Alexa Donne has plotted an excellent thriller. The Ivies explores how far teens will go to get into their dream school. The book follows a very well-thought out structure, and centers on a murder investigation of a girl recently accepted into Harvard. The concept is catchy, and the mystery has enough red herrings to keep you guessing. I was never totally sure who was the killer which makes for a fun read! The prose and voice of the story is very “teen” with references to pop culture, fashion. While at times, this took me out of the mystery, I think teen readers will love it!

**I received an arc of this book for free from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.**

Like a lot of people I watch Alexa religiously on Youtube. I'm no stranger to her or her books. I've read Brightly Burning in the past and really enjoyed my experience reading it.

The Ivies was a first for me in a lot of ways. I've never read a mystery/thriller before. And I've only ever watched a couple such as Murder on the Orient Express ( the new one with Kenneth Branagh) and Scooby Doo (I think that counts)

So I don't really have a lot to compare this to, and I wouldn't even begin to understand what genre tropes were or were not at play here. I also don't want to give anything away. So I'll try to revisit my feelings on the twists and red herrings after the book has been out for a while.

Now onto the review...

Ya'll. You are not ready.

Something that kept coming up in reviews for Brightly Burning, was 'like her channel, didn't like the book'. It's hard to say what it was about that novel that kept it from working as well as it could have. For me, I'm not a sci-fi person, so I had chalked it up to that. Having just been thrown for a loop with her junior novel I can say IT WAS THE VOICE.

When you watch her channel, Alexa has a very specific voice. She's fun and likeable and it seems clear that she was born to write, but that voice is completely removed in Brightly Burning. Everything sounds forced and clipped and....essayish. The Ivies, is VOICEY. The voice is so strong that you forget that the piece isn't a memoir. It's all so crazy, and timely, that it all feels real. It's that Taylor Jenkins Reid effect where you feel like at any moment you could put the book down and google this school and these people and have millions of results.

She had me dangling from the first page and even after I've finished the book I'm not sure she ever let go. I kept trying to pick out the culprit. I can't say I guessed it, even though I definitely accused every named character at least once. If you like juicy drama, strap in. Get ready to gasp and clutch your pearls. Everyone has skeletons it seemed. Everyone offended at least once.

Last year I had the privilege of reading Admission by Julie Buxbaum before much of the real life sentences were handed out. You know which one I'm talking about, and that book did a good job of making me feel sorry for the kids involved. Sorry for the parents even. It gave me compassion for a situation that was already pretty cringey. This book is not that lol. The characters aren't awful, but their motives are insane. Admissions scandals and fake scores was literally an afterthought compared with all of the other things they were guilty of.

There was a part at the end of the book. When I read what the theme was I audibly gasped and screamed "OH MY GOD."

For those who have followed the videos, I feel like Alexa herself makes a cameo.

The Ivies and their scandalous world appear so fully formed that I don't feel like you can make "too big" of a deal of this book. We all knew that Alexa was meant to write, and think a lot of people were confused when Brightly Burning didn't live up to expectations. So the jury is in. Alexa was meant to write thrillers. The Ivies is her masterpiece.


I would recommend this book to literally anyone (but maybe especially recent grads haha). 5 well deserved stars!

This is exactly the kind of thing that would make a great mini series. Mostly because it felt not unlike a <i>Gossip Girl</i> and <i>Pretty Little Liars</i> mashup (I say this without ever having watched or read PLL, so I could be off base, but from random ads I've seen it has the thriller vibes needed). Except throw in the <i>Gilmore Girls</i> education focus that Rory and Paris had in their final year at Chilton.

<i>There were ruthless students before us -- they just weren't as well organized.</i>

All that to say, this was a hot twisty priviledged backstabby underhanded mess and boy was I enthralled. I think what worked against it, though, and why I'm not rating higher, is I felt our protagonist was just a little too inconsistent in both her feelings and her reactions. I don't know if maybe that was on purpose, particularly with how this ended, but.. it made for strange reading sometimes. But the cliquey Ivies, the school itself, it was all so messed up but so fascinating.

Equally, I think, had this been done (or when it's done? who knows!) in a television format I think we could've had some extra nuance or layers that maybe would've rounded this out a bit. The mystery itself wasn't too straight forward, despite the red herrings or supposed red herrings, but there were a few other twists I found rather easy to see coming. But, again, maybe that was on purpose so we didn't guess the other? Hard to say.

"<i>Do you know how hard it is to be a rich, above-average white guy in college admissions?</i>"
"<b>Oh, wait, you're being serious? Sorry.</b>"

I also found it interesting how much this actually said about the whole college admissions mania. Not being American I've only ever really seen this portrayed in fiction and this definitely took it up a notch or twelve but I think there's a lot of reality buried into this fictional narrative, too.

I probably could've done without the two or three throwaway references to the pandemic but as this is an ARC who knows if that feedback will make it up the chain or not.

I had a fun time with this, though, and it was the perfect twisty ride to pass a gloomy afternoon.

3.5 stars

Thank you to NetGalley and the publishers for the free copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. My opinion was not affected by the free copy.

This book was something. A GOOD AND ENTERTAINING something.

So in terms of the plot, after I read the little blurb I was sold. Yet, when you read it, it goes so much farther. It is definitely more mystery than horror, so make sure to keep that in mind when you are picking it up or looking at it. I also think how it went to describe school, getting into college and the whole admissions process was scary but true. Like I have seen people have full mental breakdowns over getting into or trying to get into an Ivy league and this really just shows it.

The pacing was perfect for the story and it could have even gone a little faster. I was able to read the whole book in one sitting; however, I am a fast reader so make sure to take that into consideration.

The characters relationships were perfect between one another. If anything I would have liked to see a second book that went over the relationships through the ending (spoiler free - not mentioning). Seeing how the main character could or rather couldn't relate to everyone else really shows the class struggle in terms of college admissions and schooling. This book really goes to show the class privileges and even touches upon race within the admission process.

I didn't expect any of the twists and turns that happened within this book which I would think goes to show how well written it was. All-in-All any college student of upper class student in high school would do well to read this. As well as any adult who isn't as in touch with the admissions process anymore.

Boarding school? Check. How the 1% lives? Check. Murder? Check. This book ticks lots of boxes for indulgent reads. Olivia, the token athletic scholarship student, finds herself in the middle of a complicated web of lies and deceit. But she’s not squeaky clean. As the story unravels, it seems that almost everyone is tainted by hubris. Y’know, Macbeth’s fatal flaw. Everyone at the school wants to come out on top & very few can—even when they try to pull all of the strings behind the curtain. Parts felt ploddingly slow & others seemed to pass by too quickly for them to sink in. It should appeal to the Maureen Johnson Truly Devious fans.

#TheIvies #NetGalley

THE IVIES is such a fun and twisty YA elite boarding school mystery/thriller! The story is about a group of high-achieving friends known as “the Ivies” who will do whatever it takes to be accepted into the university of their dreams. When a murder occurs and the Ivies become the prime suspects, Olivia decides to get to the bottom of it. With a cast full of perfectly “unlikeable” characters, I couldn’t put this book down until the reveal. The dynamic between Olivia and the other Ivies was complex and addicting to follow, and I loved the way everything was tied up in the end. I can’t wait for Alexa’s next thriller!

Thank you Netgalley for a YA mystery thriller in exchange for a review!

I was iffy on the beginning. A lot of stereotypes and high school clique stuff which doesn't sit well with me and isn't realistic. The language was especially cringey for me, like this is what someone who hasn't been in high school for a long time thinks high schoolers now talk.

BUT there was so much good going on in this too. I liked the love interest. I like the main character's grit and determination, even if she was hypocritical and mean sometimes (but I guess flaws are common with mystery-thrillers). I like the very end especially.

This is marketed as similar to <i>A Good Girl's Guide to Murder</i>. Don't go into this thinking it'll be that.

#TheIvies
#MustReadYA2021
The Ivies starts off slow, but after the first several chapters it builds into a fun, smart mystery. Thank you to NetGalley and Random House publishing for the opportunity to read and review The Ivies.

The Ivies, Olivia, Emma, Avery, Sierra, and Margot, are the queens of Claflin Academy. They have done everything they could to ensure that they would each get into the Ivy League school of their choice. Olivia, though, is an outsider. While rest of the Ivies are rich and come from powerful families, Olivia is a scholarship student who will do whatever it takes to get into her dream school. On the day Early Decision college acceptances come out, secrets are revealed and trusts are broken. At the end of the night, one of the Ivies ends up dead. Olivia, along with her her newspaper co-editor Ethan, starting digging into the murder to find out what really happened. The more she digs though, the more danger she finds herself in.

This was a phenomenal YA thriller. Although the main character starts out unlikable, as the book progresses, it reveals more layers to her character and really made you root for her. This book has a lot of twists, turns, red herrings, missed clues, and a lot of suspense that really kept me invested in the book. I have read a lot of YA thrillers, and this one really did keep me guessing until the very end. There were so many betrayals, secrets, and deceptions that it added so many layers to each of the characters. The boarding school setting also made it more interested it kept all the characters and suspects together. There were a few things that made me a little uncomfortable, but overall, this was a fantastic read and I highly recommend.

To be honest, I wasn't very impressed by the first twenty pages or so. Olivia, the protagonist, is like every white girl in a book like this one: the poor scholarship girl who doesn't quite fit in with her group of friends. But there's something about this book that just kind of... sucks you in and keeps you hooked long after you thought you would have walked away.

Don't get me wrong: this is a fairly predictable book with some easy to spot plot twists (called the murderer right after the body was discovered). But there's plenty of red herrings to keep you guessing, and some delightful twists and turns that I didn't see coming.

Olivia has a pretty interesting journey, and I was happy to see realistic consequences for her and her friends given what happens in this book. Overall, this was a well-written book with great structure, likable (if slightly predictable) characters, and a solid mystery to keep readers engaged.

Fans of Truly Devious and A Good Girl's Guide to Murder will really enjoy this one when it comes out later this year.

This book is awesomely twisted! The Ivies tells the story of a group of five classmates-can they really call themselves friends?- who will lie, cheat, steal, backstab, and do just about anything else the need to in order to better their standing among their competitors when it comes to applying to the most prestigious colleges. Each has been designated an Ivy League College to apply to and each has bent and broken more than her fair share of rules in order to get accepted. When one ends up dead after getting accepted, seemingly everyone on campus is a suspect, but none more-so than the Ivies themselves!

Olivia, Avery, Emma, Sierra, and Margot seem to have it all. They are the queen bees of Claflin Academy. They know what they want and they will step on anyone to get it. Can they withstand a murder investigation of one of their own?

The twists and turns and the shocking truth will keep the reader not only guessing, but second and triple guessing until the very end. This book is a sure-fire hit! Thank you to Random House Children's Publishing for granting me an ARC. Decision Day is May 25, 2021 for everyone to pick up a copy of The Ivies!

Olivia Winters is a member of The Ivies, 5 girls who each claim their “spot” at an Ivy League school before Early Decision Day. They promise to never get in each other’s way, and they do whatever it takes to make sure nobody else gets in their way. But when Olivia secretly applies to Harvard and gets in, she’s worried what Avery, the triple legacy and sole owner of the Harvard spot, will say. But on the night of the big ED party, Emma also reveals she got into Harvard, and Averys Harvard rejection sends her into a tirade. When Emma’s body is found floating in the crew pool the next morning, Olivia can’t help but wonder if she will be next. And she will stop at nothing to get to the bottom of Emma’s death. But is what she uncovers along the way worth knowing? Or she is better off in the dark?

Do you remember the movie Mean Girls? This is a mean girls story with an academic mission. The story was smart, addictive, and definitely shocking! The characters get under your skin, they are ruthless and twisted.
The girls are twisted and will do anything and I mean anything to get into thier dream college, even murder. This is a great whodunit type of book, the twist and the shocks keep coming. Olivia is at a boarding school where she and her friends are all trying to get into one of their Ivy League colleges but when things turn deadly for the group of friends Olivia is trying to figure out who killed one of their own as well as what other secrets they are hiding from one another.
If you love YA thrillers or even thrillers in general this one's for you I would definitely recommend it!

Getting into Ivy League schools is tough, but these girls make it cut throat. Olivia is part of an elite group at her school known as The Ivies. Each member has been selected to apply to one of the Ivy League schools and they will stop at nothing to make sure they get in. When one of The Ivies turns up dead after admitting she got in to the school she wasn't meant to apply to, Olivia will launch her own investigation to clear, or maybe convict, the other members of the group. A classic murder mystery, this book is thrilling, fast-paced, and has the perfect amount of twist in the storyline to keep even the best guesser on their toes.

The Ivies is one of the more realistic YA thrillers I've read in recent memory, almost too realistic. You can tell Donne must have background/experience in the college admissions world, because she captures the pathos of teens who think getting into the right college is everything almost perfectly. The characters are pretty well-rounded, although Margot and Sierra still fall into certain stereotype traps as the Asian and Black characters in the clique. I also think it's a bit uncomfortable how their character arcs turn out in contrast to Avery, who's White. None of the characters are particularly likeable, which is fine. Olivia works as a protagonist, although she's the standard "working class girl who falls in with the rich girls" MC.

I have mixed feelings about the ending. On the one hand, I love how realistic it was in reflecting the ways rich people escape consequences. However, it was almost too realistic in that it wasn't satisfying to see where all the characters ended up, even if that's how real life is. The killer's motivation was on the weak side, but the ride to ge there was good. Overall, I enjoyed The Ivies. It's an easy read with a fast-paced story.

Alexa Donne has hit her stride with The Ivies. I was not a big fan of her previous two books (they weren't bad, just very meh and forgettable) but The Ivies suits her style and authorial voice so much better. This book, while still not quite the zinger it might have been, is a timely and tightly-paced thriller that hits all the notes it needs to and evokes exactly the kind of "vast carelessness" of the WASPy elite, the competitive boarding school environment, and the breathtaking lengths kids are pushed to go to for the lie of "success" they're taught to believe in. I was a bit surprised by the direction the ending took, but I think I do like it at the end of the day, even if it makes me simmer a bit at the characters who got away with more than they deserved. Also - Ethan! I don't even know what to say about him! But Ethan!

As a certain conniving little b**ch likes to say..."remarkable."

Will keep your blood pressure dangerously high and your productivity at an all time low. That means, cancel your plans cause you're going to want to read this in one sitting.

If you love ONE OF US IS LYING, you're going to devour THE IVIES. It's a who-dun-it that's nearly impossible to guess. Trust no one. Anyone could be out for your neck, that's my take-away. As a prep-school graduate this hit all the marks and triggered one too many high-school memories. A hard-hitter. I cannot recommend this book enough.

Great book! The twists and turns get you every time. You never see the end coming at all. Great read!

I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.
What a fabulous read!!
I was pleasantly surprised to read this new-to-me author, Alexa Donne. The premise of this novel was expertly woven in this tale of high society girls doing bad things to further themselves and earn acceptance into the Ivy League colleges. Who knew what a twisted world this could be?!?!
The Ivies was the balm to my reading slump, and now I feel revived!

3.5/5 stars. - To Be Released in May 2021.
Thank you NetGalley and Random House for the opportunity to read and review this ARC.

Well, this was a fun read. A combination of Mean Girls, boarding school, and murder sets this stage for this page turner. A group of friends at elite private school manipulate and screw around with their classmates test scores, class rankings, and extracurriculars, all for the sake of giving themselves a better show at being accepted to one of the Ivy League schools. The girls, known as The Ivies, have each set their sights on one of the Ivy League colleges. Acceptance is already tough but when someone steals your coveted acceptance spot? Well, who knows how far someone will go seek revenge.

This was a fun read. It definitely has a lot of up to date things happening, like how COVID disrupted a previous semester, lots of mentions of Google Docs and social media (no TIkTok though! Interesting...). The story started off simply but built and twisted as you keep reading. Most of the characters are straight up awful to one another. I did pull it down in ratings to a 3.5 vs. a 4 because I "figured it out" and I NEVER figure it out!