What do you think?
Rate this book
The Meadowbrook Murders
Secrets don't die.
It’s the first week of senior year at Meadowbrook Academy. For Amy and her best friend Sarah, that means late-night parties at the boathouse, bike rides through their sleepy Connecticut town, and the crisp beginning of a New England fall.
Then tragedy Sarah and her boyfriend are brutally murdered in their dorm room. Now the week Amy has been dreaming about for years has turned into a nightmare, especially when all eyes turn to her as the culprit. She was Sarah’s only roommate, the only other person there when she died—or so she told the police to cover for her own boyfriend’s suspicious whereabouts. And even though they were best friends, with every passing day, Amy begins to learn that Sarah lied about a lot of things.
Liz, editor of the school newspaper and social outcast, is determined to uncover the truth about what happened on campus, in hopes her reporting will land a prestigious scholarship to college. As Liz dives deeper into her investigation, the secrets these murdered seniors never wanted out come to light. The deeper Liz digs, the messier the truth becomes – and with a killer still on campus, she can’t afford to make any mistakes.
It’s the first week of senior year at Meadowbrook Academy. For Amy and her best friend Sarah, that means late-night parties at the boathouse, bike rides through their sleepy Connecticut town, and the crisp beginning of a New England fall.
Then tragedy Sarah and her boyfriend are brutally murdered in their dorm room. Now the week Amy has been dreaming about for years has turned into a nightmare, especially when all eyes turn to her as the culprit. She was Sarah’s only roommate, the only other person there when she died—or so she told the police to cover for her own boyfriend’s suspicious whereabouts. And even though they were best friends, with every passing day, Amy begins to learn that Sarah lied about a lot of things.
Liz, editor of the school newspaper and social outcast, is determined to uncover the truth about what happened on campus, in hopes her reporting will land a prestigious scholarship to college. As Liz dives deeper into her investigation, the secrets these murdered seniors never wanted out come to light. The deeper Liz digs, the messier the truth becomes – and with a killer still on campus, she can’t afford to make any mistakes.
Audible Audio
First published February 4, 2025
186 people are currently reading
26591 people want to read
About the author
Jessica Goodman
6 books2,181 followersJessica Goodman is the New York Times bestselling author of young adult thrillers They Wish they Were Us, They’ll Never Catch Us, The Counselors, and The Legacies.
She is the former op-ed editor at Cosmopolitan magazine, and was part of the 2017 team that won a National Magazine Award in personal service. She has also held editorial positions at Entertainment Weekly and HuffPost, and her work has been published in outlets like Glamour, Condé Nast Traveler, The Cut, Elle, Bustle, and Marie Claire.
She is the former op-ed editor at Cosmopolitan magazine, and was part of the 2017 team that won a National Magazine Award in personal service. She has also held editorial positions at Entertainment Weekly and HuffPost, and her work has been published in outlets like Glamour, Condé Nast Traveler, The Cut, Elle, Bustle, and Marie Claire.
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 30 of 779 reviews
October 2, 2025
Amy and Sarah are best friends, just entering their Senior year at the prestigious Meadowbrook Academy, a private boarding school set in a tiny Connecticut town.
It's the week prior to the official school start, but the Seniors have all returned to campus. It's expected to be a great year filled with parties, laughs and their last bit of teenage freedom before becoming adults.
All hopes of that are shattered however, when Sarah and her boyfriend, Ryan, are brutally murdered in Sarah and Amy's dorm suite. Shockingly, Amy slept through it. She didn't hear a thing, but she does discover the bodies the next day.
She tells the police she was the only other person in their suite that night, even though that's not quite true. Everyone on campus and in the surrounding community is shocked, and they look at Amy now with suspicion.
Liz is also a Senior at Meadowbrook. She's a scholarship kid, who writes for the school newspaper. Honestly, her entire life revolves around the paper. She's dead-set on becoming a successful journalist someday and her time at Meadowbrook is the first step on that path.
Meadowbrook can open doors for her. She doesn't come from a wealthy or powerful family, like the majority of the other kids, and she hasn't always fit in.
Liz breaks the story of the murder. It's too juicy to pass up and this could help her land the scholarship she needs for college. She's determined to crack this case.
Liz and Amy have never been friends, but they're thrust together when the school assigns Amy to be Liz's new roommate. Clearly, Amy can't return to her regular suite, it's a crime scene and tainted by the trauma.
Nonetheless, Amy is none to happy to be forced to room with the random girl digging around into her best friend's murder; exposing it to the world.
After a bit, with Amy still high on everyone's suspect list, she decides she needs to figure this out as well, and Liz may be her best chance to get to the bottom of it.
Two worlds merge as the girls eventually thaw a bit of the ice wall between them and start to share information. Some truly fun and engaging amateur sleuthing follows.
I flew through The Meadowbrook Murders in one straight shot. I had quite an enjoyable little Saturday reading this.
As YA Thrillers go, Jessica Goodman is one of my favorite authors, and you can definitely tell this is one of her books. If you've read from Goodman before, you know what to expect going into this, and you won't be disappointed.
We all know I love a private school setting and murder mysteries set a private school are my cake. I enjoyed Liz's character arc most of all. She was one determined cookie.
I also appreciate how well Goodman frames these 'haves v. haves not', or 'locals v. outsiders' situations. This is a theme I have noticed in some of her other works, and as a person who lives in a resort community, I can relate to a lot of those dynamics and it feels very genuine to me.
Although I enjoyed Liz's perspective a little more, Amy's perspective added so much drama and backstory as far as the mystery into Sarah's death went. I did grow to like Amy more as the story went on and I'm glad that Goodman wrote this using the dual perspective.
I found the who a little obvious, but the why and how, I was way far off from. Overall, I thought this was highly-entertaining and I would recommend it to any YA Mystery-Thriller fans out there.
Particularly if you've enjoyed Goodman's work in the past, or if you enjoy books from Kara Thomas or Alexa Donne. Also, a must for fans of private school stories.
Thank you to the publisher, G.P. Putnam's Sons Books for Young Readers, for providing me with a copy to read and review. This was super fun and engaging!
It's the week prior to the official school start, but the Seniors have all returned to campus. It's expected to be a great year filled with parties, laughs and their last bit of teenage freedom before becoming adults.
All hopes of that are shattered however, when Sarah and her boyfriend, Ryan, are brutally murdered in Sarah and Amy's dorm suite. Shockingly, Amy slept through it. She didn't hear a thing, but she does discover the bodies the next day.
She tells the police she was the only other person in their suite that night, even though that's not quite true. Everyone on campus and in the surrounding community is shocked, and they look at Amy now with suspicion.
Liz is also a Senior at Meadowbrook. She's a scholarship kid, who writes for the school newspaper. Honestly, her entire life revolves around the paper. She's dead-set on becoming a successful journalist someday and her time at Meadowbrook is the first step on that path.
Meadowbrook can open doors for her. She doesn't come from a wealthy or powerful family, like the majority of the other kids, and she hasn't always fit in.
Liz breaks the story of the murder. It's too juicy to pass up and this could help her land the scholarship she needs for college. She's determined to crack this case.
Liz and Amy have never been friends, but they're thrust together when the school assigns Amy to be Liz's new roommate. Clearly, Amy can't return to her regular suite, it's a crime scene and tainted by the trauma.
Nonetheless, Amy is none to happy to be forced to room with the random girl digging around into her best friend's murder; exposing it to the world.
After a bit, with Amy still high on everyone's suspect list, she decides she needs to figure this out as well, and Liz may be her best chance to get to the bottom of it.
Two worlds merge as the girls eventually thaw a bit of the ice wall between them and start to share information. Some truly fun and engaging amateur sleuthing follows.
I flew through The Meadowbrook Murders in one straight shot. I had quite an enjoyable little Saturday reading this.
As YA Thrillers go, Jessica Goodman is one of my favorite authors, and you can definitely tell this is one of her books. If you've read from Goodman before, you know what to expect going into this, and you won't be disappointed.
We all know I love a private school setting and murder mysteries set a private school are my cake. I enjoyed Liz's character arc most of all. She was one determined cookie.
I also appreciate how well Goodman frames these 'haves v. haves not', or 'locals v. outsiders' situations. This is a theme I have noticed in some of her other works, and as a person who lives in a resort community, I can relate to a lot of those dynamics and it feels very genuine to me.
Although I enjoyed Liz's perspective a little more, Amy's perspective added so much drama and backstory as far as the mystery into Sarah's death went. I did grow to like Amy more as the story went on and I'm glad that Goodman wrote this using the dual perspective.
I found the who a little obvious, but the why and how, I was way far off from. Overall, I thought this was highly-entertaining and I would recommend it to any YA Mystery-Thriller fans out there.
Particularly if you've enjoyed Goodman's work in the past, or if you enjoy books from Kara Thomas or Alexa Donne. Also, a must for fans of private school stories.
Thank you to the publisher, G.P. Putnam's Sons Books for Young Readers, for providing me with a copy to read and review. This was super fun and engaging!
February 11, 2025
This is such a gripping dark academia novel with a twisty murder mystery that you can easily devour in one sitting and enjoy the full experience. I'm rounding up 3.5 stars to 4 for its attention-grabbing short chapters and balanced pacing.
The story takes place at the highly prestigious Meadowbrook Academy, revolving around Amy, one of the POVs, who finds her best friend Sarah and Sarah's boyfriend Ryan bludgeoned to death next door to her dorm room. Nobody can easily trespass the place, which means the killer might be someone close to the victims. This pushes suspicion onto Amy because she had a terrible fight in front of witnesses at the late-night party about their boyfriends. She insists she doesn't remember hearing anything suspicious to protect her boyfriend Joseph, with whom she spent the night. But everyone is too adamant to ruin her reputation, presuming her to be the killer.
The other POV belongs to work-oriented, disciplined school paper editor-in-chief Liz, who has never been popular in the school's social circle, only focusing on her investigative journalism skills to earn a scholarship to a good college for pursuing a better future. Her reporting about the crime gets criticized by the school community. And when Amy, who is not her biggest fan, is forced to share a dorm with her, she seizes this as an opportunity to dig out more about the crime, but Amy has no intention of helping her out. Only Peter, whose father is the owner of a powerful media company and who is grieving his best friend Ryan, seems to be on her side. But when Amy gets shunned by the people she considered friends, she realizes her enemy at the dorm might be the only person who can help her.
It is interesting to see Amy and Liz, who come from different socioeconomic backgrounds, sharing the same fates as outsiders to solve the mystery for different expectations. Amy tries to clear her name as much as she wants to find the real culprit who killed her friend, while Liz tries to accomplish something for her own future after being lied to and neglected for years. They are forced to live in the same dorm room, reluctantly becoming each other's confidantes, and interestingly, both of them know firsthand how lies destroy the lives of their families. They dig out more to face the truth at the expense of embracing their regrets.
Overall: It's a quick, gripping, interesting read with a somewhat foreseeable culprit. But I mostly enjoyed the two heroines' character development and fast pacing. I definitely recommend it to dark academia fans like me.
Many thanks to NetGalley and Penguin Group / Penguin Young Readers Group / G. P. Putnam's Sons Books for Young Readers for sharing this gripping YA mystery's digital reviewer copy in exchange for my honest thoughts
medium.com
instagram
facebook
twitter
The story takes place at the highly prestigious Meadowbrook Academy, revolving around Amy, one of the POVs, who finds her best friend Sarah and Sarah's boyfriend Ryan bludgeoned to death next door to her dorm room. Nobody can easily trespass the place, which means the killer might be someone close to the victims. This pushes suspicion onto Amy because she had a terrible fight in front of witnesses at the late-night party about their boyfriends. She insists she doesn't remember hearing anything suspicious to protect her boyfriend Joseph, with whom she spent the night. But everyone is too adamant to ruin her reputation, presuming her to be the killer.
The other POV belongs to work-oriented, disciplined school paper editor-in-chief Liz, who has never been popular in the school's social circle, only focusing on her investigative journalism skills to earn a scholarship to a good college for pursuing a better future. Her reporting about the crime gets criticized by the school community. And when Amy, who is not her biggest fan, is forced to share a dorm with her, she seizes this as an opportunity to dig out more about the crime, but Amy has no intention of helping her out. Only Peter, whose father is the owner of a powerful media company and who is grieving his best friend Ryan, seems to be on her side. But when Amy gets shunned by the people she considered friends, she realizes her enemy at the dorm might be the only person who can help her.
It is interesting to see Amy and Liz, who come from different socioeconomic backgrounds, sharing the same fates as outsiders to solve the mystery for different expectations. Amy tries to clear her name as much as she wants to find the real culprit who killed her friend, while Liz tries to accomplish something for her own future after being lied to and neglected for years. They are forced to live in the same dorm room, reluctantly becoming each other's confidantes, and interestingly, both of them know firsthand how lies destroy the lives of their families. They dig out more to face the truth at the expense of embracing their regrets.
Overall: It's a quick, gripping, interesting read with a somewhat foreseeable culprit. But I mostly enjoyed the two heroines' character development and fast pacing. I definitely recommend it to dark academia fans like me.
Many thanks to NetGalley and Penguin Group / Penguin Young Readers Group / G. P. Putnam's Sons Books for Young Readers for sharing this gripping YA mystery's digital reviewer copy in exchange for my honest thoughts
medium.com
January 7, 2025
3.75 stars! 💫 This is my 50th ARC, and I’m so hyped it’s The Meadowbrook Murders! 🖤 A HUGE thank you to Penguin Group and NetGalley for the digital copy. This dark academia thriller had me hooked with its suspense, twists, and the chaos of privileged Meadowbrook Academy students! 🌪️
The story kicks off with Amy, whose best friend and boyfriend are murdered in their dorm room. And here's the kicker—Amy was the only one there but claims she didn’t hear a thing... 👀 Naturally, everyone's side-eyeing her, and the drama cranks up as Amy’s trying to clear her name while uncovering a bunch of secrets she didn’t even know Sarah was hiding! 📚 Then, we meet Liz, the overachieving editor of the school paper who’s digging into the murder for a scholarship. Their dynamic? 🤩 SO juicy, so full of tension! 🔍
✧ Murder Mystery 🔪
✧ Reluctant Allies 😤➡️🤝
✧ Dark Academia 🖤
✧ Small Town Secrets 🤫
✧ Suspicious Best Friend 👀
✧ Prestigious Boarding School Vibes 🏫
✧ Dual POV 💬
✧ Whodunnit? 🕵️♀️
The pacing? 🔥 It was short, snappy chapters that kept me flipping like a book-crazy person on a caffeine binge! The suspense? Chef’s kiss. But, I did start figuring out the ending a little early, and while the plot twist wasn’t mind-blowing, it was still satisfying enough to keep me hooked until the end. 😅 I honestly could’ve used a bit more on the killer’s motive—maybe a few extra pages wouldn’t have hurt, right? 🤷♀️ But hey, the character growth—especially Amy and Liz—was chef’s kiss level! Watching them work together and evolve was a total highlight! 🌟
Definitely a binge-worthy thriller for fans of A Good Girl’s Guide to Murder or anyone who loves a good boarding school mystery with tons of juicy secrets! 👀 Had a blast with this one, and I’m sure you will too! Can't wait for the release on Feb 4! ✨
The story kicks off with Amy, whose best friend and boyfriend are murdered in their dorm room. And here's the kicker—Amy was the only one there but claims she didn’t hear a thing... 👀 Naturally, everyone's side-eyeing her, and the drama cranks up as Amy’s trying to clear her name while uncovering a bunch of secrets she didn’t even know Sarah was hiding! 📚 Then, we meet Liz, the overachieving editor of the school paper who’s digging into the murder for a scholarship. Their dynamic? 🤩 SO juicy, so full of tension! 🔍
✧ Murder Mystery 🔪
✧ Reluctant Allies 😤➡️🤝
✧ Dark Academia 🖤
✧ Small Town Secrets 🤫
✧ Suspicious Best Friend 👀
✧ Prestigious Boarding School Vibes 🏫
✧ Dual POV 💬
✧ Whodunnit? 🕵️♀️
The pacing? 🔥 It was short, snappy chapters that kept me flipping like a book-crazy person on a caffeine binge! The suspense? Chef’s kiss. But, I did start figuring out the ending a little early, and while the plot twist wasn’t mind-blowing, it was still satisfying enough to keep me hooked until the end. 😅 I honestly could’ve used a bit more on the killer’s motive—maybe a few extra pages wouldn’t have hurt, right? 🤷♀️ But hey, the character growth—especially Amy and Liz—was chef’s kiss level! Watching them work together and evolve was a total highlight! 🌟
Definitely a binge-worthy thriller for fans of A Good Girl’s Guide to Murder or anyone who loves a good boarding school mystery with tons of juicy secrets! 👀 Had a blast with this one, and I’m sure you will too! Can't wait for the release on Feb 4! ✨
November 20, 2024
ARC for review. To be published February 4, 2025.
Three stars for this one.
Amy and her best friend Sarah are seniors at Meadowbrook Academy in Connecticut when Sarah and her boyfriend are murdered in Sarah’s dorm room; Amy was asleep in the next room when they were killed, along with her own boyfriend. As the investigation begins it turns out that Sarah lied about a lot of things.
Liz, the editor of the school newspaper and social outcast wants to find out what happened, hoping she’ll win a journalism scholarship. As she searches for answers she risks bringing the murderer’s wrath down on herself next.
Another YA for YA. This one was just all right for me, but I do love things set at boarding school, where everyone is at risk of murder constantly. It must be exhausting.
Three stars for this one.
Amy and her best friend Sarah are seniors at Meadowbrook Academy in Connecticut when Sarah and her boyfriend are murdered in Sarah’s dorm room; Amy was asleep in the next room when they were killed, along with her own boyfriend. As the investigation begins it turns out that Sarah lied about a lot of things.
Liz, the editor of the school newspaper and social outcast wants to find out what happened, hoping she’ll win a journalism scholarship. As she searches for answers she risks bringing the murderer’s wrath down on herself next.
Another YA for YA. This one was just all right for me, but I do love things set at boarding school, where everyone is at risk of murder constantly. It must be exhausting.
January 22, 2025
It’s not a secret that I’m a fan of mystery novels, murder mysteries in particular, so this book felt right up my alley. I mean, private school, scandalous murder, privileged kids (and a few not so privileged) living together with slack adult supervision, a killer loose among them seemed like the perfect premise for a great read.
Well, I was both right and wrong in my assumptions. The mystery was intriguing and discovering who the killer was, and why did they kill, was a good surprise, the kind one wants when reading a mystery novel. The problem, for me, was that getting to that point took a lot of willpower because this book starts slow, like a snail on a hot driveway kind of slow, and stays slow until well into its second half.
I reached about 25% of the book still hoping for something to happen, something else besides the parade of anguish teens adjusting to the reality of classmates having been murder. We get it, murder is a super traumatic event and these are kids facing it without escape, so giving some time to the feeling of those emotions is good. However, because characters with a point of view didn’t engage in an active effort to investigate what happened, everything happening page after page felt more like staged drama than engrossing real-time events.
After realizing the super slow buildup would continue indefinitely, I then kept reading just wondering where is this going? My patience was rewarded with an increase in pace and a swift resolution, but by the time I got there my overall feeling was one of, “I don’t think this book was for me,” so take my comments with that grain of salt.
I would say that, if you’re looking for a thriller this isn't one (by the mere definition of thrilling) but still remains a good murder mystery, with some good characterization and a few compelling moments, yet it's worth remembering that things move slowly in this story, so if that’s not your cup of tea, perhaps this one is not for you.
Three and a half stars for me. Rounding down because the promised Dark Academia atmosphere wasn’t all that there, as in at times it felt as if the sory was happening in a town more than within the walls of a boarding school.
Well, I was both right and wrong in my assumptions. The mystery was intriguing and discovering who the killer was, and why did they kill, was a good surprise, the kind one wants when reading a mystery novel. The problem, for me, was that getting to that point took a lot of willpower because this book starts slow, like a snail on a hot driveway kind of slow, and stays slow until well into its second half.
I reached about 25% of the book still hoping for something to happen, something else besides the parade of anguish teens adjusting to the reality of classmates having been murder. We get it, murder is a super traumatic event and these are kids facing it without escape, so giving some time to the feeling of those emotions is good. However, because characters with a point of view didn’t engage in an active effort to investigate what happened, everything happening page after page felt more like staged drama than engrossing real-time events.
After realizing the super slow buildup would continue indefinitely, I then kept reading just wondering where is this going? My patience was rewarded with an increase in pace and a swift resolution, but by the time I got there my overall feeling was one of, “I don’t think this book was for me,” so take my comments with that grain of salt.
I would say that, if you’re looking for a thriller this isn't one (by the mere definition of thrilling) but still remains a good murder mystery, with some good characterization and a few compelling moments, yet it's worth remembering that things move slowly in this story, so if that’s not your cup of tea, perhaps this one is not for you.
Three and a half stars for me. Rounding down because the promised Dark Academia atmosphere wasn’t all that there, as in at times it felt as if the sory was happening in a town more than within the walls of a boarding school.
March 17, 2025
Thank you PRHAudio for the complimentary audiobook! Thank you Penguin Teen for the opportunity to read and review!
Excellent story filled with suspense and tension. Good advice for high school students who wanted to be a reporter. High school has the newspaper and it's where students can take on roles to be a reporter or editor. This experience will prepare them for college and a career in the real world. A path I wish I knew when I was younger. I liked that this story portrayed the students to be smart. They compete with each other for good grades. They learned the layout of the school including hidden passages. There was a student who created a secret forum for students to chat about parties without teachers knowing.
This story followed two students: Liv and Amy. Amy attended boarding school because her family have money and can afford to donate large sums of money to the school. Liv attended boarding school because she won a scholarship. Both are seniors but Liv spent the last 3 years invisible to the privilege kids.
One morning, Amy woke up to find her roommate, Sarah, dead in her room along with her roommate's boyfriend. She didn't know what had happened. Hard for anyone to believe that Amy didn't hear the brutal murder next door. Many students were drunk last night because they came back from an illegal drinking party. Amy had had a shouting match with Sarah and many students witnessed. Amy broke the school rules by having a guest. She didn't admit to that at first until her boyfriend was accused of being a murderer. Before her boyfriend was in custody, Amy was accused by her classmates and soccer teammates.
Liv was all about the school newspaper. She's the editor and writer. She broke the news about the murders. Took some heat from the school for putting the school on the spotlight. She received many good advices from her idol reporter to become a successful reporter herself. She covered the murders in the school newspaper at a different angle and eventually friends with Amy and helped to solve the case.
I enjoyed this mystery thriller a lot. I loved the suspense. The narrators did a good job.
.
Excellent story filled with suspense and tension. Good advice for high school students who wanted to be a reporter. High school has the newspaper and it's where students can take on roles to be a reporter or editor. This experience will prepare them for college and a career in the real world. A path I wish I knew when I was younger. I liked that this story portrayed the students to be smart. They compete with each other for good grades. They learned the layout of the school including hidden passages. There was a student who created a secret forum for students to chat about parties without teachers knowing.
This story followed two students: Liv and Amy. Amy attended boarding school because her family have money and can afford to donate large sums of money to the school. Liv attended boarding school because she won a scholarship. Both are seniors but Liv spent the last 3 years invisible to the privilege kids.
One morning, Amy woke up to find her roommate, Sarah, dead in her room along with her roommate's boyfriend. She didn't know what had happened. Hard for anyone to believe that Amy didn't hear the brutal murder next door. Many students were drunk last night because they came back from an illegal drinking party. Amy had had a shouting match with Sarah and many students witnessed. Amy broke the school rules by having a guest. She didn't admit to that at first until her boyfriend was accused of being a murderer. Before her boyfriend was in custody, Amy was accused by her classmates and soccer teammates.
Liv was all about the school newspaper. She's the editor and writer. She broke the news about the murders. Took some heat from the school for putting the school on the spotlight. She received many good advices from her idol reporter to become a successful reporter herself. She covered the murders in the school newspaper at a different angle and eventually friends with Amy and helped to solve the case.
I enjoyed this mystery thriller a lot. I loved the suspense. The narrators did a good job.
.
January 30, 2025
4.5 stars rounded up
I think this is one of Jessica Goodman's best novels! The Meadowbrook Murders is a murder mystery set at an elite boarding school a popular couple has just been murdered. Amy is the best friend of the girl who sleeps next door, but she and her friend had been fighting with each other at a party the night before. The other perspective is Liz, an aspiring journalist and editor of the student newspaper who has been dying for something interesting to happen at their school to advance her career.
As the story progresses, Amy realizes that she might not have known her friend as well as she thought she did. And Liz must grapple with the consequences of reporting on your own community and the ethics of journalism in a case where there are victims. It's a thoughtful, twisty story that kept me hooked. I did kind of guess who the killer might ultimately be, but it didn't detract from the book for me. This was really well done! I received a copy of this book for review from the publisher, all opinions are my own.
I think this is one of Jessica Goodman's best novels! The Meadowbrook Murders is a murder mystery set at an elite boarding school a popular couple has just been murdered. Amy is the best friend of the girl who sleeps next door, but she and her friend had been fighting with each other at a party the night before. The other perspective is Liz, an aspiring journalist and editor of the student newspaper who has been dying for something interesting to happen at their school to advance her career.
As the story progresses, Amy realizes that she might not have known her friend as well as she thought she did. And Liz must grapple with the consequences of reporting on your own community and the ethics of journalism in a case where there are victims. It's a thoughtful, twisty story that kept me hooked. I did kind of guess who the killer might ultimately be, but it didn't detract from the book for me. This was really well done! I received a copy of this book for review from the publisher, all opinions are my own.
January 18, 2025
Everything I want from a YA thriller honestly just deducted a star bc I did guess the killer (rare honestly) and there could’ve been more red herrings but overall I flew through it! My queen Jesse Vilinsky did a fabulous job narrating and I’ve come to really enjoy Sophie Amoss too as I’ve heard her multiple times now!
Now go read my review of this authors last book and applaud me for not being biased bc I kinda accidentally decided to read this book before I knew who the author was 😂 #noregerts
I received a free audiobook from PRH Audio. All opinions are honest and my own.
Now go read my review of this authors last book and applaud me for not being biased bc I kinda accidentally decided to read this book before I knew who the author was 😂 #noregerts
I received a free audiobook from PRH Audio. All opinions are honest and my own.
November 22, 2024
Free ARC from NetGalley. I’m a sucker for boarding school mysteries, so I read this YA. It wasn’t great.
Jessica Goodman continues her obsession with the word shoulder — it is used 88 times in this book. (As opposed to 84 times in They Wish They Were Us)
Amy and Sarah are best friends and roommates. Amy is dating townie, Joseph. Sarah is dating rich boy, Ryan. Sarah, Ryan, Kayla, and Peter have all known each other since they were young. All of them growing up together in vast wealth.
Sarah doesn’t like Amy going out with Joseph.
SPOILER: Sarah met Joseph in town and they had been texting and flirting and talking, but Sarah never told Amy. Sarah was dating Ryan, so never started anything with Joseph, but Joseph didn’t want to let go of her. He started hanging out at the Meadowbrook girls soccer practices, where his mom was coach. There he got to watch Sarah but also he met Amy.
The night before senior year starts, there’s a big drunken party. Amy and Sarah get a fight about Joseph. Sarah and Ryan go back to the dorm and Amy and Joseph show up later. Joseph leaves out the window and Amy goes to sleep. The next morning Amy finds Sarah and Ryan murdered in Sarah ‘s bed.
Looks like Joseph killed Sarah and Ryan — his bloody knife is found in his car (but not his prints), Sarah’s phone is in his mom’s office, the fact he secretly had a crush/relationship with Sarah — all these add up to an arrest.
In the mean time, Amy is moved to annoying reporter Liz’s room, since Amy can’t live in an active crime scene. Liz annoys everyone with her zealous reporting. Blah blah blah breaks the case — Peter is actually the one who killed them. He wanted Sarah for himself. Ryan and Peter were always competing for everything. He texted her (proof on a secret app on Sarah’s phone) that he was mad and coming over that night. He saw Joseph’s knife on the coffee table and grabbed it.
Mystery solved. Liz gets to meet famous journalists, Joseph is freed, and justice is served.
Jessica Goodman continues her obsession with the word shoulder — it is used 88 times in this book. (As opposed to 84 times in They Wish They Were Us)
Amy and Sarah are best friends and roommates. Amy is dating townie, Joseph. Sarah is dating rich boy, Ryan. Sarah, Ryan, Kayla, and Peter have all known each other since they were young. All of them growing up together in vast wealth.
Sarah doesn’t like Amy going out with Joseph.
SPOILER: Sarah met Joseph in town and they had been texting and flirting and talking, but Sarah never told Amy. Sarah was dating Ryan, so never started anything with Joseph, but Joseph didn’t want to let go of her. He started hanging out at the Meadowbrook girls soccer practices, where his mom was coach. There he got to watch Sarah but also he met Amy.
The night before senior year starts, there’s a big drunken party. Amy and Sarah get a fight about Joseph. Sarah and Ryan go back to the dorm and Amy and Joseph show up later. Joseph leaves out the window and Amy goes to sleep. The next morning Amy finds Sarah and Ryan murdered in Sarah ‘s bed.
Looks like Joseph killed Sarah and Ryan — his bloody knife is found in his car (but not his prints), Sarah’s phone is in his mom’s office, the fact he secretly had a crush/relationship with Sarah — all these add up to an arrest.
In the mean time, Amy is moved to annoying reporter Liz’s room, since Amy can’t live in an active crime scene. Liz annoys everyone with her zealous reporting. Blah blah blah breaks the case — Peter is actually the one who killed them. He wanted Sarah for himself. Ryan and Peter were always competing for everything. He texted her (proof on a secret app on Sarah’s phone) that he was mad and coming over that night. He saw Joseph’s knife on the coffee table and grabbed it.
Mystery solved. Liz gets to meet famous journalists, Joseph is freed, and justice is served.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
February 6, 2025
"Power can be earned. It can be stolen or seized. But privilege is something you’re born with, something you can wield like a scepter."
I can't believe my eyes are getting misty right now! This was an amazing book. It's everything you could hope for in a YA/Dark Academia story.
I only say this occasionally, even about books by my favorite authors, but this was a near perfect book. It wasn't too long or short, it never dragged on, it wasn't overly descriptive of silly details to lead you on a wild goose chase. I had a few suspects from the start and it was great seeing it unfold. I wasn't left with any questions. It was a really satisfying read.
Amy and Sarah have been roommates at the elite Meadowbrook Academy (and besties too) since freshman year. After a drunken fight, Amy wakes up to find Sarah, and Sarah's boyfriend Ryan, dead in her room of their shared dorm. Amy is heartbroken and confused. She didn't hear a thing. When did this happen and who could have done it?
Our other main character is Liz, a scholarship kid and a student journalist. She's aiming for the Page One scholarship so she's hoping to find a scoop on Meadowbrook sometime this year and this tragedy has fallen right into her lap.
Liz doesn't really know the people involved so that makes it easier to report on the murders. She's on the outside of things, that is until Amy has to bunk with her. Amy hates the press and sees Liz as the enemy but as time goes on, Liz and Amy see that they have more in common than they initially thought and with Liz's investigative skills and Amy's insider knowledge, they may be able to crack the case before anyone else gets hurt.
I loved seeing Amy and Liz grow as people. They were fantastic characters and this book delivered from the start to its final, thrilling conclusion.
I can't believe my eyes are getting misty right now! This was an amazing book. It's everything you could hope for in a YA/Dark Academia story.
I only say this occasionally, even about books by my favorite authors, but this was a near perfect book. It wasn't too long or short, it never dragged on, it wasn't overly descriptive of silly details to lead you on a wild goose chase. I had a few suspects from the start and it was great seeing it unfold. I wasn't left with any questions. It was a really satisfying read.
Amy and Sarah have been roommates at the elite Meadowbrook Academy (and besties too) since freshman year. After a drunken fight, Amy wakes up to find Sarah, and Sarah's boyfriend Ryan, dead in her room of their shared dorm. Amy is heartbroken and confused. She didn't hear a thing. When did this happen and who could have done it?
Our other main character is Liz, a scholarship kid and a student journalist. She's aiming for the Page One scholarship so she's hoping to find a scoop on Meadowbrook sometime this year and this tragedy has fallen right into her lap.
Liz doesn't really know the people involved so that makes it easier to report on the murders. She's on the outside of things, that is until Amy has to bunk with her. Amy hates the press and sees Liz as the enemy but as time goes on, Liz and Amy see that they have more in common than they initially thought and with Liz's investigative skills and Amy's insider knowledge, they may be able to crack the case before anyone else gets hurt.
I loved seeing Amy and Liz grow as people. They were fantastic characters and this book delivered from the start to its final, thrilling conclusion.
February 12, 2025
Prep boarding school murder/mystery.
This one just didn’t super grab my attention. It’s told from two perspectives Amy, who finds her best friend Sara and her boyfriend Ryan murdered in their dorm room and then also by student Liz, who is a reporter on the school paper. Both girls are seniors at Meadowbrook Academy.
Again, I can’t really pinpoint what was my issue, but I was not instantly drawn in or captivated by the story. Solid mystery. Not a lot of super activity and was a bit slow for me.
Thanks to NetGalley for my electronic advanced reader copy in exchange for my honest review. All opinions are my own.
This one just didn’t super grab my attention. It’s told from two perspectives Amy, who finds her best friend Sara and her boyfriend Ryan murdered in their dorm room and then also by student Liz, who is a reporter on the school paper. Both girls are seniors at Meadowbrook Academy.
Again, I can’t really pinpoint what was my issue, but I was not instantly drawn in or captivated by the story. Solid mystery. Not a lot of super activity and was a bit slow for me.
Thanks to NetGalley for my electronic advanced reader copy in exchange for my honest review. All opinions are my own.
September 3, 2024
A girl’s roommate in boarding school dorms and roommate’s boyfriend were killed next door at night and she didn’t hear a thing👀. This YA thriller was uputdownable!
The pacing and suspense were great!! I usually can guess the suspect very early on, but here I didn’t and I didn’t even want to guess it, I just wanted to enjoy the journey.
If you want bingable thriller with academic settings, elite student and small town vibes - The Meadowbrook Murders is it!
Pub date: February 4, 2025
Thank you so much @penguinteen and @jessicagoodman for a gifted ARC❤️. #PenguinTeenPartner #themeadowbrookmurders
The pacing and suspense were great!! I usually can guess the suspect very early on, but here I didn’t and I didn’t even want to guess it, I just wanted to enjoy the journey.
If you want bingable thriller with academic settings, elite student and small town vibes - The Meadowbrook Murders is it!
Pub date: February 4, 2025
Thank you so much @penguinteen and @jessicagoodman for a gifted ARC❤️. #PenguinTeenPartner #themeadowbrookmurders
February 27, 2025
This is my second book by this author and I really like how she writes about private schools and the people who go there. I really cared about Amy and Liz and was invested in their stories. I had figured out who the killer was and I was kinda disappointed in how it was resolved although I did enjoy the book.
January 28, 2025
Thank you to Putnam Books and Jessica Goodman for my copy of this book. It was about Middlebook Academy and seniors Amy and Sarah. It is their first week back, when Sarah and her boyfriend are brutally murdered in their dorm room. Everyone is looking at Amy, the survivor, for answers, because she was the only roommate and only one present during the murders…or so she says. Though they were best friends, Sarah had a lot of secrets, and Amy isn’t sure she wants to keep them anymore.
Liz wants to be a journalist no matter the cost, and uncovering the truth about the murders will put her on the map. She is already an outcast, and she is determined to find all the secrets everyone involved were keeping, no matter who she hurts. But there is much more than meets the eye, and investigating may be more dangerous than Liz originally thought.
Thoughts: This was a fun YA book, even though it was extremely predictable. I liked the elite boarding school setting, and the idea of the murders was intriguing and interesting. The plot was straightforward and what was going to happen was obvious from the beginning. I thought there were some good parts of the story, but it was a little basic and one dimensional. ALSO. Why is the book called the Meadowbrook Murders but the school is called Middlebrook? Confusing. It was a fun read and I blew through it quickly, and if you’re looking for an intro/YA thriller, this one is for you. 3-stars.
Liz wants to be a journalist no matter the cost, and uncovering the truth about the murders will put her on the map. She is already an outcast, and she is determined to find all the secrets everyone involved were keeping, no matter who she hurts. But there is much more than meets the eye, and investigating may be more dangerous than Liz originally thought.
Thoughts: This was a fun YA book, even though it was extremely predictable. I liked the elite boarding school setting, and the idea of the murders was intriguing and interesting. The plot was straightforward and what was going to happen was obvious from the beginning. I thought there were some good parts of the story, but it was a little basic and one dimensional. ALSO. Why is the book called the Meadowbrook Murders but the school is called Middlebrook? Confusing. It was a fun read and I blew through it quickly, and if you’re looking for an intro/YA thriller, this one is for you. 3-stars.
March 23, 2025
So mostly this was kinda slow and frankly, not that interesting. The characters were lame. I mean Amy was just struggling which is super understandable so I give her a pass. But Liz? Ah man Liz sucked. She spent so much of the book asking herself “would I be a good journalist if I didn’t?” And forgetting to ask herself “would I be a good person if I did?” She was so annoying to me. She was insensitive and I hated reading her journalistic perspective. Also the plot was slow and the murderer was obvious
January 29, 2025
3.5 stars for this one!
I love Jessica Goodman's YA thrillers. They are always the perfect binge read to get me out of a slump! They are almost always set at private schools and the storylines of rich kids doing bad things are a favorite. Amy and Liz, two seniors, were interesting main characters in The Meadowbrook Murders and I loved getting both of their POVs as they try to figure out what happened to their murdered classmates. I saw a lot of myself in Liz as I wanted to do journalism when I was that age! Unfortunately, the twist was a little too predictable to me compared to her prior books so this isn't my favorite from Goodman! But it was still a quick and twisty read!
Thanks Penguin Teen for the gifted copy!
I love Jessica Goodman's YA thrillers. They are always the perfect binge read to get me out of a slump! They are almost always set at private schools and the storylines of rich kids doing bad things are a favorite. Amy and Liz, two seniors, were interesting main characters in The Meadowbrook Murders and I loved getting both of their POVs as they try to figure out what happened to their murdered classmates. I saw a lot of myself in Liz as I wanted to do journalism when I was that age! Unfortunately, the twist was a little too predictable to me compared to her prior books so this isn't my favorite from Goodman! But it was still a quick and twisty read!
Thanks Penguin Teen for the gifted copy!
January 26, 2025
Senior was supposed to be a fun, exciting time. But the week with just seniors present, a grisly murder on campus in a closed dorm room - everyone is a suspect!
This was a fun murder mystery on a high school campus for rich kids. We have 2 POV - Amy and Liz. Liz is a hard hitting journalist in the making and this murder just might be the leg up she needs to get her reporting seen and get that scholarship to her dream school she's always wanted. As a "not have" versus the rich kids, she feels bad someone died but she can't pass up this opportunity!
And then there's Amy, the best friend and dorm roommate. She found the couple, she fought last with her best friend - she can't believe they are gone. But as the police begin to bumble the murder case, she feels compelled to come find out the secrets her best friend was keeping.
This was a compelling story that kept me wanting to know more. I liked that Liz kept getting tripped up, trying to figure out what was the right thing to do. She had to juggle compassion and empathy all while wanting to find the scandal. And Amy had to come to terms with some of the terrible things we say and do in anger. She had to discover Sarah was her best friend but she didn't tell her everything. She had to work through that hurt and still miss and love her. It's my first from this author and I'll definitely look for more!
A huge thank you to the author and publisher for providing an e-ARC via Netgalley. This does not affect my opinion regarding the book.
This was a fun murder mystery on a high school campus for rich kids. We have 2 POV - Amy and Liz. Liz is a hard hitting journalist in the making and this murder just might be the leg up she needs to get her reporting seen and get that scholarship to her dream school she's always wanted. As a "not have" versus the rich kids, she feels bad someone died but she can't pass up this opportunity!
And then there's Amy, the best friend and dorm roommate. She found the couple, she fought last with her best friend - she can't believe they are gone. But as the police begin to bumble the murder case, she feels compelled to come find out the secrets her best friend was keeping.
This was a compelling story that kept me wanting to know more. I liked that Liz kept getting tripped up, trying to figure out what was the right thing to do. She had to juggle compassion and empathy all while wanting to find the scandal. And Amy had to come to terms with some of the terrible things we say and do in anger. She had to discover Sarah was her best friend but she didn't tell her everything. She had to work through that hurt and still miss and love her. It's my first from this author and I'll definitely look for more!
A huge thank you to the author and publisher for providing an e-ARC via Netgalley. This does not affect my opinion regarding the book.
January 22, 2025
✨️Thank you to #partner @prhaudio, @penguinteenca & @jessicagoodman for my gifted ALC & ARC in exchange for an honest review.
#PRHAudioPartner #PRHAInfluencer
The Meadowbrook Murders is an addictive, gripping YA dark academia novel with a twisty mystery that kept me hooked from start to finish. From its short snippy chapters, to the constant feeling of suspense, it kept me on the edge of my seat and kept me wanting to read on. Was it super shocking and unpredictable, no ! But I still enjoyed the path the story took to get there. With it's fast pace it was impossible not to binge in one sitting!
The 2 main FMC’s are so different and I loved watching them come together. I thought they had some great character development throughout the story. This is definitely a big highlight in this book. It was truly chef's kiss! The plot was fun to follow, engaging and highly entertaining.
Overall, this is a great book for fans of YA thrillers. Or for the ones who love boarding school mysteries and secrets. Impossible to put down, so much fun to read!
🎧 The narration by Sophie Amoss & Jessie Vilinsky was great. I had a great time listening to them. I loved Jessie's voice a lot and how she played her character. I had a harder time in the beginning with Sophie, to be honest I thought it was a guy, but then it became better. I loved how they constantly built the suspense and reflected the emotions really well!
#PRHAudioPartner #PRHAInfluencer
The Meadowbrook Murders is an addictive, gripping YA dark academia novel with a twisty mystery that kept me hooked from start to finish. From its short snippy chapters, to the constant feeling of suspense, it kept me on the edge of my seat and kept me wanting to read on. Was it super shocking and unpredictable, no ! But I still enjoyed the path the story took to get there. With it's fast pace it was impossible not to binge in one sitting!
The 2 main FMC’s are so different and I loved watching them come together. I thought they had some great character development throughout the story. This is definitely a big highlight in this book. It was truly chef's kiss! The plot was fun to follow, engaging and highly entertaining.
Overall, this is a great book for fans of YA thrillers. Or for the ones who love boarding school mysteries and secrets. Impossible to put down, so much fun to read!
🎧 The narration by Sophie Amoss & Jessie Vilinsky was great. I had a great time listening to them. I loved Jessie's voice a lot and how she played her character. I had a harder time in the beginning with Sophie, to be honest I thought it was a guy, but then it became better. I loved how they constantly built the suspense and reflected the emotions really well!
February 1, 2025
Review coming soon.
February 16, 2025
Thank you Penguin Group Putnam Young Readers for my copy! All thoughts are my own.
It might be because I read the Private Series by Kate Brian as a teen or because i’m a sucker for my home region of New England, but if there’s a book set at a boarding school in Connecticut, I’m gonna read it. I’ve enjoyed a lot of Jessica Goodman’s book and this was no exception. It’s fast paced, juicy, and keeps the reader guessing. I didn’t see the twist coming at the end, but I’m also not an investigative journalist or theorist while I read. Anyway, this is a great YA thriller and a fast one to through in your beach bag for spring break.
Synopsis:
“It’s the first week of senior year at Meadowbrook Academy. For Amy and her best friend Sarah, that means late-night parties at the boathouse, bike rides through their sleepy Connecticut town, and the crisp beginning of a New England fall.Then tragedy strikes: Sarah and her boyfriend are brutally murdered in their dorm room. Now the week Amy has been dreaming about for years has turned into a nightmare, especially when all eyes turn to her as the culprit. She was Sarah’s only roommate, the only other person there when she died—or so she told the police to cover for her own boyfriend’s suspicious whereabouts. And even though they were best friends, with every passing day, Amy begins to learn that Sarah lied about a lot of things.Liz, editor of the school newspaper and social outcast, is determined to uncover the truth about what happened on campus, in hopes her reporting will land a prestigious scholarship to college. As Liz dives deeper into her investigation, the secrets these murdered seniors never wanted out come to light. The deeper Liz digs, the messier the truth becomes – and with a killer still on campus, she can’t afford to make any mistakes.” —NetGalley
What I Liked:
The Setting—Connecticut boarding school, need I say more.
The Stakes—Each of the characters had a lot riding on their involvement in the crime, making it Interesting to read and flow between Amy and Liz’s POVs.
The Pacing—I love to reach for YA thrillers when I need to get out of my head and focus on the story.
What Didn’t Work for Me:
The Twist—I didn’t see the twist coming but I was a little disappointed by it and who ended up being the killers.
Unresolved Elements—I liked that there was some ambiguity in the ending but I also wanted to know more about a few things that happened leading up to the big reveal.
Character Authenticity: 4/5 Overall Rating: 3.75/5
Content Warnings:
murder, blood, gore, child death, violence
It might be because I read the Private Series by Kate Brian as a teen or because i’m a sucker for my home region of New England, but if there’s a book set at a boarding school in Connecticut, I’m gonna read it. I’ve enjoyed a lot of Jessica Goodman’s book and this was no exception. It’s fast paced, juicy, and keeps the reader guessing. I didn’t see the twist coming at the end, but I’m also not an investigative journalist or theorist while I read. Anyway, this is a great YA thriller and a fast one to through in your beach bag for spring break.
Synopsis:
“It’s the first week of senior year at Meadowbrook Academy. For Amy and her best friend Sarah, that means late-night parties at the boathouse, bike rides through their sleepy Connecticut town, and the crisp beginning of a New England fall.Then tragedy strikes: Sarah and her boyfriend are brutally murdered in their dorm room. Now the week Amy has been dreaming about for years has turned into a nightmare, especially when all eyes turn to her as the culprit. She was Sarah’s only roommate, the only other person there when she died—or so she told the police to cover for her own boyfriend’s suspicious whereabouts. And even though they were best friends, with every passing day, Amy begins to learn that Sarah lied about a lot of things.Liz, editor of the school newspaper and social outcast, is determined to uncover the truth about what happened on campus, in hopes her reporting will land a prestigious scholarship to college. As Liz dives deeper into her investigation, the secrets these murdered seniors never wanted out come to light. The deeper Liz digs, the messier the truth becomes – and with a killer still on campus, she can’t afford to make any mistakes.” —NetGalley
What I Liked:
The Setting—Connecticut boarding school, need I say more.
The Stakes—Each of the characters had a lot riding on their involvement in the crime, making it Interesting to read and flow between Amy and Liz’s POVs.
The Pacing—I love to reach for YA thrillers when I need to get out of my head and focus on the story.
What Didn’t Work for Me:
The Twist—I didn’t see the twist coming but I was a little disappointed by it and who ended up being the killers.
Unresolved Elements—I liked that there was some ambiguity in the ending but I also wanted to know more about a few things that happened leading up to the big reveal.
Character Authenticity: 4/5 Overall Rating: 3.75/5
Content Warnings:
murder, blood, gore, child death, violence
March 25, 2025
The Meadowbrook Murders is a slow-burn YA mystery that reminded me of Pretty Little Liars—full of red herrings, secrets, and layered clues that keep you guessing.
The story follows Amy, a senior at a fancy New England boarding school whose best friend and her boyfriend are brutally murdered in their dorm room. Amy was the only other person in the room that night, and as the police start digging, Amy tries to cover for her own boyfriend’s sketchy whereabouts. But when her best friend’s lies start stacking up, Amy realizes she might not have known her at all.
Then we meet Liz, the school newspaper editor and social outsider, who’s determined to solve the mystery to win a big scholarship. As she uncovers more about what was really going on behind closed doors at Meadowbrook, she finds that everyone is hiding something. The deeper she digs, the more dangerous things become.
This book is a little slower at first, especially for readers used to fast-paced thrillers. But if you’re just getting into mysteries, especially as a teen or young adult, this is a great entry point. About halfway through, the plot really picks up—and I was completely hooked. I needed to know who the killer was and what was really going on. I didn’t guess the ending either, which is always a gold star from me.
This story made me think of This Book Kills by Ravena Guron. If you liked that one, I think you’ll enjoy this too. The Meadowbrook Murders is a classic whodunit with a dark academic twist, full of gossip, danger, and suspense.
The story follows Amy, a senior at a fancy New England boarding school whose best friend and her boyfriend are brutally murdered in their dorm room. Amy was the only other person in the room that night, and as the police start digging, Amy tries to cover for her own boyfriend’s sketchy whereabouts. But when her best friend’s lies start stacking up, Amy realizes she might not have known her at all.
Then we meet Liz, the school newspaper editor and social outsider, who’s determined to solve the mystery to win a big scholarship. As she uncovers more about what was really going on behind closed doors at Meadowbrook, she finds that everyone is hiding something. The deeper she digs, the more dangerous things become.
This book is a little slower at first, especially for readers used to fast-paced thrillers. But if you’re just getting into mysteries, especially as a teen or young adult, this is a great entry point. About halfway through, the plot really picks up—and I was completely hooked. I needed to know who the killer was and what was really going on. I didn’t guess the ending either, which is always a gold star from me.
This story made me think of This Book Kills by Ravena Guron. If you liked that one, I think you’ll enjoy this too. The Meadowbrook Murders is a classic whodunit with a dark academic twist, full of gossip, danger, and suspense.
September 22, 2024
Actual Rating 3.5
THANKS TO PENGUIN WORKSHOP FOR THIS PHYSICAL ARC IN EXCHANGE FOR A HONEST REVIEW.
Academia Murder Mystery is my jam and I have shared it so many times that I have started to sound like a broken record but it is what it is.
Meadowbrook Academy is a private boarding school located in a remote area; the only attraction nearby is a small town with a few eateries and residents. So it was no less than a shock when the school witnessed two murders. Sarah and her boyfriend Ryan got killed in the dorm. When Amy, Sarah's roommate and best friend was sleeping next door. Kids here are from wealthy backgrounds and their parents won't let admin hide these murders. Except for Liz, a scholarship student working in a school newspaper. These murders might be her golden chance to get the college scholarship by covering this story.
I liked the world-building, snobby students, their brattiness, entitlement of school admin, the hustle of Liz, and several other emotions that kept me hooked. I love the buildup but I wish I could say the same about the ending. All characters were kinda grey so I was suspicious of all, I also found them really immature. The final plot twist was not mind-blowing, I felt the ending was abrupt and lacking. I could have used a few more pages to understand the motive or maybe a little bit of insight inside the head of the killer. It felt a bit flat for me still it was a quick and engaging read.
THANKS TO PENGUIN WORKSHOP FOR THIS PHYSICAL ARC IN EXCHANGE FOR A HONEST REVIEW.
Academia Murder Mystery is my jam and I have shared it so many times that I have started to sound like a broken record but it is what it is.
Meadowbrook Academy is a private boarding school located in a remote area; the only attraction nearby is a small town with a few eateries and residents. So it was no less than a shock when the school witnessed two murders. Sarah and her boyfriend Ryan got killed in the dorm. When Amy, Sarah's roommate and best friend was sleeping next door. Kids here are from wealthy backgrounds and their parents won't let admin hide these murders. Except for Liz, a scholarship student working in a school newspaper. These murders might be her golden chance to get the college scholarship by covering this story.
I liked the world-building, snobby students, their brattiness, entitlement of school admin, the hustle of Liz, and several other emotions that kept me hooked. I love the buildup but I wish I could say the same about the ending. All characters were kinda grey so I was suspicious of all, I also found them really immature. The final plot twist was not mind-blowing, I felt the ending was abrupt and lacking. I could have used a few more pages to understand the motive or maybe a little bit of insight inside the head of the killer. It felt a bit flat for me still it was a quick and engaging read.
October 13, 2025
𝘛𝘩𝘪𝘴 𝘰𝘯𝘦 𝘵𝘰𝘵𝘢𝘭𝘭𝘺 𝘤𝘢𝘶𝘨𝘩𝘵 𝘮𝘦 𝘰𝘧𝘧 𝘨𝘶𝘢𝘳𝘥. 𝘐 𝘸𝘦𝘯𝘵 𝘪𝘯 𝘦𝘹𝘱𝘦𝘤𝘵𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘢 𝘧𝘶𝘯, 𝘱𝘳𝘦𝘥𝘪𝘤𝘵𝘢𝘣𝘭𝘦 𝘠𝘈 𝘵𝘩𝘳𝘪𝘭𝘭𝘦𝘳 𝘴𝘦𝘵 𝘪𝘯 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘸𝘰𝘳𝘭𝘥 𝘰𝘧 𝘥𝘢𝘳𝘬 𝘢𝘤𝘢𝘥𝘦𝘮𝘪𝘢 (𝘸𝘩𝘪𝘤𝘩 𝘐 𝘢𝘭𝘸𝘢𝘺𝘴 𝘭𝘰𝘷𝘦), 𝘣𝘶𝘵 𝘸𝘰𝘸 — 𝘸𝘢𝘴 𝘐 𝘸𝘳𝘰𝘯𝘨. 𝘛𝘩𝘦 𝘵𝘸𝘪𝘴𝘵𝘴 𝘤𝘢𝘮𝘦 𝘰𝘶𝘵 𝘰𝘧 𝘯𝘰𝘸𝘩𝘦𝘳𝘦 𝘪𝘯 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘣𝘦𝘴𝘵 𝘸𝘢𝘺, 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘱𝘢𝘤𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘮𝘢𝘥𝘦 𝘪𝘵 𝘴𝘰 𝘣𝘪𝘯𝘨𝘦𝘢𝘣𝘭𝘦 𝘐 𝘧𝘭𝘦𝘸 𝘵𝘩𝘳𝘰𝘶𝘨𝘩 𝘪𝘵 𝘪𝘯 𝘢 𝘥𝘢𝘺.
𝘐𝘧 𝘺𝘰𝘶’𝘳𝘦 𝘪𝘯𝘵𝘰 𝘢𝘤𝘢𝘥𝘦𝘮𝘪𝘤 𝘴𝘦𝘵𝘵𝘪𝘯𝘨𝘴, 𝘠𝘈 𝘵𝘩𝘳𝘪𝘭𝘭𝘦𝘳𝘴, 𝘰𝘳 𝘫𝘶𝘴𝘵 𝘢 𝘴𝘰𝘭𝘪𝘥 𝘮𝘺𝘴𝘵𝘦𝘳𝘺 𝘵𝘩𝘢𝘵 𝘬𝘦𝘦𝘱𝘴 𝘺𝘰𝘶 𝘴𝘦𝘤𝘰𝘯𝘥-𝘨𝘶𝘦𝘴𝘴𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘺𝘰𝘶𝘳𝘴𝘦𝘭𝘧, 𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘴 𝘰𝘯𝘦’𝘴 𝘸𝘰𝘳𝘵𝘩 𝘱𝘪𝘤𝘬𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘶𝘱.
✨ 𝘍𝘪𝘯𝘢𝘭 𝘛𝘢𝘬𝘦𝘢𝘸𝘢𝘺: 𝘈 𝘧𝘢𝘴𝘵, 𝘵𝘸𝘪𝘴𝘵𝘺, 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘸𝘪𝘭𝘥𝘭𝘺 𝘦𝘯𝘵𝘦𝘳𝘵𝘢𝘪𝘯𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘳𝘦𝘢𝘥 𝘵𝘩𝘢𝘵 𝘱𝘳𝘰𝘷𝘦𝘴 𝘯𝘰𝘵 𝘦𝘷𝘦𝘳𝘺𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘪𝘯 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘩𝘢𝘭𝘭𝘴 𝘰𝘧 𝘢𝘤𝘢𝘥𝘦𝘮𝘪𝘢 𝘪𝘴 𝘢𝘴 𝘪𝘵 𝘴𝘦𝘦𝘮𝘴.
📖 𝘛𝘩𝘢𝘯𝘬 𝘺𝘰𝘶 𝘵𝘰 𝘕𝘦𝘵𝘨𝘢𝘭𝘭𝘦𝘺 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘗𝘦𝘯𝘨𝘶𝘪𝘯 𝘛𝘦𝘦𝘯 𝘧𝘰𝘳 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘰𝘱𝘱𝘰𝘳𝘵𝘶𝘯𝘪𝘵𝘺 𝘵𝘰 𝘳𝘦𝘢𝘥 𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘴 𝘢𝘥𝘷𝘢𝘯𝘤𝘦 𝘤𝘰𝘱𝘺 𝘪𝘯 𝘦𝘹𝘤𝘩𝘢𝘯𝘨𝘦 𝘧𝘰𝘳 𝘮𝘺 𝘩𝘰𝘯𝘦𝘴𝘵 𝘰𝘱𝘪𝘯𝘪𝘰𝘯 📖
𝘐𝘧 𝘺𝘰𝘶’𝘳𝘦 𝘪𝘯𝘵𝘰 𝘢𝘤𝘢𝘥𝘦𝘮𝘪𝘤 𝘴𝘦𝘵𝘵𝘪𝘯𝘨𝘴, 𝘠𝘈 𝘵𝘩𝘳𝘪𝘭𝘭𝘦𝘳𝘴, 𝘰𝘳 𝘫𝘶𝘴𝘵 𝘢 𝘴𝘰𝘭𝘪𝘥 𝘮𝘺𝘴𝘵𝘦𝘳𝘺 𝘵𝘩𝘢𝘵 𝘬𝘦𝘦𝘱𝘴 𝘺𝘰𝘶 𝘴𝘦𝘤𝘰𝘯𝘥-𝘨𝘶𝘦𝘴𝘴𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘺𝘰𝘶𝘳𝘴𝘦𝘭𝘧, 𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘴 𝘰𝘯𝘦’𝘴 𝘸𝘰𝘳𝘵𝘩 𝘱𝘪𝘤𝘬𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘶𝘱.
✨ 𝘍𝘪𝘯𝘢𝘭 𝘛𝘢𝘬𝘦𝘢𝘸𝘢𝘺: 𝘈 𝘧𝘢𝘴𝘵, 𝘵𝘸𝘪𝘴𝘵𝘺, 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘸𝘪𝘭𝘥𝘭𝘺 𝘦𝘯𝘵𝘦𝘳𝘵𝘢𝘪𝘯𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘳𝘦𝘢𝘥 𝘵𝘩𝘢𝘵 𝘱𝘳𝘰𝘷𝘦𝘴 𝘯𝘰𝘵 𝘦𝘷𝘦𝘳𝘺𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘪𝘯 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘩𝘢𝘭𝘭𝘴 𝘰𝘧 𝘢𝘤𝘢𝘥𝘦𝘮𝘪𝘢 𝘪𝘴 𝘢𝘴 𝘪𝘵 𝘴𝘦𝘦𝘮𝘴.
📖 𝘛𝘩𝘢𝘯𝘬 𝘺𝘰𝘶 𝘵𝘰 𝘕𝘦𝘵𝘨𝘢𝘭𝘭𝘦𝘺 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘗𝘦𝘯𝘨𝘶𝘪𝘯 𝘛𝘦𝘦𝘯 𝘧𝘰𝘳 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘰𝘱𝘱𝘰𝘳𝘵𝘶𝘯𝘪𝘵𝘺 𝘵𝘰 𝘳𝘦𝘢𝘥 𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘴 𝘢𝘥𝘷𝘢𝘯𝘤𝘦 𝘤𝘰𝘱𝘺 𝘪𝘯 𝘦𝘹𝘤𝘩𝘢𝘯𝘨𝘦 𝘧𝘰𝘳 𝘮𝘺 𝘩𝘰𝘯𝘦𝘴𝘵 𝘰𝘱𝘪𝘯𝘪𝘰𝘯 📖
February 6, 2025
I love a good boarding school book. Add in a murder and you’ve got me. Told from the points of view of Amy, the murdered girl, Sarah’s roommate and Liz, the socially awkward, over zealous school newspaper editor, THE MEADOWBROOK MURDERS kept me guessing.
I enjoy Jessica Goodman novels. She captures the souls of imperfect girls caught up in extraordinarily unusual, negative circumstances whose innocence is questionable.
I wish Goodman had given a little more insight into the personalities and motivations of other students at the school and the townies to give more credulity to potential suspects, but otherwise THE MEADOWBROOK MURDERS is a great read.
I enjoy Jessica Goodman novels. She captures the souls of imperfect girls caught up in extraordinarily unusual, negative circumstances whose innocence is questionable.
I wish Goodman had given a little more insight into the personalities and motivations of other students at the school and the townies to give more credulity to potential suspects, but otherwise THE MEADOWBROOK MURDERS is a great read.
December 11, 2024
This was a fun YA boarding school murder mystery. This story mainly follows Amy and Liz. They are both students at the Meadowbrook Academy in Connecticut. Amy wakes up one morning to find her best friend Sarah and Sarah’s boyfriend dead in the room next to them. Liz is the editor of the school newspaper and wants to cover the murders in hopes she will win a journalism scholarship. Liz and Amy must find the murderer before they are the next victims.
This is one of those stories that’s full of twists and turns and you find out everyone is lying and hiding secrets of their own. Both Amy and Liz had reasons to be the killer so this made the story even more interesting trying to figure out who actually did it. I think this is perfect for fans of A Good Girls Guide to Murder and who like academic small town book settings. It’s a fast paced mystery full of twists and turns that will keep you guessing.
Thank you Penguin Teen for providing me with the eARC #penguinteenpartner
This is one of those stories that’s full of twists and turns and you find out everyone is lying and hiding secrets of their own. Both Amy and Liz had reasons to be the killer so this made the story even more interesting trying to figure out who actually did it. I think this is perfect for fans of A Good Girls Guide to Murder and who like academic small town book settings. It’s a fast paced mystery full of twists and turns that will keep you guessing.
Thank you Penguin Teen for providing me with the eARC #penguinteenpartner
October 27, 2024
The first week of senior year finds two kids murdered in their dorm.
🔪
Amy wakes up after a night of partying for Senior Week only to find her best friend and her boyfriend brutally murdered in their shared dorm at the elite private school they both attend. Liz hears about the case and breaks the story as the editor-in-chief for their school paper. Amy and Liz both want answers, but for different reasons. When eyes start to turn to Amy as the killer, the two team up to get the answers about what happened that night.
🏫
This was such a great YA dark academia thriller by one of my favorite writers in this genre. I found the dual perspectives to help build the suspense, keeping me reading to see what happened next. I read this in one sitting! Students will love Jessica Goodman’s newest book when it releases February 4!
CW: blood, emesis, death, murder, violence, alcohol, classism, parental abandonment
Deducted 1 ⭐️ because I easily figured out the killer pretty early one
🔪
Amy wakes up after a night of partying for Senior Week only to find her best friend and her boyfriend brutally murdered in their shared dorm at the elite private school they both attend. Liz hears about the case and breaks the story as the editor-in-chief for their school paper. Amy and Liz both want answers, but for different reasons. When eyes start to turn to Amy as the killer, the two team up to get the answers about what happened that night.
🏫
This was such a great YA dark academia thriller by one of my favorite writers in this genre. I found the dual perspectives to help build the suspense, keeping me reading to see what happened next. I read this in one sitting! Students will love Jessica Goodman’s newest book when it releases February 4!
CW: blood, emesis, death, murder, violence, alcohol, classism, parental abandonment
Deducted 1 ⭐️ because I easily figured out the killer pretty early one
March 24, 2025
I genuinely want to DNF this book, but I got so engrossed that I thought the book was about him, not about his absence and back-and-forth. In the end, I was right. I’m still considering reading it. I’ve always wanted to read a thriller for the first time to experience what it’s like. I have a feeling that I’ve read this story before—a rich girl with numerous problems and a loyal but not very smart boyfriend who wants to prove herself to them that she’s better. I can’t quite put my finger on it, but there are some plot holes that leave you questioning the story.
December 1, 2024
Thank you to Net Galley and Penguin for the ARC. I'm always in the mood for a boarding school murder mystery but this was just an extremely one dimensional read. The characters have absolutely no depth, they're just cliches, and the plot itself was really boring, the setting generic, the mystery lacking, the killer obvious. The only reason I finished this book was because I read the first half on a flight and then finished the second half while waiting for my return flight.
January 24, 2025
3.5 stars rounded up. While I did figure out the who in the whodunnit pretty early on, I enjoyed the story and finding out the why. It was a bit slow to me and I wasn't completely in love with the ending. I felt like it just wrapped up too quickly and we saw very little resolution. It was still a solid YA thriller with a fun boarding school setting with dual POVs, the best friend of one of the victims and a journalist student. I really liked how their friendship developed.
Thank you to NetGalley and Penguin Young Readers Group for an ARC in exchange for my honest review.
Thank you to NetGalley and Penguin Young Readers Group for an ARC in exchange for my honest review.
February 26, 2025
I didn’t like this in the beginning. I actually almost dnf-ed. knowing I’ve like the other books by this author I decided to read some more. The drama is high peak in this one, I guess since it’s placed at a fancy boarding school. I’m not rlly one who loves overly dramatic characters. The small stupid betrayals kill me, make them groundbreaking if your gonna do it🤣 overall this wasn’t bad but not exactly great.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 779 reviews