Thank you, Wednesday Books and NetGalley, for my free E-book for review.

In the shadowy corridors of privilege and power, a gripping tale unfolds that will leave readers breathless. This fast-paced thriller introduces us to three unlikely heroines, young women thrust into a world of intrigue and danger as they embark on a quest to find their missing friend. What begins as a search party soon transforms into a harrowing journey that unearths sinister truths lurking beneath the veneer of a tragic accident that befell one of their own.

At the heart of this narrative lies a secret society, a clandestine world accessible only to the elite. The author masterfully juxtaposes the glittering façade of this exclusive realm with its dark underbelly, creating a captivating dichotomy that adds depth to the story. This stark contrast between glamour and grime serves as a compelling backdrop, elevating the narrative beyond a mere mystery into an exploration of power, privilege, and the price of belonging.

As we follow the protagonists' journey, each lead unravels like a thread in an intricately woven tapestry, revealing shocking truths and unexpected connections. The author's skillful presentation of the mystery keeps us on the edge of our seats, our minds racing to connect the dots alongside the determined heroines.

Perhaps the most enthralling aspect of the book is its twisting narrative structure. Past events are gradually illuminated, casting new light on the present and forcing us to reevaluate our assumptions. The intricate web of relationships between the girls, fraught with tension and unspoken rivalries, adds another layer of complexity to the plot. Family loyalties are tested, friendships are strained, and alliances shift, keeping us guessing until the very end.

This novel is more than just an entertaining read—it's a literary rollercoaster that propels us through a world of secrets, lies, and unexpected alliances. For those who relish a story that combines the thrill of a mystery with the depth of character-driven drama, this novel is a must-read.

Thank you to St. Martin's Press for this e-ARC in exchange for an honest review. The backdrop of this book makes me so nostalgic for The Originals on The CW. This book was an easy standalone thriller that felt a little spooky, really leaning into the vibes of the setting. I think the twist was fine - nothing to write home about, and I honestly cannot really remember the main characters but I do remember having a good time. If you liked Little White Lies by Jennifer Lynn Barnes, you'll probably really enjoy this one.

I am going to have to stop accepting ARC’s for Young Adult novels. I think I’m just too old to appreciate them anymore. The premise of the book reeled me in (debs in New Orleans getting killed sounded amazing)! But the book itself left me bored.

It’s YA, so it’s more like a cozy mystery than the thrillers I’m used to. I kept getting the few main characters confused as they all had the same personalities and I put the book down at almost 40% in one day and never picked it back up.

I am POSITIVE that young adults will love this. It just wasn’t for my older, wiser mind and body.

I really wanted to like this one. The cover sold me on the book and it’s a great photo and design. The problem is the story is a familiar one - too familiar. It’s all about timing, but this particular tale has been done to death. There wasn’t anything fresh in this story. I just kept thinking about Pretty Little Liars and I even guessed the “twist” in the end because it’s happened before in other books. The characters aren’t given enough depth for the reader to even care whether they live or die. I really wanted to like this one. Read it and let me know your thoughts, it could just be me.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for an e-ARC of The Debutantes!

What a ride! I really enjoyed this twisty thriller. My only issue was that it took me quite a while for the different POVs to really find their voice and be easy to distinguish, otherwise, this had everything I love in a thriller! I loved the New Orleans setting--it, along with the high-pressure/corrupt debutante culture felt so real and immersive. This story has strong Pretty Little Liars vibes, which was so fun and I think my high school students will be hooked. The Debutantes was fast-paced, intriguing, had complex characters, and is perfect for high school classroom libraries!

3.5/5- will be a 4 on Goodreads

I think my high school kids will really like this one- I’ll definitely be adding it to our library order. It had the same energy of Pretty Little Liars- that slightly unhinged plot where even though things don’t really make sense or are completely outrageous, it makes it a fun ride. I liked the Mardi Gras/NOLA setting as I feel like this was new for me. Overall this was a fun, slightly dark read for fall!

The Debutants by Olivia Worley is a fantastic YA thriller! With plenty of twists and turns, the story kept me intrigued from start to finish. The different angles brought depth to the plot, making it an engaging and unpredictable read. If you’re into thrillers that keep you guessing, this one is a must-read.

Thank you to NetGalley for the ARC!

This was a great YA mystery set in New Orleans. It was full of action and interesting characters. It had many twists and turns and kept me guessing.
Thanks NetGalley and St. Martins Press for this eARC that will be released October 29, 2024!

Very much enjoyed this young adult thriller about a group of debutantes in New Orleans who try to solved the disappearance of their deb queen and friend Lily just one year after the death of the r previous year’s queen debutant. This is a multiple person POV story that had lots of twists and turns and New Orleans lore about Mardi Gras and their secret societies associated with them along with members of high society in the city. I liked how all the characters were related and all the twists and turns the book took. This would be a great book to read if you were heading to New Orleans soon as you can really feel the author’s love of the city written within her pages!

I'm a sucker for a good Y.A. mystery/thriller and The Debutantes by Olivia Worley was definitely worth reading. I found the characters interesting, the plot intriguing, and the writing top-notch. This was a lot of fun and I would definitely recommend it for fans of Y.A. mystery.

A good storyline , makes me think could be a lifetime movie . Three friends go on a mission to find out what happened to their friend when she goes missing , only to find that the previous girl who died the year before may be linked . Mystery and suspenseful with a twist in the end .

I’ve only read a handful of YA thrillers, but this one was definitely memorable!

Set in New Orleans for a ball where Lily is the queen and April, Vivian, and Piper are the maids. The next morning, the girls learn that Lily has gone missing — just like the queen of last year’s ball.

I loved the multiple POV but I did struggle a bit meant up with who was who. It picks up more the second half with some twists. The writing style is comparable to Karen McManus so if you enjoy her books, you’ll love this too.

Thanks so much to Wednesday Books and NetGalley for my ARC! Pub date 10.29.24

This captivating YA thriller expertly combines the vibrant atmosphere of New Orleans' Mardi Gras with a dark, twisted mystery that keeps readers on the edge of their seats. The story follows three debutantes, Vivian, Piper, and April, as they unravel the secrets behind Lily's disappearance and the truth about Margot's tragic death. The plot is expertly woven, with twists and turns that will keep you guessing until the very end. As someone who lives a good thriller/mystery, I highly recommend this book!

I really enjoyed this suspenseful and action packed read. None of the characters were one dimensional. I especially loved the shocking twists during the last half of the book.

Having read Olivia Worley’s first novel “People to Follow,” I was excited when I saw she had a new book coming out soon. “The Debutantes” is set in New Orleans and involves the Les Masques Ball. This year’s Queen is Lily LeBlanc and three of her Maids are April, Vivian, and Piper. All of the debutantes attend a private, elite high school. With the exception of Lily and Vivian who are friends, April and Piper fall more in the acquaintances category. At least in the beginning.

At the end of the night of the Les Masques Ball and its events, Lily sends a text to April, Vivian, and Piper to meet her the next morning. When they show up, Lily’s not there and they soon learn she’s gone missing. As the debutantes begin to investigate Lily’s disappearance, they begin to wonder if her disappearance is connect to the death of last year’s Queen. Margot was found dead the morning after the previous year’s Les Masques Ball. At the time it seemed her death was an accidental overdose, but the debutantes begin questioning whether that’s the truth.

This book has multiple narrators. At first, I had a hard time keeping track of the characters, but things soon settled down. The book got off to a slightly slow start for me, but picked up. The second half of the book was fast-paced and had a couple twists.

Overall, I recommend this book and look forward to reading more books from Olivia Worley. Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for my ARC.

This book was phenomenal!

It's the story of New Orleans debutantes shadowed but the death of one of their own a year prior. We meet April, Piper, and Vivian who are connected to Queen Bee Lily in different ways.

I really liked the multiple POVs. Getting to know the characters on their own turf, so to speak.

"Jessica Goodman meets The Agathas in this taut, twisty YA thriller set in the glittering world of Mardi Gras in New Orleans, where secrets - and bodies - never stay buried.

For the New Orleans elite, the Les Masques Ball is sure to be the social event of the season - if they can avoid another dead Queen. When debutante Margot Landry was found dead the morning after her reign at last year's ball, it was a tragedy, but not a shocking one. Margot was a wild child with a self-destructive streak, nothing like this year's Queen, Lily LeBlanc. With a perfectly poised debutante on the throne, everything is going according to plan...until the ball is hijacked by a mysterious figure in a Jester costume. That night, Lily sends a text to three of the Maids on her royal court - her best friend, Vivian; her boyfriend's sister, Piper; and April, her former frenemy - asking them all to meet the next morning. But Lily never shows up.

On the surface, these three debutantes don't have anything in common except their exclusive private school and their ties to Les Masques. But soon, they realize why Lily brought them together: something dark is lurking beneath the glamorous surface of the debutante world, and it might be the reason she disappeared. And the further the girls dig, the more they begin to suspect that Margot's death may not have been an accident - and that Lily may be next. When the Jester starts threatening to expose their own secrets, this unlikely trio must team up to uncover the monsters behind the Mardi Gras masks - before they're left with another dead debutante."

A wonderful combination of the dark underbelly of being a deb with the equally dark underbelly of Mardi Gras!

I received a gifted copy of THE DEBUTANTES by Oliva Worley from Wednesday Books / St. Martin’s Press for review.

Rating: 3.5 / 5

THE DEBUTANTES is a YA mystery/thriller which begins with Les Masques Ball, the peak of New Orleans elite society prestige. The stain of last year’s ball is still hanging over everyone’s head since last year’s Queen died shortly afterwards. Things quickly go off track again this year when a masked man comes in, throws red paint and the new Queen Lily and flashes up pictures of the previous year’s monarch.

When Lily goes missing after the ball, her friends and/or not so friendly fellow debutantes are left wondering what happened. It seems the adults who should be in charge of getting answers just think Lily ran away. The girls believe there’s something more to the story, and when they start getting threatening messages, it only reinforces this belief. Three very different debs must work together to try to uncover the secrets held behind the disguises of Mardi Gras.

It took me a bit to get into the story, but once I did get more hooked, I had a good time with it. I think it was a bit slower to engage in the beginning because we’re following multiple POVs and that leads to a lot of characters and side characters to learn. There is something about the setup here that reminds me of Pretty Little Liars. There are similarities to the group of girls on the hunt for a mysterious figure behind text messages and threats, plus the fact that the adults seem on the clueless side much of the time. There is a need to somewhat turn off the logic brain here as the girls do make some pretty bad decisions along the way, but yelling ‘no, don’t do that’ is sometimes half the fun!

I thought that this had some good discussions about the whole debutante concept and the roles of men and women, plus the idea of privilege itself in this very elite setup. I really enjoyed the New Orleans and Mardi Gras backdrop to the story as well. I wasn’t entirely sure how I felt about the ending and the final reveals, but overall I had fun reading this!

Wow, what a roller coaster ride! This book was jam-packed with twists and turns and action—lots of drama! I really enjoyed the setting of New Orleans and all the traditions; it was all pretty cool. This book reminded me of Pretty Little Liars meets Gossip Girls. It was a page-turner, and I just needed more. I enjoyed it very much, and I totally love the cover.

This was a fast read, with twists I both did and didn't see coming. The balls, the nights out, all the horrible things - they were shocking in the way that they were a surprised but not unbelievable. This played out like a movie in my head and made it so easy to read, so shocking to keep going. I loved it!