This book was a lot of fun. I read through it, dying to get to the big revelation at the end. It's really fast paced, and it mostly kept me guessing until the end. There are a lot of suspects, and all of the characters are kind of terrible people, so it feels that any of them could have done it. For fans of diversity there is a lot of LGBT representation. In example the main character is bi and her best friend is gay.

This was a pretty ridiculous book. But I strangely didn't hate it. (Nor did I really love it.) It reminded me a lot of Pretty Little Liars with the plot and characters. So like the show I kept coming back to see what would happen. I think it was rather predictable but it did keep my interest so its redeemable in that aspect. I think the reveals were kind of ridiculously dramatic and made little to no sense. Our main character Kay was super unlikable as were most of the characters so it was hard to root for anyone. Also the interactions between characters were oftentimes unrealistic. I mean who voluntarily allows themselves to be questioned by a stranger about your dead girlfriend????? And then proceed to form a bond of some sort that quickly. Most of the character's actions made zero sense. However, overall it did keep my attention.

I received an Arc of this book via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

This book was a page-turner of a ya thriller. I really enjoyed it and it kept me guessing. I figured out what was going on before I finished but it didn't take away from the novel. The book takes a look at mean girls and the effects that bullying can have.

Disturbing YA novel about a group of high school students and ambivalence towards others. Kay, the protagonist, is chosen to act upon the wishes of a fellow student who apparently committed suicide--the plot line was a bit too similar to 13 Reasons Why.

I tried. I wanted to read this because it sounded a lot like If We Were Villains by M. L. Rio. Now that is a good book.

First I received this ebook as an ARC from the publishers through Netgalley.com. So I understand that there are mistakes, typos, and format issues but this was really bad. I normally can get through things like that but in this case it made it really hard to read. Then, I didn't care for anyone in the story. It was a bunch of teenage girls being mean and acting superior to everyone else. So this was a DNF.

Such a fun and horrible book, in the best way. The concept of Pretty Little Liars with queer girls will make it an easy recommend for many teen girls these days.

People Like Us is a twisted thriller that kept me on the edge of my seat.

Kay and her nasty group of friends attend a prestigious all-girls boarding school, Bates Academy. This group of girls has gossiped, bullied, and cheated on their friends and each other for years, and Kay is the leader of the group.

When they find the body of a dead classmate in a pond, the suspicions abound. It turns out several of them have a reason to kill her and no one has a great alibi.

Kay receives access to a blackmail web page that appears to be from the dead girl. Kay must out each one of her friends for some secret transgression, or else the blackmailer will tell Kay's secrets. And Kay has many secrets. Kay and her closest friends end up in the crosshairs of the murder investigation, and as Kay tries to clear herself, she runs up against formidable obstacles.

I guessed the identity of the murderer at about the halfway point, but I wasn't sure, and it didn't ruin the rest of the story. The backstabbing and lying of these teens really began to stretch credibility. I mean, really, the motives are really absurd, but I stuck with it and found People Like Us to be a juicy, intricate mystery with well-described (if awful) characters.

This isn't a book that's going to have you rooting for the good guy -- because there aren't any -- but it will keep your attention and keep you guessing. I think my teens will enjoy it.

I received a copy of this book from the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

Bates Academy was Kay Donovan's ticket out of her old life. Being at the top of the social food chain has had its advantages for Kay. She's a soccer star, has a great group of friends, and has plans to earn a college soccer scholarship.

When a classmate is found dead the night before a major scouting tournament, games are cancelled and Kay begins to panic. A mysterious email from the deceased classmate that arrives the following day sets Kay on a path to make sure her long-hidden secrets stay that way. Though she's been enjoying life at the top, Kay will do anything to get what she wants.

THOUGHTS: This deceptive, fast-paced scenario will leave readers racing ahead to see if Kay stays on top or is ruined by her past secrets. As she fights the clock to solve the mystery, Kay becomes more involved and more suspect. Fans of mystery fiction (especially those with a small town and/or private school flare) will enjoy this read. Underage drinking and casual descriptions of sexual relationships make this more suitable for mature readers.

Thank you NetGalley for plugging the Pretty Little Liars gap for those readers who are quite happy with a stand-alone read.
Kay and her group of friends are under suspicion when they find a dead body in their school lake. A number of them had reason to want this girl dead, but how far will they go to protect their secrets?
Kay is put to the test in a way that is beyond cruel, but she is complicit in what happens. Entertaining read.

I usually love thrillers, but this one just wasn't for me. I loved the writing style, but so much of the plot seemed convoluted and improbable. I also guessed all the twists in advance, and I couldn't believe that the characters were motivated to do the things they did because of certain events (trying not to spoil things by being deliberately vague). The main characters were interesting, and I enjoyed the New England setting. Will be purchasing this for our library and recommending to teens who like mysteries!

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for the preview copy!

I went into this book with no real expectations, other than looking for a suspenseful, twisty sort of story. I was not disappointed! The lovely writing contrasted nicely with the callousness of some of the characters. I particularly enjoyed how human everyone was. Sure, most of the characters did some pretty horrible things, but they weren't cast as villains in the story. I would recommend this to fans of Mean Girls who are looking for something a bit darker.

The Plot - The plot was really great...until about the 50% mark, or so.  It was at this point that I started to make my list of possible suspects.  Around the 70% mark, it seemed like it was being beaten into the reader who the person responsible was.  I love a good mystery, and I tend to prefer mysteries that keep this "big reveal" until the end.  I suppose there was still a reveal, because the reader didn't really know WHY the person responsible was doing what they were doing.  (But, honestly, the main character and her friends are horrible bitches, so it's not really a SURPRISE...)

There was a twist at the end of the book I didn't see coming, but at the same time, I don't think it was actually necessary.  In fact, I think it took a little bit away from the story.  (PS: If anyone reads this book, I'd love to know what you think about this Second Reveal with Kay and her family.)

The Characters - Kay and her friends are total bitches.  I mean, honestly -- they Rule the School.  And there seemed to be absolutely NO redeeming factor about any of them (but Brie).  Even as Kay tries to change throughout the book, I had no real sympathy for her.  I'm not sure if this is a character development issue, or the fact that she's just a heinous bitch when it opens that I had a hard time coming back from that and wanting her to "win" in the end.

Relationships/LGBTQ+ - I wouldn't necessarily label this a book about lesbians, which I did see on a few reviews.  Yes, most of the girls tend to hook up with other girls, but that wasn't really the focal point.  (Except for Kay who's madly in love with her BFF, Brie... But that's no secret to anyone.)  I will give the author props on this, because she wrote the relationships so easily, and I did feel as if I was reading a heteronormal YA book.  I loved that, honestly, because there was no big thing about how OMG I THINK I'M GAY WHAT DOES THIS MEAN?  It was just...natural.  I applaud Mele on her portrayal of relationships in this way.

Final Recommendations - I hate to say, "don't read this," because everyone has different tastes with books.  It wasn't horrible, but it was not what I was expecting, and I was a little disappointed in the plot fallout.

If you liked e. lockhart's genuine fraud, I'd highly recommend this, then.  It had the same sort of feel as that book, even though the plots are VERY different.

'People Like Us' was a quick, enjoyable YA mystery/thriller. I was immediately sucked into the story, and wanted to find out exactly who was behind the "scavenger hunt" and the escalating violence. However, the story only worked if you didn't examine it too closely, and there were just too many head-scratching moments for me. I didn't really understand why Kay, the main character, just went along with what the scavenger hunt told her to do and didn't try to find a way to put a stop to it. A lot of her actions (and the actions of other characters as well) just didn't make sense to me. Still, it was a fun YA murder mystery that I'm sure will appeal to many younger readers.

A clique of mean girls finds the dead body of a classmate in the lake at their elite boarding school one night. Kay, one of the meanest, yet the odd ball out because she's on scholarship, is then tasked with taking down the rest of her clique from a "Revenge Blog" that the killer has set up.

Think The Heathers meets Pretty Little Liars. I found Kay to be.. pretty unintelligent. The plot seemed to move quickly, then screech to a halt, then reveal major plot lines in the last two pages... and absolutely not detailed explanations about it.
However, this is a YA thriller, and it delivered on that. I definitely wanted to know who the killer was, and the overall storyline was enjoyable.
3.5 stars