Thank you Penguin Teen via Netgalley for the arc.

A well-done mysterious plot that continuously makes us readers wonder what this thriller is really about! The writing is virtuous and I really love the way how Goodman has communicated feminist thoughts via the well crafted characters and their respective actions. The small town setting is something that I’m always fascinated with because I’ve never experienced the neighbourhood dynamics and their mindset around happenings. This factor has been fully taken advantage off. Throw in cross-country training high schoolers, a love triangle, a tensed creepy story of girls going missing and a good amount of YA craziness, you get THEY’LL NEVER CATCH US.

Overall a fun YA thriller! Also, if you are a cross-country trainer / runner this book will very much appeal you.

One thing I can always count on is how much I enjoy YA Mystery/Thrillers and this one definitely did not disappoint. I loved reading about Stella and Ellie’s complicated sister relationship and their relationships with their teammates in the midst of fighting to secure their futures. The mystery element was done really well and while I definitely had suspicions about who the killer was there were still elements and twists that surprised me until the end. Definitely recommend this if you’re a fan of other YA thrillers like A Good Girl’s Guide to Murder or Truly Devious!

This book is going to remain a YA stand-out for me for the rest of the year. Pure young adult thriller perfection. When new-to-town cross-country runner, Mila, vanishes while running early one morning, it turns the town of Edgewater on its head. Is the serial killer who murdered two young female runners years ago back? Or was it one of the Steckler sisters, overly competitive runners and allegedly prone to violence?

The book alternates perspectives between Ellie and Stella, the Steckler sisters and top runners on Edgewater's high school cross-country team. This is definitely a keeps-you-guessing until the end book, and I know the killer took a lot of people by surprise (I'll confess: I peaked). Even having glanced at the last few pages, there were still loads of secrets to unravel and plenty of plot to keep me enthralled. Goodman is masterful, and I can't wait to read more of her work.

I also can't leave out of this review how much this book speaks to me as a young woman. I am an adult (27) and not a high-schooler, but its commentary on the expectations of women in society and sports, the double-standards and sexism, and increased fear for their safety women face--it's all ingrained in the plot in a way that doesn't seem preachy and instead should make all women mad that we have to put up with things being this way. Stella and Ellie each challenge the norms of what it means to be a "young" girl in their own way, and it really makes you think.

Thank you to Penguin Teen for my eARC! All thoughts and opinions are my own.

5 stars - 10/10

This was a fantastic read for me. Because the chapters were brief, it was one of those books where I’d read a huge portion in one sitting without even realising it. Aside from the murder mystery, there’s enough drama to keep the reader interested in numerous narratives.

And if you’ve read any of my evaluations, you’ll see that I’m a big fan of female intellectualism. They’ll Never Catch Us is a film with strong female protagonists and a strong feminist message…without actually discussing feminism. Goodman discusses female sports and competitiveness, women’s body autonomy, and the positive and negative roles sisters play in each other’s lives.

The constant mention of cross country was something I couldn’t stand. I normally don’t have trouble reading books about sports I’ve never engaged in (well, I’ve never really participated in any sports…yay for being completely unathletic!) because I find that if the book has a good balance of sports talk and, well, anything else, it can keep my attention. However, I frequently found myself thinking, “Oh, look, the girls are fleeing somewhere…again,” while reading They’ll Never Catch Us. If you like cross country, you’ll probably relate to this book better than I did.

Fans of Pretty Little Liars will love this. Overall, this is a fantastic YA thriller.

Quick Stats
Age Rating:
Overall:5 stars
Characters: 5/5
Plot: 5/5
Setting: 5/5
Writing: 5/5

This. Book. Is. SO GOOD. It’s definitely in my favorite thrillers of all time. This is the first book by Jessica Goodman I’ve read, but now I can’t wait to read her debut. I adored the characters and the writing indescribably. Stella and Ellie’s relationship was so raw and real. It was heartwarming and infuriating. It was everything.
I actually almost DNFed the book because of the mystery. It felt so obvious. And I guess it was meant to. But I’m so glad I didn’t because I was so wrong and the way everything played out was SO GOOD. Jessica Goodman played me, but she almost did it too well. I stuck around because the writing and the characters were so well done that I thought there was no way that the mystery could be so poorly done—and I was right.
The best part of the book was definitely the characters. Aside from Noah, who was really just an annoying, cliche spoiled white boy jerk, everyone was so well rounded and I felt for and connected with everyone.
This book starts a good bit before the murder takes place, and so the victim, Mila, was able to be a three dimensional character herself. Usually with murder mysteries, the murder takes place before the book starts or within the first two chapters. You don’t care for the victim, you’re only invested because the main character is invested. But because we had several chapters of getting to know Mila, seeing the kind of person she was, and even seeing some character growth in her, I was invested in what happened to her because of her as well as because of Stella and Ellie and the whodunnit aspect, and that added another layer to the book that I really enjoyed.
One might think, that since it took so long to get to the murder, the first chunk of the book was boring, but it wasn’t. The writing and the characters were strong enough that I was fully engaged in what was happening even before the mystery truly started.
This book was an easy five stars for me and I cannot recommend it more.

I gave this book a 4/5 stars. I love thrillers and murder mystery "who done it" books. Thank you to NetGalley and Penguin Teen for the ARC e-book in exchange for an honest review. I was guessing throughout the whole book who I thought was the killer, and when I thought I had it, I find out I was completely wrong!! I enjoyed the Steckler sisters and how fierce and competitive they are. I liked reading their POV's and learning how Ellie had to always keep up with her older sister and how she had to try even harder in CC after her sister's "incident". Maybe it's because they're in a small town or maybe I just wasn't invited to these kinds of events, but I don't remember any CC runners at my school partying and getting drunk during the season, especially close to important meets. Overall, I was very entertained throughout this book, and would like to read more Jessica Goodman.

This was a quick and exciting read for me which I really enjoyed. The fast pace kept me reading and wanting more. I wanted to fall in love with this novel, but the writing style wasn't for me. While the fast pace was intriguing, the style of writing had me uninterested and bored during the slower parts of the novel. I feel as though different plot choices could have changed the novel for the better.

Thank you to Penguin Teen and PRHAudio for the gifted ebook and ALC of this YA thriller!

I absolutely love YA thrillers. I very rarely guess the plot twists, and I like the character development in them without all of the gore. This book reminded me a lot of One of Us is Lying with the creepy vibes that accompany trying to figure out whodunit and who could potentially be next.

I preferred the audio for this, and loved the alternating chapters between the Steckler sisters. They’ve both been through some pretty heavy things for their young ages, and I thought weaving those plotlines into a thriller added another layer to an already great book.

If you like YA, absolutely recommend this one!

I really enjoyed the author's debut book and was super looking forward to another dark and mysterious book!

This follows the Stelker sisters who have been running cross country for as long as they can remember. They're both super competitive and will stop at nothing to win, even when it means getting in trouble. Stella hurt someone during a race the year before and had to go to a camp for summer. She is back and better than ever and her and Ellie are ready to win every race. That is until a new girl comes to town and beats their time. Mila, the new girl, suddenly goes missing while on her routine jog and ends up dead. Are the Stelker sisters murderers?

I did think that They'll Never Catch Us is super fast paced and can be read in a day or two. I liked the plot and felt myself wanting to continue to read and if I had to stop I was thinking about the book. I did have some slight annoyances, such as the differences between Stella and Ellie. I thought they were supposed to be two very different sisters besides their love for running. When the chapters would switch between perspectives it felt like they were the same at some points. Also, I felt like the murder didn't happen for SO long that this was more a drama book until over 50% of the way in. I really really didn't think the end was a big twist and I just felt kind of meh.

While this book did have some problems, I did still enjoy it. I thought it was an easy, fast paced read full of little twists. I just think it needed more throughout the entire book. More about the murders from years ago, more about the sisters, and even more about certain topics. I am excited to see what the author comes out with next though!

Thanks to Penguin Teen for the arc of this title!

One sentence review: An engaging thriller about two sisters and the pressures of high level high school cross country - with a little murder thrown in to keep things interesting.

They'll Never Catch Us is a YA thriller with multiple narrators. It tells the story of Stella and Ellie Steckler, two sisters who are both cross country stars. I'm not going to go too far into the plot because I think the discovery of the story is half the fun.

My thoughts:

- I love the back in forth in the story as you get the viewpoints of both sisters.
- The author does a fabulous job with character development and really getting you into the head of your characters. You really learn a lot about the two main characters and their idiosyncrasies and character quirks, as well as those of the supporting characters.
- I enjoyed the diverse representation in the book and how the author illustrates the unconscious bias that often occurs.
- The other aspect of the book I enjoyed was the mindset of competitors competing at an elite level.

So if you are looking for a good YA thriller, or a fiction book about cross country runners, this would be a fantastic choice!

From the bestselling author of They Wish They Were Us comes another YA thriller about how far two sisters will go to be the best. Set to be released on July 27th, They’ll Never Catch Us by Jessica Goodman will have you wondering just how deep everyone’s secrets run.

Ok I binged this book in 36 hours and it’s out today so I don’t know what else I need to say to convince you to read this book! (But if you need more convincing, keep reading lol).

Let it be known that I’m not the biggest fan of thrillers. So trust me when I say that this book is AMAZING! Not only do we have a small town where everyone has their own agenda, but we also get missing persons cases, a competitive cross-country team, and two sisters with a boatload of secrets. The plot was engaging and kept me on my toes the entire time. And when I thought I had it all figured out, everything got flipped on its head and I was shocked at who the actual culprit was!

Aside from the mystery and thriller aspects of the story, readers get Stella and Ellie’s POVs narrating the events going on and analyzing their own relationship as sisters. I loved the way these two, despite competing with each other and being jealous of one another their entire lives, can push aside any animosity and protect one another when the time is right. Their relationship is so complex, but fascinating to read about and is truly a testament to the power of sisterhood.

Binge-worthy and jaw-dropping, this YA thriller is a must-read! Goodman is definitely turning into an auto-read author for me!

*I received an ARC from Penguin Teen in exchange for my honest opinion.

While I thoroughly enjoyed Goodman’s debut They Wish They Were Us, I’ll admit that I enjoyed They’ll Never Catch Us even more because it’s darker, grittier, and really digs into complicated family dynamics.

Told in dual narration, the story follows sisters Stella and Ellie Steckler, who are highly competitive cross-country runners. Being that they’re only one year apart, their biggest competition is each other…that is until cross-country star Mila Keene joins their team.

Now that there’s a new rival in town, the rivalry between Stella and Ellie is even more fierce and secrets that could undo them both are threatening to spill over and keep them from being scouted by colleges.

If you’re looking for a fast paced, action packed thriller then this one will definitely not be for you. Instead, this is a slow burn atmospheric thriller that takes its time laying the foundation in terms of our main characters and their intense passion and competitive nature when it comes to cross-country before we get to the murder mystery aspect.

That being said, Goodman does a fantastic job of examining the double standard that females face when it comes to competitive sports. There were so many times that I just wanted to scream for both Stella and Ella when it came to the unfairness and the blatant sexism and misogyny. On the flip side, the girl power theme was spot on.

I also really enjoyed the overall messiness when it comes to the each of the characters and the decisions that they make. Nothing in this story is black and white but rather a sliding scale of grey, which definitely played on my own emotions when it comes to all of our players.

I know I’ve avoided major plot points, but honestly, I think it’s best to experience them on your own. Don’t get me wrong, there weren’t many jaw dropping revelations, but the final twist was one that I did not see coming.

Honestly, this story was just a really good time.

Thank you to Penguin Teen for providing a review copy. This did not influence my review. All opinions are my own.

4.5 rounded up to 5...

Thanks @penguinteen for sending me They’ll Never Catch Us. I loved this one! I really enjoyed They Wish They Were Us so I couldn’t wait to read this one when I found out about it. A good portion of this story revolves around running which I loved cause I read while I do cardio on my bike. I found this to be very motivating and I also used to be somewhat of a runner so it def made me miss it and want to get back into it.

This was one of those mysteries that I was certain I had figured out, but of course didn’t. I think fans of YA mysteries will really enjoy this one.

3.5 out of 5 stars.

They'll Never Catch Us is a super quick and engaging read about two sisters who run for their high school's cross country team. In their hometown, there is more than just competition, however... there's a murderer on the loose. When one of Ellie and Stella's cross country team members turns out to be missing, a serial killer in the town is suspected to be at large once again.

Goodman has a clear talent for writing and the process of reading the novel was enjoyable. I liked both of our main characters Ellie and Stella. However, their points of view sometimes muddle together as they do not have distinct enough voices for their own first person perspective chapters. I also did not feel as if Ellie and Stella were as close to the missing character as the author wrote them out to be. While it would be obviously devastating for a team member to be missing, I did not feel as if the friendships the characters were said to have had were actually represented on page.

In the end, I could not guess the killer the entire time and was genuinely surprised by the ending. They'll Never Catch Us is well written and surprising- I'll definitely pick up more books by Jessica Goodman in the future!

Going into Goodman’s sophomore novel, I wasn’t sure what to expect. While I didn’t love it, They Wish They Were Us was a debut with a lot of potential. And I’m happy to say: the potential delivered.

Goodman’s style of thrillers is completely different to, say, Holly Jackson’s. There’s not much focus on the actual crime aspect, nor is there any complex sleuthing. She does excel at creating a story that focuses on characters, human beings, much like a good true crime podcast episode. They’ll Never Catch Us is a story of running. It’s a story of sisters, of striving for success. Most importantly, it’s a story about girls.

Stella Steckler was bound for a full ride to Georgetown on a cross-country scholarship until one scandal took it all away. Now, she’s running to get that scholarship back. When she meets the famous running protege Mila Keene, she sees her as nothing but competition at first. What she doesn’t expect is to find a friend. Stella’s character is surprisingly well-written. We get certain reveals about her past in tandem with watching her actions in the present. Because of that, her character ended up feeling fleshed out.

Ellie Steckler has always been one step behind her older sister. Now, it’s her turn in the spotlight, even as she balances out the shadows of her private life. Mila Keene is the only one who she trusts with her secrets. I really liked Ellie! She felt so kind and so genuine. A toxic relationship eats away at the very bones of one’s life, and watching that happen to her was painful. One thing I really loved was her and Stella’s bond.

“The world breaks little girls. It stomps out our will, our joy, our curiosity – and replaces them with disdain, cynicism, and the need to fit into neat and tiny boxes.”

The actual disappearance of Mila Keene doesn’t happen until halfway through the book. This isn’t a mystery filled with tantalizing clues and clever detective work. Rather, this is a chilling story about girls who run, and the abuse, pressure, and fear they constantly face. In the Stecklers’ town, three female cross-country runners had gone missing and were murdered years ago. When Mila goes missing, the town goes on lockdown…but only the girls are forced to stop practicing and change their entire routine to protect themselves. This internalized misogyny was even represented in law enforcement: because the lead detective held a grudge against both Stella and another girl, the investigation was hardly ever taken seriously and given the attention it needed.

I did guess the big plot twists as more and more about each character was revealed. There wasn’t nearly as much build-up as I would have liked. However, the lack of mystery in a mystery novel didn’t bother me*. The deeper I fell into the book, the more I could see it for what it was.

*yeah, you read that phrase right. don’t worry, you’ll never read it from me again.
“We keep running anyway. Because we have no other choice. We run in spite of this. We run knowing the dangers, knowing who we are and why we could be targeted. But that won’t stop us.”

I won’t spoil anything, but this feels like such a deeply personal story of the constant abuse and pressure that runs in girls' athletics. Every girl on the cross-country team deals with issues, whether it be racism, toxic romance, or broken trust. Yet, all of them still run. The murder of Mila Keene isn’t the focus as a mystery waiting to be solved. Instead, it’s evidence of how deeply intertwined jagged relationships are.

They’ll Never Catch Us is a surprisingly timely thriller that both resonates with and shocks you. Overall, I was impressed at both the vision of this idea and the execution, so I’ll give this 4/5 stars!

Reading Jessica Goodman’s 2020 debut, They Wish They Were Us was one of my YA thriller highlights last year! They’ll Never Catch Us is her newest, and for all those wondering if it delivers the same addictive mix of hold-your-breath suspense and delicious teenage drama — yes and yes!

Stella and Ellie Steckler are cross-country royalty and sisters but do not mistake them for friends. Oh, how these two fight. (I saw my sister and me reflected here. Don’t worry, we’re besties now.) Ellie is outgoing and always looking to hang with the popular crowd, while older sister Stella distrusts people with a vengeance. Still, these two have got each other’s backs when push comes to shove. And à propos shove, Stella may have a problem with physical violence, if the anger-management camp she had to attend over the summer is any indication.

For Stella, the last cross-country season ended with a police inquiry into the assault on a fellow runner and a hard fall from grace — Stella’s Georgetown scholarship is no more. The family’s hopes now rest squarely with junior Ellie. But after a toxic (and very secret) summer romance, Ellie’s emotional health is on the fritz. Not that anyone would know; Ellie’s good at keeping secrets. But when new girl (and super-fast runner) Mila Keene joins the uber-competitive cross-country team, it’s only a matter of time before something gives. After all, the scouts are only looking for the very best.

What’s to love about They’ll Never Catch Us is that Stella and Ellie both feel like actual people. We like them, we dislike them. They’ve got flaws. It’s complicated, right? Because we’re human. Goodman’s written some realistic teens here, and it’s refreshing to read. There’s lots of drama. Gossip Girl levels of drama. And aren’t we all here for that in a YA mystery? While the mystery unfolds at a leisurely pace (unlike the tempo at which these girls run * fan me, someone, please*), Goodman keeps readers hooked with the suspense of the unknown: we know something bad’s going to go down, but we don’t know when. So with each turn of the page, we expect the proverbial gun to go off.

Bonus: The underlying themes here are powerful ones: alcoholism and abandonment, feminism, abuse of authority, patriarchy and power.

Thank you Penguin Teen for the arc through Netgalley in exchange for an honest review!

This was a great YA thriller/mystery to read! There was more drama aside from the murder mystery to keep you hooked. There are a lot of trigger warnings so beware!

One thing annoying was that it kept mentioning cross country and I have never played the sport so it was hard to relate to the characters on that aspect. However, the author did a great job of creating an eerie aesthetic surrounding a small town. There are characters that are very unlikeable but they are supposed to be that way. I liked the way all the characters are described and I actually really liked Ellie Steckler because she was easy to relate to.

The theme of feminism really stood out in this book and it was frustrating in certain moments because of all the hardships women have to go through.

Some of the plots were predictable but the twist at the end was very unexpected! It still kept me hooked the whole time. Overall, this is a really great book to read!

TW: abortion, gore, trauma, sexual encounters, racism.

After being somewhat underwhelmed by They Wish They Were Us, I went into They’ll Never Catch Us cautiously. But I’m glad I gave this author another shot because I enjoyed this one a lot more!

Stella was such a complicated character, and her relationship with Ellie was even MORE complicated, which made for an interesting read. (Not that Ellie was boring, but I think I preferred Stella’s POV just a tad bit more, even though she could be kind of… judgmental haha.) I particularly loved Stella’s hardness, and how throughout the story the author expands on the idea of ambitious, tough girls versus how society expects girls to be.

I think there were times the author may have hit us over the head with metaphors (particularly with running and how it gives girls freedom, strength, etc., so kind of like running is feminist?) but I actually liked that a lot. It’s nice to wrap yourself in a story that takes you out of the “real world,” yet gives you space to rage and feel heard/validated about real-life problems. The author takes on a lot of feminist issues in this story, and sometimes they take the forefront over the actual mystery, but I was ok with that, too!

My biggest hang ups about this one: No one really started “trying” to figure out the mystery until the very end, which was slightly disappointing, because I thought there’d be more sleuthing or something and less passiveness from the mc’s. Also, I didn’t LOVE the final twist. I actually would have liked it more if the first twist would’ve been the only one, or if it had been a slightly different version. (I have a specific wish, but can’t say it here because spoilers haha)

It’s hard for me to rate a thriller, especially when I enjoyed it, because I don’t want to give away anything. But I will add that this would be a great autumn read, and I would recommend it for readers who don’t need their characters to be “likeable.”

CW: abortion, violence/assault, verbal abuse, gaslighting, alcoholism and addiction, underage drinking, blood

Jessica Goodman is quickly becoming one of my favorite YA authors! I loved the sister relationship portrayed in this book and of course all of the drama and mystery.

Complicated sister dynamics in a small town with twists and turns! I really enjoyed Goodman's writing style so I am definitely going back for her debut.