Book description: Gossip Girl meets One of Us Is Lying in this slick, taut murder mystery set against the backdrop of an exclusive prep school on Long Island.
In Gold Coast, Long Island, everything from the expensive downtown shops to the manicured beaches, to the pressed uniforms of Jill Newman and her friends, looks perfect. But as Jill found out three years ago, nothing is as it seems.
Freshman year Jill's best friend, the brilliant, dazzling Shaila Arnold, was killed by her boyfriend. After that dark night on the beach, Graham confessed, the case was closed, and Jill tried to move on.
Now, it's Jill's senior year and she's determined to make it her best yet. After all, she's a senior and a Player--a member of Gold Coast Prep's exclusive, not-so-secret secret society. Senior Players have the best parties, highest grades and the admiration of the entire school. This is going to be Jill's year. She's sure of it.
But when Jill starts getting texts proclaiming Graham's innocence, her dreams of the perfect senior year start to crumble. If Graham didn't kill Shaila, who did? Jill vows to find out, but digging deeper could mean putting her friendships, and her future, in jeopardy.
My review:
They Wish They Were Us is enthralling and captivating from the start and I just couldn't put it down. I love YA mystery thrillers like this and really wish there were more of them out there. I find it interesting that the crime has already taken place and that we are then presented with the idea that the person convicted of it may not have actually done it. So then you're wondering well who did. On top of that the whole Players thing is pretty intriguing and seems to really shine a spotlight on peer pressure and naive youth. It touches on a lot of issues including bullying, sexism, ethics, and more. I think the author did a good job at planting little seeds about a few characters and while some have said they knew right away who did it, I'll admit that I did not. I did realize it shortly before it was revealed, but I still had fun getting there and getting the satisfaction of being right when it finally was presented without a doubt. I think it was a great choice and I thoroughly enjoyed reading They Wish They Were Us.
I received this book through bookishfirst and this is my honest and voluntary review.
