It Should Have Been You by Lynn Slaughter is about a seventeen-year-old girl named Clara Seibert. Her twin sister, Moura, a talented piano prodigy, was brutally murdered. Five months after the murder of Moura, Clara is still struggling with grief and guilt. It was even more painful that her classmates and the police suspected that she had murdered her sister. It gets even worse when she starts receiving emails that the wrong twin was killed. Clara gets more frustrated by Detective Martino’s suspicions and decides to take matters into her own hands to uncover the truth behind Moura’s death. She starts by interviewing Moura’s close friends, rivals, and former partners. One question remains: Will she eventually find the truth?

It Should Have Been You by Lynn Slaughter is a young adult mystery. The suspense around finding the killer is actually the best part of the book. I loved Clara as the main character. She is well developed, and the author writes in a way that you connect with her easily. The pacing of the book is fast as we count down toward Thanksgiving. The book has themes like grief, jealousy, family expectations, trust, guilt, and the consequences of keeping secrets. These themes make the story more than just a murder mystery because the characters are also dealing with emotional stress and personal conflict. There are also romance scenes, as we can see with Ben Marchetta, and action scenes, like a terrifying confrontation in the woods. I recommend this book to readers who enjoy intriguing mysteries and psychological thrillers.

In Lynn Slaughter’s It Should Have Been You, seventeen-year-old Clara Seibert is trying to rebuild her life five months after the murder of her twin sister, Moura, a gifted pianist whose death placed Clara under suspicion as rumors spread through school. Clara finds refuge at her high school newspaper, where she secretly writes the advice column Since You Asked, until an anonymous message arrives with the chilling words: “It should have been you… but soon.” As more threats follow, Clara realizes the sender knows far too much about her life, just as Detective Luis Martino continues viewing her through the lens of Moura’s unsolved murder. Determined to find out who is targeting her, Clara begins looking into the people closest to Moura, discovering parts of her sister’s private life Clara never knew existed.

Lynn Slaughter’s It Should Have Been You is a fantastic young adult mystery, and Clara's quick wit makes her relatable. Her honesty about grief has authenticity, particularly when Clara admits her guilt at being alive before confronting the anger she feels toward her family. Moura remains powerfully present through Clara’s thoughts, giving their relationship an aching significance as questions about what can no longer be said stay close to her. The suspense works superbly through Clara’s fear, proven during an ordinary outing with Ben, the boy she is dating, when the sight of a dark van leaves her frozen. The settings have evocative texture as well, with Detective Martino’s office framed by coffee cups beneath a barred window, and Moura’s preserved periwinkle bedroom appears with a piano music box playing Für Elise. All the characterizations present each reaction with convincing human truth throughout. Readers who favor character-driven young adult mysteries should put this book on their reading list. Very highly recommended.

In It Should Have Been You by Lynn Slaughter, Clara is still struggling to put her life back together after her twin sister Moura is brutally murdered in her music studio while playing the piano. Clara must deal not only with her grief but also with a family falling apart and rumors damaging her reputation. Clara’s work as an advice columnist for the school newspaper becomes a welcome escape, allowing her to focus on other people’s problems rather than her own. But her peace is shattered when she begins receiving threatening emails. Clara questions her sister’s friends and musical rivals, determined to find out what happened to her sister. What makes Clara’s situation even more unsettling is that the detective investigating the case still suspects Clara, despite being unable to find the killer.

It Should Have Been You by Lynn Slaughter started with action on the first page. After that, the action never stopped. I was intrigued by who the killer might be and could not turn the pages fast enough. The emotional impact of Moura’s death was compelling. I was drawn into Clara’s search for answers and was surprised by the uncertainty surrounding the people she encounters. I enjoyed this murder mystery and felt sorry for Clara. She had to go on with her life while trying to find her sister’s killer. Clara is a sympathetic character, and I hoped she would uncover the truth before her stalker’s threats became more dangerous. The steady pace let the suspense build slowly. The book was excellently written, and the ending was unexpected.