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

I wanted to love this but I felt confused the whole time I was reading, this had so much potential and it was just wordy for my taste

4.5 stars

This was even better than Amy’s first book! It revolves around a group of rich kids and one scholarship kid who come together for a Halloween party after a mysterious event caused a rift between them a few months prior. While it takes place in modern day, the spooky Irish castle setting gives it a super eerie gothic feel.

The murder mystery kept me on the edge of my seat and the flashbacks made it extra suspenseful waiting for the full reveal. It keeps you wondering if supernatural forces are really at work or if it’s all in their heads, and I actually found myself getting nervous during some of the scary parts. The ending was really intense and the plot twists were shocking & unexpected, highly recommend this!

Thank you to Random House for the ARC!

Amy Goldsmith has done it again! I loved her debut novel “Those We Drown” so I knew I was in for a treat with this one. I would argue that this one is even better!!

Our Wicked Histories is a dark young adult murder mystery thriller following a group of high school students who come together for a Samhain/Halloween party at a truly haunting Irish estate after some drama goes down between them at the end of the school year ball. Megs is trying to make amends and turn over a new leaf so that she doesn’t lose her scholarship to the fancy prep school, Greyscotts.

This book was so well organized and the plot develops beautifully. The author keeps us on our toes trying to figure out what went down between these friends. We jump around the timeline easily and are left to our own devices to try to piece together the many puzzles presented to us. This story is complex yet so easy to consume. As the pages turn your adrenaline will be pumping — this book is so captivating and hard to put down - the pacing is strong and I never felt bored or like anything was just filler. Every word was intentional and important to understanding the story as a whole. My favorite part is the ending - it was completely unpredictable for me and my jaw just kept dropping from everything that was revealed.

I am so incredibly grateful to NetGalley and Delacorte Press for the ARC in exchange for my honest review. I can’t sing enough praises about this book - I loved it so much. Amy’s writing is divine and I love consuming her literature. This will no doubt be a book I highly recommend to — if you are into fast paced paranormal, supernatural, scary, creepy, stories filled with secret and twists and tumultuous friend groups with secret love affairs that keeps you guessing then dive in! Your bones will be chilling by the end. ~ 4.5 stars

unique, dark, ominous. the cover was actually a perfect way to show us this one cause its very descriptive. be [prepared for lots of tension. tysm for the arc.

For some reason I could not get into this story. It started off so slow and I don’t think there was enough build up to the characters and the story in the beginning, so I kept getting a few of the characters confused or couldn’t place who was who. I felt like the story kept going around and around in circles until almost halfway through when something finally happened. At that point, I just wasn’t into it and I was very bored reading this unfortunately. I really wanted to like this story because the cover is beautiful and the summary seems super attractive, but it fell short for me.

Our Wicked Histories has the perfect creepy atmosphere. This is a perfect story to curl up by the fireplace with.

Amy Goldsmith is two for two in the five star department for me! This was a wholly entertaining YA supernatural thriller.

One hazy night is all it took for Meg to lose her scholarship and her friend group. None of them will talk to her, including her best friend Lottie Wren and Lottie’s twin brother, whom Meg shares history with. When Lottie extends a surprise invitation to spend Halloween weekend at Wren Hall, Meg knows this is her chance to make things right. She can get her friends back and her spot in the art school as well.

That is all easier said than done though, when the hurt among the group still runs as deep as the lake on the Wren’s estate. Legend says something lurks inside and Meg comes up close and personal with the rivaling energies of the place.

This gave the perfect creepy atmosphere. The secrets held by past and present converge and the weekend turns deadly for the group, with Meg caught in the middle.

This has one of my all time favorite settings for any and all books thriller or horror, and that is the backdrop for this twisty and dangerous read. Amy Goldsmith has a way of pulling you in with gripping characters and dark secrets.

This was fine. It was nicely written, but I didn’t like that I wasn’t sure if it was going to cross over to paranormal or not the whole time.

This book would be perfect to read around Halloween. It has everything creepy. This book is a thriller that will keep you wanting more.

After a social gaffe, scholarship girl Meg attempts to get back into the good graces of the elite at her boarding school. She goes to the ancestral home of cool-girl Lottie Wren (and, not coincidently, her hottie brother Seb) to celebrate an arty Samhain, but something sinister is afoot.

Fast-paced, with the sort of fragile, bratty, high-end wealthy young characters we've come to expect from Gossip Girl and the like, this book offers shivery, flimsy fun for fans of Gothic horror. The threat is supernatural, even as the characters' flaws drive the action. Alert readers will spot the ending long before the end, but it's got atmosphere and setting aplenty. This novel was not my cup of tea -- I did not connect with the characters or their challenges, but that's a mood issue more than a book issue.

Thanks to NetGalley, Random House Children's, and Delacourte Press for the eARC in exchange for my unfettered opinion.

This spooky, gothic mystery is ideal for Agatha Christie and "Knives Out" fans. The autumnal, eerie vibes are just elite! It packs in all the elements of a fantastical gothic thriller: a creepy, old mansion (this time Irish so that was a lovely twist!), a mysterious murder, a tumultuous friend group, and there's even some dark academia vibes too. As an Allison Saft and Silvia Moreno Garcia fan, this novel definitely appealed to me. "Our Wicked Histories" did an amazing job creating terror and unease from not only the creepy atmosphere, but the discontent and bad vibes amongst the female friend group. The shared animosity of the characters only adds to the well-written uneasiness of the main mystery.

I loved the author’s first book Those We Drown but this one fell a little flat for me. I still really enjoyed it. To me, it just wasn’t as good as Those We Drown. Some of the story felt like it dragged on a little bit. But the atmosphere and spooky vibes were great! I really enjoyed the ending! Thanks to Netgalley and the Publisher for a copy of the arc in return for an honest review!

Um oh my god this was terrifying and bone-chilling and brilliantly written, ahhhhh

This is a dark murder mystery with mild paranormal elements thrown in, set in a stormy, thunder-y setting at a dreary, creepy old mansion in the countryside, with a group of high schoolers with infi drama between them. The set up of the social groups and sub-groups and the past/present narrations were done so well, and the horror aspect of the book was super creepy and horrifying please 😭

The ending >>> the murder mystery is tied up and explained so well (well, there are a few hanging threads about the future, but well, it's an Amy Goldsmith book, the ending is gonna be equal parts hopeful and recovery from the horror and left for the reader to imagine), it was really satisfying.

BUT STILL, Amy, what do you think about writing a short chapter about poor Meg having some peace and fun? 🥲🥲

TWs - horror, murder, drowning, death, betrayal, cheating, stalking, gaslighting

-- ty to the author, the publisher and Netgalley for an advanced copy!

Our Wicked Histories is an excellent sophomore novel by Amy Bishop. She has created fully fleshed out characters with a gnarly social hierarchy, placed them all inside a gothic Irish castle, included dark foreshadowing and a dual timeline which added to the tension of a *possible* murder. The mystery and dark shadows within this book are an absolute delight. Despite getting annoyed with the MC often, I found her incredibly believable, the poor choices she made furthering the plot into the viciousness of the supernatural and non-supernatural entities of this book. I’ve got to admit though, you couldn’t pay me to try to stick around and be friends with this group of characters. And for that reason, I thoroughly enjoyed reading the nuance of them trying to coexist together, particularly when things stopped going their way.

Thank you to Netgalley, the publisher, and the author for providing an ARC for my honest review.