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the_true_monroe's review against another edition
dark
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.25
Decent read- the first half was super slow for me but the 2nd half was captivating. This can be shown by how even though I read this book over 20 days, the last 50% were all in one day! It was pretty predictable but despite the outcome not being a shocker, I still felt all of the tension as things came into place. I also did not really like most of the characters but some who I really disliked for the majority of the book did get to me near the end.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Child death, Death, Emotional abuse, Misogyny, and Murder
Moderate: Alcohol, Blood, Classism, Confinement, Grief, Sexism, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Toxic friendship, Toxic relationship, Vomit, and Sexual harassment
Minor: Adult/minor relationship, Antisemitism, Forced institutionalization, Gaslighting, Racism, and Self harm
veskumelooni's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Content Warnings
Moderate: Death, Alcohol, Blood, Emotional abuse, Misogyny, and Sexism
phoebe_erh's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
emotional
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? N/A
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
While I at first found the characters way too unlikable and annoyingly privelliged, as the book progressed and their flaws became highlighted I found it a great read. I had some difficulty distinguishing some of the players but eventually got used to having so many characters. the beginning is a bit weak due to how annoying they were before they encountered difficulty and how weird their school and traditions are as a non American, but it is worth holding on past this for the pay off of the book overall. having Adam as the killer despite many potential suspects and also his closeness to Jill made the twist even more intense. i also loved the self awareness to make it that what effectively killed Shaila was the power that came with being a player and how Adam’s self entitlement as a result of this made it easier for him to become cruel and manipulative in a way that was unimaginable. Also having an ending other than them disbanding the players would have been really frustrating so the ending really rounded the book out. </spoilers>
Content Warnings
Graphic: Murder, Bullying, Emotional abuse, Vomit, Toxic relationship, Death, Injury/Injury detail, Panic attacks/disorders, Sexual assault, and Toxic friendship
Moderate: Car accident
vanessanalmeida's review against another edition
dark
slow-paced
- Loveable characters? No
2.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Blood
Moderate: Alcohol, Murder, and Emotional abuse
haleyreadsbooks's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
emotional
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Murder, Violence, Toxic friendship, Toxic relationship, Suicide attempt, Sexual harassment, Sexism, Medical trauma, Medical content, Injury/Injury detail, Grief, Emotional abuse, Death, Bullying, Alcohol, and Adult/minor relationship
colleensreadingadventures's review against another edition
dark
emotional
hopeful
mysterious
reflective
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
I love YA and I love Thrillers…so when they are mixed together I get excited as a puppy playing fetch!! 😂 They Wish They Were Us is something I’d had my eye on because it’s a combo of my favorite genres. Honestly though I don’t think I would have picked it up as quickly if I hadn’t decided to Buddy Read with the cool peeps of the #ratherbereading book club on Bookstagram in April. Yes this review is so late!! 🤦♀️🙈
Jill starts out at Gold Coast Prep High as a freshman scholarship kid and in order to fit in she and her best friend Shaila join a secret type society called “The Players”. It wasn’t easy there were lots of challenges they had to pass (hazing) to get in, but it was worth it. This clique gets them in to the best parties, the best schools, all the answers to those pesky finals, and most of all a place to fit in even if it’s at the bottom of the totem pole. Something happened on the last challenge before admittance, when tensions were high. Shailia ends up being murdered by her boyfriend Graham who willing confessed to killing her.
All that is behind Jill now, she’s a senior and this year is different because she’s at the top of the food chain. And she’s going to help change the direction of The Players. But her friends who vowed to make it different are making it just as difficult for the underclassmen as they had it. All this and then texts start to come that proclaim Graham is not guilty and that he’s really innocent, start to make Jill spiral out of control. Putting her friendships, her future and her actual life on the line as she tries to put together the pieces of what really happened the night her best friend was murdered.
This book was a such thrill ride and If I had had the time I would have absorbed it instantaneously. I wanted to throw my responsibilities out the window and binge. But because this was a buddy read and I am a responsible person 😉 I had to pace myself.
I couldn’t believe what Jill and the others were willing to do just to get ahead. And while their actions were not exactly realistic, which I think works perfectly for the story, the pressure some kids face to get into a good college and make it in this world I felt was 100% accurate.
It took me awhile to figure it out if Graham was actually innocent or guilty. But I was a little underwhelmed when I found out exactly what happened, which is why I lowered it to 4 stars. But other than that this book was an interesting, heart poundingly good read!
Let’s just say I’m counting down to Jessica Goodman’s next book They’ll Never Catch Us and no it’s not a sequel (that’s what I thought at first glance), but it looks just as good!
Jill starts out at Gold Coast Prep High as a freshman scholarship kid and in order to fit in she and her best friend Shaila join a secret type society called “The Players”. It wasn’t easy there were lots of challenges they had to pass (hazing) to get in, but it was worth it. This clique gets them in to the best parties, the best schools, all the answers to those pesky finals, and most of all a place to fit in even if it’s at the bottom of the totem pole. Something happened on the last challenge before admittance, when tensions were high. Shailia ends up being murdered by her boyfriend Graham who willing confessed to killing her.
All that is behind Jill now, she’s a senior and this year is different because she’s at the top of the food chain. And she’s going to help change the direction of The Players. But her friends who vowed to make it different are making it just as difficult for the underclassmen as they had it. All this and then texts start to come that proclaim Graham is not guilty and that he’s really innocent, start to make Jill spiral out of control. Putting her friendships, her future and her actual life on the line as she tries to put together the pieces of what really happened the night her best friend was murdered.
This book was a such thrill ride and If I had had the time I would have absorbed it instantaneously. I wanted to throw my responsibilities out the window and binge. But because this was a buddy read and I am a responsible person 😉 I had to pace myself.
I couldn’t believe what Jill and the others were willing to do just to get ahead. And while their actions were not exactly realistic, which I think works perfectly for the story, the pressure some kids face to get into a good college and make it in this world I felt was 100% accurate.
It took me awhile to figure it out if Graham was actually innocent or guilty. But I was a little underwhelmed when I found out exactly what happened, which is why I lowered it to 4 stars. But other than that this book was an interesting, heart poundingly good read!
Let’s just say I’m counting down to Jessica Goodman’s next book They’ll Never Catch Us and no it’s not a sequel (that’s what I thought at first glance), but it looks just as good!
Content Warnings
Graphic: Bullying, Death, Emotional abuse, Murder, Sexism, and Violence
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