I received this book for free from Publisher in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.

The Abbott boys, fraternal triplets Henry, Bram, and Adam, live in a mansion on the outskirts of Silver Creek. For decades, their family's been at odds with the town, long before Mariana Flores died in a fiery accident on the Abbott property last year . The police ruled out foul play, but ask anyone in Silver Creek about it and they'll say one of the Abbott boys killed her. They just don't know which one.

But Hayden, the girl who lives next door to the Abbotts, swears they're innocent. After all, Henry's her best friend—maybe he could be more. She's been worried about Adam ever since he was injured in the accident that killed Mariana. As for Bram, he's a little complicated, but he and Mariana had been in love.

When the new school year brings a new victim—a popular girl, found dead in the woods—the hunt for a monster begins anew. The security camera footage doesn't show the face of the boy she was last seen with, but from his hoodie he could be any one of the Abbott brothers.

To clear their names, Hayden starts investigating the new death, but the deeper she digs, the more uncertain she becomes. Is one of the Abbott brothers a killer? Or could they all be monsters? And what will the boys do to protect themselves and the truth?

Short and Sweet Review

Beware the Abbott Boys had all the ingredients for a mystery I should have loved: a suspicious family, a small town full of secrets, a dead girl, and a second murder that throws everyone into chaos. The premise hooked me immediately, and the opening chapters did a great job creating an eerie atmosphere that made me want to keep reading. Unfortunately, while the setup was strong, the execution never fully lived up to its potential.

The mystery itself kept me interested enough to keep turning the pages, but I found the investigation surprisingly underwhelming. Hayden spends much of the book reacting to information instead of actively uncovering it, so it often felt like clues were coming to her rather than her solving the mystery. Because of that, the suspense never built as much as I wanted it to, and the final reveal didn’t have the impact I was hoping for. Instead of feeling like everything clicked into place, the ending felt rushed and wrapped up a little too quickly. I also struggled with the characters, particularly Hayden. While I understood why she wanted to protect the Abbott brothers, it became frustrating watching her constantly question whether they were murderers despite insisting they were her closest friends. The Abbott triplets had an interesting concept, but outside of a few defining traits, they often blended together. I kept wishing each brother had a stronger, more distinct personality because they never felt as unique as the story wanted them to be. The romance was another aspect that didn’t work for me. The love triangle involving brothers felt unnecessary and took attention away from the mystery. Since the emotional connections weren’t developed enough, it was hard to become invested in any of the romantic relationships, and I would have preferred the story focus more on the investigation and the complicated friendships instead. That said, the writing itself was easy to read, and Chelsea Ichaso does a great job creating a creepy, small-town atmosphere filled with suspicion and gossip. The abandoned mansion, the town’s obsession with the Abbott family, and the lingering mystery surrounding Mariana’s death all helped create a strong sense of unease throughout the novel. Even when the pacing slowed in the middle, I still wanted to know how everything would come together.

Overall, Beware the Abbott Boys is an entertaining enough YA mystery with an intriguing premise, but it never fully capitalizes on its strongest ideas. Between the underdeveloped characters, the weak romance, and a mystery that never became as gripping as I hoped, it ended up being a fairly average read. If you enjoy slow-burn YA thrillers with family secrets, unreliable suspicions, and gothic vibes, it’s worth checking out, but it wasn’t one I’ll remember for very long.