The Wilde Trials is a dark academia with a touch of romance. Each year, the Wilde Trials are hosted to award one teen with $600K and Chloe is determined to compete and win to support her sick sister. Of course, there are many obstacles and secrets in the way.
I would say this story has a fairly predictable plot with a lot of common YA tropes. However, it was still a fun and engaging story. The plot had a quick pace and it was easy to keep up with the many characters. There were a lot of twists and turns along the way, but the ending was satisfying. The narrator did a great job as well.

So here's the thing with popular book trends, sometimes you read too many of the same type of book that the plot gets too predictable and the thrill of the mystery is no longer there. I actually really enjoy the concept of a group of teens in a battle of wits to complete mysterious puzzles/challenges in order to win a prize while someone from inside is trying to sabotage some/all of them and they have to figure out who that is on top of everything else. Which made me look forward to THE WILDE TRIALS but unfortunately a lot of the plot twists/reveals seemed pretty obvious (granted, they might not be for teen readers) and that pulled me out of the narrative.

On the whole I loved the setting, and I wish readers were given more of Diana Wilde's (and the Wilde Estate) history. I liked Chloe as our protagonist but wish we were also given some chapters from Hayes or even Woolf to get a different perspective during the trials. Even though it was predictable, once the pacing picked up in the trials, I was hooked and wanted to see how everything would play out.

I personally didn't love Emily Lawrence's narration and found myself having to rewind the audiobook a couple of times because my mind had strayed and I wasn't paying attention to the plot.

Advanced Reader’s Copy provided by NetGalley, HarperAudio Children’s, and Storytide in exchange for an honest review.

This book is bursting with teen appeal and drama. It has just the right amount of adventure, mystery, danger, romance, and puzzle-solving. Young readers will cheer the likable but troubled protagonist and try to solve their way through the trials along with her

This was an action-packed, survival competition that sees a group of seniors competing against each other for a big cash reward. There's tons of Hunger Games vibes with twists you don't see coming, betrayals, a second chance romance, grief and more. Good on audio and recommended for fans of the Inheritance games series. Many thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for an early audio copy in exchange for my honest review!

Chloe has been determined to be chosen for the Wilde Trials, an elite wilderness challenge at her school which awards the winner $600,000 - money she needs to help pay for her sister's medical bills. So determined, she and her first love Hays even broke up when she admitted she planned to stole even though Hays' brother died in the trials a few years earlier. But Chloe has other reasons - she wants to prove she can do it, that she belongs at this school. Especially since she's got a secret - one that is threatened when someone in the trials seems to have it out for her and is not above blackmail.

This story was fast-paced and engaging, even when it felt like some aspects are a little trope-y. Even with those aspects, there were still surprises and interest while the characters solved the puzzles and clues. Chloe feels like a developed character, though some secondary characters feel a little flatter. There is some reference to body image that would have been interesting to develop more, but it also felt respectfully done.

Overall, an entertaining take on the mystery genre.