Kate M. Williams

Engaging characters, a remote tropical island setting, and a well-done and updated And Then There Were None story!

Never Coming Home was creepy and tense! With the action coming so quickly, I was on the edge of my seat every moment, and I never knew for sure who was behind it all. Each character was a unique personality with a tragedy in their past. I appreciated that there were boys, girls, a transgender character, and later, a character still figuring out their sexuality. Not all were show more portrayed sympathetically either. I also appreciated that characters I initially liked were slowly revealed to be less than stellar individuals, and those I originally thought less of turned out to be better people. That kept me changing my opinion as to who was manipulating everything behind the scenes.

The island setting gave me a bit of a Lord of the Flies vibe as the story went on. The changeable weather increased the tension, too, making possible rescue a dim hope in the characters’ minds. And as I was never 100% sure the place was devoid of others, I was never wholly confident one of the guests was the murderer, so I was always a little off-balance.

I particularly enjoyed the social media foundation connecting all the characters – in their real lives, their “real” lives online, and in the public eye. That one character had a manager to help guide her content, spin events in her life to her advantage, and make lucrative financial deals for specialized content or “collabs” was fascinating. The continual need for the characters to adjust their content to control their narrative and brand rang true and was mind-boggling.

With its engaging characters, remote and creepy setting, and updated And Then There Were None plot, I honestly didn’t want to put this book down. I recommend NEVER COMING HOME to readers who enjoy suspenseful YA fiction featuring intelligent, savvy characters, diverse backstories, and remote tropical island settings.

I voluntarily reviewed this after receiving an Advanced Review Copy from the author or publisher through TBR and Beyond. show less

HELLO, BEST BOOK I HAVE READ IN A LONG TIME.

Kate Williams's writing is...incredible. Perfection. It's so good that I can't even be jealous of it. Every sentence was a goddamn DELIGHT. This book is too good for teenagers. The references will be completely lost on them (an outfit inspired by Denise Huxtable before she becomes a mom????) and I swear to god, Dion is Trent from Daria with more muscles.

I bought my copy at the Raven (that's what it's called, right?) in Lawrence and the bookseller show more told me Kate Williams is a local author. And technically she is, because she's from Kansas, but I guess she lives in California. Which makes me terribly sad because I would like to meet her and try not to fangirl all over her. But my copy IS signed, so that's something.

Goodbye, I'm off to buy the sequels even though I literally bought 10 books today. (It's been a very good day.)

PS - This has a lot of Grady Hendrix vibes. If you like Grady Hendrix, you'll like this. show less

Time for some YA fiction reading in the hammock! What book came with me?Kate Williams' new novel, Never Coming Home.

Never Coming Home takes a bit of inspiration from Christie's 'And Then There Were None.' Ten teen influencers are invited to be the inaugural guests of a super secret resort on Unknown Island. Upon landing on the island, each guest feels like something is off with the vibe, the accommodations aren't as luxurious as the photos promised and where are all the staff?

The ten are a show more diverse group that don't really know each other, but they've checked out each other online. Who has the most followers? Why this group of ten? What's the connection? Well, the connection is a dark one as each guest has a similar secret. And those secrets are about to see the light of day.

This premise lends itself to so many ways the book could play out. I loved the social media component. Nothing is ever as it appears on a screen, is it? There is a screen in the lounge on Unknown Island.....and someone is posting.

And then there were nine.
And the methods of dispatch? Decidedly devious!

I enjoyed trying to figure out who the culprit was, changing my choice quite often. Williams puts a nice spin on the final whodunit with a surprise twist. I did feel the epilogue was a bit too detailed. Shorter and snappier would have matched the pace of what came before.

Never Coming Home was a fun, escapist read that was hard to put down. show less

First off, I wish I had been as cool as these characters when I was in high school. Their humor, style, and wit is something I wish I had been blessed with. Esme and Janice run their very own Babysitter's Club, that's right, just like in the books. They have a burner phone and everything. The only problem is Janice is pretty much over it and Esme might be all on her own, babysitting just isn't as cool in high school anymore. Enter the new girl, Cassandra. She finds out about their little show more club and begs to join claiming tons of "experience." After she freaks out over a two year old's poop, it's clear to everyone that Cassandra isn't quite cut out for babysitting, but she did have an ulterior motive. She finds a note from her mother (long dead) telling her to find the babysitters, and she and Esme might have something "magical" in common. Cheesy, totally implausible and fun. It's like Buffy meets Sabrina and it's a ton of fun. I look forward to the sequel! show less