Thank you to NetGalley for this E-ARC.

I really enjoyed this book. Read half of it in one sitting. It’s a really fast read. Easy to get through. A YA I would think. Very suspenseful.

Amy wakes up one morning at her boarding school. She had a fight with her best friend and roommate. They’ll be fine though. They always make up after a fight. They’re like sisters.
But not this time. There’s blood everywhere and Amy doesn’t want to open Sarah’s bedroom door.

A quick and easy read to figure out who would’ve wanted to hurt Sarah.

I really enjoyed this read.

This was such a fast-paced and gripping YA thriller. I ended up binging it in one day. There were so many heart-pounding edge of your seat moments.

You have Amy who on the first week of school. Her best friend and roommate, Sarah and Sarah's boyfriend are brutally murdered in their dorm room. Everyone thinks that Amy is the suspect because she was the only other person in the room. Amy is hiding a good deal of secrets to protect others .

Then enters Liz, the social outcast and the quiet girl who takes it upon herself to solve this case so she can write about it in the school's paper and hopefully that will be her big break.

This had such great character development. You get two povs of Liz and Amy and both of them have such growth and true change throughout the course of this book. That is great to read. The only reason I have to knock it down a star is because the culprit is a little bit predictable but that does not at all take away from the thrill ride that is this book.

I’ve read all of Jessica Goodman’s books and I’ve liked them all. However, this was my least favorite one. I felt like this book took too long to get going and focused too much on Liz trying to decide if she should write a news article about the death of two classmates.

Once I finally got about 60% into the book, it got a little faster and I found myself wanting to know how it ended and not wanting to stop reading. I didn’t have the culprit figured out, so that was a nice surprise for me.

Overall I liked the book, I’d say 3.5 stars. I thought it was just a bit too slow in the beginning compared to her others, but I liked how the story wrapped up and I was fairly satisfied with the ending.

This was a well-crafted and suspenseful mystery ... but I did figure it out early! That said, Goodman will have you guessing who did it from start to finish with plenty of twists and turns. The characters were where this fell a bit short for me. I wasn't really invested in a single one of them and that may have to do with where this story starts. I just found that I didn't know anything about the couple who were murdered and that I think impacted how invested I was in determining who murdered them.

Overall a well done story though!

Thanks for the opportunity to read this early!

“Sarah wakes up before I do. ”
Here are reasons to read the YA Mystery book:

Boarding School - At the boarding school of Meadowbrook Academy in Connecticut
Morning surprise - Amy wakes to find her roommate Sarah, and Sarah’s boyfriend Ryan have been murdered
2 POV - We follow the mystery through 2 POV, Amy and Liz, who is the school’s Newspaper editor. Did someone break in? Or is there a killer among them?


I have been a big fan of this author’s previous work. I really loved reading from Liz’s point of view, which makes sense as the author used her previous experience as a journalist to shape that character. However Amy was kind of unlikeable and without a backbone, making it hard to really root for her, despite the predicament she finds herself in. One thing I would have liked to see more of here is, since quite a few characters have negative experiences with the press, that we see more in depth discussion about this instead of a lot of high school drama. I devoured this book though, and if you are a fan of YA Mysteries, you might at least have a good time.

This engaging ya novel centers on two seniors solving a double-murder in a prestigious boarding high school. The culprit is predictable and the denouement feels a little rushed, but the journey to get there is enjoyable and it’s a quick read. The dual and alternating points of view added to the fast pace and offered some insight into the effects of perspective.
I would definitely add this to my classroom library.
Thank you to Penguin Random House for access to this advance copy.

[arc review]
Thank you to Penguin Teen Canada for providing an arc in exchange for an honest review.
The Meadowbrook Murders releases February 4, 2025
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Liz is a student journalist and the editor-in-chief at Meadowbrook Academy. The past recipients of the scholarship she’s vying for all share the commonality of unearthing illegal activity within their high school, so when two students at Meadowbrook are murdered, Liz makes it a priority to be the one to break the story to the public and figure out what really happened.

Central to the story is Amy: best friend and roommate of the deceased. When Amy finds Sarah and her boyfriend dead in the room next to her the morning after a senior year party that resulted in an unresolved fight between them, it sparks a question as to whether the person they were fighting about had anything to do with their sudden deaths.

This was fast-paced and interesting enough that I was compelled to finish it in one-sitting. I really enjoyed the setting and the added element of the tunnels, and how Goodman realistically depicted how everyone processes grief differently.

My only qualm is that because the story started out with the deaths of Sarah and Ryan, and there weren’t really any concrete flashbacks of them interacting, it was hard to fully buy into the idea that they were close with Amy when all of the reveals seemed to indicate otherwise.

Jessica Goodman is one of my favorite mystery/thriller writers, and I could not wait to get my hands on this one! Of course, she did not disappoint, and I was hooked from beginning to end. I don't want to spoil anything, but just know that the twists in this are *chefs kiss*.

US pub date: 2/4/25
Genre: YA thriller
Quick summary: Amy's last year of boarding school quickly turns from dream to nightmare when her BFF Sarah and Sarah's boyfriend are murdered on campus. Newspaper editor Liz is determined to get to the bottom of all the secrets Amy doesn't want revealed - and the secrets she didn't know Sarah was keeping.

I really love a boarding school setting, so I had high hopes for this one. Unfortunately, it felt a bit too YA for me as an adult reader. It was a quick read, but it didn't wow me. I probably would have really enjoyed it had I read it in high school. I would recommend Goodman's other books, notably THEY'LL NEVER CATCH US, over this one, but I'll continue to read any thrillers she writes.

Thank you to G.P. Putnam's Sons for providing an e-ARC in exchange for an honest review.

I really enjoyed this YA boarding school mystery--highly recommended for fans of Karen McManus and Holly Jackson. The Meadowbrook Murders takes place at a prestigious boarding school during the week before school starts. Only the Seniors are on campus, and after a night of partying, Amy finds her roommate and her roommate's boyfriend, Ryan, dead in the adjoining room. Since Amy and her roommate Sarah had a fight at last night's party, Amy and her townie boyfriend, Joseph, immediately become suspects. Amy's chapters reveal the backstory of her friendship with Sarah and alternate with those of Liz, the editor of the school's newspaper, who is investigating the murders. The short chapters will keep you turning the pages until the satisfying ending. Thanks to Netgalley, Penguin/Putnam Publishers, and author Jessica Goodman for the librarian preview copy--can't wait to add this one to our library!

This one is a YA thriller set at a boarding school, where two students are found murdered in a dorm room.. You have me right there at a campus setting, this one event had secret tunnels throughout. The college I went to had steam tunnels that were very storied and so it was so nostalgic for me. It's the start of the senior year of high school, Amy's best friend and roommate Sarah is murdered, along with Sarah's boyfriend. Amy must work to find out what happened to Sarah in order to keep herself and her own boyfriend off the suspect list. .It kept me guessing about quite a few things throughout. I just loved the campus setting. I pictured Chilton Preparatory School from Gilmore Girls, coupled with the steam tunnels of UVA. Recommended for those who like - murder mystery, campus setting, YA thriller, high school drama, Gilmore Girls, A Good Girl's Guide to Murder, Reconstructing Amelia and books of the like.

Amy and Sarah were ready to take on the world, or at least Meadowbrook Academy, during their senior year. As leaders on the athletic fields and in the social hierarchy of the school, they imagined their last year would be one of fun and memories. During seniors-only events the week before school was set to open, Sarah and her boyfriend were murdered in the dorm room Sarah shared with Amy. Amy, who was present, but heavily under the influence, heard nothing, and became a suspect. Being forced to move dorm rooms, and being placed with Liz, the highly motivated editor of the school newspaper, forced Amy to confront what happened and find the real answers.

This is another YA-murder-mystery-at-a-boarding-school book, with some suspense, but mostly highly improbably happenings. This book isn't bad, just not a stand-out in my opinion. Good addition for high school libraries looking to add to their suspense collections. While there are other themes outside of the murder (alcohol/drug use, lack of supervision of students, sex scenes, foul language) they are minimal and not told or described in graphic detail.

This is a young adult book I really enjoyed! I am not the targeted age for young adult so sometimes they don’t grab my interest. However, this one did! The writing is great, the chapters and short so they hold your attention and the story just flows! The premise hooks you from the start and the mystery element is there!

A fun YA murder mystery with unlikely partners--Amy, whose best friend and her boyfriend were murdered while Amy slept next door, and Liz, a budding journalist who would do anything to get the scoop. I figured out the murderer about two thirds of the way in, but it was still an enjoyable if somewhat forgettable ride.

The Meadowbrook Murders follows two students, Amy and Liv, after a tragedy occurs on campus right before their start of senior year. Sarah and Ryan, Amy’s best friends, were murdered in the room next to hers. With suspicion landing on herself and her townie boyfriend, Amy finds her world turned upside as she learns there were many things she didn’t know about Sarah. Liv, editor of the school newspaper and wannabe journalist, is desperate to uncover the truth and hopefully land a prestigious journalist scholarship. When Amy becomes her new roommate, Liv dives deep into her investigation and finds herself making enemies. With a killer still on the loose, neither girl can afford to let their guards down.

This was a great, gripping mystery! The setting was perfect—there’s something about boarding schools and murder mysteries that go so well together. And the campus having these tunnels and secrets was so fun. The pacing of this book was really well done. All the secrets that get revealed were so interesting and kept the suspicion on who the real killer was. Although, I did guess who it was it didn’t deter my enjoyment—I was just really pleased with myself that I finally got it right!

I really liked both Liv and Amy. I thought their dynamic was well done and the trust between them did not come easy so when they did start truly relying on one other, it felt well earned. Especially as, while their backgrounds and current stories are so different, they each have a lot of similarities about the struggles and touchy moment in their life with lies. I really enjoyed seeing both of them grow and overcome the obstacles. Liv is very intense and somewhat insensitive in her path to get her name as a journalist out there and I thought her character was really well done. Amy definitely went through a lot, but I loved that she still wanted to fight for herself and to find the killer. Both girls are really strong main characters with flaws and felt very realistic.

Overall, if you love murder mysteries at boarding schools with rich kids, I’d definitely recommend checking this one out!

Thank you to Penguin Teen CA and Netgalley for the arc in exchange for an honest review!

I've been a fan of Jessica Goodman's books ever since They Wish They Were Us, so when I saw her latest thriller was available on Read Now I went to NetGalley so fast. Unfortunately, this one didn't do it for me. The premise had many draws I look for in a thriller—friendship secrets, a boarding school, and murder—but I was underwhelmed by the execution. The main characters, Amy and Liz, felt a little surface level, and they seemed to barely build a relationship during the main story, making it hard for me to root for them to figure out the truth behind the Meadowbrook murders. Not to mention the setting was mentioned in the title, but I never felt like I was immersed there.

4.25/5
Thank you @penguinteen #partner for the gifted copies of this book!

If rich families with dark secrets plus some dark academia mixed together is your cup of tea then you need this one! I’ve read a couple of books by this author and this one is a favorite to date! I am not going to lie with my eldest going away to college next year this one gave me the ick because I just want my son to be safe as he goes away but putting my own issues aside this one creeped me out from the start. A roommate, named Amy, comes home late one night, doesn’t turn on the lights and goes to bed. She wakes up the next morning to find her roommate Sarah and boyfriend were brutally murdered as she slept and she didn’t hear a thing! Liz, another student and also editor, is determined to break the case and start her career. Trying to be sensitive to her classmates she has to go about it carefully. As Liz digs, she discovers maybe this high end boarding school has some dark and dangerous secrets she maybe shouldn’t have uncovered!

This book was completely bingeable, addicting and I was completely shocked by the ending! I loved the fact that everyone had secrets they were trying to bury! 👀 I devoured this in one sitting as it was fast paced and kept my attention with all the twists! It had a lot of what I love in books…rich people doing bad deeds, dark academia, strong, smart heroines and lots is suspense! This is definitely one to add to your shelf in February!

Amy is a senior at the prestigious private boarding school, Meadowbrook Academy. It's Senior Week, just before the start of the school year, and Amy and her best friend and roommate Sarah are ready for boathouse parties, soccer practice, and making every aspect of their last year at Meadowbrook epic. So what if they got into an argument at last night's party? Amy and Sarah always make up. But not this time. Amy wakes up the morning after the party to discover that Sarah and her boyfriend Ryan have been brutally murdered. All at once Amy's idyllic senior year has become a nightmare as she struggles with her grief, the suspicion from the police and her fellow students, and her determination to find out who did this.

Liz is decidedly not one of the cool kids. A scholarship kid, Liz has never felt like she fits in with the rest of the student body. She has her work as the Editor of the school newspaper, and her determination to win a highly competitive journalism competition that could get her into the best programs in the country. She knows that breaking the case could be her best chance of winning. But as the school administration attempts to shield the students and the school from the prying eyes of the national media, Liz finds out how far she'll go in the pursuit of the truth, and what others will do to try and stop her.

I thought this was fine. It's fast paced, and there are a few red herrings that make it fun along the way. The final reveal and confrontation is pretty good, and I wasn't mad about it. The characters do make a lot of dumb choices along the way, and only so many can be excused by their tender age. It's no Agatha Christie, but would be a fun intro to the whodunit genre for a young teenager.

What could possibly go wrong when you return to the private prep school at the beginning of your senior year? The entire campus suspects each other which leads to so many variations on who could be guilty. Students start investigating the murder only to find what they thought was happening, wasn't what was truly happening. Well written YA suspense novel.

🔪 𝕋ℍℝ𝕀𝕃𝕃𝔼ℝ 𝕋ℍ𝕌ℝ𝕊𝔻𝔸𝕐 🔪

"𝑺𝒉𝒆 𝒄𝒊𝒕𝒆𝒔 𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝒓𝒆𝒂𝒔𝒐𝒏 𝒂𝒔 "𝒖𝒏𝒇𝒐𝒓𝒔𝒆𝒆𝒏 𝒕𝒓𝒂𝒈𝒆𝒅𝒊𝒆𝒔," 𝒘𝒉𝒊𝒄𝒉 𝒊𝒔 𝒂 𝒉𝒆𝒍𝒍 𝒐𝒇 𝒂 𝒆𝒖𝒑𝒉𝒆𝒎𝒊𝒔𝒎 𝒇𝒐𝒓 "𝒅𝒐𝒖𝒃𝒍𝒆 𝒉𝒐𝒎𝒊𝒄𝒊𝒅𝒆."

Special thanks to @penguinteen @jessicagoodman & @netgalley for the #gifted eARC.

👉🏼 swipe for synopsis ➡️

𝙈𝙔 𝙍𝙀𝙑𝙄𝙀𝙒:
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️💫 [4.25]

This is a fast paced dark academia thriller, sure to make you thankful you never went to an affluent boarding school .🏫🔪

Around the 50% mark is slows a bit, but more clues come into play. The relationship Amy and Liz are forced into ia almost palpable to say the least. Joseph definitely leaves you warey on who could really be behind all this.

I love how the book is broke up by days of events. Makes for suspenful reading going forward in those chapters. I definitely didn't see it coming, the k!ller but also the "cover up".
I'd say overall this is a very good YA academia thriller!

𝙋𝙐𝘽 𝘿𝘼𝙔:
Feb 4, 2025


ℚ𝕆𝕋𝔻❓️⁉️❓️ Did you go to boarding school, or know anyone that did? Would you if you could have chosen?

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