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One Killer Problem
A darkly funny and thoroughly queer mystery thriller with a touch of camp, for fans of Kara Thomas and Kit Frick by way of Only Murders in the Building.
When Gianna “Gigi” Ricci lands in detention again, she doesn’t expect the glorified study hall to be her alibi.
But when she and her friends receive a mysterious email directing them to her favorite teacher, Mr. Ford’s room, they find him lying in a pool of blood. But calling the math teacher’s death an accident doesn’t add up, and Gigi needs all the help she can get to find the truth. Luckily, she’s friends with her high school’s “mystery club,” and so with her best friend, Sean, and longtime crush, Mari, Gigi sets out to solve a murder.
But it turns out, murderers are extremely unwilling to be caught, and the deeper Gigi gets in this mystery, the more dangerous things become. Between fending off a murderer, continual flare-ups of her IBS, and her archnemesis turning flirtatious . . . making it out of junior year is going to be one killer problem.
With a wry, hilarious voice and a main character who is the walking definition of a disaster bi, this book is an ode to cozy mysteries, queer found families, and fighting for the people you love, no matter what.
When Gianna “Gigi” Ricci lands in detention again, she doesn’t expect the glorified study hall to be her alibi.
But when she and her friends receive a mysterious email directing them to her favorite teacher, Mr. Ford’s room, they find him lying in a pool of blood. But calling the math teacher’s death an accident doesn’t add up, and Gigi needs all the help she can get to find the truth. Luckily, she’s friends with her high school’s “mystery club,” and so with her best friend, Sean, and longtime crush, Mari, Gigi sets out to solve a murder.
But it turns out, murderers are extremely unwilling to be caught, and the deeper Gigi gets in this mystery, the more dangerous things become. Between fending off a murderer, continual flare-ups of her IBS, and her archnemesis turning flirtatious . . . making it out of junior year is going to be one killer problem.
With a wry, hilarious voice and a main character who is the walking definition of a disaster bi, this book is an ode to cozy mysteries, queer found families, and fighting for the people you love, no matter what.
336 pages, Hardcover
First published June 4, 2024
About the author
Justine Pucella Winans
6 books133 followersJustine Pucella Winans (they/she) is a queer and nonbinary writer who lives in Los Angeles with their husband and incredible Halloween-colored cats. Their books include YA novels like the critically acclaimed Indies Introduce title, BIANCA TORRE IS AFRAID OF EVERYTHING, Junior Library Guild Gold Standard Selection, ONE KILLER PROBLEM, and HOW TO SURVIVE A SLASHER. Their MG speculative horror titles include the acclaimed Stonewall Honor Book, THE OTHERWOODS, WISHBONE, and A LITTLE TOO HAUNTED. When not writing queer, creepy, and funny fiction for kids and teens, they can be found training Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu, reading (a lot of) manga and webcomics, and actively avoiding real life scary situations. Legend says they also haunt Instagram at @JustinePWinans and their website, www.justinepucellawinans.com.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 80 reviews
August 8, 2024
I received a copy of this book to read in exchange for an honest review as part of the book tour hosted by Pride Book Tours.
One Killer Problem is a YA murder mystery that keeps you on your toes.
Gigi isn't a fan of school, and when one of the only teachers she actually likes is found dead after a seemingly freak accident, she enlists the help of her 'murder club' friends to uncover what really happened, who killed him and why. As the group start to uncover clues, it puts them all in the crosshairs of a killer who will stop at nothing to keep their identity hidden.
As a fellow IBS sufferer, I really felt for Gigi and was glad this rep was included in this book. The story was fun and interesting and had a great plot and execution from start to finish. If you love a bit of camp in your stories, are a fan of found family or solving a mystery - you need to pick this book up.
One Killer Problem is a YA murder mystery that keeps you on your toes.
Gigi isn't a fan of school, and when one of the only teachers she actually likes is found dead after a seemingly freak accident, she enlists the help of her 'murder club' friends to uncover what really happened, who killed him and why. As the group start to uncover clues, it puts them all in the crosshairs of a killer who will stop at nothing to keep their identity hidden.
As a fellow IBS sufferer, I really felt for Gigi and was glad this rep was included in this book. The story was fun and interesting and had a great plot and execution from start to finish. If you love a bit of camp in your stories, are a fan of found family or solving a mystery - you need to pick this book up.
June 18, 2024
Many thanks to Harper360YA for the digital review copy!
Don't read this book if you hate fun, because this murder mystery will make you crack up no matter what. I loved this author's debut YA thriller, and this one is at least as much fun, with a witty writing style full of puns (and funny chapter headings!) and a main character who thinks she's unloveable but you will prove her wrong by loving her regardless. I loved the friendships and family in this book (the MC has a non-binary parent!), and the romance was adorable because of how oblivious the main character was for most of the book.
Don't read this book if you hate fun, because this murder mystery will make you crack up no matter what. I loved this author's debut YA thriller, and this one is at least as much fun, with a witty writing style full of puns (and funny chapter headings!) and a main character who thinks she's unloveable but you will prove her wrong by loving her regardless. I loved the friendships and family in this book (the MC has a non-binary parent!), and the romance was adorable because of how oblivious the main character was for most of the book.
May 12, 2023
Will re-review when I read the final version but even the draft I read was everything Justine does spectacularly—incredible characters, tricky and messy situations, puns and humor, and a whole lot of heart. And gay. So gay.
Read
June 8, 2024Dnf 11%
Too YA for my current mood
Too YA for my current mood
Read
July 11, 2024So torn on this book. There was so much I loved. Great characters and a lot of fun plot elements. I also think it's the first book I've read with a non-binary parent, and it was great practice for me to get used to "mom" not necessarily being connected with she/her pronouns.
Unfortunately, some aspects of the mystery solving made me ragey. I think if you don't mind the kind of cozy mystery where some aspects of the mystery are super clear to the reader, but not to the MC, you'll like this. I get so so annoyed when I know way more than the oblivious MC of a mystery book. This MC was constantly jumping to ridiculous conclusions and some aspects of the mystery were just SO obvious and took so long for her to figure out. And the way some authority figures and adults acted was ridiculous. I know this is YA, but I feel like you have to trust your readers instead of being so heavy handed. I wish the mystery had been more cleverly revealed and that the MC had been less frustrating in her solving of it.
Unfortunately, some aspects of the mystery solving made me ragey. I think if you don't mind the kind of cozy mystery where some aspects of the mystery are super clear to the reader, but not to the MC, you'll like this. I get so so annoyed when I know way more than the oblivious MC of a mystery book. This MC was constantly jumping to ridiculous conclusions and some aspects of the mystery were just SO obvious and took so long for her to figure out. And the way some authority figures and adults acted was ridiculous. I know this is YA, but I feel like you have to trust your readers instead of being so heavy handed. I wish the mystery had been more cleverly revealed and that the MC had been less frustrating in her solving of it.
April 19, 2024
i got this as an arc because i was so intrigued by the possibilities (also the cover looked great!) (anyway thank you netgalley and publisher for this opportunity) let’s talk about gigi bec ??????? insane
also found family
and murder
and ibs
this was sooo much fun getting to think like baby detectives, thank you justine for this extraordinary piece of work
also found family
and murder
and ibs
this was sooo much fun getting to think like baby detectives, thank you justine for this extraordinary piece of work
Want to read
May 11, 2023A PROTAGONIST WITH IBS I FEEL SEEN
August 29, 2024
3.5⭐️
Gigi was in detention when her favorite teach died. The police write it off as an accident, but Gigi's friends in the Mystery Club received an email directing them to find Mr. Ford and that's a coincidence that Gigi can't let go. Working with her best friend Sam, crush Mari and archnemesis Cedar, she soon learns that solving a mystery is much more dangerous than expected.
I absolutely loved Gigi's realness through this. She was an authentic, awkward teenager struggling to figure herself out while also tackling regular IBS flares. She had that one trusted teacher that pulled for her and you could feel the grief over his death intertwine perfectly with her baseline anger and it really drove the story along. Gigi's temper also felt almost like it's own character since it got brought into almost every scenario she had. There was so much great queer reputation in this, including Gigi's family being 75% queer and another character coming out as aroace.
It felt odd to me that none of the adults throughout this story really did anything to help Gigi with her over the top anger. Gigi was prone to getting in fights often at school and would fly off the handle at the drop of a hat and beside the principal constantly calling in her parents, nothing was done about it? Her mom was a retired fighter (jiu jitsu? I think) and Gigi was enrolled in her mom's classes as well but nothing was ever really done about her anger other than telling her to work it off on the mat. Gigi was also extremely impulsive, but the conclusions she jumped to were very odd with no evidence to back them a lot of the time.
I'm not the target age range for this book, but I still mostly enjoyed it.
Gigi was in detention when her favorite teach died. The police write it off as an accident, but Gigi's friends in the Mystery Club received an email directing them to find Mr. Ford and that's a coincidence that Gigi can't let go. Working with her best friend Sam, crush Mari and archnemesis Cedar, she soon learns that solving a mystery is much more dangerous than expected.
I absolutely loved Gigi's realness through this. She was an authentic, awkward teenager struggling to figure herself out while also tackling regular IBS flares. She had that one trusted teacher that pulled for her and you could feel the grief over his death intertwine perfectly with her baseline anger and it really drove the story along. Gigi's temper also felt almost like it's own character since it got brought into almost every scenario she had. There was so much great queer reputation in this, including Gigi's family being 75% queer and another character coming out as aroace.
It felt odd to me that none of the adults throughout this story really did anything to help Gigi with her over the top anger. Gigi was prone to getting in fights often at school and would fly off the handle at the drop of a hat and beside the principal constantly calling in her parents, nothing was done about it? Her mom was a retired fighter (jiu jitsu? I think) and Gigi was enrolled in her mom's classes as well but nothing was ever really done about her anger other than telling her to work it off on the mat. Gigi was also extremely impulsive, but the conclusions she jumped to were very odd with no evidence to back them a lot of the time.
I'm not the target age range for this book, but I still mostly enjoyed it.
May 31, 2024
A funny, YA murder mystery that sees a queer teen helping to solve their teacher's sudden death at school with the help of their fellow murder club friends. I loved the great #ownvoices IBS rep in this book, the humor and the relatable main character. Looking forward to reading more from this author! Many thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for an early synthesized audio copy in exchange for my honest review!
June 11, 2024
well this was fucking hilarious. so funny, so quirky and most importantly so GAY. but seriously add murder mystery, distinctive and well fleshed out characters, seemingly endless cutesy cat references and fresh (as in never been done before) lol-worthy IBS rep to the mix and what else could you possibly need?
on the side note, the twist was pretty predictable from early on, but it didn't take out much of the experience overall
on the side note, the twist was pretty predictable from early on, but it didn't take out much of the experience overall
February 11, 2024
fun little mystery with a nicely written plot and a great idea. i loved our protags so much! tyssm for the arc, would rec
May 8, 2024
This was such a great read, loved these characters and the mystery was so good!
June 5, 2024
The cool, chaotic, campy, quirky and extremely queer murder mystery my heart desired.
August 6, 2024
A solid YA mystery.
August 14, 2024
1.5
i skimmed the last half of this bc i literally wasn’t interested at all.
i skimmed the last half of this bc i literally wasn’t interested at all.
August 15, 2024
The characters annoyed me but I laughed a lot
July 28, 2024
I kept getting an ick from the main character, Gigi, from probably the first 20 pages. Even though I loved the masc- presenting female gay representation, it was too much sometimes. She made being gay her ENTIRE PERSONALITY. And her constant catchphrase was “thank bisexual jesus”. Like what? Also, I really did love the IBS representation, because man that is relatable to my family member, but almost every page was her talking about her need to go blow up a toilet with her gigantic poops. ALSO, she was SO FRUSTRATING. I hated how she was so impulsive, and the second she got a lead on the murder case, she would go and beat up the person she thought committed the murder of her teacher. I digress, also, I did assume that the person selling the test papers was Luca. Anyway; the plot twist of the actual murderers: that was good. So I guess the book gets an average of 3/5 stars.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
July 22, 2024
had some good laugh out loud moments but i just wasn't feeling the rest of it :(
July 4, 2024
You had me at IBS and queer rep! This book is laugh out loud funny and I mean that. Do yourself a favor and pick it up!
June 9, 2024
3/5 stars.
Unpopular opinion: this had so much potential, but came off as rather goofy. I liked the idea of a “mystery club,” at the main character’s school….this wasn’t fully for me. It also felt heavy handed with trying to fit into boxes of pop culture and diversity, but at the same time I do appreciate an LGBTQ character.
I felt like I didn’t know the main character Gigi very well, except that she was IBS (good representation for that), but she could’ve broken her leg jumping to conclusions. I also don’t fully like the mystery involved, it felt too much like One of Us is Lying.
Unpopular opinion: this had so much potential, but came off as rather goofy. I liked the idea of a “mystery club,” at the main character’s school….this wasn’t fully for me. It also felt heavy handed with trying to fit into boxes of pop culture and diversity, but at the same time I do appreciate an LGBTQ character.
I felt like I didn’t know the main character Gigi very well, except that she was IBS (good representation for that), but she could’ve broken her leg jumping to conclusions. I also don’t fully like the mystery involved, it felt too much like One of Us is Lying.
June 10, 2024
Gigi seems to always be getting in trouble. She feels like the only teacher that really understands her is her math teacher, Mr. Ford. When she stumbles upon Mr. ford’s dead body, the authorities assume it’s an accident. Gigi and her friends are not convinced and under the guise of their Mystery (literature) club, they set out to investigate.
I loved this one!!! Gigi was such a great protagonist - there were some laugh out loud moments for me because of her sarcasm and sense of humor. I also love how queer this book! So much representation. The mystery was good, there were stakes for the characters, and it was just a quick delightful read! At the end, it kind of sets up where a second book could happen with these characters and I really hope so!!
I received my copy from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.
I loved this one!!! Gigi was such a great protagonist - there were some laugh out loud moments for me because of her sarcasm and sense of humor. I also love how queer this book! So much representation. The mystery was good, there were stakes for the characters, and it was just a quick delightful read! At the end, it kind of sets up where a second book could happen with these characters and I really hope so!!
I received my copy from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.
June 14, 2024
This rating feels mean, but I guessed who the killer was at 23% (with no uncertainty) and couldn't muster much enthusiasm for the remaining mysteries afterwards.
April 17, 2024
Brb joining my high school mystery club and never looking back
July 4, 2024
“I’m kind of an asshole. I get angry easily. I’m more of a little shit than serious. I’m the kind of person who will punch first and ask questions later. I know what I am, and I know what I’m not.”
REVIEW
➽ Justine Pucella Winans is back with another great YA Mystery! I still like Bianca Torre Is Afraid of Everything more, because the anxiety representation was so relatable and the mystery felt more unique. Nevertheless, One Killer Problem was a fun, thrilling story from start to finish. It follows Gigi, a young teen with a temper who is convinced her math teacher was murdered, even if the police have ruled it an accident. Together with her friends 'mystery club', she sets out to investigate even once they start receiving mysterious threats.
➽ I thought that Gigi was a great flawed and realistic character! She's known as a troublemaker at school and tends to get into fights even when she shouldn't. I liked having a main character with average grades who isn't a genius but is still determined to solve a mystery. Mr. Ford was Gigi's favorite teacher, because he always believed in her, so his death hit her hard. Gigi struggles with expressing her emotions and showing vulnerability, so she often resorts to sarcasm and anger to cope. Most teachers are content to judge her as a troublemaker, which is why she can't let Mr. Ford's death get swept under the rug. It's easy for her to get into trouble because people take one look at her record and label her a disruptive teen with anger issues. Despite Gigi's brusque behavior, she's fiercely loyal and passionate about her interests. I also loved seeing the IBS representation!
➽ I loved her relationship with her friends Sean and Mari and her family! Gigi's family doesn't have a lot of money, but they're supportive of her and her brother. It was lovely to see her having a nonbinary parent! Gigi herself is bisexual and wants to confess to her crush Mari, but is bracing for a rejection. She's scared her nemesis Ceder is also trying to make a move on Mari, but it turns out that Gigi's just oblivious 😉 I liked that there was no love triangle in the end and ! I loved the dynamic between Gigi and Ceder, especially once Gigi realised she might have misjudged her. It definitely hurt to see how little support Ceder received after coming out, compared to Gigi who has an open-minded, caring family!
INFORMATION
➽ CW's: Death, Murder, Grief, Violence, Homophobic Parents/Coming Out
➽ Representation 🌷 Bi MC who has IBS, Lesbian LI, Nonbinary SC, Aroace SC
➽ Rating: 4.5 Stars
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January 16, 2024
Thank you Harperteen and Netgalley for this eARC, these opinions are my own. I consumed this! Gigi is used to being looked at the troubled one, the fighter, the bad seed. One of the only teachers that doesn’t see her that way is Mr. Ford. He expects more from her. So when she’s comes to his class after detention and finds him dead she is understandably shocked. Soon her best friend Shawn and her crush Mari, show up from the Mystery Club. Someone emailed them to go to that room. The police rule the death an accident but the three don’t believe it. So with the help of the rest of the Mystery Club and Mari’s friends Luca and Ceder, Gigi’s brother and her archenemies, they’re determined to solve the case. But some secrets want to stay hidden, or at least the person is is threatening them wants them to stay hidden. Can they solve the case? Can Gigi confess her love to Mari? Can she keep her friends safe? Funny, thrilling, and absolutely captivating! Gigi will have you laughing and rooting for her! Justine Pucella Winans use of witty sarcasm had me falling in love early on and I couldn’t put it down! And what a group of characters I loved them all! Especially since they all had a bit of that sarcastic attitude! I’ve always wanted to see a mystery with a pretty much complete cast of queer characters and this book finally gave that to me! If you enjoy a good mystery then this one is for you, especially if you like queer mysteries! I cannot wait to read it again!
Merged review:
Thank you Harperteen and Netgalley for this eARC, these opinions are my own. I consumed this! Gigi is used to being looked at the troubled one, the fighter, the bad seed. One of the only teachers that doesn’t see her that way is Mr. Ford. He expects more from her. So when she’s comes to his class after detention and finds him dead she is understandably shocked. Soon her best friend Shawn and her crush Mari, show up from the Mystery Club. Someone emailed them to go to that room. The police rule the death an accident but the three don’t believe it. So with the help of the rest of the Mystery Club and Mari’s friends Luca and Ceder, Gigi’s brother and her archenemies, they’re determined to solve the case. But some secrets want to stay hidden, or at least the person is is threatening them wants them to stay hidden. Can they solve the case? Can Gigi confess her love to Mari? Can she keep her friends safe? Funny, thrilling, and absolutely captivating! Gigi will have you laughing and rooting for her! Justine Pucella Winans use of witty sarcasm had me falling in love early on and I couldn’t put it down! And what a group of characters I loved them all! Especially since they all had a bit of that sarcastic attitude! I’ve always wanted to see a mystery with a pretty much complete cast of queer characters and this book finally gave that to me! If you enjoy a good mystery then this one is for you, especially if you like queer mysteries! I cannot wait to read it again!
Merged review:
Thank you Harperteen and Netgalley for this eARC, these opinions are my own. I consumed this! Gigi is used to being looked at the troubled one, the fighter, the bad seed. One of the only teachers that doesn’t see her that way is Mr. Ford. He expects more from her. So when she’s comes to his class after detention and finds him dead she is understandably shocked. Soon her best friend Shawn and her crush Mari, show up from the Mystery Club. Someone emailed them to go to that room. The police rule the death an accident but the three don’t believe it. So with the help of the rest of the Mystery Club and Mari’s friends Luca and Ceder, Gigi’s brother and her archenemies, they’re determined to solve the case. But some secrets want to stay hidden, or at least the person is is threatening them wants them to stay hidden. Can they solve the case? Can Gigi confess her love to Mari? Can she keep her friends safe? Funny, thrilling, and absolutely captivating! Gigi will have you laughing and rooting for her! Justine Pucella Winans use of witty sarcasm had me falling in love early on and I couldn’t put it down! And what a group of characters I loved them all! Especially since they all had a bit of that sarcastic attitude! I’ve always wanted to see a mystery with a pretty much complete cast of queer characters and this book finally gave that to me! If you enjoy a good mystery then this one is for you, especially if you like queer mysteries! I cannot wait to read it again!
June 18, 2024
“I’m kind of an asshole. I get angry easily. I’m more of a little shit than serious. I’m the kind of person who will punch first and ask questions later. I know what I am, and I know what I’m not.”
UFC-loving bisexual mess Gigi Ricci never planned on joining the smallest club at her high school, Mystery and Thriller Literary Scholars (more affectionately known as “Mystery Club”). However, when her best friend, Sean, and her crush, Mari, need to recruit ten members and a faculty advisor to keep their beloved club operational, Gigi reluctantly signs on. She never expects to have to put in much work, much less solve a real mystery. After a suspicious death on school grounds is quickly labeled as an accident, though, Gigi finds herself splitting time between practicing jiu jitsu and hunting down a killer. As Gigi navigates both a complex murder investigation and messy relationships within a large, queer friend group, she begins to question whether the murderer could be one of the people closest to her.
Finally, a queer book where queerness is not treated as the central “issue” of the text! One of my favorite aspects was Gigi’s nonbinary parent. Nonbinary fictional characters tend to be Gen Z, supporting the false notion that being nonbinary is a “new fad.” The author effectively demonstrates how non-binary gender identities can be normalized for people of any age. Despite my appreciation for the representation in the book, it had several flaws that detracted from my overall enjoyment. Some conversations felt repetitive, like they were rehashing conflicts that had already been resolved. Overall, I just didn’t feel that invested into many of the relationships because I was not able to invest in the individuals. Too many characters were introduced way too quickly, and, as a result, very few characters feel sufficiently fleshed out. Imagine my disappointment when the character I felt most curious about turned out to be the murder victim! The protagonist felt more nuanced and had a very distinctive voice, but I would not describe her as likable, despite how almost every character fawns over her at one point or another. While this was not my favorite read of all time, it has several characteristics that will appeal to a contemporary high school audience. If you love cat puns, queer characters trying to figure themselves out, and pop culture references from The Godfather to Taylor Swift, this might be the mystery for you!
Pine Reads Review would like to thank SparkPoint Studio, NetGalley, and HarperTeen for sending us an ARC in exchange for an honest review. Any quotes are taken from an advanced copy and may be subject to change before final publication.
Follow us on Instagram, Twitter, TikTok, and Facebook @pinereadsreview, and check out our website at www.pinereadsreview.com for reviews, author interviews, blogs, podcast episodes, and more!
UFC-loving bisexual mess Gigi Ricci never planned on joining the smallest club at her high school, Mystery and Thriller Literary Scholars (more affectionately known as “Mystery Club”). However, when her best friend, Sean, and her crush, Mari, need to recruit ten members and a faculty advisor to keep their beloved club operational, Gigi reluctantly signs on. She never expects to have to put in much work, much less solve a real mystery. After a suspicious death on school grounds is quickly labeled as an accident, though, Gigi finds herself splitting time between practicing jiu jitsu and hunting down a killer. As Gigi navigates both a complex murder investigation and messy relationships within a large, queer friend group, she begins to question whether the murderer could be one of the people closest to her.
Finally, a queer book where queerness is not treated as the central “issue” of the text! One of my favorite aspects was Gigi’s nonbinary parent. Nonbinary fictional characters tend to be Gen Z, supporting the false notion that being nonbinary is a “new fad.” The author effectively demonstrates how non-binary gender identities can be normalized for people of any age. Despite my appreciation for the representation in the book, it had several flaws that detracted from my overall enjoyment. Some conversations felt repetitive, like they were rehashing conflicts that had already been resolved. Overall, I just didn’t feel that invested into many of the relationships because I was not able to invest in the individuals. Too many characters were introduced way too quickly, and, as a result, very few characters feel sufficiently fleshed out. Imagine my disappointment when the character I felt most curious about turned out to be the murder victim! The protagonist felt more nuanced and had a very distinctive voice, but I would not describe her as likable, despite how almost every character fawns over her at one point or another. While this was not my favorite read of all time, it has several characteristics that will appeal to a contemporary high school audience. If you love cat puns, queer characters trying to figure themselves out, and pop culture references from The Godfather to Taylor Swift, this might be the mystery for you!
Pine Reads Review would like to thank SparkPoint Studio, NetGalley, and HarperTeen for sending us an ARC in exchange for an honest review. Any quotes are taken from an advanced copy and may be subject to change before final publication.
Follow us on Instagram, Twitter, TikTok, and Facebook @pinereadsreview, and check out our website at www.pinereadsreview.com for reviews, author interviews, blogs, podcast episodes, and more!
May 30, 2024
3.5 ⭐️
One Killer Problem follows Gigi as she joins her schools Murder Mystery Club (note: it has a much longer name, but much like Gigi I find the shorter version more convenient 🤣) to solve the murder of her favourite teacher - that’s the cops have ruled an accident - Mr. Ford.
I was really impressed with how witty and pun filled this book was, and I absolutely loved the cat jokes. Meowder! I thought the comedic timing was brilliant, and really added levity to a story that, in parts, was very heavy. Additionally, I loved how Winans referenced other YA murder mystery books, particularly [book:One of Us Is Lying|58679358 which is probably the most well know book for a murder that happens while someone’s in detention.
This book had a wonderful cast of characters from different backgrounds and I like we had an element of found family in it, but I also loved the community elements with parents and adults helping each other with raising the kids. Of course, there are some shitty parents, which is unfortunately the reality many teens have to face.
However, I do wish we got to see a bit more of the friendships. I sometimes found myself lost at who was meant to be best friends with who, how long they’d actually known each other, and sometimes found myself getting a few of the characters stories muddled.
I thought the murder mystery element was good but I was never really that invested? I just don’t think I really felt like there was much happening, there was just a lot of repeated threats and break ins until the escalation at the end, but before that I felt the detective work done by our characters was lackluster.
I liked that Gigi wasn’t perfect, she was quick to violence and to jump to conclusions, and had massive fears of coming across as weak so absolutely refused to show any upset emotion in front of others. I think she had a good character arc — she learned that crying doesn’t make you weak! Showing you care in other ways (not just beating up enemies) is a strength! I’m excited to see where her character goes in a potential sequel.
Also, I have to say, as an IBS girlie who is also plagued with coeliac disease, I appreciated the tummy troubles rep.
Overall though I think this was a really good read, and I enjoyed the friendships, the characters, and the slow burn romance. I think this book would be great for younger readers who are just getting in to the genre.
Thank you to HarperCollins Children's Books | HarperTeen for this e-arc in exchange for an honest review.
One Killer Problem follows Gigi as she joins her schools Murder Mystery Club (note: it has a much longer name, but much like Gigi I find the shorter version more convenient 🤣) to solve the murder of her favourite teacher - that’s the cops have ruled an accident - Mr. Ford.
I was really impressed with how witty and pun filled this book was, and I absolutely loved the cat jokes. Meowder! I thought the comedic timing was brilliant, and really added levity to a story that, in parts, was very heavy. Additionally, I loved how Winans referenced other YA murder mystery books, particularly [book:One of Us Is Lying|58679358 which is probably the most well know book for a murder that happens while someone’s in detention.
This book had a wonderful cast of characters from different backgrounds and I like we had an element of found family in it, but I also loved the community elements with parents and adults helping each other with raising the kids. Of course, there are some shitty parents, which is unfortunately the reality many teens have to face.
However, I do wish we got to see a bit more of the friendships. I sometimes found myself lost at who was meant to be best friends with who, how long they’d actually known each other, and sometimes found myself getting a few of the characters stories muddled.
I thought the murder mystery element was good but I was never really that invested? I just don’t think I really felt like there was much happening, there was just a lot of repeated threats and break ins until the escalation at the end, but before that I felt the detective work done by our characters was lackluster.
I liked that Gigi wasn’t perfect, she was quick to violence and to jump to conclusions, and had massive fears of coming across as weak so absolutely refused to show any upset emotion in front of others. I think she had a good character arc — she learned that crying doesn’t make you weak! Showing you care in other ways (not just beating up enemies) is a strength! I’m excited to see where her character goes in a potential sequel.
Also, I have to say, as an IBS girlie who is also plagued with coeliac disease, I appreciated the tummy troubles rep.
Overall though I think this was a really good read, and I enjoyed the friendships, the characters, and the slow burn romance. I think this book would be great for younger readers who are just getting in to the genre.
Thank you to HarperCollins Children's Books | HarperTeen for this e-arc in exchange for an honest review.
July 22, 2024
I really wanted to love this but I just couldn’t. Spoiler free review below 👇
The premise of this book is fun, cosy, and although not entirely original, intriguing. We have a cast of characters boasting some great queer and IBS rep, a young adult murder mystery literary club and a sneaky touch of romance, so what could possibly go wrong?
PLOT:
The plot just wasn’t that well thought out - even though I didn’t immediately guess the culprit of the crime, I knew who it definitely wasn’t, which is usually a great sign except it was very overstated and obvious who it wasn’t. It made me feel that a lot of the investigating and questioning was very repetitive because the protagonist would 100% believe it was someone the reader knew it 100% was not, several times over. This may have been due to listening to the audiobook at a high listening speed but the pacing also felt off - I didn’t feel any sense of suspension or foreboding.
CHARACTER:
I did not connect with a single character. A romantically challenged bisexual girl who has a love for jiu jitsu and suffers with IBS should be a great ya protagonist, with plenty of scope for exploring the complexities of adolescence through the lens of queer identity and chronic illness. Unfortunately, those qualities are all we really get from her - she has a temper problem, can’t identify her romantic feelings until they’re told to her, and she has IBS. All the other characters and relationships definitely had the potential to have depth and be loveable but we never get deeper than the surface, and when we try to it feels forced.
REPRESENTATION:
This is most likely personal preference but rather than these characters’ queerness seamlessly blending into the world and feeling natural, it felt like I was being reminded every other page, which a.) broke up the pacing and b.) made me feel like I couldn’t just read a queer story without it trying to make it a point of being queer. I wanted to read a more normalised narrative of queer characters existing in the world. This being said, I really enjoyed the representation of Gigi’s mum - a non binary character from a different generation than is usually portrayed in books was really nice to see. The IBS representation was much the same - it was great to see but it felt forced the way it was constantly mentioned rather than feeling like a normality for Gigi.
All in all, this one fell a little short for me. The characters, the young adult experience, the plot and the representation just weren’t well balanced and this just wasn’t for me.
The premise of this book is fun, cosy, and although not entirely original, intriguing. We have a cast of characters boasting some great queer and IBS rep, a young adult murder mystery literary club and a sneaky touch of romance, so what could possibly go wrong?
PLOT:
The plot just wasn’t that well thought out - even though I didn’t immediately guess the culprit of the crime, I knew who it definitely wasn’t, which is usually a great sign except it was very overstated and obvious who it wasn’t. It made me feel that a lot of the investigating and questioning was very repetitive because the protagonist would 100% believe it was someone the reader knew it 100% was not, several times over. This may have been due to listening to the audiobook at a high listening speed but the pacing also felt off - I didn’t feel any sense of suspension or foreboding.
CHARACTER:
I did not connect with a single character. A romantically challenged bisexual girl who has a love for jiu jitsu and suffers with IBS should be a great ya protagonist, with plenty of scope for exploring the complexities of adolescence through the lens of queer identity and chronic illness. Unfortunately, those qualities are all we really get from her - she has a temper problem, can’t identify her romantic feelings until they’re told to her, and she has IBS. All the other characters and relationships definitely had the potential to have depth and be loveable but we never get deeper than the surface, and when we try to it feels forced.
REPRESENTATION:
This is most likely personal preference but rather than these characters’ queerness seamlessly blending into the world and feeling natural, it felt like I was being reminded every other page, which a.) broke up the pacing and b.) made me feel like I couldn’t just read a queer story without it trying to make it a point of being queer. I wanted to read a more normalised narrative of queer characters existing in the world. This being said, I really enjoyed the representation of Gigi’s mum - a non binary character from a different generation than is usually portrayed in books was really nice to see. The IBS representation was much the same - it was great to see but it felt forced the way it was constantly mentioned rather than feeling like a normality for Gigi.
All in all, this one fell a little short for me. The characters, the young adult experience, the plot and the representation just weren’t well balanced and this just wasn’t for me.
August 24, 2024
“𝚈𝚘𝚞’𝚛𝚎 𝚗𝚘𝚝 𝚜𝚝𝚒𝚕𝚕 𝚖𝚊𝚍 𝚊𝚝 𝚖𝚎 𝚝𝚑𝚎𝚗?”
“𝙳𝚒𝚍𝚗’𝚝 𝚜𝚊𝚢 𝚝𝚑𝚊𝚝. 𝙼𝚢 𝚊𝚜𝚜 𝚒𝚜 𝚌𝚘𝚕𝚍 𝚊𝚗𝚍 𝚗𝚘𝚠 𝙸’𝚖 𝚠𝚎𝚝. 𝙷𝚘𝚠 𝚝𝚑𝚎 𝚑𝚎𝚕𝚕 𝚊𝚛𝚎 𝚢𝚘𝚞 𝚍𝚘𝚒𝚗𝚐 𝚝𝚑𝚒𝚜?”
“𝙸𝚝’𝚜 𝚊𝚕𝚕 𝚊 𝚙𝚕𝚘𝚢 𝚝𝚘 𝚐𝚎𝚝 𝚙𝚛𝚎𝚝𝚝𝚢 𝚐𝚒𝚛𝚕𝚜 𝚝𝚘 𝚝𝚎𝚕𝚕 𝚖𝚎 𝙸 𝚐𝚘𝚝 𝚝𝚑𝚎𝚖 𝚠𝚎𝚝. 𝙸’𝚖 𝚐𝚕𝚊𝚍 𝚢𝚘𝚞’𝚛𝚎 𝚗𝚘𝚝 𝚖𝚊𝚍, 𝙸 𝚍𝚘𝚗’𝚝 𝚔𝚗𝚘𝚠 𝚠𝚑𝚊𝚝 𝙸’𝚍 𝚍𝚘 𝚠𝚒𝚝𝚑𝚘𝚞𝚝 𝚖𝚢 𝚊𝚛𝚌𝚑𝚎𝚗𝚎𝚖𝚒𝚎𝚜.”
“𝙿𝚕𝚎𝚊𝚜𝚎, 𝚢𝚘𝚞’𝚛𝚎 𝚗𝚘𝚝 𝚎𝚟𝚎𝚗 𝚒𝚗 𝚖𝚢 𝚝𝚘𝚙 𝚏𝚒𝚟𝚎 𝚎𝚗𝚎𝚖𝚒𝚎𝚜 𝙶𝚒𝚐𝚒.”
“𝙸’𝚟𝚎 𝚗𝚎𝚟𝚎𝚛 𝚋𝚎𝚎𝚗 𝚜𝚘 𝚑𝚞𝚛𝚝 𝚒𝚗 𝚖𝚢 𝚕𝚒𝚏𝚎.”
»»————-✼————-««
Review:
Last year I had the absolute pleasure of reading Bianca Torre is Afraid of Everything another one of Justine’s books, and I absolutely adored it! Intact it loves rent free in my brain on a near enough continual loop. So when I was given the opportunity to read One Killer Problem, I couldn’t say no! And I’m so glad I said yes, because One Killer Problem has now joined Bianca Torre and honestly I’m not mad! Justine has definitely become an auto buy author for me I love everything they write, from the plots to the banter between characters and the plot twists that have my brain spinning, I don’t think I’ll ever get enough!
Gigi is a wee troubled and has a temper (I mean what teenager doesn’t?) and has a low tolerance for bs (very relatable I canny lie) which definitely made her one of my favourite characters of 2024! She’s witty and sarcastic and funny and quirky in the best way. Reading her voice grow throughout the story filled me with joy. She’s so loudly and honestly herself it’s hard not to love her. Gigi’s character growth was beautiful, watching her go from an angry slightly violent teen to someone who selflessly defends their friends and learns to ask questions first and punch later was fantastic! I read a few of my favourite Gigi one liners to Mr Boyfriend and the no context made he crack up!
One of my favourite aspects of Justine’s writing, is I never know who the killer is until it’s revealed in the penultimate chapter, and every time I gasp and scream “whaayyyttt?!?” so loud it’s scares people! I love the unpredictability it just adds that extra layer! You know on top of the queer, cosy, cat pun mystery vibes! There’s so much queerness in this one, my heart grew 3 sizes and broke the measuring device! I cannot wait to see what Justine writes next, I already know I’m gunna love it too!
“𝙳𝚒𝚍𝚗’𝚝 𝚜𝚊𝚢 𝚝𝚑𝚊𝚝. 𝙼𝚢 𝚊𝚜𝚜 𝚒𝚜 𝚌𝚘𝚕𝚍 𝚊𝚗𝚍 𝚗𝚘𝚠 𝙸’𝚖 𝚠𝚎𝚝. 𝙷𝚘𝚠 𝚝𝚑𝚎 𝚑𝚎𝚕𝚕 𝚊𝚛𝚎 𝚢𝚘𝚞 𝚍𝚘𝚒𝚗𝚐 𝚝𝚑𝚒𝚜?”
“𝙸𝚝’𝚜 𝚊𝚕𝚕 𝚊 𝚙𝚕𝚘𝚢 𝚝𝚘 𝚐𝚎𝚝 𝚙𝚛𝚎𝚝𝚝𝚢 𝚐𝚒𝚛𝚕𝚜 𝚝𝚘 𝚝𝚎𝚕𝚕 𝚖𝚎 𝙸 𝚐𝚘𝚝 𝚝𝚑𝚎𝚖 𝚠𝚎𝚝. 𝙸’𝚖 𝚐𝚕𝚊𝚍 𝚢𝚘𝚞’𝚛𝚎 𝚗𝚘𝚝 𝚖𝚊𝚍, 𝙸 𝚍𝚘𝚗’𝚝 𝚔𝚗𝚘𝚠 𝚠𝚑𝚊𝚝 𝙸’𝚍 𝚍𝚘 𝚠𝚒𝚝𝚑𝚘𝚞𝚝 𝚖𝚢 𝚊𝚛𝚌𝚑𝚎𝚗𝚎𝚖𝚒𝚎𝚜.”
“𝙿𝚕𝚎𝚊𝚜𝚎, 𝚢𝚘𝚞’𝚛𝚎 𝚗𝚘𝚝 𝚎𝚟𝚎𝚗 𝚒𝚗 𝚖𝚢 𝚝𝚘𝚙 𝚏𝚒𝚟𝚎 𝚎𝚗𝚎𝚖𝚒𝚎𝚜 𝙶𝚒𝚐𝚒.”
“𝙸’𝚟𝚎 𝚗𝚎𝚟𝚎𝚛 𝚋𝚎𝚎𝚗 𝚜𝚘 𝚑𝚞𝚛𝚝 𝚒𝚗 𝚖𝚢 𝚕𝚒𝚏𝚎.”
»»————-✼————-««
Review:
Last year I had the absolute pleasure of reading Bianca Torre is Afraid of Everything another one of Justine’s books, and I absolutely adored it! Intact it loves rent free in my brain on a near enough continual loop. So when I was given the opportunity to read One Killer Problem, I couldn’t say no! And I’m so glad I said yes, because One Killer Problem has now joined Bianca Torre and honestly I’m not mad! Justine has definitely become an auto buy author for me I love everything they write, from the plots to the banter between characters and the plot twists that have my brain spinning, I don’t think I’ll ever get enough!
Gigi is a wee troubled and has a temper (I mean what teenager doesn’t?) and has a low tolerance for bs (very relatable I canny lie) which definitely made her one of my favourite characters of 2024! She’s witty and sarcastic and funny and quirky in the best way. Reading her voice grow throughout the story filled me with joy. She’s so loudly and honestly herself it’s hard not to love her. Gigi’s character growth was beautiful, watching her go from an angry slightly violent teen to someone who selflessly defends their friends and learns to ask questions first and punch later was fantastic! I read a few of my favourite Gigi one liners to Mr Boyfriend and the no context made he crack up!
One of my favourite aspects of Justine’s writing, is I never know who the killer is until it’s revealed in the penultimate chapter, and every time I gasp and scream “whaayyyttt?!?” so loud it’s scares people! I love the unpredictability it just adds that extra layer! You know on top of the queer, cosy, cat pun mystery vibes! There’s so much queerness in this one, my heart grew 3 sizes and broke the measuring device! I cannot wait to see what Justine writes next, I already know I’m gunna love it too!
July 2, 2024
Thank you to the publisher for the earc!
At this point I don’t think anyone is surprised that it’s once again a YA crime book. What can I say, I found my very specific genre that I love.
One Killer Problem starts with the death of a math teacher. The police think it was an accident, but Gigi and her friends are sure that it was a murder. So they start to investigate and soon have to realize that many things happen in the school that they didn’t know about.
I loved the whole investigation, even though sometimes I still can’t believe 16-17 year old kids are solving crimes without letting any adult and/or police know. It was interesting to see how they started it, considering they had very little to start on. They had a lot of suspects, but halfway through the book I had an idea who could be the killer. Still the big reveal was surprising even to me, because there were a few things I had no clue about!
The story was amazing, many times I laughed out loud, because it was hilarious. I think Gigi is the definition of bisexual disaster, but it just made me love her character even more. Her mom is a martial artist, so Gigi learnt a lot from them, so she can defend herself when it’s necessary (or even when it’s unnecessary, she might have some anger issues). It was the first book I read with a main character with IBS, and I loved this representation.
The book has a very queer cast of characters, to the point I don’t even remember any straight character. Sean and Mari were so good friends to Gigi, her family was seriously awesome. There was only one character who I didn’t like, but I guess we can love everyone, so that’s fine.
If you want a quick and funny YA mystery with lots of cat puns, queer characters, and just an overall hilarious story highly recommend it!
At this point I don’t think anyone is surprised that it’s once again a YA crime book. What can I say, I found my very specific genre that I love.
One Killer Problem starts with the death of a math teacher. The police think it was an accident, but Gigi and her friends are sure that it was a murder. So they start to investigate and soon have to realize that many things happen in the school that they didn’t know about.
I loved the whole investigation, even though sometimes I still can’t believe 16-17 year old kids are solving crimes without letting any adult and/or police know. It was interesting to see how they started it, considering they had very little to start on. They had a lot of suspects, but halfway through the book I had an idea who could be the killer. Still the big reveal was surprising even to me, because there were a few things I had no clue about!
The story was amazing, many times I laughed out loud, because it was hilarious. I think Gigi is the definition of bisexual disaster, but it just made me love her character even more. Her mom is a martial artist, so Gigi learnt a lot from them, so she can defend herself when it’s necessary (or even when it’s unnecessary, she might have some anger issues). It was the first book I read with a main character with IBS, and I loved this representation.
The book has a very queer cast of characters, to the point I don’t even remember any straight character. Sean and Mari were so good friends to Gigi, her family was seriously awesome. There was only one character who I didn’t like, but I guess we can love everyone, so that’s fine.
If you want a quick and funny YA mystery with lots of cat puns, queer characters, and just an overall hilarious story highly recommend it!
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