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I Killed Zoe Spanos

Kit Frick (Goodreads Author)

4.45 · Rating details · 22 ratings · 16 reviews

“The YA thriller of the summer.” —Bustle

For fans of Sadie and Serial, this gripping thriller follows two teens whose lives become inextricably linked when one confesses to murder and the other becomes determined to uncover the real truth no matter the cost.

What happened to Zoe won’t stay buried…

When Anna Cicconi arrives to the small Hamptons village of Herron Mills for a ...more

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Hardcover, 384 pages

Expected publication: June 2nd 2020 by Margaret K. McElderry Books

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Sisters of Sword and Song by Rebecca Ross

YA Releases of June, 2020

37 books — 70 voters

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· 22 ratings · 16 reviews

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Jan 07, 2020 Michelle rated it liked it · review of another edition

A mystery mixed with a podcast? Yes, please!

What happened to Zoe won’t stay buried…

Anna decides that taking a summer nanny position in the Hampton's is just the fresh start that she needs before starting college. Over the last year her and her best friend have taken to the party scene. Drinking out of control, taking drugs for recreation, and hooking up with boys she can barely remember. Anna is now growing tired of the hang overs and black outs and yearns to get away.

Once she arrives in the ...more

flag 45 likes · Like · see review

Sep 22, 2018 Kit Frick marked it as to-read · (Review from the author)

Shelves: books-i-wrote, ya-lit, ya-thriller-suspense

UPDATE 1/8/20: The Street Team application is now open! Want to join me to promote my seaside murder mystery while completing challenges and earning swag & prizes? The I KILLED ZOE SPANOS street team application is open! Deadline to apply is Fri 1/17. https://forms.gle/5sgip1Je2u9jj92q9

UPDATE 12/14/19: The interest form for the Early Reviewer List is now closed, buuuuut if you want to read ZOE early and join me for some fun book promo, you're in luck! Stay tuned in January for the Street UPDATE 1/8/20: The Street Team application is now open! Want to join me to promote my seaside murder mystery while completing challenges and earning swag & prizes? The ⛱️I KILLED ZOE SPANOS⛱️ street team application is open! Deadline to apply is Fri 1/17. https://forms.gle/5sgip1Je2u9jj92q9

UPDATE 12/14/19: The interest form for the Early Reviewer List is now closed, buuuuut if you want to read ZOE early and join me for some fun book promo, you're in luck! Stay tuned in January for the Street Team application!

UPDATE 11/7/19: Are you a frequent reviewer on GR? Want to read an eARC for I KILLED ZOE SPANOS early? The interest form for the Early Reviewer List is now live! https://forms.gle/1gTVik5LqtC1A1NT9

UPDATE 7/1/19: The final title is here! WINDERMERE is now I KILLED ZOE SPANOS, and I'm so excited to share it with you all in summer 2020!

UPDATE 5/26/19: A new, improved title is coming! Hint: It has 4 words. Stay tuned. :)

I'm so excited to share Windermere with you in summer 2020! Think YA Rebecca in the Hamptons. This book was a BALL to write and combines so many things I love to read about in one suspenseful package--which is probably why I needed to write it. You're in for:
*ALL the Rebecca Easter eggs! I grew up with the Daphne du Maurier classic, and while this is not a strict re-telling (the plot takes its own path; there's a departure from the classic villain and ending) fans of Rebecca will find a whole host of references and tributes in Windermere's pages. Oh--and the role of the “Rebecca” character is elevated in a feminist reversal of the classic!
*A podcast produced by a local teen. When police drop the ball on the investigation of a missing girl, high school junior Martina Green produces her own investigative podcast to ask the hard questions the police seem to be ignoring.
*The Hamptons! This setting was a blast to dig into, and you'll find allusions to Grey Gardens and Hamptons history, architecture, and lore here.
*Two points of view + not one but THREE timelines. ...more

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Jan 10, 2020 megs_bookrack marked it as to-read · review of another edition

Shelves: 2021-releases, ya-thriller-horror-to-read

Prediction:

This will be a great audiobook.

flag 13 likes · Like · see review

Nov 24, 2019 Ludwig rated it really liked it · review of another edition

”But there are some secrets—my secrets—that Windermere will hold forever, trapped beneath the ash like spilled blood.”

This was a creatively-crafted mystery about a girl who moves to the Hamptons in order to start a nannying job, only to find out that the town is on edge over the disappearance of another girl who looks exactly like her.

What’s going on?

Just the fact that the author had thought of such a unique premise is mind-blowing. And all throughout the book, you can sense author’s confidence ...more

flag 7 likes · Like · see review

Feb 03, 2019 Tucker marked it as not-released-tbr · review of another edition

Shelves: reviewed

flag 7 likes · Like · see review

Jan 02, 2020 Kristi Housman Confessions of a YA Reader rated it it was amazing

Shelves: advanced-reader, from-publisher

I Killed Zoe Spanos is one of those books you don't want to put down. I read the last 60% in one sitting, reading later than I usually do at night.

There are multiple timelines in this book. We find out right away that Anna confessed to the crime of killing Zoe Spanos and disposing of her body. Anna gives details, including Zoe falling from a balcony 3 stories high.

We go back to when Anna first goes to The Hamptons for a summer nanny job before college. She's watching an eight year old girl, I Killed Zoe Spanos is one of those books you don't want to put down. I read the last 60% in one sitting, reading later than I usually do at night.

There are multiple timelines in this book. We find out right away that Anna confessed to the crime of killing Zoe Spanos and disposing of her body. Anna gives details, including Zoe falling from a balcony 3 stories high.

We go back to when Anna first goes to The Hamptons for a summer nanny job before college. She's watching an eight year old girl, Paisley. Anna will be staying in the pool/guest house. Most of her time with Paisley will be going to the beach and movies. Nothing major. Paisley and her mom interviewed Anna in NYC and she got the job. Anna just wanted to escape after months of drinking until she blacked out. Her best friend, Kaylee, always wanted to go to parties, so Anna needed to leave. She's never been there before. Right after arriving, people start telling her that she looks like a missing girl, Zoe Spanos. Anna finds out that Zoe used to nanny for Paisley and it's part of the reason Paisley wanted her. Their eye color and skin tones were different, but they did look very much alike.

The boy next door, Caden, was Zoe's boyfriend. He freaks out a bit when meeting Anna. Over time, they do become friends. Anna also befriends a future journalist, Martina, and Zoe's sister, Aster. Martina has been working on a podcast trying to piece together everything she knows about Zoe's new year's eve disappearance. Aster is just sad and blames herself for not protecting Zoe. Anna also meets an older guy, Max, but Paisley doesn't like him for some reason. Anna feels a bit odd around him.

While visiting different places, Anna starts feeling like she's been there before. She asks her mom who tells her they've never been there. But the feelings increase into pieces of memories. Anna starts having visions of her, Zoe, and Kaylee together. But that can't be right since she's never even met Zoe. Over time, the memories get to her so much that she confesses to the police. Martina had been trying to solve the case, especially after Zoe's body had been found. She starts going back covering everything she knows while finding out secrets that were being kept.

This book is full of twists and secrets. You never really know who to trust. Even when they tell the "truth", it might not be the full truth. Both Aster and Caden noticed a difference in Zoe when she came home for Christmas break. Zoe went to a different college from Caden, but they spent most weekends together. That slowed down in the months before Zoe disappeared. The police questioned a few people, but since Zoe was 19 and there was a train ticket purchased, they just assumed she ran away.

I loved the pacing and twists in this book. It definitely got in my head at times.

Warnings for talk of alcohol addiction, anxiety meds, phobia of storms, arrests, almost stalkerish behavior, cheating, deaths, and past secrets I can't get into.

I gave this book 4 1/2 stars rounded up to 5 on Goodreads. Thank you to the publisher for approving my early reader copy. ...more

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Nov 20, 2019 PinkAmy loves books, cats and naps rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

***Thank you to Edelweiss and the publisher for providing me a complimentary copy of I KILLED ZOE SPANOS by Kit Frick in exchange for my honest review.***

The summer before starting college Anna gets a nanny job in The Hamptons. She soon discovers she bears an uncanny resemblance to missing girl Zoe Spanos, catching people off guard. Next door is Windmere, the home of Zoe’s fiancé Caden, whom Anna befriends while quietly seeking information about Zoe.

Near the beginning of I KILLED ZOE SPANOS, ...more

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Dec 15, 2019 Rachel Solomon rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

OH MY GOD. Masterful. Brilliant. This is one of the smartest, most intricately plotted books I've ever read. I am in awe.

flag 4 likes · Like · see review

Jan 01, 2020 AJ rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: 2020-release, contemporary, horror-thriller-mystery, ya

This is honestly one of the most interesting YA mysteries I have read. From start to finish, I was hooked and desperate to find out the truth about what happened to Zoe Spanos. I loved how the main character was very rough around the edges, so even though I never quite trusted her, it was difficult not to feel sympathy for her either.

There are two things that led to this not being a five-star read:

First, because the reason why Anna had “visions” about what happened was...unsatisfactory and also ...more

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Jan 02, 2020 Carina’s Bookshelf rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Edit: Time for the review
I got a DRC to review from Edelweiss. My opinion is my own.

4,5 stars!

This was a great start for my 2020 reading year. I started in 2019, but since I was only 29% in at 30th of December I calculated to 2020.

The book starts a bit slow, but as soon if you are through the first chapters it get's really good. Anna moves to the Hamptons to start a new life, but what she's find is not what she expected. There is this girl who looks just like her, but is missing. Anna wants to ...more

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Dec 29, 2019 Christy rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Definitely a thrilling ride! Stayed up to 2:30 AM reading because I had to know what happened!! Definitely didn’t see that ending coming.

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Nov 26, 2019 Kelsea rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: 2020-06-jun, arc, reviewed

Phew! Kit Frick is blessing us all with another brilliant, riveting YA thriller that'll keep you guessing and second-guessing throughout! Thriller readers are savvy as hell these days. It is HARD to pull off surprising plot twists and write a thriller without cheesy red herrings or severely overdone tropes. And yet, Kit has managed to do exactly that, three times in a row now!

I was incredibly fortunate in receiving a free early copy from the author and publisher in exchange for an honest review. Phew! Kit Frick is blessing us all with another brilliant, riveting YA thriller that'll keep you guessing and second-guessing throughout! Thriller readers are savvy as hell these days. It is HARD to pull off surprising plot twists and write a thriller without cheesy red herrings or severely overdone tropes. And yet, Kit has managed to do exactly that, three times in a row now!

I was incredibly fortunate in receiving a free early copy from the author and publisher in exchange for an honest review. I'll admit to having high expectations going in, thanks to my love for Kit's previous books, See All the Stars and All Eyes on Us . But I needn't have worried. I Killed Zoe Spanos is just as fun a thriller read as the title suggests. (Did I mention that I love the title? I love the title.)

This was a two day binge read for me. It took a bit of time to get into the opening (there is a lot going on, with multiple timelines/perspectives and an unreliable narrator), but once I did, it was impossible to set the book down.

It's a YA Rebecca retelling with podcast elements reminiscent of Sadie . And while I can attest to the podcast parts being just as enjoyable and interesting as the Sadie podcast, I'm ashamed to admit I haven't read Rebecca, so I have no insight on the retelling aspects. I can tell you that it stands alone as an entertaining read even if you haven't read Rebecca (or Sadie).

I did guess *some* of the twists (not too early on - closer to the end), but there are enough thrown in that I didn't guess all of them. And I should also mention that I've read a ton of thrillers (YA and adult)... probably hundreds by now? And I also write YA thrillers and have therefore spent countless hours brainstorming possible plot twists. It is really, really hard to surprise me.

I'm not going to say anything else about the story, because thrillers are most enjoyable when you go in knowing as little as possible. I know it's still over half a year to publication (but I couldn't wait to read and review it), so I'll leave you with an apology for teasing the book so early and a reminder that Kit Frick already has two fantastic books out, so do yourself a favor and read See All the Stars and All Eyes on Us while you wait for I Killed Zoe Spanos to come out (June 2020)! ...more

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Nov 14, 2019 Amy rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Shelves: edelweiss, mental-health, mystery-thriller, ya

Many thanks to EdelweissPlus and the publisher for providing me with a DRC of this title for review purposes. All opinions are my own.

This could be my favorite Kit Frick book so far. I have enjoyed her earlier two, but with this one she reaches new depths in her writing style and characterizations. Told in three timelines/storylines (then, now, and a true-crime podcast transcript) this book tries to figure out what exactly happened to Zoe Spanos, a young girl from the Hamptons who was missing ...more

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Jan 06, 2020 Anna rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Disclaimer: I received an eARC through the author/publisher's early reviewer program in exchange for an honest review.

We begin an interview room in a police station where Anna Cicconi confesses to the murder of Zoe Spanos. How we got to that point is the question.

Freshly graduated from high school, Anna gets a job as a nanny for a family who live in the Hamptons. She needs a clean break from her former reality in which she would get blackout drunk or high on various drugs, and what better way ...more

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Dec 19, 2019 Angela Walker rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Anna admits on record she killed Zoe Spanos.

Anna is a teenager with an absent parent who parties too much. The summer before heading to college she's determined to be a better person so she gets a job away from the city as a nanny for a wealthy hard working family. Once at the beach side village she finds out she looks real similar to Zoe, a girl that has been missing since New Year's Eve. Every where Anna turns she finds herself connected to the missing girl.

Told from Anna's POV in two ...more

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Nov 19, 2019 Vinny —☽.｡* Artsy Draft marked it as to-read · review of another edition

Shelves: 2020-releases, young-adult, mystery, female-author, female-protagonist, rep-mental-health, trope-disappearance, to-review, review-copy

Thank you Simon & Schuster for providing me with a review copy in exchange for an honest review.

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About Kit Frick

Kit Frick

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Hi there! I don't accept GR friend requests because of Amazon's linked review policy. It's not personal! You can still follow me on GR for updates, and I'd love to connect on Twitter, Instagram, Pinterest, and Facebook. See ya there!

Kit Frick is a novelist, poet, and MacDowell Colony fellow from Pittsburgh, PA. She studied creative writing at Sarah Lawrence College and received her MFA from ...more