Book Review | The Cousins
The Cousins, written by New York Times bestselling author Karen M. McManus, is a thrilling and suspenseful novel. It explores the secrets and mysteries of a wealthy family with a dark past. The story follows three cousins – Milly, Aubrey, and Jonah Story – who are invited to spend the summer on their grandmother’s island resort, despite never having met her or each other before. Their parents are all clear on one point–not going is not an option. All the parents are interested in is getting back into their mom’s good graces and this might be their only chance. But it turns out life has another plan for this family tree. As soon as the Story kids arrive on the island they start uncovering a tangled web of lies, betrayals, and long-buried secrets that have been tearing the family apart for years.
Characters
McManus expertly spins a long tale of family drama and mystery, with twists and turns that will keep the reader on the edge of their seat. While this story is only 336 pages long it still allows for a lot of emotional depth and character development. The creative characters each have their own unique personalities, motivations, weaknesses, strengths, and most importantly, secrets. Any reader will become more engrossed in the story due to the crazy family dynamics and relationships.
Setting and themes
Despite the beachy setting, this book has some dark undertones. What seems like an idyllic location to spend the summer is actually a mask for the crazy things that take place in the story. The island is merely a cover-up for the mystery, unease, and danger beneath the picturesque scenery. While The Cousins is mainly just a frightening mystery novel it also explores themes such as family, identity, and loyalty. The novel makes you question the nature of family and how much you will sacrifice to help someone that shares your own blood.
Dislikes and Likes
In my opinion, the book could have had more of a suspense and mystery element. The many twists were interesting and made you want to keep reading but they were also kind of random and some did not add much to the story. The book was also very slow-paced and things did not start getting really interesting until the last few chapters. I actually fell asleep a lot trying to read this book because some chapters were…I wouldn’t say boring but just lacked a bit of suspense.
Many mystery books I have read before (These were not Young Adults) had a bit more of a mystery factor than its book but other than that I actually enjoyed reading it. One of the main reasons I think is that I am used to reading and writing realistic and fantasy fiction stories. This book was one of my first books in the Young Adult Mystery Thriller genre. Being one of my first books it gave me a good understanding of what other books in this genre might be like. Also, it gave me an excellent introduction to the category in general. I also liked it because the characters were very deep. Although some relationships in the story seemed a little forced (*cough* Especially the romance between Jonah and Millly *cough* you’ll understand if you read the book *cough * Also I think I might have a cold) many interactions between characters were nice and were written in a realistic way.
Summary
Overall, The Cousins is a gripping and nicely crafted read that will appeal to many beginning fans of mystery and suspense. Our bestselling author Karen M. McManus has crafted a compelling story with well-imagined and planned-out characters and a richly detailed setting that affects the story in many ways. The novel is certainly a thrilling read for anyone who is new to the Young Adult mystery genre like me! If you are a huge fan of this author, you should certainly read this book. This book has sadly disappointed some fans of mysteries who have decided to try the book out because of its rave reviews. However, there are also many who love it. I’m in between loving it and hating it. This book may not be my favorite novel but it is really fun to read. It is definitely an awesome book to keep in mind when trying to find an enjoyable book.
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