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Mischief Girls #1
Mischief Girls
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 AGO: 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 DAY: 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.
NOW: 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.
THIRTY YEARS AGO: 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 DAY: 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.
NOW: 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.
352 pages, Hardcover
First published September 29, 2026
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 149 reviews
October 10, 2026
oh y’all i’m SO BACK IN MY MURDER MYSTERY BAGGGGG!! i loved this story, it’s all over the place in the best way there’s so many possibilities so many suspects and so many ways the story keeps you on your toes. i love it so much. and that last chapter?? i need the next one STAT
February 6, 2026
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 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. Raina's story is inspired by the night walk program at my undergrad and by my law school experiences: I wanted to add to a genre I love by acknowledging the harms and flaws of our justice system and grappling 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!!
(Edit) *Print Copy Note: On pg. 271, the second paragraph from the bottom should begin with “Pooja”, not “Landon”. I am SO sorry for that error. A correction has been submitted.*
I wrote the first draft of Mischief Girls during law school, while I worked for clients impacted by the criminal legal system. Raina's story is inspired by the night walk program at my undergrad and by my law school experiences: I wanted to add to a genre I love by acknowledging the harms and flaws of our justice system and grappling 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!!
(Edit) *Print Copy Note: On pg. 271, the second paragraph from the bottom should begin with “Pooja”, not “Landon”. I am SO sorry for that error. A correction has been submitted.*
May 29, 2026
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.
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.
September 15, 2026
huge thanks to netgalley and the publisher for an advanced copy in exchange for an honest review! all thoughts are my own
happy release day!!!
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.
happy release day!!!
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.
October 2, 2025
genuinely could not put this downnnnnnnnn i was devouring it
October 6, 2026
Lowkey shocked the author wrote this while in law school, because I assumed it had to be conceived by someone who had never been to college.
1. Students WALKING other students across campus at night? In what universe? Why not at least make it a golf cart to be believable. Students have to walk to the building… to get walked to their dorms… and then the Night Watch student… walks back to the office?????
2. Everyone constantly talking about what year they are in. lol. “This is Rohan, he’s a sophomore.” “These two are upperclassmen.” “Are you also a freshman?” Not that these statements never occur, but the way they were included was so awkward and unrealistic.
3. Famous deaths at the school that resulted in two bodies landing at the bottom of a ravine adjacent to campus, and no one considered putting a fence up in 30 years?
4. Faculty have unilateral access to school archives (all digitized, of course, except yearbooks) to include POLICE INTERVIEWS??
5. Literally no one taking a missing person seriously
6. Just solving crime all day every day, no school work whatsoever
1. Students WALKING other students across campus at night? In what universe? Why not at least make it a golf cart to be believable. Students have to walk to the building… to get walked to their dorms… and then the Night Watch student… walks back to the office?????
2. Everyone constantly talking about what year they are in. lol. “This is Rohan, he’s a sophomore.” “These two are upperclassmen.” “Are you also a freshman?” Not that these statements never occur, but the way they were included was so awkward and unrealistic.
3. Famous deaths at the school that resulted in two bodies landing at the bottom of a ravine adjacent to campus, and no one considered putting a fence up in 30 years?
4. Faculty have unilateral access to school archives (all digitized, of course, except yearbooks) to include POLICE INTERVIEWS??
5. Literally no one taking a missing person seriously
6. Just solving crime all day every day, no school work whatsoever
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
September 17, 2026
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!
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!
September 27, 2026
Ellison College has the exact personality of a school that puts ivy on the website and leaves the unsolved murders out of the admissions tour. Thirty years ago, three students walked into the woods on Mischief Night and only one walked back out. Nobody solved it. Everybody apparently agreed to let that sit there fermenting under the campus traditions until Anika started asking questions and then vanished too.
Raina was the last person to see her, which would have sent me directly into witness protection. Raina instead decides this is now her responsibility because she has the specific kind of brain that hears, “The authorities are handling it,” and thinks, “That sounds statistically unlikely.” She is smart, stubborn, a little overwhelmed, and absolutely incapable of leaving a suspicious detail alone once it has made eye contact with her.
Then Anika’s stepbrother Rohan joins the search, and these two spend the book trying to solve a disappearance while also quietly evaluating whether the other person is emotionally stable enough to be trusted near evidence. They make a good team because Raina keeps pulling at threads and Rohan has the personal connection that makes every new answer hurt. There is also chemistry happening, because apparently panic, sleep deprivation, and institutional secrets are still no match for two attractive people standing too close together.
The old case keeps crawling into the present like it has been waiting thirty years for somebody curious enough to ruin everyone’s week. Every time Raina and Rohan learn something about Anika, it leads back to the Mischief Girls. Every person they question either knows too much, remembers too little, or starts speaking in the suspiciously careful tone people use when they have rehearsed a lie in the shower.
And Ellison itself is deeply unhelpful. This school has spent decades polishing its reputation while the truth sits in the woods wearing a name tag. Faculty members dodge questions. Students trade rumors. Adults keep insisting they are protecting people, which is almost always what someone says right before revealing they have protected the worst possible person.
I did have moments in the first half where I felt like we had been walking around campus having variations of the same conversation for a while. Then the second half grabbed the investigation by the collar and started connecting everything, and suddenly I was reading like I had personally promised Anika’s family answers by morning.
What really landed was the question of who gets believed, who gets protected, and who gets turned into a cautionary story after everyone fails them. The book never lets the missing girls become decorations for the mystery. They were people before they became campus lore. That matters.
And then the ending has the nerve to reveal its hand, let me breathe for approximately six seconds, and drop another problem in my lap. I had already rearranged all the suspects in my head twice. I was tired. Raina was tired. The book did not care. It simply opened the door to more trouble and left me standing there.
This was 3.5 stars for me. I liked Raina, loved her partnership with Rohan, and had a genuinely good time watching decades of lies start collapsing on people who had gotten far too comfortable. Some of the road there wandered, but once everything started snapping together, I needed answers immediately.
Whodunity Award: For Creating a Campus Safety Program Where the Volunteer Somehow Becomes the Least Safe Person on Campus
Thank you to Random House Children’s Books and NetGalley for the ARC. You gave me one missing student, two murders in the woods, a college full of people lying through their alumni smiles, and an ending that basically told me to cancel my plans until the next book.
Raina was the last person to see her, which would have sent me directly into witness protection. Raina instead decides this is now her responsibility because she has the specific kind of brain that hears, “The authorities are handling it,” and thinks, “That sounds statistically unlikely.” She is smart, stubborn, a little overwhelmed, and absolutely incapable of leaving a suspicious detail alone once it has made eye contact with her.
Then Anika’s stepbrother Rohan joins the search, and these two spend the book trying to solve a disappearance while also quietly evaluating whether the other person is emotionally stable enough to be trusted near evidence. They make a good team because Raina keeps pulling at threads and Rohan has the personal connection that makes every new answer hurt. There is also chemistry happening, because apparently panic, sleep deprivation, and institutional secrets are still no match for two attractive people standing too close together.
The old case keeps crawling into the present like it has been waiting thirty years for somebody curious enough to ruin everyone’s week. Every time Raina and Rohan learn something about Anika, it leads back to the Mischief Girls. Every person they question either knows too much, remembers too little, or starts speaking in the suspiciously careful tone people use when they have rehearsed a lie in the shower.
And Ellison itself is deeply unhelpful. This school has spent decades polishing its reputation while the truth sits in the woods wearing a name tag. Faculty members dodge questions. Students trade rumors. Adults keep insisting they are protecting people, which is almost always what someone says right before revealing they have protected the worst possible person.
I did have moments in the first half where I felt like we had been walking around campus having variations of the same conversation for a while. Then the second half grabbed the investigation by the collar and started connecting everything, and suddenly I was reading like I had personally promised Anika’s family answers by morning.
What really landed was the question of who gets believed, who gets protected, and who gets turned into a cautionary story after everyone fails them. The book never lets the missing girls become decorations for the mystery. They were people before they became campus lore. That matters.
And then the ending has the nerve to reveal its hand, let me breathe for approximately six seconds, and drop another problem in my lap. I had already rearranged all the suspects in my head twice. I was tired. Raina was tired. The book did not care. It simply opened the door to more trouble and left me standing there.
This was 3.5 stars for me. I liked Raina, loved her partnership with Rohan, and had a genuinely good time watching decades of lies start collapsing on people who had gotten far too comfortable. Some of the road there wandered, but once everything started snapping together, I needed answers immediately.
Whodunity Award: For Creating a Campus Safety Program Where the Volunteer Somehow Becomes the Least Safe Person on Campus
Thank you to Random House Children’s Books and NetGalley for the ARC. You gave me one missing student, two murders in the woods, a college full of people lying through their alumni smiles, and an ending that basically told me to cancel my plans until the next book.
August 12, 2026
3.5 stars
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September 12, 2026
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.
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.
October 5, 2026
I loved this book. No, I LOVED this book.
I complain a lot of about cheap solves and poor plotting in YA mysteries, and it’s mostly because I love mysteries and think YA readers deserve better than most of what is shoveled at them in the genre.
All of that means I get REALLY wound up when I get a good YA mystery, and this one has me vibrating with excitement. Everything from the way this is written to the characters to the structure of the mystery is exactly what makes for a successful book in the genre, and that’s why this is going to end up being one of my favorite reads of the year.
The mystery itself is a little creepy, complex without being nonsensical and bogged down in minutiae, and structured flawlessly.
There’s a big twist about 3/4 of the way through the book that I did guess well ahead of time, but that doesn’t mean it isn’t a good one. And as for the solve? No spoilers, but I’m delighted to report that I was so very wrong about both the who and the why.
All of that said, what really put this book over the top for me was about the things it does beyond the mystery. The characters are likable, but they’re also nuanced and interesting, evolving, and they have that indefinably “real” quality that I find many authors have trouble achieving.
The setting and sense of place are excellent, and above all this actually feels like a real college with real college students. I also noticed this in a collection called Study Break that was edited by Avachat. She’s just so good at avoiding the usual fictional college and college student pitfalls. Most books seem to end up with a depiction of college life that is either way over the top or watered down and sanitized for a teen audience.
This one allows the students to act like real college students. They go to class, they go to parties, they have jobs, they have homework, they have interactions that feel authentic and they handle themselves the way you or I might.
In all, this was just an absolute delight to read. I’m so happy to see that it’s getting a sequel!
*I received an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.*
I complain a lot of about cheap solves and poor plotting in YA mysteries, and it’s mostly because I love mysteries and think YA readers deserve better than most of what is shoveled at them in the genre.
All of that means I get REALLY wound up when I get a good YA mystery, and this one has me vibrating with excitement. Everything from the way this is written to the characters to the structure of the mystery is exactly what makes for a successful book in the genre, and that’s why this is going to end up being one of my favorite reads of the year.
The mystery itself is a little creepy, complex without being nonsensical and bogged down in minutiae, and structured flawlessly.
There’s a big twist about 3/4 of the way through the book that I did guess well ahead of time, but that doesn’t mean it isn’t a good one. And as for the solve? No spoilers, but I’m delighted to report that I was so very wrong about both the who and the why.
All of that said, what really put this book over the top for me was about the things it does beyond the mystery. The characters are likable, but they’re also nuanced and interesting, evolving, and they have that indefinably “real” quality that I find many authors have trouble achieving.
The setting and sense of place are excellent, and above all this actually feels like a real college with real college students. I also noticed this in a collection called Study Break that was edited by Avachat. She’s just so good at avoiding the usual fictional college and college student pitfalls. Most books seem to end up with a depiction of college life that is either way over the top or watered down and sanitized for a teen audience.
This one allows the students to act like real college students. They go to class, they go to parties, they have jobs, they have homework, they have interactions that feel authentic and they handle themselves the way you or I might.
In all, this was just an absolute delight to read. I’m so happy to see that it’s getting a sequel!
*I received an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.*
October 8, 2026
Mischief Girls
⭐️⭐️⭐️
🫑 Kisses only (minor romance side plot)
Strong but Infrequent profanity (including F words)
This one was off to a great start! I really enjoyed the college setting, the past and present murders, and the connection between all of the characters and “mischief night”.” The side romance was a nice bonus!
There is a non binary side character and while I don’t usually care either way about various representations, the they/them became very confusing at parts because of the long suspect lists and friend groups frequently referenced and they/them also.
I think all of the characters act exactly as I would expect college students to act and I always appreciate that in a YA book!
TW: nude photos (no explicit description given), abortion mentioned, bodies, murder, roofies, college parties
There is definitely an underlying agenda here about the prison systems and mistreatment
⭐️⭐️⭐️
🫑 Kisses only (minor romance side plot)
Strong but Infrequent profanity (including F words)
This one was off to a great start! I really enjoyed the college setting, the past and present murders, and the connection between all of the characters and “mischief night”.” The side romance was a nice bonus!
There is a non binary side character and while I don’t usually care either way about various representations, the they/them became very confusing at parts because of the long suspect lists and friend groups frequently referenced and they/them also.
I think all of the characters act exactly as I would expect college students to act and I always appreciate that in a YA book!
TW: nude photos (no explicit description given), abortion mentioned, bodies, murder, roofies, college parties
There is definitely an underlying agenda here about the prison systems and mistreatment
September 26, 2026
Mischief Girls is perfect for readers searching for a fall YA mystery. It has a small-town setting, college students starting fall semester, and a cold case that maybe isn’t so cold. If that isn’t enough to convince you this book is meant to be read in fall, the mystery centers on events that happen during Halloween week.
Hold my page while I grab my fedora & trench coat!
Mischief Girls follows Raina, a freshman who works at Ellison College’s Night Walk center. When a girl goes missing after Raina walks her home, Raina teams up with the girl’s stepbrother (who’s also annoyingly attractive) to find her. Except… Raina discovers this isn’t the first time girls at her college have gone missing. And if she isn’t careful, she might be the next.
I like this book’s premise. The location—an exclusive college set beside dark woods, twisting ravines, and distant mountains—provides the perfect backdrop for the story. And don’t get me started on the characters. I love how diverse the cast is. I wish more books were this inclusive!
Unfortunately, the mystery fell flat to me. I figured out the mini reveals and the grand reveal about the villain(s) long before their appearance on the page. It was challenging for me to feel invested in the mystery when I already had a strong theory about its ending. Part of what makes other YA mysteries like The Bitter End and The Reappearance of Rachel Price so successful (in my opinion) is that they balance foreshadowing with the detective work left to the reader. This book didn’t accomplish that as well as I’d hoped, although I can see younger readers appreciating the twists more than I did.
Overall, I enjoyed this story. I liked the atmospheric setting, the diverse characters, and the mystery’s premise. I’d recommend it to YA mystery readers. Fall is THE SEASON to read it!
I received a copy of Mischief Girls as a #GetUnderlinedPartner from Penguin Random House. All opinions are my own.
Hold my page while I grab my fedora & trench coat!
Mischief Girls follows Raina, a freshman who works at Ellison College’s Night Walk center. When a girl goes missing after Raina walks her home, Raina teams up with the girl’s stepbrother (who’s also annoyingly attractive) to find her. Except… Raina discovers this isn’t the first time girls at her college have gone missing. And if she isn’t careful, she might be the next.
I like this book’s premise. The location—an exclusive college set beside dark woods, twisting ravines, and distant mountains—provides the perfect backdrop for the story. And don’t get me started on the characters. I love how diverse the cast is. I wish more books were this inclusive!
Unfortunately, the mystery fell flat to me. I figured out the mini reveals and the grand reveal about the villain(s) long before their appearance on the page. It was challenging for me to feel invested in the mystery when I already had a strong theory about its ending. Part of what makes other YA mysteries like The Bitter End and The Reappearance of Rachel Price so successful (in my opinion) is that they balance foreshadowing with the detective work left to the reader. This book didn’t accomplish that as well as I’d hoped, although I can see younger readers appreciating the twists more than I did.
Overall, I enjoyed this story. I liked the atmospheric setting, the diverse characters, and the mystery’s premise. I’d recommend it to YA mystery readers. Fall is THE SEASON to read it!
I received a copy of Mischief Girls as a #GetUnderlinedPartner from Penguin Random House. All opinions are my own.
October 15, 2026
Very fun!
October 12, 2026
if a good girl’s guide to murder and truly devious had a child, this book would be it. one of the plot twists blindsided me sooooo good omg im still reeling from it
October 12, 2026
🗯Thoughts/sassy musings:
This was PAINFULLY predictable. The sentences were short and felt amateur as fuck. You could have told me this was an English major’s final paper who got a B and I’d absolutely believe you.
The ending. Abrupt and absolutely awful. I haven’t raged this hard in many moons
This was PAINFULLY predictable. The sentences were short and felt amateur as fuck. You could have told me this was an English major’s final paper who got a B and I’d absolutely believe you.
The ending. Abrupt and absolutely awful. I haven’t raged this hard in many moons
Did Not Finish
September 2, 2026thank 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 !!
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 !!
Read
August 12, 2026a 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!
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!
October 2, 2026
3.5 stars
"That's the silliest thing we've taught ourselves, to convince ourselves we can be selfish,"
With autumn among us, I've been wanting to pick up a mystery, and in my search, I found Mischief Girls before it was officially published (not an ARC review, btw). I thought this would be a good, refreshing read, as I've been in a bit of a reading rut.
At times, Raina's thoughts and even the romance felt over-explained, rather than letting the reader interpret how to feel or think. The writing style makes it very clear that it is for a younger audience, while the content contains more mature themes. I did, however, enjoy how the plot unraveled. I think most veteran mystery readers would be able to pick up on who the suspects are quite easily, but this would no doubt be a great read for a first-time mystery reader.
Overall, I did enjoy reading this book. I enjoyed Raina's urge to right what had happened, even if it wasn't her fault at all. "That's the silliest thing we've taught ourselves, to convince ourselves we can be selfish," I think that message is needed now more so than ever with the times we're living in. The author, Aashna Avachat, did a good job of bringing and blending real-life issues with this mystery.
Even with the Mischief Girls being avenged and no lingering Ellison mysteries left unsolved, Aashna ended this book with a little cliffhanger, making it clear that we'll be hearing from Detective Raina again!
Congratulations on your first mystery debut, Aashna! I'm looking forward to the next one!
Last and on a not-so-serious side note: being South Asian myself, it's rare to see my own name in pieces of media (still haven't found one yet), but one of the characters shared the same name as my brother, and I thought it was really cool!
"That's the silliest thing we've taught ourselves, to convince ourselves we can be selfish,"
With autumn among us, I've been wanting to pick up a mystery, and in my search, I found Mischief Girls before it was officially published (not an ARC review, btw). I thought this would be a good, refreshing read, as I've been in a bit of a reading rut.
At times, Raina's thoughts and even the romance felt over-explained, rather than letting the reader interpret how to feel or think. The writing style makes it very clear that it is for a younger audience, while the content contains more mature themes. I did, however, enjoy how the plot unraveled. I think most veteran mystery readers would be able to pick up on who the suspects are quite easily, but this would no doubt be a great read for a first-time mystery reader.
Overall, I did enjoy reading this book. I enjoyed Raina's urge to right what had happened, even if it wasn't her fault at all. "That's the silliest thing we've taught ourselves, to convince ourselves we can be selfish," I think that message is needed now more so than ever with the times we're living in. The author, Aashna Avachat, did a good job of bringing and blending real-life issues with this mystery.
Even with the Mischief Girls being avenged and no lingering Ellison mysteries left unsolved, Aashna ended this book with a little cliffhanger, making it clear that we'll be hearing from Detective Raina again!
Congratulations on your first mystery debut, Aashna! I'm looking forward to the next one!
Last and on a not-so-serious side note: being South Asian myself, it's rare to see my own name in pieces of media (still haven't found one yet), but one of the characters shared the same name as my brother, and I thought it was really cool!
October 9, 2026
I have mixed feelings about Mischief Girls. The fall academia vibes were great, and I liked that it was YA but the characters were in college. I think it allowed for the plot to become a little more gritty while still staying within the YA genre.
However, I thought that the twists were very obvious, which made reading a little less fun. I also didn’t love the hero pedestal that the FMC was placed on by the author. Older sister, takes everything on herself (to the point where she’s solving murders lol), etc.
Also, Raina and Rohan’s romance was a tad annoying. Raina mentions at one point that they’re already in a place where they can communicate without saying a word, and it felt too cheesy to me. They had known each other less than 2 weeks at that point. Calm down, girl.
Finally, as others have said, there’s a Night Walk program where the student employees walk students back to their homes…but then the employees have to walk back alone…make it make sense.
If you love YA mysteries, you may want to give this one a try, but I had some issues with it.
My rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️
Thank you to Penguin Random House Canada for my gifted copy!
However, I thought that the twists were very obvious, which made reading a little less fun. I also didn’t love the hero pedestal that the FMC was placed on by the author. Older sister, takes everything on herself (to the point where she’s solving murders lol), etc.
Also, Raina and Rohan’s romance was a tad annoying. Raina mentions at one point that they’re already in a place where they can communicate without saying a word, and it felt too cheesy to me. They had known each other less than 2 weeks at that point. Calm down, girl.
Finally, as others have said, there’s a Night Walk program where the student employees walk students back to their homes…but then the employees have to walk back alone…make it make sense.
If you love YA mysteries, you may want to give this one a try, but I had some issues with it.
My rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️
Thank you to Penguin Random House Canada for my gifted copy!
August 2, 2026
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.
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.
August 22, 2026
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!
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!
March 31, 2026
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.
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.
August 22, 2026
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.
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.
August 21, 2026
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.
thank you to getunderlined for an ARC of this book, all opinions are my own.
October 7, 2026
The most entertaining part was when Raina called Theo an insufferable, elite, white boy. Otherwise, it was just kind of meh. Lots of twists, but maybe too many twists? There were just way too people that ended up being the bad guy in the end, and it made it feel a little too farfetched for me.
August 11, 2026
3.75
i have thoughts, i need to gather them first
i have thoughts, i need to gather them first
October 7, 2026
this was SO good i'm gagged
October 10, 2026
Such a fun and engaging read. Can’t wait for the sequel!
September 28, 2026
An up-all-night nail-biter with sharp plotting and unusually thoughtful things to say about the flaws of the criminal justice system and the ways past mistakes echo into the present. Fans of Truly, Devious and A Good Girl's Guide to Murder won't want to miss it!
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