Most Likely to Murder

This engaging young-adult mystery follows best friends Rick and Martina, social outcasts at Meadowvale High who are known for staging elaborate pranks. Their lives take a deadly turn when the school yearbook is hacked, replacing traditional superlatives like “Most Likely to Succeed” with terrifying death predictions, such as “Homecoming’s Cutest Corpses.” This perceived cruel joke quickly becomes a nightmare when students and staff start dying in the exact ways described. As the primary suspects due to their history of practical jokes, Rick and Martina must find the real killer before they become the next victims on the list. McBride’s snarky dialogue rings true to teen talk, and emerging romances add a little spark and normality to the out-of-control happenings at school. A group chat shared by the high-school seniors who fear they are targeted adds a chorus effect, and grown-ups prove completely useless when it comes to finding the murderer—and oh, what a reveal that is. Don’t miss the acknowledgement, in which McBride reveals where she got the story idea!