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3.64 AVERAGE
3.64 AVERAGE
mysterious
It was okay. Literally just okay. They were all deranged but I had fun! Kinda.
funny
mysterious
reflective
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
I haven't had this much fun over a book about college prep school drama since Gossip Girl and One of Us is Lying, and booooy, was this a conglomeration of both. I ate this up like I would binge GG on its heyday. The more dramatic and unhinged it got, the better.
I really enjoyed the POV of Olivia. She's ambitious and plays the scholarship student role in Claflin, a fictional private high school for the wealthy and well-connected. She gets in with the Mean Girls crowd called the "Ivies" (named aptly for them having their focus-schools only on Ivy League universities), and proceeds to participate in the petty and underhanded sabotage that happens to the Ivies' competition. And it's all fun and games up until somebody gets murdered. All because said victim got into the school of their dreams. And one didn't.
This book does fall into your standard YA high school drama tropes, but what really had me sat was the fact that the experiences Olivia was going through felt real to me. Having gone to a private school for a majority of my formative years (and then having to pay for private universities for both my undergraduate and graduate degrees) I related to the cutthroat competition and the bias towards the privileged/patrons like no other. And what does it tell you that the author wrote this book to take place in 2021, and it's literally "the same shit, different decade" kind of experience? What does it tell you that even now, there are likely students buying into the exclusivity of private university education that they MUST get into said exclusive club or bust?
And the CHARACTERS. Oof. There was literally no one at Claflin with a squeaky clean record. There's just all the students being put on a spectrum of unhinged, with the Ivies being near the very higu end of the spectrum. For that reason alone they deserve my respect. đ
I really enjoyed the POV of Olivia. She's ambitious and plays the scholarship student role in Claflin, a fictional private high school for the wealthy and well-connected. She gets in with the Mean Girls crowd called the "Ivies" (named aptly for them having their focus-schools only on Ivy League universities), and proceeds to participate in the petty and underhanded sabotage that happens to the Ivies' competition. And it's all fun and games up until somebody gets murdered. All because said victim got into the school of their dreams. And one didn't.
This book does fall into your standard YA high school drama tropes, but what really had me sat was the fact that the experiences Olivia was going through felt real to me. Having gone to a private school for a majority of my formative years (and then having to pay for private universities for both my undergraduate and graduate degrees) I related to the cutthroat competition and the bias towards the privileged/patrons like no other. And what does it tell you that the author wrote this book to take place in 2021, and it's literally "the same shit, different decade" kind of experience? What does it tell you that even now, there are likely students buying into the exclusivity of private university education that they MUST get into said exclusive club or bust?
And the CHARACTERS. Oof. There was literally no one at Claflin with a squeaky clean record. There's just all the students being put on a spectrum of unhinged, with the Ivies being near the very higu end of the spectrum. For that reason alone they deserve my respect. đ
DNF'ed this one. It's a good teen drama I guess but it was too slow to be a thriller or even a dramatic drama.
DNF'ed at around 64% because it was just to slow and uninteresting to me. I usually don't rate books I DNF'ed as I don't know the ending, so I will leave the rating out of this review.
DNF'ed at around 64% because it was just to slow and uninteresting to me. I usually don't rate books I DNF'ed as I don't know the ending, so I will leave the rating out of this review.
dark
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
This dark academia novel was so fun and I'm so glad I read it during college decision season! I zoomed through this so fast because I needed to know everything ASAP! I had a theory that did not turn out to be correct but it was so fun to guess what was going on. It kind of gave me a One Of Us Is Lying vibes. I listened to this one and flew through it. Easy and fun read but definitely a lot of college admissions talk. I'm definitely recommending to my high schooler for fun summer reading.
dark
mysterious
tense
fast-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
mysterious
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
dark
emotional
hopeful
mysterious
sad
tense
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Content Warnings
Minor: Gun violence, Toxic relationship, Violence, Vomit, Toxic friendship
dark
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
challenging
emotional
mysterious
sad
tense
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Yâall. This book was like Mean Girls meets How to Get Away with Murder, wrapped up in a prep school uniform with a personalized SAT study guide and a killer instinct. Literally.
Set at the elite Claflin Academy, The Ivies are a handpicked clique of overachieving, underhanded girls who will do whatever it takes to snag their spot in the Ivy Leagueâincluding tanking other studentsâ chances. I mean, who needs integrity when youâve got ambition and a college counselor on speed dial, right? But when one of them ends up dead, the cutthroat academic games take a very realâand very chillingâturn.
This one was a ride. Fast-paced, drama-fueled, and full of secrets, I found myself flipping pages (or, letâs be realâspeeding up the audio) trying to figure out who did it and why. I love when a YA thriller actually surprises me, and this one kept me guessing. The narratorâs voice was spot-on for our main character, whoâs trying to stay afloat in a sea of privilege, power plays, and straight-up danger.
It explores themes of toxic ambition, class dynamics, performative perfection, and the anxiety-inducing madness that is elite college admissions. And the way it handled female friendshipâespecially how it can morph into rivalry, manipulation, and survivalâwas both fascinating and a little bit heartbreaking.
If you love stories about secret societies, high-stakes drama, rich kid chaos, and murder that feels one SAT prep session away from a breakdown, this oneâs for you.
Start Date: 4/6/2025
End Date: 4/7/2025
Star Rating: 3âď¸
Format: Audiobook
Spice Rating: 0đśď¸ (YA and clean, but full of tension)
Genre: YA Thriller / Mystery
Setting: USA
Publication Date: 9/6/2022
Publishing House: Penguin Random House; Ember
Est Page Count: 336
Audio Publisher: Listening Library
Audio Pub Date: 5/25/2021
Audio Length: 10 hrs 1 min
Audio Speed: 3x
Narrator: Phoebe Strole
Narrator Rating: 4âď¸
POV: First person
Content Triggers: murder, bullying, academic pressure, parental neglect
Content Warnings
Moderate: Adult/minor relationship, Bullying, Toxic relationship, Grief, Murder, Toxic friendship
Minor: Homophobia