You'll Be The Death Of Me

YA mystery 

     Some authors not only earn their audiences and encore publications, but improve with each offering.  In the realm of teen mysteries, Karen McManus is part of this select group.  Her You'll Be The Death Of Me is the cat's pajamas.  To her always perfectly paced suspenseful narrative style she adds more complex and nuanced characters.  It's a total win win.

     Ivy, Mateo, and Cal are seniors at Carlton High.  They had formerly been a close knit trio.  That had ended in eighth grade.  So when they take a cut day together and decide to go into Boston together they're tentative and uncertain around each other.

     Then awkward morphs into deadly.  In Boston Ivy spots Boney (Brian) against whom she has a serious grudge.  He's the guy who, just the day before, running as a joke, beat her out for class president.  It's a role she's held for three years.  Let's say she has a bone to pick.  But when she catches up with him in an apartment in a nearly vacant between owners building...

     ...she finds him dead, a hypodermic needle sticking in his arm.  Cal and Mateo barely get her out of there before the police arrive, carrying her since she fainted.  On their way out they pick up a phone they think is hers...

     ...Only when they get to a safe location and Ivy wakes up she still has her phone.  So they've fled the scene of a crime, lifting potentially important evidence.  While they try to figure out what to do...

     ...rumors fly on and off campus that Ivy is the mysterious blonde woman person of interest sought in connection with the murder...

     ...who may also be a popular art teacher crossing a line faculty members should never cross.  Not to mention that serious drug dealing may be involved.

     Needless to say, Ivy, Mateo, and Cal are having the world's worst cut day.  Not all of them may live to tell about it.

     If you're a Karen McManus fan or an affecianado of well written YA mysteries you owe it to yourself to put You'll Be The Of Me on your summer reading list.  

On a purrrsonal note, I had a really creepy experience in the Commuter Lounge Thursday.  Our GA, Quil, set out stuff for taco Thursday and left me in charge so he could go to class.  Normally the food vanishes quickly.  But where we still had a lot left over nearly two hours later I was getting the heebie jeebies.  In dining I was paying careful attention to the talk about when hot food gets too cold (under 140 degrees) or cold food gets too hot (above 40 degrees) microscopic pathogens can be fruitful and multiply, resulting in personal illness and institutional legal liability.  I had a well earned reputation as a temps bitch.  So with no elements to keep the food warm and no thermometer to test it I was way out of my comfort zone.  I tried to talk people out of taking the food.  They said stuff like, I've had worse.  I email shared my concerns with Ben, ending with the idea that we need to create hard and fast food safety rules for the Commuter Lounge.  He emailed back that I'm right and we will.

     My dining managers would be so proud of me!  (Jules)

Speaking of managers I miss Anna who brought Jules and me together.  I haven't seen her in ages. (Tobago)

A great big shout out goes out to others who see something, say something.

Tobago and Jules Hathaway 

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