While the idea and the setting of New Orleans is a fun choice overall this book gets a little too complicated for its own good. I devoured the first half but found myself rolling my eyes during the second half and specifically the resolution of the main mystery. I wouldn't shy away from reading another book by Olivia Worley but would hope that in her next mystery thriller the storyline finds a way to complete itself without confusing the reader.

I will always say YA thrillers can be hit or miss. But this one was a hit! This was a fun little ride that is perfect for any YA reader who loves a twisty read.

This book really touches base on female friendship and I loved that. Sometimes you find yourself becoming friends with people you never expected. This book has a fun Nola back drop and follows along with a group of girls who are part of their local debutante ball. But last year's debutante ball had a dark twist when one of debutante, Margot, was found murdered. A year later antics and creepy stuff is happening to the current debutantes. We are thrown into a twisty, and creepy mystery to solve who killed Margot.

What I enjoyed:
- the female friendships were top tier. I love when girls support girls.
-the creepy vibes with the Nola backdrop were just perfect. I am sorry but Jesters are absolutely creepy when they are causing chaos.
-fast paced and easy to read with in a day!
-this was so full of twists and crazy things. I loved it!


This book was so fun and I look forward to reading the ajthor's other books. 4 stars out of 5. Thank you Netgalley for the ARC in exchange for an honest review

Thank you to NetGalley and Wednesday Books for this ARC.

The Debutantes is a fast-paced murder mystery centering around a group of high school debutantes living in New Orleans. This book has everything, friendship, suspense, and powerful small-town men behaving badly. This was a very fast and enjoyable read.

The debutantes is a twisted horror thriller where a lot of badness occurs. No new territory is tread but it is an interesting read with some fun twists.

I loved New Orleans as the backdrop for this book. It definitely helped me “buy in” to the whole debutante concept since I know nothing about that world.
In the beginning of the story, I was trying to keep characters straight with the shifting POVs. Because so much of the main action happens so early on, it was difficult to hold onto key details because I was too focused on trying to learn the characters and their narration styles.
Once I got everyone straight, I found myself drawn to April and Piper the most. I felt indifferent toward Vivian (although her obliviousness to a certain character’s creep behavior from the very beginning was incredibly frustrating). I did not like Lily and felt
like we were given almost nothing redeeming about her. Margot was also a great character (I wish we got a Margot chapter instead of Lily), and many of the minor characters (like Renee) were a lot of fun.
I enjoyed following the Maids on their journey to figuring out the truth. As an educator, I loved that this book made you think about themes such as traditions, power (as related to race, class, gender, and even age), and “family”/loyalty.
I did feel like the ending was doing a little too much. If it ended with that big scene at the end, that could have been fine. However, I felt like that last epilogue added more information about what happened that only complicated the explanation.
If you pay attention to anything/anyone that would be a red flag in real life, this isn’t TOO complicated to figure out quickly, but that could be because I am an adult reader who is familiar with what to look out for. I think high school readers will really enjoy this.

This was a fun spooky read! I can't wait to see what else the author has written :) Thank you so much for the ARC! I will include a post about the book in my end of month wrap up on instagram :)

I was pleasantly surprised by this! A well written murder mystery set in New Orleans. Pacing was fast and the characterization was very well done. I enjoyed it!

I read this book so fast! From the very beginning, I was swept up into the relationships between the different characters and could hardly put it down. The twists that came and entertained the characters even more kept me turning those pages. And that ending! What?!? I never saw it coming!

Thank you Wednesday Books and Netgalley for this eARC, these opinions are my own. Spent yesterday reading this and I was consumed! A year ago Margot was the Queen of the Debutantes ball, the next day she was dead. Now April, Piper, and Vivian are Maids at the ball and Lily is the Queen. The night doesn’t go as planned and Lily is missing. However she did send one last message to her three Maids before disappearing. Now Vivian, April, and Piper must work together to find Lily before it’s too late. What they find leads them to dark places, lies, and secrets. Was Lily who they thought? Can they even trust each other with each of them holding a major secret? And how does Margot fit into it all? An intense thriller that will have you turning the pages! Be prepared for twists until the very end! All three girls are enjoyable protagonists that will have you rooting for them! An intriguing look at the dark side of debutante society! A whodunnit you won’t want to put down!

You guys! They say don’t just a book by its cover but I mean come on, look at this cover! I really liked this book. It caught my attention and kept it. I loved following the different POV from the main characters. I would definitely recommend this book!

I received a free eARC from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

I really wanted to like this - I’m a sucker for a New Orleans story, because I find that city so fascinating, and I’m weirdly obsessed with why people still participate in debutante stuff. But this just kind of fell flat. At the beginning, it was far too similar to Jessica Goodman’s The Legacies, which came out less than a year ago. It does take a bit of a turn, but I mostly had the same problem here that I had with Worley’s previous book - I couldn’t keep the characters straight. All 3 girls’ voices were somewhat interchangeable, and I had to search for context clues to figure out who was narrating. I kind of feel like this was meant to be just April’s book, and I think it might have been better for it. A couple of other reviews have pointed out that the characters, Vivian in particular, feel underbaked. April arguably has the most at stake in the investigation anyway - Margot was her friend, and she’s the only one (at first) who believes her death wasn’t an accident.

I’m getting ahead of myself - plot! The novel opens at the debutantes’ ball, Les Masques, when the maids are introduced, along with the queen. The previous year, the queen (Margot) turned up dead only a day or two after Les Masques. She was kind of a wild child, it was an overdose, so everyone just moved on. But April has always believed there was something more to it, because of what happened between her and Margot the night Margot died. [sidebar - it takes SO LONG to get to this reveal that by the time we get the flashback, I’d kind of forgotten about it] Anyway, the night of this year’s ball, someone splashes red paint on the current queen (Lily), and flashes a bunch of images of Margot. And then Lily sends a cryptic text to April, Vivian, and Piper and disappears. So we have two mysteries here - what happened to Lily in the present, and what happened to Margot in the past (and, obviously, how those two events are connected). Oh, and also all three girls have Secrets that Must Not Be Revealed.

Here’s the first thing - I didn’t really give a hoot about Lily. She’s basically a MacGuffin. We hear so little about her and comparatively so much more about Margot, that I honestly kept forgetting Lily even existed. Like, yes, her disappearance is what sets all of this investigation of Margot’s death off again, but remove her from the story and you basically lose nothing. The Margot resolution was much more satisfying, and I feel like it was given short shrift because of all the (in my opinion, unnecessary) Lily drama.

Here’s the second thing - this book should have just been about April. She was Margot’s friend, she was with her the night she died. She has the most skin in the game. And she also felt so much more developed than either Vivian or Piper. I’ve seen a couple of other reviews lamenting how undeveloped the supporting cast is as well, and they’re spot on. Piper has an “archnemesis” name Aiden who also shows up only when it’s convenient to the plot, and Lily and Vivian have a third bestie named Savannah who I’m not sure even qualifies as a supporting character, because she disappears after the Masques ball and isn’t mentioned again until the very end. And there are various parents floating around, but really only Piper’s get much page time. I will say this is one of the few times in recent member where I *didn’t* want to know what the parents were doing in the background!

But April was a far more interesting character, and I would have much rather read about her friendship with Margot, and her Veronica Mars-esque investigation into Margot’s death. Seriously, it’s all right there…she even carries around a giant camera! But because we have to follow these two unnecessary chuckleheads, all of the April and Margot stuff feels rushed. There’s a decent story lurking in here somewhere, but it needed a LOT of editing.

This was a fun look at the dark underbelly of New Orleans society.

Why only 4 stars and not 5? I loved the darker aspects of the book. The secret club, all the secrets and gaslighting, all the wheeling and dealing. 5 stars for “dark underbelly” vibes. But the three MC’s weren’t my favorite. Their investigation was lightweight, they behaved (rightfully so, but it wasn’t fun for me to read) like petulant teens, and I feel like the writing related to the investigation could have gone further.

The writing overall was great—I could tell the author knew her subject well, and I loved the behind-the-public eye look at what goes in to building a parade and keeping a Krewe running in the non-Mardi Gras parts of the year.

The Debutantes by Olivia Worley is a campy yet engaging YA mystery that offers a fun escape into the world of high society in New Orleans. While the story could be a bit predictable at times, it still managed to keep me hooked from start to finish.

The setting in New Orleans was a highlight for me, adding an atmospheric backdrop that enhanced the story’s intrigue. The social hierarchy that the girls had to navigate was well-crafted, and I enjoyed seeing how they maneuvered through the various challenges and secrets of their world.

The characters were relatable, each bringing something unique to the story. I particularly enjoyed the unexpected addition of a gentleman’s club—this twist added a fresh layer to the plot that I didn’t see coming. Although the writing occasionally felt a bit basic, the story itself was compelling enough to keep me turning the pages, eager to uncover the next twist.

Overall, The Debutantes is a solid YA mystery with layers that keep you guessing. It’s a fun read for anyone looking to dive into a world of secrets, social intrigue, and a dash of Southern charm.

The Debutantes by Olivia Worley is a solid and entertaining read that offers a fresh take on the world of high society and secrets, but it didn’t quite reach its full potential for me. The novel centers around a group of young women navigating the pressures and expectations of debutante life, with all the glamour, intrigue, and drama you’d expect. Worley does a great job of capturing the luxurious world these characters inhabit, and I found myself drawn into the glittering settings and the complex social dynamics at play.

The characters, while intriguing, felt somewhat underdeveloped at times. There were moments when I wanted to dive deeper into their motivations and backstories, but the story kept moving at a brisk pace, leaving me wanting more substance. The friendships and rivalries among the debutantes are engaging, and there are some juicy twists and turns that kept me turning the pages, but I found myself wishing for a bit more depth and nuance in the character development.

One of the highlights of the book is Worley’s writing style, which is polished and vivid, making the opulent settings and the characters’ extravagant lives come alive. However, the plot, while enjoyable, sometimes felt predictable, and there were a few moments where the pacing dragged. Despite this, the story’s themes of privilege, power, and the masks people wear in society were well-handled, and I appreciated how Worley explored the darker side of this glamorous world.

Overall, this book was a fun and stylish read that will appeal to fans of contemporary fiction with a dash of drama and intrigue. While it didn’t completely blow me away, it’s a promising debut, and I’m curious to see how Olivia Worley’s storytelling evolves in future works. If you’re looking for an entertaining escape into the world of debutantes, this novel is worth a read, even if it doesn’t delve as deeply as it could have into its characters and themes.

Thank you NetGalley and Wednesday books for this free eARC in exchange for my free review.

Rating: 4.0

I found Olivia Worley on NetGalley last year and was excited to find another one of her YA Thrillers on the 'Read Now' shelf. I picked this up, ready to dive into this generation's lingo, and was pleasantly surprised that there wasn't as much 'texting lingo' as there was in her previous story. Rather, this story is much more focused on the location – New Orleans – and the traditions that the city finds itself littered with.

The Les Masques Ball is the celebration every year for the upcoming debutantes, but after last year's tragedy (a dead Queen), this year is one that everyone is on pins and needles about. While this one was much less tragic, the shock factor still happened, especially when Lily, this year's Queen, goes missing after the disaster of the party. With only a text to Vivian, Piper, and April, the three girls quickly find themselves in over their heads searching for their missing friend.

Dark secrets, secret societies, seedy men, and suspicious activities all culminate together for these three girls who really don't have anything in common. Instead, though, they find themselves searching for a friend, uncovering lies, and tearing apart a secret society that's planted itself at the heart of the town. Will these three become friends? Will they be able to save their Queen? What other secrets will they uncover in their search?

This story is a great YA thriller, but it does cover some heavier topics, so keep that in mind when recommending YA. This is the perfect spooky Halloween vibe with a YA twist. Worley does a great job of transporting you to New Orleans and paints the picture of the town like a true resident, not a tourist. Truthfully, there was a lot to unpack in this book, and it felt like each character got their own story and secrets that we got to dive into. I will continue to look forward to more Worley stories in the future!

Thanks to NetGalley and Olivia Worley, in collaboration with St. Martin's Press, for providing me with a copy so that I could provide an honest review prior to the publish date. Catch this book out on October 29th!

The vibes of this book are exactly what I wanted to get ready for spooky season. New Orleans debutante culture mixed with mysterious deaths and disappearances? Sign me up!

I flew through this book and loved the reluctant detective trio and all of the friendly faces who help them along the way. April and her relationship with Margot really resonated with me and I'm so glad that type of friendship is represented here. The blood and projections prank at the debutante ball set the mood for what type of book to expect both good and bad.

The good parts were a compelling mystery, creepy cult-y vibes, ballgowns, masks, murder, and all different types of friendships and relationships being showcased. No one is a perfect friend, but I loved finding out who was a better friend than others. The relationships with parents is something that is often overlooked in YA as a whole and I appreciated this novel's representation of the girls' struggles with seeing their parents as full people and not just their caregiver which is always something difficult we must do as we age. I liked how no one was off limits to be a suspect and how a few surprising characters popped up as "good guys" but in the end, it was a bit too predictable who was good and who wasn't.

That leads me to the disappointing part of the book. The ending especially felt trite and predictable. I was able to guess the villain almost immediately which would have been fine, but he was almost a caricature of a villain. The twists, unfortunately, didn't really work for me. While I adore the messaging behind said twists, it still just felt too predictable and disingenuous. Some pieces felt too cliche as did some characters. I'd love to see more development of the main players. Occasionally, I'd forget whose section I was reading because everyone had a similar voice.

All in all, this was a good read. I would wholeheartedly recommend picking this one up for the New Orleans vibes and a fun mystery to unravel. Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for an advanced copy in exchange for an honest review!

i really really wanted to like this book, but unfortunately i couldn’t. once i got around to the 50% mark, everything began to get a bit blurry? the plot kept thickening, and thickening, and thickening- to the point where it didn’t make much sense. however, i can appreciate the plot and the idea, i do think it was really unique and was the main reason why i chose to read this book.

The Debutantes is a YA thriller. What I really love about this book is that it’s told from different perspectives of three girls, who are Debutante maids, that were brought together by the mystery of two Debutante queens. Piper, Vivian and April set out to find out what happened. Think Pretty Little Liars. It had the right amount of mystery, background, and suspense. The twist and turns kept me intrigued. The characters were likable with some secrets of their own that you find out as this mystery unravels. There are some hard topics in this book that are implied throughout.

I really loved the New Orleans setting. It really honed in on that eerie vibe throughout the city knowing its history. I lived the background of learning about Debutantes.

Thank you Netgalley for the ARC.

I picked this one up for the Pretty Little Liars vibe. It unfortunately wasn't my favorite. The beginning of the story started out slowly. It just took too long to get into the plot. This is a YA Thriller so I was expecting the writing to reflect that. I just couldn't help but roll my eyes when reading some dialogue. It was easy for me to figure out where the plot was going to go. Don't get me wrong, this was a quick read that could be fun for a teen getting into the thriller genre. I think it just was too simplistic for this experienced reader.

Thank you to NetGalley, Olivia Worley, and St Martin's Press, Wednesday Books for this eARC. All opinions expressed are my own. #netgalley #TheDebutantes #StMartinsPress #WednesdayBooks

For the New Orleans elite, the Les Masques ball and debutante culture are important. Last year's queen of the ball was found dead, and now this year's queen has gone missing. Those closest to her at the time of her disappearance must work together to find her. Secrets will come out. Will this year’s queen end up dead too?

So many twists and turns made it a fun read. However, this is a YA thriller, so it was hard to care a lot about some of the dialogue between the characters. Some things were kind of predictable, but I believe the mystery was well executed. I think this book is perfect for young readers who love thrillers and mysteries.

The book will be published on October 29, 2024.

Thank you, NetGalley and St.Martin’s Press for the advanced arc in exchange for an honest review.