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greenlivingaudioworm's review
adventurous
dark
emotional
mysterious
reflective
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.5
Content Warnings
Moderate: Infidelity, Toxic relationship, Murder, Death, Grief, Bullying, Adult/minor relationship, Alcohol, Classism, Toxic friendship, Rape, and Racism
laurenevlyn's review against another edition
dark
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
So many twists and turns wow! If you’re looking for a book where every single character is morally grey (leaning towards morally black in some cases), this is the book for you. Every character was fleshed out, with their own motivations and secrets. Very quick fun read!
Content Warnings
Graphic: Alcohol, Toxic friendship, Murder, Cursing, and Death
Moderate: Adult/minor relationship
Minor: Homophobia, Toxic relationship, Rape, Racism, Outing, and Pedophilia
agxxo's review against another edition
dark
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Murder, Toxic friendship, and Death
Minor: Alcohol, Grief, Rape, and Adult/minor relationship
phantastic's review against another edition
dark
emotional
mysterious
reflective
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.25
This is the type of book that you’ll be thinking about long after you finish reading it. This story brings to attention many real-world issues embedded in the college admissions system and just how ruthless people can be when they chase after something they want.
No one is absolutely good, no one is absolutely evil, and people are always hiding parts of themselves from others. The characters are deeply flawed, and yet that’s what makes them realistic.
The Ivies does its job well, and I’ll certainly be left reflecting for a long time.
No one is absolutely good, no one is absolutely evil, and people are always hiding parts of themselves from others. The characters are deeply flawed, and yet that’s what makes them realistic.
The Ivies does its job well, and I’ll certainly be left reflecting for a long time.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Toxic friendship, Alcohol, Cursing, Classism, and Emotional abuse
Moderate: Bullying, Murder, Toxic relationship, and Adult/minor relationship
Minor: Incest, Gun violence, Rape, Eating disorder, Outing, and Homophobia
annieslibrary's review against another edition
emotional
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.5
Content Warnings
Graphic: Toxic friendship, Rape, Violence, Murder, Alcohol, Death, Pedophilia, Misogyny, Grief, Gaslighting, Bullying, and Adult/minor relationship
storyorc's review
dark
funny
lighthearted
mysterious
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
This is a book about bitches, male and female, and is willing to hold them accountable for their bitchery.
The camp tone requires you to play along (starting with the idea that a group of mean girls are referred to as 'the Ivies' by actual human peers). It is more of a Knives Out than a Hound of the Baskervilles, with the caveat that it is much more predictable than either.
Though none of the boys are as compelling as the female leads, every character is either hiding something or trying something. The Ivies is very much a book of its time as well. References to 'the oppression Olympics' (which Donne boldly tries to convince us her protagonist's mother coined) and Elizabeth Warren are harmless, and the through-line about systemic injustice is pertinent. However, this is strained to the point of parody by the end. I feel Sierra, the Ivies' only black member, would have benefited from exchanging about 20% of her dialogue on race issues for another character trait besides 'hacker' too. (Side note: unless Girls Who Code has drastically changed their mandate since my involvement, their web dev classes will not give you the skillset to hack your school's IT systems.)
The climax is a bit of an eye-roll but upon completion of that, we are rewarded with the most interesting moral notes of the book. Donne pokes her head above the crowd here when she forsakes the nice but unmemorable ending for one where a) the logical consequences of the murder scandal play out with no care for plot armour and b) our narrator, Olivia, when faced with one test of character, choosesthe dark side! To play the game in the documentary interview in pursuit of sweet, sweet validation. Relatable enough to root for; bold enough to balk at.
I usually steer clear of high school drama, college admissions, and rich boarding school stories, yet Ivies has such a snappy voice and the plot was so peppy that I finished it in one day. I only hope Donne's next book bears a different setting.
The camp tone requires you to play along (starting with the idea that a group of mean girls are referred to as 'the Ivies' by actual human peers). It is more of a Knives Out than a Hound of the Baskervilles, with the caveat that it is much more predictable than either.
Though none of the boys are as compelling as the female leads, every character is either hiding something or trying something. The Ivies is very much a book of its time as well. References to 'the oppression Olympics' (which Donne boldly tries to convince us her protagonist's mother coined) and Elizabeth Warren are harmless, and the through-line about systemic injustice is pertinent. However, this is strained to the point of parody by the end. I feel Sierra, the Ivies' only black member, would have benefited from exchanging about 20% of her dialogue on race issues for another character trait besides 'hacker' too. (Side note: unless Girls Who Code has drastically changed their mandate since my involvement, their web dev classes will not give you the skillset to hack your school's IT systems.)
The climax is a bit of an eye-roll but upon completion of that, we are rewarded with the most interesting moral notes of the book. Donne pokes her head above the crowd here when she forsakes the nice but unmemorable ending for one where a) the logical consequences of the murder scandal play out with no care for plot armour and b) our narrator, Olivia, when faced with one test of character, chooses
I usually steer clear of high school drama, college admissions, and rich boarding school stories, yet Ivies has such a snappy voice and the plot was so peppy that I finished it in one day. I only hope Donne's next book bears a different setting.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Classism
Minor: Racism, Rape, and Homophobia
rollaroyce's review against another edition
dark
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.5
I came for a nice mystery and got a social commentary on the corruption of American higher education.
Content Warnings
Minor: Rape
potatoyeetedtospace's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
dark
mysterious
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.75
I LOVED THIS BOOK!! It is so insightful and I loved all of the twists and turns the author has made.
Content Warnings
Minor: Rape, Sexual assault, and Toxic friendship
cepbreed's review against another edition
dark
funny
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.0
My love for this book really crept up on me, originally I wasn't into the long exposition and drivel about another classic pack of mean girls but when the action picked up I was fully head over heels. The characters were unlikable and gritty, everyone is a suspect, and no one can be trusted. It falls into so many of those YA mystery novel tropes, but does them well enough to stay interesting. All of this really hit home for me though, and I literally mean home. I live so close to where all of this fictional action is taking place, and my brother is attending one of the cut throat colleges mentioned early on, its insane. Plus I'm a senior this year so admissions are my current hell.
Why try and redeem Avery at all? It would've been much better leaving her as a completely irredeemable bitch instead of changing her character to help the one-note-poor-girl MC. She was meant to be bad, they all were, even the MC, so I felt no remorse for any (minimal) consequences they received.
Songs:
Songs:
- Bang Bang Bang Bang - Sohodolls
- Are You Satisfied? - Marina and the Diamonds
- Teacher’s Pet - Melanie Martinez
- Boarding School - Lana Del Rey (unreleased)
Content Warnings
Graphic: Bullying, Death, Emotional abuse, Gaslighting, Grief, Infidelity, Misogyny, Racism, and Toxic friendship
Moderate: Adult/minor relationship, Alcohol, Rape, Sexual assault, Sexual content, and Toxic relationship
Minor: Gun violence, Homophobia, and Incest
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