I truly did not see this end coming. This was my first time reading this author, and she clearly knows what she is doing. I wanted just a little more out of this than I got, but it was all wrapped up nicely in the end. The characters were realistic, and the storyline flowed well.

The Legacies held so much promise. With a strong story potential and solid tension buildup, this story should have stuck out in my mind. However, the lackluster characters, repetitive information drops, and disappointing ending left me feeling like I was missing something, despite a definitive conclusion.

The start of the book was solid. Getting to know the characters in short chapters with alternating points of view was a fun and interesting way to get into the good parts of the book. The writing style was incredibly promising with a buildup of tension that highlighted the secrets that each of the characters were hiding. This would have been wonderful for the story if it had held throughout the entire story. However, the reality was that the story lost momentum and focus.

Each of the characters was forgettable in the end as they slowly began to blend into one another. At one point, I began to have difficulty differentiating the characters between chapters. Ultimately, this would not have bothered me because I was in it for the mystery, but when the ending finally came, it flopped. By the time I got through all the secrets and lies, I found that I just didn’t care as much as I wanted to.

Overall, this story is great if you want a quick read that will follow the formula of a typical YA mystery.

⅗ stars for an engaging writing style.

Thank you to Netgalley and Penguin Group, Razorbill for the opportunity to read this eARC in exchange for my honest opinions.

The Legacies is a young adult mystery about a group of New York private school teens that are nominated for a prestigious private club. On the night of the club’s formal ball one of the attendees is found dead after falling from the roof.

The Legacies opens with detectives investigating a fall from the roof of one of New York City’s exclusive private clubs. As detectives begin their investigation the story is told in flashbacks of the days leading up to the ball.

The new inductees include a group of teens from Excelsior Prep:
Bernie Kaplan: school queen bee
Isobel Rothcroft: Bernie’s best friend who is struggling with drugs and alcohol
Skyler Hawkins: Bernie’s boyfriend
Tori Tasso: scholarship student from Queens
As Bernie tries to figure out why her glamorous mother disappeared days before the ball she is rocked by a series of reveals that involve their parents, greed and betrayal.

The Legacies is fast paced and kept my interest throughout. Because the reader doesn’t know which ball attendee was the victim I found myself hoping it wasn’t any of the girls whose point of view we have been following but I can’t say I was particularly invested in any of them. Although it does remind all of us of the privilege that comes with wealth, connections and the right schools it wasn’t a deep or thoughtful novel. I’d recommend it to readers that enjoy mystery books about wealthy teens and their parents.

3.5 stars

This book was a very good mystery read. Goodman did a great job in tying the past and the present together. This was very enjoyable.

Ended up DNFing this one because the characters were so unlikable this one was too party focused for me. The characters were shallow

🗝️AUDIOBOOK REVIEW🗝️

Thank you @PRHAudio for the complimentary audiobook!

The Legacies - Jennifer Goodman
Rating: 4/5 ⭐️

“A glitzy YA thriller set in New York City elite social circles, filled with backstabbing and blackmail, twisty secrets, and a dead body, from New York Times bestselling author Jessica Goodman.”

The Legacies is a fun, easy teen mystery centered on an elite prep school in NYC. All the students are vying for a spot in the Legacy Club, a prestigious club that guarantees a lifetime of power, privilege and connections. Most admissions come from a long family line of Legacies - except for one, Tori Tasso. Her family owns a diner and she is VERY different from the students at her school, attending on a scholarship.

When someone turns up dead at the famed Legacy Ball, people start asking questions. How did Tori get a spot? Who would want the victim dead? What other secrets are hiding in these perfect-from-the-outside families?

This kept me engaged the whole book and the narrators were excellent! I enjoyed that we didn’t know who was dead or who killed then until the end - and considering most of the characters are really unlikeable, there were parts I was almost hoping that would be who was dead. 😂 That was new! The overlapping conflicts and secrets kept things really interesting!

Recommend if you like:
- Academic thrillers
- Teen drama
- Exploring the darker sides of wealth
- Multiple POV

Thanks also to @netgalley and @penguinbooks for the copy!

4 / 5 ⭐️'ˢ

“The Legacies” By Jessica Goodman

📕 Edition: eBook, Audiobook and Physical copy

This was a thrilling dive into the world of old money, new secrets, and a killer party that kept me on the edge and wanting more! This fast-paced read is a rollercoaster of mystery and intrigue.

Set in the exclusive Legacy Club of New York City, the story follows a group of high school seniors who are nominated as Legacies, securing a lifetime of power, wealth, and protection. The catch? They must survive a rigorous week of events leading up to the extravagant Legacy Ball, where their secrets may unravel. What makes this tale even more intriguing is the inclusion of Tori Tasso, a scholarship student from Queens, whose nomination surprises everyone and adds an extra layer of complexity to the story.

The Legacy Ball promises luxury, excess, and endless champagne, but what unfolds is a night filled with shocking revelations and unexpected twists. Goodman skillfully builds tension throughout the narrative, keeping you guessing and engaged from start to finish. The characters are well-developed, each harboring their own secrets, and the interactions among them add depth and complexity to the story.

One of the book's strengths is its ability to blend the opulence of the Legacy Club with the darker undercurrents of the characters' secrets. As the night progresses, the pressure mounts, and the consequences of their actions become increasingly dire. The pacing is relentless, making it difficult to put the book down.

Goodman's writing style is engaging and accessible, making "The Legacies" a perfect choice for those looking for an entertaining and immersive read. Goodman has crafted a fun, fast-paced story that will keep you thoroughly entertained throughout. If you're in the mood for an engaging thriller with well-drawn characters and a gripping storyline, this book is definitely worth picking up.

Thank you @NetGalley , @Bookishfirst , @Jessicagoodman and @razorbillbooks for providing me with this ARC in exchange for my honest review.

EEEEK. Very young adult. Maybe not for me as I am an adult. I wanted more from this but it felt very immature and I had to DNF this at about 30%.

The Legacies was such a good read! I was hooked from start to finish, trying my hardest to figure out the mystery. This book was very well written and I loved the character development

Jessica Goodman does it again! Her books are always so well written and paced and The Legacies is now at the top of my favorites from her.

Listen, maybe I like a good "old money having problems YA story" every now and then. My biggest favorites really do end up being those that are a bit...thrilling. Jessica Goodman continues to have a great writing style.

I thought it was a good book. I would have never guessed how it would have turn out like it did. I was surprised at the ending but was a page turned

I have tried to read books by this author more than once and it just doesn’t ever work out. I didn’t finish this one.

I did not finish this one, it was not for me, I couldn't relate to the characters, and just did not care for the story.

kinda (very) boring, if i wasn't the type of person who feels bad when dnf-ing i wouldn't have forced myself to finish it, on the bright side i love the fact that it was that person who died

I really enjoyed this book! After reading that it was YA I was a hit hesitant to dive in but I am so glad I did. This book gave me SUCH Gossip Girl vibes. Any book about rich kids behaving badly…hand it right over. I’ll be recommending to my millennial friends, New Yorkers and gossip girl lovers alike.

Gossip Girl meets Big Little Lies in this twisty thriller set in NYC’s elite social circles.

Jessica Goodman is an auto-borrow author for me. Her YA thrillers are so good and they never *feel* YA, you know what I mean?

I actually liked most of the main characters, except Skylar. For a bunch of rich kids, they weren’t the most annoying.

I do wish the ending was extended. I wish the author expanded more on what happened after the murder and more details on what each character did after that night. Some people will enjoy the ending that is open to interpretation.

highlights:
- quick read that keeps you wanting more
- POV from three main characters, plus unbiased narrative chapters of what happens immediately after the murder
- fun pop-culture references

Thank you Net Galley for allowing me to receive this book for an honest review.

This book reminded me of the Pretty Little Liars series. Although I have never read any other books by this author I know this will not be my last.

Even though I enjoyed this book I found it slow at times. I felt like i got board at times. There were alot of characters and found myself going back to reread about them to keep track. But in the end I truly enjoyed this book and recommend.

I also love to read YA books for a change.

thank you to netgalley for the advanced reading copy. I really enjoyed this and will be getting copies for my shop.

I am a little confused about this book and my rating for it. I think that it is mediocre. There is nothing all that interesting about it. The story is cliched and the characters are uninteresting. So I am confused as to why I am still thinking about this book 2 months later. The story here is that we start the book with the murder, and we are following the characters in the past., building to who did this and why. The book is trying to say something about class, it just isn’t interesting or groundbreaking. Rich people are manipulative and poor people are honorable, without a lot of nuance. I don’t know that I would recommend this book, but I wouldn’t steer anyone away from it either.