After seeing the cover art reveal on Instagram and then reading the blip, I was very excited to have the chance to receive this book as an ARC. The hype did not disappoint. The main character, Megan Green, is so relatable. I love how she is sarcastic and down to earth. I was pleased with how easy of a read this was. I always understood what was going on, and none of the scenes were awkward or ambiguous but I was left turning the pages dying to find out what was really happening. I did find the ~mystery~ antagonist to be a little predictable but even so I was not left feeling any less entertained. I’d say this book is appropriate from audiences of 14 years of age or older as there is a fair amount of adult language and explores intimate scenes which I find appropriate for teenagers/ young adults, but that is definitely a preference and conversation for the potential parent/guardian of the reader to decide on their own. I loved the romantic side plot which elicited physical reactions of shock and amusement!!!
The descriptions of the paranormal element left me chilled and multiple times I found myself examining the dark corners of my room hoping I wouldn’t find the horrors of this book manifested themself there, waiting to snatch me and drag me into that disgusting lake….
Not only was the romance and scare factor enough to keep me turning pages and hanging on the edge of my seat, but the way Amy Goldsmith masterfully twisted the past with the present to convey the story added the perfect element of mystery and suspense.
10/10 would read this again and I’d recommend it to a friend!

Big thank you NetGalley and to the publisher for the chance to review this book pre-release. I really enjoyed this book, it was atmospheric, and while the pacing was a little slow, it was still really engaging, and I liked the characters. Ms. Goldsmith will remain one of my favorite YA authors! A more formal review will be available on my IG/TikTok and Goodreads.

This mix of dark academia, “And then there were none” premise and supernatural elements is impossibly creepy. Any creepier and I would have had to read it in church. With a priest. And a SWAT team. And my Mom holding my hand. Inspired by The Fall of the House of Usher, Meg is thrilled to be invited to Wren Hall. There was an unspecified incident that will cost her her scholarship to a prestigious art school unless she makes amendments to all her friends and frenemies. Even before she gets to her friends’ mansion, spooky things start to happen. Deeply disturbing things. Is there a supernatural entity? Is it just bad humans? Both? The environment is described in such atmospheric detail that you can almost feel the rain lashing your face. Wren Hall is dilapidated and dark, but also imposing. Despite being spoiled rich kids, I related to Meg’s friends. Even the unlikable ones. Meg herself is a normal scholarship student, but I didn’t like her that much. She is impulsive, has anger issues and makes the worst decision possible at every given time, but she is really trying to change, so it was easy to root for her. The ending was not completely unexpected but, with the suspense factor dialed to 11, I didn’t have time to care. But back to the creepiness factor, I give it 9.9 out of 10. The author works with the darkness to mess with Meg’s (and our) mind. Really good.
I chose to read this book and all opinions in this review are my own and completely unbiased. Thank you, NetGalley/Random House Children's | Delacorte Press.

OUR WICKED HISTORIES, is the second novel I have read by Amy Goldsmith. This is one that grabs you from the start, and makes you question all of your theories as the novel progresses.

Meg, a less-than-wealthy aspiring artist, wins a scholarship for a prestigious school that her mother is the head custodian for. Surrounded by entitled teenagers used to the rank and privilege that money provides, Meg feels like a "pretender", an outsider who clearly doesn't belong with these people. Much to her surprise, one of the popular Wren twins, Lottie, takes her under her wing immediately. With Lottie, Meg is moved into her "center circle", made to feel almost a part of the group. Of course, others resent this, and don't miss a chance to put her down as a "pity case". Lottie's brother, Seb, being the perfect persona of a handsome rich boy who gets what he wants, complicates matters in his own way . . .

I felt that we got great characterization for the main characters, and just enough of the side characters to make it feel fleshed out. Going by the age of the characters, their motivations and actions seemed realistic. The story flowed so well that I really thought about it, even when I WASN'T actively reading it! The one issue that I had was how impatient I was to find out WHAT exactly happened at a summer ball, that leads to the story we are told. A huge falling out between Meg and another of Lottie's group leads to Meg being possibly suspended from the school. This incident is referred to often, but not fully understood until the end. After a tumultuous summer of "social exile", Meg receives an invitation to Lottie and Seb's ancestral home--a decrepit "mansion" surrounded by a weedy bog, with an unsavory reputation. Also invited, were the rest of Lottie's "inner circle", and Seb.

The entire Wren family, who had no care for their workers in the past, have never been forgiven for the deaths and heartache they caused through their use and disposal of local workers who originally built this old home. The place is ominous from the beginning, with tales of a vengeful Banshee, and several deaths by drowning in the weed infested bog.

"What would be found if they drained it? What had made it what it was? Not just a body of water but something terrible.....Something that soaked into the mind like an ugly stain."

Overall, the atmosphere of this novel was top tier. I actually cared about what was happening to the characters, and couldn't wait to find out what was happening out there in the isolated land. The issue that bothered me was how suddenly things were remembered at the end of the story, in order to wrap things up. Personally, I feel the story would have been just as tense and gripping if we had known most of that incident from the beginning. A very solid novel that I honestly enjoyed!

Recommended.

*I received an arc of this novel through NetGalley and the publisher. All opinions expressed in this review are uniquely my own.*

Thank you NetGalley and to the publishers for giving me this arc in exchange for my honest review.

I DNF’D this book pretty early on,I couldn’t get into this,I just think it wasn’t for me!

I was expecting a gothic atmosphere from the cover and this story delivered. The characters and story were captivating and the pacing worked really well.

I was immediately interested in “Our Wicked Histories” as we are told in the synopsis that the story is set in an Irish, gothic hall and what could go wrong? It was curious to find out that Amy Goldsmith was inspired by Edgar Allen Poe’s “The Fall of the House of Usher” - I haven’t read it but have seen the trailer for the Netflix show and went in expecting creepy along with gothic. My expectations were met of a gothic atmosphere and I will now reconsider some trips to old halls and places.

The story flip flops between the present and past; however, it was a bit confusing as there was often no clear delineation that we were suddenly reading a flashback. I also found the ending to be a bit abrupt. This is quite a lengthy read with a lot of build up that maybe some of that page count could’ve been allocated to the ending.

I found Megan to be an okay character - I didn’t love her and I didn’t hate her. I did find her annoying when it came to Sebastien - he was boring in my opinion. As for the other characters, none of them were likable which may be the point but they also didn’t make me want to throw the book away if that makes sense. It does make it harder to connect to the characters and care for them in the long run.

Overall, I found this to be an interesting read but it was too long. If you enjoyed “The Secret History,” I recommend “Our Wicked Histories” - both have gothic atmospheres and creepy twins.

This book had me at the edge of my seat. This was amazing. The gothic atmosphere, characters, and writing was done so well. This was a well done dark academia and perfect for the fall season. I was fascinated by the Irish Folklore. The mystery was don e so well and I wasn't expecting the ending.

I loved the story, the world building and meeting the different characters. I felt completely immersed in the story and couldn't stop reading it.

The cover was the first reason why I wanted to read this book. It’s absolutely stunning. The summary sounded right up my alley, unfortunately I just thought this book was ok.

To me, it was a slow start and I struggled to get invested in the story. I do think this book will be widely loved, and I may even give it another shot in the future when I’m in the mood for a slower paced atmospheric mystery.

I received an ARC from the publisher in exchange for an honest review

Our Wicked Histories by Amy Goldsmith is a first-person POV YA horror reimagining of The Fall of the House of Usher. When Meg is contacted by her old friend, Lottie Wren, for a chance to redeem herself and return to the art school of her dreams, Meg jumps at the chance. Not only will her future be put back on track, but she’ll also be in close contact with Seb, Lottie’s twin brother and Meg’s crush. But not everyone is happy to see Lottie and there are secrets hiding in the waters of Ireland.

What I really liked about this was the prose. There’s a real beauty to the descriptions in their creepiness but also in how Goldsmith writes Meg’s longing for Seb, leaning into poetic language to create a realistic look at teenage first loves feeling like The One without becoming overwrought and stale. The descriptions of the paintings were just the right amount to set the tone and capture the ideas to help stimulate the imagination.

Meg and Lottie’s friendship is complicated by Meg’s secret feelings for Seb and it twists further with the addition of Laure, a long-time member of Lottie’s friend group who is also in love with Seb and has been for some time. Laure is possessive of Seb and antagonizes Meg at every chance when she realizes that not only does Meg have a crush on Seb, but that Seb is attracted to Meg. Lottie remains oblivious to Meg’s feelings but is well aware of Laure’s crush. To further flesh their relationship out, we get flashbacks that slowly peel back what happened on the night that caused Meg to get expelled and what happened between her, Laure, and Seb.

There are also glimpses of the legend of the bean si (banshee) and her relationship to the lake outside the Wren mansion as well as mentions of the Irish potato famine. The use of modern Irish for the bean si and then translating it to the common Anglicanized version help draw attention to Irish folklore and the Irish language. It is especially important to do so for minority languages, such as Irish, as they help create more avenues for readers to learn and take an interest in those languages and cultures.

I would recommend this to fans of horror set in Ireland with British characters, readers looking for horror related to Irish folklore and traditions, and those looking for a reimagining of The Fall of the House of Usher that is fairly removed from the new Netflix show.

This totally Gothic horror book had me hooked! It was so atmospheric and consuming. This is the 2nd best book I've read this year. A horror must read!!!
I just reviewed Our Wicked Histories by Amy Goldsmith. #OurWickedHistories #NetGalley
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Meg was expelled from her elite private school after an “incident” at the summer ball six weeks ago. But now, over fall break, she has a chance to make amends when the popular Lottie Wren invites her to spend Halloween at her ancestral manor in Ireland with their old group of friends. But things feel off immediately: Wren Hall is practically in ruins, and local legend says a banshee lives in the lake out back. As events begin to unfold, Meg’s anxiety increases and she worries that she should have just stayed home, even if it meant missing out on a chance to get back into school. Because all the secrets are coming out this week, and there are some that will change things forever.

The atmosphere of this book cannot be understated. It was absolutely amazing. The gothic nature of the mansion, the tension between Meg and her former friends, and everyone tip-toeing around the fact that something is going horribly wrong. I mean, what more could you want? It’s a pretty big mind-altering affect to, because it becomes hard to tell what exactly happening and what’s just exaggeration or paranoia. Everything becomes blurred, even for readers.

However, I was able to figure out a couple of the “twists” before they were revealed, though I still enjoyed the book overall. There’s still enough going on that you want to read to the end to see how everyone ends up and how it all works out.

Also, fans of Irish lore and culture will love all the references to local legends and history. This book is filled with so much Irish ghostly tales, it was so interesting.

Overall, this was a great book with an intense atmosphere and story, even though it’s labeled as “YA.” I have no qualms recommending it to anyone who loves a good mystery/thriller!

*Spoilers*

I tend to rate on the experience/enjoyment of reading the book, so the 2/5 here does not reference the writing or the talent of the author, which was perfectly fine and nicely polished. There were some downright spooky moments that gave me chills. It does however reflect how four major problems I encountered while reading ruined my enjoyment.

The first, Our Wicked Histories could not decide if it was a murder mystery or a paranormal mystery or what. I appreciate a little mixed genre, but the way the plot unfurled these issues felt like you're getting jerked around.

The second was that the "culprit" was telegraphed so badly from scene to scene that there was no surprise when we got to the end. My eARC copy contained a note from the author at the beginning re: writing inspired by the Fall of the House of Usher and perhaps this influenced my suspicions but this ultimately resulted in a thrill-less thriller.

The third was the absolute crime of abusing the "Oh and then I remembered what really happened" trope without any complicating circumstances. Meg could have been drugged. Lottie could have started feeding her the fake story right on the dock. Whatever, just there has to be a reason she has forgotten and then suddenly remembers what really happened. Not that she just comes to three months later when it's convenient for the plot.

Finally, the fact that the author and editorial team didn't catch how it was like two pages between Meg swearing off Seb and then Meg once again cuddling with him on the lake shore at the end was just annoying. Meg just bends to serve the plot as needed over and over again.

YA readers will enjoy the spookiness of this setting, but anyone looking for a tightly plotted mystery should look elsewhere

Thanks NetGalley for the read!

Our Wicked Histories is a mind bending thriller with a hint of the supernatural. I thoroughly enjoyed reading this book it was a great storyline that kept you guessing all the way to the end. I love that even though you don’t trust the friend circle it’s convoluted enough you can’t truly guess what actually happened and still in motion. Very well done and crafted. I definitely recommend reading it!

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for allowing me to review this book.

While I loved the moody atmosphere of this book, it was less about ghosts and such than I wanted it to be. More, it focused on a girl pining after a boy. I figured out who was behind a lot of the goings on almost immediately. Also, some of the lore in the book was a little confusing and not fleshed out like it could have been. I've always been fascinated by Ireland and banshees, but this version was different and I don'[t know how well it all fits together. I wanted more depth and substance than I got with this book.

Perfectly creepy and wicked, the story stayed fast paced throughout with no pauses making it hard to stop reading. The banshee lore and the suspense had me in love and a little creeped out from the very start.
The only thing I didn't enjoy was the abruptness of going back to past memories, there were a few times I had to reread a few paragraphs to figure out where / when I was in the story due to only a few spaces between paragraphs with odd structuring.
However, I did enjoy reading the past memories to give more life to these characters, it really helped me to understand the tension and drama within the group, and made me care more when things got heavy, and the action started.
Overall, the atmosphere made this a perfect gothic read.

I’m a big fan of mythology and this story very much felt like it could have belonged in a revamped fairytale while also having that lore lay in the background allowing the reader to wonder if that was another thing to question aka is it a monster or man and I think I loved that most.
The vibes were off the chart spectacular. I love all things gothic and mysterious!

The cover quickly drew me in, but I struggled with the book a bit. I was never really able to fully engage with it. The pace was slower than I expected, and things were a bit confusing, particularly at the beginning. It was hard to keep some of the characters straight because the storyline seemed to just go back and forth with really nothing happening. I did appreciate the spooky vibes and the setting, as well as the ending.

Grab a blanket and make sure you have your nightlight on readers, this book will leave you wanting to pull it over your head to keep the things that go bump in the night away. "Our Wicked Histories" is the perfect blend of gothic horror with symbalance to Poe. I absolutely cannot wait to re-read this story as a one of my spooky reads this October. Suspense, horror, the supernatural, and mythology mixed in with the rich kid story line this is the perfect book for young adults and I will be purchasing a copy for my library and I know it will fly off the. shelves. Well done Amy Goldsmith!