Review Detail

Amy Christine Parker's You're Dead to Me is a fast-paced and addicting young adult thriller, reminiscent of Gossip Girl. The story centers on Ruby Toller, a high school senior, who finds herself in a dangerous situation. She's outed as the person behind ReputationKiller, an anonymous social media gossip account that exposes the secrets and scandals of her town's wealthy elite. This revelation turns her into a target for the rich, angry students at her school.

But the threats from her peers are only the beginning. Ruby's world is further complicated by terrifying supernatural visions of her corpse, dressed in a blood-splattered prom dress. Her ghost is trying to warn her of her impending death, which she believes will occur at prom. With only a week before the big dance, Ruby must unravel the mystery of who is trying to kill her before it's too late.

What I Liked: The constant drama and conflict in this book will keep you on the edge of your seat, delivering surprise after surprise right up to the very end. Ruby's identity as the ReputationKiller is revealed relatively early on. This means the story quickly moves beyond that initial premise, introducing a series of twists and turns that keep the reader engaged. Multiple plot threads intertwine and it makes the reader want to keep turning the pages to find out the truth. The looming prom night adds a great sense of urgency to the story. I especially liked how the author has a countdown to prom at the beginning of each chapter. The characters are well-developed, with some, like Ruby's ride-or-die gay best friends, Anton and Xavier, immediately winning you over. In contrast, others, such as Hunter, who dates Ruby's mother and exudes a controlling vibe, are clearly written to be disliked. The story isn't solely focused on the dark and supernatural elements; a thread of romance is woven in as Ruby grows closer to Alexander, who teams up with her to investigate the threats against her.  

I highly recommend You're Dead to Me to readers who enjoy young adult mysteries and thrillers with a bit of supernatural intrigue.