The Debutantes

Olivia Worley's "The Debutantes" is a riveting thriller set against the glamorous yet perilous backdrop of New Orleans' elite social scene. The Les Masques Ball, the crown jewel of the debutante season, takes a dark turn when the newly crowned Queen, Lily LeBlanc, mysteriously vanishes after the event. This disappearance stirs up haunting memories of Margot Landry, last year's Queen, whose untimely death was shrouded in whispers and scandal.

Worley masterfully intertwines the lives of three debutantes—Vivian, Piper, and April—who, despite their different backgrounds and histories, must unite to unravel the sinister secrets lurking beneath their polished exteriors. As they dig deeper, the specter of Margot's death looms large, suggesting that her end was no mere accident. The narrative is intensified by the presence of a menacing figure in a Jester costume, whose threats to expose the girls' own secrets add an extra layer of tension and urgency.

"The Debutantes" is a deftly crafted tale of mystery and intrigue, where every polished smile hides a potential motive, and every socialite has something to lose. Worley's characters are complex and compelling, their secrets as intricate as the masks they wear. The suspense builds to a fever pitch as the trio races against time to uncover the truth and prevent another tragedy.

This novel is a must-read for fans of thrillers and anyone fascinated by the dark undercurrents of high society. "The Debutantes" keeps readers on the edge of their seats, guessing until the very end. It’s a captivating blend of elegance and danger, proving that in the world of debutantes, the most dangerous monsters are often the ones hiding in plain sight.

Thank you to NetGalley, the author, and publisher for an advanced copy to review for my honest opinion.

This book had me invested! Absolutely amazing from the plot to the twist. I could not put this book down. Chefs kiss highly recommend this book!

I loved the story, the world building and meeting the different characters. I felt completely immersed in the story and couldn't stop reading it.

I devoured The Debutantes in one sitting! It’s what you’d get if Pretty Little Liars was set amongst southern debutante culture. It’s also very reminiscent of Ashley Winstead’s The Last Housewife, with all the seediness of patriarchal culture rotting in the systems of our society that feed issues like classism, racism, corruption, and sexism.

I loved the different perspectives of each of the Maids and felt they were very well developed characters. Their tentative but enduring bonds of sisterhood showcase the strength of women and girls. As a sophomore novel, this book is an absolute triumph. It’s engaging, relevant, and doesn’t shy away from the hard truths of our world. I cannot recommend it enough!

Please note, this book and its themes are intended for a mature, upper YA audience. Be sure to check content warnings before reading or recommending. Thank you to Netgalley, Wednesday Books, and St. Martin’s Press for the e-arc in exchange for an honest review.

This book was absolutely amazing!! I was a fan of “People to Follow” and could not wait to see what Olivia Worley did next! “The Debutantes” did not disappoint! Twists and turns, characters you root for and characters that STRESS. YOU. OUT. But all in all they compile well in this book! I was on the edge of my seat and could not put it down! Definitely a must read!

This was honestly such a fun YA book. It felt nostalgic in a way I can’t quite explain. Very reminiscent of Pretty Little Liars. The plot was intriguing and the execution was amazing. Their were twists and turns, some predictable and some not even slightly.

I loved this book's New Orleans backdrop, as well as the inside peek into an elitist social scene that was fully corrupt and intriguing. I thought this novel did an excellent job of keeping a thrilling mystery plausible, while also adding lots of twists and turns that kept me guessing throughout. This was a great read for anyone who loves to peek behind the curtain and see that what's on the surface doesn't always match the chaos going on behind the scenes.

This book was so much fun to read!! It reminded me of Pretty Little Liars in the best way possible. The plot moved on the faster side, especially with all of the twists and turns!! I highly recommend!!

Thank you NetGalley and the publishers for the opportunity to review this title!

I read this book so fast! From the very beginning, I was swept up into the relationships between the different characters and could hardly put it down. The twists that came and entertained the characters even more kept me turning those pages. And that ending! What?!? I never saw it coming!

These teenagers are pretty self resourceful and badass! I was hooked from the first couple chapters. Thank you NetGalley for the ARC #TheDebutantes #OliviaWorley #NetGalley

Umm...NOLA? Masquerade ball? Murder? Do i need to say more or are you sold? This book was fun, wild, and super twisty and I 10/10 recommend it if you love a good mystery/thriller! I usually figure out who did it but this took me completely off guard. I loved it!

I was so excited to be chosen for this book not only because I found the cover and storyline interesting but also because I was about to travel to New Orleans so it was very timely! New Orleans is one of my favorite cities so it was fun to read a book set there. I felt the author did a great job setting up the story and immersing us in the behind the scenes world of NOLA, a world that tourists and many locals are not a part of. And although I had some suspicions, she kept me guessing about everyone's part in the mystery and how it all would play out in the end. The book kept me invested and entertained until the last page. I would definitely read another book by this author!

A dark twisty mystery that is set in the upper echelons of New Orleans society and delves into the Carnival culture of debutantes and masqued balls, When three debutantes, young women of insane privilege, investigate the mysterious death of last year's tragic death, they realize that nothing is truly accidental and that this year's queen of the ball might be the next target for mayhem! As a native New Orleanian, I loved it. I think it has the potential to be the next viral TikTok book since it's a compulsive read, and I'd highly recommend to your fans of drama-filled mysteries.

An absolutely thrilling and powerfully written YA novel with twists and turns and dynamic characters tht will keep you on the edge of your seat. 100% recommend to those who love YA thrillers!

The Debutantes by Olivia Worley is an excellent read for lovers of young adult mystery thrillers. The pacing was wonderfully done and character development was well-balanced. I had a really good time reading this story but would advise that readers be aware that it includes intense elements some of which veer into the horror genre.

I was immediately hooked by comps for this book, comparing it to Jessica Goodman meets The Agathas. It greatly exceeded my already high expectations! I especially loved the setting of this book in New Orleans. Mardi Gras was such a unique angle and provided such a vibrant background for all the twists and turns this book had in store. I felt truly immersed in this story and feverishly read to uncover the truth along with the trio of characters.

What a fun book. I could almost imagine myself being a fly on the wall, because of how the author weaves the story and the ladies in the plot. I love that it reminded me of the Gossip Girl episodes with the debutantes and how high society it is but also with its own issues. Murder being one of them. Also I love that it was in nola that was so much fun and always a place I wanted to go to. The suspect named jester really came to lay out all their dirty laundry and it was perfection. Also the cover is amazing.

I enjoyed this book! I have never read anything by this author before but definitely glad I took the 2 days to read this. This book brings you into plenty of scandals and underground secrets of new Orleans. Sometimes I'm able to guess the twists and ending but this one took me by surprise. Definitely recommend!

This was such a fun read, I could not put it down! Reminded me of something I would see in a high school (minus all the murder and mystery of course) of a group of friends not trusting each other. It was a fun change of pace from the normal books that I read. I am a big fan of reading a book from multiple perspectives so it was nice to read from Lilly, April, Piper and Vivian's perspective. "The Debutantes" is a spellbinding blend of romance and suspense, perfect for fans of historical fiction seeking a glimpse into the hidden lives of the elite.

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!

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.

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.

An exhilarating YA thriller! This book had me on the edge of my seat from start to finish. The mystery kept me guessing, and the twists were jaw-dropping. A definite five-star read that I couldn't put down!

There is so much to love about The Debutantes. It has well-written and nuanced characters, a very fast-paced plot, and an incredibly alluring setting. It's the kind of YA that I wish was more common was I was younger — although I will obviously read the heck out of it as an adult. On top of that, the mystery was so much fun to unravel.

I loved Olivia Worley's previous book, People to Follow, and I already cannot wait for her next one.

This book is EVERYTHING. Easily one of the best thrillers I've read all year. It managed to write three completely different main perspectives, and even more side characters, without relying on annoying tropes that make me rate mysteries lower. Even when I thought April would be just the not-like-other-girls character or Lily would be just the perfect victim or Margot would be just the bad girl or Wyatt would be the it's-always-the-boyfriend, they surprised me. I could relate in some way t0 all of the narrators, and Vivian was easily my favorite. I also like that this managed to be an upper-class-society, elite-private-school book without using the "I'm the one scholarship kid in the whole school and my family is dirt poor while everyone else is rich AF" trope. As a former "scholarship kid" from a school where most of us were "scholarship kids," so many authors get it wrong and it ruins a perfectly good book. But this book didn't use that, and just because the narrators were wealthy didn't mean they were entirely out of touch. They were perfectly complex. No caricatures here. (I think that's also why I prefer this book to People to Follow-- there was one narrator in that book whose entire character was "I'm the only person here who's completely perfect and I've never done anything wrong in my life" and she was obviously supposed to be the favorite, and there isn't any of that here). These characters are allowed to fuck up without being portrayed as evil people.
It also never felt slow, which I haven't seen from a mystery in a long time.