Noa wants to go into journalism partly because it is something her sister Leah never showed in interest in, but when Leah comes home from college with an internship at a paper. Noa and Leah have a big blow up. This is never resolved before Leah is found dead in her apartment. This story explores loss and grief in a heartfelt way and is a great edge of your seat thrill.er.

Thank you to the publisher, Penguin Teen Canada, and NetGalley for providing me with an eARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.

When Noa’s older sister Leah died from an overdose, secretly, awfully, Noa wasn’t all that upset. They had always competed for everything since their childhood and things became worse when Leah got a coveted internship at a famous New York newspaper – something that was aspiring journalist Noa’s dream. A year after Leah’s death however, Noa finds some information on her phone that raise questions about how Leah died. As she begins to investigate, she realizes that the events surrounding that night aren’t all that straightforward after all, and she sets out to infiltrate the same Manhattan high society events that Leah reported on, meeting the influential Avalon family who seem to be at the centre of it all.

I haven’t picked up too many novels of this genre lately so I was really looking forward to this. The premise sounded intriguing and quite different from the other mysteries I’ve read in recent months.

It was so fascinating to follow Noa as she made her way into the Manhattan high society by befriending the Avalons, who she is certain have something to do with Leah’s death. It was such an interesting setting even more so due to the contrast between Noa’s perfectly ordinary everyday life and the circles she was infiltrating, which were ridiculously glamorous, but also filled with secrets, scandals and lies at every turn.

I liked that the book was presented in mixed media format, with regular narration, Leah’s journal excerpts, texts and voice notes. I’m not usually a fan of this format, but it worked really well for this story.

Some of the themes this book involved were a bit serious given that this is YA, but there was nothing particularly graphic.

This was a fast paced and thrilling read, and I basically flew through it. Though this was definitely a YA novel, the way it was written and presented made it something that even older readers would enjoy.

Noa wasn’t the most likeable character at first, but her arc was wonderfully written as she came to terms with her complicated feelings about her sister, also understanding herself better along the way.

There was quite a large cast of characters for a mystery novel, and though Noa’s was the only direct POV, each of them was distinct, well written, and left an impression.

The final chapter left the story a bit open-ended, but wrapped things up on a hopeful note, which I really liked. As for the big reveal of the mystery itself, I wasn’t a huge fan of how that went down. I knew I was in the last 10% of the book so it was definitely around the corner, but the way it happened felt rather abrupt to me, and perhaps a little too easy as well.

Overall, Wicked Darlings was a fun read. Though there were aspects where I wished the execution had been handed differently, it was an entertaining story and I would recommend it to fans of the genre, regardless of what age group you prefer to read.

3.5/5 Stars

Aspiring journalist Noa has always felt compared to her older sister Leah. When Leah comes home with an internship at a New York newspaper, Noa is furious as that has always been her dream. Then Leah dies, and Noa has secretly felt relief that the spotlight can now be on her. Noa discovers that her sister's death may have involved more then what she has been told and decides to investigate it on her own. She becomes entangled with high society life in Manhattan and discovers a massive scandal.

This was a fun thriller with an interesting mystery at the heart of the book. There were some twists that were quite obvious, but I was unable to guess the ending, which I enjoyed. It definitely did not go the direction I thought it was heading! I love a book with mixed media, so I loved the inclusion of the text messages, journal entries and transcripts of interviews in this. I wasn't a fan of Noa at the beginning of the story, but she did grow on me by the end. I think she went through some good character development, and was able to understand her relationship with her sister a bit more. The Avalon's were definitely the most intriguing part of the story for me and I just wanted to know more about them.

Ever since I heard this was a thriller I needed to get my hands on it. And I was so excited for it. But then when I got it, it just wasn’t what I thought it was. I can’t begin to explain the level of disappointment I felt. It’s not that it was bad, it just wasn’t for me.

Ok so the reason I was so excited about this was the synopsis. I usually read the first sentence or so just to get a gist of what its about. And the first sentence in this one is like a “journalist infiltrates the underbelly of a Manhattan high society to investigate her sister’s untimely death.” That got me immediately. And yes, that does happen, but the execution just was off. It’s a thriller, but there’s nothing really thrilling. I would call it just a mystery. I always say make sure you label them correctly because labeling them wrong could always result in something like me DNFing the book. That wasn’t the case this time because it was an easy read, but still.

There is A LOT of talk about her being a journalist. And as someone who did mass communication in college, this made me happy lol Idk why, but I was excited to see a teen interested in journalism in a book. I’ll keep this in mind for those teens that might be interested in a journalist career.

I think one of the things that annoyed me about this was the main character. She was….. Not great. And tho I know this is a real way that people act, especially in situations like these, I just didn’t like her lol The way she treated her sister and the way she was with her friends. It was just really embarrassing to see. You don’t treat friends better than family. That’s just weird. And I didn’t like it.

The mystery itself was just meh. I didn’t care for it. And it wasn’t because it was bad. It was because it was just like basic. It was fast and furious and fun and that was it. I didn’t feel like there was any substance or anything that stood out. It was basic and I just thought it was ok. Not memorable, but also not forgettable if that makes sense.

This was all fun for a good time, not a long time. This was fun but not more than that. I think had I read it at a different time, or if it had been advertised to me as just a mystery, then I think I would have enjoyed it more. As it stands, this was just ok.

Thank you to NetGalley for the ARC.

Wicked Darlings was an entertaining, easy quick read, but generally predictable. I did appreciate the changes Noa goes through as she uncovers a different perspective on the “truths” she held on to about her sister. I liked it enough to try another novel from this author.

I wasn't sure how I was going to feel about this story, but after sitting with it, I have to say I was a bit bored by it. The plot of the book felt rushed, which didn't really let me feel like I was in it and discovering things along with the characters, I was just playing catch up the whole time. The suspects/potential motivations were so miscellaneous because Noa was just cycling through suspecting everyone her sister ever had contact with. I think this book needed to slow down a little--we needed more character development, more detective work and piecing things together, just more depth from the story overall. Do I think people will like this? Yes, I definitely think there are readers for every story. Was this for me? No.

Wicked Darlings by Jordyn Taylor feels like Gossip Girl meets one of us is lying. Noa is a complex character with complicated relationships. Saying that life is complicated is an understatement once Noa starts to inject herself into her deceased sisters’ life to get some answers. 

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I would often think thank goodness Noa had her real friends as a sort of anchor. I loved how all of the high society characters seemed so charming to begin with and then developed into something completely different throughout the story.

I would have liked the ending to either have a more concrete conclusion or a cliffhanger or twist at the end…but thats just me.

This was an enjoyable Ya mystery with lots of twists and turns. Thank you Penguin Teen Canada and Netgalley for the arc! 😘

Sounds cliche but I was seriously hooked from this book right from the start. It gave major gossip girl meets good girls guide to murder vibes. I didn’t see the ending coming but I loved everything about it and the journey to the end! Such a good book.

I had such high hopes of this one. Gossip Girl reminiscent yes please. Unfortunately, I felt bored throughout. The book felt very rushed, the suspects changed every 2 seconds. It just fell really short for me.

Wicked Darlings is basically Gossip Girl meets murder mystery, so I was definitely intrigued by the premise of it. However, this book fell short for me. I think the problem is that it seemed rushed all the way through. The suspects changed so quickly because Noa was quick to suspect everyone her sister had contact with. Overall, I just didn't really vibe with this book.

Thanks to NetGalley for a digital ARC of this book to review

quite mid. I felt like there could have been more development of the characters, more detective work, just more.

Dark and mysterious, full of tension, Wicked Darlings is a page turner thrill ride. Tempering dark moments with laughter and keeping you on your toes, you won't want to put this book down.

All her life she's been jealous of her sister... and when her sister steals her dream job as an aspiring journalist, she cuts her out of her life only to then be told her sister had died... but something doesn't add up and she knows that there's more to the story but to uncover the truth she'll have to infiltrate Manhattan's high society and figure out the dark truth. All her life Noa has been jealous of her sister and when her sister takes her dream job as an aspiring journalist, it's the last straw for Noa, Noa cuts her sister out of her life.. until she receives news that her sister has tragically died. Yet as an aspiring journalist herself, Noa knows that her sister's death is suspicious... that something doesn't add up and she'll have to uncover the truth.... but that means picking up where her sister left off. Noa now must infiltrate the elite high society of Manhattan all the while unraveling the story that her sister left unfinished. Traversing in the world of the rich and wealthy where nothing is off limits... including murder, has Noa playing deadlier games than she ever imagined. Between keeping up her fake identity and dropping hints about her sister's death, she'll be navigating a crowd that will do anything to protect each other from their crimes... and money is never an issue. This was like if gossip girl was a murder mystery. I really wanted to like it but just couldn't ever really like any of the characters or care all that much about what was happening. I was initially intrigued by the premise but then while reading it I kind of just felt myself constantly dipping out mentally. I do think if you enjoyed stuff like gossip girl, pretty little liars, and one of us is lying, this is a book you should check out (although I loved all three of those things but this one still didn't work for me). It was simultaneously very YA but also very scandalous rich people lives. If you like a murder mystery with rich people, definitely check this out.

Release Date: February 11, 2025

Publication/Blog: Ash and Books (ash-and-books.tumblr.com)

*Thanks Netgalley and Random House Children's | Delacorte Press for sending me an arc in exchange for an honest review*

A somewhat predictable YA thriller with LGBTQ+ representation. An overall ok story with a look at the world of the rich and famous , some sibling rivalry and a murder to solve

My rating ⭐️⭐️⭐️ 💫

An entertaining YA drama in the form of a novel. It gives vibes of Gossip Girl and Pretty Little Liars. Great character development and plenty of twists and turns to keep you interested.

A summer internship attending glitzy events and parties in Manhattan’s high society should have been a dream for Noa’s sister; instead she ended up dead. After a year of being racked with guilt for ignoring her sister’s texts, Noa comes across some information that leads her to believe there was more to her sister’s death than she believed. An aspiring journalist, Noa starts her own investigation that leads her to the glamorous Avalon family and the secrets they may hold about that summer.
Wicked Darlings is a fast-paced mystery that keeps you guessing.

Sure, the plot of this book is unrealistic but it is fun and a great escape. The strongest aspect of this book is that Taylor’s characters exist to build relationships with Noa and help her grow as a character, not simply to move the mystery plot along. The character of Leah, Noa’s sister, is less fleshed out; she is not alive at any point of the book but even the memories of her seem sketched out at best. Overall though, Wicked Darlings is a solid teen thriller that would especially appeal to fans of Gossip Girl and similar stories.

Thank you Delacorte Press for providing this book for review consideration via NetGalley. All opinions are my own.

I forgot to review this one - murder mystery set mostly in upper elite spaces within Manhattan. Felt a bit too far fetched but honestly what teen murder mystery isnt?

Noa and her sister have a tenuous relationship at best. So, when her sister dies of an alleged overdose Noa doesn’t always feel that upset about it. Yet when she finds her sister’s phone, she realizes that her sister’s alleged overdose may not have been an accident. Upon arriving in New York Noa is swept up in a world of elite children who seem to have everything in the world. Yet do they also hold the secret to what really happened to Noa’s sister?
This book is filled with twists and turns and is built in a world where money is no issue. Noa is faced with people who don’t care about what happens and tell others to take responsibility for their actions when they go horribly wrong. For readers who enjoy mysteries and Gossip Girl this book is for you.
Thank you so much to Random House Children’s and Netgalley for allowing me to read an advance copy of this title.

Ooooh this one was FUN! Anything about NYC prep school socialites? Sign me up! This story follows Noa as she infiltrates one of the New York City royalty to finally learn what REALLY happened to her sister last summer.

This was such a fun, twisty, and fast-paced thriller - I was truly hooked from the first page and the style never faltered! As a millennial who was in high school during Gossip Girl's heyday, it was very reminiscent of the same character types and themes. While it deals with some heavier topics, I think it does a great job at reaching a variety of ages and audiences. The ending was a litttttle cheesy for me and felt that the LGBTQ themes were a little forced, but overall I really loved Noa and enjoyed following her story. Thanks so much for the ARC!

Wicked Darlings follows Noa, an aspiring journalist with a secret: she’s relieved her sister died. Noa always felt her sister Leah was her competition and when she got a job at a society newspaper, stealing Noa’s longtime dream, she wasn’t all that upset when her sister died. But a year later, she finds out the circumstances surrounding Leah’s death isn’t what it seems and her supposed suicide might just have been murder. Noa infiltrates Manhattan’s high society to investigate and finds herself swept up in the glamourous Avalons’ and the seedy underbelly of their world as she risks everything for the truth.

This was a super fun mystery thriller! I loved the setting—anything set in NYC is always so fun and atmospheric. Its quite fast-paced and so easy to fly through. I read it in two sitting and found myself engaged the entire time. There were a couple minor twists I guessed but I didn’t see the big reveal at the end coming and was impressed with how it ended. I really liked the journalist narrative and loved the pieces of Leah’s time as a journalist sprinkled throughout.

The characters were really good and very distinct. There’s a decent size cast and it was really fascinating to see both perspectives of Noa (the outsider) and the high society rich people and how they move through the world. I also really liked that Noa was a very complicated character. She’s not someone I immediately rooted for as she seemed so callous about her sister, but also it was understandable that she felt the way she did. I really liked the nuance of her perspective and found her growth really well done and believable. I loved her friends and thought the romance subplot was really cute and sweet. I loved how everything ended.

Overall, if you love thrillers set in Manhattan about high society and journalists, this is definitely one you’ll want to pick up!

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