Cold

Queer, YA, mystery, thriller
Publishes: February 8th, 2022

Dual-POV YA murder mystery partly from the perspective of the victim? Yes! Are the characters well-rounded? Not really! Is that okay? Yeah, pretty much! This book is not good because of the characters, but because of the twisty plot and the layers that this story uncovers. I enjoyed this book more than I enjoyed The Taking of Jake Livingston, a similar book that I read last year. Content warnings for homophobia and some intense toxic masculinity. Four stars

I think this is a great pick for readers looking for a short mystery with multiple queer characters. While it is a mystery, it's more contemplative and emotional than something like One of Us is Lying, so it's more readers who want the mystery aspects of it, but are more interested in the aftermath of the lives touched by violence.