This is the start of a new monthly series I want to start on my blog, all in the spirit of showing my favourite authors some love! I will be discussing the books I've read from them, what I love about their writing, and what I hope to see more of in the future from them. The first writer I want to talk about is, as the title indicates, Karen M. McManus, aka the queen of YA thrillers imho, so let's get into it!
My Journey with McManus
The first book I picked up by McManus is, to nobody's surprise, One of Us Is Lying. I picked it up in a bookstore when I was in Switzerland, and once I'd read it I knew I had to read more of her work. At this point, I've read all the novels she's published, namely One of Us Is Lying and One of Us Is Next, Two Can Keep a Secret, The Cousins, and You'll Be the Death of Me (check out my in-depth, spoiler-free review of that last one). Every time she announces a new book I get so freakin' excited, and so naturally I can't wait to get a copy of her next book once it's out. I have yet to give one of her books less than 4 stars, and I hope it stays that way!
What I Love about Her Writing
I think my favourite thing about McManus's books is how quick-paced and intriguing they are. When I'm in the middle of one, I always get so hyped up to continue and get to the ending. Of course, this is true of most thrillers, but add McManus's clean writing to the mix and it gets so much better!
Another thing is that I always end up falling in love with her characters. They all seem so real, as if they actually exist, albeit on the other side of the planet. They're all struggling with their own shit, and it's all really believable, relatable shit. I end up missing the characters as soon I turn over the last page, which is always a bittersweet feeling.
Something else I really appreciate in McManus's writing, character-wise, is that there's always at least some diversity in her books - and that's just in her main casts of characters. She's written characters that are white and straight, but also ones that are Latinx, half-Japanese, gay, etc.
What I Want More of
One thing I do want to see is for at least one of her future books to have 0 romance in it. Don't get me wrong, I love a good romantic side-plot, but I feel like it would be good for her to spice up her regular formula.
Something else I want to see - perhaps a little selfishly - is a bisexual main character. Again, with McManus tending to sprinkle in diversity in all of her books, I think this is bound to happen eventually, and I'm so here for it when it does!
One last thing - I would LOVE to see McManus write a darker, more adult thriller someday. Not sure how that would turn out, but I would definitely be intrigued.
Okay, that's all my gushing done for one day. Let me know if you've read any of Karen M. McManus's books, and if so, what did you think?
Casey