This is a book I absolutely hated to put down, and if real life hadn’t interfered, I’m confident I would have blown through it in a single sitting. It really is that good ... I loved pretty much everything about this book. Charlie is an incredibly relatable heroine ... If you ever wished you could spend time at a fancy boarding school, you absolutely must read All These Beautiful Strangers. Ms. Klehfoth manages to bring the boarding school experience to life in a way that felt completely authentic.
The suspense is well executed ... The writing is descriptive without turning flowery or overly literary. Most of the major characters are well-rounded; only some supporting ones (like Seraphina) seem a bit flat ... Fans of thrillers will have difficulty putting down this excellently plotted, gripping novel.
...[an] engrossing if flawed debut ... Unfortunately, the author’s plotting fails to measure up to her ingenious amateur sleuth, relying throughout on colossal coincidences and ending with a denouement that’s surprising primarily for its implausibility. Still, Klehfoth’s ability to draw in the reader shows that she’s an author to watch.
...[a] compelling mystery ... Through most of the story, the thrill is true; but the ending swings from hackneyed—'Had he jumped of his own volition, or was he forced to his watery grave below?'—to unnecessarily melodramatic. The book is saved, however, by the candid and genuine relationships among the young characters.
