At the rate I’m at, I will finish the entirety of Karen M. McManus’s books by the end of this month, probably sooner. I read the most popular of their novels, One of Us is Next, last month and was enthralled by the storytelling and characters. Soon after, I borrowed their other three books from my local library, and I am working through them. Up next on the list is The Cousins.
Spooky Season may be over, but I still love reading a good mystery from time to time. I always throw a cozy mystery into my Winter TBR. Those are the best types of books to read by the fire, sipping some holiday spice tea with my dogs. I do love romanticizing my life.
The cold weather doesn’t deter me from enjoying my books set in summer either. This book is set during the warmer months, and it is a great way to escape the freezing temperatures I’m living in.
Related: If you hate winter and want some summer books to distract, click here for my five recommendations!
I am really enjoying my read-through of all of Karen M. McManus’s books. I don’t know a lot about this author, but I do know that they can put together a mean mystery story. I was on the edge of my seat the entire time I was reading One of Us is Lying.
Unfortunately, I didn’t feel the same way about The Cousins. Although McManus created an interesting storyline, the characters were forgettable, so I couldn’t get myself to care about what happened to them.
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The Basics
Title: The Cousins
Author: Karen M. McManus
Genre: YA mystery
Publisher: Delacorte Press
Release Date: December 1, 2020
The Book Review
Rating: 3/5 Stars
The Cousins by Karen M. McManus is full of familial drama, mystery, and intrigue. In this story, Milly, Aubry, and Jonah are all cousins who have been mysteriously called to the grandmother’s island resort to work for the summer. Nothing weird about that, except for the fact that they have never met their grandmother. Many years ago, she cut off contact with all of her children. However, she never gave a reason why. Now, Milly, Aubry, and Jonah want to visit and uncover those long-lost family secrets.
This story is a classic mystery with an interesting plotline. Similar to One of Us Is Lying by Karen M. McManus, there were so many twists and turns in this novel. Almost every chapter left me wanting more, which is why I read McManus’s books so quickly. I get way too excited for the ending so I keep reading until I get there.
For this book, I really enjoyed the premise because I love books about family drama. Especially when it involves secrets that haven’t been spoken of for a long time. The mystery behind why a family is the way it is has always fascinated me. The reveal at the end of the story was genuinely shocking, I was not suspecting it in any way. In general, this book is a lot of fun. I like getting to unravel a mystery while I read.
I also loved the setting. If I were invited to a random island resort to work and hang out for the summer, I would definitely consider it. Honestly, who wouldn’t want to stay at a fancy hotel for an entire summer? But is anyone else getting High School Musical 2 vibes? Maybe that’s just me?
The hotel was also an interesting setting for a mystery story. Ever since The Shining, hotels have been scenes for creepy and spooky stories. Although The Cousins didn’t have any spook, the myth of the hotel did lend itself to the mood of the story.
Despite loving the setting and plot, I was unable to connect to any of the characters which held me back from fully caring about the storyline. The way the three cousins were written was incredibly similar. Because of this, If there were no dialogue tags, I would have had no idea who was speaking. As a result, I didn’t care what the outcome of the book was, I just wanted to figure out the plot twist and get to the end.
Overall, The Cousins by Karen M. McManus was a fun read with a good mystery and a lot of plot twists. However, the only thing holding it back was a lack of characterization and emotional connection with the reader. But I still recommend this book to lovers of thrilling mysteries!
I am now 50% a fan of Karen M. McManus. While I loved the One of Us is Lying duology, the other two books I have read from them have been average, three-star reads. Nothing totally wrong with them just not… spectacular.
You can check out my book review for One of Us is Lying by Karen M. McManus here!
With all this said, I am still way too excited for McManus’s next book, Nothing More to Tell, coming in August of 2022.
I do love a good mystery. Hopefully, I’ll connect more with the characters in this book than I did in The Cousins.
