They'll Never Catch Us
Ratings9
Average rating3.6
15
Ratings9
Average rating3.6
**A NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER** From rising star Jessica Goodman, author of They Wish They Were Us, comes a new fast-paced thriller about two sisters vying for the top spot on their cross-country team—until a teammate’s disappearance throws their lives off course. "An utter page-turner. Goodman's voice is razor-sharp and keenly precise. Perfect for fans of Gillian Flynn!" —Tiffany D. Jackson NYT Bestselling Author of White Smoke and Grown Stella and Ellie Steckler are only a year apart, but their different personalities make their relationship complicated. Stella is single-minded, driven, and she keeps to herself. Cross-country running is her life and she won't let anything get in the way of being the best. Her sister Ellie is a talented runner too, but she also lets herself have fun. She has friends. She goes to parties. She has a life off the course. The sisters do have one thing in common, though: the new girl, Mila Keene. Both Stecklers' lives are upended when Mila comes to town. At first, Ellie and Stella view the new star athlete as a threat. But soon Ellie can't help but be drawn to her warm, charming personality. After her best friend moved away and her first boyfriend betrayed her, Ellie's been looking for a friend to share her secrets. Stella finds herself noticing the ways she and Mila are similar. Mila is smart and strong--she's someone Stella can finally connect with. As the two get closer, Stella becomes something she vowed she'd never be: distracted. With regionals approaching and college scouts taking notice, the pressure is on. Each girl has their future on the line and they won't let friendships get in their way. But then, suddenly, Mila goes out on a training run and never returns. No one knows what happened, but all eyes are on the Steckler sisters.
Reviews with the most likes.
They'll Never Catch Us, is an extremely engaging YA thriller that takes place in a small town called Edgewater. We follow two sisters, Ellie and Stella, whose whole lives revolve around their high school's cross country team. There has always been competition and tension between them because of this but they both become familiar with a new girl on their team, Mila. Mila goes missing one day on a run and her disappearance bears resemblance to serial killer killings that occurred about a decade prior in their town.
I usually have a problem with YA thrillers and horror where it feels too immature and juvenile. I honestly didn't really have that problem with this book. I felt like this perfectly balances high school sports drama with heavy topics like abortion and abusive relationships.
The mystery had me engaged the whole time and I never ended up guessing the killer/what happened to Mila. I do wish we had more resolution to the killings that occurred before because that also really intrigued me. It had almost no conclusion and was left hanging empty.
While this did engage me I feel like I won't really remember it after a month because the characters didn't really stand out. I often got confused because the two sister's perspectives sounded identical and it was hard to distinguish what was happening to one of them from what was happening to the other.
I would recommend this book but don't expect to be knocked out of the park. It's more something to keep you engaged and be fun while it lasted.
Thank you to Penguin Young Readers Group, Jessica Goodman, and NetGalley for an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.
