This book didn't work for me so I'm DNFing - but I appreciate the opportunity to read the ARC. I forget how I came upon this book, but I didn't take into consideration that I'm not really a slow burn gothic story kind of person, so this is a me thing. Thanks anyway for the ARC.

My god this was good! It is so atmospheric and really had me holding my breath at points. It was creepy for me and so I definitely think this would be so fun to read during spooky season! I listened to the audiobook as well and the narrator was astounding. I loved her different accents and she brought so much life to the characters.
I really enjoyed the different mysteries in the present and the past. It was so well done! I highly recommend this!

Thank you @netgalley and @delacortepress for the arc!

Our Wicked Histories by Amy Goldsmith is an engaging and informative exploration of history's darker moments with a compelling narrative style. Goldsmith’s vivid storytelling and detailed research make historical events both accessible and intriguing.

4 Stars

This story was so eerie and atmospheric and lush. Full of twists and turns, you can’t help but feel so unsettled as you try to navigate the mystery of the banshee at this Irish estate.

Told with flashbacks, the story revolves around a weekend at an isolated Irish estate where Meg has gathered with her upper crust former classmate, hoping to make amends for an incident she participated in the term before. Meg is the outsider and is hoping a sincerely apology will help make the friend group right, thus paving her way back into the prestigious school she has a scholarship for. What Meg didn’t anticipate was this eerie omen of a drowned woman in the lake, haunting her every moment. Nor did she anticipate Seb, her former flame, being there trying to muddle her attempts.

As we follow the story and get flash backs to the incident from the previous term, it’s hard to know who to trust and what is reality or maybe a psychotic break. It kept me on my toes and even when I thought I had it figured out, there would be a Scooby Doo-esque moment of the reveal that still had me shocked.

I really enjoyed this dark twisty story with its gothic setting and lush yet disturbing moments of horror.

I received an ARC of this book from Netgalley and Random House Children's in exchange for an honest review.

There's something in the lake at Wren Hall.

Meg realizes that her invitation to spend Halloween weekend in Ireland with the Wren twins and her old friend group from Greyscott's is her last chance to make amends for the incident that resulted in her suspension after the summer ball. She needs them to forgive her and let her back in their lives; she needs them to help her get back into the school. She arrives to find Wren Hall is a dark, dank old manor house with mirrors covered in black cloth and a dirty, weed choked lake with a tainted history. From the moment she arrives, Meg hears sobbing and screaming and sees a woman the locals say is a banshee. As her friends start disappearing, Meg must figure out who she can trust and what is really in that lake.

Atmospheric and well-written, this woud be the perfect book to read on a dark and stormy night, especially if you were by a lake and wanted to creep yourself out.

English teen Meg accepts an invitation to a Halloween party at the Irish countryside estate of her classmates, the Wren twins—Lottie (her best friend) and Seb. She’s seeking to earn redemption for a drunken misdeed that landed her a suspension from their elite London art school, Greyscott’s. Bullied by her wealthy peers for being on scholarship and having a mum who’s a cleaner at the school, Meg also harbors a secret: a forbidden crush on Seb. The story unfolds as Meg’s reflections on the past are interspersed among the present day scenes. The sour atmosphere at the party forces her to relive the terrible incident and subsequent fallout that led her classmates to mistrust her. Flickering lights, a failing fuse box, tales of a local banshee, unusual paintings, and more—leave Meg questioning her senses and fearing for her life. Will she survive the party?

The author writes a tension filled novel that hinges on twisted secrets. I liked how the reader is kept guessing on what is fact and what is just rumor. People aren’t the only ones who keep secrets. Places can keep them too—and Wren Hall is drowning in them.

Disclaimer: I received an arc of this book from the author/publisher from Netgalley. I wasn’t obligated to write a favorable review. The opinions expressed are strictly my own.

Thanks to NetGalley for providing this ARC in advance!

This sounded a lot more interesting than it actually ended up being unfortunately--I think in my case I've just read so many books that can fit into the same subgenres as this one that it became forgettable compared to better ones.

It felt like 85% mean girl shenanigans and 15% actual weird and creepy happenings and it really didn't feel like any of it came together within the story soon enough--to me there was a lot of telling and not enough showing. It would make an attempt at tension and twistiness except it never actually went to any of the lengths it needed to to successfully achieve either of those things.

Overall, it was okay, but I did have to really push myself to finish it towards the end (which is why I missed pub day by a week). I do think this will have a lot of young adult interest though!

Ok I LOVE a proper scary book with a good couple mysteries tied to it. Who’s the lady in the lake? What really is the Wren family history? What’s happening in the house?
If you loved the Netflix Hill House series you will LOVE this book. It’s got the perfect blend of terror and mystery that will creep you out but still try to figure out the very human side of the mystery—because there has to be one right?….right? Or is it all really the banshee.
I personally would have ran the second anything started happening and especially after the first “incident” as things were already tense. Also our girl deserves so much better than Seb! He is just a walking red flag. She also deserved better friends. They were all horrid. Except Charlie, he can stay.

Thank you TBR and Beyond Tours for having me on the tour

A slowburn Gothic YA novel with great scenes easy to visualize the creepiness. Those were my favorite parts but when I wanted more there was a lot of romance drama. Not quote my favorite but still a good spooky read.

This was chilling and creepy story! I was gripped and did not want to put this book down. Is there a supernatural force after the guests at the Wren ancestral home? Is it something more human? Can we fully trust Meg's experiences? The fact remains that the deaths are piling up.

🖤🖤Y’all this book 🖤🖤

Top 5 reasons to read

Our Wicked Histories by Amy Goldsmith

1. Incredible immersive Gothic horror
2. Chilling and creepy atmosphere
3. Thrilling twist & turns
4. Draws you in and never lets you go
5. Supernatural + folklore

5 Reasons to Read

Boarding School

Although we don’t see Meg at the boarding school in the majority of this book, her attendance at Grayscott is what brought these people together. Although as a scholarship student she already feels like the cards are stacked against her. She’s an outsider and the events of the previous summer have just made her even more disconnected from her peers than before.

Mending Fences

Meg is hoping that this weekend away will help her and Lotte come back together, and their friendship can be mended. She also wants to talk to Seb and figure out why he’s totally ghosted her since everything happened.

Isolation Trope

Meg had no idea just how isolated Wren Hall, situated in the countryside near a lake, would be until she arrived. Now she’s trapped in the manor without access to the outside world with a group of people that hate her. Now she’s not just isolated from the friends she used to have but from anyone that can help them out of this nightmare.

Irish Folklores

The lake and nearby town are connected to dark Irish folklores that give off the eerie and isolated vibes tenfold! Banshee’s and Lady of the Water vibes. Meg is hearing and seeing things that no one else is and when she comes in contact with a couple while trying to get help does she find out the manor is not visited as too many people have experienced darkness.

Secrets and Lies

Meg’s recollections of what happened the last time they were all together is fragmented. She’s not sure if it’s due to the amount of alcohol that was consumed that night or if there’s something more sinister that contributed to the events of that night on the lake the summer before.

🌟🌟🌟🌟.25 / 5

WHERE ARE MY HAUNTING OF HILL HOUSE FANS AT????? Because I found the book for you!!!!

In the past year, Meg has become very acquainted with the hidden secrets of the rich and powerful. She has been going to Greyscott’s, an elite art school, on scholarship, but she made a terrible mistake - and she only has one shot to fix it. When the beautiful and very rich Wren twins, Lottie (her best friend) and Seb (the boy she thought was her’s), invite her for a weekend at their ancestral home in Ireland, she vows to apologize and fix everything so she can stay at Greyscott’s.

But something is horribly wrong with Wren Hall. Sinks leak, dirty mysterious footsteps mark the floor, and a drenched black-haired woman haunts Meg’s dreams. Meg must uncover the true and most wicked histories of the twins and their home, before she is the next body found face-down in the lake.
🌊 🌊 🌊

Boy, was this CREEPY!!!! Oh my GOSH from the first chapter, I was completely on edge. Ghosty stuff scares the JEEPERS out of me, and this book is so well-written in the scary department. The eeriness of the house and its horrors combined with the mysteries surrounding these rich entitled kids with all their secrets created a perfect mixture of suspense and horror.

Literally my only complaint is that it got less ghosty-creepy towards the end :( I’m all for a dash of real human evil with my paranormal horror, but the ghosty elements are so strong in the beginning that the fade-out is a bit disappointing. With that being said, there is so much here to love!!! I am a huge Haunting of Hill House fan, and this book gives me those same creepy house ghosty vibes with some human elements that give it depth. I couldn’t put it down; I had to get the answers to all my questions! This one is perfect for the fall, so add it to your tbr!!

👻 I received an e-arc as part of @tbrbeyondtours ‘s tour. You can find other scheduled tour posts using the link in their bio! 👻

This is my second read by this author, and it did not disappoint! Loved the gothic/dark academia vibe!

After her outburst at the ball and her suspension from Greyscott’s, an exclusive art school, Meg is willing to do anything to gain the forgiveness of her upper class peers. After not being talked to for months, Meg receives an invite from Lottie to spend Halloween at the Wren’s ancestral home in Ireland. Of course she jumps on it - this could be her only opportunity to get back into Greyscott’s. When Meg arrives, there is local gossip that something is wrong with the lake at the Wrens’ and when tragedy strikes she begins to wonder if there is something true to the gossip.

While I wasn’t a huge fan of any of the characters, I did enjoy this! The dual timelines were great but I did spend a lot of time wondering wtf happened at the ball since it kept being referenced. We don’t find out until the build up for the reveal. Some of the secrets are a bit obvious but I still enjoyed the read!

An atmospheric and evocative story. Our Wicked Histories comes across a little like the love child of Agatha Christie’s And Then There Were None and a teen movie. Part horror. Part mystery. Part teenage angst. The world itself is well fleshed out, and I felt like I was in the action of the story rather than reading about it. Which made for a wonderfully tense reading experience. I do think it could have gone into characterization more. There were a number of “whys” that I don’t feel like we got answers to. But by not getting those answers, the story feels unfinished, and so it stays with you, which to me is more successful than a story that ties everything up in a bow and that the reader promptly forgets about. A great read for anyone looking for a suspenseful dark academia setting in which it’s hard to distinguish between fantasy and reality. Our experience of the story is Meg’s experience. And as long as she doesn’t have answers, neither do we. A lovely little gothic tale that begs the question, which is the scarier villain, the supernatural or the real people you’re surrounded by? And what if the answer is, maybe, both?

Amy Goldsmith’s Our Wicked Histories is a chillingly effective entry in literary horror, set against the haunting backdrop of an ancestral Irish estate. The story follows a teen girl’s eerie attempt to reconcile with her former friends during a weekend getaway, only to find herself caught in a sinister plot. Goldsmith excels with a richly gothic atmosphere, complex characters, and evocative prose, creating a dark academia experience that thrills and captivates. The novel's perfect pacing and suspense make it a standout read, especially for fans of fall-time horror. Goldsmith's skillful writing ensures that the eerie, immersive experience lingers long after the book is closed.

Bly Manor meets Dark Academia… gothic style with a modern appeal and stunningly atmospheric, Goldsmith crafted an enthralling tale that kept me up gasping late into the night! UTTERLY BINGEABLE!

Packed with Ivy League style in a deliciously gothic setting, this simmering, tension-filled mystery hinges on dark secrets and “wicked” histories; leaving you questioning societal classes and cultural legends, not to mention every person in the room! And then there’s the crumbling estate and dark, mysterious lake… and what nightmarish secrets are actually lying in the mist?

This is a must read for any fan of gothic mystery and suspense. It’s YA - but I’d place this closer to the adult end of the YA spectrum in intensity and overall material. VERY well done! 👏🏻

In Our Wicked Histories, the past clashes with the supernatural.
Meg is a scholarship student at Greyscott’s, an exclusive art school that teaches the rich and infamous. Her scholarship is in danger after an incident during the school’s summer ball. When she’s asked to spend Halloween weekend at the Ireland retreat of the wealthy Wren twins, she knows it is her last, and only, chance to save her scholarship. Kind-hearted Lottie Wren is Meg’s closest friend and has given Meg a chance to apologize for her misdeeds. But when she arrives at the house it is dark and damp with a cursed pond where people have died. But it is the screaming and crying of the Bean Sí, that really scares Meg. What is going on in this house? Will she live to get back into Greyscott’s?
Amy Goldsmith creates a creepy, gothic world. The house is just a part of it. She also incorporates a loch and tower; places where the boogeyman could hide and drag you to your death. The authors keep you guessing about what happens to the characters; is this a mass murder book or a supernatural book? This blending of genres creates a unique story especially when banshees are weaved in. I was on my toes the entire time.
The cast of characters are split into main and secondary characters. Goldsmith focuses more on Meg and her relationships with the Wren twins and Laure. The other characters are just supporting characters mostly tearing down Meg (other than Charlie, the only one that stayed by her side). Part of this is to keep readers suspicious of the people in the house. Is one of them a killer? It’s easy to jump to conclusions to those who don’t like Meg. But there is also enough reason to suspect them all. I kept guessing but had an idea in the back of my head that made no sense until the story reached a crescendo.
Our Wicked Histories made me keep second-guessing myself, and I could hardly put the book down. Horror fans should enjoy this one.

Thank you Random House and PRH audio for free review copies, I ended up doing a mix of reading and listening to this one! I loved this book on audio as I really enjoy a horror thriller vibe on audio.

This is a great YA horror thriller, the right notes of gothic lore are woven into this story set in Ireland while also placing the story richly in the lives of young people today, they way they talk, the way they can hurt each other, and the young minds that are working to understand bigger things about life, including revenge and anger and the complexity of relationships.

Goldsmith's work resonates with stronger gothic tones that I loved and a fast effective pace that lead to a strong twisty ending that will work well for the YA fans!

Title: Our Wicked Histories by Amy Goldsmith
Genre: YA Gothic Thriller
Pub Date: July 30, 2024

✨️ Gothic Horror
✨️ Urban Banshee Lore
✨️ Interclass Friendship
✨️ Irish Getaway Gone Wrong
✨️ Must Make Amends
✨️ Epic Betrayals
✨️ Dual Timelines

Our Wicked Histories is a YA Gothic Horror novel that follows a group of friends on an ill-fated trip to Ireland. As their friendships are tested and mysterious deaths occur, they must confront the dark history of a lake that holds many secrets.

The dual timelines made for a fast-paced read, the horror is well written for the target age group and I really enjoyed the utilization of banshee lore. While I did not develop a strong emotional attachment to any of the characters, I enjoyed their interactions (ie. catty comments, awkward/angry ex bf, lots of accusations thrown around.)
Also, I thought I had the end figured out, but I was only vaguely right and I definitely couldn't have guessed the twist! A must-read for thriller lovers.

⭐️ 4.5

Thank you so much, NetGalley and Delacorte Press, for the digital review copy ❣️