“If you like your YA thrillers smart, suspenseful, and full of complex characters, then you’ll love All Eyes on Us.” –Karen M. McManus, New York Times bestselling author of One of Us Is Lying and Two Can Keep a Secret Pretty Little Liars meets People Like Us in this “page-ripping psychological thriller” (Kirkus Reviews, starred review) about two teens who find their lives intertwined when an … starred review) about two teens who find their lives intertwined when an anonymous texter threatens to spill their secrets and uproot their lives.
PRIVATE NUMBER: Wouldn’t you look better without a cheater on your arm?
AMANDA: Who is this?
The daughter of small-town social climbers, Amanda Kelly is deeply invested in her boyfriend, real estate heir Carter Shaw. He’s kind, ambitious, the town golden boy–but he’s far from perfect. Because behind Amanda’s back, Carter is also dating Rosalie.
PRIVATE NUMBER: I’m watching you, Sweetheart.
ROSALIE: Who IS this?
Rosalie Bell is fighting to remain true to herself and her girlfriend–while concealing her identity from her Christian fundamentalist parents. After years spent in and out of conversion “therapy,” her own safety is her top priority. But maintaining a fake, straight relationship is killing her from the inside.
When an anonymous texter ropes Amanda and Rosalie into a bid to take Carter down, the girls become collateral damage–and unlikely allies in a fight to unmask their stalker before Private uproots their lives.
PRIVATE NUMBER: You shouldn’t have ignored me. Now look what you made me do…
more
**Spoiler-free Review of All Eyes On Us
***Content Warnings for All Eyes On Us: homophobia, descriptions conversion therapy, kidnapping, being held at gunpoint, underage drinking, cheating, gaslighting, being drugged
If you like Pretty Little Liars, read All Eyes On Us by Kit Frick!
Amanda is the daughter of social climbers, parents who are adamantly trying to secure their position through The Shaws. Indeed, Amanda Kelly and Carter Shaw are the power couple. So, when everything starts falling apart around her, Amanda is desperate to hold onto this “perfect” relationship. The problem?
Carter is cheating on Amanda Kelly. Carter is cheating with Rosalie Bell.
But what Carter and Amanda don’t know is that Rosalie is in love with her girlfriend—she’s only using Carter as a cover to convince her parents she’s “cured” of being a lesbian.
Amanda and Rosalie’s lives become even more entwined when a blocked number starts spouting threats: They are being watched. They have to insert command here…or else. But when Private pits the girls against each other…well, that turns out to be their downfall.
Amanda’s point of view has Gossip Girl vibes while Rosalie’s perspective brings hints of The Miseducation of Cameron Post. (This may be generalizing, but) Amanda is rich and Rosalie is poor; Amanda is popular and Rosalie is a loner; Amanda is straight and Rosalie is lesbian; Etc. They are polar opposites, which is part of what makes the pair so dynamic. You end up rooting for them, but (refreshingly) don’t end up rooting for them to get together (romantically). I loved seeing their agency and their character growth as they worked to overcome their struggles.
Yet, while neither of their lives are perfect (though Amanda would want you to think so), I think Rosalie wins out in the sympathy category. She’s just more likable than Amanda. I do think dating someone else’s boyfriend without full consent or transparency is objectionable—and it’s not exactly condoned in the story either—but, at the same time, I understand why Rosalie is so desperate to evade the consequences of not using Carter as a cover.
(Side note: Some reader-reviewers have said Rosalie’s vivid flashbacks are gratuitous. I personally think they were sparse enough and really worked to emphasize the severity of the stakes and highlight Rosalie’s PTSD. To each their own. Just be safe and consider content warnings before reading. <3)
I never knew how the story would progress; All Eyes On Us kept me on my toes. And I never saw *that* coming! When I re-read the story, it was easier to pick out the hints and foreshadowing, but the initial reading really kept me guessing and engaged. Bravo to Kit Frick for concocting such a brilliant turn of events. I truly haven’t been that satisfied with a plot twist in a long while.
The story does starts out a bit slow because there is minimal action and agency. However, the world-building, character tension, and plot suspense was enough to keep my interest until the pace picked up (especially the second half of the book when the manuscript begins to shift from mystery to thriller).
All Eyes On Us is an interesting genre-blend of slow-burn mystery, suspenseful thriller, and issue-driven contemporary. All of the plot threads (except for the subplot involving Amanda’s mom that is revealed at the end) weave together very well to create a multifaceted story with equally complex characters.
Now, I do wish this story was #OwnVoices for Rosalie’s POV; however, it seems the author did a lot of research and I have yet to find significant criticism for representation. Whereas other books dealing with conversion therapy have demonized religion, I think it was refreshing to see Rosalie trying to cling to her family and faith despite what they had done to her. I think the book did a good job of replicating real “evangelical congregations with fundamentalist interpretations of Christian scripture” without condemning all of Christianity.
Overall, I think this is one of the top YA mystery-thrillers of 2019!
This was a solid YA thriller and I really liked the suspense. I have read a number of YA books and couldn’t guess the ending on this one. So, that’s a plus in my book. I recommend the book for readers of Gossip Girl and Riverdale.
If you like your YA thrillers smart, suspenseful, and full of complex characters, then you’ll love All Eyes on Us.
Riveting and creepy, the simmering tension of All Eyes on Us will have you afraid to check your messages. In Amanda Kelly and Rosalie Bell, Kit Frick has created two unforgettable voices that will stay with you long after you’ve read the final page.
Smart, riveting, and unputdownable, here’s a heart-racing thriller with a conscience and a soul.