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mehsi's review against another edition
5.0
I was at first a bit worried, should I continue this series? I know I enjoyed, no, loved the first book, but it was also so over the top, so much stuffed in a book that it almost seemed fake at times. But I was lured in, and I can honestly say, yes it was once again over the top, but it was also once again, love. :)
Anne can still not leave the whole Matthew thing go, so she goes to search around again and see if she can do anything, and yes, this includes various illegal things.
I didn't like everything Anne did, like how she as soon as she dumped Brent went to Anthony and let him kiss her and all that. I know she had feelings for him, but come on, you just dumped your boyfriend of a few months (or longer) and you don't need any time to recuperate, did you really like the dude? (I guess not)
I was also amazed at all the things she did just to close this case for once and all. Though it meant a lot of bad things happened to her, but also others, and probably will keep on happening. Though I really hope it will all get resolved in the next book.
I seriously didn't like various characters in this book. We had a character who was just a prick, a school directory that was super-corrupt (as was also noticeable in the first book) and we also got a mystery woman (who I didn't trust and it seems I was right not to trust).
I can somehow imagine that people don't like Anne. While she is trying to find out the truth and all, she also gets people fired, she hurts people and is very persistent in what she wants and how she wants it.
But I would also like to thank the author, I found some great quotes in this book that I will be keeping and using when needed. :)
I will be looking forward to the next book, only a few more months to go. Which I didn't really expect, I expected I had to wait another year or so.
Oh one more thing, thanks publisher and such for keeping the covers consistent. The many times I have seen that covers change for a series and that you suddenly have like 3 different covers in your collection.
Anne can still not leave the whole Matthew thing go, so she goes to search around again and see if she can do anything, and yes, this includes various illegal things.
I didn't like everything Anne did, like how she as soon as she dumped Brent went to Anthony and let him kiss her and all that. I know she had feelings for him, but come on, you just dumped your boyfriend of a few months (or longer) and you don't need any time to recuperate, did you really like the dude? (I guess not)
I was also amazed at all the things she did just to close this case for once and all. Though it meant a lot of bad things happened to her, but also others, and probably will keep on happening. Though I really hope it will all get resolved in the next book.
I seriously didn't like various characters in this book. We had a character who was just a prick, a school directory that was super-corrupt (as was also noticeable in the first book) and we also got a mystery woman (who I didn't trust and it seems I was right not to trust).
I can somehow imagine that people don't like Anne. While she is trying to find out the truth and all, she also gets people fired, she hurts people and is very persistent in what she wants and how she wants it.
But I would also like to thank the author, I found some great quotes in this book that I will be keeping and using when needed. :)
I will be looking forward to the next book, only a few more months to go. Which I didn't really expect, I expected I had to wait another year or so.
Oh one more thing, thanks publisher and such for keeping the covers consistent. The many times I have seen that covers change for a series and that you suddenly have like 3 different covers in your collection.
margaux22l's review
adventurous
dark
emotional
mysterious
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.75
Amazing just like book 1
ikler's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
dark
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.25
hitbooksnotgirlz's review against another edition
5.0
This series reminds me so much of Truly Devious! To the point that I started mixing up some of the details between both series. Stevie and Anne are both super sleuths, and put nothing above finding the truth. Their schools both have underground tunnels too. Weird! While this series is not as good as Truly Devious, it’s still pretty fucking great and I like it a lot. 0/10 on the cover though. All of them - so lame. But the story is great and I love the characters. This one was quite the cliff hanger! Definitely going to start the 3rd book in the series tomorrow. It’s a must!!!
cjyu's review against another edition
4.0
4.5 stars
Even though it's been a year and a half since I've read Prep School Confidential, Wicked Little Secrets had a great little beginning that gave a quick summary in what happened in the last book without it being forced- and continued on effortlessly there. Anne Dowling is one the most delightful YA heroines out there- levelheaded, rational, with an heroic almost hardheaded sense of justice, but doesn't forget that at the end of the day, she is no more but a teenage girl. This book, while it's a murder mystery, showcases the prep school aspect just as well, and is balanced with humour and intrigue, with characters that shine on every level. While I think I preferred Prep School Confidential more (the romance in this one was a bit weary) it doesn't take away the fact this is a strong follow up to the series. I'm super excited to read Deadly Little Sins.
Even though it's been a year and a half since I've read Prep School Confidential, Wicked Little Secrets had a great little beginning that gave a quick summary in what happened in the last book without it being forced- and continued on effortlessly there. Anne Dowling is one the most delightful YA heroines out there- levelheaded, rational, with an heroic almost hardheaded sense of justice, but doesn't forget that at the end of the day, she is no more but a teenage girl. This book, while it's a murder mystery, showcases the prep school aspect just as well, and is balanced with humour and intrigue, with characters that shine on every level. While I think I preferred Prep School Confidential more (the romance in this one was a bit weary) it doesn't take away the fact this is a strong follow up to the series. I'm super excited to read Deadly Little Sins.
blakehalsey's review against another edition
3.0
Actual Rating 3.5
I liked this second installment of Taylor's Prep School novels. It was pretty jam packed with all the stuff Anne found out. She got into her fair share of trouble and at times, I couldn't believe she was actually doing some of the things she did! I thought the love triangle was handled well, portraying some of Anne's confusion over her feelings for both boys. I'm honestly not sure which one I prefer, but I lean toward Anthony. At times, all the clues and leads she was following seemed almost overwhelming, but it all came together nicely in the end. Good sequel.
I liked this second installment of Taylor's Prep School novels. It was pretty jam packed with all the stuff Anne found out. She got into her fair share of trouble and at times, I couldn't believe she was actually doing some of the things she did! I thought the love triangle was handled well, portraying some of Anne's confusion over her feelings for both boys. I'm honestly not sure which one I prefer, but I lean toward Anthony. At times, all the clues and leads she was following seemed almost overwhelming, but it all came together nicely in the end. Good sequel.
bizzybee429's review against another edition
5.0
"'On March eighteenth, 1981, Weaver attended his classes at the Wheatley School. He skipped dinner, telling his friends he had a headache. Weaver went back to his dormitory and slept until eleven, when he woke up his roommate, Blaine Goldsmith.' [sic]
'"He told me he'd be right back, so I went to sleep. Sure, it was a little weird that he was dressed adn everything, but Matty was always coming and going like that."'
The screen fills up with a still of the forest behind the school as the narrator speaks again.
'That's the last anyone saw Matthew Weaver alive.'"
The first thing I have to say is -- Prep School Confidential is both exactly what you would expect but also nothing you would expect from the covers of the books. Yes, it's pretty girly, and yes, it takes place at a Prep School, but no, it's not another dumb mystery novel that's actually just an ad for being rich and going to private school.
Anne Dowling is a first-class teen sleuth. She is smart, notices things that no one else does, and will not let anyone get in the way of what she wants. When she decides to investigate a 30-year old cold case that has similarities to her former roommate's death, she has to piece together things that the police have been trying to do for thirty years.
And she rocks at it.
These books are intense and honestly kind of scary at parts. Anne gets threats, both direct and indirect, and she still powers through even when important and powerful people that have the ability to make her death look like an accident tell her to just let it go. And she still has time to look pretty doing it.
"He leaps across the bench and reaches for my throat. I wind up and elbow him right in the nose. He collapses in pain as I examine the sleeve of my sweater, which is now covered in blood.
Ugh. I look down at [him], and he's cradling his face in his hands. 'I'm sending you the dry-cleaning bill,' I say."
She's just so cool. The plot is so tight and I completely forgot who the murderer is so this was a wild ride for me. What a great series.
'"He told me he'd be right back, so I went to sleep. Sure, it was a little weird that he was dressed adn everything, but Matty was always coming and going like that."'
The screen fills up with a still of the forest behind the school as the narrator speaks again.
'That's the last anyone saw Matthew Weaver alive.'"
The first thing I have to say is -- Prep School Confidential is both exactly what you would expect but also nothing you would expect from the covers of the books. Yes, it's pretty girly, and yes, it takes place at a Prep School, but no, it's not another dumb mystery novel that's actually just an ad for being rich and going to private school.
Anne Dowling is a first-class teen sleuth. She is smart, notices things that no one else does, and will not let anyone get in the way of what she wants. When she decides to investigate a 30-year old cold case that has similarities to her former roommate's death, she has to piece together things that the police have been trying to do for thirty years.
And she rocks at it.
These books are intense and honestly kind of scary at parts. Anne gets threats, both direct and indirect, and she still powers through even when important and powerful people that have the ability to make her death look like an accident tell her to just let it go. And she still has time to look pretty doing it.
"He leaps across the bench and reaches for my throat. I wind up and elbow him right in the nose. He collapses in pain as I examine the sleeve of my sweater, which is now covered in blood.
Ugh. I look down at [him], and he's cradling his face in his hands. 'I'm sending you the dry-cleaning bill,' I say."
She's just so cool. The plot is so tight and I completely forgot who the murderer is so this was a wild ride for me. What a great series.
liralen's review against another edition
3.0
Note to self: In the event that I have children, do not send them to an incredibly uppity prep school. (Unless they set the gym on fire and have no other options -- but really, I think I'd find another option.)
Anne is actually a lot of fun. She has the bitchiness of a Gossip Girl-type character, but the writing's far better, and Anne's a lot more complex. She knows she's spoiled, and she knows she's a bitch. But she's also aware enough of the effect of her words to think about what she says, and who she is saying it to, and, well, temper her temper as needed.
In some ways I liked this a great deal more than [b:Prep School Confidential|13411546|Prep School Confidential (Prep School Confidential, #1)|Kara Taylor|https://d202m5krfqbpi5.cloudfront.net/books/1362062511s/13411546.jpg|18668960] -- I love the idea of digging up a decades-old mystery, especially one that the school wants to keep buried. I couldn't care less about the romance, but at least the male leads are interesting rather than just pretty; I'm not sure Anne actually likes her new friends, but she does an admirable job of balancing her interests in partying and clothing with trying to stretch outside the Wheatley box.
On the subject of Wheatley: I have been trying, with no avail, to figure out exactly where it is located. Fictional school, fictional town, I get that. But I'm pretty sure it's geography relies on a rather skewed map of the Boston T system. Tentative verdict: Green line; more evidence to be collected from the next book.*
It's sometimes hard to sympathise with these characters; many of them are the unpleasant or vapid products of too much yes and not enough hard work. That said, Anne pulls through with her determination to find the truth and recognition of the fact that yes, it is probably a futile search. I had some trouble following the what-actually-happened, but I was so glad to see the Matthew Weaver mystery from the previous book followed up on.
*This is unlikely to matter to anyone unfamiliar with the Boston T system. Wheatley is supposed to be about 15 minutes outside Boston. At a guess, it's supposed to be on one of the Green line branches; Anne and Brent go to Fenway Park via T on page 5 without any mentioned train changes. Later (page 199), she mentions switching trains to get to Downtown Crossing, which rules out Red and Orange -- and, honestly, it's hard to imagine Wheatley on the Blue line. But. Why would someone on the Green line go to Downtown Crossing to get to Boston Common, when Park Street is a) closer and b) on the Green line? And when Anne pulls an in-one-door-and-out-the-other-side move (page), she's on a stretch of the Green line where the doors only open on one side.
I received a free copy of this book via a Goodreads giveaway.
Anne is actually a lot of fun. She has the bitchiness of a Gossip Girl-type character, but the writing's far better, and Anne's a lot more complex. She knows she's spoiled, and she knows she's a bitch. But she's also aware enough of the effect of her words to think about what she says, and who she is saying it to, and, well, temper her temper as needed.
In some ways I liked this a great deal more than [b:Prep School Confidential|13411546|Prep School Confidential (Prep School Confidential, #1)|Kara Taylor|https://d202m5krfqbpi5.cloudfront.net/books/1362062511s/13411546.jpg|18668960] -- I love the idea of digging up a decades-old mystery, especially one that the school wants to keep buried. I couldn't care less about the romance, but at least the male leads are interesting rather than just pretty; I'm not sure Anne actually likes her new friends, but she does an admirable job of balancing her interests in partying and clothing with trying to stretch outside the Wheatley box.
On the subject of Wheatley: I have been trying, with no avail, to figure out exactly where it is located. Fictional school, fictional town, I get that. But I'm pretty sure it's geography relies on a rather skewed map of the Boston T system. Tentative verdict: Green line; more evidence to be collected from the next book.*
It's sometimes hard to sympathise with these characters; many of them are the unpleasant or vapid products of too much yes and not enough hard work. That said, Anne pulls through with her determination to find the truth and recognition of the fact that yes, it is probably a futile search. I had some trouble following the what-actually-happened, but I was so glad to see the Matthew Weaver mystery from the previous book followed up on.
*This is unlikely to matter to anyone unfamiliar with the Boston T system. Wheatley is supposed to be about 15 minutes outside Boston. At a guess, it's supposed to be on one of the Green line branches; Anne and Brent go to Fenway Park via T on page 5 without any mentioned train changes. Later (page 199), she mentions switching trains to get to Downtown Crossing, which rules out Red and Orange -- and, honestly, it's hard to imagine Wheatley on the Blue line. But. Why would someone on the Green line go to Downtown Crossing to get to Boston Common, when Park Street is a) closer and b) on the Green line? And when Anne pulls an in-one-door-and-out-the-other-side move (page
Spoiler
219I received a free copy of this book via a Goodreads giveaway.
joaniemaloney's review against another edition
3.0
So the sequel isn't as good, but it was still entertaining and I breezed through this in no time. I've got the third and final book requested at the library already. There's more than enough anticipation for me to finish this trilogy.
Anne Dowling is as curious and driven as ever to uncover the truth in this one. Her voice is what keeps me reading. I can't say that the mystery in this one interested as much as Isabella's murder, which is why I've rated this lower. I guess the Weaver case, as mysterious as Kara Taylor tried to make it, wasn't that intriguing to me. But I did want to see how Anne would solve it and who it implicated in the process, so I kept going. No spoilers but I think I care even less about the actual case for the next book, unless some miraculous twist happens. It's really all about Anne.
I think I like her better with Brent (this can barely qualify as a preference though) but I'd be very okay for her to just be her awesome self and go back to NYC or someplace new. It's been two books and I honestly don't understand how Anthony is even a thing, though I suppose the contrast between him and Brent serves some purpose. When there's the triangle conversation, the pacing drags a bit. It was expected, of course, but I like Anne best when she's her sleuthy self. Romance aside, her and Anthony make a decent duo of detectives. So I wouldn't mind them being partners in that sense.
One more book to go! And wow, so I'm not sure why I even latched onto Dan/Kelsey because that wasn't even on the radar at all, haha.
Anne Dowling is as curious and driven as ever to uncover the truth in this one. Her voice is what keeps me reading. I can't say that the mystery in this one interested as much as Isabella's murder, which is why I've rated this lower. I guess the Weaver case, as mysterious as Kara Taylor tried to make it, wasn't that intriguing to me. But I did want to see how Anne would solve it and who it implicated in the process, so I kept going. No spoilers but I think I care even less about the actual case for the next book, unless some miraculous twist happens. It's really all about Anne.
I think I like her better with Brent (this can barely qualify as a preference though) but I'd be very okay for her to just be her awesome self and go back to NYC or someplace new. It's been two books and I honestly don't understand how Anthony is even a thing, though I suppose the contrast between him and Brent serves some purpose. When there's the triangle conversation, the pacing drags a bit. It was expected, of course, but I like Anne best when she's her sleuthy self. Romance aside, her and Anthony make a decent duo of detectives. So I wouldn't mind them being partners in that sense.
One more book to go! And wow, so I'm not sure why I even latched onto Dan/Kelsey because that wasn't even on the radar at all, haha.