A review by plantbasedbride
They Wish They Were Us by Jessica Goodman

dark mysterious slow-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Plot
  • Strong character development? No
  • Loveable characters? No
  • Diverse cast of characters? No
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

2.0

I wanted to love this rich-kid high school mystery, billed as Gossip Girl-esque, but sadly it fell flat.

Universally awful characters treating each other badly with a dash of a very predictable reveal and red herring, I found myself passively consuming the story while impatiently waiting for my suspicions to be confirmed.

There was clearly an attempt here to explore privilege in education (a very topical discussion after the Aunt Becky ordeal) as well as clique-based bullying and hazing, but it was sloppily done. I think what frustrated me most was how obvious Goodman was about framing this story as feminist without doing the work to include any nuance whatsoever or introspection on the part of the female protagonist and her participation in and reinforcement of the toxic culture created by the players.

Overall, They Wish They Were Us had elements of an intriguing story but was ultimately disappointing.
Expand filter menu Content Warnings