Whew!

Goldsmith’s sophomore novel Our Wicked Histories is a top-tier slice of contemporary gothic set in a damp and dreary manor house by a lake.

Meg, an artistic girl with anger issues, is attempting to apologize for mistakes she made at a party but turns out nothing is as simple as it seems...

Man. I loved both the writing and the poetry references that were snuck-in. Not to mention the descriptions that definitely scored high on the creep-factor. The fall setting was perfection and I loved how the characters interacted with each other and how their relationships changed throughout the story and as we learnt about their 'wicked histories'.

I was immersed in this book from the get-go and found it difficult to put down!

Unreservedly 5 stars.
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Thanks to Delacorte Press through Netgalley for an advance copy. This book will be published on 07/30/24.

I loved loved this book even if it did leave me scared to use the bathroom at night!

Our wicked histories is a gothic ghost story with a twist. We follow Meg to a run-down mansion in Ireland where she attempts to make amends with her friends after she messed up at a Christmas party.

There is wonderful atmospheric description and I felt really immersed in the landscape. There was also a feeling of doom as the story went on and things were revealed.

I’d recommend this for fans of gothic horror and dark academia.


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Thank you to the Publisher for sending me an arc in exchange for review!


After reading Those We Drown and being absolutely blown away by it, I knew i wanted Our Wicked Histories immediately. However I feel like it completely missed the mark. I was really hoping for this sense of dread for the horror that was coming like I experienced in the authors previous work and it never came. Not to mention that the main character didn't want to make me root for her. She complained constantly over a boy not paying attention to her after a blow up she had with a friend despite people dying around her.

The ending felt very predictable and I saw it coming from Chapter 1.

OUR WICKED HISTORIES has everything I loved from Goldsmith’s debut, THOSE WE DROWN, including:
🌊 gorgeous prose and imagery that transforms the mundane under disturbing shadows
🌊 the ability to use the same phrases over and over, each time twisting them with increasingly sinister meaning
🌊 gaslighting mixed with slipping sanity
🌊 mythology
🌊 large casts that drop like flies with no one to trust

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OUR WICKED HISTORIES cements Amy Goldsmith as an auto-buy author for me. For horror fans and anyone that loves gorgeous writing, this one had me losing sleep. The only thing that kept me from reading all night was being afraid to keep going in the dark.

I cannot wait for her next book. Thank you so much for the ARC!

I received a complimentary copy of this book. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own. (via Netgalley)

This was an engaging read and I finished it in one sitting. It gave me supernatural homicidal Gossip Girl vibes lol. The world building was great and the characters, while not all particularly likeable, weer done well.

5 ⭐️

from the first page, megs immersive voice had me tumbling through the book. this was such an creepy gothic read!

what I liked:
the atmosphere! wren house is so well described that I was afraid every moment I was there
the lore! I haven’t read a young adult book about a banshee before and the horrors felt fresh
the nods to art and literature were perfection!
the dreamlike, ghostly atmosphere of horror at the house
how the flashbacks slowly revealed more, cranking up the tension and giving dark academia feels

An absolute must read!

Thank you, NetGalley and Delacorte Press, for an advance review copy for free. I am leaving this review voluntarily

Our Wicked Histories is much more Gothic than I usually read, but I loved it. The setting — from the estate to the lake to the folly — was so atmospheric and creepy. While the plot started out strong, it felt both dragged out and underdeveloped. I wish there was less time spent on flashbacks and more emphasis on strengthening the current timeline. There are still some moments I'm genuinely confused about; I'm sure the ambiguity is intended, but a little more clarity on some things would have tied things together in a stronger way.

Um, the gothic atmosphere in this one is IMMACULATE?!

Meg, our MC, gets a scholarship at Greyscotts, a fancy prep school. Once there, she’s welcomed into a circle of similarly arty friends. Her best friend has a cute brother who takes an interest in Meg, but when I tell you their relationship is not plain sailing. Things between them come to a head at an end-of-semester party, and Meg’s actions that night lead to her being cast out of the group. When she gets the chance to apologize a few months later, at her friend’s creepy Irish manor house, she takes it. But things do NOT go as planned.

I read "Our Wicked Histories" so quickly, like I flew through it. The chapters are short and end in cliffhangers, which is a style I like. I enjoyed how the author weaved in the story of how Meg came to be friends with everyone and all the drama that went down between them before the ball. Some of the writing in this book was so so beautiful, and I found Meg to be an engaging and sympathetic character.

If you’re looking for a book that will thrill you with gothic hauntings and is dark academia-adjacent, this is the book for you. It’s a perfect fall read and I will absolutely be recommending it.

Thank you to NetGalley and Delacorte Press for an eARC of "Our Wicked Histories" in exchange for an honest review!

Our Wicked Histories is a stunning look at our own personal histories mixed with those who came before us. How places remember that history while our minds try to move on.

I loved the Irish folklore with Samhain and the Bean sí. The setting of the Wren’s ancestral home and the incorporation of Britain’s overlooked dark history with the Irish famine added the appropriate horror. I could have done without the school drama, especially Sebastian’s fickleness, but everything else was perfectly haunting and also informative.

This had all of Goldsmith’s signature atmospheric writing from her debut, Those We Drown. I love how deftly she weaves mythology and folklore into her modern-day tales. She’s crafting her place amongst YA gothic horror fiction and I cannot wait to see what she writes next!

Thank you to NetGalley, Delacorte Press, and Random House for the e-arc in exchange for an honest review.

Our Wicked Histories was a whirlwind of a read immersed in Irish folklore and a band of characters that you'll love and hate. I can't say I enjoyed the romance or any of the characters much but I did love the story and the brooding atmosphere it delivers! I really enjoyed the creepy setting of Wren Hall and its surrounding lake and marshy terrain. The author describes the lake and the old Irish house in such an unsettling way and you can picture it clearly in your mind as you read the story. The banshee and the folklore around it was such a captivating and atmospheric part of the creep factor along with all the wailing, crying and long dripping hair. I also enjoyed that this 100% felt like a gothic tale as well. The mystery surrounding the deaths of Meg's friends after she arrives at Wren Hall was really intriguing and I definitely was left guessing what actually was going on and who or what the killer was. The ending was a little abrupt for my taste but overall this was a perfect read for gothic and folklore lovers for a dark, rainy dreary night!

Thank you to Netgalley for the arc. This novel was amazing?? The gothic atmosphere, the characters, the evocative writing, the excellent pace of the story. Everything was so tastefully well done for a dark academia novel. The perfect read for the fall season and any fans of a gothic dark academia tale. 5 stars.

"Our Wicked Histories" by Amy Goldsmith presents a tale of atmospheric, literary horror with elements of mystery and suspense. The story revolves around Meg, who, in an attempt to reconcile with her former friend group, accepts an invitation to spend Halloween weekend at the ancestral Irish estate of the Wren twins. The setting, Wren Hall, carries a mysterious reputation, with rumors of something lurking in the lake.

The narrative explores themes of friendship, forgiveness, and the haunting nature of secrets, both personal and those embedded in the history of Wren Hall. Meg's quest for redemption takes a sinister turn as the past and present intertwine, revealing ancient sins and the dark legacy of the estate.

The description highlights the atmospheric quality of the storytelling, emphasizing the damp and drafty nature of Wren Hall, covered mirrors, and a weed-choked lake. The anticipation is built through legends and rumors surrounding the property, creating an eerie and suspenseful backdrop for the unfolding events.

The premise suggests a narrative that delves into psychological horror and the complexities of relationships, mixed with the supernatural elements tied to the estate's history. For readers who enjoy atmospheric horror with a literary touch and a focus on interpersonal dynamics, "Our Wicked Histories" might prove to be an intriguing and chilling read. If you've read the book, feel free to share your thoughts or specific aspects that stood out to you!

I love this book soooo much! It has every single things I would love in a book : creepy manor, equally creepy lake, local lore, suspense and thrills, ghost, Hallowe'en costumes , angry and angsty characters and relationships (yes they are all red flags maybe but so fun to read), etc etc and I just loveeee every page!
The dynamic between the characters was no joke. I love all the drama and tension and how the investigation go. Also love the classic horror scenes combined with eerie vibes of the manor--chef kiss.
ALL MY LOVE!

Fear death by water…

I adored this scary modern gothic that was full of twists and turns!

The story is cleverly told in both the present, at a Halloween party in an eerie old house, and the past, at a prestigious school, which gives these sections a ‘dark academia’ feel. I thought the author’s debut THOSE WE DROWN, was really original and full of morally grey characters, so I was so happy to discover their second book contains the same spooky vibes — but multiplied by ONE HUNDRED! The prose in this book is much more lyrical, and the scares are the classic ghost story kind. I raced through this but totally regretted reading it late at night! This will absolutely have a place on my bookshelf once it comes out—a must-read.

.Thank you to NetGalley and Delacorte Press for an eARC of OUR WICKED HISTORIES!

This book...!?

When I tell you I was hooked from the first page and whenever I thought I knew where it was going, it managed to surprise me! I finished it in one night.

I didn't expect the art and poetry references but they were ::chef's kiss:: and added to the unsettling atmosphere.

The manor house setting was completely immersive, i could totally picture every room, and I was rooting for Meg all the way through, she was a really sympathetic main character. I loved how the flashbacks slowly revealed a darker side of the MC's friendship group.

Totally recommend if you enjoyed Netflix Haunting of Hill House or are a fan of dark academia.