Thank you so much to Random House Children's Books/Delacorte Press for allowing me to read the e-arc of OUR WICKED HISTORIES. This review is entirely my own thoughts and opinions!

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OUR WICKED HISTORIES is a captivating tale of Irish mythology, murder mystery, and the complexities of private school friendships and relationships. Meg is a scholarship student to a prestigious private school and somehow managed to become friends with the "in" crowd at the school—until disaster struck at the Midsummer Ball and suddenly she's at risk of being expelled and abandoned by her friends. When an invitation to a Halloween Party at the Wren ancestral Ireland family home arrives for her, she jumps at it, hoping to be able to make amends with her friends and keep her place at the school secured. What seemed like a weekend of fun, shenanigans and making amends soon turns into a nightmare as Meg begins to uncover secrets and her friends go missing.


MY THOUGHTS:

You ever finish a book and just kinda sit there wondering how the heck you're gonna write a review for this book because it was just so dang good it completely melted your brain into head empty no thoughts only happy 5 star book vibes? Yea, this book did that to me.

From the start, the book captivated me and its pages turned, the harder it became to put it down. It's a multi-timeline story, bouncing between the current events of Meg and crew's stay at the Wren Manor and the past, focusing on her relationships with the circle and how things fell apart. Normally, this form of storytelling can put me off because I get irritated with the constant cliffhangers each timeline is paused on, but I was so invested in how Meg got to where she is and what happened at the Midsummer Ball and what is happening now that the switches in timeline never bothered me. The author also did a fantastic job of tying in the past with the present. Each time there was a switch from present to past, the past almost always tied in somehow to the present, giving reasons to each individual's reactions and relationships with each other. It was incredibly well done and very well thought out.

This is my first time indulging in Amy Goldsmith's writing and oh my goodness, its a treat! She keeps the atmosphere tight, never deviating from the spooky, ominous feeling that hangs over this tale. Even when we delve into the past, the ominous feeling still hangs over it with the knowledge that <i> something </i> happened at the Midsummer Ball and we're creeping ever closer to the reveal as tensions heighten, both in the past and in the present. I greatly appreciated the aspect of the paranormal with the inclusion on the Irish lore of the <i> baen sí</i>. It was just flat out creepy and lended the tale a plethora of nail biting moments.

In regards to the characters, good lord, we've got toxic, self obsessed, desperate, shady, loyal, uppity, over the top, insecure, vapid—all rolled into one discordant group of friends. It makes for fantastic tension as you wonder if the disappearances are caused by one of them or if the legend of the banshee is real. There were really no characters that were misses for me, even if certain personalities irked me.

Overall, this was an AMAZING read for me. My head is still reeling from the ending. Fantastically spooky and the kind of horror I love to treat myself to.

I inhaled this. If I could erase my memory to read this story again I would. I cannot get over Amy’s gorgeous writing like her descriptions are so wildly beautiful I want to cry and sit next to her so she can teach me her ways. I was proper spooked and will probably never look in a mirror again. This spectacularly creepy fast paced story will have you at the edge of your seat. Love, love, love.

Last year I was lucky enough to read an ARC of THOSE WE DROWN, and I was thrilled to get a copy of Amy's second book. Wow, from the cover-- one of my favorites of the year!-- to the premise, I was in. The atmosphere was :: chef's kiss:: and I was scared more than once. Unraveling the mystery kept me flipping into the wee hours of the night, and I really enjoyed the backstory scenes a lot, which made the present narrative slow down deliciously so. Well done, and I can't wait to read what Amy comes up with next!

In our wicked history by Amy Goldsmith we get another banger of Gothic teen horror this time we meet Megan after causing a kerfuffle while attending her summer ball at the prestigious school she attends on scholarship (something no one in the book let you forget.) after three months of not speaking to her Uber Ricch “friends“, Lottie calls and invites her to a Sawin party at there Irish estate and Megan can’t wait to be reunited with the twins Lottie is her best friend and Zeb is her crush. Right after arriving in Ireland the cab driver almost crashes but when Megan sees a girl on side the road crying the cabdriver quickly pulls off and almost denies it even happened. That will not be the last siding of the girl Megan sees and is only the beginning of the weird thing this book becomes. It definitely has a Gothic feel and they were many great things about this book I just thought the summer ball her having to apologize and the whole ghost story was all a bit much. My biggest question is even despite the ending who would want to have these people as friends? Also, they kept acting as if she was a loose cannon but the book I read she was just defending herself… I guess that’s what you have to go through when you are materialistic because that is all she kept bemoaning losing all the luxuries the namebrand clothes and how many times did she walk in the room and we had to listen to how it was the same size of her whole flat. I like the overall story but hate when reading a book and there is no one to root for and Megan is no hero. I mean why would you date a guy that only acts interested when no one is looking? Either way the characters are horrible people but the story is a really good one and if you love ya horror then you’ll definitely enjoy this book I want to thank random children’s for my free arc copy via NetGalley please forgive any mistakes as I am blind and dictate my review.

This is the exact kind of genre of book you’d want to read in a rainy day or night with a steaming cup of earl grey and a candle lit. The authors note at the beginning sets the tone, stating that she was inspired by the Irish legend of a harbinger of death and her association with water, which inspired her to create Wren Lake. With comparisons to Poe and Bly Manor, you know before even starting what kind of vibes you’re going to get.

This book started out strong. The bleak setting starts from the first page, down to the weather. I never thought of Ireland as a dark or foreboding place, but the gray skies, constant rain, and “sullen black clouds” make it feel like you’re in a Poe story. The book even takes place during Halloween. Picture twisted elms creating a tunnel leading to a bleak manor covered in moss and ivy, being hit by unrelenting rain and permanent gray skies. For anyone looking for a gothic setting for this next read, this is exactly what you’re looking for. A+ for atmosphere at the beginning because this book starts out very foreboding.

After a strong start, as it continues, it starts to feel more inauthentic. In the sense that, it is trying too hard to be creepy when it really is not creepy at all. The beginning plays up the gothic aspect, building anticipation, but then the bulk of the book becomes just high school teen drama. I found myself getting less and less interested in it all. It kind of gave, trying to feel like Crimson Peak/Bly Manor/Poe but not successfully achieving that. In the end it just ended up being….just okay. If anything it just made me feel like rereading Erin Craig’s sisters of the salt series because those genuinely are fully gothic fiction to the core.

Thank you to Netgalley and Delacorte for sending me an advanced copy in return for my honest review!

Thank you to NetGalley and Delacorte Press for the ARC of this book!

If the title, cover art, and "Fear death by water" tagline didn't get you interested in this book already, listen up. Private school teens get trapped in an ancestral Irish estate, which includes a lake with partially submerged statues, on Halloween. Loosely based on The Fall of the House of Usher by Poe, this creepy gothic horror was hard to put down. I enjoyed this adaptation of Poe's work more than the Netflix show by the same name. The book time jumps between the current Halloween weekend, and what happened before to cause a rift between the friends. Slowly you begin to piece together what happened, while people start going missing. Our main POV Meg has always felt like the outsider, but in this circumstance it gives her the advantage to figure out the truth. Don't go near the lake.

Gripping and gorgeously written, Amy Goldsmith reinforces her inimitable talent with OUR WICKED HISTORIES. Her latest YA horror-thriller fusion takes readers on a voyage through time, as protagonist Meg works to win back old friends while unraveling the harrowing mystery of Wren Hall — one that ultimately links tragic past with haunted present.

Thanks to NetGalley and Random House for an ARC!

3.75 stars

I really enjoyed the slow burn atmospheric writing. I love rich kid stories and this one was no different. This was spooky and engaging and I think adults and teens will enjoy it equally.

Bly Manor meets Poe in this twisted tale that’s easy to get tangled up in upon reading the first page.

“Our Wicked Histories” details Meg’s fall from grace amongst the upper class peers from her school following an outburst that lead to her suspension. With the gloomy backdrop of an ancestral home her attempts to seek forgiveness are lost against the screams of someone lurking by the lake and when tragedy strikes all eyes are on her to lay blame but is the culprit something far more sinister?

What a great follow up to a debut!

This book has so many fun pieces and unfolds beautifully as we dive into the mystery of what happened at the ball which leaves our protagonist as the outcast and at the same time trying to figure out what is lurking outside. I have always been a fan of unreliable narrators and this book hits that sweet spot and just keeps going and I couldn’t read it fast enough.

With the plot taking place at different points in time we were able to see the layers to this group of people and how they came to be and how they fell apart which made the tension and suspicion so palpable when things took a turn for the worst giving everyone a motive. I really felt like we got a good feel of these characters as we moved through the book making a majority of the twists and turns really pay off.

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.

This was a really great read and cements that this is an author to be excited about. I can’t wait to see where we may end up next!

*special thanks to the publishers and netgalley for providing an arc in exchange for a fair and honest review**

Thank you, Netgalley, for the ARC!

I was completely hooked by this terrifying ghost story, which the author claims was inspired by Poe’s The Fall of the House of Usher.

Initially, I wasn't sure I would connect to the characters as they are primarily spoilt and rich, but as the larger plot is unraveled via flashbacks, the author cleverly reveals greater depth. These characters are not just rich for the sake of it; there is interesting commentary on classicism present, too.

The rainy Irish setting and rambling run-down house setting are perfection and the part with the ouijaboard early on had me so gripped. There are gorgeous set pieces in the form of costume parties, and I was very intrigued by Seb’s character. I could not predict the twists and the ending left me open mouthed!

Five scary stars.

Oh I loved this one - just a bit too much buildup for me, rounded up to 5 stars.
A gorgeous ode to Poe's House of Usher .
The dual timeline - EXPERT level
Characters - Shady, Vapid, Cringe, Toxic, Discordant and so very petty
Loved the MC - Meg just wants her live to go on after becoming unhinged at the Summer Ball.
Slow build, loved the development of Seb - though the repetition did get tedious. Again the slow build was long.
Creepy twins, creepy house, creepy lake with half submerged statues - LOVED it.

This was a slow read for me, but it did get better at about the halfway mark. I enjoyed the latter half a lot more, but I don't think this is a book I will come back to reread anytime soon.

I did not know what to expect with this read, but it sounded like I would really enjoy it. I thoroughly enjoyed the setting in this novel, and the unreliable narrator added the touch it needed. At first I wasn't sure that I was enjoying the characters, and I had a hard time connecting with them. The flashbacks, which don't always work, really added depth to the characters and I forgot about how much I didn't like them. Really, I think the fact that they're all very normal and not very nice was refreshing. I also loved the lore and the absolute creepiness. This ended up being much more likable once I got to the end. It was the need to know what was happening that made it impossible to put down. I'll be sure to read this author again soon!

4.6 rounded up to 5/5.

"Our Wicked Histories" by Amy Goldsmith is a chilling and atmospheric literary horror that grips readers from the very first page and refuses to let go until the final, spine-tingling conclusion.

Set against the backdrop of the eerie Wren Hall in Ireland, the novel follows Meg as she embarks on a weekend getaway with her former friend group, the wealthy and enigmatic Wren twins. Desperate to salvage her reputation and mend fences after a mysterious incident led to her suspension from school, Meg is willing to do whatever it takes to earn their forgiveness.

Goldsmith masterfully weaves together elements of mystery, suspense, and supernatural intrigue, drawing readers into a world where ancient legends and dark secrets lurk beneath the surface. The tension builds steadily throughout the story, as Meg grapples with the unsettling atmosphere of Wren Hall and the sinister forces that seem to be at play.

The novel's wicked twist on Edgar Allan Poe's "The Fall of the House of Usher" adds an extra layer of depth and intrigue, keeping readers guessing as to what is real and what is merely rumor. While the pacing may start slowly, it gradually intensifies, keeping readers on the edge of their seats as the truth behind Wren Hall's dark history is slowly revealed.

The characters are gripping and well-drawn, each with their own secrets and motivations that add to the complexity of the story. Meg's journey of self-discovery and redemption is compelling, as she confronts her past and struggles to uncover the truth behind the mysteries of Wren Hall.

While the narrative may occasionally shift back and forth, Goldsmith's skillful storytelling and masterful pacing keep readers engaged and invested in the unfolding mystery. The unpredictable ending delivers a satisfying resolution to the murder mystery that lies at the heart of the story, tying up loose ends while leaving readers with lingering questions and a sense of unease.

With its atmospheric setting, gripping characters, and wickedly twisty plot, "Our Wicked Histories" is a must-read for fans of literary horror. Goldsmith proves herself to be a master of the genre, delivering a haunting and unforgettable tale that will linger in readers' minds long after they've turned the final page.

What can I say, I love mysteries in remote places. Our Wicked Histories gave me exactly that. I did not expect anything that happened in this book. I couldn't put it down. I will absolutely be seeking out Amy Goldsmith's other novel.

I'd like to thank NetGalley and the publisher for allowing me a chance at reading this book.

If you're from south london, you might enjoy this book. The book features a bunch of posh teens at an estate during Halloween. Apparently something happened the previous year between our main lead female and the friend group. It isn't known, but over time we are treated to flashbacks and characters giving a piece of the puzzle as to why she is on the outs with all these people.

The creepy aspect is that the person who is throwing the party at this manor is obsessed with painting pictures of a girl with long brown hair, a white dress, and dark eyes. Apparently she had drowned in the lake some time ago and haunts the lake. People bring her up often, but we really haven't seen any creepy things happen so to speak.

At 40% the story wasn't moving anywhere, the setting wasn't moody enough for me, and I h0nestly grew tired of being lead through a dull as fuck haunted house / teen drama story.

Actual Rating 3.5

I’m not going to lie – I read this book simply because of the cover, though the title is quite strong too. I was pleasantly surprised by how enjoyable it was overall.

The moments of suspense and horror in this book were well written. They were tense and the descriptions were evocative, creating immersive and spooky moments. Similarly, the author did an excellent job with the atmosphere of this read. From the setting descriptions to small events, the tension and darkness of the setting came through in a meaningful way.

The mystery wasn’t quite as strong and was a little predictable. There were even times when I wanted to shake Meg a bit and point her in the right direction. The flashbacks also became a bit too lengthy as the book went on – they provided good background, not all of it necessary, and did detract some from the tension and atmosphere of the primary plot. However, the quick pacing of the read and the author’s writing skills kept me fully engaged and as long as I didn’t stop to think too much, I found myself sucked into the narrative.

If you’re interested in atmospheric YA supernatural suspense/horror that involves teen drama and relationships, then this is certainly worth checking out. My thanks to NetGalley and Random House for allowing me to read this work, which will be published July 30, 2024. All thoughts and opinions expressed in this review are my own.

Wonderful, marvelous book ever. I adored this story. The author is great always. I would highly recommend
10/10

A teen girl’s attempt to make amends with her former friend group takes a sinister turn during a weekend getaway at an ancestral Irish estate in this atmospheric, literary horror from the author of Those We Drown.

Fantastic Y.A. gothic horror! This feels like it was written just for me. I loved it so much!

What worked: A wicked twist on THE FALL OF THE HOUSE OF USHER. This Gothic horror tale starts slowly and builds when some friends meet during Halloween at an Irish manor. Mix in some Irish urban legends of the Banshee and this is one thriller guaranteed to keep the reader guessing.

Meg isn't like her wealthy friends at an inclusion private school and when Lottie Wren asks her to the retreat to help her get back into school after being suspended? Meg is quick to accept. This is where the story has a whole I KNOW WHAT YOU DID LAST NIGHT vibe going for it. Mysterious and creepy things pop up like a maid that no one else sees except Meg. Rumors from the locals of the manor being cursed and even a glimpse of the Banshee at the river circulate.

I liked how the reader is kept guessing on what is fact and what is just rumors. Meg's so-called friend's truths are revealed after the Ouiji board reading. Then one friend goes missing. More unanswered questions and some subtle creepiness have Meg second-guessing her stay. And it doesn't help that Meg has a troubling past that implicates her.

The Wren twins are beautiful, talented, and very wealthy. I admit I was surprised at who was playing who in this suspenseful novel. Seb's warning at the beginning of the story is one that Meg later wishes she heeded. All the friends have their secrets. Some are darker than others.

Slow moving at times, the author does go back and forth in time which can be distracting. Readers see what leads up to the reason behind Meg's suspension, but it doesn't tell the whole story.

Gothic horror mixed with secrets and urban Irish legends set in a creepy manor in Ireland.
Good Points
1. Gothic horror tale
2. I Know What You Did Last Night meets Gothic thriller