I’ve been in the mood for some suspenseful content as fall comes our way and this certainly was that! This prep school murder mystery had me feeling all of the fallish whodunnit teen drama sort of vibes. While I wasn’t a fan of the descriptive teen steam, it did keep me up late turning the pages and needing to know how this mystery ends.

Shaila, one of the exclusive not so secret society members, dies unexpectedly at an event during freshman year and her murderer is in prison. Now that Shaila’s friends are seniors and excited to finally rule over their peers, questions arise about what actually occurred that fateful night. Is the murderer still among the Players?

Thank you Penguin Teen & Netgalley for an eARC copy of "They Wish They Were Us", in exchange for an honest review.

Pretty Little Liars meets Gossip Girl, meets Veronica Mars (season 1), is the vibes "They Wish They Were Us" exudes. Think of prep school teenage drama, with a splash of murder mixed in.

The story begins in current day, reflecting back on the elite prep school queen Shaila's murder. The other elite squad, aka the Players (I kept wanting to call them The Careers - Hunger Games anyone?), have moved on with their lives. Well as much as they can, dealing with their grief, applying for college, and also ruling the school as Seniors. Oh, and Graham who was convicted for Shaila's murder. BUT is he guilty?

I really enjoyed the flashbacks premise, as bit by bit of the story was uncovered, just one clue at a time. I definitely had a hunch of the "whodunnit" but not the "howdunnit", or the "whyyoudonnit". The Players and their world were my favorite part of novel, the "rich get richer" definitely applies on this coast. The Players and their family have the advantage, and can get away with everything (maybe even murder?).

I definitely recommend this novel it's the perfect YA escapism mystery, with a fun plot. I would love to see this made into a Netflix show! 4/5 Stars for me - a super fun read!

They Wish They Were Us is a young adult mystery thriller by Jessica Goodman. I thought this book was a good read, but it wasn't my favorite mystery ever. I think this book would be perfect for readers that are new to young adult murder mysteries, because the plot and characters are fun. But I think for readers who have read many mysteries, They Wish They Were Us was really easy to figure out. It was still an enjoyable read set in a prep school setting, with a secret society element added in.

They Wish They Were Us alternates between present day, where our main characters are seniors in high school and three years prior, to their freshman year, when one of their best friends was murdered. The main character in They Wish They Were Us is Jill, who attends the prestigious Cold Coats Prep on a scholarship. Along with her best friends Nikki and Shaila, were recruited into the school's secret society- The Players. The Players affords its' members with endless advantages, in school and in life through answer keys and valuable connections. But when Shaila is murdered during the final phase of hazing, everything changes. Her boyfriend confesses to her murder and the story fast forwards three years to their senior year, where her boyfriend is now rescinding his confession, claiming innocence.

As Jill tries to figure out if he is really innocent or not, she is also juggling her senior year, college admissions and struggling with the reality of her younger brother becoming a player. In addition to the murder mystery that is the primary plotline, secondary plots of hazing hazards and friendships are also present and they were my favorite part of the story. I figured out the murder pretty early on, but I enjoyed the journey the characters went on enough to keep reading. Overall, They wish they were us was a decent read, but it didn't blow my socks off. If you are new to young adult mysteries, I think you will really enjoy this book. If you are a true crime aficionado or a mystery buff, then this might be too easy for you to figure out- but it is still a fun read.

Hiiiii I'm really emotional right now. I want to first thank Penguin Teen for giving me an early eBook e-arc copy of this in exchange for a honest review.

I got so invested into this story. It honestly surprised me. I don't often really ever read murder mystery's or thrillers. But this one just got to me. I felt so emotionally connected to Jill. Just hearing everything from her side of the story, and all that she went through made me love and care for her so much.

There were quite a few people that I thought I could trust, but then I'd get smacked in the face with betrayal. It really shocked me. I predicted quite a few things (which I usually never can do that) but it kept taking so many twists and turns that I wasn't expecting at all.

I'm so happy I was able to read this. And as I sit here on my bed crying my eyes out, I would highly recommend this to anyone. It's worth the read.

This is a book about a group of (mostly) rich kids who belong to a secret club. There is a murder weaving mystery weaving throughout the story. This is a pretty run of the mill story and predictable but I still enjoyed it.

The Wish there were Us kept me guessing till the end. The underlying mystery in the book - I couldn't stop reading! Looking forward to the author's next one.

DNF at 28%

Found this to be very bland and unoriginal, I was not gripped enough to continue. I will edit my feedback should I decide to continue and finish this book at a later date.

As I sit down to write this review, I realize that I am pretty indifferent to this book. I neither hated nor loved it. It was a pretty middle of the road book for me, which was slightly disappointing considering I wanted so sadly to fall in love with it.

Let's talk about the pros first:
✔️ Rich kid drama with an exclusive and elite private school clique - I seriously love stories with this element! Initiation into "The Players" comes with some pseudo-hazing rituals but also promises of exclusive access to information and even test answers to ensure admission into Ivy League colleges. Essentially, lots so shady rich kid doings!
✔️ A murder mystery - Who wouldn't love a good ol' fashioned high school murder mystery being covered up by other high schoolers? Umm....I'm all in for this! (P.S. It usually never goes well, which is what makes it so entertaining.)
✔️ Friendship- I did appreciate the realness of the friendships and the teenage "girl drama" associated with them. I think this aspect alone will appeal to lots of YA readers.
✔️ I actually did not see the ending coming, so the twist was a pleasant surprise.

Now, the cons:
❌ Too little of the murder mystery- Although I did appreciate the exploration into the dynamics of friend circle in the story, it really did take away from what really makes the story- the murder. The murder of Shaila is always lurking in the background, and it seems to stay in the background for the majority of the story. I really would have liked to have had the murder taking the front seat and drive the plot a little more.
❌ "The Players"- I liked the idea of a secret society, but I felt that the characters took on more of a whiny, entitled tone than I would have liked.
❌Switches in time- I think that flashbacks can be done well, but they can also be done in a way that leaves you thinking "hold on, is this happening now? or did this already happen?" as you're reading. This book did the latter, unfortunately.
❌ The length- I normally don't complain about the length of a book, but this story could have been told in half the pages. There were times when I just felt like it was dragging, and I just wanted it to get to the point and move on to the next part of the plot.

Overall, I would rate this one 2.5/5. Like I said, it wasn't a horrible read, and I can certainly see this appealing to the high school girl demographic, but it was just not the book for me.

I really enjoyed this one and think its definitely one that lovers of Pretty Little Liars and Gossip Girl will devour! The writing was pretty strong for a debut and I was thoroughly entertained throughout the entire reading experience! I cannot wait to see what else this author has in store and I'm still thinking about the ending / highly anticipating the eventual continuation of this dark little story

Actual Rating: 3.5 stars

They Wish They Were Us is a debut YA mystery/thriller set at an elite private school on Long Island that tackles toxic cultures of hazing, misogyny, and privilege. When Jill was a freshman, she was tapped to join the elite Players, along with her best friend and 6 others. The Players have dark secrets and a history of hazing incoming freshman, viewed as required payment for the benefits of joining, but now Jill's cohort is in charge and things are going to be different. But is it that easy to break out of abusive cycles? And Jill may be a senior now, but her best friend is dead and she's starting to wonder if the person accused of her murder was the real culprit.

This has been compared to Gossip Girl, and I can definitely see why. We have a cast of complicated characters at an elite institution, though some are more elite than others. There are parties, drinking, drugs, sex, and cheating to get ahead. None of the characters (including Jill) are exactly likeable, but I do think the author effectively unpacks how they all got to where they are. Family and social pressure, the need to succeed, growing up with privilege, the normalization of misogyny and rape culture, and more. This isn't a light read, but I think it does a good job of getting inside hazing culture and how toxic and insidious it can be, even when people think they want to change it, and how it can end up being very dangerous.

The mystery element here seemed pretty obvious to me, but it was still reasonably well executed. This is the sort of book you will probably either be into or hate, depending on your taste. There are some things I didn't love, like the use of (view spoiler) and having a scene that basically normalizes girls faking orgasms during sex. (This really bugs me, especially in a book for teens. Sex should be about open communication and being okay with things not always working out perfectly.) She does a good job of addressing this issue of hazing, although that's usually more an issue in college than high school and you really have to suspend disbelief that young teens in a small town could really get away with all of this. I would have found it more believable at the university level. But privilege can be a hell of a drug, so maybe it's not so out there.

I do think this is a pretty good debut and I was certainly engrossed in the story. Not a new favorite, but I'll keep an eye on what else we get from this author.Thanks to Penguin Teen for providing a digital copy for review. All opinions are my own.

Content warnings include teen drinking and drug use, sexual assault, teens being drugged, severe hazing, misogyny, murder, violence, manipulation, cheating (in school and relationships), a possible teacher-student sexual relationship, and more.

DNF'd I am so sorry but this book landed quite flat. Maybe it is just the prep theme I wasnt a fan of. Rating it neutral three since I did not finish.

I think my expectations for this book were way too high. This was a solid read and I think many will enjoy it because this is not a bad book. The problem is, I thought I was getting a book where high school kids were truly behaving badly in the most sinister way, and this book just was not that. The acts these privileged kids were pulling were fairly "normal" for kids in the elite class. I wanted something that borderline scared me with how horrific these teenagers were acting, but this was just your typical privileged kids behaving like spoiled brats.

At times this book was a bit to juvenile for me. However it is written for a younger crowd. We have a bunch of rich kids, a few not so rick at a prep school. They take hazing to the next level. During one of their parties a girl is found dead. They believe its her boyfriend. He however can't remember what happened. He wakes with blood all over him and admits to killing her.

Its 3 years later and the truth wants to come out. So who is the one lying?

I did enjoy the end very much and overall it was an enjoyable read.

This book fed my Gossip Girl, Clique, I Know What You Did Last Summer 90s-2000s soul. There better be a sequel! Loved it. It was a perfect, who-dunnit, Pretty Little Liars, summer read!

I had such high expectations for this book. It sounded like the perfect book for me. Sadly, this book did not live up to what I thought it would be. It is advertised as a Gossip Girl MEETS One of Us is Lying, but I did not feel as if the book met those expectations. Gossip Girl is iconic and sadly I must say the book was more of a discount gossip girl than anything. The murder seemed so background and honestly, the murder was the main reason why I picked this up. This book is just high school drama with a dash of someone did something bad. Prep School books are normally a favorite of mine, but again this book did not meet those expatiations.

Now, I must admit the book was somewhat interesting. I like the idea that the kids have all the power and when one messes up its pretty easy to clean up. I Guessed who the murderer was right away and was pretty disappointed when I learned I was right, but I did enjoy the reveal and how there were hints throughout the book that told you who it was.

I received a free copy of They Wish They Were Us from netgalley in exchange for an honest review

I have a soft spot for prep school dramas and thrillers. As someone who attended a similar school growing up these stories connect with me in ways that others high school dramas/thrillers don’t. Plus it’s so great seeing some jerk get their comeuppance! I enjoyed this story but I’m not really sure how unique or earth shattering it is. It’s formulaic and predictable which can be nice in a comfort read but if you’re looking for a wild ride this isn’t the thriller. I enjoyed it just fine.

From the first page, I was already hooked into the story. The writing is both beautifully descriptive and succinct. The main protagonist's narration is written to truly reflect her age and situation--the drama, the internal conflict, etc. From the description of the book, as a YA mystery thriller about a murder amongst the ranks of an "elite" group of prep kids, I was reminded of one of my favorite books: The Secret History by Donna Tartt. This novel is described to echo a "dash" of that novel, and I could see why, Although not entirely with the murder at the true forefront, (as I would later find out while reading more into the book where more of the focus is on the drama and background of the social dynamics of the characters) I really enjoyed how the story unfolds, from the pacing to the complex character relationships, especially Jill's conflicting position. I was a bit worried about them being high school students with this murder mystery in the sense that I've watched Riverdale and I'm not a fan of that show and the ridiculousness of it. However, this novel is anything but that. It was definitely a page turner and a book I will definitely be recommending a lot to fans of TSH, and those who also want to try this genre of mystery thrillers.

If you all enjoyed 𝑃𝑟𝑒𝑡𝑡𝑦 𝐿𝑖𝑡𝑡𝑙𝑒 𝐿𝑖𝑎𝑟𝑠, I can guarantee you will LOVE this one! It’s described as being 𝐺𝑜𝑠𝑠𝑖𝑝 𝐺𝑖𝑟𝑙 meets 𝑂𝑛𝑒 𝑜𝑓 𝑈𝑠 𝐼𝑠 𝐿𝑦𝑖𝑛𝑔- but I definitely felt more PLL vibes within it.
I will say, though, that the ending to this one was not quite a shock to me. Shaila’s true killer, I had guessed from the very beginning so it lost that “wow” factor for me. That doesn’t mean I didn’t enjoy this book, though, I really did! I was super fascinated by the Players and all the perks what came with it. I loved our main character, Jill, for being fearless and standing up for what’s right- even though it cost her everything she thought she wanted.
I love how it ended, and I’m thrilled to know that there will be a second book in the series- I’m just wondering if it’ll still be Jill’s perspective.

This book was amazing! I loved how there were so many different characters and each one was given depth. This book follows Jill, a scholarship student striving to be perfect at a rich high school. She is asked to join the Players, a elite group of high schoolers who have access to incredible resources. The Players are basically a group that hazes the new initiates each year. I love how Jill acknowledges that this is wrong and strives to change it. Another key plot point in this novel is the murder of Jill’s best friend, Shay.
I really enjoyed how Jill was basically the only one of her friends who was trying to resolve the murder correctly. This added doubt to all her friend’s innocence. I think this was amazingly written and bonus points that I actually guessed the murderer’s identity correctly!

This is the Gossip Girl and Pretty Little Liars mashup I needed. I loved the pacing of this novel and how the writing delved deeper than typical YA mysteries. In this story we cover female friendships, grief and loyalty, and I absolutely loved that. My only issue with this book was that the transitions from past to present could have been more seamless. However, after reading more I was able to get used to it. Overall, this was an enjoyable read.