This was a fun and twisty read, full of vicious and suspicious characters. I loved how ruthless The Ivies were and how the book explored the complex relationship between Olivia and her wealthier cohorts.

I loved how the plot seemed both over the top and yet completely believable. This is the kind of book you read in 1 or 2 sittings because you need to know what happens next. I did (correctly) guess the culprit fairly early on, but I read an absurd amount of thrillers. Still, there was more than enough suspicion and fun threads to follow to make me doubt myself. There were a few things that were overly convenient/stretched believability in terms of discovery of certain information and cops being a bit overshare-y with a teen, but that's sort of par for the course for the genre and worked within the framework of the book.

I thought the ending was very satisfying, providing a more realistic resolution to the story than a lot of thriller stories. I also appreciated how the ending took the steps to have a more developed finale rather than a lot of thrillers where the killer is revealed and then the book ends abruptly with them getting taken away in cuffs with no denouement. It was also cool to see everyone facing consequences for their actions in one way or another, and it was also nice how it was acknowledged that some people don't face consequences because of real world privilege.

Overall, an excellent read with some snark and heart and surprises throughout.

A great novel on the cutthroat college admissions some students feel. What lengths will this group of girls go to though to ensure they get into their college?

#librarianreviews this new book is fire!!

Cannot wait for the release. I know that this will be amazing for all my thriller lovers.

This book has plenty of twists and turns to keep the reader intrigued. Olivia is part of a group called the Ivies, they will do anything to get into their chosen college.

It all starts on early decision day, ED day, and for one of them it all ends. The book is left open enough for a sequel while wrapping up nicely until it comes out.

#bookstagram #booknerd #bibliophile #ireadya #librariansofinstagram #bookaddict #igreads #librarylife #bookreview #librariansofinstagram #thrillerbooks #yabooks #netgalley

I wanted so bad to love this book. I really loved Brightly Burning, but the characters were just not fleshed out in this book. It was as if someone watched a bunch of The CW and decided that's what being a teenager is like. It was so unrealistic. I was telling my husband about this book at around the 70% mark and for the life of me couldn't remember the MC's name, so when you can't even produce the name of the character whose perspective you're in, while you're smack in the middle of reading the book, it's a bad sign. These kids are all supposed to be seriously smart but I don't see it, I'm told it, though, ad nauseum. They make absolutely mind-boggling choices for the sheer sake of plot progression.
She should stick to sci-fi, I'm sorry, I love you, Alexa!

From Mean Girls to Pretty Little Liars, I'm a sucker for a group of girlfriends with a secret. As soon as I read the summary for The Ivies, I knew I had to request it and was thrilled to be approved.

Set at an elite boarding school where competition for a spot at an Ivy is matched only by the wealth of its student population, Olivia struggles to find balance. A scholarship student who wants nothing more than to go to Harvard, she fights for her place among the cream of the crop: The Ivies, a group of girls determined to obtain their acceptances to the colleges of their choice. But when one of the girls deviates from their plan, someone ends up dead, and Olivia realizes that breaking rank may be more dangerous than breaking friendships.

I really enjoyed this book.

As a protagonist, Olivia was fun and endearing. I related to her desire to prove herself academically and socially and found her sarcastic lens entertaining. She keeps the plot moving, jumping from one clue to the next while juggling her unrequited crush and her fear of her secret being leaked.

There was no shortage of suspects and motives to go around, but this was a plot-centric book, which I thought worked well here. We get general glimpses into the lives of the other characters, but the main focus is the crime and figuring out who among them is a murderer. This really reminded me of Pretty Little Liars but without the plot holes.

In that vein, I did think there was a bit too much repetition at times, from back stories to Ivy break downs to reiterations of clues, and there's always a grain of salt when a teenager is solving a murder mystery faster than a seasoned homicide detective, but these types of narratives aren't reliant on plausibility so much as making sure each scandalous piece fits into a thrilling, fast-paced investigation--which Donne does easily. I read this in a single sitting and could easily see this being made into a Netflix series.

Overall, The Ivies is a fun, sharp read that takes college admissions to a whole new level of intense. For fans of PLL, Mean Girls, Pretty Little Things, or A Good Girl's Guide to Murder, The Ivies is out in May and will definitely be one not to miss.

Big thanks to RH/Crown and NetGalley for providing an eARC in exchange for honest review consideration.

This is a perfect YA thriller that takes place at an elite boarding school. It’s also very timely with what has been going on with the college admissions scandal, the high profile people associated with it and what they were willing to do to help their children succeed. 'The Ivies' are an exclusive clique that are literally dead set on getting into an Ivy League school. Donne does a great job of developing each of the characters as well as the plot. I enjoyed the interesting glimpse into all of their privileged lives from the POV of Olivia, who is the scholarship student from Maryland. She is a part of the Ivies, but in many ways she is still on the outside and feels remorse for all of the things that they do to other students in the book. This book was smart and very addicting, I can't recommend it enough. The writing is perfectly paced and suspense builds throughout the book. There were twists and turns and tons of suspects that all have valid motives that kept me guessing. I did NOT figure out who did it, even when I thought I had, and that final twist left my mind blown. This was like Mean Girls meets Pretty Little Liars on steroids and I think that teens will love it.

Overall, I thought this to be a very enjoyable book and it reminded me why I truly love the YA thriller/mystery genre so much. I think teens will devour it very quickly. There are plenty of twists and turns to keep the reader wondering until the last page is turned.

The Ivies is just the kind of book that I love. A boarding school, a mystery, and an ever-growing list of suspects. Though there were a few things I saw coming, there were also enough surprises to keep me on my toes. My older high school students who are embroiled in the college admissions process will devour this one. Very enjoyable, and I will definitely recommend.

Olivia Winters, Avery Montfort, Sierra Watson, Margot Kim and Emma Russo would do anything to get into the colleges of their dreams. Over the years, they've resorted to the lowest of tactics to eliminate the competition: catfishing Emma's rival in robotics, spiking the protein shakes of Olivia and Sierra's rowing teammate, even calling in a fake bomb threat from the phone of the other candidate for class president. But what happens when one of their own is found dead after going outside her expected role? Are the Ivies capable of murder?

When Avery is rejected from Harvard, Olivia struggles to keep her own acceptance a secret. Her roommate, Emma, offers to share her acceptance first to take Avery's attention off Olivia, but what starts as a completely normal exchange at a party soon turns into a physical fight that ends in Avery threatening to kill Emma. The next morning, Emma's body is found, and all signs point to the Ivies, especially Avery. And Olivia's friends are definitely keeping something from her.
Olivia decides to reach out to everyone Emma has hurt in the past to see if they have anything more than a motive. But she soon finds out that her friend was far more dangerous and powerful than she had previously thought. Who wouldn't want to kill her?

I considered nearly every character in this book a suspect at some point, from Olivia herself to Emma's academic rivals to Avery's private college counselor. I was pretty satisfied with who the murderer actually was, even though they had been extremely suspicious from the beginning and really easy to guess. (At least it wasn't Olivia, because I would've lost my shit.)
Olivia's friends, as awful as they are, were surprisingly sympathetic. Or at least Avery and Sierra were. Margot didn't really get enough page time, and Emma was just the absolute worst. Despite all the scheming they did behind Olivia's back (she didn't even know about the majority of their sabotage,) I found myself having an unlikely appreciation for them. Whether it be Avery's attempt to distance herself from her toxic mother and coming out as gay, or Sierra's fear that all of her accomplishments would be blamed on "affirmative action" by her white classmates. Sierra is the least unbearable, and Emma is the most. You'll start the book totally hating these characters, but it won't stay that way.
There's also Olivia's struggle with being a scholarship student at her elite boarding school, worrying about paying for college and measuring up to her wealthy peers. While this may be overdone and present in nearly every similar book, it was extremely relatable, especially as someone who attended an expensive private school for five years (6th-10th grade.)

If you liked People Like Us, read this book. It may not be the best thriller I've ever read, but it's pretty damn close.

The college admissions game turns deadly at an upscale boarding school, and scholarship student Olivia tries to figure out which one of her friends killed one of their own. Each of the girls in the friend group has a distinct personality and a particular skill for gaming the admissions process, and Olivia is sure they are hiding things from her.
Donne makes all the moves of a seasoned mystery writer, complete with an arrest at the 75% mark, which any mystery reader knows is too early for it to be the real killer. The suspense escalates in the lead-up to the big reveal, and, with all the suspects on the scene, the killer could be anyone!
Thank you to Netgalley and Random House Children's for the advanced copy.

If we move past the slightly overdressed premise and the many, many bad-guy giveaways throughout the book, it's actually a fun little mystery - reasonably paced and rarely overbearing.

think I just found a new favorite book. This book was killer. It reminded me why I love the YA thriller/mystery genre so much, I'm about to go binge more thrillers.

Blurb
A group of five prep school girls will do anything to get into their school of their dreams. Each one of them is gunning for a specific Ivy League school; Harvard, Princeton, UPenn, Columbia, and Yale. After one of them turns up dead, Olivia is determined to get to the bottom of it, unearthing secrets that should've stayed buried. .

First of all, just thinking about this book just makes me laugh. Not because it's humorous, it's actually quite tense. Im laughing because this is such a wild yet realistic concept. How far we have come as a society to make college applications something worth sabotage.

I don't normally read thrillers, but this book reminded me why I love them when I do. I loved being suspicious of every single character, it made me happy for some reason. I didn't expect a single twist, they all caught me by surprise. Not because they felt random, but because they were built so artfully. I fully expect myself to reread this over and over again, and still enjoy the twists just as much. This was SO good!

And, Donne has a way of making you trust a character, only to surprise you when they are not in fact, trustworthy.(view spoiler)

I loved how Donne kept the actual murderer within the group of suspects, she didn't bring in an entirely new person to be the killer. I hate it when thrillers do that, it feels like it cheapens the book. I had never really suspected the murderer, they completely flew under my radar, so I loved the reveal!

And, this book does a great job of exploring the privilege that comes with money without making it the main idea of the book. I really loved our main character, and her struggles were relatable.

After being completely sucked into this book for hours, I don't know what to do with my life now that it's over. I can't believe it ended like it did, I could've easily read another hundred pages! This book definitely holds a spot on my favorites shelf!

Thanks to Netgalley and Alexa Donne for providing a free copy in exchange for an honest review

3.5 rounded up. I was so excited to receive a copy of this and it was the exact book I needed right now: dark, campy, and suspenseful. I wish the ending had been fleshed out a little more, but I'm glad there was a greater discussion of consequences for the individuals involved, while also recognizing the underlying theme of privilege and class. I'm excited to read more from this author.

Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Let me start out by saying I read this book in two sittings. It would have been one but I eventually fell asleep at 1am as one does.

This book is absolutely ridiculous but in the best possible way. It's absurd but has so much truth behind its absurdity and was just so much fun to read. I really liked what it had to say about class and privilege and the kinds of pressures that are put on young, impressionable high schoolers. It had some insightful commentary that I was delighted to see in a YA thriller.

I really enjoyed how there was just enough shadow of suspicion cast on pretty much every character. I could have seen the plot going in any number of directions and I was pleasantly surprised in how it ended. The ending was shocking, but not in a "this came out of nowhere and is stupid" kind of way. The way it all tied together in the end was actually brilliant and is the main reason why I'm giving it four instead of three stars. To say anything more would be a major spoiler.

There's a chapter that takes place 9ish months after "the reveal" and I normally hate such things but this one actually contributed to the themes from the rest of the book. It was very well done and did not at all feel cheap or unnecessary.

I highly recommend this to anyone who is looking for something fun, fast, and engaging that has actual substantive things to say about society.

I devoured this book in two nights. Especially in the wake of the college admissions scandal, this book felt like a timely exploration of the lengths to which people will go to achieve socially valued goals, and how easily obsessing over those goals can obscure our ability to find true happiness.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for providing me with this eArc in exchange for an honest review.

I loved this book! I am a sucker for anything set at a boarding/prep school, and this did not disappoint. It had the right level of drama/gossip/outlandishness without being totally unrealistic. Very well-paced and I read it in only a few sittings. Highly recommend if you love a good snarky YA prep school murder mystery!

THE IVIES is Alexa Donne's splashy dive into the ocean of YA thrillers. As a subscriber to her channel, it was fascinating to witness the journey of this book from conception to traditional publication. So of course I had to request the eARC when it became available on Netgalley. The author touted her 3rd book as soapy and it wasn't false advertisement. THE IVIES is a very soapy read following 5 teen girls at a private boarding school. These girls are known as the Ivies because each are assigned what ivy league school they must apply to in an effort to avoid college admissions competition between each other.

Alright, I'll admit I'm still relevantly new to the world of thrillers. I'm not very good at putting together clues to unmask culprits, but the moment some characters were introduced, I clocked what was going to happen immediately, but it didn't take away from the enjoyment. However, I'm deducting a star because of the culprit's villain monologue at the end. I understand the author stated in her foreword that this book was satirical, but as a Black reader, I cringed so hard at the murderer's speech and motives. I understood the message Donne was trying to convey, but the method and delivery watered down its importance. I did truly appreciate the realistic ending. In fact, it's the most realistic ending I've read in a very long time.

4 out of 5 stars for me

Not gonna lie, I was hooked from the beginning. College applications are brutal. Where I go to high school, I wouldn’t be surprised if the AP side of it was actually doing something extremely shady. So I get it. Adjacently. College applications are fucking hard, and it’s even harder when you’re applying to the Ivies. So maybe it was that this story hit a little too close to home, or that I’m just a sucker for murder mysteries held in boarding school that have a strong academia touch to them, but I loved this book.

It addresses things like affirmative action, racism, the rigged system, and very heavily, classism as well. It’s crushing to see this story through the lens of students who were ready to risk it all.

I love mysteries when I can be interested in the characters themselves. A plot is nothing to me when I don’t give a shit or at least am not curious about the cast. Which makes it very hard for me to find good mysteries. But this book definitely delivered on that end!! While no one was an angel of any sort, I was constantly wanting to know more about everybody. I was invested, and I was also sweating most of the time with suspense and anticipation.

I do have a few other things to say I didn’t vibe with - the ending. It wasn’t the whodunnit I had a problem with, but just the ending/epilogue in general. Now I can’t actually say anything about this, because I don’t want to give spoilers, but how the book ended didn’t fully sit right with me. Not that it was bad!! No I still love the book and it was good. It just could’ve been better. And that’s all I’ll say about that.

Bonus points for realism though! Someone actually complained, “do you know how hard it is to be a rich, above-average white guy in college admissions?” Which made me laugh and then cry. And then wipe away my tears because I wanted to know desperately what happened damn it.

I’ll give my right kidney for more books on backstabbing bitches in school who fall into schemes way bigger than they should be legally or ethically involved in. This one was wonderful, and I hope y’all read it when it comes out!!

I genuinely enjoyed reading THE IVIES, which was a fun xmas day read. brief synopsis: 5 girls at a prestigious fictional prep school Claflin conspire to receive acceptances from Ivy League schools. murder becomes centrally involved. THE IVIES is essentially a cozy YA murder mystery. it’s not necessarily a thriller though in the sense that I didn’t feel thrilled. engaging relationships but not character development. I noticed that the book takes place in 2020, which is mentioned twice including one COVID-19 reference. I think that the author should change the date to an earlier year like 2019 bc this plot unfolding during the pandemic just doesn’t make sense. I teach in person at a prep school in 2020, and masks & social distancing are central to real life. I felt satisfied w/ the ending overall & would recommend this book to YA mystery readers seeking a light read re: prep school college admissions

This definitely has some mean girls in it! These girls will stop at nothing and I mean nothing to achieve acceptance and their dream ivy league school! From blackmail, bomb threats, SAT scams, and much more! Will they survive, will they get accepted, will they be ruined forever?

Move over Mean Girls and meet <i>The Ivies</i>. Clafin Academy’s got their own set of vicious, conniving, and evil set of girls that will make your own life a living hell if you get in their way of their top choice Ivy League College. They may even commit murder.

The Ivies (Avery, Sienna, Margot, Olivia and Emma) have been paving their way to their choice college for years by knocking out their classmates in horrible ways. Miralax shakes right before the ACT? Bomb threats from someone else’s phone to get them expelled? They have no limits. Until one of their own turns up dead.

Donne does a fantastic job of developing each of these characters as well as the plot, which has such great twists!

Thank you to both the publishers and NetGalley for providing me this advance copy in exchange for my honest review.