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!

They’re Watching You is a standard YA thriller about a secret society. Where it distinguishes itself from others is the pace. Maren, our main character, is never ahead. The society is always one step ahead of her, even when it appears as though she and her new-found friend Remington are in control of the situation. It was an interesting dynamic that kept me guessing until the end, even though the third act was a bit of a letdown compared to the rest of the book.

While it made sense within the story of why things went down the way they did, it didn’t feel like it was expanded on the way it should be. A friendship deteriorating, and all we get is because it would make her a movie star? Joining a society because you did something bad in a class, but the reader is never let in on just how bad it was? I was left with unanswered questions that would’ve been simple to answer had the effort been made.

I enjoyed most of the characters, and the plot until the third act. At that point, it felt rushed and not well thought out. I think with another, 30 pages maybe, it would’ve worked and felt more in line with the rest of the book.

Thanks to NetGalley for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

I initially thought we would get something along the lines of NINTH HOUSE, or THE SIMILARS, or maybe even "Dead Poets Society." But...honestly, I'm sorry to say it felt more like Scooby-Doo with a love triangle thrown in.

Even though there were puzzles, cults, secret societies, and more than a heaping tablespoon of mystery, it didn't quite feel like a YA. The characters weren't quite as fleshed out as they could have been, And did we even need the love triangle drama? No. It served as nothing but excess to bog down what could have been a tight thriller.

I wanted to like this one, but you can't win 'em all, I guess.

They're Watching You started out strong. I was very intrigued at the start, but as the book progressed, it got weirder and weirder. This was just okay for me.

Twisty-turny danger at a private boarding school and tons of secrets make this a fast-paced, engaging read that kept me up too late at night because I couldn't put it down. I really enjoyed this carefully plotted YA mystery thriller and will definitely be recommending it to the teens I work with.

Thank you to Sourcebooks Fire, Netgalley, and the author for early access to this engaging thriller.

I could not enjoy this book. It was a YA and most YA just are not good for me. This is one of them. I’m so sorry. It was ok and I will give it 3 stars because I agreed to read it and it’s my fault that I don’t enjoy this genre.

I’m very sorry but this just was not for me.

This was a well-written and engaging mystery set in a private school. First of all, I love a book set in academia and a mystery is the perfect genre for this setting. This is a story about a missing friend, a secret society, and puzzles to be sorted. It was a fast read and kept my attention the whole time. I did not find myself connected to the characters but because I enjoyed the plot it did not take away from my reading enjoyment. I think this will be a great book for young readers and anyone who likes academic thrillers. Thanks to Chelsea Ichaso, Sourcebooks Fire, and NetGalley for an advanced copy of the book in exchange for my honest review.

3.5 stars

As an adult the farfetched nature of the book I could not get over, but it was well written and thought out. I did not catch any plot holes and understood the character's motivations. I think if I was the target audiences age, or if this author write a similarly themed adult book set at college, I would love it.

Comp titles: Ninth House, Inheritance Games

When I first saw this book, I was immediately hooked- a secret society, mysteries, possible murders???, and a rich boarding school with secrets, a concept that would (and did) have me floored. However, it felt lacking. It was as if this insanely good pie was undercooked in the oven and ended up leaving you feeling fulfilled and happy, but definitely leaving a pit in your stomach because it wasn't the best it could be.

At the beginning of this story, I felt as if the characters were quite annoying. Maren felt like an overdone cliche, and the setting of a boarding school seemed like an excuse to not have adult figures around. I almost DNFed, but the suspense and the secret society dragged me in.

By the middle of the book, I was hooked. The puzzles were puzzles, and they did seem well thought out. I enjoyed the Greek mythological aspect of it, but I still had the lingering feeling that it was rushed. The puzzle would basically tell you how to solve it, and by the next page the lead was already putting the pieces together. I wished there was just more. More character building, plot building, and suspense building.

The ending, in my opinion, felt very rushed. There was a love triangle? that came out of nowhere and I kinda feel that it ruined the vibe of Maren. She seemed so strong and stubborn that her "falling in love" with one of the characters that felt misplaced and pushed into the spotlight wouldn't be in her nature.

I really enjoyed the puzzles and the middle of the book- I flew through like 120 pages (keep in mind it was relatively shorter), but the ending and beginning really felt dragging on this rating, although the epilogue was giving similar vibes to the middle of the book with a better energy to it. I think there just needed more building and formulation rather than thrusting everything at you- even if it made now sense- and expecting you to run with it. Overall, it just felt forced and needed more time in order to come up with total suspense, character acquaintances, and plot building into the magical thing it could be.

This concept was insanely interesting to read, and if you like puzzles and an interesting tie to Greek mythology you might want to give it a read! It is a book that just feels like the middle of the road- not something extraordinary but not terrible either. Once again, thank you to the author, publishing house, and Netgalley for sending me an e-arc of this book!

Thank you NetGalley and Sourcebooks Fire for a chance to read They’re Watching You in exchange for my honest review.
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Wow, oh wow. I am positively in love with this book. By far my favorite book I’ve had the honor of reviewing for a while! Please do yourself a favor and pick this book up.
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Maren is a scholarship student at a prestigious boarding school. Recently her roommate, and best friend, went missing. The cops said she just ran away, but Maren doesn’t believe that. The more she investigates the more things start to unravel. Enter two boys fighting for her attention, a secret society, tasks to ensure her place, unexplainable things, and life or death situations.
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The boarding school aesthetic gave me life. I fell right into the story and did not want to come out. Chelsea’s descriptions of the school and everything kept me tuned in. I read the story so quickly, always waiting for the next twist. Which They kept coming and I was always surprised. I have read many boarding school mysteries, but never one like this. This book is truly one of a kind. The characters were so good. Each and everyone had depth and meaning. Not one character fell flat. The story followed a wonderful plot line, everything worked so well. I was never confused or disappointed. I can keep raving, but I don’t want to spoil anything. Read it!

I don't know what I expected with They're Watching Us. I really love the idea of thrillers. I rarely enjoy them but I still keep picking them up anyway. I guess I was expecting more along the lines of One of Us Is Lying. They're Watching Us was a little too cult(y) for me. If you like that sort of thing and/or secret societies or dark academia then definitely give this book a chance.

Maren‘s best friend Polly is missing and everyone has written her off as a runaway except for Mirren. She finds out that Polly was joining a secret society and so she decides her best bet is to try and join as well but the more she looks in to her friend being missing the more dangerous it gets and if she’s not careful it will be way too late to cry uncle. This was such a good book it was an easy quick read I mean don’t get me wrong this is not Stephen King but if you’re looking for a fun mystery would like a book characters in a little bit of horror then this is definitely a book for you. I always believe there’s a book for every reader and this is definitely a book that should be read. I really enjoyed it and highly recommend it if you love YaThriller‘s, mysteries or Horus you’ll love this book. I received it from NetGalley and publisher but I am leaving this review voluntarily please forgive any mistakes as I am blind and dictate my review.

WOW! I couldn’t stop reading this book. I kept changing my mind on who was behind everything going on. Maren was such a good friend to Polly. She tried to find out what happened to he best friend. I was so glad that Maren ended up with who she did!

Secret societies, mystery, and a girl who will do anything to save her best friend… what’s not to like? They’re Watching You by Chelsea Ichaso follows Maren, a student at an elite high school. After her best friend disappears after joining the ultra exclusive Chess Club, Maren takes it into her own hands to find out what happened to Polly.

I have to say, this new string of YA novels coming out are so much better than the ones I grew up with. Yes, there is some romance, but it is not center stage. When I started this book I was not expecting much, but next thing I knew I was 80% of the way done and could not stop.

What I liked: This book is well paced with action at appropriate times with information peppered in throughout. There were times that the author could have written sections as “info dumps,” but instead the information comes out naturally.

To keep in mind: You do have to suspend some of your beliefs and reality to get into some of the deeper drama, but isn’t that what a good books is supposed to do? I also didn’t feel like the romance was necessary, but it was not the main focus so it was not too big of a deal.

Overall thoughts: This was a great book to kick off the start of the New Year! It was such a fun read that completely sucks you in.

Thank you to NetGalley and SOURCEBOOKS Fire for a copy of this books in exchange for an honest review.

Thank you Netgalley for the chance to read They're watching you by Chelsea Ichaso. This book had me second guessing the entire way through!!! I really liked the main character, Maren and her determination to find her friend Polly after she disappears. The games she had to play brought back memories of reading The hunger games; never knowing whether she was playing for her life or if The gamesmaster was just making the challenges seem real! For those who love YA I think you will like it!!!

Maren has heard whispers of a secret society within her university. She has never really paid it much attention until her roommate and best friend, Polly, goes missing. She's considered a runaway, but Maren isn't convinced. She can't help but think Polly got herself tangled in a mess or maybe saw/did something she shouldn't have... and it all leads back to the Society. Maren decides to take matters into her own hands and finds a way to get an invitation to infiltrate the Society and save her friend.

Once she is initiated, she still doesn't have much control and can't seem to outsmart the Society, who always seem to be one step ahead of her. She is tasked with playing games, without knowing who she can trust. Who is the Gamemaster? Where is Polly? Is every figure of authority on campus a part of the Society? Every time I thought I had it figured out, I would get pulled in another direction. I highly recommend They're Watching You if you like mysteries and dark academia themes.

Thank you to Chelsea Ichaso, Sourcebooks Fire, & NetGalley for the advanced copy in exchange of my honest review.

I really enjoyed a lot of the twists in this; however, the actual ending was so unbelievable that I could not help but knock it down a star.