My main takeaway from this is less about the troubled teen industry, and more about her obsession with her childhood friend. She says this story is about three girls, but she only knew one of them up to maybe 12-13 years old. And she talks about herself about as much as she talks about them, which leads me to believe this is just as much about her and how she was "just as bad." Which felt weird. I think this is good look into the privileged lives of rich white girls, and nothing more.

The author and I grew up in the same place so I found the story relatable and also terrifying - any of my friends could have ended up in the same position as Elissa. I wish the author had focused less on her own emotions and given us more about the tragedy itself.

Thanks to Grand Central Publishing for the copy to review.

A brilliant, journalistic feat with so much empathy for her subjects. Leach is a powerhouse. I can't wait to read what she comes out with next.

This sounded SO good and was a highly anticipated read for me, but in the end, I had a lot of trouble with the execution. Three suburban girls meet at a boarding school for troubled teens. Eight years later, they were dead. Leach was childhood friends with one of them and begins to fixate on the reason for her death as she grieves. After all, Leach almost went down a similar path, and is closely interested in the way their paths diverged.
This was such a quick read and it's evident that Leach is a great writer, but I'm not quite sure this needed to be a book. This is no way me saying that the stories of these girls don't deserve to be told, but they feel SO second-hand, especially when it comes to the two girls Leach didn't personally know. I saw a lot of reviews where people felt that this almost felt like someone gossiping and while I wouldn't go that far (Leach is respectful of their stories), but I think that that description does feel indicative of the secondhand nature. On that note, I was expecting a bit more in the way of reporting on the troubled teen industry, a topic that deserves far more airtime than it gets. Leach could have easily incorporated more of this into the narrative, and I was surprised that it didn't.

This book discusses the ongoing issues of teen behavioral schools. To relay her message, she told the story of her friend, Elissa, who was sent to these schools. She also spoke of the experiences of Elissa's two friends, Alissa & Alyssa, who were placed in the same school as Elissa. Yes, all three share the same name. These schools did not focus on treating their issues but making money. Girls were abused and traumatized by their "teachers". No one bothered to evaluate the schools or the administrators, so these "schools" stay in business today. The girls turned to drugs and alcohol to cope with the trauma they suffered at these schools eventually leading to their deaths. It is a hard story to get through, but their stories need to be heard.

Oof, this was a heavy one. The story of 3 girls who are failed by the system and how the system routinely fails "troubled" teens.

Insightful, disturbing, and just so sad.

Thank you Netgalley and Grand Central Publishing, Legacy Lit for the ARC.

👭🧍‍♀️Book Review:
Title: The Elissas
Author: Samantha Leach
Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️/3 stars

I was originally drawn to this book as it's based on a true account of a group of teenage girls, and I have a 17 year old daughter. Secondly, I work in a public school with grades K-12, and I was interested in situations that these young students may be dealing with. Times could get crazy when I was in school, but it's a completely different world now.
I'm not sure if I missed it, but I am curious as to what years this story took place.

Three young ladies develop a friendship when they meet at a boarding school, Ponca Pines Academy, for troubled teens. This story is about Elissa, Alyssa, and Alissa but told by Samantha, who was a childhood friend of Elissa. Unfortunately, Elissa, Alyssa, and Alissa have since passed away. It's disturbing to read about these young ladies' experiences in some of the most important years of maturity and development.

Published: June 6th, 2023

Thank you, @netgalley and @grandcentralpub, for this ARC in exchange for my honest review!

Timely and engaging. A recommended purchase for collections where true crime and suburban noir is popular.

Such an important book! I've read more about the troubled teen industry lately and really appreciate the author writing about it. I learned a lot and really felt for the girls involved.

Three suburban girls meet at a boarding school for troubled teens.
Eight years later, they were dead.

A very quick read. I thought I was getting a boarding school, reveal all, type book that investigates shady circumstances behind their deaths. This is not at all what the book is about. It’s about the girls' battle with addiction, and how society shut them out.

The author at times comes across as a bit judgy (rich white girls doing drugs?) This was really representative of what it was like to be a girl in the 2000's, but the conclusions and research could have been a bit tighter/more cohesive.

this was well written, a page turner and, as a female who grew up in the early 2000s, felt like an extremely accurate portayal of my experience and many of those around me. I really appreciated these stories being told.

Thank you to the publisher and Netgalley for providing an advance copy in exchange for honest feedback. A really compelling look at the troubled teen industry through the lens of three specific young women.

Did not love this. Was really looking forward to it but found it too indulgent and frankly kind of boring.

Thank you Netgalley for this ARC of The Elissas by Samantha Leach.

I was surprised to learn that this really was a true story about three teen girls, all with the same name, and their experience with the troubled teen system. Unfortunately, it didn't take long until the story started to lose shape, and I felt like I was listening to a travelogue. It also would have been helpful if, for the sake of keeping everyone straight, they were given more distinctive name, other than Elissa (insert initial). I got a small sense of the horrors of the terrible camps where we send troubled teenagers, but mostly, I was just trying to keep everyone straight!

Omg, love it. So culturally relevant and timely. With Paris Hilton's recent expressions of her abuse in the troubled teen industry, now is the time for a reckoning within this industry. Hearing about the connection of three girls within this system, girls with the same types of backgrounds and privilege, serves as a real eye opener. I feel like this is an eye opener for people who work with teens, especially, and something to think about when you think about behavior and how kids receive consequences.

This book is an insightful and in-depth look into the cult of the troubled teen industry. At times touching, other times disturbing, but definitely worth the read as so many were and are affected.

One of my New Years resolutions this year was to read more non=fiction. I didn't realize when I made that resolution that THIS was the kind of non-fiction I wanted to read but this particular one really scratched the itch I was looking for when I decided to broaden my literary horizons. I feel like I learned so much while reading this book and I feel like Leach did a lot of wonderful research while writing about the lived experiences of her friend and her friend's friends. While heartbreaking, this book was eye-opening and made me thankful that my problematic youthful behavior never resulted in being sent to an institution within the troubled teen industry.

I will say that this book could use a whole lot of editing. Many grammar errors, incomplete sentences, and the flow/pacing often fell off but you could tell that Leach wrote with the emotion of someone who's been personally affected by this horrible industry. I will definitely recommend this one to anyone - I walked away with a new understanding of something that interested me but I knew nothing about. A perfect balance of educational and interesting in the most respectful way.

"The Elissas" by Samantha Leach offers a captivating exploration of the lives of three suburban girls who meet at a boarding school for troubled teens, only to meet tragic ends eight years later. Leach, drawing from her personal connection with one of the girls, delves into their shared experiences and the circumstances that led them down different paths. While the book raises important questions and provides a chilling account of the secret lives of young suburban women, it falls short in certain aspects, earning a rating of 3.5 stars.

Leach's personal connection with Elissa lends an intimate tone to the narrative, allowing readers to empathize with her grief and understand her desire to unravel the events leading to Elissa's untimely death. The author's meticulous research is evident as she pieces together the girls' lives through interviews with mutual friends and social media exploration. This investigative approach adds depth to the story, painting a vivid picture of the struggles faced by troubled teens and the detrimental impact of unregulated reform programs.

However, despite the intriguing premise, the book occasionally lacks a clear focus. While the author seeks to understand why the girls met a shared tragic fate, the narrative meanders at times, making it challenging to grasp the central thesis. The transitions between present-day investigations and past events can feel disjointed, interrupting the flow of the story and detracting from the overall impact.

The portrayal of the girls' lives within the troubled teen industry is undoubtedly eye-opening. Leach sheds light on the harrowing experiences of wealthy youth who enter these unregulated programs, where drugs and alcohol become a norm. The exploration of the matching Save Our Souls tattoo that binds the girls together adds an eerie element to the narrative, intensifying the mystery surrounding their interconnected lives.

Despite its flaws, "The Elissas" offers a chilling account of the consequences faced by young women in unregulated reform programs and is worth a read for those interested in delving into the hidden struggles of troubled teens.

I have been on a nonfiction kick recently and this one stood out for many reasons. I loved the honesty and emotion. I felt like I was in the moment with the author and I felt like the articulation of the circumstances were easy to understand which I appreciated with such a complex issue.

I received Elissas by Samantha Leach from Netgalley and Grand Central Publishing. This book is a non-fiction book about three girls who meet in therapeutic boarding school and how drugs affects their lives and leads to their premature deaths. This is the first I’ve read of the Trouble Teen Industry and how it prays on rich kids. I flew threw this book and learned a great deal.