You need to sign in or sign up before continuing.
Take a photo of a barcode or cover
3.56 AVERAGE
3.56 AVERAGE
predicted who the death/murderer was less than halfway in !
mysterious
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
I was so excited to review an ARC of The Legacies! Coincidentally, Jessica Goodman was a year ahead of me at Penn, and it's been awesome to see her become one of the queens of the YA murder-mystery thriller genre. I've devoured all of her past novels. Unlike her past novels, The Legacies is not a murder mystery but rather a slow-burn thriller. At the beginning of the novel, we learn that one of the high school students at Excelsior is dead, but not which one. Thus, it's more about who's been killed than who did the killing. The title refers to the Legacy Club, an elitist club to which some of NYC's most privileged young people gain entry to each year. The novel alternates between three POVs: Golden child Bernie Kaplan, her artistic (and benzo-addicted) best friend Isobel, and Tori Tasso, the proverbial fish-out-of-water scholarship student. I think Bernie and Tori's POVs would have been sufficient to carry the novel; I found myself skimming some of Isobel's passages. Goodman has written an entertaining book, for sure, but it's a bit too long and then wraps up neatly. I also thought the characters were really archetypes rather than fully-fledged; the book tells a really classic morality tale of the have's and the have-not's that's not really nuanced. Overall, this is still a fun YA thriller read for summer. I think some of Goodman's past books were more original, and I look forward to seeing what she writes next!
Thank you to Netgalley and Penguin Group for providing me with a free digital ARC of this book in exchange for my honest review. It was awesome to be among the first to Jessica Goodman's latest book!
Thank you to Netgalley and Penguin Group for providing me with a free digital ARC of this book in exchange for my honest review. It was awesome to be among the first to Jessica Goodman's latest book!
The Legacies tries to position itself as a murder-mystery set in a Gossip Girl-esque world. Goodman creates some interesting characters, but the core mystery falls flat. I cannot help but imagine what Goodman could have done if this was an adult novel. After reading so many YA murder mysteries, I do not think that this sub-genre works in YA.
mysterious
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
fast-paced
I wish this was a little juicier. There was a lot of potential, but the stakes felt so low that I never really got to the point where I was invested in the story.
dark
mysterious
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
This book was fast paced and so fun. Very gossip girl-esque. Enjoyed all the various characters!
I really enjoyed this book! It is your run of the mill ya mystery novel, that had short chapters, and kept me engaged. I did not love the ending, but it was way better than some of the other mysteries I have read. Some of the characters and their actions bugged me, which is why this is really like a 3.75. I would have liked it more if it did not take me over a month to read lol. But I will say Jessica Goodman books are great for when I am in a reading slump! Will def read more from this author :)