Mischief Girls

by Aashna Avachat

Every school has its secrets—but at the exclusive Ellison College, the past might prove deadly—in this twisty puzzlebox mystery perfect for fans of Maureen Johnson's Truly Devious series.

THIRTY YEARS three students walked into the woods surrounding Ellison College, and only one came out. They became known as the Mischief Girls, and their case was never solved.

HALLOWEEN WEEK, MODERN Ellison freshman Raina isn’t interested in digging into the past. To combat her personal demons, she volunteers at Night Walk, a campus program dedicated to helping students get home safely. Until one night, Raina escorts a fellow freshman to her dorm...only to learn that the girl disappeared before she ever made it through the door.

With the help of the missing girl’s stepbrother, Raina begins to investigate. But when the pair of them discover that she’d been looking into the Mischief Girls murders prior to her vanishing, the case suddenly becomes much more complicated.

From professors’ offices to state penitentiaries, Raina relentlessly hunts down the truth. But if she wants to find it, she’ll have to accept that maybe what happened to the missing girl didn’t begin the night she disappeared.

Maybe it all started thirty years ago, in the woods.

Genres: Mystery, Young Adult, Mystery Thriller, Thriller, Romance, Autumn, Suspense

352 pages, Kindle Edition

Expected publication September 29, 2026

Reviews

[Erin]

ARC for review. To be published September 28, 2026.

3 stars

This was described as a “puzzle box mystery” which had me excited but, meh. No puzzle box here. It’s YA and dark academia, kind of, in that it takes place on a college campus, but academics aren’t involved at all and it doesn’t really offer anything new to the genre.

So, you’ve got your school (Ellison College,) you’ve got your old mystery (Mischief Night, 30 years ago, three students head out, one survives,) and you’ve got two current students working to solve a present day disappearance which has shades of that old crime.

You’ll likely guess the culprit fairly early on (if you are an adult reader, anyway) but YAs may enjoy this. One thing that really bothered me…why is the FMC always walking back by herself in her volunteer job? Shouldn’t they go out in pairs? How is SHE safe? Makes no sense. Very bad idea.

[Aashna Avachat]

Popping in one month before release (AHH!!) to say thank you in advance to everyone who gives MISCHIEF GIRLS a chance!! Writing this book meant so much to me; I've always been a mystery and puzzle lover, and as someone who grew up on teen fiction, I love writing for young readers. This book is for you.

I wrote the first draft of Mischief Girls during law school, while I worked for clients impacted by the criminal legal system, and I wanted to add something to a genre I loved that also acknowledged the harms and flaws of our justice system and grappled with questions about what justice really is and who we assume deserves it. All with a story full of twists intended for the reader to solve alongside our girl detective Raina!

CONTENT WARNINGS: this book deals with different types of trauma and includes a discussion of date r*pe/violence on college campuses, though there are no on-the-page depictions of sexual violence.

Thank you for reading! You can find me on socials @axshna -- bye for now!!

[Irene]

genuinely could not put this downnnnnnnnn i was devouring it

[jo ❣︎]

huge thanks to netgalley and the publisher for an advanced copy in exchange for an honest review! all thoughts are my own

guys writing a review when i actually like the book is so hard. this was such a good whodunnit mystery with likeable characters and good vibes all around? ive read so many mysteries that i did pick out who and why but there are some tiny loose ends that i love. all around, a perf read for the fall time.

[joni ౨ৎ]

𐙚⋆°｡⋆♡ ── 4 stars
this was a very bingeable ya mystery!

from the very start it had similar vibes to agggtm imo, the murders from a number of years ago being brought to light except here there was an active disappearance to be solved

i don't read a lot of mystery novels now, primarily because most arcs i get are romance but i have been wanting to go back into my ya mystery / thriller kick and this has been a good starting point!

i'll write a more in depth review later but i would definitely reccomend this novel to those looking for a teen friendly mystery to read this fall! the writing is a bit more leaning to the younger audience but the characters felt age appropriate (in college)

mischief girls is out september 29!!


thank you underlined for the physical advanced copy!

[Harkriti :)]

3.5 stars
rtc

[Corinne’s Chapter Chatter]

I overall enjoyed this YA thriller. I read it as an immersion read with a complimentary eARC from Random House Children’s via NetGalley and the audio from the PRH Audio Influencer Program which was a great way to keep the mystery straight and also get proper pronunciations of the names that weren’t familiar to me.

I’ll start by saying that this is definitely geared toward a younger teen audience, as it should be. Some YA books have a broader appeal across age groups, and while I personally enjoyed this as a middle-aged adult, I don’t think that will necessarily be the case for every adult reader.

Looking at it through the lens of a 13–16-year-old reader, this was a fun and engaging thriller. I really enjoyed the relationship between the FMC and MMC as they worked through the clues and tried to unravel the mystery together. As an adult, I found the culprit fairly easy to identify, but I’m not sure that would be the case from a younger reader’s perspective. There was a lot for them to untangle, and I loved that there were so many pieces to the mystery to keep the story moving and engaging.

This is one I will absolutely recommend to teens, teachers, and librarians. I think it’s a great fit for younger teen readers looking for a fun mystery with plenty of clues to follow and various relationships as well as culture at the heart of the story.

[ellie ⭑.ᐟ 「full i.a」]

thank you netgally and the publisher for this advanced readers copy in exchange for an honest review 💗💗

dnf @30%

i unfortunately did feel like this was dragging and i did not like the writing style as much as i was hoping. i love the idea of it, but i felt it was getting old and dragging a bit, so unfortunately, it's a dnf for me!!


pre read!!
i need to get thru my arcs !!

[Rosi Colmenares]

Thank you to the publisher for the ARC via NetGalley.

Thirty years after two students disappeared in the woods, another girl goes missing while looking into what happened. Raina was the last person to see her, so she teams up with Anika’s stepbrother to figure out how both cases are connected.

This pulled me in right away. I liked that we didn’t spend forever getting to the mystery and that both timelines felt important to the story. Raina and Rohan were also such a fun team to follow, and I really enjoyed their dynamic.

I did figure out a few things before the reveal, but I was still invested and wanted to know how everything would come together. The ending definitely left me curious, so I’ll be keeping an eye out for whatever comes next.

[Naomi]

a thriller that doesn't applaud cops/placing people in prison?! I'm invested.

this mystery was twisty and turny, with some results that surprised me and others that I saw coming!

I think the author did a good job of humanizing all of the characters without negating the harm done. I also appreciated the imagining of a different world, one where people are given access to the support and help they need, rather than punished. and, the way the book held a magnifying glass up to the ways white privilege operates within the justice system. I think the book could've dived deeper into reimagining what justice looks like, and the alternatives to but I think it started a good convo about it, especially for a ya book.

I enjoyed the characters and their different complexities!

the ending wrapped up quickly, and the end felt abrupt. it almost felt like it opened the door for another book? or that I missed a chapter.

all in all, this was a solid read, and I appreciate the conversations this book invited readers into!

[Mads]

Having mixed thoughts about this one. I really enjoy the concept and social commentary, however the execution fell short for me. This probably reads better for a younger audience and opens up conversations about the justice system but as an adult reader, I felt like things were being handed to me and rushed over.

This is a quick, fast-paced read that does keep you invested but also at times feels like there’s too much going on and an overexpose of all the clues that had been given. Ultimately, the writing felt a little juvenile to me. The ending also felt a bit, “here’s what wrong with parts of society” just to call them out but then didn’t actually dive any deeper which I would’ve appreciated.

Thank you to NetGalley and Random House Children’s Books for this eARC!

[Nat’s Bookshelf]

This novel was pretty good. I like the overall concept, but the ending didn’t make any sense to me. The case was essentially shut and everything had an explanation. I liked the relationship between Raina and Rohan, and they were a fun duo together.

I would recommend this to people who like to sift through clues and who enjoy a faster paced mystery.

Thank you to NetGalley, Random House Children’s Books, and the author for letting me be part of this ARC. Please note all reviews are my honest and unbiased opinion.

[Nicole Newell]

Thirty years ago, three college students went into the woods. Only one student came out of those same woods.

Thirty years later, Raina volunteers to help students get home safely during the night. One day she finds out a student she walked to her dorm never made it inside and has since disappeared.

This book was a fun read that kept me interested in what was going to happen next. If you like a whodunit story, you will enjoy this one!

Thank you NetGalley & the publisher for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

[ethan]

fun and twisty!!! i love how this book explores carcerality, and especially loved the tender romance between raina and rohan. very very excited for book 2!!!

thank you to getunderlined for an ARC of this book, all opinions are my own.

[zai]

3.75
i have thoughts, i need to gather them first

[Sam]

A murder mystery without copaganda?! Count me in!!

[sophia]

yall this book had me so gagged omg

At the beginning of the year, I decided that I wanted to actively broaden my reading horizons and read at least one book that wasn’t a romance or fantasy book each month of the year. While I haven’t been abundantly successful in this endeavor (though I intended to rectify this by reading at least twelve non-romance/fantasy books by the end of 2026), I did start requesting other genres on NetGalley, including some mystery books. One such mystery book was Mischief Girls by Aashna Avachat, which I was approved for, and really enjoyed reading, even if the content did make me a little anxious.

I’ve been better about reading book blurbs, at least for the ARCs I read from NetGalley, and I found that Mischief Girls was a murder-mystery set on a college campus. Honestly, the only reason I was okay to read this book—despite my overwhelming paranoia—was because I’m no longer on a college campus. If someone had told me about this book just two years ago, I probably wouldn’t have read it because it hit a little too close to home. Regardless, Mischief Girls tells the very interesting and winding story of Raina, a new student at Ellison College, who finds herself in the middle of a student disappearance. Ellison College has a Night Walk program, in which students can call in and request to be walked back to their dorm late at night. Raina works for said program, and one night, just a few days before Halloween, she walks a girl named Anika home. Except Anika never makes it “home.” Turns out she didn’t live in the dorm she had Raina walk her to, and after Halloween, Anika is reported missing. Raina feels guilty because Anika was her responsibility the night she went missing, and resolves to help find her by aiding Anika’s stepbrother, Rohan, who Raina actually met (and flirted with) on Halloween. Together, they learn that Anika was digging into a still-open murder case from thirty years prior. Ellison has something called “Mischief Night,” a student tradition taking place the weekend after Halloween. Thirty years before Raina began her freshman year at Ellison, three girls went into the woods around campus and only one girl made it out. Two were killed, found dead in a ravine, and the survivor, whose identity was hidden for safety purposes, stated that someone in a black mask showed up while the girls were partying in the woods. The survivor ran and lived to tell the tale, and the other two girls didn’t. Because no one was convicted of the murder, it remained a cold case. But Raina and Anika’s cousin, Rohan, believe that Anika figured out who did it, and that she found herself in some trouble because of it.

Raina and Rohan set out to essentially solve both the disappearance of Anika in addition to the mysterious murder that occurred all those years ago in their college town. They have to dig into Anika’s life, speak to an inmate, figure out who the anonymous third girl who survived was, and do some serious sleuthing throughout this gripping mystery novel.

While I must admit I (partially) figured out who the murderer was for the Mischief Night murders, I had no clue just how the murder went down, so even though readers may take some guesses at the beginning of the book and think the story is predictable, Avachat clearly worked really hard at making the overarching story unpredictable. I could never tell what was going to happen next, which made the read really entertaining, if not a little nerve-wracking. I felt that the characters were really realistic—really human. They had flaws, they made mistakes, and they pointed fingers at the drop of a hat, constantly questioning themselves and those around them. This story really captured the humanness that would surround an incident like this on a college campus. The gossiping and the fear and the false reassurances.

I found this to be a really good mystery book for myself (not that I’m an active mystery reader, though I was a big fan of the mystery genre when I was a kid) because the story answered all my lingering questions at the end. There weren’t any loose ends, at least not for me, which I really appreciated, especially considering the heavier topics included in the story. If things had been left more open-ended, I don’t think I would have been satisfied with the read, and I certainly believe I would be way more anxious had I been given an unfinished story. All that said, Mischief Girls by Aashna Avachat comes out on September 29th, 2026, and is absolutely worth the read. It has opened my eyes to a whole new world of mystery, and I think 10-year-old me would be excited that I’m going back to my roots.

[Lola]

I was incredibly lucky to have received an ARC from Aashna.

This book was one of my more anticipated books of the year and boy, did it hold up. Truly Raina kept me on my toes. She’s quick to think (sharing her location when she confronted Rohan - putting gum in between the door to make sure it loos closed but is open a crack- like that’s my girl). I love Raina so much. Being in her POV is albeit thundering (I don’t think my heart will ever get its beat back to normal after that ending) but oddly comforting. I love her relationship with Rohan - how you can see their trauma grow with him and how they rejoiced together. I loved the includings of things that seem unimportant (ie: “old man” (trust me when I realized (at the exact same time as Raina) I felt like I was the one who ran into the woods with the way I was breathing) - and ‘the iPad’ (fight me Professor Jean) - even down to her friendship with Poppy (rip Poppy you would’ve loved being friends with Anika - I can just tell okay). Landon and Pooja were really truly the friends Raina needed. Anika for the few movements we had and found her was so memorable- she reminded me of my younger cousin. I love Rohan as a character- outside of his relationship with Raina we saw his worry and his fear. He literally admitted his fear of losing Anika to Raina when they met with Humphrey. I also admit that a very specific part of this book hit me EXTREMELY hard was the trio of girls. Cassie, Gracie and Nadia. More than anything Nadia is who i feel for the most - “Yes. She (Cassie/Professor Jean) lied. He told me I was the best he’d ever had. Better than that Indian bitch” - I don’t know whether it was a new insecurity of mine that had popped up but truly imagine being Nadia. Those are the last few words you hear before you die. My heart broke for her and Gracie. More importantly my heart ached for Raina and the justice system that is heavily reflected in this novel. The privilege that Theo got in comparison to Sarika. It’s so important to understand that no matter how smart you are (Raina), how much you prepare (Dr. Jean), there is always another blockage you can not avoid (Poppy’s death tying into Theo but only because he was wickedly cruel and used Mischief day as a day to murder her). Overall do I think there are some parts that could be improved on (yes: of course) (seriously as a big sister I know if I was almost the reason my siblings and I got kidnapped - it would haunt me but girl it haunted our girl Raina a little too much - but then again Maya and Anika are so similar that they both did get kidnapped 😭) but honestly I think Aashna did a phenomenal job on this novel. I found it incredible.

Thank you Aashna for giving me the chance to read it and love it as much as I do.

🎧 what I listened to 🎧
• favorite crime (Olivia Rodrigo)
• End of August (Noah Kahan)
• Traitor (Olivia Rodrigo)
• The Night We Met (Lord Huron)
• Willing and Able (Noah Kahan)
• Can’t Catch Me Now (Olivia Rodrigo)
(Side note: Favorite Crime is so Rohan and Raina it’s almost perfect)

[Saloni Porwal]

This book went beyond my expectations in so many ways! The plot is a mixture of mystery and romance, and I gotta say that the experience felt quite a bit like reading A Good Girl's Guide to Murder. The writing however, is very different. I loved the setting and how real the premise felt. With a relatable university setup and backstory that feels realistic, I felt pretty close to the MCs. While most thriller and mysteries create a level of eeriness that has it's own power, Avachat focused on humanizing every character and truly grounding this story in the reality.

I'm not sure how satisfying the resolution was because I was just so captivated by the urgency of the writing and construction of the MCs Raina and Rohan's quest to find his missing stepsister. Like I said, this book is not typical in the least and has it's roots in real systematic injustices. Here I loved that Raina's study of sociology for university manifested as acute observations and commentary on what this does to people. The author's love for law and philosophy also shines in the writing. All of this made the ending a definite curveball though I do think there is room for improvement in the writing of how the reveal unfolded.

A lot of this may be my inner Desi girl babbling, but I can't not applaud the beautiful representation with detailing across many characters and age groups. I hope non South-Asian readers also give it read. And of course there's the fact that it feels so damn good to read about MCs from your culture, especially with Raina even sharing my mother tongue. That little touch made it feel all the more special!

Everything said, I highly recommend this book as a unique YA multicultural thriller. And I'm pretty sure from the ending (that leaves an open end for follow up) this book is part of a series and there will be more to come, so this likely isn't a standalone mystery. Nevertheless, I'm gonna get my hands on anything written by this author!

[Sarah]

I just finished Mischief Girls by Aashna Avachat and overall, I really enjoyed it. The story follows Raina, a freshman at Ellison College who volunteers for Night Walk, a campus safety program helping students get home safely at night. But when a girl Raina escorts to her dorm disappears before ever making it inside, she gets pulled into an investigation that connects back to the infamous “Mischief Girls” case from thirty years earlier, when three students entered the woods surrounding the college and only one came back out alive.

This was definitely a slow burn for me in the beginning. It took a little while to fully hook me, but once the second half picked up, I flew through it. The mystery became much more layered than I initially expected, especially as Raina and the missing girl’s stepbrother started uncovering how deeply connected the present day disappearance was to the original murders.

One thing I really appreciated was how the book explored race and its relationship to the criminal justice system. It added a depth to the story that made it feel more meaningful than just a standard college thriller. The discussions around who gets believed, who gets protected, and whose stories are ignored were woven into the mystery in a really effective way.

I also liked that the ending wasn’t the typical college mystery twist I thought it was building toward. It ended up going in a much less predictable direction than I expected, which made the payoff even better. That said, be advised: this book absolutely ends on a cliffhanger with a very obvious setup for book two. And honestly? I’ll definitely be looking out for it because now I need to know what happens next.

[inmyreadingera321]

Oh I really enjoyed this!!! I wanted to read it once I saw that the author was someone just out of law school and who wanted to write a story that reflected a more realistic look at mysteries and thrillers and, really, the incarceration system. As someone who just finished law school herself, I was immediately hooked. That being said, regardless of the motive behind the book, the book itself was just such a fun ride. It was definitely something that A Good Girl's Guide to Murder fans would enjoy, with the past mystery/crime interweaving with a present day search for answers.

I loved Raina as an FMC. She was smart and competent and really put the pieces together in a way that felt realistic. Did I put some things together before her? Sure, but I didn't mind that. It actually got me more excited for the reveals. I wish we had gotten more of Anika, in a way, because I love the idea of her actually figuring things out without any assistance and doing everything she could to put things to right. As a whole, with the mystery, I really like how there were so many layers and, with those, misdirects that really kept you guessing. A really well-done mystery with characters that felt easy to root for because they were NOT idiots.

I don't know that there really NEEDS to be another book, in the sense that this could have easily been a great one-off, but with the way that things ended, I'm definitely intrigued enough to want to read book two!

---------------

Thank you to Netgalley and Delacorte Press for the ARC!

[Julissa Cantu]

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Mischief Girls was such a refreshing read for me. It’s the first book in a long time where I genuinely didn’t want to put it down, but more than anything, I really enjoyed the story itself and the way all of its different elements came together.
There was one part of the mystery that felt predictable to me, but for the most part, the twists and reveals genuinely caught me off guard. Just when I thought I had things figured out, something new would be revealed and make me question what I thought I knew. The pacing and plot twists kept me turning the pages and made it incredibly easy to get caught up in the story.
I especially enjoyed the college atmosphere and the way it shaped the feel of the book. I also loved the cold case aspect, which immediately reminded me of the true crime documentaries I enjoy. With my passion for justice, I found myself especially invested in uncovering the truth and seeing how everything would come together.
I also really appreciated the representation throughout the story and the way it highlighted how some cases and victims, particularly those from marginalized communities, can be overlooked or not receive the attention and support they deserve. I thought it was meaningful that the story emphasized that every victim deserves to be heard, every case deserves to be taken seriously, and everyone deserves support in seeking justice.
Overall, Mischief Girls kept me engaged from beginning to end. Between the mystery, cold case, college setting, and unexpected reveals, there was always something that kept me wanting to know what would happen next. This was exactly the kind of book I’ve been wanting to find lately—a story that genuinely made me excited to keep reading.
If you enjoy YA mysteries with cold cases, secrets, unexpected twists, and plenty to unravel, definitely add this one to your TBR. 🖤
Thank you to Delacorte Press and NetGalley for providing me with an advance copy in exchange for my honest review. All opinions are my own.

[bookishdeebriefs]

Mischief Girls was an extraordinarily gripping teen YA thriller mystery that had me hooked to my screen for a good many hours. This is the type of murder mystery I wish I had access to growing up! Much like the protagonist, Raina, I found myself in a rush to read this book to find out and solve the mystery of the Mischief Night murders 30 years ago - and then - the disappearance of another student at Ellison College.

This book is perfect to welcome October and for all the spooky mystery lovers out there. In Mischief Girls, Avachat unravels a smartly woven, well-developed tale of murder and mystery. The main mystery of the plot was easy to get lost in, and as the plot unravelled, I found myself quickly at home with our main characters Raina and her friends. The author does a great job of relaying the trials, tribulations, and most importantly, the guilt that underlies the very essence of being an eldest daughter in a South Asian/desi household. The banter and conversations felt very natural, and I also really appreciated the character development that Raina slowly comes to terms with - a no easy feat indeed.

I absolutely loved most of the story, although only the ending seemed the slightest bit rushed to me - I recommend this to fans of murder mysteries, especially if you're a POC/South Asian.

Netgalley eARC courtesy the author!

[Ciara]

This book gave me A Good Girl's Guide to Murder vibes. You have a duo working to solve a mystery, the suspect list, and a couple of close calls as they get closer to finding answers.

Raina is close to ending her shift at her college's Night Walk service when she gets a call to walk a girl back to her dorm. Aside from recognizing that the student lives in the "fancier" part of campus near faculty housing, Raina thinks nothing of the exchange. The next day, however, news spreads about a missing student. Raina is shocked to find that it's the same girl she had just walked home hours earlier. Teaming up with the missing girl's brother, Raina desperately searches for answers as to what happened that night.

As an adult reader, there is some predictability as to the storyline, but I do think it is a very fun, engaging, and quick read. The characters, in my opinion, were likable and their relationships grew organically throughout the book. The ending was a little bit surprising to me (not in a "shocking" way, but more so because it felt abrupt). I would recommend this book to anyone who enjoys YA mystery/thriller and characters who go on a chase for answers.

A huge thank you to NetGalley and Random House Children's Books | Delacorte Press for an ARC of this book in exchange for my review. All opinions are my own.

[karol anne]

Thanks to NetGalley & the publisher for the ARC!

I really enjoyed this one. It was a quick, easy, fast paced read. It felt a little like A Good Girls Guide to Murder but was different enough to stand out. There is a small romance plot but the storyline focuses on the mystery and following up on all the leads the FMC discovers. I appreciated that at times it felt a little hectic and that there were leads that fizzled into nothing as it felt like a real way a college student might fumble around an investigation.

I do feel like the college doesn’t care because the missing girl is an adult was maybe a little too leaned into because in real life they absolutely would care and put more effort into finding a missing student but I get that as a plot point it helped drive our FMC to help. I also thought it was predictable in the who did it department but I still enjoyed the ride getting there and finding out why.

Loved the POC representation and the way privilege and the problems with our criminal justice system are presented.

I read this thinking it was a stand alone but the ending leaves the door open for another book (while still wrapping up the mischief night storyline). I would be interested to see where Raina’s story goes from here.

[Znowaira]

Thank you to NetGalley and Random House Children's Books for sending me this eARC! I had so much fun reading "Mischief Girls", especially because the dreaded reading slump got to me. It just felt easy to vibe with: the characters were chill, the story was interesting, and I wasn't left begging for crumbs of some woeful character history until 2/3 of the way into the book. The mystery in itself was already enough to keep me invested, but that rollercoaster of an ending made me 100% sure that this book deserved 5 stars. The plot twists were insane, and just as I thought all the drama had settled, the last few chapters rolled in and said "psych!".

I liked that this wasn't like other stories of the same genre where a rumored secret society is mentioned, and it turns out that it actually exists, with weird rituals and backstories to boot. Societies were only mentioned briefly to allude to typical college experience. Speaking of which, it's cool to see a YA book set in college/uni since it's quite uncommon.

Finally, I can't believe that after all of this, there could be a book 2?! Sign me up, immediately.

[Elisabeth Cooley]

Thank you to net galley for the ARC of this book

Thirty years ago three girls went into the woods and only one came out. Their killer was never caught and they became known as the Mischief Girls.

Now, another girl is missing and Raina might've been the last person to see her alive. As Raina and the missing girls stepbrother investigate her disappearance they find out she was looking into what happened to the Mischief girls.

Perhaps what happened thirty years ago was supposed to stay buried.....

I picked up this title looking for something with similar vibes to Maureen Johnsons Truly Devious series and man I'm glad I did! Set at a college in the northeast during fall this story was the perfect amount of spooky, with more mystery elements than thriller. Some twists I did see coming, but the author kept me on my toes and there were plenty of surprises I did not see coming.

I really enjoyed Raina as the main character, and the blooming relationship between her and Rohan, a couple of times I forgot I was reading a mystery because I was enjoying the romance and the sparks between them so much.

Looking forward to reading further into this series in the future!

[Cedy Redcay]

I have pretty mixed feelings about this one. I really enjoyed the concept and the social commentary surrounding the justice system, but the execution just didn’t quite work for me. I could see this being a great read for a younger audience and a good starting point for conversations about justice and society, but as an adult reader, I often felt like the story was spelling things out for me rather than letting me come to my own conclusions.

It’s a quick, fast-paced read that definitely kept me invested, but at times it felt like there was almost too much happening. The clues were also so heavily emphasized that some of the mystery and discovery was taken away.

Overall, the writing felt a little juvenile for me, which made it harder to fully connect with the story. I also felt like the ending tried to highlight some of the bigger problems within society, but didn’t really take the opportunity to explore those ideas any further. I would have loved to see the book dig deeper into the commentary it was introducing.

Definitely an interesting premise, but ultimately the execution left me wanting more.

[Kim]

**Thank you to Net Galley for the advanced reader copy**

I love a good YA thriller and was excited to get a chance to check this one out before publication. Upon starting the book, I was not aware that it was going to be the first of a series which left the ending feeling a bit unresolved. The plot involves the disappearance of a missing college freshman and the parallels between the current disappearance and a possible link to a similar case of two murdered girls on the campus thirty years before. The story was suspenseful and while I did guess a couple of the twists before they were revealed, I will still surprised by the resolution. I enjoyed the many diverse characters in the book including the main character. However, I struggled with the plausibility of how easily the protagonist accepted the alternative theories and arguments revealed throughout the book. Overall it was an enjoyable 3.75 read and I would recommend it to teens who might be interested in starting a new mystery series.

[viktoria]

3.75

this was fun! i liked the characters and the setting, the romance side plot was cute, and the multi-layered mystery was cool.

i appreciated the author's note at the end, where she said she was inspired to write this after her work in the legal system - where the story does not end at the arrest, and nothing is ever black and white. however... i did question aspects of that concept at the end, where one character was presented to the reader as morally gray and a victim of a complex issue. but the things that this character did were actually so sinister. like, premeditated acts of evil that this character chose to continue doing every day, on & on for several weeks. but the book tries to make the reader feel bad for that character. idk it was weird.

also don't read this expecting it will be like truly devious, like i did when i saw maureen johnson blurbed this book. stevie bell is still That Girl and no one can touch her unfortunately.

thank you netgalley and random house for the arc.