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Dig Two Graves
I did my part, BFF. Now it’s your turn.
Seventeen-year-old film noir fan Neve Lanier is a girl who just wants to be seen, but doesn’t really fit in anywhere. When Neve is betrayed by her best friend, Yasmin, at the end of the school year, she heads off to a girl’s empowerment camp feeling like no one will ever love her again. So when she grabs the attention of the beautiful, charismatic Diane, she falls right under her spell, and may accidentally promise to murder Diane’s predatory step-brother, Javier, in exchange for Diane murdering Yasmin. But that was just a joke…right?
Wrong. When Yasmin turns up dead, Diane comes calling, attempting to blackmail Neve into murdering Javier. Stalling for time, Neve pretends to go along with Diane’s plan until she can find a way out that doesn't involve homicide. But as she gets to know Javier – and falls for him – she realizes that everything Diane told her is a lie. Even worse, she discovers that Yasmin probably wasn't Diane's first victim. And unless Neve can stop her, she won't be the last.
Seventeen-year-old film noir fan Neve Lanier is a girl who just wants to be seen, but doesn’t really fit in anywhere. When Neve is betrayed by her best friend, Yasmin, at the end of the school year, she heads off to a girl’s empowerment camp feeling like no one will ever love her again. So when she grabs the attention of the beautiful, charismatic Diane, she falls right under her spell, and may accidentally promise to murder Diane’s predatory step-brother, Javier, in exchange for Diane murdering Yasmin. But that was just a joke…right?
Wrong. When Yasmin turns up dead, Diane comes calling, attempting to blackmail Neve into murdering Javier. Stalling for time, Neve pretends to go along with Diane’s plan until she can find a way out that doesn't involve homicide. But as she gets to know Javier – and falls for him – she realizes that everything Diane told her is a lie. Even worse, she discovers that Yasmin probably wasn't Diane's first victim. And unless Neve can stop her, she won't be the last.
352 pages, Hardcover
First published April 26, 2022
85 people are currently reading
2694 people want to read
About the author
Gretchen McNeil
22 books2,164 followersGretchen McNeil is the author of the YA horror/suspense novels POSSESS, 3:59, RELIC, GET EVEN, GET DIRTY, and TEN (a YALSA Top Ten Quick Pick for Reluctant Young Adult Readers, a Romantic Times Top Pick, and a Booklist Top Ten Horror Fiction for Youth) all with Balzer + Bray for HarperCollins. Gretchen’s first YA contemporary I’M NOT YOUR MANIC PIXIE DREAM GIRL, also with Balzer + Bray, hit shelves in 2016, and her next novel will be the horror-comedy #MURDERTRENDING for Disney/Freeform in August 2018.
Gretchen’s novels have been published internationally in Chinese, Spanish, Turkish, and Czech. The film adaptation of TEN starring China Anne McClain (Descendants 2, Black Lightning), Rome Flynn (The Bold and the Beautiful), and Callan McAuliffe (Flipped, I Am Number Four), directed by Chris Robert for Rain Maker Films, premiered on Lifetime on September 16, 2017.
Gretchen is repped by Ginger Clark of Curtis Brown, Ltd. You can find Gretchen on Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, and on her website.
Gretchen’s novels have been published internationally in Chinese, Spanish, Turkish, and Czech. The film adaptation of TEN starring China Anne McClain (Descendants 2, Black Lightning), Rome Flynn (The Bold and the Beautiful), and Callan McAuliffe (Flipped, I Am Number Four), directed by Chris Robert for Rain Maker Films, premiered on Lifetime on September 16, 2017.
Gretchen is repped by Ginger Clark of Curtis Brown, Ltd. You can find Gretchen on Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, and on her website.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 255 reviews
March 17, 2022
Thanks to NetGalley and Disney Publishing Worldwide for an egalley in exchange for an honest review.
When I first read the summary of this YA murder thriller I was quite intrigued. The main protagonist of the story, Neve, invokes empathy from the reader as we learn that she was betrayed and bullied at school by someone she considered a good friend. From the outset, her time at a summer camp is filled with a few bizarre encounters that did poke my curiosity. Especially when another teenage girl, Diane takes an interest in Neve. But on the last night of camp, Diane's chilling final words frighten Neve.
I won't say anymore because I don't want to ruin the twist and turns that ensue. Although I desired to know what happens in the end and did read the story in one sitting, I did find myself increasingly annoyed with the majority of the characters including our protagonist. Lots of plot holes abound and I felt my eyebrow would be stuck in one position forever. 🤣
#DigTwoGraves #NetGalley
Expected Publication 29/03/22
Goodreads review published 17/03/22
When I first read the summary of this YA murder thriller I was quite intrigued. The main protagonist of the story, Neve, invokes empathy from the reader as we learn that she was betrayed and bullied at school by someone she considered a good friend. From the outset, her time at a summer camp is filled with a few bizarre encounters that did poke my curiosity. Especially when another teenage girl, Diane takes an interest in Neve. But on the last night of camp, Diane's chilling final words frighten Neve.
I won't say anymore because I don't want to ruin the twist and turns that ensue. Although I desired to know what happens in the end and did read the story in one sitting, I did find myself increasingly annoyed with the majority of the characters including our protagonist. Lots of plot holes abound and I felt my eyebrow would be stuck in one position forever. 🤣
#DigTwoGraves #NetGalley
Expected Publication 29/03/22
Goodreads review published 17/03/22
August 25, 2021
Many thanks to EdelweissPlus and the publisher for providing me with a DRC of this title for review. All opinions are my own.
This was awful. There's no other way to say it. I stuck out reading it all the way to the end, just to see if it got better.
Spoiler alert: IT DOESN'T GET BETTER.
I very rarely rate books a 1 star. But this one deserved it. The writing was poor. The story was a cheap knockoff. The characters were boring and flat. The depictions of mental health were not great (in the end, the main character is mad at her dad for having mental health problems that forced the family to move). The depictions of LGBTQ+ characters didn't resonate (the fact that the main character is bisexual felt like a cheap ploy to have her attracted to two people, and not an actual facet of her personality/life).
The irony: multiple times during the story, the narrator says that the action being played out, or the words being said by different characters is worse than the soap opera plots her grandmother watched. And they are worse. So much worse.
Verdict: do not purchase. Even if you have readers who have enjoyed other books by McNeil this is a miss and a waste of budget dollars. You can (and will) find better thrillers for teens.
This was awful. There's no other way to say it. I stuck out reading it all the way to the end, just to see if it got better.
Spoiler alert: IT DOESN'T GET BETTER.
I very rarely rate books a 1 star. But this one deserved it. The writing was poor. The story was a cheap knockoff. The characters were boring and flat. The depictions of mental health were not great (in the end, the main character is mad at her dad for having mental health problems that forced the family to move). The depictions of LGBTQ+ characters didn't resonate (the fact that the main character is bisexual felt like a cheap ploy to have her attracted to two people, and not an actual facet of her personality/life).
The irony: multiple times during the story, the narrator says that the action being played out, or the words being said by different characters is worse than the soap opera plots her grandmother watched. And they are worse. So much worse.
Verdict: do not purchase. Even if you have readers who have enjoyed other books by McNeil this is a miss and a waste of budget dollars. You can (and will) find better thrillers for teens.
March 30, 2022
Rating: 2.75
Author: Gretchen McNeil
Publication Date: 3/29/22
Honestly, this book didn’t do it for me. The synopsis had me immediately intrigued and wanting to find out what was really going on. Unfortunately, the book had a very slow start and right away I could not connect with the main character. She was way too angsty, judgemental and had such a poor me attitude. I didn’t care for how she viewed her dad who was struggling with mental illness. I feel like that could have been handled better. I decided to stick with it and now wish I would have just DNF. The pacing stayed slow which is not great since this is a thriller. But to be honest, I didn’t find anything about this book to be thrilling. The writing was okay, I’ve definitely seen better from this author. If you want a YA thriller then I would recommend her other book #MurderTrending.
Even though I didn’t enjoy this one doesn’t mean you won’t! Maybe if you go in with low expectations you might be surprised and end up enjoying it more than you thought! If you want a book that you can read within a day then pick this one up. It was an easy and quick read. I will be purchasing this book for my library because I can definitely see some younger kids enjoying this one.
Thank you so much @disneybooks for the #gifted copy on #Netgalley in exchange for an honest review. All thoughts and opinions are my own.
Author: Gretchen McNeil
Publication Date: 3/29/22
Honestly, this book didn’t do it for me. The synopsis had me immediately intrigued and wanting to find out what was really going on. Unfortunately, the book had a very slow start and right away I could not connect with the main character. She was way too angsty, judgemental and had such a poor me attitude. I didn’t care for how she viewed her dad who was struggling with mental illness. I feel like that could have been handled better. I decided to stick with it and now wish I would have just DNF. The pacing stayed slow which is not great since this is a thriller. But to be honest, I didn’t find anything about this book to be thrilling. The writing was okay, I’ve definitely seen better from this author. If you want a YA thriller then I would recommend her other book #MurderTrending.
Even though I didn’t enjoy this one doesn’t mean you won’t! Maybe if you go in with low expectations you might be surprised and end up enjoying it more than you thought! If you want a book that you can read within a day then pick this one up. It was an easy and quick read. I will be purchasing this book for my library because I can definitely see some younger kids enjoying this one.
Thank you so much @disneybooks for the #gifted copy on #Netgalley in exchange for an honest review. All thoughts and opinions are my own.
January 19, 2023
I will always be here for a new Gretchen book.
I liked Neve. She's struggling with high school and the betrayal of her former BFF and I liked that we started with her feeling vulnerable and searching for something. There are a lot of characters here, but Neve is firmly the star.
Plot wise, it was good. There's a lot of banter, some great movie references, oh, and that pesky murder thing. Only Gretchen can put all of that together and make it work. I did enjoy the few twists and while I wanted just a bit more from the epilogue, I'm probably just being greedy.
Overall, it was a fun and quick read and I can't wait to see what's next.
**Huge thanks to the publisher for providing the arc free of charge**
I liked Neve. She's struggling with high school and the betrayal of her former BFF and I liked that we started with her feeling vulnerable and searching for something. There are a lot of characters here, but Neve is firmly the star.
Plot wise, it was good. There's a lot of banter, some great movie references, oh, and that pesky murder thing. Only Gretchen can put all of that together and make it work. I did enjoy the few twists and while I wanted just a bit more from the epilogue, I'm probably just being greedy.
Overall, it was a fun and quick read and I can't wait to see what's next.
**Huge thanks to the publisher for providing the arc free of charge**
May 10, 2022
When Neve is set to attend GLAM (Girls Leadership and Mentorship), a camp with a theatrical flare like her mother in order to get funding from her grandmother to attend college, she finds that she actually enjoys the drama involved. Well, that is until she gets accused of murder. She falls fast for Diane's tales and ends up making a pact that might just include murdering her stepbrother in exchange for the murder of her tormentor, Yasmin, But things change when Yasmin actually ends up dead and she gets to know Javier, Diane's stepbrother. This is a wonderful read for fans of McNeil's noir. This one is fast-paced and fun to read.
I love McNeil's stories and this one just seemed a bit off from her normal style. Yes, there are the twists and turns that I love but this one just seemed a tiny bit off. I did like Neve since she overcomes the bullying of Yasmin, but it was still at a cost. Diane is just over the top and reminds me of an actress that just isn't that good. There are Hitchcock quotes throughout the book as well which help punctuate the drama but go read TEN or POSSESS for a better feel for this author. I can see this developed into a TV drama though - it has all the right things to be entertaining.
I love McNeil's stories and this one just seemed a bit off from her normal style. Yes, there are the twists and turns that I love but this one just seemed a tiny bit off. I did like Neve since she overcomes the bullying of Yasmin, but it was still at a cost. Diane is just over the top and reminds me of an actress that just isn't that good. There are Hitchcock quotes throughout the book as well which help punctuate the drama but go read TEN or POSSESS for a better feel for this author. I can see this developed into a TV drama though - it has all the right things to be entertaining.
December 26, 2022
I received an ARC from Edelweiss
TW: themes of sexual assault,
2.5
Neve never wanted to go to the uber peppy, bougie GLAM camp, but after becoming a social pariah at school her parents think it might be nice to have a clean slate. And, weirdly, it works. GLAM, and her friendship with the beautiful Diane, made her high school problems feel miles away, and she's ready to come back with a confidence boost. Except she walks into a nightmare. A late night joke to murder for each other has been taken way too seriously, and now her ex best friend is dead- and she's the main suspect. Any hope that Diane wasn't involved disappears, as the taunting text comes in; "your turn, BFF".
This book is the latest in classic mystery/thriller inspired novels, taking inspiration directly from Strangers on a Train, and even mentioning the movie in text. That does mean it doesn't come across all that original, but if you're a fan of the movie you can still have fun with the premise.
The ending, also, was done well. I do appreciate the way in which things play out, and a subversion of the expected.
However, I did not enjoy reading this book. The combination of randomly and constantly quoting Hitchcock and a lack of characterization beyond a thin veneer of personality made this book an immediate struggle for me. It also made it harder for me to suspend my disbelief as the logistics got stranger and stranger. I could not get into this book, even as I tried.
And then, I stopped trying. Because as soon as I encountered one plot point, I was ready to be done with this book. That plot point? Neve's attraction and straight up swooning over a man she has literally no reason to think is not a sexual predator. All she knows about him is that he is cute, her friend thought he was hot, and that someone close to him has multiple stories of him sexually harassing her. There isn't a need for proof to exonerate him, she decides he's hot and immediately starts trying to excuse the allegations. And it's super, super gross. Neve from that point on becomes incredibly unlikeable to me.
I get what the author was trying to do, but the romantic aspects of this book really disgusted me, and the writing itself wasn't for me.
TW: themes of sexual assault,
2.5
Neve never wanted to go to the uber peppy, bougie GLAM camp, but after becoming a social pariah at school her parents think it might be nice to have a clean slate. And, weirdly, it works. GLAM, and her friendship with the beautiful Diane, made her high school problems feel miles away, and she's ready to come back with a confidence boost. Except she walks into a nightmare. A late night joke to murder for each other has been taken way too seriously, and now her ex best friend is dead- and she's the main suspect. Any hope that Diane wasn't involved disappears, as the taunting text comes in; "your turn, BFF".
This book is the latest in classic mystery/thriller inspired novels, taking inspiration directly from Strangers on a Train, and even mentioning the movie in text. That does mean it doesn't come across all that original, but if you're a fan of the movie you can still have fun with the premise.
The ending, also, was done well. I do appreciate the way in which things play out, and a subversion of the expected.
However, I did not enjoy reading this book. The combination of randomly and constantly quoting Hitchcock and a lack of characterization beyond a thin veneer of personality made this book an immediate struggle for me. It also made it harder for me to suspend my disbelief as the logistics got stranger and stranger. I could not get into this book, even as I tried.
And then, I stopped trying. Because as soon as I encountered one plot point, I was ready to be done with this book. That plot point? Neve's attraction and straight up swooning over a man she has literally no reason to think is not a sexual predator. All she knows about him is that he is cute, her friend thought he was hot, and that someone close to him has multiple stories of him sexually harassing her. There isn't a need for proof to exonerate him, she decides he's hot and immediately starts trying to excuse the allegations. And it's super, super gross. Neve from that point on becomes incredibly unlikeable to me.
I get what the author was trying to do, but the romantic aspects of this book really disgusted me, and the writing itself wasn't for me.
January 31, 2023
Well this was a story.
Social outcast Neve gets herself wrapped up in a murder scheme all because she wanted a friend. That's it, that's the premise of this story. Having been betrayed by her ex-best friend, Neve finds herself at a 2 week summer camp of sorts. It's there she meets sunny Diane and her world is flipped upside down. Because Diane is not all she seems to be. In fact, she's someone capable of murder and now expects Neve to be the same.
I did feel bad for Neve. High school is horrendous and one rumor can make 4 years last a lifetime. I don't blame Neve for wanting a place to belong, but perhaps her wanting made me blind to the fakeness of Diane. Luckily, she had a real friend in Inara, who I absolutely adored.
This book kind of pushed the realm of believability in a murder case. Especially the twist at the end - which sadly I saw coming. I definitely didn't enjoy this one as much as McNeil's #Murdertrending series but it did have it's moments and it did keep me interested until the end - because I needed to know how this was going to play out. A quick read and one that I'm sure a lot of YA thriller fans will just eat up, but for me, it was just okay.
Social outcast Neve gets herself wrapped up in a murder scheme all because she wanted a friend. That's it, that's the premise of this story. Having been betrayed by her ex-best friend, Neve finds herself at a 2 week summer camp of sorts. It's there she meets sunny Diane and her world is flipped upside down. Because Diane is not all she seems to be. In fact, she's someone capable of murder and now expects Neve to be the same.
I did feel bad for Neve. High school is horrendous and one rumor can make 4 years last a lifetime. I don't blame Neve for wanting a place to belong, but perhaps her wanting made me blind to the fakeness of Diane. Luckily, she had a real friend in Inara, who I absolutely adored.
This book kind of pushed the realm of believability in a murder case. Especially the twist at the end - which sadly I saw coming. I definitely didn't enjoy this one as much as McNeil's #Murdertrending series but it did have it's moments and it did keep me interested until the end - because I needed to know how this was going to play out. A quick read and one that I'm sure a lot of YA thriller fans will just eat up, but for me, it was just okay.
May 13, 2022
3.5 stars
April 26, 2022
It was just meh. Quite predictable.
June 27, 2022
I was excited to read this one because it sounded like something I would absolutely love. But somehow this just did not work for me. The characters felt flat, the plot never grabbed me. The beginning moved so slow I wasn't sure what the plot even was. Once at the camp, it just never picked up and got moving. I wish I'd liked this one.
A huge thank you to the author and publisher for providing an e-ARC via Edelweiss. This does not affect my opinion regarding the book.
A huge thank you to the author and publisher for providing an e-ARC via Edelweiss. This does not affect my opinion regarding the book.
April 20, 2022
3.5 rounded up.
I actually enjoyed this one a good amount! This one comes off as VERY YA, and also as a story that lacks believability, but even with those things in mind, it was quite fun.
I actually enjoyed this one a good amount! This one comes off as VERY YA, and also as a story that lacks believability, but even with those things in mind, it was quite fun.
October 24, 2021
In this book, we meet Neve- who’s not like other girls, a trope that becomes very irritating, but is worth looking past if you like this genre of book. Neve doesn’t have very good stranger-danger and makes friends with the worst people. First, it’s her ex-friend Yasmin, who ditches her for a sleezy boy. Then, it’s Diane, the aspiring Ted Bundy, who ropes Neve into a murder plot.
I found it hard to feel bad for Neve, just due to her general attitude and how she treats other women. She makes offhanded sexist and otherwise offensive remarks, and then acts like the victim.
The LGBT rep also felt rather forced. The author fell back on queer tropes instead of fleshing out relatable characters, and Neve partially hiding Diana’s manipulation due to not wanting to out herself to police seems a bit unlikely. If you’re a white girl, who lives in California in 2021 as Neve is, and your ex-friend ends up dead, AND you’re being blamed for it, you probably don’t care about outing yourself at that point.
Overall, this is a decent read if you want something you don’t have to think to hard about. We all need that kind of book from time to time. But if you’re one who gets hung up on accuracy, or annoying characters, perhaps it’s best to skip this one.
It’s also worth noting that- without spoiling to much- the plot twist has super uncomfortable incest that hits you out of no where. Just… A warning.
**I received an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review**
I found it hard to feel bad for Neve, just due to her general attitude and how she treats other women. She makes offhanded sexist and otherwise offensive remarks, and then acts like the victim.
The LGBT rep also felt rather forced. The author fell back on queer tropes instead of fleshing out relatable characters, and Neve partially hiding Diana’s manipulation due to not wanting to out herself to police seems a bit unlikely. If you’re a white girl, who lives in California in 2021 as Neve is, and your ex-friend ends up dead, AND you’re being blamed for it, you probably don’t care about outing yourself at that point.
Overall, this is a decent read if you want something you don’t have to think to hard about. We all need that kind of book from time to time. But if you’re one who gets hung up on accuracy, or annoying characters, perhaps it’s best to skip this one.
It’s also worth noting that- without spoiling to much- the plot twist has super uncomfortable incest that hits you out of no where. Just… A warning.
**I received an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review**
February 28, 2025
My favorite book ever.
March 20, 2023
Diane went from a menacing, manipulative, and cunning villain to a horny idiotic step sister. Wtf!?
May 20, 2022
I am a huge fan of Gretchen McNeil. I feel like she is an often overlooked or not as well-known author as she should be because all of her books have blown me away! (I feel like I say that every time I read her books, so sorry if I'm repeating that too much.) So I was really excited for this next one from her, and I was not let down at all! There were twists and turns all the way through, leaving me wondering exactly who we could trust and who was in on it, and who might actually be help for Neve.
While Neve likened the “deal” with Diane to the movie Strangers on a Train, in my head, from growing up in the 80s, I likened it to the movie, Throw Momma From the Train, which I’m sure also came from that movie. While this wasn’t humorous like the movie I was thinking of it had the same basic idea. But being a YA book, this was laced with all the different things teens deal with, bullying, wanting to be popular, but also wanting to be your own person.
It had great representation of a teen questioning her own sexuality and attraction to boys or girls. And maybe discovering it could be both that she was attracted to. The final reveal was really good, had like I mentioned a twist or two I didn’t expect. In fact this story also reminded me a bit of some of the twists in the movie Scream, with her dad getting blamed or set up to take the fall.
Another good read from McNeil that I will be sharing with my high school students.
Review first posted on Lisa Loves Literature.
While Neve likened the “deal” with Diane to the movie Strangers on a Train, in my head, from growing up in the 80s, I likened it to the movie, Throw Momma From the Train, which I’m sure also came from that movie. While this wasn’t humorous like the movie I was thinking of it had the same basic idea. But being a YA book, this was laced with all the different things teens deal with, bullying, wanting to be popular, but also wanting to be your own person.
It had great representation of a teen questioning her own sexuality and attraction to boys or girls. And maybe discovering it could be both that she was attracted to. The final reveal was really good, had like I mentioned a twist or two I didn’t expect. In fact this story also reminded me a bit of some of the twists in the movie Scream, with her dad getting blamed or set up to take the fall.
Another good read from McNeil that I will be sharing with my high school students.
Review first posted on Lisa Loves Literature.
June 4, 2022
No spiders!!! Now that I have gotten that out of the way - I loved this book!! I flew through it in 2 days. Gretchen McNeil is one of my favorite YA authors and the more she writes, the better her books get!! Dig Two Graves is a YA reimagining of Strangers on a Train, but in today’s true crime obsessed world. The minute Diane entered the page I knew something was definitely wrong with her and needed to know what it was!! I did figure the plot out rather quickly and when the twist came I felt vindicated, rather than disappointed. I could not wait to find out if I was right! I was and it made me feel super smart!! Considering how twisted the whole plot was I am a bit concerned that I went there so easily. Maybe I should read something a little more light hearted next 🤣🤣🤣🤣
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
May 7, 2022
Now this was a wild ride! I loved Gretchen’s #Murdertrending duology and was excited to see a tour available for her new release Dig Two Graves.
This started out slow and doesn’t have the most likeable characters but the twisted ending made all the difference. This is definitely a YA thriller filled with uncertainty and distrust. You start to question what you’ve been told and who the villain really is in the end.
This started out slow and doesn’t have the most likeable characters but the twisted ending made all the difference. This is definitely a YA thriller filled with uncertainty and distrust. You start to question what you’ve been told and who the villain really is in the end.
May 7, 2022
Dig Two Graves is a young adult thriller inspired by the Patricia Highsmith novel (and Hitchcock film of the same name) Strangers On A Train.
Neve Lanier is a high school outcast after a falling out with her best friend Yasmin. When she flees her San Diego suburb for a posh girl’s summer camp she meets beautiful and charismatic Diane who has her own struggles with a boy who won’t take no for an answer. The girls joke about murdering each other’s tormentors but when Yasmin turns up dead Neve discovers that Diane wants to take it all the way and now it’s her turn to kill. Neve will do anything to escape Diane’s plan (including befriending her target) but the police are growing suspicious is rumors are all over town about her bad blood with Yasmin.
I enjoyed that Neve wasn’t the popular girl at school and had her own vintage style and love of old movies. She also wasn’t a cookie cut-out character as her dad struggled with his mental health. Her falling out with Yasmin felt very plausible and real and I could see how she’d joke around about getting rid of her.
Where I struggled was with the entire summer camp setup. I could see how it was a place to throw the two girls together but it felt like a lot of unnecessary filler. I also didn’t really buy Diane as this nefarious criminal mastermind and by the end she became very cliched and over the top whereas naïve Neve never saw the traps until she was standing in them.
Overall, this was an entertaining retelling but there was something awkward about the camp setting and the villain got mustache-twirlingly cheesy.
Neve Lanier is a high school outcast after a falling out with her best friend Yasmin. When she flees her San Diego suburb for a posh girl’s summer camp she meets beautiful and charismatic Diane who has her own struggles with a boy who won’t take no for an answer. The girls joke about murdering each other’s tormentors but when Yasmin turns up dead Neve discovers that Diane wants to take it all the way and now it’s her turn to kill. Neve will do anything to escape Diane’s plan (including befriending her target) but the police are growing suspicious is rumors are all over town about her bad blood with Yasmin.
I enjoyed that Neve wasn’t the popular girl at school and had her own vintage style and love of old movies. She also wasn’t a cookie cut-out character as her dad struggled with his mental health. Her falling out with Yasmin felt very plausible and real and I could see how she’d joke around about getting rid of her.
Where I struggled was with the entire summer camp setup. I could see how it was a place to throw the two girls together but it felt like a lot of unnecessary filler. I also didn’t really buy Diane as this nefarious criminal mastermind and by the end she became very cliched and over the top whereas naïve Neve never saw the traps until she was standing in them.
Overall, this was an entertaining retelling but there was something awkward about the camp setting and the villain got mustache-twirlingly cheesy.
March 19, 2022
Neve, a quiet wall flower, uniquely different and set apart/ostracized from her peers by shyness and her peculiar wardrobe; betrayed by her supposed BFF, Yasmin and dumped for the popular crowd. Heart broken and shattered feelings quickly boils over into rage.
Glam camp, a camp for awakening one’s soul to a more confident young woman seems to be the rejuvenation Neve needs. A new friend, with dark intentions.
Diane, breezes in oozing money and class and notices Neve and takes her under her wing; yet her aloofness fools very few at the camp, others are watching and try to warn Neve. Neve turns the other cheek, looks the other way.
A small conversation at the end of camp, was supposed to be just two new besties, joking and plotting a fantasy revenge. Only one of the two took it seriously.
Neve, excited to start her final year in high school, learns the first day that her former BFF, Yasmin has been murdered. All heads are looking in her direction.
How could they think that she would do such a thing?
Boom! Drop the Mike! Neve’s new BFF, claims the murder prize and now expects Neve to reciprocate and threatens her if she does not.
The clincher is: will Neve follow in her new friend’s footsteps and take the life of another? What happened to it being just a fantasy revenge?
Will Neve have the strength to do the deed? Or will she find greater strength in standing up and walking away?
A twisted tale of bargaining lives; with one person whose psychologically imbalanced and one whose uncharacteristically smart, who will come out on top?
A true nail biting thrill ride!
Glam camp, a camp for awakening one’s soul to a more confident young woman seems to be the rejuvenation Neve needs. A new friend, with dark intentions.
Diane, breezes in oozing money and class and notices Neve and takes her under her wing; yet her aloofness fools very few at the camp, others are watching and try to warn Neve. Neve turns the other cheek, looks the other way.
A small conversation at the end of camp, was supposed to be just two new besties, joking and plotting a fantasy revenge. Only one of the two took it seriously.
Neve, excited to start her final year in high school, learns the first day that her former BFF, Yasmin has been murdered. All heads are looking in her direction.
How could they think that she would do such a thing?
Boom! Drop the Mike! Neve’s new BFF, claims the murder prize and now expects Neve to reciprocate and threatens her if she does not.
The clincher is: will Neve follow in her new friend’s footsteps and take the life of another? What happened to it being just a fantasy revenge?
Will Neve have the strength to do the deed? Or will she find greater strength in standing up and walking away?
A twisted tale of bargaining lives; with one person whose psychologically imbalanced and one whose uncharacteristically smart, who will come out on top?
A true nail biting thrill ride!
March 22, 2023
I will be positive and say the way the story was written kept me reading it, but it was very hard to stand the hyper-modern buzzwords like “McMansion”, “instalove”, and others. While it didn’t harp on needless boring moments, I still couldn’t read through 200+ additional pages after giving the first 100 a fair try. It was too predictable; the perfect and seemingly deceptive Diane does end up being deceptive! I don’t really feel like criticizing this book too much, but it has just about all the cliches you could expect. Everyone hates on the one girl that dresses different and then she’s accused of murder (and the teachers might actually believe it?) and everyone hates her more. Anyway, I think if some of the forced ‘young people’ jargon was left out I could’ve finished it.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
May 15, 2025
NO SPOILERS 🩷🩷 ** When I first got this book I picked it up from the book shelf display at the library. When choosing books I usually do research before but I decided to give it a chance. At first the plot was slow and uneventful, however as the novel progressed I felt as if I was sucked into the book. The plot twist at the last few chapters was INSANE. I never would have saw that coming but when it did everything clicked into place. I recommend reading this book, but I would keep in mind that the beginning is slow. The author tends to use a bunch of film noir references that I personally did not understand and prefer, but it didn’t affect my understanding of the plot. If you’ve watched those movies then it adds to the experience. 🤷🏽♀️
March 10, 2022
Dig Two Graves is a fantastic YA thriller! As promised, it's bits of Strangers on a Train and One of Us Is Lying, but also with a bit of Cruel Intentions mixed in. McNeil has created a riveting storyline, with plenty of twists and turns to keep readers wanting to read "just one more chapter" (until they've finished it in one sitting!). I've already started recommending it to people to snag upon its April 2022 release!
I experienced the story via audiobook, and Chelsea Stephens is an excellent narrator for this particular book.
My thanks to Disney audiobooks and Netgalley for the opportunity to preview this title in exchange for my honest opinion!
I experienced the story via audiobook, and Chelsea Stephens is an excellent narrator for this particular book.
My thanks to Disney audiobooks and Netgalley for the opportunity to preview this title in exchange for my honest opinion!
April 12, 2024
Content warnings: murder, toxic friendship, biphobia, death of a friend, bullying, gun violence, gaslighting, stalking
2.5 stars
I've read a few of McNeil's books before and I've always enjoyed them in the past. This, however, was kind of a mess. By which I mean the pacing was extremely weird, the characters weren't particularly likeable, and I found it so plodding at times that I lost track of the fact that it's essentially a Strangers on a Train plotline which should have been utterly compelling and yet just........wasn't.
So yeah. I wanted to like this, I really did. But it was just sort of aggressively mediocre and forgettable.
2.5 stars
I've read a few of McNeil's books before and I've always enjoyed them in the past. This, however, was kind of a mess. By which I mean the pacing was extremely weird, the characters weren't particularly likeable, and I found it so plodding at times that I lost track of the fact that it's essentially a Strangers on a Train plotline which should have been utterly compelling and yet just........wasn't.
So yeah. I wanted to like this, I really did. But it was just sort of aggressively mediocre and forgettable.
April 30, 2022
* I got this review from the publisher*
I really loved this book. I felt like this book remidned me of all the elements i loved from PLL and it was fast pace read. It was a book that deviated from normal thriller elements and had a main character that i did not adore but also did not hate and she was character the grew on me throuhgout the read. This book was really hard to put down and i was unable to predict the twist. It was a super quick read and loved the pacing of this read. If you enjoyed PLL or i Killed zoe spanos this might be a fun read!!
I really loved this book. I felt like this book remidned me of all the elements i loved from PLL and it was fast pace read. It was a book that deviated from normal thriller elements and had a main character that i did not adore but also did not hate and she was character the grew on me throuhgout the read. This book was really hard to put down and i was unable to predict the twist. It was a super quick read and loved the pacing of this read. If you enjoyed PLL or i Killed zoe spanos this might be a fun read!!
April 28, 2022
I saw Gretchen speak about this book at YALSA Symposium. I was very excited to read it, and it did not disappoint! Being an LA native, I loved all the insider details!
May 18, 2022
I'm usually a fan of Gretchen McNeil's books... but I've read this exact plot before.
June 8, 2022
2.5/5
This book is a fun read, but it needed some work on the plot. Some things just never made sense or were explained.
This book is a fun read, but it needed some work on the plot. Some things just never made sense or were explained.
October 30, 2022
This has some excellent film noir beats that go a long way towards making the deliberate pacing feel less onerous. Not my favorite of McNeil's books, but I had a good time with it.
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