Thanks to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for the ARC of this novel. I am a grown, almost 50 year old woman but still enjoy well written YA. Unfortunately, this was not it. There was a real lack of connection to the characters which made it super easy to mix them up and it felt very predictable.

The Debutantes, set in the vibrant backdrop of New Orleans, is a thrilling blend reminiscent of the intrigue of Pretty Little Liars and the suspense of Good Girls Guide to Murder.

The pacing and suspense were great, but a few twists were predictable. That did not take away from the story; it kind of added to it. You knew where it was headed but not how it would get there. The journey was worth it. I read this in one setting and wish I could read more.

The Debutantes is due to come out October 29th.


Thank you, NetGalley and St. Martin Press, for the ARC in exchange for my honest review.

This book first caught my attention because of the cover and title. I was intrigued and was super happy when I got approved for the ARC. Knowing it was a YA book brought my expectations down a bit, but this book surprised me.

It takes place in New Orleans, where we start off a a debutante ball. The Queen the year before had died and was sort of wreckless. This year the Queen, Lily, came from a family who seemed to have prestige. When Lily goes missing shortly after the ball, it is up to the other debutantes to figure out what happened.

This story is told in multiple point of views. It alternates between three different "maids." I felt like the characters could have used a little bit more development. I would be reading a chapter and have to flip back to the beginning of the chapter to see which POV we were currently on. I felt like all the characters, not just the main ones, could have used a little bit more. That is really my biggest complaint about the book.

I loved the story and was able to quickly read through it. I started to figure out who what was going on about halfway through, which just made me want to read even more. It gave me a look into what the higher society of New Orleans looks like from a high school POV.

Thank you to NetGalley, St. Martin's Press and Olivia Worley for the ARC!

The debutantes follow three ‘Maids’ as they search for their missing Queen.

I have mixed feelings about this book. I think I wanted there to be more stakes. I unfortunately expected the twist since the beginning of the book and was overall disappointed with the outcome since the book description did sound super interesting. I found the writing style a bit too plain for my taste and just overall too simple.

The concept of this book was amazing and I definitely think the author thought New Orleans to life on the pages (as someone who lived there) so I absolutely adored that. I just think the book was missing something and I can’t quite figure out what.

Huge thank you to Net Galley and Wednesday books for the arc of this book!

I absolutely loved the setting of New Orleans, having been a few times I liked being able to relate to the different places. I also loved the cult and Mardi Gras vibes this gave off. We have a girl gone missing, a girl who died a year ago that was possibly murdered, and a society of men who hold all the power. I felt like the ending felt a bit rushed but I definitely didn't see pretty much any of it coming. There were parts where the POVs started to feel convoluted and got confusing but just looking back and seeing whose POV it was helped. This was a twisty and dark YA thriller that throws right into the deep end of young socialites and the mysterious world of krewes. This book leaves you with one question....What would you do to protect your secrets?

Thank you to NetGalley and Wednesday Books for an ARC in exchange for my honest review.

3.5, this is a good YA mystery that makes good use of its New Orleans setting. It follows the dark side of high society and the debutante circle. It is twisty, fast paced, and has lots of secrets and reveals. There are four different points of view that could have been a little more distinct, but overall it was easy to keep up with. Bonus points for a fabulous cover.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for a digital copy and a chance to read this early. All opinions are my own.

I know nothing about being a debutante but this book was so good! We dive into the life of a debutante in New Orleans (and wow it is so interesting). This story is told from multiple POVs. One debutante queen is dead and another one is missing.

This one goes behind the scenes of the debutante world into something super dark and disturbing. This has Pretty Little Liars vibes with different "clues" from a jester but also the super elite world of Gossip Girl.

The big reveal was really surprising to me but there were also some clues in the story that pointed in the direction that some of the people weren't who they said they were. Everyone has secrets in this one and revealing them one by one had me hooked!

If the Scooby Gang were debutantes in New Orleans, you'd have this book. There's four different POVs, each with a different stake in the overarching plot. Oddly some of it was overbaked and some underbaked (secret gross societies should get more attention) and rich white dudes in a small town getting away with things should surprise no one...although who truly gets scarified is a surprise at the end. It's a quick read and really could've spent more times in New Orleans, bringing up the history, the patriarchal society this town is drowning under, etc but it chooses the more murder mystery of the week approach. It's a good YA mystery and reminds us the dangers of wearing white to a ball. 2.5 stars rounded up bc it was a quick read.

Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press | Wednesday Books for the ARC!

"The Debutantes" by Olivia Worley is a captivating and richly detailed novel that delves into the glamorous yet cutthroat world of debutante balls and high society. The story follows a group of young women navigating the expectations, rivalries, and secrets that come with their privileged positions.

Worley's writing is elegant and immersive, transporting readers into the opulent settings and intricate social dynamics of the debutante scene. The characters are well-drawn and multi-faceted, each with their own ambitions, insecurities, and hidden agendas. As they prepare for the season's most anticipated events, tensions rise and long-buried secrets threaten to come to light.

The plot is engaging, with a perfect balance of drama, romance, and suspense. Worley explores themes of identity, ambition, and the pressures of societal expectations with sensitivity and insight, making the characters' journeys both relatable and compelling.

Overall, "The Debutantes" is a delightful and engrossing read that offers a fascinating glimpse into a world of tradition, elegance, and intrigue. Olivia Worley delivers a story that is both entertaining and thought-provoking, making this novel a must-read for fans of contemporary fiction and social dramas.

For New Orleans elite, the Les Masques Ball is the event of the season. However, some of the new maids are still grieving over last year's queen, Margot Landry, who was found dead from an overdose after the ball. When this year's ball is vandalized with pictures of Margot and red paint thrown on the newest queen, Lily LeBlanc, some think it is a cruel prank by a mysterious jester. When Lily goes missing the next morning after sending a text to her friends saying that she wants to talk about what happened to Margot. April, Vivian and Piper are determined to find out what happened to Lily. When the Jester threatens to expose their own secrets, the three girls must decide how far they will go to find their queen.

This was a fast-paced thriller that shows the dark and mysterious side of secret societies and the debutante world. I really enjoyed the different point-of views of the characters as they try to find Lily and what truly happened to Margot the night of the ball. This book had so many twists and turns that I was truly surprised by the ending.

If you are looking for mystery/ thriller that is more on the young adult side. I would highly recommend this book.

The Debutantes comes out October 29th.

Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin's for the opportunity to review The Debutantes. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

Thank you to Netgalley for giving me an ARC in exchange for an honest review. <3

So I actually really liked this book especially because I haven't read a YA mystery in a while and for a time that was all I used to read. I loved the New Orleans setting and the light that was shed on some of the not so nice (racist) roots of the debutante world in the city.
I haven't been to New Orleans in a long time but this honestly made me want to go back bc I feel like I didn't appreciate it enough.
April was honestly my favorite character partly because I think I related to her a lot and because she was just so real.
I didn't really like Piper that much, I felt like she was so comfortable in her white privileged bubble, that she refused to believe that life and the debutante scene wasn't all sunshine and rainbows outside of that and it annoyed me.

I will say there was some of it that was a bit predictable, but I was also still surprised at the same time.

♡𝐞𝐀𝐫𝐜 𝐑𝐞𝐯𝐢𝐞𝐰♡
4 🌟
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𝐓𝐫𝐨𝐩𝐞𝐬 :
•young teens | young adults
•murder mystery | thriller
•multi POV's
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The premise of this book and the cover art caught my attention. 𝑰𝒇 𝒋𝒖𝒅𝒈𝒊𝒏𝒈 𝒂 𝒃𝒐𝒐𝒌 𝒃𝒚 𝒊𝒕𝒔 𝒄𝒐𝒗𝒆𝒓 𝒘𝒂𝒔 𝒑𝒆𝒓𝒔𝒐𝒏. 𝑰𝒕 𝒘𝒐𝒖𝒍𝒅 𝒃𝒆 𝑴𝑬! But this book definitely gives very much PRIVILEGE life! For a young teen | adult, this book is very much for them. Highly recommend for that age group, no questions asked. The storyline and plot were ok. The subplot romance was very much looked over! My only problem was that it's too many POV'S, and I was getting some of the female characters confused.
The Debutantes is this taut, twisty YA thriller set in the glittering world of Mardi Gras in New Orleans, where secrets—and bodies—never stay buried.
𝐑𝐞𝐥𝐞𝐚𝐬𝐞 Oct.29
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Thank you, Netgalley, and St. Martin Press for the (eArc)-eBook for my honest review.
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𝓣𝓱𝓮𝓼𝓮 𝓪𝓻𝓮 𝓶𝔂 𝓹𝓮𝓻𝓼𝓸𝓷𝓪𝓵 𝓸𝓹𝓲𝓷𝓲𝓸𝓷 𝓸𝓷 𝓽𝓱𝓮𝓼𝓮 𝓫𝓸𝓸𝓴𝓼, 𝓪𝓷𝓭 𝓲𝓽 𝓭𝓸𝓮𝓼𝓷'𝓽 𝓻𝓮𝓯𝓵𝓮𝓬𝓽 𝓸𝓷 𝓽𝓱𝓮 𝓫𝓸𝓸𝓴 𝓸𝓻 𝓽𝓱𝓮 𝓪𝓾𝓽𝓱𝓸𝓻 𝓽𝓱𝓮𝓶𝓼𝓮𝓵𝓿𝓮𝓼.

In this thriller set in the world of Debutantes in New Orleans, sometimes the most perfect lives have the most shameful secrets.

During the previous year's deb ball, the queen of the ball, Margot Landry, was found dead of a suspected overdose the following day. This year, when the current queen goes missing, three young women must all come together to figure out what happened to her and how this year's disappearance may connect to the previous years death and why someone is attacking these girls.

I enjoyed this novel. I liked that it was told using different perspective chapters, and how the narrative unfolded over a relatively short period (about 3 days). The characters felt a little bit samey, but overall, I think that Worley did a solid job of trying to give each character a voice.

While I did finish reading this in a single day, I think some of the twists did feel a bit clunky upon reflection, and the reveal was somewhat over the top in terms of reality/believability. But I'm not sure that that is why someone might pick up this book. I would say, pick this one up if you want something dramatic and fun, set against the backdrop of a New Orleans New Year.

I loved this book! The characters were interesting and fresh, the plot was solid and fast moving, and the scenes were set brilliantly. It was such a fun, twisty-turny story that I was thoroughly engrossed all the way through! I loved the setting of New Orleans and the history interspersed with the new story was really well done. This is a highly recommended book!

This book was alright, but there wasn't anything that really stood out to be honest. The plot was good and I enjoyed it, but I was not satisfied by the ending. I feel the ending was just random and not that connected to the book overall. I'd recommend to anyone who wants a quick mystery book to read

(Actual: 4.25⭐) This was a great thriller! I loved the setting of New Orleans, and found the plot to be very engaging with good pacing and intriguing characters. While some of it was a little predictable/formulaic, I'll chalk it up to it being categorized under "YA" and give it a pass, as the target demographic may skew a bit younger. That being said, I still thought the twists (upon twists upon twists) all came together naturally and in ways that both made sense AND were [mostly] actually surprising. As someone who enjoys thrillers and mysteries but doesn't read too many of them on a regular basis, I think this is a perfect beach/holiday read & would definitely check out more of Worley's work again in the future!

I really liked The debutantes. An inside look at the Mardi Gras debutante culture. A very disturbing thriller with twists and turns that I didn't see coming. A murder mystery involving the elite. I loved the characters, Piper is my favorite. A shocking ending. Looking forward to reading more from this Author.

I give The Debutantes 4 stars for its thrilling read.
I would recommend this book to Thriller fans.
#TheDebutantes #NetGalley

What a great book I really enjoyed all the secrets. The rich family dirty deeds. Always guessing at what must be going on and who’s behind it? The twists were so well played. Started and finished this in a day. It was one you just can’t put down!

The Debutantes is a fun YA read. LILY, this years reigning queen, disappears, much like Margot did the year before. Leave it to her Maids to uncover her mysterious disappearance. I loved the New Orleans setting and enjoyed the atmosphere.

Loved loved loved this book. Loved the format of this book and the shorter chapters. Would definitely keep young adult and teen readers engaged. The story is written by 3 different characters, 3 different perspectives of ideas and stories and what they think happened to their best friends. So many twists and turns and "whoa, I didn't see that one coming" moments. 100% would recommend to all ages.