46 pages 1 hour read

Karen M. McManus

You'll Be the Death of Me

Fiction | Novel | Adult | Published in 2021

A modern alternative to SparkNotes and CliffsNotes, SuperSummary offers high-quality Study Guides with detailed chapter summaries and analysis of major themes, characters, and more.

Themes

The Rewards and Risks of Trusting Instinct

In You’ll Be the Death of Me, McManus embraces the classic mystery novel structure in which solving the mystery of Boney’s death becomes the engine that drives the plot forward. All three protagonists rely on instinct as an important tool to supplement the scarce clues available. The novel explores the rewards that come when an instinct pays off as well as the serious risks involved in acting without evidence. McManus builds dramatic tension as the protagonists’ instincts lead them to conclusions that are alternately correct, leading them to the next clue, or dramatically incorrect, placing them in danger.

Mateo’s instinctual distrust of his cousin Autumn’s boyfriend, Gabe, ultimately proves key to unraveling the entire mystery. Although Autumn complains about Mateo’s “irrational dislike” (14) of Gabe, Mateo maintains his stance on “Loser Gabe,” a nickname he uses multiple times throughout the novel (80, 123, 163, 204). Mateo’s distrust of Gabe gives his mission to understand what Autumn is caught up in a clear direction. Even when it’s clouded by Ivy and Cal’s obsession with Lara Jamison and Dominick Payne, Mateo visualizes his instinct as a thread running through the mystery: “not a common thread, exactly, but a loose one.

Related Titles

By Karen M. McManus

Study Guide

logo

Nothing More to Tell

Karen M. McManus

Nothing More to Tell

Karen M. McManus

Study Guide

logo

One of Us Is Back

Karen M. McManus

One of Us Is Back

Karen M. McManus

Study Guide

logo

One of Us Is Next

Karen M. McManus

One of Us Is Next

Karen M. McManus

Study Guide

logo

The Cousins

Karen M. McManus

The Cousins

Karen M. McManus