I wanted to love this book but unfortunately it fell a bit short for me. I did enjoy the major plot twist at the end and I enjoyed Spencer as a character. I loved the inclusion of her service dog, I'd never read a book with a MC needing one and as someone who's familiar with that, it was nice to see. Overall, just an okay novel.

I wanted to love this book, however this one just wasn't for me. I ended up listening to this on audio (thank you MacMillan Audio for the gifted audiobook) and it just didn't hit right. I found the narration to lacking and borderline abrasive due to the narrator trying to sound like a teen but falling short. the writing itself followed the same path of trying to sound like she was in highschool but wasn't. I have read a lot of ya mystery in the past and this story has been done and was predictable throughout. I was able to have my attention held through to the end but is not a book I would read again.

Taking place in LA among the wealthy students of Armstrong Prep, The Headmasters' List is a YA mystery full of scandal and tragedy.

Ethan Amarosa wrecks his Black Porsche on Sunset Blvd going upwards to 120 mph, killing a fellow student Chris. Three other students are also in the car, Ethan and Tabby walk away from the wreck with minor injuries and Spencer, Ethan's girlfriend is seriously injured and is sent to the hospital.

The mystery is told from Spencer's POV and is fast-paced with short chapters that keep you reading. It is a fun read if you are a fan of things such as Gossip Girl, but it has very little in ways of twists and turns. Most of the book follows Spencer as she tries to figure out the hows and whys of the crash.

My favorite character was Riley, Spencer's service dog, I will always choose a dog over a human, the exception to that was Cujo, the rabid dog created by Stephan King. I did like Spencer, she seemed like a very caring main character and she was concerned about what would happen to Ethan even though they had broken up. All the characters were well-developed and I even found most of them very likable.

Bursting into the book in different places was a breaking news sound ( I listened to the book on audio )
that was a pod-cast by fellow student Peyton Salt. Though not a tremendous character in the book, she has it out for Ethan because all the popular wealthy kids seem always to get off easy. I still haven't decided if I thought these small bits added to the story or were mainly unnecessary filler.

Overall I found The Headmaster's List a fun read, there was just enough to keep you reading, and the small twist at the end of the book surprised me. It is a great read for fans of YA.

This audio was narrated by:Andre Santana, Eunice Wong, Ines del Castillo, and Lori Felipe-Barkin
Thanks to Macmillan Audio for the advance listen.

Mini synopsis: Spencer wakes up in a hospital after a serious car accident that killed one of her friends. She has no memory of the events leading up to the crash, but her ex-boyfriend is being charged with murder. Something about the crash isn’t sitting right with her, so she along with her service dog, Ripley, set out to find the truth.

This book was fun! Everything you’d want from a YA mystery/thriller. Think like One of Us is Lying meets A Good Girls Guide to murder! I loved that our MC has a service dog that is very much her own character. She’s mentioned so casually as if she’s a person, which I love! I’ve never read a book with a service dog as a character 🥰 I also enjoyed the podcast element. Since we have a murder investigation, the podcast feels like a real life true crime podcast

The audiobook is fantastic! The main narrator does such a good job with voices for all the different characters. There’s also additional narrators for the podcast & interviews conducted. There’s even music on the podcast and background noises when the characters are outside! I loved the production a lot!

Now the reveal isn’t anything new or special. Not that I expected too much bc it is YA! But overall it’s fun and past paced with a little cutesness with Ripley! If you like YA mysteries or need just a light & fun read I’d recommend!

3 1/2

The Headmaster’s List is narrated by a group, which is usually a good thing. It’s kind of like listening to a play. However, some of these voices sounded like thirty-somethings rather than teenagers and drew me out of the novel in a bad way. One voice sounded completely unprofessional and by that I mean, it sounded like it could have been me making that voice and no one wants to hear me trying to sound like a teenager. So unfortunately this was not the best audiobook I’ve ever listened to, not the worst, but unfortunately in the lower half because of the narration.

Now let’s talk about the book itself.

Spencer Sandoval was seriously injured in a car accident. Ethan Amoroso, the driver was her boyfriend, or ex-, rather, by the end of the party they just attended. Also in the car was Sophomore, Chris Moore, everyone’s kid brother, who died, and Tabby Hill. Spencer can’t remember anything except for the flashbacks that come intermittently. From the flashbacks, Spencer gleans that something isn’t right about the accident. Something about the images that she just can’t put her finger on. But what is it? With the help of Jackson Chan, Ethan’s best friend, Spencer begins to seek answers.

I had to keep telling myself that this was a novel and had to suspend belief because one of the first things that Spencer does after leaving the hospital and deciding to return to school with a broken wrist and clavicle is decide that she’s going to ride her bike to school. Mind you, her parents are vets, thus have medical knowledge, and I’m certain that any doctor and hospital would have a discharge list of don’ts. It is very difficult to imagine that activities like riding a bike wouldn’t be on that list of don’ts plus the fact that her parents should know better. In conjunction with that, I personally hated the fact that she makes her service dog, Ripley, run alongside her for miles and miles. I mean Ripley is the best character in the novel, seriously, but shouldn’t be put through that. So that’s a major grump from the beginning of the novel.

Now, I also had to remind myself that The Headmaster’s List has been written for teenagers who love angst. I probably did then too but now? Not so much. But this one is geared for teenagers so the angst is appropriate.

Once I got beyond those things, the story of The Headmaster’s List began to draw me in as Spencer searches for answers to that night. Her relationship with Jackson is very sweet, as is the way he looks out for her as they uncover things about their classmates and discover just how many secrets are floating around.

Amidst this, podcaster Peyton Salt (a teenager who in the narration sounds so much older) who is known for true crime takes on Ethan’s story because he represents everything that she deems wrong with the world and Armstrong Prep in particular. Unfortunately, I don’t know for sure whether it was the narration that made these sections not work for me or because they just sounded like sensationalist filler, but I’ll just give my opinion: ugh. How does Peyton manage, however, to get a hold of police reports when Spencer can’t?

The Headmaster’s List has a lot going on and after a while, the reader/listener can’t help but be swept up in the mystery. In fact, I was startled by the ending, the person who committed the crime, although not exactly their motive. This does not happen often so kudos to Melissa de la Cruz. I do like to be surprised!

I would suggest that overall the The Headmaster’s List audiobook is definitely more geared toward teenagers who will probably appreciate all aspects. In this case would I have been happier reading the book rather than listening? I suspect so.

I received an audiobook copy from Macmillan Audio in exchange for an honest review.

Did not finish book. Stopped at 40%.
The book started talking too much about drugs and I'm just not into that. After having an aunt OD, an uncle who almost followed, and a little cousin who watched all that and made some of the same choices anyway, things like this aren't my cup of tea.

I have no doubt this will be ok for other readers, so I'll still be purchasing a copy for my library. I just wasn't the audience for it and that's ok.