Good as Gold by Candace Buford is an enjoyable young adult mystery that slowly builds momentum as it uncovers the buried secrets of the lost town of Toulouse. The story follows Casey, a once-privileged teen whose life is turned upside down when her family falls on hard times. When her father loses his business, Casey is forced to adjust to a different lifestyle on the other side of town. This shift propels her to dig into the history of Toulouse, a submerged Black town with a rumored treasure. Her curiosity leads her to explore her family’s connection to the town’s past, especially the research her late grandmother left behind. As Casey searches for the lost treasure, she also gains new perspectives, building friendships with teens she once dismissed and growing wiser along the way.

While the mystery of Toulouse and the hunt for treasure drive the plot, the real treasure in this book is Casey’s growth and the exploration of lost history. I would have appreciated more depth on the history of Toulouse, as it felt like a fascinating element that deserved more focus. The ending, with the rapid advancements mentioned in the epilogue, stretches realism a bit, but that’s understandable in the context of fiction.

The audiobook is narrated by Grace Capeless, whose performance suits Casey’s voice well. Her pacing and intonation bring the first-person narrative to life, making it an engaging listen. Fans of young adult mysteries with historical threads and personal growth will find Good as Gold an interesting read

While the summary for this book sounded good and exciting, I only got half way through and haven't returned to this audiobook for a year. I think the set up was good but I wanted the plot to move faster and I wanted the characters to be more developed. There wasn't anything in the plot or characters that made me feel invested and that I needed to read more or find out. Unfortunately this was a DNF (do not finish) for me.

Buried treasure and stolen land. Casey is trying to save her family from complete financial ruin anyway she can.

As a treasure hunt story, this book is fine. Not great, but reasonably compelling. The reveal of the treasure is a bit frustrating. I did like the exploration of race and privilege but felt like those ideas were not given enough space to be properly explored.

This book starts off as a fish out of water, rich girl forced into the poor side of town type of story. Casey balances her rich private school life - prom committee, out of touch mean girl friends, etc - with her distant mother, disillusioned father, and their ever-failing finances. She has to work at the country club she once frequented, where she is referred to by customers as 'the other Black' one, in the bustling town of Langston - named after the man that founded their town, incorporated nearby town Toulouse, and lost a treasure in the lake that still drives the tourist economy in the modern day. When Casey learns that her family may lose their house, she decides to swallow her pride and pawn off some family treasures - including an old coin she found in the lake that turns out to be a piece of Langston's long-missing treasure. Against a backdrop of racial injustice, a diving community, class divide, and purely evil people in power, this riches-to-rags story turns into a treasure hunt with Goonies vibes and Scooby-Doo undertones. The action was exciting, and the characters all had their own personalities and problems. So, when the final dive to find the treasure was almost conflict free, without any face time from the protagonists I was highly disappointed. The last 20% of the book in total seemed cobbled together, without any real conflict OR resolution, and I was really looking for more from it.

I had different expectations going into this book than what it was really about. It started a bit more slow than I would have liked but when they began searching for the treasure, the story picked up. That said, I did enjoy the plot and the characters, especially the beginning crushes and relationships which felt very authentic.

I would have loved more emphasis on treasure and adventure, but it was an overall good story about friendships and family relationships.

For fans of pirate and loot, this small-town adventure will be the next book for you! Anyone from a small town hopes of an ancient mystery that could shake the foundation of their small corner of the world. For those who don't have a small-town mystery of their own, this store-bought alternative will suffice nicely. Make a splash with Buford's new book filled with damaged reputations and so much treasure.

The characters are what really makes this book fall flat. They feel like sketches of teenagers, not actually teenagers. Unfortunately, the plot is not as compelling as anticipated either. This book was a disappointment.

A great read-alike for fans of Outer Banks with a thrilling mystery at its center. I enjoyed the audio production and the pacing of the narrator, but I ended up finishing it in print just so I could find out what happened sooner!

I NEVER in my wildest dreams expected to read something like this. I’m going to learn to stop going into books blind. I had no idea what was going on or where this was going. But I think that made it so much better. I liked it a lot more that way.

So the cool thing about this was the treasure hunt. I just wish there was more information on what happened and what was going on in the back story. Even if it was just like giving some chapters from the past or something. I just wish it hadn’t been so much focus on Casey, but moreso the town. Don’t get me wrong, we DO get that information, BUT it’s like at the end once everything is already done. I would have wanted all this earlier. I just felt like not knowing would have been the reason I said naw and just wouldn’t care anymore lol That’s just me tho.

I thought her trying to figure it out would somehow make this repetitive. But it wasn’t. It was actually more thrilling? I guess it felt that way because I knew her parents were in a crunch because of the money thing. And then once things started really going, and they tried all these different things that damn near got them killed? Yeah it was weird as hell and not what I was expecting AT ALL. But because of that it definitely made for good entertainment.

The characters were ok, but let me tell you Casey was annoying. I CANNOT STAND people who hate you until they need you. And that was her. Her nose was always stuck so far in the air and then when things happened with her family and she was shunned (without being actually shunned) from her “friends” the people she was so rude to were the people she needed. Proving that they were never really her friends. I just wish she could have realized it before she did.

I don’t really want to say anything else because I don’t really want to give spoilers, but like this weird ass mystery thriller about hunting for gold is pretty cool. There’s a romance that is in my honest opinion unnecessary because it had nothing to do with furthering this plot, but it was still for a reason in the end. I just didn’t think it had anything to do but further the plot. Because what should have happened was that person telling her don’t you remember how you acted toward me?! But I digress.

I couldn't get into this one! The plot and the writing were ... fine ... but the narrator really grated on me. It felt almost like she was *trying* to sound very young and "teen," which was overkill. I'd love to give the book another chance sometime ... but definitely in print.

Two stories mixed into one! I thought this book was going to be about a former rich kid adjusting to a new life with no money when all of a sudden. Hidden treasure? Amazing plot twist with a Goonies vibe!

This was a book I did not know I needed!

I have yet to read any treasure hunt books but this will not be the last. While a bit slow to start once it got going I didn’t put it down. A refreshing (welcome) change to my normal reads!

3.5 stars rounded up
Good as Gold started slowly and gained momentum as the lost history of Toulouse, a Black town that was flooded and destroyed, is revealed. Legend says there is a treasure under the water in the ruins of Toulouse. Casey’s family history is tied up in Toulouse. Her family has fallen on hard times. Her father lost his business to bankruptcy. They now live on the other side of Langston where Casey has to come to terms with her lost privileges. As she becomes more curious about the supposed lost treasure, she comes to learn about the buried history of Toulouse that her deceased grandmother was trying to uncover. Casey sees the treasure as a way to restore her family’s fortune. She gets to know other teens who she has formerly brushed off. Casey comes of age and gains wisdom.

I would have liked more about the lost history. The advancements described in the epilogue would likely have taken years after a lengthy court battle, but this is fiction. Overall, this is an enjoyable read that will likely become part of our high school library.

Grace Capeless’ narration of the audiobook was good. Her pacing and intonation fit Casey quite well. As this was told in the first person, the lack of distinct voices of the other characters was acceptable.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the chance to listen to this ALC in exchange for an honest review.

A strong story with the right narrator make for a pretty perfect combination. This story presents a “history” of flooded towns and possible treasure in the underwater domain. The narrator captures the intensity of the characters in an appropriately adolescent voice. The pacing of the story was evenly matched by narrator’s retelling.

Audiobook Review - Hand this book to fans of Outer Banks and the Goonies!! Readers will follow a group of teens from the wrong side of the tracks as they try to find a secret treasure and uncover their town's sordid past. Readers will be rooting for the underdog in this high-stakes mystery adventure. Recommended for all teen collections.

Good As Gold was a very enjoyable young adult mystery. I enjoyed the characters. They are on a quest for treasure creating a suspenseful story. It was an engaging, intriguing, fast paced story.

I really wanted to like Good as Gold more than I did. My biggest issue, because I read via audio, is that the narrator sounded more Middle Grade than a High School Queen Bee.

I know this book is being compared to Outer Banks meets Gossip Girl, but it also reminds me of Mean Girls. The treasure hunt was fun but not as much action as I would have liked. Overall, it was an ok story. And if we add it to our library's YA collection, I'm sure many of our patrons will enjoy it.

Thank you to Netgalley and Disney Audiobooks for providing me with a review copy.