few chapters we get a glimpse into the past - five years ago, when all of the horrific events begin happening - and we see a little into what Monica's older sister Jen felt and thought about what was happening with her and her friends. That was a fantastic addition to the first person account of the present and made the story more intricate and layered - which is always a good thing.
I don't do spoilers in my reviews, so I can't really say much more about the plot without giving any hints. It was intricate, well written, and had mysteries inside of bigger mysteries - all of which get a final answer in the end. I really liked that the author finished the novel by wrapping things up without any doubt left for the reader. I definitely recommend this book for fans of the author and those who enjoy YA mystery, thrillers, suspense, and contemporary.
Kara Thomas is a true crime addict and the author of THE DARKEST CORNERS, LITTLE MONSTERS, and THE CHEERLEADERS, all published by Delacorte Press. You can find her on Twitter (@karatwrites), Instagram (@kara__thomas), or at http://www.kara-thomas.com.
(3) winners will receive a finished copy of THE CHEERLEADERS - US Only!
Tour Schedule:
Week One:
7/23/2018- The Heart of a Book Blogger- Review
7/24/2018- A Dream Within A Dream- Review
7/25/2018- Portrait of a Book- Review
7/26/2018- Here's to Happy Endings- Review
7/27/2018- Books and Ladders- Review
Week Two:
7/30/2018- The Clever Reader- Review
7/31/2018- Diary of an Avid Reader- Review
8/1/2018- Never Too Many To Read- Review
8/2/2018- Confessions of a YA Reader- Review
8/3/2018- Adventures of a Book Junkie- Interview
Week Three:
8/6/2018- laura bookish corner- Review
8/7/2018- The Phantom Paragrapher- Review
8/8/2018- Mama Reads Blog- Review
8/9/2018- To Be Read- Review
8/10/2018- Savings in Seconds- Review
Week Four:
8/13/2018- The Young Folks- Review
8/14/2018- BookHounds YA- Interview
8/15/2018- Simply Daniel Radcliffe- Review
8/16/2018- Moonlight Rendezvous- Review
8/17/2018- Two points of interest- Review
