Review: The Cabin by Natasha Preston

Title: The Cabin by Natasha Preston
Publisher: Sourcebooks Fire
Genre: Contemporary, Young Adult, Mystery, Romance
Length: 336 pages
Book Rating: B

Complimentary Review Copy Provided by Publisher Through NetGalley

Summary:

There may only be one killer, but no one is innocent in this new young adult thriller from Natasha Preston, author of The Cellar, a New York Times Bestseller, and Awake

They think they’re invincible.
They think they can do and say whatever they want.
They think there are no consequences.
They’ve left me no choice.
It’s time for them to pay for their sins.

A weekend partying at a remote cabin is just what Mackenzie needs. She can’t wait to let loose with her friends. But a crazy night of fun leaves two of them dead-murdered.

With no signs of a forced entry or struggle, suspicion turns to the five survivors. Someone isn’t telling the truth. And Mackenzie’s first mistake? Assuming the killing is over…

Review:

The Cabin by Natasha Preston is an intriguing young adult mystery about a weekend trip that ends in murder.

The summer before beginning university is supposed to be nothing but fun for MacKenzie Keaton and her friends, Courtney, Courtney’s boyfriend Josh, Megan, Aaron and Kyle.  Their first big adventure is a weekend of drinking at Josh’s cabin and the group is surprised when Josh’s estranged brother Blake decides to tag along. Although no one particularly cares for Josh, everyone tries to set aside their animosity for the sake of his girlfriend, Courtney.  Despite a few tense moments, the weekend is off to a pretty good start but the morning after a night of heavy drinking, Mackenzie and Blake are stunned when they discover that Courtney and Josh have been stabbed to death in the kitchen.  With all of the doors and windows locked, DI Wright is convinced one of the friends is responsible for the murders, but Mackenzie finds it impossible to believe one of her friends is a murderer.  With everyone under a cloud of suspicion, Blake and Mackenzie begin their own investigation but will they unmask the killer before it is too late?

Mackenzie is a little naive but she is an incredibly loyal friend.  She has good reason to dislike Josh and she is not all happy her close friend Courtney is romantically involved with him.  However, she is determined to have a enjoyable weekend with her friends in spite of her feelings.  Mackenzie is a immediately drawn to Blake and she finds him impossible to resist once she has downed more than her fair share of drinks.  Even when the weekend comes to an abrupt end, she continues to see Blake and she is the only person who believes he had nothing to do with the murders.

Quickly returning to town after discovering the bodies of their slain friends, DI Wright continues questioning everyone about what happened at the cabin.  Although he uncovers some very troubling information,  he does not find any evidence that links any of the friends to the crime.  Despite her conviction that none of her friends could possibly be a murderer, Mackenzie finally admits if neither she nor Blake murdered Courtney and Josh, then one of them has to be the killer.  Trying to view her friends objectively, she decides to gently interrogate them to see if she can figure out a motive for the murders.  She discovers a few shocking secrets but would someone kill to keep them from being revealed?  Surprisingly, Blake is a voice of reason who keeps Mackenzie from taking her suspicions to the police prematurely, but it soon becomes clear the killer will go to any lengths to evade detection.

The Cabin is an engaging mystery that is full of unexpected twists and turns.  Although well-written, some of the storyline is just a touch unbelievable. Mackenzie is a likable character but some of the things she says and does are a little irritating.  Blake is a great love interest but it is kind of odd that Mackenzie trusts him implicitly despite not knowing him very well. Natasha Preston does an excellent job obscuring the perpetrator’s identity and she throws in a final plot twist is absolutely stunning.  An enjoyable but sometimes frustrating young adult novel that I recommend to older teens due to content.