The Cousins by Karen M. McManus is a hit for those searching for a super super easy novel to read or listen to. It is a novel without depth or intensity and is an ideal light read. The Cousins contains a progressive plot that although with a few very evident holes, the ending in particular,a regardless of still make it a fun read.

This is a miss for those looking for an intriguing read in their YA novel. I do not think this is as good as her other work One of Us Is Lying but if you enjoyed that, the writing style is identical and is another reason why this could be a hit for you.

A hit or miss for this 2020 YA mystery novel.

Jonah, Aubrey, and Milly arrive at Cape Cod to meet their grandmother and drama ensures... dun dun dun. It truly has a light plot that if you decide to skim a chapter or two can easily be picked up again. The plot is not the strong suit of this novel unlike the characters who are.

The POV of the story is told through the eyes of Jonah, Milly, and Aubrey. The characters in my opinion are more dynamic than in other works I have read by McManus and is why I feel they are a hit of this novel.

There are quite predictable moments and decisions made by these characters and certain scenes that you question why they were included because they do not help develop their personalities but instead just discuss their outfits. That is a miss for this novel, it focuses more on what they wear then their actions during certain scenes which could have benefited from a bit more character introspective.

All in all, predictable but fun to read.

The ending grazes the label of being a miss with certain confusing elements and also grazes the label of being a hit because it does wrap up the story nicely and leaves no open ends ... or does it?

The Cousins by Karen M. McManus is another YA novel I can classify as an easy and cringe-worthy read. I think the line is toyed well in this novel of too convenient to just mystery-esque enough. It was an easy novel to read that I truly do not have many thoughts on.

What I do have thoughts on was how weird it was every time they referenced Uncle Archer as "Uncle Archer." I found that to be so strange as I personally do not call any of my relatives Uncle or Aunt followed by their name. Anybody else? I understand calling them Uncle or Auntie but relation + name, I would never unless someone asked me my relationship to them. Do you call your relatives by their relation + name or just name or just relation? Please let me know, I am curious on how other families act but for me, it was so strange.

There were so many cringe moments in this novel such as the "cousin" kiss, the over-detailed explanation of clothes when it did not pertain to the story, and the casualness of which they dismissed a murder. Oh, and the casualness in which they dismissed the grandmother's death? What is this people?

I found this easy to listen to on Audio, I quite enjoyed Uncle Archer, and I liked how there was not a happy ending for all. The Cousins is a simple and easy novel to read and I had fun listening to it.