Brilliant and fast-paced thriller with so many twists and turns! I really enjoyed the commentary on class. It's witty and fun and really kept me racing through the pages to see where the story was going to take me - highly recommend!

Jess Choudhary is a scholarship student at an elite boarding school. When a rich and popular student dies, Jess receives a text from the murderer saying they were inspired by the short story she wrote for her Gifted & Talented class. With it becoming increasingly obvious that there are forces set out to prevent the police from fully investigating, it's up to Jess to get to the bottom of it. What I like about This Books Kills is that it's more than just a murder mystery. It explores class, privilege, and prejudice. Being one of the few people of colour, who is also from a less affluent background, Jess is held to a different standard to the other students. She is expected to work harder, behave better, and is basically at risk of losing her scholarship if she steps out of line. As a British Indian, this is the first time I've seen myself represented in a book in this genre. I found the things Jess faced so relatable, for example, the microaggressions. Like she's asked where she's really from when she says the UK, and her skin colour is exoticised and described in terms of food. Her personality too was relatable. She's quiet and awkward, enjoys reading, and prefers to blend in rather than be center of attention. I appreciated that she was okay with who she was, and wasn't embarrassed about her background and upbringing. Plus, her relationship with her mum was heart-warming. As well as being an engrossing murder mystery, I really enjoyed the overarching plot of the book, from the secret society, to the revelations about people's true nature. The plot twist was great and I honestly did not see it coming. I also want to mention that I don't normally care about the romance in mysteries, if there is one, but the one between Jess and Tommy was cute and I was rooting for them from the get go. I hope Ravena Guron plans on writing more books as I will definitely be checking them out.

My immediate thought was if you enjoyed Netflix’s Wednesday then I think you will love this murderous mystery too! The main character Jess is on a scholarship at an exclusive boarding school. After writing her own murder story, not only is her place at the school at risk, but also her life. It certainly kept me guessing at every turn of the page! The characters are not always as they seem on the surface, which makes this a thrilling and relatable read. I couldn’t put it down, desperately needing to get answers!

As a HUGE fan of A Good Girl's Guide to Murder, I was really excited to see a new debut with the same kind of vibe! This Book Kills follows scholarship kid Jess as she navigates her place at one of the UK's most pretentious boarding schools. As if she didn't have enough to deal with, one of her fellow classmates ends up dead... and the scene looks exactly like a murder described in one of Jess' short stories. This book is a fantastic mystery with a fast pace and a great cast of characters who drive the story forward. Whilst my friend guessed the murderer (honestly I'm so useless at solving crime I don't think I would have put the pieces together myself), I still had so much fun guessing the why (I'm pretty sure my mouth hung open like a goldfish the whole time I was reading the reveal). I also think Jess is such an incredible character. Not only does she have a great character arc that will have you cheering, but Ravena uses her as a voice to call out the type of privilege, racism and pressures that are still at play in education. This was a fantastic debut and I look forward to seeing what Ravena does next! Thank you to the publisher for sending me a reading copy.

I read This Book Kills by Ravena Guron in a few big gulps on a much needed weekend away, mostly in the bath where I cackled at Guron’s witty dialogue and twisty plot. When the popular kid at her school is found dead, scholarship student Jess finds herself at the centre of the investigation when it’s revealed a short story she wrote mirrors the murder. And then an anon text thanks her for the inspo. Talking about mysteries is always tricky because I never want to give anything away, but all you need to know is that it’s brilliantly fun and a great skewering of posh people (my fave), with an entirely novel mystery at its centre. This fits in perfectly with Ace of Spades by Faridah Àbíke-Íyímídé and The King is Dead by Benjamin Dean— gripping, fast paced thrillers with complicated characters, thoughtful social commentary laced into the clever twisty plots, and excellent writing. This is a great debut YA novel, which is quickly followed by her upcoming middle grade The Thief of Farrowfell, which I’m also eagerly anticipating. A great new voice in UKYA! Give me more!