Wasted

Guided #2

by Emma Smith

The sequel to Emma Smith's debut young adult mystery, Guided.

The past is the past. Nothing I say can change what happened, can bring those people back...

It's been five years since Lexie died, and Lucy has moved on. With new friends and a boyfriend on the horizon, she just wants to get through the year and move to university, leaving behind Vibbington and the memories.

But when the friends - Lucy, Orla, Kayleigh and Chloe - embark on their final camping trip, loyalties are tested. Lucy is back in a position she hoped she'd never be in again, interrogated by the police, trusted by nobody.

Two men are dead... and now one of the girls is, too.

A young adult contemporary novel with a mystery at its heart, exploring the pains of first love, friendship and loyalty. Suitable for ages 13 and above.

Genres: Mystery, Young Adult

340 pages, Paperback

First published November 17, 2023

About the author

Emma Smith is a young adult and children's author from Yorkshire. She wrote and illustrated her first “book” when she was seven years old and hasn’t stopped writing since. When she’s not walking on the beach or drinking an iced coffee with a crumpet and some chocolate, you’ll probably find her reading something dark and mysterious… and most certainly YA.

Reviews

[grace🏹 ·˚ ༘🦷 · Rating 4 out of 5]

⋆ ˚｡⋆୨୧˚4.1.24
🍒4 stars
after reading guided, there was no world in which I wasn’t reading this. whilst i found it slow initially, i ended up loving it as much as i did guided.

[Marisa · Rating 5 out of 5]

really enjoyed the sequel to guided! it was a fun little read and did not expect the ending but think it wrapped it up nicely. loved the return of old characters!!

[Kenzie Leckie ✨ · Rating 5 out of 5]

I think this is my favourite Emma Smith book I’ve read so far! I loved returning to the characters and seeing how the situation from the past book has affected them up to now.

I really enjoyed how the guilt is shared between the group and the MC isn’t just keeping it to themselves and you’re able to see how different people deal with what’s happened.

I would of liked to have not known what girl from the group had died until a little later into the book so that you were left guessing who it was for longer as there was a statement a little early on that gave away who it was.

I would LOVE if there was a third book that surrounds their life after book two, a couple of years down the line or everything catches up to them and how they deal with it.

I went into this still hoping that Macey hadn’t actually died but was left shocked to realise that she had!!

[Ashlea Stannard · Rating 5 out of 5]

i read most of wasted tucked up in my bed, blankets wrapped around me, but that wasn't enough to keep the chill of this novel out. midnight bled into the small hours, and emma's words were sharp-edged and dark, where in midnight sherbet they were sickly sweet and relatable. i thought i knew where it was going-- three girls, secrets like bruises under the skin, the slow, honey-thick unraveling of a mystery.
oh, boy, i was wrong.
the pacing was agonisingly deliberate, like standing at the edge of the cliff, knowing the fall is coming but not when. but boy when that fall came, when the cilmax unraveled like thread, it was visceral. gory in a way that made me flinch, the image of blue eyes through wooden slats made me flinch and prickle.
there's something intoxicating about emma's writing, the way it seeps under your skin. i've been working through her books like sweets, unwrapping them slowly and letting the taste of each: first guided, then midnight sherbet, and now this one, linger on my tongue. each one is so different, but always defined as emma's by that same aching coming of age-- girls growing up too fast, growing sharp and lost.
wasted is no exception to emma's mastery. it hums with pretty little liars-esque secrets, friendship twisted and rotten, but it's something much rawer, closer to home.
i couldn't sleep after i finished it, shocked at emma's unapologetic dive into the deep and dark and scary.
wasted doesn't just end, it stays with you, and that is why emma smith is my favourite author.

[sana · Rating 5 out of 5]

such a special book, wasted has my heart. it’s heartwarming and autumnal and gory and beautiful and heartbreaking and i can’t recommend it enough.

the drip feeding of the mystery is crafted so well: figuring out which girl died is SO fun and never been done before. slowly piecing together the details and having your heart race as you figure out what really happened at that camp…

if guided is everything (which it is), wasted is everything and more

[alyn · Rating 5 out of 5]

In a small British town, following our main character Lucy, we are taken into a unique story, with mystery at its heart.

This was a multitude of emotions, grief, fear, anxiety and love. I was in awe of the intricate world building and attention to detail. Wasted mentions the reality of adolescence with dark twists and turns. The story was well crafted- I enjoyed the plot and the characters. The setting of a camp brought me straight back to Guided and the resemblance was there. However, this time it was much more gruesome and taunting. The slow, drip feed of information during the entirety is was really sold this book to me, tension was being built in the best way and I was always left wondering. Also, finding out which girl was murdered towards the middle was so interesting, and not something I’ve seen done before in such an effective manner.
And that ending???!!! Tell me more, I’m left questioning everything. What now happens to everyone, anyone. I need anything to fill all the questions I have in my head. It was pulled off so well and I am really impressed with the quality of the ending although I think it could have been expanded on a little, considering the huge surge of action happening in the last 30 or so pages. Other than that, it read beautifully and I finished the ending in one evening.

And a very very big thank you to Emma for mentioning me in the acknowledgments of this book- I’ll be forever greatful! This one was great, bring on whatever secrets you have planned! ❤️

[Tegan · Rating 4 out of 5]

May contain some spoilers !!
This book delves into the aftermath of a tragedy that refuses to stay buried. It can seen that Lucy finds herself entangled once again by the haunting memories resurface during a final camping trip with friends. The book showcases a chilling mystery,deception, and MANY unexpected twists. Emma navigates the complexities of guilt and mistrust, leaves you wondering the fates of the characters.I genuinely didn't expect it.
Looking into Emma's language throughout the book we can see interwoven glimpses that contribute to the building tension and emotional resonance of the story. With Lucy's emotional turmoil it leads the reader to empathise with her internal struggles .

[Francesca · Rating 4 out of 5]

Emma Smith absolutely never fails to write a book I'll love, and Wasted was no exception. It was very similar to Guided, and the perfect sequel - darker, and more dramatic in every way. I loved the characters of Lucy, Orla, and Chloe, and seeing how they'd changed since Guided, and the nods to Emma's other books (references to Loz, Carmel etc.) and Ethan was the best book boyfriend ever written. My only complaint was the fact the plot was wildly less realistic than Guided - which was almost more frightening and gripping because it felt like a case that could actually happen - whereas this was just...too much, especially the ending. But maybe I just found that because I'm not a huge mystery reader normally 🤷🏼‍♀️ Despite this, I'd definitely recommend, and am still dying to know what happens to the girls next.

[Faith Fawcett · Rating 5 out of 5]

OMG

Emma is so talented that I have given 5 stars to a book genre I don't even usually like?? I was on the edge of my seat reading this, wanting to know how it was going to end and what was going to happen to Lucy and the other girls!

The timing was absolutely perfect and there was never a dull moment. I also thought that Emma really captured the characters, especially Lucy's mindset regarding everything.

I honestly cannot wait for the third book (that ending was insane!) and I fully recommend this book to everyone! You won't be disappointed!

[em · Rating 4 out of 5]

Ohmygod?? I did NOT predict this ending the way it did. Smith managed to do something that I thought would have been impossible at the end of “Guided”, she made me care about the main group of girls. I really felt for them and what they had been through, despite their mistakes and bullying in the first book. I really enjoyed this one and the writing was easy to get into and the characters realistic. Like I said, the ending had me shocked!

[Vicky · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.5⭐️!
I read Guided at the start of this year and I could not wait to pick up Wasted, and I was not disappointed. This book is the second of many that I will read from this author. I love the writing style so much, it’s so cleverly written switching between the past and present time lines and I adored the references to Guided. I loved getting to know the girls more in this book and I seriously cannot wait for what’s to come in this story line. Also the ending?! What an absolute plot twist that I didn’t see coming! Such a good book!

[milly · Rating 5 out of 5]

ahhhhh first of all loved the return of the guided characters, immediately felt back in the world and the mystery and the friendships! secondly loved ethan. enough said. thirdly will never be going in a treehouse in my life.

this book made me feel so much comfort, tension and everything else. deffo an auto read author 100% recommend anything emma releases 💕

[Immi · Rating 5 out of 5]

O M G this was so good! I read guided a while ago, and when I saw the sequel was out I literally ran to read it. I literally couldn’t put it down, and I loved how we had no idea what actually happened until she told someone. Amazing read (as usual) Emma, please keep them coming!

[Keelin · Rating 5 out of 5]

Jaw DROPPED.

Oh my god?!?!?!? Chapter 48- holy shit. Did NOT think that would happen.

Still absolutely reeling from the ending, once again another 5 star book by Emma!

Loved all the inclusions of past characters, but Macey’s mentions were so bittersweet < / 3

Now where can I find myself an Ethan LMAO

[zarlynx · Rating 5 out of 5]

I finished this book yesterday at 1am in my village because I couldn’t put it down. Actually this is my favorite book of Emma at the moment (I’m so exited to read the three I have left). I couldn’t figure out any of the plot twists and you can see a clearly improvement from “Guided”. I already recommended to a ton of friends and I felt like something inside broke with that ending 🫶🏻

[Amy Cummins · Rating 5 out of 5]

WHAT WHAT WHAT. PLEASE TELL ME THAT ISN'T THE END. I NEED MORE. I CANNOT GO ON WITHOUT MORE. PLEASE.

[Lydia · Rating 4 out of 5]

Ahhh the perfect sequel to Guided!!

I say this with every book by Emma I read but I'll never stop saying it. Her descriptions are just so beautifully written. The atmosphere of this book - late autumn camping - was just so good. It matched so well with the dark twists and turns

I loved how the mystery slowly built up through the book. I was constantly changing my mind about which girl had died and what happened. Was kept on tenterhooks the whole way through! And the end....well I need book 3 now 👀

Loved the romantic subplot too!!

Only thing I wasnt sure about was one mention of a character being autistic that wasn't mentioned again. The character wasn't likeable or a major part of the plot so it felt a tiny bit tokenised.

That being said, it was a really great read and I would recommend it!! After you've read Guided of course :)

[Eilidh Reads · Rating 4 out of 5]

After reading Guided I knew I had to go straight into Wasted to both see what the repercussions of those events were and understand some of these Guides more. I didn’t know what to expect from the story and there were definitely bits I did not expect but I could not stop reading.

Wasted is set five years after the events of Guided and Lucy has moved on, and is ready to move away from Vibbington, and the memories connected to it. However when Lucy and the other Guides go on a final camp before leaving Vibbington, unexpected events occur and the girls end up back in front of the police for interviews in a way Lucy hoped would never again happen.

One of the things since reading this book I have almost struggled to wrap my head around is how big of a range of books Emma Smith has the ability to write. Over the past month and a half I have read quite a few of her books and they have been so vastly different but all books I’ve enjoyed. The two that stuck out with the most variety between them are Wasted and Christmas Eve with stories that are so different, but both ones that I have really enjoyed and feature some of the things that I have come to expect from Emma. These things include relatable characters, a story that has me hooked and a setting that feels super real.

After reading Guided I wasn’t sure I would ever have positive feelings towards these characters however while these were not my favourite characters I really did feel for the girls and the situation they find themselves in. You could see how they had changed over the past five years and also this time around the guilt was not only left to one girl in an unbearable way instead the guilt was shared between all three girls.
It was also really cool to spot the references to the characters in Emma’s other books which I have yet to read but am extremely excited to get to.

This story did feel slightly less realistic than Guided did and the mystery felt very different which I wasn’t expecting but couldn’t put down. There were some parts that definitely frightened me more than I would normally pick to read and also made me glad that I no longer do Scout camps. There were parts of this that I couldn’t actually see happening but overall the mystery had me hooked and I wanted to see what the results of everything would be.
Something else I liked was the fact that we don’t learn which of the girls has died until part way through the book and while I did successfully identify which girl had died it was a really good addition to the story. There were a couple of other things that I successfully predicted but it didn’t take away from my enjoyment.

Overall while I did prefer Guided I am so glad that I have finally read this and spent more time with the characters. I am pretty sure we will be getting a third book in the series and while I have no clue who it will actually follow I am looking forward to seeing what will happen next. I don’t think I would recommend going into this book blind however it is a UKYA mystery series that I would recommend.

[izzy :) · Rating 3 out of 5]

What the hell. Genuinely what the hell. This book was CRAZY - especially compared to Guided, the first one in the series. Guided was a tragedy about a bullied girl who tragically dies, this book however was just really creepy.

Wasted tells the story of 4 17 year old girls going on an autumn weekend away in the woods as part of their local rangers (Girl Scouts for older kids) group. But, the weekend ends up with three people murdered - including one of the friends.

This book was extremely slow burn with the drama. Unlike in Guided where we get flashbacks regularly, this book had almost none until page 140ish apart from some smaller mentions of things that happened in the first book or brief discussions about how each member in the group had moved on from the first book’s happenings. These mentions were very brief though. Whilst this did keep me guessing and on my toes, it got a little boring after a while as I felt that Lucy (this book’s main) was just not as compelling as Macey (the first book’s protagonist). Just hearing her go about her day was a little monotonous at the start because of how slow we were fed everything. I would have been cool to have a little more action at the beginning.

As a person though, I did kind of love Lucy and her friends. I really enjoyed reading about her friend group and her situationship. They were all such lovely characters and I loved how in this book they were all there for each other. Even though Lucy did not have a super strong personality by herself, her friend group really compensated for that.

But once things went south for the characters in this book, they deteriorated FAST. In the second half of this book, the mystery of what happened at that camp starts to take place and this is when it gets juicy. The things that happened at camp were extremely freaky and kinda unexpected and literally made me jump out my seat. This was the kind of mystery I had been craving. In a sadistic sort of way, I really felt excited when they were talking about the murders and the sound of the stabs.

The one bit I will say I absolutely disliked so much was the ending! It was such a let down. I won’t say much to avoid spoilers but it was so far fetched and especially for characters like Lucy and Orla who are genuinely seen as extremely sensible and like they wouldn’t do something like that, it felt so out of character and almost like I was reading a different book.

Overall though, a fun book and a pretty good sequel to guided. I hope to read more of Emma’s books in the future :)

[Millie Jones · Rating 3 out of 5]

Rating - 3 stars
Bookstagram - starcrxssedreader
Read - 29th January 2024

Unfortunately, this is one of the books that I read while I was going through a pretty rough breakup. I really wanted to finish this novel because I really love Emma Smith as an author, but part of me wishes that I would've waited until I felt better to finish it? At some point in the future I may reread it, but for now my rating is a three stars.
As with Guided, I really enjoyed the British feeling of this novel. Wasted is set years after the events of Guided, following one of the young teenagers from the first book who is now seventeen (I think?) and in sixth form. This is something that Smith does extremely well, weaving in British culture which just makes it so much more fun to read! Seeing a bit of myself in these books helps me to connect in a different way to these books than I do to other ones that I love. I really hope that Emma continues to explore this in her books, and I'd love to see more slice-of-life work by her in this setting, like Midnight Sherbet (my favourite novel of hers). I think exploring this type of writing could really expand her writing style a lot more!
However, I think aside from the breakup, this book in general didn't have the same spark as Guided did for me? That's in no way to say that this is a bad book, and for what it is and what it follows, I think that it is a good sequel. I just didn't feel the same connection to this book as I did to the first book in this duology. I did like the characters, even the ones that you aren't supposed to like, but it didn't capture me the way the first book did. In Emma's back list, I've noticed that I enjoy the books that follow slice-of-life plots the most, and her novels that follow someone going through a spiral in their mindset. I think Emma has an expert way of showing the deterioration of a character's sanity almost? I'm not sure how else to word it, but she has a very good way of showing how situations in a person's life can contribute to their actions, and how it affects the people around them too.
Overall, while this book absolutely isn't bad and I 100% recommend you read the Guided duology, it wasn't one of my favourites by this author. I will still be reading every book she releases though!

[Alice Lucie · Rating 3 out of 5]

I started Wasted immediately after finishing Guided, as I felt a little cheated by the ending.

I enjoyed Wasted even more than I did Guided. It felt like Emma’s writing had developed massively between the two books, and her storytelling ability is fantastic.

As frustrating as it was that the girls just weren’t giving anything away (we also weren’t drip-fed as much as we were with Macey, it was a larger reveal) I really ate up the story and was desperate to find out what came next. It gave some serious Pretty Little Liars vibes.

Unfortunately, I have an issue once again with the ending. The first 90% of the book was absolutely fantastic. The final 10% seemed too far-fetched and quite simply ridiculous. I can’t believe in the slightest that these girls would murder their guide leader of over 10 years purely in cold blood, thinking it was their best option? And then run off to get tattoos and piercings from a dodgy beauty therapist that Chloe, 17 years old, just happens to know all about?

Sorry Emma, I’m really enjoying your books and will continue to read the others, but I hope that you’re spending a little more time working on conclusions that properly justify your brilliant stories! Because once again I feel cheated by the non-ending.

[Jasmine · Rating 3 out of 5]

I watch way too much true crime to think they would have gotten away with any of this for any amount of time. They would have been arrested at the very start and not left to concoct stories….this is just wild!
I did love the writing and the style and much preferred it to the first book and macey and her whining, but ultimately it’s the same thing with the believability. Also, chloe js a raging bitch, manipulated every single person she met and somehow got two others to commit murder to cover up SELF DÉFENSE.

I hate that Ethan also alluded to the fact police might not think it was self defence because…yes they would??? They really didn’t have to do all that. Yes they absolutely had the right to end Steve, it 100% was self defence. If they’d come down from that treehouse, he would have killed them, or at least, they had every reason to believe he would have killed them, and that’s probable cause for self defence. Alas, they are kids so I suppose it’s the naivety of them, but jfc.

The suspense has me on edge though, and the quick chapters helped to build up the story as we went along. I found it fast paced and really couldn’t stop picking it back up after putting it down.


3.5/5⭐️

[Will Chatterton · Rating 5 out of 5]

The awaited sequel of Emma's debut "Guided", Wasted is told from the perspective of Lucy, one of the girls in Guided, five years on from the fateful events therein. Lucy was a rather unheralded character in Guided, or at least, not one that was heavily focused upon, so hearing her perspective of events reveals a lot that readers of Guided will not yet be aware of. As is a ubiquitous feature of Emma's novels, fitting tie-ins to her previous works feature, which, given some of the context in which these tie-ins occur, offer a brief period of satisfying respite from the action, where you think "so that's what they're doing with their life now". And given the thrilling ending of Wasted, I'm sure we're going to be treated with clever tie-ins aplenty to these characters in future novels.

[Anna Butler-Whittaker · Rating 3 out of 5]

I enjoyed this rather more than the first one, and I was expecting the darkness, which I wasn’t prepared for with the first instalment. I had to suspend my disbelief quite a bit as there is no way a camp like this would have been allowed to go ahead, no uniformed organisation has camps with only one leader present, and partners of volunteers would not be allowed to attend.
I liked the resolution/exploration of the consequences of what had happened in the past. I found the murder storyline didn’t quite feel complete, and I had my own theory about it which I was really expecting to happen and it didn’t, so I’m still wondering if there will be a third.
Not my favourite writing, but I like the author’s style and I’d be interested to see how it continues to develop.

[Scarlett°~☆ · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wasted, the sequel to Guided, set 5 years later and following the perspective of Lucy . Explores themes of friendship,grief,peer pressure, growing up,loss,regret. This book was full of emotion, gripping with unexpected and interesting plot and twists. The atmosphere matched perfectly with book 1, with enough familiararity but also a new and exciting plot. Wasted is full of suspense, mystery, gore, surprise and more. I loved the characters and dialogue, possibly even more than i loved guided. Emma Smith never fails to impress me with the incredible writing skill, the plot and everything so well crafted. The ending...WOW, so so unexpected and im sat here just trying to process it. I loved reading this book and annotating it, another fantastic read. The guided series is one of the best series i have read!
p.s. as a huge swiftie i loved the taylor swift references in chapter 33. :)
This review is messy as im writing it at 10:42 at night, so ill probably go an edit it in the morning. Anyways, i loved this book and cant wait to hear more of the story!
Emma smith's books are always well-written and intruiging with emotion and surprise. Id reccommend this series to fans of agggtm, I think that the guided series is even better! A great read <3

[Isabel Maher · Rating 5 out of 5]

A very overdue review because I lost my goodreads account but I’ve it back now yay! “Wasted” is a phenomenal sequel to “Guided.” I adore how all the books are set in the same universe and this story follows a completely new character, which makes the ending of Guided even more effective. It’s so interesting following characters who were 12-year-olds in Guided come into their own at 17/18 and face new challenges and threats. The twists and turns were jaw dropping and just like Guides, the ending had me flabbergasted. They are very different endings but the stakes are equally as high. If you loved the first book, I would highly recommend reading this sequel. Another brilliant read from Emma 👏

[Malin Jankowski · Rating 4 out of 5]

!contains spoilers!



I liked “guided”, so I decided to read the sequel as well. Turns out, it’s even better than “guided”. I literally read it in one sitting!!

The beginning was gooooodddd!!!
Not knowing which one of them had been murdered along with the two men was written so good. I loved it.

The middle part, when the readers knew who, and how one of them was murdered it became interesting, but also a bit boring afterwards.

The ending???? Unexpected, just like the one in “guided”. A group of teenagers killing their guide in her sleep. Never would’ve guessed that. SO GOOD!!!

Overall, I liked this very much.

[Tee &#x1f498;&#x1f380;&#x1f4d6; · Rating 4 out of 5]

Being honest, I was reserved at first to read this, as I’ve never felt like series are my thing. However, this lived up to every expectation and more. We got to see an insight into the girls growing up, their bond and how they really would die for eachother… The ending caught me by surprise and for a YA book, this was the perfect mix of suspense, thrill but also coziness!! Cannot wait to read more from this author, she’s very underrated and her writing style is so descriptive you really feel immersed into the storyline

[El · Rating 4 out of 5]

4⭐️loved this! may be my fave emma smith book so far! i loved the follow up to book one, and seeing some familiar characters come back/crossover with other books. i loved reading about the girls again, but grown up, and seeing the impact that everything had on their lives. selfishly hoping for a book 3 so i can know what happens next!

[Katie Knight · Rating 5 out of 5]

i really enjoyed this book and thought it was a faced paced read , and cant wait to find out more about the story in future books it only took me a while to read as i had exams and i wanted to sit and read it all day