Review: Keep This To Yourself by Tom Ryan

Keep This To Yourself by Tom Ryan

Published by AW Teen Genres: Young Adult
Format: Hardcover
Source: Publisher
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It's been a year since the Catalog Killer terrorized the sleepy seaside town of Camera Cove, killing four people before disappearing without a trace. Like everyone else in town, eighteen-year-old Mac Bell is trying to put that horrible summer behind him—easier said than done since Mac's best friend Connor was the murderer's final victim. But when he finds a cryptic message from Connor, he's drawn back into the search for the killer—who might not have been a random drifter after all. Now nobody—friends, neighbors, or even the sexy stranger with his own connection to the case—is beyond suspicion. Sensing that someone is following his every move, Mac struggles to come to terms with his true feelings towards Connor while scrambling to uncover the truth.

I stumbled upon this book while I was at Book Con in New York last month. The cover is gorgeous (perfect for the story and the tone) and I couldn’t wait to get home and read it. I was not disappointed.

Mac is a shy, grieving kid whose best friend was killed during a random killing spree. The small town’s own serial killer took four of his victims including Connor the town’s golden boy. Mac and his friends are trying desperately to deal in the aftermath, and almost succeed. Until Mac finds a note from Connor on his last day – Keep This To Yourself. Convinced Connor knew who the serial killer was, Mac starts an investigation into the year old cases.

I love Mac. He’s not the leading man, he’s the side kick. The loyal one. The best friend who has complicated feelings about his now deceased best friend. Mac is gay and that plays a small and significant role in the investigation. I love how the small town is displayed in the book. Rumors are swirling, everyone knows everyone, and what if your best friends aren’t who you think they are.

There are lots of twists in this slow burn book and that’s what I liked about it. It wasn’t flashy, with lots of blood or gore. It was an unfolding, intriguing and delicate in its own way. While a lot of the characters blended together for me, Mac (and the plot) were the reasons I kept reading. Well written and seeping with tone and setting.

And yes, there are lots of twists. Like Mac, the reader is given only a certain amount of information and that can sometimes be wrong. I enjoyed the directions that Mac’s investigation took. Even the library wasn’t safe.

I would recommend this to anyone who loves a good YA mystery. I already sent my copy onto a friend who I think will enjoy it.