Ellery and her twin brother, Ezra, move to their mother's hometown to live with their grandmother while their mother is in rehab. The town has a dark history of missing girls and murders, with Ellery becoming the focus of a new threat. As secrets unravel and mysterious events unfold, the siblings find themselves entangled in a suspenseful and intriguing mystery in the small town of Echo Ridge. The book is narrated from multiple perspectives, providing twists and turns that keep readers guessing until the very end.
The story delves into themes of secrets, small-town mysteries, and the complexities of family relationships. With a fast-paced narrative, well-developed characters like Ellery and Malcolm, and a chilling setting, the book offers a thrilling and engaging read for fans of YA mystery thrillers. The author's writing style captivates readers with suspenseful plot twists, intricate storylines, and compelling characters, making it a must-read for those who enjoy a blend of suspense, intrigue, and psychological thrillers.
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Sensitive Topics/Content Warnings
Content warnings include themes of murder, violence, underage drinking, and discussions of mental health issues.
Has Romance?
There is a presence of romantic elements, although they are not the primary focus of the plot.
From The Publisher:
"When it comes to YA suspense, Karen M. McManus is in a league of her own. Fresh off her best-selling breakout One of Us Is Lying . . . the author has returned with a juicy second novel. It's even better than what came before." -EW
The "must-read YA thriller" (Bustle) from #1 New York Times bestselling author of One of Us Is Lying!
Echo Ridge is small-town America. Ellery's never been there, but she's heard all about it. Her aunt went missing there at age seventeen. And only five years ago, a homecoming queen put the town on the map when she was killed. Now Ellery has to move there to live with a grandmother she barely knows.
The town is picture-perfect, but it's hiding secrets. And before school even begins for Ellery, someone has declared open season on homecoming, promising to make it as dangerous as it was five years ago. Then, almost as if to prove it, another girl goes missing.
Ellery knows all about secrets. Her mother has them; her grandmother does too. And the longer she's in Echo Ridge, the clearer it becomes that everyone there is hiding something. The thing is, secrets are dangerous-and most people aren't good at keeping them. Which is why in Echo Ridge, it's safest to keep your secrets to yourself.
2 STARRED REVIEWS!
Praise for Karen M. McManus's One of Us Is Lying
A New York Times Bestseller
An EW.com Best YA Book of the Year
A Buzzfeed Best YA Book of the Year
A Popcrush Best Young Adult Book of the Year
"Pretty Little Liars meets The Breakfast Club….so make room for One of Us Is Lying in your bags, because this is one carry-on you won't want to put down." -EW.com
"A whodunit with a Breakfast Club twist…following four unique voices on a chase to find the killer, this one will keep you guessing until the very, very end." -Popcrush
"This is no ordinary whodunit…surprising and relevant."-USA Today
Ratings (35)
Incredible (6) | |
Loved It (10) | |
Liked It (10) | |
It Was OK (7) | |
Did Not Like (2) |
Reader Stats (81):
Read It (40) | |
Currently Reading (2) | |
Want To Read (33) | |
Did Not Finish (2) | |
Not Interested (4) |
3 comment(s)
I greatly enjoyed this book! I did not see the ending coming.
Although this was a good book, I didn’t find anything very thrilling or suspenseful about it. The mystery was good and thoughtful, though it just wasn’t my type of book.
I got back on the YA mystery/thriller train and read
Two Can Keep a Secret. This is the second book I've read by Karen M. McManus—the first being
One of Us is Lying. Conceptually, I liked
One of Us is Lying better, but I liked the execution of
Two Can Keep a Secret better.
What I liked:
- I didn't guess the ending.
Though I did guess what Viv's involvement was
- Ellery and Malcolm seemed like really down-to-earth and underwhelming main character which I was okay with. They seemed really relatable.
- Officer Ryan Rodriguez is the best.
What I didn't like:
- Ellery and their friends surprisingly weren't very good at solving crime to the point that it was obnoxious. Like, the author was trying to sell us on the fact that Ellery was into true crime too hard, so it just came off as unbelievable.
- This book kind of just seemed like a less dark version of
The Cheerleaders; I wanted this to be darker.
Overall, this was an entertaining binge-read, but I'll still be on the lookout for that perfect, 5-star YA mystery/thriller.
What can you read after
Two Can Keep a Secret?
About the Author:
Karen M. McManus earned her BA in English from the College of the Holy Cross and her MA in journalism from Northeastern University. She is the #1 New York Times bestselling author of One of Us Is Lying, its sequel…
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