What do you think?
Rate this book
Wish You Dead
Mean Girls meets manifestation and murder... A contemporary teen thriller with a sapphic romance, perfect for fans of Heathers, Sue Wallman and Holly Jackson. Sixteen-year-old Morgana Merrick is all about control. She's the most feared, powerful and popular girl at Avalon Academy, while her half-brother, Art, and his chilled-out group of surfer friends reign peacefully in the year above, known for their legendary beach parties. At one such party, an ugly encounter with one of Art's friends leaves Morgana shaken. She retrieves the box under her bed filled with crystals, charm bags and her Book of Shadows, and asks the universe for justice to be served... As frenemy after frenemy wrongs or irritates her, Morgana manifests revenge upon them - and, to her surprise, it works. She feels invincible. Until someone ends up dead. Is the universe bending to Morgana's will? Or is someone else behind the attacks? And can she find out who it is, before anyone else meets a deadly end...? Places the typical villain of the story - the most popular girl in school - as the complex protagonist, full of female rage, with Taylor-Swift-coded themes of Karma and being the Antihero... Not supernatural, but respectfully taps into the 'baby witch' world of manifestation, crystals and spirituality. Features an unlikely sapphic romance between Morgana and her mysterious new friend Celeste.
368 pages, Paperback
Published June 5, 2025
2 people are currently reading
82 people want to read
About the author
Rebecca Westcott
16 books76 followersRebecca Westcott was born in Chester. She went to Exeter University to train as a teacher and has had a variety of teaching jobs that have taken her to some very interesting places, including a Category C male prison. She started writing a diary when she was eight years old, although she had no idea that one day her entries would be used to help her write a book. Rebecca currently teaches in a primary school and lives in Dorset with her husband and three children. Dandelion Clocks is her first book.
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 10 of 10 reviews
June 12, 2025
Thank you so much to Scholastic for this copy... the vibes of this book were immaculate, and the little package that came with it will be something I treasure! I would have loved to give this book a higher star rating, but I don't think it was quite for me.
I'm going to keep this short and sweet, because I'm honestly a little confused. I think there was a breakdown in communication, maybe, when it came to branding this book, and that that's why I maybe didn't enjoy it as much as I could have. The vibes it did present were wonderful and very Macbeth, but that wasn't necessarily what I was expecting to find.
In my opinion, there were several issues with the construction of the plot, and its pacing. The blurb frames it as a murder mystery, but the murder happens around page 250... and the book itself is only 320 pages long! This, as you can see, is not a normal structure for a murder mystery book, and I did, unfortunately, predict who the killer was quite early on - despite it having not yet happened.
It's also been described online and in its description on Amazon as a thriller, but there was no thriller element to the book, at least for me. I think that might have been a slight oversight. The cover gives contemporary mystery vibes, with the Polaroids pinned up like suspects in a murder case, but the plot was witchy and seaside-y, with an interesting historical twist... which I loved! I wish this came through in the book's presentation, such as in the headers and cover, because this was the book's strongest element.
I was also disappointed by the sapphic plot, which was incredibly fleeting. We hardly knew anything about Celeste, or saw the pair fall in love with one another. As this was a big part of the book's marketing, I would have loved to see more!
I adored Rebecca Westcott's writing style and description, and the setting of Avalon... I hope we return there in another book. I'm intrigued to read more from her, despite this one not quite working for me. Thank you, again, for the ARC!
I'm going to keep this short and sweet, because I'm honestly a little confused. I think there was a breakdown in communication, maybe, when it came to branding this book, and that that's why I maybe didn't enjoy it as much as I could have. The vibes it did present were wonderful and very Macbeth, but that wasn't necessarily what I was expecting to find.
In my opinion, there were several issues with the construction of the plot, and its pacing. The blurb frames it as a murder mystery, but the murder happens around page 250... and the book itself is only 320 pages long! This, as you can see, is not a normal structure for a murder mystery book, and I did, unfortunately, predict who the killer was quite early on - despite it having not yet happened.
It's also been described online and in its description on Amazon as a thriller, but there was no thriller element to the book, at least for me. I think that might have been a slight oversight. The cover gives contemporary mystery vibes, with the Polaroids pinned up like suspects in a murder case, but the plot was witchy and seaside-y, with an interesting historical twist... which I loved! I wish this came through in the book's presentation, such as in the headers and cover, because this was the book's strongest element.
I was also disappointed by the sapphic plot, which was incredibly fleeting. We hardly knew anything about Celeste, or saw the pair fall in love with one another. As this was a big part of the book's marketing, I would have loved to see more!
I adored Rebecca Westcott's writing style and description, and the setting of Avalon... I hope we return there in another book. I'm intrigued to read more from her, despite this one not quite working for me. Thank you, again, for the ARC!
April 22, 2025
Modernised Arthurian legend meets Mean Girls, Clueless, Pretty Little Liars and Heathers, with manifestation and magic - with a sapphic romance.
I loooved this book. It's like some of my favourite things rolled into one. I thought the plot was fun and engaging. The characters were great and interesting. Tying in the Arthurian legend to the modern school life was so interesting, it reminded me of the old disney channel movie Avalon High at times (which was great btw)
I read this so fast, I just had to know what happens. The build up was amazing, right up to the very end and the reveal was great, it was only something I suspected like the second Morgana started figuring it out!
Witchy books are hit or miss for me but this had everything. I loved the Book of Shadows and crystals and all the little manifestation spells, so interesting.
Loved the summer vibes and the beach setting, with the forest and the story about the old witches that died. The romance was sweet, I do wish there had been a bit more, but I think because of the way the storyline was, it worked.
But the epilogue made me sad.
Highly recommend this. Hoping to read this in the summer again cos I loved it so much.
[Thank you Scholastic and Netgalley for the ARC - all opinions are honest and my own]
I loooved this book. It's like some of my favourite things rolled into one. I thought the plot was fun and engaging. The characters were great and interesting. Tying in the Arthurian legend to the modern school life was so interesting, it reminded me of the old disney channel movie Avalon High at times (which was great btw)
I read this so fast, I just had to know what happens. The build up was amazing, right up to the very end and the reveal was great, it was only something I suspected like the second Morgana started figuring it out!
Witchy books are hit or miss for me but this had everything. I loved the Book of Shadows and crystals and all the little manifestation spells, so interesting.
Loved the summer vibes and the beach setting, with the forest and the story about the old witches that died. The romance was sweet, I do wish there had been a bit more, but I think because of the way the storyline was, it worked.
But the epilogue made me sad.
Highly recommend this. Hoping to read this in the summer again cos I loved it so much.
[Thank you Scholastic and Netgalley for the ARC - all opinions are honest and my own]
May 9, 2025
Thank you so much to Scholastic UK for an e-arc in exchange for an honest review.
Heathers meets The Craft meets Mean Girls
3.75 stars
Morgana Merrick is the most popular and powerful girl at Avalon Academy, oh and she just so happens to be a witch. But being popular and a witch have more in common that you might think, it's all about balance, give and take. But with a whirlwind of chaotic feelings inside, Morgana might just learn what happens if you tip that scale. Let's just hope she's ready to get exactly what she's asking for. But maybe new girl Celeste might be her key to learning about more than just balance.
This was full of twists and turns and kept me guessing til the final act! I loved the setting and the locations, I could really picture everything as it was described so visually. I also found each character easy enough to keep track of as often with books with a bigger core cast I can get a little confused, but this wasn't the case here
. If were to put the ingredients of this book into a cauldron it would include:
- 3 steaming cups of revenge
- a hearty scoop of sapphic cuteness
- 2 tablespoons of you get what you give
- a generous sprinkle of reflection
- a handful of raven feathers
Also side note I watched Heathers at the cinema last night and the vibes were vibing with this being my current read
Heathers meets The Craft meets Mean Girls
3.75 stars
Morgana Merrick is the most popular and powerful girl at Avalon Academy, oh and she just so happens to be a witch. But being popular and a witch have more in common that you might think, it's all about balance, give and take. But with a whirlwind of chaotic feelings inside, Morgana might just learn what happens if you tip that scale. Let's just hope she's ready to get exactly what she's asking for. But maybe new girl Celeste might be her key to learning about more than just balance.
This was full of twists and turns and kept me guessing til the final act! I loved the setting and the locations, I could really picture everything as it was described so visually. I also found each character easy enough to keep track of as often with books with a bigger core cast I can get a little confused, but this wasn't the case here
. If were to put the ingredients of this book into a cauldron it would include:
- 3 steaming cups of revenge
- a hearty scoop of sapphic cuteness
- 2 tablespoons of you get what you give
- a generous sprinkle of reflection
- a handful of raven feathers
Also side note I watched Heathers at the cinema last night and the vibes were vibing with this being my current read
July 17, 2025
I am incredibly grateful to both NetGalley and Scholastic UK for the opportunity to read and review Wish You Dead. Being selected to explore this captivating story before its official release has been such a treat, and I can’t wait to share my thoughts on it with all of you. A huge thank you to the teams at NetGalley and Scholastic UK for their generosity and for making this advanced reading experience possible.
Wish You Dead offers a dark, intriguing premise that explores the consequences of impulsive emotions and the power of social media in a teen’s life. The story centres around a seemingly harmless wish that spirals into something much more sinister, creating a tense atmosphere that kept me turning the pages.
I loved the mix of the Wiccan kind of magic and the crime/thriller aspects! Though I do wish the balance of the two had been better.
I just felt that the book was a little longer than it needed to be. Don't get me wrong, it was a good book. I enjoyed it. But it's not particularly memorable sadly.
It might not be ground-breaking, but it’s a decent read.
Wish You Dead offers a dark, intriguing premise that explores the consequences of impulsive emotions and the power of social media in a teen’s life. The story centres around a seemingly harmless wish that spirals into something much more sinister, creating a tense atmosphere that kept me turning the pages.
I loved the mix of the Wiccan kind of magic and the crime/thriller aspects! Though I do wish the balance of the two had been better.
I just felt that the book was a little longer than it needed to be. Don't get me wrong, it was a good book. I enjoyed it. But it's not particularly memorable sadly.
It might not be ground-breaking, but it’s a decent read.
May 14, 2025
Wish you dead feels like such a UNIQUE story. Sapphic thrillers and my love at the moment, and this one caught my eye IMMEDIATELY.
I absolutely adore Rebecca Westcott’s writing in this. Manifesting a murder? I was hooked from the title but the book is even better than I’d hoped for.
Morgana is such an interesting character, and I so enjoyed learning about her - seeing her grow and develop and investigate and plot her revenge? She’s maybe one of my new favourite characters.
brief spoiler.
The moment she realises she can either be a victim or a villain, and choses to be a villain? ADORE.
I absolutely adore Rebecca Westcott’s writing in this. Manifesting a murder? I was hooked from the title but the book is even better than I’d hoped for.
Morgana is such an interesting character, and I so enjoyed learning about her - seeing her grow and develop and investigate and plot her revenge? She’s maybe one of my new favourite characters.
brief spoiler.
The moment she realises she can either be a victim or a villain, and choses to be a villain? ADORE.
May 24, 2025
Art and Morgana are half siblings, but they could not be more different - one an alpha female and a popular, powerful girl and the other a laidback surfer.
But things go south for Morgana after an encounter at a party ends badly. A key theme of this story is female rage and Morgana's need to regain control and wreak revenge on those she perceives to have wronged her, and the results are interesting.
With a hat tip to the Arthurian legends, Morgana is a complex character, and probably the most interesting thing about the book. But it is an entertaining story on the whole, scoring 3.5 stars.
I received a free copy of this book from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review
But things go south for Morgana after an encounter at a party ends badly. A key theme of this story is female rage and Morgana's need to regain control and wreak revenge on those she perceives to have wronged her, and the results are interesting.
With a hat tip to the Arthurian legends, Morgana is a complex character, and probably the most interesting thing about the book. But it is an entertaining story on the whole, scoring 3.5 stars.
I received a free copy of this book from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review
May 27, 2025
ARC read.
Wish you dead is a wonderful coming of age, sapphic, contemporary teen thriller. The main focus is our main character and her development as she finds herself. It has Heathers/Mean Girls/The Craft vibes.
Our main character Morgana practises witchcraft and uses it to become the most popular and feared girl in school. She also uses it to bring people down a peg or two. But when people start getting really hurt, she questions whether it’s herself or if something bigger is happening.
I LOVED the romance in this book - Morgana is immediately entranced by Celeste. They work together in a great way and Morgana needed Celeste’s energy in her life. Majority of the book is Morgana’s coming of age, finding herself story and the last quater of the book introduces the thriller portion.
I did think the whodunnit was obvious and I clocked it before it happened. Overall I thought this book was really fun and I really rooted for Morgana throughout the book.
Wish you dead is a wonderful coming of age, sapphic, contemporary teen thriller. The main focus is our main character and her development as she finds herself. It has Heathers/Mean Girls/The Craft vibes.
Our main character Morgana practises witchcraft and uses it to become the most popular and feared girl in school. She also uses it to bring people down a peg or two. But when people start getting really hurt, she questions whether it’s herself or if something bigger is happening.
I LOVED the romance in this book - Morgana is immediately entranced by Celeste. They work together in a great way and Morgana needed Celeste’s energy in her life. Majority of the book is Morgana’s coming of age, finding herself story and the last quater of the book introduces the thriller portion.
I did think the whodunnit was obvious and I clocked it before it happened. Overall I thought this book was really fun and I really rooted for Morgana throughout the book.
October 29, 2025
Mostly enjoyed this. Got a bit fed up with the teenage drama (I get enough of that as a teacher) and found one part a bit far-fetched even given the supernatural/magic side of things
June 2, 2025
Mean girls? Absolutely. When Morgana finds out she has a gift, a magical gift, she’s excited to fix herself up, become popular and destroy her enemies. After becoming part of the “sisters”, schools most popular and richest girls, revenge takes a backseat for a while, until Ro kicks the hornet beat that is Morganas ego and then she must be taken down. One by one Morgana uses her magic to seek vengeance on the girls she pretends to like and anyone else who gets in her way, from the displeased step mother to a boy who kisses her without consent, no one is safe if they cross her. But Morgana isn’t the only witch in town, by exploring her powers and connections she will discover there’s no quick fix with magic, and sometimes bad things just happen to all the right people. After all, all magic comes at a price.
Displaying 1 - 10 of 10 reviews