This was not the debutante ball that anyone planned or wanted. Last year's queen, Margot, was found dead of an apparent overdose the day after last year's ball. This year, during what was supposed to be the crowning moment for this year's queen, Lily, someone threw red paint (meant to mimic blood) on her white dress while a projector showed images of Margot. Then Lily disappeared. But before she disappeared, she sent e-mails to three of the "maids" telling them to meet her at a specific location the next day. The three girls -- Vivian, Piper, and April -- are surprised to see each other. Lily and Vivian are best friends, but Lily does not really hang out with Piper, and April certainly does not fit in with Lily's crowd. However, with Lily missing and the authorities not showing any concern, it will be up to these three girls (and some friends) to unravel the mystery. In so doing, their own secrets will be exposed but so will much more deadly secrets that rich and powerful families have worked hard to keep hidden.

The story has plenty of surprises and suspense. Families protect their own, and it is no different here, with parents making deals and crossing lines to protect their children and vice versa. However, there is only so much that money and power can "fix", especially when people are pushed to the point where they believe they have nothing to lose.

Wow! Was this fantastic!!! A "sit down and don't get up until you have turned the last page" type of book. Anyone who loves contemporary YA thrillers with bite will LOVE this! I can hardly sing its praises enough. This was by first book by Olivia Worley but it certainly won't be my last. Highly recommended and if I could, I would give it 10 stars!

Thank you to Wednesday Books for my arc!


This was an interesting read. I went in expecting just a typical YA thriller but this ended up being so much more. Felt very much like Pretty Little Liars mixed with Gossip Girl in New Orleans. highly reccomend.

This was a wild ride 🎢

A death that doesn’t add up ➡️ a missing Queen 👸🏼 ➡️ a cult… I mean “Gentleman’s” club?!

🚨 Monsters are closer than you think 🚨

This was Pretty Little Liars in New Orleans and I’m not complaining! At first the different point of views had me questioning how they were all connected but it didn’t take long to get sucked into the story.

It was fast paced 💨
It was exciting 💥
It was mysterious 🫣

If you liked… Pretty Little Liars (who is it?!), Gossip girl (oh the drama!), and the Originals (really based on setting. There’s no 🧛🏻‍♂️ or 🐺)

Put this on your list!

This one kept me at the edge of my seat and guessing who was responsible so I devoured it in one sitting. The New Orleans setting was dreamy and the author did such a good job of making you feel like you were there. I thought the multiple POVs worked really well and they helped add to the tension.

Overall, I thought this was fun and full of suspense and it would be a perfect choice for a buddy read with your teen!

Give this one a go if you like:

⚜️ Whodunnits
⚜️ Mardi Gras
⚜️ Secret societies
⚜️ Veronica Mars

Thank you so much to Wednesday Books and NetGalley for this eARC. All opinions are my own.

A really interesting look at the debutante culture of New Orleans. I really felt like I was a part of the mystery while reading this book as April, Piper, and Vivian search for their missing friend!

Overall, I thought this was a captivating read that had a good amount of twists and turns that weren't overwhelming or unrealistic. I highly recommend it!

Thanks to NetGalley for this arc.

The Debutantes was a great mystery/thriller about a group of spoiled rich kids who try to solve the mystery of the death of one of their own and the disappearance of another girl. They’ll uncover later if secrets along the way to the book’s shocking conclusion.

Secret Society, Death, Betrayal, Twists and Turns are what you will find within this book.
This book for sure read in the same vein as Pretty Little Liars. A group of girls are shook when a local girl goes missing after a prank during a debutant ball. They are left trying to find out what happened to the missing girl but are warned about digging by an anonymous source from a secret society.
I will say that this book was a pretty solid read. Over looking the familiarities with pretty little liars, it for sure was a book that had some good twist and turns. And I for sure was entertained by this book. In terms of character development, it kind of fell in the middle. A couple of the girls kind of fell into basic stereotypes but we’re engaging enough to keep me interested in the story. That twist at the end was for sure that I didn’t see coming.
Overall, about a 3.5 star read.
Would I Recommend this book? Yes and no. Yes in the sense that if you enjoyed pretty little liars, you would enjoy this one.
No, in the sense that it’s not booked that really sticks out and will probably be forgotten within a month.
Thanks to the folks at NetGalley for a copy of this book. My review is a honest reflection of my feelings towards this book.

I thought this was a cute and campy YA mystery thriller that gave you just enough in terms of intrigue, scandal, and frights that you were kept hooked but not left looking for more. It was enjoyable reading from the different girls' POVs and trying to figure out what was going on with this group of NOLA debs, and who ruined their ball...twice.

I would definitely read more from this offer!

I’m a huge fan of all things New Orleans and loved the immersion into the city from this book. It covered some of the traditions surrounding Mardi Gras and I just loved it. Not to mention the mystery thriller aspect of it! It was so great. It was a total escapism read for me. Thank you for the opportunity to read it, I will absolutely be recommending it.

I was given this book in return for an honest review

I'll start with the simplest first, do you like twist and turns?! Because this book is for you I excel at figuring out plots and sniffing out secrets and I didn't find all the twist this book throws at you

One Queens dead, a second is missing can three unlikely friends band together to find Deus second Queen before it's too late? Told from each girls point of view you learn details about the debutantes and their world. But not everyone likes knowing they come from the 1%. And even less so when they start to learn their cutting throat ways.

Can they cut through the lies to find lily in time? What about the Deus? Can they figure out what happened to Margot? This book is fast paced and explores friendships, deadly secrets, and taking back control of the narrative.

Highly recommend reading this book if you love great mysteries. 5 ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

Thanks to NetGalley, St. Martin’s Press and Olivia Worley for an advanced copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
Expected publication October 29, 2024.

I was excited to read this book as the cover and title drew me in; it was not as I anticipated, however. I enjoyed reading about New Orleans and learned a few things about Debutantes, but I didn't love the plot. I know it is a YA book, but somethings felt too predictable, and others felt like a reach. I also struggled with the characters as I kept getting confused who was who and who was narrating. The book gave me "One of Us Is Lying" vibes.

So, at its heart, this is kind of standard YA. It’s the setting that makes this different!

The author clearly knows New Orleans – not just the touristy places, but the society and history. The Krewes are the ultimate in rich people not-so-secret societies and I love what the author does with them.

I liked our girls.

I’ll be honest, it did take me a little bit before their voices became strong enough that I could tell them apart, but once I could, they won my heart.

It’s a fun and fast read!

• ARC via Publisher

As someone in love with New Orleans, I was so excited to dive into this story. It definitely did not disappoint. The characters were compelling. The story maintained my interest the entire way through. The best part was how “fresh” the storyline was. It’s not like anything else I’ve read this year.

I loved this story! At first, the change in POV was a little confusing, but once the story started, it was great to see the mystery through the different characters' views. There were so many twists and the NOLA Krewe setting was unique. The plot kept me guessing, even until the very end, which I loved! I would highly recommend this book to YA mystery lovers.

It reminded me of Pretty Little Liars. It was a fun read and I enjoyed reading it.

Thank you to Net Galley and the publisher for the arc!

Loved this one! Great and fun read. Highly recommend.
Many thanks to the publisher, Netgalley, and the author for my ARC.

If you were a teen like me that enjoyed Pretty Little Liars then this is the perfect YA novel for you.

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.

I have never been to New Orleans but I felt like I was right there thanks to the incredible (but never boring/overwhelming) details the author included. This one had a slower pace to it but i think it worked really well. We got the povs of all three girls (four at times) much like in the PLL books and that was another smart aspect from the author.

While it is a YA book, there’s definitely some important messaging such as women taking back their power and the importance of family/friends. At times the plot was a little far fetched, especially that of the traditions of the society/debutante thing but maybe that’s really what it’s like; who am I to know?

Is this shocking and twisty? No. I figured everything out pretty easily but at the same time, that didn’t take away from my enjoyment at all.

I don’t think this is gonna be a five stat read for many if any; but I do think this will be an easy and fun read for spooky season.

The Debutantes
by Olivia Worley
Pub Date: Oct 29 2024

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.

This was such a fun, quick read. I loved the characters and the plot kept me guessing until the end. Will recommend to a friend!