The Hardest Ones to Fool by Christina Li Review

 Title: The Hardest Ones to Fool

Author: Christina Li

Age Group: Teen/Young Adult

Genre: Mystery/Thriller

Star Rating: 5 out of 5 Stars

I received an advanced reader’s copy of this book from the publisher and Netgalley–my thanks to both!

This year, it seems that I have been gravitating more towards thrillers in between my fantasy picks. The premise of this book sounded like it would hit my thriller mystery sweet spot. Scamming? Scandals? Secrets and lies? I really loved Inventing Anna when it came out, and this sounded like a great fictional readalike. I was immediately drawn into the narrative, where a young girl is awash in secrets, juggling three different identities and three boys to go with each. When her best friend, Ingrid, is found dead, she is convinced that it isn’t an accident and there is foul play. When she goes even deeper undercover in pursuit of the truth, things begin to unravel at a rapid pace. Will Amelia Wu find the answers she’s looking for? Even at the imminent risk of her life?

This book! Thrillers in general make me leery; a lot of the time, I can guess the ending. Not so with this book. The pacing was breakneck, and despite myself, I was rooting for Amelia. I mean, I hate to say it, but something about someone reinventing themselves just strikes a chord with me. I was on the edge of my seat, and it got even worse when I realized that Amelia was not the only person hiding secrets. I loved it. I was constantly guessing what was going to happen, with an ending that I did not see coming! I don’t want to give too much away and spoil things, but I will say that this book grabbed me by the throat and didn’t let go. This book is one of my favorites of 2026, and I will never forget it! Secrets, lies, and alibis seems to be the vibe for this year and I am so here for it!