This book was okay. I enjoyed the “dark academia” vibes and the elite, private school setting. Our main character, Maren, discovers a secret society on a quest to find her missing roommate. Before she knows it, she’s thrust into the world of this secret society. While it started out pretty strong and had me intrigued, it never really took off for me. Maybe I just was not the right audience for this book, but it ultimately fell a little flat. There was a lot of potential, but it didn’t really work out.

A great read by this author. I definitely recommend checking this one out!
Thank you NetGalley for providing a copy of this ARC in exchange for an honest review!

thank you so much to NetGalley and the publisher for the arc.

I was so excited to read this. It was a fast pace thriller that kept you on your toes as the book went by, but, (there is always a but) I just couldn't get myself invested in it.
I'll be honest, the fact that Polly was missing just didn't seem urgent to me. Some of it story line was a little unbelievable. Which is what made me a little disenchanted with the book.

A solid 3-star read. Maren didn't have much of a personality and it was hard for me to really get invested in her like I wanted to, but this isn't that type of book. You don't pick this up for the character work, you pick it up for a fun boarding school mystery. Lots of twists and turns kept me guessing; I didn't see the reveal coming at all! If you're looking for a fun, fast-paced mystery/thriller, They're Watching You is a good choice.

I received an ARC copy of this book via the publisher and NetGalley. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

When Maren's roommate Polly goes missing, everyone writes her off as another runaway. She has apparently done it before so what makes this time any different? Just another rebellious teen who's run away from home. But Maren doesn't believe that Polly would have just run away. She had big dreams that include being a movie star. Dreams that until a couple weeks ago, Polly and Maren would spend hours talking about while lounging around. Polly was Maren's best friend. There was no way she would have just ran away. The day before she went missing Polly begged Maren to meet her at their fountain so that she could tell Maren everything that was going on. Only when Maren went to the fountain later on that evening, did she realize that something was terribly wrong. Not giving up on her search to find her best friend, Maren uncovers a secret society who are playing for more than just bragging rights. The stakes of these games are a lot higher; losing one game can cost you your life. The main rule? Don't tell anyone about the society. And they are always watching you.

The book follows Maren as she attempts to compete in games for clues regarding her friend Polly's whereabouts. Maren has been led to believe that Polly is being tortured for the sake of some sick ritual. Same goes for Remington's ex girlfriend Jane. Together they will stop at nothing to save their friends from torture. Only, are they actually being tortured? Or is all apart of the game too? Who can Maren trust? Gavin, her accident prone lab partner? Or Remington, a guy she shared a brief moment with in Form 1 but haven't so much as spoken to since? Not to mention her attraction to both boys. What at the faculty? Or even the headmistress who is supposed to be all about student safety? Who can she turn to when it seems everyone is involved in the Society?

I really enjoyed this book. I was not expecting the twist of who the Gamemaster was. That was unexpected. Though the more I read, I waited for another twist to come. That when everything ended, nothing had ended. That it was only just begun. Don't get me wrong, I love happy endings but I wanted more. I wanted more twists and turns. I gave it a four as it felt like there were times I just glossed over some of the information. Sometimes the timeline jumped too quickly, as in moved from one place too another too quickly and I had to look back to see if I had missed some pages. But overall, I really enjoyed this book and would be willing to check out more of Chelsea's work.

This book really just took me for a ride. I loved the build up, the character development, and the writing. I would definitely read more from this author!

I’m a big lover of stories about boarding schools because something twisty always happens! I’m also a fan of Chelsea Ichaso. This story followed Maren as she investigates her missing roommate who everyone thinks just ran off. But, of course, a secret society in the school is involved so obviously not!

Maren was me in this book. I felt a kindred spirit with her because what everyone was saying did not add up and I would have been suspicious of what everyone was saying happen to Polly to begin with. I was also incredibly suspicious of every single person in this book, aside for Maren. Ichaso did a great job of making you start to trust a character and then they would do something suspicious or something would come out that they lied about and all over again I was convinced they were the culprit leading everything. I loved that with all those suspicions, I was never able to guess the ending. This book was full of twists and turns and Ichaso led me down so many possibilities that I was genuinely surprised at the end with the big reveal.


The story flowed really nicely with very little, if any dead time. I was please with how it had little flashbacks of Maren and Polly’s friendship and that leading up to Polly going missing. These little flashbacks added a lot of context that the story would have been lacking without.

On top of that there were two boy interests in this book and I kept flip flopping who I trusted and who I wanted her to end up with. I was not disappointed in the end, whether she ended up with one or the other or neither, you will have to read to find out. The puzzle pieces clicked into place along the way and, yet again, Chelsea Ichaso wrote a page turner. I cannot wait for her next book. This is a must read!

I loved the dark academia vibes in this one. They’re Watching You follows Maren as she tries to infiltrate a secret society that may have had something to do with her friend’s disappearance. Maren doesn’t believe that her friend Polly ran away. She’s sure that Polly’s new friend Annabelle knows something.

As she investigates, Maren learns of the Gamemaster’s Society and that Polly had been a member. She has to figure out how to join this group and then win their confidence so she can find her friend. The deeper she gets though, the stranger things get. Maren isn’t sure if she can trust anyone, but she knows she can’t do this alone. She also knows the Society is watching her every move.

This was a good YA thriller. It had just the right amount of creepy factor. It’s a quick read that will draw you in quickly. With the way it ended, the author could definitely revisit this world if she wanted to do so.

The most perfect families hide the most devastating secrets.
When Lucy Ross is forced to come back to her childhood summer home in Queens Point, Australia, it's supposed to only be a short stay. Just the time to pack her beloved grandmother's belongings and move on. But when a body washes up on the beach, the timing of her return seems too coincidental, and she soon finds herself pulled into a murder investigation.
At the centre of it all are the Whitlam siblings – gorgeous, wealthy, glamorous. In this beautiful coastal town Mae, Harry and Anabelle are as good as royalty. So when nineteen years before they had let shy sixteen-year-old Lucy into their inner circle, she was prepared to do anything for it to stay that way, even turn a blind eye to their secrets...
But now that things have turned out deadly, what would be stronger: the Whitlam's allure or the search for the truth?

This is a brilliant read.
Wonderful well written plot and story line that had me engaged from the start.
Love the well fleshed out characters and found them believable.
Great suspense and found myself second guessing every thought I had continuously.
Can't wait to read what the author brings out next.
Recommend reading.

I was provided an ARC from NetGalley and the publisher. This is my own honest voluntary review.

They're Watching You is such a quick read. It may be a little cliché, a little simple, but it’s twisty and intense, and I really enjoyed it.

This is one of those books that unravels if you look a little too closely. I’m choosing to appreciate how quickly I was drawn in and how fun I found the story. Because if you start to think about how small a scale this intense, powerful cult seems to work, or how the entire concept doesn’t really make sense, it ruins what is an enjoyable read.

I liked the push and pull between Gavin and Remington - I honestly flip-flopped so many times until the reveal. Ichaso did such a great job burying the lead, and I could not tell who was being honest and who was playing Maren. In the end, the romance moved a little faster than really made sense, but it doesn’t take away from the story.

I would recommend They're Watching You as a fun thriller. As it comes out in January, it would probably make a good beach read for those of you who live in the southern hemisphere like I do. Or, I guess, a cozy fireplace read if you live somewhere cold this January.

I really enjoyed this one! Lots of twists and turns, never knowing who can be trusted. So well done.

A school with a secret society, missing girls that people seem to have forgotten, challenges, invitations, and constantly being watched. This story has everything you need to keep you on your toes.

I loved getting to know the two main characters and watching them grow throughout. I could understand Maren’s constant need to question everything, and I loved how determined she was to do what it took to find ger friend.

A great story about the deceiving depravity of a school embroiled in secrets.

They’re Watching You by Chelsea Ichaso is a great pick for you if you like YA thrillers, a boarding school setting, missing friends, amateur sleuthing, and secret societies.

This book started off really strong for me. There was a lot of mystery around the secret society and what happened to Polly and Maren's concern for her friend. While the challenges Maren endured as part of the society and her drive to win for Polly kept me reading, I found it to be a lot of running through catacombs. Then a note and more running through catacombs.

Then the ending of the book felt rushed. There was a lot happening all at once like the author decided it was enough challenges and just to end it.

Overall, I thought this was a quick entertaining read. I think it would be great for fans of Karen McManus.

What an awesome read! Thank you to net gallery and the publisher for this advanced copy. I really enjoyed the secret society aspect of this book and the fact that it kept you guessing till the end. Yes, there are some plot holes in the story but I found the overall plot makes it better and those plot holes can always be explained in a second book. I will definitely be looking for a second book!

Thank you, NetGalley and Sourcebooks Fire for the chance to read and review They're Watching You by Chelsea Ichaso.

They're Watching You came out on the 3rd of January. It's 386 pages long and is the second book I've read by the author! The first being Dead Girls Can't Tell Secrets. The book is a YA thriller featuring a secret society, a missing girl, and it has all the dark academia vibes by being set at an old expensive private boarding school.

Chelsea Ichaso is a good writer, and I suspect the book may be better received by younger readers; on my end, I can't give it more than 3 stars.

As I've mentioned, the elements in this book are fantastic, and Chelsea Ichaso is a clean writer who can suck you in. I read this book without stopping, and it is entertaining! I was hooked when Maren was playing cards at the start of the book; her relief was infectious!

But there are plot holes. For instance, Gavin lets far too much slip for Maren. The events are only triggered after she finds the invite, which is odd because she's apparently been chosen as a champion. Besides Maren being a scholarship student who plays three sports and is very loyal, we don't see a personality. The whole thing with Polly is weird because how are high school students rising so quickly in this? And I'm not a big fan of Gavin, who was a weirdo from start to end. The love story didn't add much for me.

Jordan is my baby; the only decent person in all of this! She's the only one who heard the information and decided to be a good person even though the society could have helped her.

All in all, the book is a good way to spend a low energy day and I would recommend it for readers in their teens. I do hope that the authors next book is better. She has tremendous potential.

💭My review🐻
I was really excited to read this one, I really love anything with like secret societies and private schools. I really enjoyed it and the writer did an awesome job. I was hooked from the start and it kept me on the edge of me seat the whole time. Lots of twists and turns, I totally loved it. I really liked the dark cult vibe that the books has. I will be checking out more book by this author.

Thank you,@netgalley and @sourcebooksfire , for providing an eARC of They're Watching You.

They're Watching You was a highly-anticipated release for me. Unfortunately, this story and I did not get along.

In this novel we're following Maren, a student at the prestigious Torrey-Wells Academy. Two weeks ago, Maren's best friend, Polly, went missing from school. Prior to her disappearance, Polly said some cryptic things to Maren.

When everyone, including the police and school headmistress, assume that Polly has run away, Maren knows that's not true. Polly was her roommate, she knew her better than anyone. Polly would never leave her hanging like that. Thus Maren begins looking into it. To her it's clear, her friend is in trouble and she'll do anything she can to help.

When Maren finds an envelope hidden among Polly's things, containing an invitation to a secret society, she knows this is a lead worth following. Rumors have swirled at school about this mysterious Gamemaster's Society for years, and as Maren digs in, she realizes there may be a lot of truth behind the whispers. Luckily, she finds out from classmates just the info she needs to secure her own invitation.

Before she knows it, Maren is elbow-deep in secret society craziness. There is a whole underground world at her school, one very few people get to see. The games cooked up by the society are one thing, but Maren discovers she is playing a game of her own. For every win, she's one step closer to finding out the truth about what has happened to Polly.

Y'all, I really wanted to love this and in the beginning, I thought that maybe I would. Sadly, this never got off the ground for me and the ending, easily anticipated, left me underwhelmed. The set-up was intriguing. I liked the idea behind what Ichaso was building, but the execution did not fit my tastes at all. I found the characters to be flat and frankly, boring, especially Maren.

Maren's personality was practically nonexistent. Besides her insistence on not giving up on Polly, I couldn't feel anything from her. All these wild things are happening to her, yet her thoughts and actions are putting me to sleep. I felt zero intensity.

Additionally, the romantic elements felt so forced and out of place in lieu of all that was happening. I sort of get one of the connections, as she is working closely with a certain someone to try to gain the information she needs, but it still felt out of place.

Lastly, the person who appears to be running everything, our villain, was ridiculous. I just could not get behind that person as an evil mastermind. Nope, nope, nope. It just wasn't for me. The motivations, the romance, the fatuous games that everyone willing participated in for no truly logical reasons and the fact that our heroine is hypocritical and boring, just never allowed this one to connect for me.

With this being said, this is 100% personal opinion. I know that a lot of Readers will enjoy this and I am so happy for those that do. Everyone has different tastes, that's one of the best things about reading, how subjective it is. So if this sounds interesting to you, if the synopsis raises your eyebrows, you should absolutely pick it up and give it a go. I certainly wouldn't be opposed to picking up more from this author in the future. Perhaps their next release will be more to my liking.

Thank you to the publisher, Sourcebooks Fire, for providing me with a copy to read and review. I appreciate having the opportunity to share my opinions.

Gah, am I a sucker for dark academia or what?

When Maren's roommate Polly goes missing she takes it upon herself to figure out just what happened to her. Her first step, infiltrate the secret society on campus that she was convinced Polly had joined ... if she can find them.

This wasn't a bad read, just didn't feel it fit the age - wish it had been a college setting over a highschool setting. That said, it was still an interesting, quick read that had me guessing, mostly right but one wrong!

Secret society, mysteries galore, and maybe even some murder? I was in. I just wanted to connect more with the characters and that didn't happen for me. I loved the concept here and still enjoyed the read.

Set in the elite Torrey-Wells Academy, is the very exclusive Secret Gamemaster’s Society.


A young student called Polly St. James is missing and her best friend Maren does not believe that she simply ran away. After investigating Polly’s disappearance, Maren stumbles across an invitation to a secret society and believes the answers she needs are hidden amongst her classmates. From here all the dark and twisted games begin to unfold, and Maren soon realises she’s caught up in something much bigger than she could ever have imagined.


Packed throughout with all the dark themes you could want, from secret societies, cults, twisted games, underground crypts, puzzles, and murder.


Do not be fooled by this being categorised as a YA read – This is one of the best I have read in a very long time!! Its predictable in places but a well written quick easy read.


I only hope someone like Netflix or Amazon pick up the rights to this, as it would make a brilliant original series!! Think Pretty Little Liars, Elite, One Of Us Is Lying etc.


4.5 Stars – Cracking Read!


Publication Date: 3rd January 2023


Thank you to #NetGalley, #SourceBooksFire, and #ChelseaIchaso for an ARC of #TheyreWatchingYou in exchange for an honest review.

After her best friend Polly disappears and no one seems all that concerned, Maren begins her own investigation and stumbles upon the fact that her friend had been a member of a secret society at their school. Maren decides the only way to discover the truth about what happen to Polly is to somehow become a member of this secret gaming society. But once she’s in she discovers these people play for keeps.

On the surface this book is right up my alley. I love thrillers and secret societies are always fun. I instantly thought of the movie Skulls when I began reading. There are some really good characters and the story is certainly interesting, but I definitely had a few issue with this one, namely that the book required a greater than normal suspension of disbelief. Some of the stuff the people involved in the society were getting away with seemed rather farfetched, and for a ‘secret’ society it sure seemed like almost everyone either knew about it or was part of it. That being said, I still managed to enjoy it quite a bit. Would probably make a fun Netflix series. Overall I’d say 3.5 stars, rounded to 4. Thanks so much to Sourcebooks Fire and NetGalley for the opportunity to read and review an eARC of They’re Watching You.

https://www.amazon.com/review/R28HB4K18F35E4/ref=pe_1098610_137716200_cm_rv_eml_rv0_rv

I just finished They’re watching you by Chelsea Ichaso and here is my review.
Polly St James is missing and the only person who seems worried is her roommate and best friend Maren. Her parents, the headmistress and police, all believe she ran away. Not Maren. There was something Polly was hiding and she was ready to tell Maren her secret then she just vanished.
Just as Maren starts asking questions an envelope shows up with an invitation… An invitation to join a secret society. There is something sinister about the group and Maren now believes that Polly may have been involved with the group before she disappeared. Can Maren infiltrate the group and find out what happened to Polly or will she end up becoming part of the very thing she fought to gain entry to?
I have a soft spot for dark academia books… This one ticked all the boxes. Love the idea of secret societies and this one didn’t disappoint! Really enjoyed watching Maren as she unravels the mystery of her best friend and roommates disappearance and the dark underbelly of her school. Brilliantly done, the writing is really quite amazing and I was engaged right away. I ended up staying up late to finish it as I couldn’t put it down.
Some pretty great twists and turns that will keep you on your toes. What I didn’t love…. I wasn’t a fan of Remington. I don’t know why but I just couldn’t bring myself to like his character and I was hoping the whole time he was the bad guy!
Do not let the fact it’s a YA book fool you, it is the kind of YA that anyone outside of the genre can sink their teeth into! Loved the setting of the book and the descriptive language really set this book apart from others in the same genre. If you love a good thriller set in a school…. GET THIS ONE TODAY!
4.5 stars! Thank you to Netgalley and Source books fire for my review copy!