Coming June 25th, 2024 from G.P. Putnam’s Sons Books for Young Readers; 288 pages
Content Warning: Murder
About the Author: “Danielle Valentine is a pseudonym for bestselling horror novelist Danielle Vega. Her work, which includes The Merciless series, How to Survive Your Murder, and Delicate Condition, has been optioned for film and television by Lionsgate and Warner Bros and translated into languages worldwide. Danielle lives outside of New York City with her husband, daughter, and two ornery cats” (Bio from Bookshop.org).
Find Danielle Valentine on the following platforms:
Olivia, the baby born during the Camp Lost Lake Murders, and Reagan, daughter of the accused Witch of Lost Lake, are two teens living wildly different lives with no idea of their connection. One untold story, however, ties them both together: what really happened at Camp Lost Lake. When Olivia finds out her parents aren’t who they seem, she lands herself in the middle of a murder case as she returns to Camp Lost Lake. There, she finds Raegan who is on the hunt to clear her mother’s name after finding out she was framed for the triple homicide at the camp sixteen years ago. Strangers soon become friends as the Witch of Lost Lake returns and begins hunting them and their best friends, Jack and Hazel. As the murder unfurls, so do secrets, and the girls must trust each other to find out the truth.
Danielle Valentine’s Two Sides to Every Murder was everything I expected and more. Although she switched narratives constantly, the plot was easy to follow and exciting to read. I often find that the beginning of murder mysteries tend to drag for a while before the action and surprises start, but the details in Two Sides to Every Murder were juicy from the start. The various perspectives and flashbacks were helpful when trying to formulate my own theories and opinions, and Valentine gave us just enough clues to evoke thoughts but also keep the reader guessing. Some of the characters may have been introduced too quickly and were a bit too mature for sixteen year olds, but the initial confusion wore off as the story progressed. The layout of the camp was also a bit difficult to grasp, but I learned to ignore the details and create my own mental image, one that made sense for me. I enjoyed the summer slasher feeling of the story, but also the subtle, yet present, queer and female representation as the connection between Hazel and Reagan bloomed. All of the characters were interesting, but, for me, Hazel takes the cake as the most exciting, mostly due to her unique background and funny quips about bread. Being a predominantly female story, the inclusion of Jack as the only main male character was a great way to establish a love interest for Olivia without taking away from her character or the plot. I truly wasn’t expecting the amount of plot twists, and I am excited to see where Valentine takes us after the jaw-dropping ending. Two Sides to Every Murder is a typical camp slasher with relatable characters that will keep you guessing until the very last word. A summer 2024 must-read!
Two Sides to Every Murder releases on June 25th, 2024.
Pine Reads Review would like to thank NetGalley and G.P. Putnam’s Sons Books for Young Readers for sending us an ARC in exchange for an honest review. Any quotes are taken from an advanced copy and may be subject to change before final publication.
Callie Andrews, Pine Reads Review Writer, Social Media, and Web