Title: Thornbird
Author: E. Kennedy (Elle Kennedy)
Genre: YA Thriller, Mystery, Psychological Thriller
Format: eARC
Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐✨ (4.5 stars)
Release Date: June 30, 2026
Synopsis
Ryan Shipley has spent the last decade trying to escape a name that everyone remembers.
Her father, Gabriel Thorn, is one of the country's most infamous serial killers. Convicted years ago, he was sentenced to death without ever revealing the locations of all his victims, leaving countless families without answers and turning Ryan's life into a nightmare she never chose.
After her grandmother's death, Ryan reluctantly returns to Starling, Tennessee, to live with her aunt and finish her final year of high school.
Her plan is simple.
Graduate.
Stay invisible.
Leave.
But secrets have a way of resurfacing.
As new attention is drawn to her father's crimes, Ryan begins receiving cryptic messages and unsettling notes. At the same time, a large cash reward is offered for any information that could finally lead investigators to the missing bodies.
Before long, Ryan realizes the past isn't finished with her yet.
My Thoughts
I've been reading Elle Kennedy's romance novels for years, so when I heard she was writing a YA thriller, I was immediately intrigued.
The premise alone would have convinced me to pick it up, regardless of who wrote it.
A serial killer's daughter returning to the town where everything happened?
Sign me up.
What immediately drew me into the story wasn't just the mystery, it was Ryan herself.
As a child, Ryan's grandmother changed her identity after her father murdered her mother and confessed to being a serial killer. Since then, she's spent years trying to build a life separate from his crimes.
Returning to Starling means returning to the place where everything began, the one place where her carefully guarded past could finally catch up with her.
I completely understood why her only goal was to keep her head down, graduate, and leave before anyone discovered who she really was.
Of course, life has other plans.
Returning as the mysterious "new girl" already attracts attention, but things become even more complicated when one of the most popular boys at school starts showing interest in her.
Meanwhile, the son of one of Gabriel Thorn's victims announces a substantial reward for anyone who can provide information about the missing bodies; a case the police have spent years unsuccessfully trying to solve.
Then the cryptic messages begin.
From that point on, I was completely invested.
Every new clue, every unsettling note, and every revelation pulled me further into the mystery. I constantly found myself wanting to know what had really happened all those years ago and whether Ryan knew more than she was letting on.
One thing I especially appreciated was how authentic the YA elements felt.
The characters actually behaved like teenagers.
They made impulsive decisions, reacted emotionally, and navigated friendships and relationships in ways that felt appropriate for their age. The high school setting never felt like an afterthought or simply a backdrop for the mystery; it genuinely felt like part of Ryan's world.
The romance also worked better than I expected.
There are moments where we had some sort of a love triangle, but I never felt like it overshadowed the mystery itself. By the time everything came together, I thought those relationships made sense and fit naturally within the larger story. For the record, I absolutely dislike love triangles, so I was so happy when everything got sorted out.
Was every single aspect of the plot completely believable?
Probably not.
But honestly?
I didn't care.
I was having far too much fun trying to piece together the mystery to worry about a few moments that required suspending disbelief.
And sometimes, that's exactly what I want from a thriller.
Final Thoughts
Thornbird is a gripping YA thriller that combines an engaging mystery, family secrets, and a compelling protagonist into a story that was incredibly easy to binge.
Ryan was easy to root for, the mystery kept me guessing, and the constant sense that the past was never truly buried made it difficult to put the book down.
If this is any indication of what Elle Kennedy can do outside of romance, I'd happily read more thrillers from her in the future.
⭐️ 4.5 stars
ARC Disclaimer
Thank you to NetGalley and Random House Children's Books for providing the eARC in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.
No comments:
Post a Comment