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3.9 AVERAGE
3.9 AVERAGE
dark
emotional
mysterious
sad
tense
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
dark
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Thank you to Simon and Schuster Children's Publishing and NetGalley for allowing me the opportunity to read this ARC! I have been a fan of Joelle Wellingtons since These Vicious Games. Girls Who Play Dead wasn’t a 5/5 for me; however, it still did not disappoint!
Throughout the story, I found myself not being able to put the book down. There was always another plot twist just when I thought I had it figured it out. Additionally, the small town vibe really played well into the mystery of it all.
My only critic would be that sometimes I felt that things were dragging. In the middle of the sorry, there is drama surrounding several of the characters, which continues for several chapters. It all comes down to miscommunication and lack of information being shared. I just feel that this could have been limited and/or shortened.
Overall, I highly enjoyed this new novel from Joelle Wellington. I can’t wait to see what she comes up with next!
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
dark
emotional
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Thank you to Simon and Schuster Children's Publishing and NetGalley for the gifted ARC! This review contains my personal thoughts and opinions.
Girls Who Play Dead was everything I hoped it would be and more! Although I wasn't in love with her sophomore novel, I just had a feeling that Joelle Wellington's third book would be amazing because of how good Their Vicious Games was. She's quickly become the reason I’ve started venturing more into thrillers.
From start to finish, the story had me absolutely hooked. Nothing about it was predictable and I was genuinely shocked by the ending. The plot twists kept me on edge, and I couldn’t stop turning the pages. Every character was compelling and layered, drawing me deeper into the story with each chapter.
What really stood out to me, beyond the suspense, was how Wellington wove in themes of mental health. She portrayed it with sensitivity and honesty, showing that it’s okay to not be okay—something I truly appreciated.
This book delivered everything: suspense, depth, emotion, and unforgettable characters. Five stars, without question.
⭐⭐⭐⭐💫
GIRLS WHO PLAY DEAD by Joelle Wellington (Out Nov 4)
Thank you Netgalley and Simon Teen for the earc
When Erin is m*rdered, Mikky returns to his hometown to be there for his sister Kyla who has spiraled. As Mikky tries to help her, he realizes the only thing that will help her if he finds Erin's k*ller. In a town like Prophets Lake, everyone has something to hide.
GIRLS WHO PLAY DEAD is a wicked, YA thriller from the author of THEIR VICIOUS GAMES (one of my top reads of the past few years). Like I mentioned, this book is wicked with its mean girls, over the top drama, and a d*ad body where everyone seems suspect of being the whodunit. I love Joelle's thrillers, the captivating, shocking, and slightly goriness whether it's literal bl*od or, in this case, characters who are snakes. Speaking of characters, I wasn't a fan of these since they all had faults. They were shady and mean---but as I grew to know these characters, I understood why they were the way they were. Especially Kyla---the snake I was referring to above. She's downright rude, but she has to fight to be heard, everything isn't handed to her, and her best friend was m*rdered.
As I was reading GIRLS WHO PLAY DEAD, I was filled with a multitude of questions. Who did it? And honestly, I didn't have any suspects. Because of the title, I couldn't help but wonder if Kyla's friend was actually d*ad. I mean with a title like GIRLS WHO PLAY DEAD, I couldn't help but think that.
Now, when the whodunit was revealed, I was shocked, not because of who did it, but because I never really had a suspect---and after the reveal, I still didn't know how Kyla and Mikky managed to put two and two together.
GIRLS WHO PLAY DEAD weaves together secrets and lies, m*rder, and a bit of romance in this thrilling novel where everyone seems suspect(not my me), at least suspected by the other characters in this book. It's well written, and the pink cover with the makeup adds to the story.
I would recommend this if to those who are a fan of Joelle's work, but also to those looking to dive into something that doesn't have the goriness of Joelle's previous work.
GIRLS WHO PLAY DEAD by Joelle Wellington (Out Nov 4)
Thank you Netgalley and Simon Teen for the earc
When Erin is m*rdered, Mikky returns to his hometown to be there for his sister Kyla who has spiraled. As Mikky tries to help her, he realizes the only thing that will help her if he finds Erin's k*ller. In a town like Prophets Lake, everyone has something to hide.
GIRLS WHO PLAY DEAD is a wicked, YA thriller from the author of THEIR VICIOUS GAMES (one of my top reads of the past few years). Like I mentioned, this book is wicked with its mean girls, over the top drama, and a d*ad body where everyone seems suspect of being the whodunit. I love Joelle's thrillers, the captivating, shocking, and slightly goriness whether it's literal bl*od or, in this case, characters who are snakes. Speaking of characters, I wasn't a fan of these since they all had faults. They were shady and mean---but as I grew to know these characters, I understood why they were the way they were. Especially Kyla---the snake I was referring to above. She's downright rude, but she has to fight to be heard, everything isn't handed to her, and her best friend was m*rdered.
As I was reading GIRLS WHO PLAY DEAD, I was filled with a multitude of questions. Who did it? And honestly, I didn't have any suspects. Because of the title, I couldn't help but wonder if Kyla's friend was actually d*ad. I mean with a title like GIRLS WHO PLAY DEAD, I couldn't help but think that.
Now, when the whodunit was revealed, I was shocked, not because of who did it, but because I never really had a suspect---and after the reveal, I still didn't know how Kyla and Mikky managed to put two and two together.
GIRLS WHO PLAY DEAD weaves together secrets and lies, m*rder, and a bit of romance in this thrilling novel where everyone seems suspect(not my me), at least suspected by the other characters in this book. It's well written, and the pink cover with the makeup adds to the story.
I would recommend this if to those who are a fan of Joelle's work, but also to those looking to dive into something that doesn't have the goriness of Joelle's previous work.
dark
emotional
funny
hopeful
mysterious
reflective
sad
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Okay so this definitely dragged on in the middle only for a bit, and I think I only felt that way because I was ON MY KNEES BEGGING Mikky and Kyla to just TELL EACH OTHER WHAT THEY KNOW!
I also didn’t realize that the siblings wouldn’t be investigating Kyla’s best friend Erin’s murder *together* — they both conduct their own amateur sleuthing separately, with different knowledge, and sometimes at odds with one another.
It was such a fascinating way to paint a sibling relationship, and I have to give it to Joelle Wellington that she really made me scratch my head. In the beginning, Mikky mentions to Jason that he and Kyla are close and they’re not the siblings that media paints, always bickering and annoyed with one another. So…. I’d expected a closer relationship, but as you turn the pages, you see that their sibling ship has either evolved and Mikky totally missed it, or Mikky wasn’t fully self aware of their dynamic this entire time. I do think it’s the first one, as we are growing during adolescence and most of our relationships during that time are proximity ones, like friends we have at school or if we have a part time job or with family.
So, it makes sense that since Mikky moved to be with their mom once she was ready to have her kids back in her life, they a distance *would* grow. It’s a slow steady sadness that builds as you realize alongside Mikky that his sister and his relationship to her has indeed changed. There’s work to do there, and I think that’s often what becomes toxic about family, is that you assume they’ll always be there, so much of your issues just get swept under the rug.
All relationships ebb and flow though, so I loved that even though Kyla was indeed somewhat of a bully at their high school (where Mikky has now decided to stay to keep an eye on her), I still sympathized with where she was coming from. Her brother got to leave, and Kyla was left with their dad, the family business, and a new reality that didn’t include the daily proximity to her brother. That’s pretty traumatic on its own, let alone losing your best friend to murder.
Joelle Wellington also got the town down sooooo well. The way that the Cook company was intertwined in almost everyone’s lives in that small town (a population of about 6000 I believe) was eerie and of course did not bode well. When an entire town’s income and financial health becomes dependent upon one organization, that alone calls for an unpleasant reckoning. You’ll never convince me to feel bad for huge companies who prioritize profits over people.
I loved the way this mystery involving Erin’s job as a Cook influencer unraveled, with the elusive “Test Kitchens,” exclusive secrets, and more. I also appreciated the idea of someone dying who most people agreed was a cruel person, which makes for a better mystery of finding out who could no longer take a teenage girl who embodied hell on earth to most.
It pained me to read about Kyla confronting the fact that she has to rediscover who she is without Erin around. I found this so incredibly authentic to the teenage experience because again, most of your close friendships are due to proximity, and once you no longer have that, you have more space to figure out what you actually like, and who you actually are on your own as an individual. As a teenager, so much of your identity is tied up to the people around you, the clubs you join, the things you’re “good at”, and what your life looks like to others. We tie our identities to our friend groups, and Kyla was known as “Erin and Kyla, Duck and Goose” to everyone in their small town.
I don’t know about you, but even if I questioned if I really liked something, I likely just kept it moving as a teenager because I desperately wanted to fit in and be liked. Your prefrontal cortex is still developing and it’s such a universally confusing time!!!! But when you spend more time alone, you begin to listen to your body and your nervous system. It’s why moving out on your own is such a big deal, because once you have that distance from others, you have more autonomy and time to examine the type of life you would choose if it were exclusively up to you. It was sad that Kyla felt like an extension of Erin, but I was proud of her for even naming this & hopefully taking steps to proudly find herself moving forward.
I loved the subplot romances between Mikky, my goth emo sweetie pie, and Nasim, the Iranian Watson to his Holmes. Their banter and immediate exhaustion with each other was so entertaining and flowed so naturally 😈 Mikky’s new friend group was really fun to read about in general, especially as more secrets poured out.
Overall, this was yet another mysterious, frustrating, tender, and exciting YA thriller from Joelle Wellington. I highly recommend it to anyone who loved her past work and appreciates imperfect, messy main characters (Mikky & Kyla) who are trying their best (and often fumbling through it).
Rep: Mikky is Black & gay, Kyla is Black (&has sapphic undertones, like I feel like she was INLOVE with Erin but that’s just me), Rowan is nonbinary, Nasim is Iranian, the Graves family navigate mental health, I *think* depression and one character has a panic attack. Another goes to talk therapy.
I also didn’t realize that the siblings wouldn’t be investigating Kyla’s best friend Erin’s murder *together* — they both conduct their own amateur sleuthing separately, with different knowledge, and sometimes at odds with one another.
It was such a fascinating way to paint a sibling relationship, and I have to give it to Joelle Wellington that she really made me scratch my head. In the beginning, Mikky mentions to Jason that he and Kyla are close and they’re not the siblings that media paints, always bickering and annoyed with one another. So…. I’d expected a closer relationship, but as you turn the pages, you see that their sibling ship has either evolved and Mikky totally missed it, or Mikky wasn’t fully self aware of their dynamic this entire time. I do think it’s the first one, as we are growing during adolescence and most of our relationships during that time are proximity ones, like friends we have at school or if we have a part time job or with family.
So, it makes sense that since Mikky moved to be with their mom once she was ready to have her kids back in her life, they a distance *would* grow. It’s a slow steady sadness that builds as you realize alongside Mikky that his sister and his relationship to her has indeed changed. There’s work to do there, and I think that’s often what becomes toxic about family, is that you assume they’ll always be there, so much of your issues just get swept under the rug.
All relationships ebb and flow though, so I loved that even though Kyla was indeed somewhat of a bully at their high school (where Mikky has now decided to stay to keep an eye on her), I still sympathized with where she was coming from. Her brother got to leave, and Kyla was left with their dad, the family business, and a new reality that didn’t include the daily proximity to her brother. That’s pretty traumatic on its own, let alone losing your best friend to murder.
Joelle Wellington also got the town down sooooo well. The way that the Cook company was intertwined in almost everyone’s lives in that small town (a population of about 6000 I believe) was eerie and of course did not bode well. When an entire town’s income and financial health becomes dependent upon one organization, that alone calls for an unpleasant reckoning. You’ll never convince me to feel bad for huge companies who prioritize profits over people.
I loved the way this mystery involving Erin’s job as a Cook influencer unraveled, with the elusive “Test Kitchens,” exclusive secrets, and more. I also appreciated the idea of someone dying who most people agreed was a cruel person, which makes for a better mystery of finding out who could no longer take a teenage girl who embodied hell on earth to most.
It pained me to read about Kyla confronting the fact that she has to rediscover who she is without Erin around. I found this so incredibly authentic to the teenage experience because again, most of your close friendships are due to proximity, and once you no longer have that, you have more space to figure out what you actually like, and who you actually are on your own as an individual. As a teenager, so much of your identity is tied up to the people around you, the clubs you join, the things you’re “good at”, and what your life looks like to others. We tie our identities to our friend groups, and Kyla was known as “Erin and Kyla, Duck and Goose” to everyone in their small town.
I don’t know about you, but even if I questioned if I really liked something, I likely just kept it moving as a teenager because I desperately wanted to fit in and be liked. Your prefrontal cortex is still developing and it’s such a universally confusing time!!!! But when you spend more time alone, you begin to listen to your body and your nervous system. It’s why moving out on your own is such a big deal, because once you have that distance from others, you have more autonomy and time to examine the type of life you would choose if it were exclusively up to you. It was sad that Kyla felt like an extension of Erin, but I was proud of her for even naming this & hopefully taking steps to proudly find herself moving forward.
I loved the subplot romances between Mikky, my goth emo sweetie pie, and Nasim, the Iranian Watson to his Holmes. Their banter and immediate exhaustion with each other was so entertaining and flowed so naturally 😈 Mikky’s new friend group was really fun to read about in general, especially as more secrets poured out.
Overall, this was yet another mysterious, frustrating, tender, and exciting YA thriller from Joelle Wellington. I highly recommend it to anyone who loved her past work and appreciates imperfect, messy main characters (Mikky & Kyla) who are trying their best (and often fumbling through it).
Rep: Mikky is Black & gay, Kyla is Black (&has sapphic undertones, like I feel like she was INLOVE with Erin but that’s just me), Rowan is nonbinary, Nasim is Iranian, the Graves family navigate mental health, I *think* depression and one character has a panic attack. Another goes to talk therapy.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Bullying, Child abuse, Infidelity, Mental illness, Panic attacks/disorders, Grief, Murder, Toxic friendship, Abandonment, Alcohol, Injury/Injury detail, Classism
Minor: Homophobia, Transphobia
dark
emotional
mysterious
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
The cover to this was truly stunning, it fit perfectly with the mystery vibe of the book all the whiling showing a few plot points like the makeup.
Investigating a murder of Erin, the siblings Mikky and Kyla fall down a rabbit hole of hidden truths and ugly secrets. There is a small town vibe to this which I think worked well for the mystery aspects. I was entertained while reading this but some areas did fall a bit flat. Some of Kyla’s point of view just felt dragged out at times and what actually happened felt anticlimactic. I did enjoy other parts though and I think the author did a good job of having a backstory for the characters.
(Note: I received this copy from the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. Thank you to the publisher for the opportunity.)
Read For
✓ Drama
✓ Small Town
✓ Murder Mystery
✓ Toxic Friendships
✓ High School Setting
𓍊𓋼𓍊𓋼𓍊𓋼𓍊𓋼𓍊𓋼𓍊𓋼𓍊𓋼𓍊𓋼𓍊𓋼𓍊𓋼𓍊𓋼𓍊
Spice Level: n/a
Sad Level: 💧💧💧
Plot: 7/10
Pace: 5/10
Ending: 8/10
Characters: 6/10
Enjoyability: 6/10
Writing Style: 7/10
Would I Recommend? Maybe
Favorite Character: Mikky
Favorite Quote: (coming soon, once quotes can be confirmed with the published version)
POV: Multiple, Third Person
Pages: 336
Format: ebook
Language: English
Release Date: 04, November 2025
Rep/Extras: Gay (side character), mental health rep, black (main and side characters)
Content Warnings
Moderate: Death, Violence, Grief, Murder, Toxic friendship, Injury/Injury detail