A twisty YA thriller packed with unreliable narrators, dark secrets, and page turning suspense.
Release date: August 4, 2026
Publisher: Simon Pulse
Genre: YA Thriller
Synopsis:
Perfect for fans of How to Survive Your Murder and Dead Girls Can’t Tell Secrets, this young adult thriller unspools the truth behind a tragic murder through multiple unreliable narrators who all have secrets to keep.
Here’s what we do know: there was another infamous barn party at the McClain family farm last night, and things went horribly wrong. By the end of the night, there were two dead bodies in the old barn: seventeen-year-old Sadie Cooper and her killer, Mason Vreeland. The murder was heartbreakingly witnessed by Sadie’s twin sister, Jayne, and Sadie died in her arms. Mason was killed by Sadie’s boyfriend, Ben, in an attempt to save Sadie.
Aside from figuring out Mason’s motive, it should be an open and shut case.
But it’s not.
The story unfolds just after the murders, and Jayne, Ben, and Sadie’s best friend, Liz, are telling the cops what transpired at the party and the events leading up to it. But little details don’t match. And those little details start to add up to big discrepancies. But who’s lying, and why?
The shocking truth is revealed in the third act, when the POV shifts to victim Sadie herself, in the days leading up to the party. Witness exactly what happened—and see if you can piece it all together. Because poor Sadie totally missed what was right in front of her.
Review:
Killing Sadie is exactly the kind of YA thriller that keeps the pages flying. Rachel Peterson wastes absolutely no time pulling readers into the mystery, creating a fast paced story that feels like a popcorn thriller, impossible to put down and packed with constant momentum.
One of my favorite elements was the multiple points of view. From the very beginning, you know that someone isn’t telling the whole truth, which turns every chapter into a puzzle piece. I love stories built around unreliable narrators, and this one had me constantly questioning everyone’s motives and trying to figure out who was lying.
While I did correctly guess the major reveal before it happened, it honestly didn’t lessen my enjoyment. The journey was just as entertaining as the destination, and Peterson still managed to include a few surprises in the final act that kept the ending satisfying. The mystery is well constructed, the writing is snappy, and the pacing rarely lets up.
Although this is firmly a young adult novel, it never felt overly juvenile to me. It reminded me of the addictive vibe of Pretty Little Liars—a series I happily devoured well into adulthood. That said, this is definitely on the darker side for YA, so I’d recommend it more for older teens and adult readers who enjoy YA mysteries.
My only real complaint is that I wanted just a little more after the ending. One additional chapter tying up a few lingering questions would have made the conclusion feel even stronger. Even so, this was a thoroughly entertaining read with a compelling mystery and plenty of twists to keep thriller fans engaged.
Perfect for Readers Who Love
- Multiple unreliable narrators
- Fast paced, bingeable mysteries
- Darker YA thrillers
- Small town secrets
- Twisty murder mysteries with layered reveals
- Pretty Little Liars style suspense
Overall rating: 4/5
Thanks to the publisher for my review copy.
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