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They Wish They Were Us
Gossip Girl meets One of Us Is Lying with a dash of The Secret History in this slick, taut murder mystery set against the backdrop of an exclusive prep school on Long Island.
In Gold Coast, Long Island, everything from the expensive downtown shops to the manicured beaches, to the pressed uniforms of Jill Newman and her friends, looks perfect. But as Jill found out three years ago, nothing is as it seems.
Freshman year Jill's best friend, the brilliant, dazzling Shaila Arnold, was killed by her boyfriend. After that dark night on the beach, Graham confessed, the case was closed, and Jill tried to move on.
Now, it's Jill's senior year and she's determined to make it her best yet. After all, she's a senior and a Player--a member of Gold Coast Prep's exclusive, not-so-secret secret society. Senior Players have the best parties, highest grades and the admiration of the entire school. This is going to be Jill's year. She's sure of it.
But when Jill starts getting texts proclaiming Graham's innocence, her dreams of the perfect senior year start to crumble. If Graham didn't kill Shaila, who did? Jill vows to find out, but digging deeper could mean putting her friendships, and her future, in jeopardy.
In Gold Coast, Long Island, everything from the expensive downtown shops to the manicured beaches, to the pressed uniforms of Jill Newman and her friends, looks perfect. But as Jill found out three years ago, nothing is as it seems.
Freshman year Jill's best friend, the brilliant, dazzling Shaila Arnold, was killed by her boyfriend. After that dark night on the beach, Graham confessed, the case was closed, and Jill tried to move on.
Now, it's Jill's senior year and she's determined to make it her best yet. After all, she's a senior and a Player--a member of Gold Coast Prep's exclusive, not-so-secret secret society. Senior Players have the best parties, highest grades and the admiration of the entire school. This is going to be Jill's year. She's sure of it.
But when Jill starts getting texts proclaiming Graham's innocence, her dreams of the perfect senior year start to crumble. If Graham didn't kill Shaila, who did? Jill vows to find out, but digging deeper could mean putting her friendships, and her future, in jeopardy.
Hardcover
First published August 4, 2020
1713 people are currently reading
73606 people want to read
About the author
Jessica Goodman
6 books2,165 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.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 4,437 reviews
July 15, 2025
I can feel an unpopular review coming in the air tonight.No, I haven’t been waiting for this moment for all my life, oh Lord!
I didn’t want to tribute one of the boo-worthy reviews to dear Phil Collins and the retro travel of the 80s, but this is what is. I feel like Bradley Cooper’s character in Hangover, who has been punched in the face by Mike Tyson, who was punishing him for stealing his tiger, as In the Air tonight blasted out as background music. I feel frustrated, dizzy, angry, and I’m about to pass out!
After seeing so many great reviews and comparisons with Gossip Girl, One of Us is Lying, and Pretty Little Liars, I looked at the pages and read a few chapters again to make sure I was reading the right book.
Then I rubbed my eyes and read it again, and as soon as the sounds of frustration train and the retro dance images of Kylie Minogue singing Loco Motion appeared, I realized this must be the right book, but it’s not the right book for me!
Well, I tell you why this is not my cup of vanilla latte:
I hate the guts of the characters. I couldn’t connect with any of them, including MC Jill Newman . When I cannot relate to the character, reading about her inner monologues, her actions, motives, and choices turned into a torturous reading session.
I wanted to focus on a murder mystery, but unfortunately, the killer was so predictable from the beginning ,wearing a shiny t-shirt with the words “ I killed her” emblazoned on it. But all those silly characters were too blind or too dumb to see it.
It seems like the player drama took too much place. I kept asking myself why they didn’t cut the crap and focus on the murder mystery!
Unfortunately, the pace was so slow, flat , boring, and the chapters were too wordy. It should have been more intriguing, mysterious, and gripping with better characterization and a slow building of high tension to keep the reader alert!
Well, as a result, this one failed me. Maybe I’m the wrong reader for the wrong book at the wrong time.
Anyways, I’m so happy to see at least there are still positive reviews out there. Nobody has to be a grumpy and unsatisfied reviewer who is sulking nervously like me. I accept my throne in the minority place and I deserve a lot of rotten tomatoes, so as a precaution, I am wearing my helmet. I hope I learn to sleep with it.
Still crossing my fingers. I hope I feel happier after my next reading.
I didn’t want to tribute one of the boo-worthy reviews to dear Phil Collins and the retro travel of the 80s, but this is what is. I feel like Bradley Cooper’s character in Hangover, who has been punched in the face by Mike Tyson, who was punishing him for stealing his tiger, as In the Air tonight blasted out as background music. I feel frustrated, dizzy, angry, and I’m about to pass out!
After seeing so many great reviews and comparisons with Gossip Girl, One of Us is Lying, and Pretty Little Liars, I looked at the pages and read a few chapters again to make sure I was reading the right book.
Then I rubbed my eyes and read it again, and as soon as the sounds of frustration train and the retro dance images of Kylie Minogue singing Loco Motion appeared, I realized this must be the right book, but it’s not the right book for me!
Well, I tell you why this is not my cup of vanilla latte:
I hate the guts of the characters. I couldn’t connect with any of them, including MC Jill Newman . When I cannot relate to the character, reading about her inner monologues, her actions, motives, and choices turned into a torturous reading session.
I wanted to focus on a murder mystery, but unfortunately, the killer was so predictable from the beginning ,wearing a shiny t-shirt with the words “ I killed her” emblazoned on it. But all those silly characters were too blind or too dumb to see it.
It seems like the player drama took too much place. I kept asking myself why they didn’t cut the crap and focus on the murder mystery!
Unfortunately, the pace was so slow, flat , boring, and the chapters were too wordy. It should have been more intriguing, mysterious, and gripping with better characterization and a slow building of high tension to keep the reader alert!
Well, as a result, this one failed me. Maybe I’m the wrong reader for the wrong book at the wrong time.
Anyways, I’m so happy to see at least there are still positive reviews out there. Nobody has to be a grumpy and unsatisfied reviewer who is sulking nervously like me. I accept my throne in the minority place and I deserve a lot of rotten tomatoes, so as a precaution, I am wearing my helmet. I hope I learn to sleep with it.
Still crossing my fingers. I hope I feel happier after my next reading.
September 9, 2020
great title, great cover, okay book.
i’m always down to read about insular cliques in academic settings that end in murrrrrrderrrrr, so i’d been looking forward to this one for a while. however, i’m ALWAYS down for books about insular cliques in academic settings that end in murrrrrrderrrrr, which means i have read A LOT of books about insular cliques in academic settings that end in murrrrrrderrrrr, and when you read A LOT of the same kinda thing, the lit-version of the law of diminishing returns kicks in and unless there’s some next-level game-changing subgenre-transcendence going on between the covers, these same bones/different skin books become less and less likely to surprise or impress.
so, YMMV, depending on how many of these kinds of books you’ve consumed. me, i thought it was fine.
it takes place at a long island prep school three years after a freshman girl was murdered during one of the elaborate hazing rituals that have long been part of the school’s social fabric, designed to separate the golden from the platinum. eight pledges are nominated from each incoming class, and must endure tests of physical and psychological fortitude before they can become one of The Players—envied for their status, earning them the best table in the cafeteria, the answers to all the tests, as well as favoritism perks extending beyond high school’s small stakes, since players alum go on to become the 1% of…everything? college admissions, internships, business opportunities, etc—all roads paved by people who were once part of an elite group within an elite private school still bound by codes of loyalty and secrecy. it’s YA so i’ll overlook the statistical improbability of all of that.
anyway, back to murrrrrrderrrrr: players prospect shaila died in the evening’s chaos, her boyfriend graham confessed and was sent to richboy juvie, and life went on for her pals, who are now seniors in charge of selecting the next batch of players. but what if graham didn’t kill shaila?
the character types are pretty standard: sporty spice and bitchy spice and dauntless spice and scholarship spice etc along with a bunch of blandly interchangeable boys, except one is gay. for diversity. plus a young hot teacher, a bad boy playwright, and a lesbian. for diversity.
secrets, amateur sleuthing, and (mostly) white privilege ensues.
and i know I’M coming across a little bitchy spice about this, but just think of me as a big dumb puppy nipping playfully at a book that wasn’t all i’d hoped, but is perfectly fine. having been spoiled by some of YA’s edgier offerings, i found this one a little more Y than i typically dig. the whodunnit is pretty predictable, the fact that so many adults are invested in the game and complicit in the whole system is a little goofy—when a player is shunned, word spreads, and they are scorned not just by current high-schoolers but also grown folks who should have matured out of such pettiness, and surely some college deans would value actual academic merit over cheating cliques, regardless of what they themselves did in high school.
at the same time, where it could have been cool and original—the ruthlessness of teenhazing conducted by the scions of people whose tax brackets typically protect them from consequences—it went a little soft.
the “pops,” which are basically dares that the ’undies’ have to perform to become a player are…pretty tame, yet they cause disproportionate emotional distress in the prospective initiates. having to read aloud dialogue from a porno—not being filmed re-enacting, just reading the words while fully clothed, or having to make out with someone of the same sex, these lightweight challenges are pretty standard slumber party fare that shouldn’t cause tears or inspire feelings of scorching humiliation, and yet they do.
and yes—some of the pops are more intense than these, including the one that led to shaila’s death, but for the most part it's silly stuff the achievement of which doesn’t seem commensurate with the supposed rewards of being a player.
there was a second opportunity to add some fresh spark here, but for all the emphasis and fuss made by the MC about how much harder the pops always are for girls than boys, and how even after they become players, the girls defer to their male counterparts, this supposedly big sexist misogyny conspiracy doesn’t amount to much—no girls are being made to pull any trains or sext politicians—except for the final, personalized challenge, everygender’s tasked with doing the same vanilla stuff. the one time something SVU-worthy could have occurred, the perpetrator was so quickly and easily diverted that the whole scene was like three sentences.
still, it was a good sickbed book, and now i'm recovered, and there's no proof this book didn't cure me.
BUT MY MOST IMPORTANT QUESTION ABOUT THIS BOOK:
where are these schools whose lunchrooms feature giant bowls of raw cookie dough?? and do they need substitute teachers? because—although presumably these students are plucking off pieces with their fingies, so if this is a thing that exists, they all have covid now—but if you're serving raw cookie dough at lunch, i'm first in line, before it gets tainted. and i’m not pinching off some ladylike portion—that cookie dough is my lunch, period.
references available on request.
***********************************************
perfect for those 'have a fever? read a book!' times.
review to come when i recover from koffing and moaning.
come to my blog!
i’m always down to read about insular cliques in academic settings that end in murrrrrrderrrrr, so i’d been looking forward to this one for a while. however, i’m ALWAYS down for books about insular cliques in academic settings that end in murrrrrrderrrrr, which means i have read A LOT of books about insular cliques in academic settings that end in murrrrrrderrrrr, and when you read A LOT of the same kinda thing, the lit-version of the law of diminishing returns kicks in and unless there’s some next-level game-changing subgenre-transcendence going on between the covers, these same bones/different skin books become less and less likely to surprise or impress.
so, YMMV, depending on how many of these kinds of books you’ve consumed. me, i thought it was fine.
it takes place at a long island prep school three years after a freshman girl was murdered during one of the elaborate hazing rituals that have long been part of the school’s social fabric, designed to separate the golden from the platinum. eight pledges are nominated from each incoming class, and must endure tests of physical and psychological fortitude before they can become one of The Players—envied for their status, earning them the best table in the cafeteria, the answers to all the tests, as well as favoritism perks extending beyond high school’s small stakes, since players alum go on to become the 1% of…everything? college admissions, internships, business opportunities, etc—all roads paved by people who were once part of an elite group within an elite private school still bound by codes of loyalty and secrecy. it’s YA so i’ll overlook the statistical improbability of all of that.
anyway, back to murrrrrrderrrrr: players prospect shaila died in the evening’s chaos, her boyfriend graham confessed and was sent to richboy juvie, and life went on for her pals, who are now seniors in charge of selecting the next batch of players. but what if graham didn’t kill shaila?
the character types are pretty standard: sporty spice and bitchy spice and dauntless spice and scholarship spice etc along with a bunch of blandly interchangeable boys, except one is gay. for diversity. plus a young hot teacher, a bad boy playwright, and a lesbian. for diversity.
secrets, amateur sleuthing, and (mostly) white privilege ensues.
and i know I’M coming across a little bitchy spice about this, but just think of me as a big dumb puppy nipping playfully at a book that wasn’t all i’d hoped, but is perfectly fine. having been spoiled by some of YA’s edgier offerings, i found this one a little more Y than i typically dig. the whodunnit is pretty predictable, the fact that so many adults are invested in the game and complicit in the whole system is a little goofy—when a player is shunned, word spreads, and they are scorned not just by current high-schoolers but also grown folks who should have matured out of such pettiness, and surely some college deans would value actual academic merit over cheating cliques, regardless of what they themselves did in high school.
at the same time, where it could have been cool and original—the ruthlessness of teenhazing conducted by the scions of people whose tax brackets typically protect them from consequences—it went a little soft.
the “pops,” which are basically dares that the ’undies’ have to perform to become a player are…pretty tame, yet they cause disproportionate emotional distress in the prospective initiates. having to read aloud dialogue from a porno—not being filmed re-enacting, just reading the words while fully clothed, or having to make out with someone of the same sex, these lightweight challenges are pretty standard slumber party fare that shouldn’t cause tears or inspire feelings of scorching humiliation, and yet they do.
and yes—some of the pops are more intense than these, including the one that led to shaila’s death, but for the most part it's silly stuff the achievement of which doesn’t seem commensurate with the supposed rewards of being a player.
there was a second opportunity to add some fresh spark here, but for all the emphasis and fuss made by the MC about how much harder the pops always are for girls than boys, and how even after they become players, the girls defer to their male counterparts, this supposedly big sexist misogyny conspiracy doesn’t amount to much—no girls are being made to pull any trains or sext politicians—except for the final, personalized challenge, everygender’s tasked with doing the same vanilla stuff. the one time something SVU-worthy could have occurred, the perpetrator was so quickly and easily diverted that the whole scene was like three sentences.
still, it was a good sickbed book, and now i'm recovered, and there's no proof this book didn't cure me.
BUT MY MOST IMPORTANT QUESTION ABOUT THIS BOOK:
where are these schools whose lunchrooms feature giant bowls of raw cookie dough?? and do they need substitute teachers? because—although presumably these students are plucking off pieces with their fingies, so if this is a thing that exists, they all have covid now—but if you're serving raw cookie dough at lunch, i'm first in line, before it gets tainted. and i’m not pinching off some ladylike portion—that cookie dough is my lunch, period.
references available on request.
***********************************************
perfect for those 'have a fever? read a book!' times.
review to come when i recover from koffing and moaning.
come to my blog!
March 25, 2022
HOLY MOTHER SHIT. I loved this book so much. I read it way too fast and I honestly just cannot believe it. Wow. This book is messy and gorgeous and complex. It’s just so beautiful in a dark, bitchy, haunting way.
Song match? I’ve never done this before, but I can say with no hesitation that New Americana by Halsey is fucking PERFECT.
Jill, our protagonist, attends Gold Coast Prep, the elite private school. Unlike her classmates, she’s not a minor celebrity, she doesn’t have their wealth assets, and she’s only there on scholarship. But now as a senior, she’s become one of the elite - the top of the social hierarchy. Jill is a senior Player, one of the six prime students in the school.
The Players are the popular kids - the exclusive group of students hand-picked by their formers. They’re the strongest, hottest and smartest in Gold Coast, with the clearest skin, wildest parties and best grades. It’s an honor to be picked for the Players.
At least, that’s what everyone thinks.
“I feel his eyes on me, like he knows our secrets, like he knows what happens to the Players. Everything we had to sacrifice. Everything we had to do to survive.”
The backdrop of this plot is a murder. In Jill’s freshman year, one of her fellow “initiate” Players was murdered; Shaila Arnolds, the best and the brightest. She was also Jill’s best friend.
Everyone knows who did it: Shaila’s boyfriend, Graham.
Jill starts off senior year thinking she can finally leave the past behind. She’s a senior Player who aces her teststhrough a network of former players who give her cheat sheets and has a Player boyfriend. She’s set to get into an Ivy League. She’s untouchable now.
Then she receives texts proclaiming that Graham is innocent.
Can I just say that this premise was enough to get me hooked? The words “private school”, “murder”, and “drama” are like book chocolate to me. Don’t even get me started on “intrigue”.
I’m a private school freshman, so this book kinda terrified me at first. Lucky for me, my school isn’t like this at all - or if it is, I’m too insignificant to know about it.BUT I DON’T NEED TO CHEAT MY TESTS BITCHES
This book was amazing. Drunk parties, shattered flashbacks, and LOTS OF DRAMA. I cannot deal with online drama or life drama, but book drama fuels my Slytherin soul.
Okay. Past that.
I loved this book so much. But some of the stuff it covered really shot me down. Not because it was problematic, because it wasn’t. Not because it was glorified, because it wasn’t. It just wasn’t pleasant.
Girls being taken advantage of, initiates being mistreated or harassed just so that they can prove they’re “tough enough”, being subjected to public humiliation to prove their worth - it was raw. Concerning. And painful, because while the book might be exaggerated to fit the story...this stuff still happens everywhere. To a lot of people.
It was chilling. And I hated it and loved it at the same time. I hated it because it was real and true and could happen to me or anyone else. I loved it because it was real and it was addressed.
“For a moment nothing else exists outside the Players. We are a force field. And only we know the truth about what we’ve had to do to get here.”
Yes, this brought up problematic issues. It probably wasn’t a valid reason to take down a star, because it was addressed properly and it was told in a hauntingly accurate way - casual and brushed over, not made into a big deal. Because issues like that are rarely paid attention to.
But I had to dock a star because I was rating this based on my enjoyment. And those parts were not particularly enjoyable.
Something I did love were the characters. They were so different and multifaceted, something that isn’t usually covered so well in a clique-y book like this. Everyone assumes that the popular kids are the popular kids and the chess girls are the chess girls and the nerds are the nerds. That’s just them. But they are not and we are not.
Shaila - everyone saw her as so perfect and gorgeous and wild, but so smart and strong. She was the full package to everyone. “Perfect”. But she wasn’t. She played people against each other. She was unintentionally (and intentionally) toxic. She was tapped to be one of the next Popular Girls. But she was also fierce and headstrong, acknowledging the blurred line between right and wrong.
Nikki - such a break from the stereotypical Asian girl. She was angry and fierce and wild, and so fucking stubborn. She wore designer combat boots and brought different flavored KitKats to school. She’s a complex bitch with an attitude and she kept me switching constantly.
Quentin - I wasn’t expecting to like him. But then I did. I loved him. He seemed like that one stoic guy character so I didn’t expect that much, but then this book punched me in the face because EMOTIONS.
Henry - mixed feelings. He was a cinnamon roll hiding behind the mask of a Player and I liked that. But I also didn’t like how passive he was. I think it's important to see a "softer" male character like him. He was definitely a unique character and he brought in a lot of new aspects, but he also got on my nerves so much.
Rachel - a lesbian demon (bi? I forget, she was either closeted/came out after high school, or she actually was bi). I loved her in some parts because of how savage she was, and she could have been a character to look up to. But I also hated her because she was a fucking demon. She was harsh and bitter, but she had every right to be.
Marla - the badass athletic queen. I admired her, but I totally would have been super intimidated by her in real life. She was super chill for most of the book, but she definitely went in on some parts of the book.
Jill - I understood her so well. She loved the stars and she was so passionate about what she really cared about. She was pressured by her parents to be the best possible, get better grades, and eventually get into an Ivy League school. Her lust for popularity put more pressure on her, to be prettier, to be seen, to be better. The anger and hidden anxieties couldn’t come out because she was “that girl”.
And under that, there was just someone who needed her best friend.
This book was real. There were no explicitly good or bad people. Because real people are never explicitly good or badexcept for Hitler. Real people are not beautiful, fake, good, bad, perfect. They’re messy, and unique, and unreliable, and multifaceted. Jill couldn’t be “that girl” because no one is. “That girl” doesn’t exist; she’s not a person. She’s part of a person, and only expecting one thing from them is just shallow.
What else?
The pacing was beautiful. I was in a reading slump when I read this book and I zoomed through this.
It was so fast, jumping between memories and the present. But the time skips weren’t confusing, because they were clear and well connected.
I was desperate to find the answers to this story. But I also got concerned at about 80 percent through because it didn’t seem like it was resolving. It kept the tension going right until the end.
The plot twists were to be expected, because this is a murder mystery. There was a notable red herring, because what’s a mystery without one or five of those?
The writing was dark, raw and gorgeous. It was emotional. It gave me all of Jill’s suppressed anger and grief, the cracks covered by the Player mask. I could feel Nikki’s wrath and Marla’s need for freedom. I understood Henry’s need for action that no one else would have noticed. I even understood Rachel’s sick satisfaction in holding the advantage over others, the intimidation and power.
“They Wish They Were Us” is about death, anger and loss. It’s about money and teenagers. It’s about drinking and parties. Most of all, it’s about power. The power that comes from being richer than someone, smarter than someone, prettier than someone.Can’t relate.
The power that comes from our anger, our envy. The power that we crave and the power that we don’t even notice. The power that you can gain and the power you have to earn, the kind that you take and the kind you give. The power that comes from being a Player and the power that comes from being invisible.
“Look around. Look at everyone else,” Shaila whispered into the huddle. “They wish they were us.”
Marla giggled and Nikki beamed. I loved them all in that moment. I loved that Marla didn’t need so much. I loved that Nikki just wanted to have as much fun as humanly possible. I loved that Shaila was quick to forgive, and that she did so with her whole heart. I loved that she kept things so wildly interesting, that she kept us entertained, on guard. I loved that there were eyes burning holes into our backs. I loved that we were special. We were watched.”
Song match? I’ve never done this before, but I can say with no hesitation that New Americana by Halsey is fucking PERFECT.
Jill, our protagonist, attends Gold Coast Prep, the elite private school. Unlike her classmates, she’s not a minor celebrity, she doesn’t have their wealth assets, and she’s only there on scholarship. But now as a senior, she’s become one of the elite - the top of the social hierarchy. Jill is a senior Player, one of the six prime students in the school.
The Players are the popular kids - the exclusive group of students hand-picked by their formers. They’re the strongest, hottest and smartest in Gold Coast, with the clearest skin, wildest parties and best grades. It’s an honor to be picked for the Players.
At least, that’s what everyone thinks.
“I feel his eyes on me, like he knows our secrets, like he knows what happens to the Players. Everything we had to sacrifice. Everything we had to do to survive.”
The backdrop of this plot is a murder. In Jill’s freshman year, one of her fellow “initiate” Players was murdered; Shaila Arnolds, the best and the brightest. She was also Jill’s best friend.
Everyone knows who did it: Shaila’s boyfriend, Graham.
Jill starts off senior year thinking she can finally leave the past behind. She’s a senior Player who aces her tests
Then she receives texts proclaiming that Graham is innocent.
Can I just say that this premise was enough to get me hooked? The words “private school”, “murder”, and “drama” are like book chocolate to me. Don’t even get me started on “intrigue”.
I’m a private school freshman, so this book kinda terrified me at first. Lucky for me, my school isn’t like this at all - or if it is, I’m too insignificant to know about it.
This book was amazing. Drunk parties, shattered flashbacks, and LOTS OF DRAMA. I cannot deal with online drama or life drama, but book drama fuels my Slytherin soul.
Okay. Past that.
I loved this book so much. But some of the stuff it covered really shot me down. Not because it was problematic, because it wasn’t. Not because it was glorified, because it wasn’t. It just wasn’t pleasant.
Girls being taken advantage of, initiates being mistreated or harassed just so that they can prove they’re “tough enough”, being subjected to public humiliation to prove their worth - it was raw. Concerning. And painful, because while the book might be exaggerated to fit the story...this stuff still happens everywhere. To a lot of people.
It was chilling. And I hated it and loved it at the same time. I hated it because it was real and true and could happen to me or anyone else. I loved it because it was real and it was addressed.
“For a moment nothing else exists outside the Players. We are a force field. And only we know the truth about what we’ve had to do to get here.”
Yes, this brought up problematic issues. It probably wasn’t a valid reason to take down a star, because it was addressed properly and it was told in a hauntingly accurate way - casual and brushed over, not made into a big deal. Because issues like that are rarely paid attention to.
But I had to dock a star because I was rating this based on my enjoyment. And those parts were not particularly enjoyable.
Something I did love were the characters. They were so different and multifaceted, something that isn’t usually covered so well in a clique-y book like this. Everyone assumes that the popular kids are the popular kids and the chess girls are the chess girls and the nerds are the nerds. That’s just them. But they are not and we are not.
Shaila - everyone saw her as so perfect and gorgeous and wild, but so smart and strong. She was the full package to everyone. “Perfect”. But she wasn’t. She played people against each other. She was unintentionally (and intentionally) toxic. She was tapped to be one of the next Popular Girls. But she was also fierce and headstrong, acknowledging the blurred line between right and wrong.
Nikki - such a break from the stereotypical Asian girl. She was angry and fierce and wild, and so fucking stubborn. She wore designer combat boots and brought different flavored KitKats to school. She’s a complex bitch with an attitude and she kept me switching constantly.
Quentin - I wasn’t expecting to like him. But then I did. I loved him. He seemed like that one stoic guy character so I didn’t expect that much, but then this book punched me in the face because EMOTIONS.
Henry - mixed feelings. He was a cinnamon roll hiding behind the mask of a Player and I liked that. But I also didn’t like how passive he was. I think it's important to see a "softer" male character like him. He was definitely a unique character and he brought in a lot of new aspects, but he also got on my nerves so much.
Rachel - a lesbian demon (bi? I forget, she was either closeted/came out after high school, or she actually was bi). I loved her in some parts because of how savage she was, and she could have been a character to look up to. But I also hated her because she was a fucking demon. She was harsh and bitter, but she had every right to be.
Marla - the badass athletic queen. I admired her, but I totally would have been super intimidated by her in real life. She was super chill for most of the book, but she definitely went in on some parts of the book.
Jill - I understood her so well. She loved the stars and she was so passionate about what she really cared about. She was pressured by her parents to be the best possible, get better grades, and eventually get into an Ivy League school. Her lust for popularity put more pressure on her, to be prettier, to be seen, to be better. The anger and hidden anxieties couldn’t come out because she was “that girl”.
And under that, there was just someone who needed her best friend.
This book was real. There were no explicitly good or bad people. Because real people are never explicitly good or bad
What else?
The pacing was beautiful. I was in a reading slump when I read this book and I zoomed through this.
It was so fast, jumping between memories and the present. But the time skips weren’t confusing, because they were clear and well connected.
I was desperate to find the answers to this story. But I also got concerned at about 80 percent through because it didn’t seem like it was resolving. It kept the tension going right until the end.
The plot twists were to be expected, because this is a murder mystery. There was a notable red herring, because what’s a mystery without one or five of those?
The writing was dark, raw and gorgeous. It was emotional. It gave me all of Jill’s suppressed anger and grief, the cracks covered by the Player mask. I could feel Nikki’s wrath and Marla’s need for freedom. I understood Henry’s need for action that no one else would have noticed. I even understood Rachel’s sick satisfaction in holding the advantage over others, the intimidation and power.
“They Wish They Were Us” is about death, anger and loss. It’s about money and teenagers. It’s about drinking and parties. Most of all, it’s about power. The power that comes from being richer than someone, smarter than someone, prettier than someone.
The power that comes from our anger, our envy. The power that we crave and the power that we don’t even notice. The power that you can gain and the power you have to earn, the kind that you take and the kind you give. The power that comes from being a Player and the power that comes from being invisible.
“Look around. Look at everyone else,” Shaila whispered into the huddle. “They wish they were us.”
Marla giggled and Nikki beamed. I loved them all in that moment. I loved that Marla didn’t need so much. I loved that Nikki just wanted to have as much fun as humanly possible. I loved that Shaila was quick to forgive, and that she did so with her whole heart. I loved that she kept things so wildly interesting, that she kept us entertained, on guard. I loved that there were eyes burning holes into our backs. I loved that we were special. We were watched.”
August 26, 2022
Un libro sobre las apariencias y el estatus.
Esperaba que Sueñan con ser como nosotras fuera un thriller al estilo de los de la autora Karen M. McManus o Holly Jackson. Parece que tira por ahí, cuando lees la sinopsis. Pero... no. No tiene nada que ver: ni en estilo, ni en tono, ni en tramas, ni siquiera en misterio. Porque sí, hay un asesinato que no parece haber sido resuelto adecuadamente y habrá que remover el pasado para encontrar la verdad, pero no es ni siquiera el punto más importante del libro.
En otras circunstancias, habría abandonado la novela. Sin embargo, el estilo de la autora fue lo que hizo que continuara leyendo. Quería saber qué narices pasaba con la protagonista y su grupo de amigos, que es para mí lo más interesante con diferencia. Se trata de un grupo llamado Los Jugadores, que son del último curso del instituto, una especie de grupo elitista. Son populares, sacan notas excelentes y tendrán futuros brillantes, pero ¿a cambio de qué?
Todo el tema de Los Jugadores me parece para explorar con incluso más profundidad. Resulta que en el pasado, el alumnado de los últimos cursos de cada promoción –e incluso después, una vez en la universidad– ha ido rellenando Los Archivos, unos documentos solo accesibles para este grupo selecto con toda la información de los exámenes, resultados de tests, trabajos... Así, quien llegue a ser un Jugador, podrá ser la persona más popular mientras saque las mejores notas. Hay mucho más, esto es solo la superficie. No me digáis que no es algo jugosísimo.
El problema con esta trama es que es quizá más interesante que el misterio en sí. Vale que Shaila, la amiga muerta en misteriosas condiciones, sea la típica magnética del grupo de amigas. Y mala, con mucha malicia. Todas quieren ser como ella, la envidian, y ser su amiga es lo mejor que te puede pasar en el instituto. Cada escena donde la protagonista hablaba de su relación con ella me ponía más y más los pelos de punta. ¿Hasta qué punto llega tu dignidad para formar parte de algo?
Realmente he terminado haciéndome preguntas casi rozando lo filosófico. No es un libro que te induzca a ello de manera directa, sino que es tan realista en muchas ocasiones que conecta de alguna forma con esa parte que todo el mundo tiene de querer pertenecer a algo. Cueste lo que cueste. Esto es sin duda el tema principal del libro, narrado de una manera exquisita por Jessica Goodman.
Aparte de la ligera decepción de que el misterio no sea la pieza central del libro, tenemos que sumar una más: ha sido predecible. Pero, repito, ni siquiera es lo importante, ya que se usa como un McGuffin, o sea, una excusa para que la trama avance y conocer más sobre los personajes. Así que tampoco puedo tener demasiado en cuenta que no haya sido un misterio que me haya volado la cabeza, porque no era el punto y se resuelve con relativa facilidad.
Yo me he visto sumido en cada palabra de esta novela. Quería saber más, más, más. Quería que Jill, la protagonista, volviera al pasado a contarme una escena concreta con uno de los personajes secundarios, o saber qué narices pasaría con la nueva oleada de Jugadores y sus retos para acceder a formar parte. Quería saber cada detalle.
En definitiva, Sueñan con ser como nosotras destaca por su gran calidad literaria, unos personajes muy realistas y una trama principal que sorprende y no te dejará indiferente.
Esperaba que Sueñan con ser como nosotras fuera un thriller al estilo de los de la autora Karen M. McManus o Holly Jackson. Parece que tira por ahí, cuando lees la sinopsis. Pero... no. No tiene nada que ver: ni en estilo, ni en tono, ni en tramas, ni siquiera en misterio. Porque sí, hay un asesinato que no parece haber sido resuelto adecuadamente y habrá que remover el pasado para encontrar la verdad, pero no es ni siquiera el punto más importante del libro.
En otras circunstancias, habría abandonado la novela. Sin embargo, el estilo de la autora fue lo que hizo que continuara leyendo. Quería saber qué narices pasaba con la protagonista y su grupo de amigos, que es para mí lo más interesante con diferencia. Se trata de un grupo llamado Los Jugadores, que son del último curso del instituto, una especie de grupo elitista. Son populares, sacan notas excelentes y tendrán futuros brillantes, pero ¿a cambio de qué?
Todo el tema de Los Jugadores me parece para explorar con incluso más profundidad. Resulta que en el pasado, el alumnado de los últimos cursos de cada promoción –e incluso después, una vez en la universidad– ha ido rellenando Los Archivos, unos documentos solo accesibles para este grupo selecto con toda la información de los exámenes, resultados de tests, trabajos... Así, quien llegue a ser un Jugador, podrá ser la persona más popular mientras saque las mejores notas. Hay mucho más, esto es solo la superficie. No me digáis que no es algo jugosísimo.
El problema con esta trama es que es quizá más interesante que el misterio en sí. Vale que Shaila, la amiga muerta en misteriosas condiciones, sea la típica magnética del grupo de amigas. Y mala, con mucha malicia. Todas quieren ser como ella, la envidian, y ser su amiga es lo mejor que te puede pasar en el instituto. Cada escena donde la protagonista hablaba de su relación con ella me ponía más y más los pelos de punta. ¿Hasta qué punto llega tu dignidad para formar parte de algo?
Realmente he terminado haciéndome preguntas casi rozando lo filosófico. No es un libro que te induzca a ello de manera directa, sino que es tan realista en muchas ocasiones que conecta de alguna forma con esa parte que todo el mundo tiene de querer pertenecer a algo. Cueste lo que cueste. Esto es sin duda el tema principal del libro, narrado de una manera exquisita por Jessica Goodman.
Aparte de la ligera decepción de que el misterio no sea la pieza central del libro, tenemos que sumar una más: ha sido predecible. Pero, repito, ni siquiera es lo importante, ya que se usa como un McGuffin, o sea, una excusa para que la trama avance y conocer más sobre los personajes. Así que tampoco puedo tener demasiado en cuenta que no haya sido un misterio que me haya volado la cabeza, porque no era el punto y se resuelve con relativa facilidad.
Yo me he visto sumido en cada palabra de esta novela. Quería saber más, más, más. Quería que Jill, la protagonista, volviera al pasado a contarme una escena concreta con uno de los personajes secundarios, o saber qué narices pasaría con la nueva oleada de Jugadores y sus retos para acceder a formar parte. Quería saber cada detalle.
En definitiva, Sueñan con ser como nosotras destaca por su gran calidad literaria, unos personajes muy realistas y una trama principal que sorprende y no te dejará indiferente.
August 25, 2020
I enjoyed this but didn't love it. It did remind me of Gossip Girl because all of our characters go to a private school and are super rich. We follow Jill who is apart of 'the players' aka the elite group. Each grade has one and every year the senior class picks 8 freshmen to become 'players' and go through grueling tests to prove their worth.
Jill and 7 others were picked freshman year and now they are seniors and it's their year.
Jill's best friend, Shailia died on initiation night freshman year and her boyfriend, Graham was arrested for her murder and now 3 years later...questions are emerging, did he really do it?
We basically learn all about these tests and how hard all of their lives are and I just loathed all of these characters so much. I'm sorry but I did, and I found the hazing was horrible and yet year after year it gets worse. Overall it was ok...just didn't love it.
Jill and 7 others were picked freshman year and now they are seniors and it's their year.
Jill's best friend, Shailia died on initiation night freshman year and her boyfriend, Graham was arrested for her murder and now 3 years later...questions are emerging, did he really do it?
We basically learn all about these tests and how hard all of their lives are and I just loathed all of these characters so much. I'm sorry but I did, and I found the hazing was horrible and yet year after year it gets worse. Overall it was ok...just didn't love it.
September 30, 2020
I went into this one with very low expectations. The book isn’t great but there was something here that kept me reading. Fair warning, even I am not really sure what the appeal was for me. I guess you could compare reading this book to watching a trashy tv movie. You know there's better options out there but yet sometimes you want to just stick around until the end. (By the way, I heard this book is being made into a tv series. I don't think the material is HBO worthy but maybe it will find a home on the CW network.)
When Jill Newman was a freshman at Long Island's exclusive Gold Coast Prep, her best friend was Shaila. Tragically, Shaila died and her boyfriend, Graham, confessed to the killing. Three years later, Jill is a senior and this should be the time of her life. As a member of The Players, the school's secret society, she is on the top of the high school popularity pyramid. But now there is talk of Graham possibly being innocent and Jill doesn't know what to think. As Jill digs for the truth about who killed her best friend, her life is going to be super messy and complicated this school year.
The story bounces back and forth between the present day story and freshman year when Jill was going through the initiation process of becoming a Player. The transitions are sloppy and disjointed and at times confusing. Normally I don't have a problem with keeping track of past and current storylines but it was not executed very well in this book.
The Players has a cheesy and dated feel to it like the story would have fit better in the 1980s time period rather than now. It's over the top but on some level it worked enough to keep my interest. With so much wild and crazy behavior going on, I wasn't compelled to like any of the characters, including Jill. I was curious though to see if the author was going to come up with some spectacular conclusion in regards to the mystery surrounding Shaila's death. Unfortunately it was unimaginative and therefore a disappointment. The author did try to throw in some substance when wrapping everything up but it was too little, too late.
My 3 stars is probably a tad generous as this isn't a book I would go out of my way to recommend.
I received a free copy of this book from BookishFirst and the publisher. All views expressed are my honest opinion.
When Jill Newman was a freshman at Long Island's exclusive Gold Coast Prep, her best friend was Shaila. Tragically, Shaila died and her boyfriend, Graham, confessed to the killing. Three years later, Jill is a senior and this should be the time of her life. As a member of The Players, the school's secret society, she is on the top of the high school popularity pyramid. But now there is talk of Graham possibly being innocent and Jill doesn't know what to think. As Jill digs for the truth about who killed her best friend, her life is going to be super messy and complicated this school year.
The story bounces back and forth between the present day story and freshman year when Jill was going through the initiation process of becoming a Player. The transitions are sloppy and disjointed and at times confusing. Normally I don't have a problem with keeping track of past and current storylines but it was not executed very well in this book.
The Players has a cheesy and dated feel to it like the story would have fit better in the 1980s time period rather than now. It's over the top but on some level it worked enough to keep my interest. With so much wild and crazy behavior going on, I wasn't compelled to like any of the characters, including Jill. I was curious though to see if the author was going to come up with some spectacular conclusion in regards to the mystery surrounding Shaila's death. Unfortunately it was unimaginative and therefore a disappointment. The author did try to throw in some substance when wrapping everything up but it was too little, too late.
My 3 stars is probably a tad generous as this isn't a book I would go out of my way to recommend.
I received a free copy of this book from BookishFirst and the publisher. All views expressed are my honest opinion.
September 15, 2020
High school melodrama, intrigue, and secrets? Sign me up every time. That's why I was excited for Jessica Goodman's new book,
They Wish They Were Us
.
It’s senior year of high school for Jill Newman and her best friends at Gold Coast Prep on Long Island. Freshman year was awful when her best friend, Shaila, was murdered, and Shaila’s boyfriend Graham confessed, but Jill and her friends have all (mostly) moved on from that tragedy.
Now they’re ready to rule the school.
Jill and her friends are Players, part of the exclusive, not-quite-secret society at school. There’s some serious hazing involved as a freshman, but when you’re a Player, your life—and in many ways, your future—are set.
When Jill starts getting texts proclaiming Graham’s innocence, she doesn’t know what to do. Her friends, who along with her were there the night Shaila was killed, tell her to leave it alone, let the past stay in the past. But if Graham really is innocent, that means someone else killed Shaila. Is it worth risking her friendships, her future, maybe even her life, to know the truth?
I don’t know why, but I really enjoy this type of book, with secret societies or cliques, the secrets and lies, one person searching for the truth. My high school experience couldn’t have been further from this, so I guess I’m just a sucker for melodrama. But this is a well-written book; it's not fluff.
This was a really good story that totally hooked me. Even though I figured out what happened early on, there still were a few twists, so I couldn’t stop reading. There were a lot of familiar elements but Goodman added her own spin to them.
I definitely think this could be a good movie!
Check out my list of the best books I read in 2019 at https://itseithersadnessoreuphoria.blogspot.com/2020/01/the-best-books-i-read-in-2019.html.
Check out my list of the best books of the decade at https://itseithersadnessoreuphoria.blogspot.com/2020/01/my-favorite-books-of-decade.html.
See all of my reviews at itseithersadnessoreuphoria.blogspot.com.
Follow me on Instagram at https://www.instagram.com/the.bookishworld.of.yrralh/.
It’s senior year of high school for Jill Newman and her best friends at Gold Coast Prep on Long Island. Freshman year was awful when her best friend, Shaila, was murdered, and Shaila’s boyfriend Graham confessed, but Jill and her friends have all (mostly) moved on from that tragedy.
Now they’re ready to rule the school.
Jill and her friends are Players, part of the exclusive, not-quite-secret society at school. There’s some serious hazing involved as a freshman, but when you’re a Player, your life—and in many ways, your future—are set.
When Jill starts getting texts proclaiming Graham’s innocence, she doesn’t know what to do. Her friends, who along with her were there the night Shaila was killed, tell her to leave it alone, let the past stay in the past. But if Graham really is innocent, that means someone else killed Shaila. Is it worth risking her friendships, her future, maybe even her life, to know the truth?
I don’t know why, but I really enjoy this type of book, with secret societies or cliques, the secrets and lies, one person searching for the truth. My high school experience couldn’t have been further from this, so I guess I’m just a sucker for melodrama. But this is a well-written book; it's not fluff.
This was a really good story that totally hooked me. Even though I figured out what happened early on, there still were a few twists, so I couldn’t stop reading. There were a lot of familiar elements but Goodman added her own spin to them.
I definitely think this could be a good movie!
Check out my list of the best books I read in 2019 at https://itseithersadnessoreuphoria.blogspot.com/2020/01/the-best-books-i-read-in-2019.html.
Check out my list of the best books of the decade at https://itseithersadnessoreuphoria.blogspot.com/2020/01/my-favorite-books-of-decade.html.
See all of my reviews at itseithersadnessoreuphoria.blogspot.com.
Follow me on Instagram at https://www.instagram.com/the.bookishworld.of.yrralh/.
January 12, 2022
This is a decent YA mystery. The culprit was pretty obvious to me from the beginning, but I kept reading to find out the reasons and events that surrounded the death.
The book centers around a group of students in an elite New England Prep school. They call themselves "The Players" and they are the cream of the crop, the most revered, the smartest and most privileges ones. They are tapped as freshmen and complete an elaborate year-long hazing ritual that culminates in an initiation. Jill is now a senior Player, but during their freshman year her best friend Shaila died during the initiation ceremony. Another Player, Graham, was arrested for murder, but three years later he is claiming innocence. What really happened that night?
I kind of went through my experience with this book with a sick feeling in my stomach. The hazing is portrayed incredibly realistically, and some of the observations about it are on point. It reminded me of the days back in the 80s with fraternity and sorority hazing. I was a bit frustrated and irritated with the adults in the book who basically acted like ostriches with their heads in the sand, ignoring glaring red flags.
I listened to the audiobook of this one, which was a good way to experience it as I love Kristen Sieh as a narrator (She blew me away with An Absolutely Remarkable Thing and A Beautifully Foolish Endeavor) She gave Jill a believable voice in this tale.
Overall this book was very light on the mystery element and was more focused on the high school clique and the mean girls/boys that make it up. I wish it had been more focused on surprises and twists rather than what it does focus on. Not a terrible read, just not very memorable.
I voluntarily reviewed a complimentary copy of this book, all opinions are my own.
The book centers around a group of students in an elite New England Prep school. They call themselves "The Players" and they are the cream of the crop, the most revered, the smartest and most privileges ones. They are tapped as freshmen and complete an elaborate year-long hazing ritual that culminates in an initiation. Jill is now a senior Player, but during their freshman year her best friend Shaila died during the initiation ceremony. Another Player, Graham, was arrested for murder, but three years later he is claiming innocence. What really happened that night?
I kind of went through my experience with this book with a sick feeling in my stomach. The hazing is portrayed incredibly realistically, and some of the observations about it are on point. It reminded me of the days back in the 80s with fraternity and sorority hazing. I was a bit frustrated and irritated with the adults in the book who basically acted like ostriches with their heads in the sand, ignoring glaring red flags.
I listened to the audiobook of this one, which was a good way to experience it as I love Kristen Sieh as a narrator (She blew me away with An Absolutely Remarkable Thing and A Beautifully Foolish Endeavor) She gave Jill a believable voice in this tale.
Overall this book was very light on the mystery element and was more focused on the high school clique and the mean girls/boys that make it up. I wish it had been more focused on surprises and twists rather than what it does focus on. Not a terrible read, just not very memorable.
I voluntarily reviewed a complimentary copy of this book, all opinions are my own.
July 21, 2020
Thank you Penguin Teen for an eARC in exchange for an honest review.
“They say only the good die young, but that’s just a stupid line in a song we used to sing. It isn’t real. It isn’t true. I know that because Shaila Arnold was so many things – brilliant and funny, confident and wild. But honestly? She wasn’t all that good.”
Rich kids, preppy private school, and murder. They Wish They Were Us was one of those books that I automatically like because it has some of my favorite things. I swear I will never get tired of rich people drama and a murder mystery. I went into this thinking it was going to be a dark and disturbing mystery, but it was more about the drama of high school with a background for the murder that took place. I mean I’m not complaining because it was a compelling book, but I wish going into it I would have known the murder is not the main plot.
Jill Newman is honestly why I enjoyed this book so much; she is a protagonist that I think everyone cheers for. She knows that what she and her group of friends is doing to the underclassmen is wrong, but she doesn’t want to go against the popular crowd and call them out. Jill and her friends seem to have it all their senior year, but how far did they go to make it to the top? I seriously got angry reading about the characters because they were spoiled rich kids who thought the world revolved around them. Slowly though, the author uncovers hints here and there about what happened leading up to their senior year and it made me hate them a little less.
Onto the murder aspect, I was pleasantly surprised at the twist that happens and looking back if I was reading more carefully the author did put in little hints about who did it. I really give props to the author for making it a believable murder, sometimes twists in books are so far fetched that I end up hating the entire book. I want plot twist that shocks me, but is realistic which was definitely done in this book. I wish this book would have been focused a little more of the mystery part and I wanted it to be darker, but it was still a very good book.
“They say only the good die young, but that’s just a stupid line in a song we used to sing. It isn’t real. It isn’t true. I know that because Shaila Arnold was so many things – brilliant and funny, confident and wild. But honestly? She wasn’t all that good.”
Rich kids, preppy private school, and murder. They Wish They Were Us was one of those books that I automatically like because it has some of my favorite things. I swear I will never get tired of rich people drama and a murder mystery. I went into this thinking it was going to be a dark and disturbing mystery, but it was more about the drama of high school with a background for the murder that took place. I mean I’m not complaining because it was a compelling book, but I wish going into it I would have known the murder is not the main plot.
Jill Newman is honestly why I enjoyed this book so much; she is a protagonist that I think everyone cheers for. She knows that what she and her group of friends is doing to the underclassmen is wrong, but she doesn’t want to go against the popular crowd and call them out. Jill and her friends seem to have it all their senior year, but how far did they go to make it to the top? I seriously got angry reading about the characters because they were spoiled rich kids who thought the world revolved around them. Slowly though, the author uncovers hints here and there about what happened leading up to their senior year and it made me hate them a little less.
Onto the murder aspect, I was pleasantly surprised at the twist that happens and looking back if I was reading more carefully the author did put in little hints about who did it. I really give props to the author for making it a believable murder, sometimes twists in books are so far fetched that I end up hating the entire book. I want plot twist that shocks me, but is realistic which was definitely done in this book. I wish this book would have been focused a little more of the mystery part and I wanted it to be darker, but it was still a very good book.
July 22, 2020
Well, isn’t that odd? There’s no favorite quote at the top of this review. That’s because there were too many great ones to choose from. (Do you detect the sarcasm?)
Reading this book is remembering something from your childhood. We’ll use Doritos as an example here.
Do you remember craving something like Doritos? Asking your Mom or Dad to pick some up at the grocery store because that’s where they are headed. You sat there and waited patiently for them to return with a bag of cheesy goodness. They get home and hand you a bag of not what you asked for. Instead of Doritos, you get cheese triangles. Wtf is this? You try one anyone anyway because you’re told that they’re the same. But you take that first bite and it’s an utter disappointment. That is this book in a nutshell.
I should have known what I was getting myself into when they compared it to One of Us is Lying. I couldn’t even finish that book and here I thought this one would be different. I’m too old to be playing these games but I gambled anyway. I’m sad at myself.
The characters were nauseating and none of them had any good qualities. I wish I could have pushed them all off of a cliff and it would have been end of story. I almost gave up a few times but I persevered and pushed on through hoping it would get better. Wrong! So very wrong!
They Wish They Were Us was a waste of time. The mystery was mediocre and instantly solvable. Where’s the fun in that? The only redeeming quality it has is the cover. This book should be titled, Runaway or Don’t Waste Your Time, or better yet... I Wish I’ve Never Read This.
Reading this book is remembering something from your childhood. We’ll use Doritos as an example here.
Do you remember craving something like Doritos? Asking your Mom or Dad to pick some up at the grocery store because that’s where they are headed. You sat there and waited patiently for them to return with a bag of cheesy goodness. They get home and hand you a bag of not what you asked for. Instead of Doritos, you get cheese triangles. Wtf is this? You try one anyone anyway because you’re told that they’re the same. But you take that first bite and it’s an utter disappointment. That is this book in a nutshell.
I should have known what I was getting myself into when they compared it to One of Us is Lying. I couldn’t even finish that book and here I thought this one would be different. I’m too old to be playing these games but I gambled anyway. I’m sad at myself.
The characters were nauseating and none of them had any good qualities. I wish I could have pushed them all off of a cliff and it would have been end of story. I almost gave up a few times but I persevered and pushed on through hoping it would get better. Wrong! So very wrong!
They Wish They Were Us was a waste of time. The mystery was mediocre and instantly solvable. Where’s the fun in that? The only redeeming quality it has is the cover. This book should be titled, Runaway or Don’t Waste Your Time, or better yet... I Wish I’ve Never Read This.
October 12, 2020
This book sucked the life out of me 😣
Even though I am a sucker for high school cliques and secret societies, this one was just not my cup of tea.
I could almost forgive the non - existent mystery; it is very obvious from the beginning who the murderer is. Again, I wouldn't have a problem with that if the rest of the book was alright.
What I couldn't get past was the despicable characters.
Jill was a mean, terrible person, who valued being the most popular girl in school more than anything. It seemed to me she was relieved her friend died, so she could take her place in the hierarchy and be the queen of the school. Even after 3 years of her friend's death, she kept that awful secret club alive, along with its inhumane hazing.
Now, all of a sudden, Jill decides to grow a conscience for reasons unbeknownst to the reader (really, no explanation at all) and finally sees that what she has been doing all this time is actionable, to say the least, and tries to stop it. However, she still really misses her "friends", who are even worse than she is, and her hard earned popularity.
Ugh, I disliked Jill very much.
They Wish They Were Us was kind of OK until 20% where I was still curious about where all this was going and Adam's character was intriguing. It went downhill very fast from there. I struggled to finish it, and I really don't think it will appeal much to ages older than 12-13 yo.
Even though I am a sucker for high school cliques and secret societies, this one was just not my cup of tea.
I could almost forgive the non - existent mystery; it is very obvious from the beginning who the murderer is. Again, I wouldn't have a problem with that if the rest of the book was alright.
What I couldn't get past was the despicable characters.
Jill was a mean, terrible person, who valued being the most popular girl in school more than anything. It seemed to me she was relieved her friend died, so she could take her place in the hierarchy and be the queen of the school. Even after 3 years of her friend's death, she kept that awful secret club alive, along with its inhumane hazing.
Now, all of a sudden, Jill decides to grow a conscience for reasons unbeknownst to the reader (really, no explanation at all) and finally sees that what she has been doing all this time is actionable, to say the least, and tries to stop it. However, she still really misses her "friends", who are even worse than she is, and her hard earned popularity.
Ugh, I disliked Jill very much.
They Wish They Were Us was kind of OK until 20% where I was still curious about where all this was going and Adam's character was intriguing. It went downhill very fast from there. I struggled to finish it, and I really don't think it will appeal much to ages older than 12-13 yo.
December 24, 2021
Dull boring chapters✔
Stupid Mc✔
No Plot twist✔
A killer as clear as the sky in summer!!✔
and there you have it, the book summarised!
Disclaimer-This is a rant review. I don't mean to offend the author or anyone who liked this book. These are just my own thoughts
and I'd probably drive myself crazy if I don't get them out
Probably the only creatures who wish they were them are frogs on the roadside. And not ALL kinds of frogs but those kinds which just sit and croak and croak and croak
okay, the previous sentence made no sense
....
*imagine punching a hole in the wall*
*bangs imaginary head against the wall and curses the moment I decided to pick this up*
*throws imaginary book out of the window*
*burns said book and then throws whatever is left of it in the sea*
(imaginary because I'm never going to inflict such torture upon a real book)
You know the best thing in the world is to curl up in a blanket on a rainy day and sit near the window with a book in your hands.
That feeling is heaven. It is THE BEST.
Believe me when I say this book is a mood/vibe/everything killer.
This book is just so...bad I don't even want to waste my time on it because here's the thing, I LIVE for YA thrillers. I love them, with my soul and EVERYTHING and maybe this is part reason why I get super pissed off when a book with a good plot sucks.
The Plot
Jill is a 'Player'. Apparently, being a player is hard and important*scoffs*. Each year, 8 kids are selected as 'Players'. Players are special. They get their own benefits blah blah blah.
So Jill has an awesome life. Except for that murder that happened 3 years back.
Sheila Arnold, Jill's best friend was killed and in solid cliche fashion, the boyfriend-Graham- was announced the killer because of course, it is always the boyfriend.
And everyone believes the police( of course) but then 3 years later, new evidence is brought to light which clears away Graham leaving Jill with the unsettling fact that one of her own people murdered Sheila.
Interesting Plot? Yes. Not very original, not going to lie, but it was intriguing. But did it deliver?
My Problems with the book
1.The Concept of Players
Being a Player is considered a privilege. Players are a big part of the book. The book Is set over/around/about them but it took half the book for me to even remotely understand what player means.
Every year, 8 of the freshmen- veryyy creatively referred to as-undies- in the book are chosen as 'Players' by the senior year 'Players'.
Now I know what you're thinking. Great privilege=great responsibility so must've taken hard work?
But No.
all you need to do to be a player is
is..
*drumroll*
fulfill the pops!!!!
which include
-drinking something which ' smelled like the inside of an
ear piercing, and tasted like sweat and salt and my own fluids-in the words of Jill Newman.
- stealing a vase from school
- dancing to Beyonce while you are drunk
- cooking the thanksgiving meal
- buying donuts for seniors
- folding their clothes
- washing their cars
- ( a bunch of other similar boring activities)
*failing to fulfill any of the pops results in being squirted with ketchup and mustard
Believe me when I say the two stars I've given this book are out of sheer generosity.
2. The very obvious thing(s) otherwise referred to as plot twist
Have you read The Cheerleaders? This book is the SAME except the posh prep school and near the beach backdrop.
Like, everything is the same. Not everything EVERYTHING but
It is just so obvious. You don't need a Nancy Drew or a Poirot or a Sherlock. You know who the killer is right from the moment they are introduced.
It was just so boring knowing who the killer was from the beginning and waiting for the mc to finally realize
3.The Length of The Book
I think the biggest reason why I developed a major dislike (choosing fancy words because I refuse to use 'hate') for this book is because of the length.
My ebook had 294 pages and it took the main character 135 pages to reach a conclusion anyone could've guessed right from page 15. It took another 100 pages for her to reach the more important conclusion.
So should you be reading this? No. A straight NO. I won't add a 'maybe' here because JUST NO. there are better thrillers out there. Don't waste your time on this unless you are interested in losing a few of your precious brain cells.
........................................................
~While Reading~
So I hate this book. And I thought the most that can go wrong with a book with a somewhat good plot is the kind of lyrical writing
where sentences end up
abruptly
for no real
reason
(We Were Liars anyone? and yes, I shall forever compare all those trash books with We were Liars)
But this book proves me wrong.
I hate this
and I'm not even done.
And I'm not sure if I want to continue
this is going to be my first DNF of the year.
or maybe I will force myself to skim read this
Stupid Mc✔
No Plot twist✔
A killer as clear as the sky in summer!!✔
and there you have it, the book summarised!
Disclaimer-This is a rant review. I don't mean to offend the author or anyone who liked this book. These are just my own thoughts
Probably the only creatures who wish they were them are frogs on the roadside. And not ALL kinds of frogs but those kinds which just sit and croak and croak and croak
....
*imagine punching a hole in the wall*
*bangs imaginary head against the wall and curses the moment I decided to pick this up*
*throws imaginary book out of the window*
*burns said book and then throws whatever is left of it in the sea*
(imaginary because I'm never going to inflict such torture upon a real book)
You know the best thing in the world is to curl up in a blanket on a rainy day and sit near the window with a book in your hands.
That feeling is heaven. It is THE BEST.
Believe me when I say this book is a mood/vibe/everything killer.
This book is just so...bad I don't even want to waste my time on it because here's the thing, I LIVE for YA thrillers. I love them, with my soul and EVERYTHING and maybe this is part reason why I get super pissed off when a book with a good plot sucks.
The Plot
Jill is a 'Player'. Apparently, being a player is hard and important*scoffs*. Each year, 8 kids are selected as 'Players'. Players are special. They get their own benefits blah blah blah.
So Jill has an awesome life. Except for that murder that happened 3 years back.
Sheila Arnold, Jill's best friend was killed and in solid cliche fashion, the boyfriend-Graham- was announced the killer because of course, it is always the boyfriend.
And everyone believes the police( of course) but then 3 years later, new evidence is brought to light which clears away Graham leaving Jill with the unsettling fact that one of her own people murdered Sheila.
Interesting Plot? Yes. Not very original, not going to lie, but it was intriguing. But did it deliver?
My Problems with the book
1.The Concept of Players
Being a Player is considered a privilege. Players are a big part of the book. The book Is set over/around/about them but it took half the book for me to even remotely understand what player means.
Every year, 8 of the freshmen- veryyy creatively referred to as-undies- in the book are chosen as 'Players' by the senior year 'Players'.
Now I know what you're thinking. Great privilege=great responsibility so must've taken hard work?
But No.
all you need to do to be a player is
is..
*drumroll*
fulfill the pops!!!!
which include
-drinking something which ' smelled like the inside of an
ear piercing, and tasted like sweat and salt and my own fluids-in the words of Jill Newman.
- stealing a vase from school
- dancing to Beyonce while you are drunk
- cooking the thanksgiving meal
- buying donuts for seniors
- folding their clothes
- washing their cars
- ( a bunch of other similar boring activities)
*failing to fulfill any of the pops results in being squirted with ketchup and mustard
Believe me when I say the two stars I've given this book are out of sheer generosity.
2. The very obvious thing(s) otherwise referred to as plot twist
Have you read The Cheerleaders? This book is the SAME except the posh prep school and near the beach backdrop.
Like, everything is the same. Not everything EVERYTHING but
It is just so obvious. You don't need a Nancy Drew or a Poirot or a Sherlock. You know who the killer is right from the moment they are introduced.
It was just so boring knowing who the killer was from the beginning and waiting for the mc to finally realize
3.The Length of The Book
I think the biggest reason why I developed a major dislike (
My ebook had 294 pages and it took the main character 135 pages to reach a conclusion anyone could've guessed right from page 15. It took another 100 pages for her to reach the more important conclusion.
So should you be reading this? No. A straight NO. I won't add a 'maybe' here because JUST NO. there are better thrillers out there. Don't waste your time on this unless you are interested in losing a few of your precious brain cells.
........................................................
~While Reading~
So I hate this book. And I thought the most that can go wrong with a book with a somewhat good plot is the kind of lyrical writing
where sentences end up
abruptly
for no real
reason
(We Were Liars anyone? and yes, I shall forever compare all those trash books with We were Liars)
But this book proves me wrong.
I hate this
and I'm not even done.
And I'm not sure if I want to continue
this is going to be my first DNF of the year.
May 10, 2021
Quickly swept up into this high society private school Gold Coast Prep in Long Island with students in their perfectly pressed school uniforms, I was intrigued by their "Player" secret society. When friendships are bonded by their privileges, you know there is going to be some scandalous perceptions involved. There is something to be said about the atmosphere in the book as if you are trolling the high school hallways. It was a well-developed scenario that quickly escalates into a fast-paced mystery.
What appeared as a solved case turns into a real whodunit with meticulous uncovering of a murder.
It is Jill's senior year, which is a time of SAT, ACT, entrance into the college of choice, and grades perfected. Their senior year begins dedicating their year to Shaila, Jill's best friend and a student murdered by her former boyfriend their freshman year. Graham confesses to the crime under the duress of police interrogation without memory of the night and a victim of circumstance. After three years in juvenile detention, he recants the night and declares a retrial under the guidance of a new lawyer.
Jill receives texts from Rachel who vouches on Graham's behalf his innocence. Who committed the crime is the main focus and the plot driving the story, but friendships are at risk. When the lines are divided, you realize there is a cover-up. Quickly accelerating you into this drama while parties are a little ludicrous and grades earned might not be the case as it unfolds there are a lot of issues and covering to defend those of a higher status.
I love the YA books and was excited about this one! It delivered!
What appeared as a solved case turns into a real whodunit with meticulous uncovering of a murder.
It is Jill's senior year, which is a time of SAT, ACT, entrance into the college of choice, and grades perfected. Their senior year begins dedicating their year to Shaila, Jill's best friend and a student murdered by her former boyfriend their freshman year. Graham confesses to the crime under the duress of police interrogation without memory of the night and a victim of circumstance. After three years in juvenile detention, he recants the night and declares a retrial under the guidance of a new lawyer.
Jill receives texts from Rachel who vouches on Graham's behalf his innocence. Who committed the crime is the main focus and the plot driving the story, but friendships are at risk. When the lines are divided, you realize there is a cover-up. Quickly accelerating you into this drama while parties are a little ludicrous and grades earned might not be the case as it unfolds there are a lot of issues and covering to defend those of a higher status.
I love the YA books and was excited about this one! It delivered!
July 19, 2021
I AM OBSESSED!
Jessica Goodman wrote one of the summer’s most anticipated books and I am all here for it. They Wish They Were Us is an addictive YA murder mystery set in the backdrop of one of Long Island’s most exclusive and prestigious school for the most privileged, Gold Coast Prep. This is a book that you will devour for its secret society, hazing rituals, exclusivity, popularity and power of the privileged few.
Jill Newman and her best friend Shaila Arnold were selected to join an exclusive secret society called “The Players” with an incredibly vicious hazing ritual that one would die for, to achieve status and the opportunity to access information that would ensure an Ivy League standing. Well, that is exactly what happened three years ago when Jill’s best friend was murdered at the hands of her boyfriend Graham Calloway, who confessed to the murder.
Now it’s senior year and Jill is determined to make this year the best ever! She is now one of the leaders of “The Players” and enjoying the privilege status everyone is coveting for. Everything is going well until she receives a text message from Rachel, Graham’s older sister that claims his innocence. At this point, through Jill’s POV and flashbacks to what really happened leading up to the murder had my fingers flipping unable to put this book down. Amazing!
I loved that the writing delved deeper beyond the prep-school murder-mystery trope and explores female friendships, loyalty and grief. Goodman explores the harrowing consequences of belonging and keeping up the façade. Don’t miss this one.
Jessica Goodman wrote one of the summer’s most anticipated books and I am all here for it. They Wish They Were Us is an addictive YA murder mystery set in the backdrop of one of Long Island’s most exclusive and prestigious school for the most privileged, Gold Coast Prep. This is a book that you will devour for its secret society, hazing rituals, exclusivity, popularity and power of the privileged few.
Jill Newman and her best friend Shaila Arnold were selected to join an exclusive secret society called “The Players” with an incredibly vicious hazing ritual that one would die for, to achieve status and the opportunity to access information that would ensure an Ivy League standing. Well, that is exactly what happened three years ago when Jill’s best friend was murdered at the hands of her boyfriend Graham Calloway, who confessed to the murder.
Now it’s senior year and Jill is determined to make this year the best ever! She is now one of the leaders of “The Players” and enjoying the privilege status everyone is coveting for. Everything is going well until she receives a text message from Rachel, Graham’s older sister that claims his innocence. At this point, through Jill’s POV and flashbacks to what really happened leading up to the murder had my fingers flipping unable to put this book down. Amazing!
I loved that the writing delved deeper beyond the prep-school murder-mystery trope and explores female friendships, loyalty and grief. Goodman explores the harrowing consequences of belonging and keeping up the façade. Don’t miss this one.
Read
January 2, 2021I really enjoyed this one! I listened to the audiobook, and something about the narrator annoyed me, so I think I would've liked it a touch more if I had read the physical copy.
I guessed who the killer was the first time we met them, but I loved seeing my theory tested as the story went along. It didn't feel rushed or anything to me either, which was a nice change from the endings of most thrillers I've read in recent years.
I guessed who the killer was the first time we met them, but I loved seeing my theory tested as the story went along. It didn't feel rushed or anything to me either, which was a nice change from the endings of most thrillers I've read in recent years.
August 4, 2020
They Wish They Were Us is the absolute perfect title for a YA mystery thriller that will leave you thinking, “thank god I’m not them.” Jessica Goodman seamlessly introduces us to a cast of characters that you will instantly feel a little unsure about. It’s impressive how she made me understand them despite their morally gray personas, all while building up a mystery “whoactuallydunit?” plot in the background.
Our main character Jill is dealing with the pressures that someone feels to fit in, because it seems better than the alternative of being left out. The pressures of any high schooler to do well, because someone is depending on them to do so. Add on to that the fact that the boy who admitted to murdering her best friend 3 years ago, is suddenly claiming he’s innocent.
Yeah. This one is a ride. I honestly enjoyed that it took time to understand Jill’s motivations in this story. This book doesn’t move at a quick pace by any means. It takes time to explore the prep school experience from the perspective of someone who knows the cost of fitting in and introduces you to The Players and other morally gray characters in Gold Coast.
Jumping from the past and present POV of Jill, subtle clues to the mystery are dropped and layers are built up to show us who Jill truly is. I will say that some of the transitions between past and present were rocky to navigate, but by the end I sort of adjusted to them.
All that being said, I thought that this was an entertaining read. I do feel that it focuses more on Jill and her friends involvement with The Players, and in the Gold Coast community in general. How they navigate and the choices they’ve had to make along the way. The mystery is important, obviously, but the stakes feel pretty mild considering the crime has already been committed. That’s all I really want to say without spoiling, but I highly recommend for anyone who thinks they would enjoy a mash up of Pretty Little Liars and Gossip Girl. I know that many people hate when books are compared to other series, but I honestly feel like that combination perfectly describes the overall vibe and bones of this story.
Available NOW!
*ARC provided by PenguinTeen through NetGalley!
Our main character Jill is dealing with the pressures that someone feels to fit in, because it seems better than the alternative of being left out. The pressures of any high schooler to do well, because someone is depending on them to do so. Add on to that the fact that the boy who admitted to murdering her best friend 3 years ago, is suddenly claiming he’s innocent.
Yeah. This one is a ride. I honestly enjoyed that it took time to understand Jill’s motivations in this story. This book doesn’t move at a quick pace by any means. It takes time to explore the prep school experience from the perspective of someone who knows the cost of fitting in and introduces you to The Players and other morally gray characters in Gold Coast.
Jumping from the past and present POV of Jill, subtle clues to the mystery are dropped and layers are built up to show us who Jill truly is. I will say that some of the transitions between past and present were rocky to navigate, but by the end I sort of adjusted to them.
All that being said, I thought that this was an entertaining read. I do feel that it focuses more on Jill and her friends involvement with The Players, and in the Gold Coast community in general. How they navigate and the choices they’ve had to make along the way. The mystery is important, obviously, but the stakes feel pretty mild considering the crime has already been committed. That’s all I really want to say without spoiling, but I highly recommend for anyone who thinks they would enjoy a mash up of Pretty Little Liars and Gossip Girl. I know that many people hate when books are compared to other series, but I honestly feel like that combination perfectly describes the overall vibe and bones of this story.
Available NOW!
*ARC provided by PenguinTeen through NetGalley!
August 6, 2021
I was looking forward to this book, I mean who wouldn't love a YA murder mystery about rich teens from a private prep school.
Sadly, this just felt like such a pointless book. It was so pointless that it took me less than two hours to read this book because I skimmed most of it, and yet I know I didn't miss anything.
Everything from the mystery, the murder, the characters, the secrets, the drama.....it was all lackluster, boring and predictable as hell. It was obvious who the murderer was. The book had little to no excitement or suspense. The writing was pretty bad as well, though it grew tolerable by the end.
To be fair, this book didn't make me angry or annoy me too much. That being said, I also didn't have a single ounce of any sort of feeling while I read this book. Hence, the one star.
Sadly, this just felt like such a pointless book. It was so pointless that it took me less than two hours to read this book because I skimmed most of it, and yet I know I didn't miss anything.
Everything from the mystery, the murder, the characters, the secrets, the drama.....it was all lackluster, boring and predictable as hell. It was obvious who the murderer was. The book had little to no excitement or suspense. The writing was pretty bad as well, though it grew tolerable by the end.
To be fair, this book didn't make me angry or annoy me too much. That being said, I also didn't have a single ounce of any sort of feeling while I read this book. Hence, the one star.
February 9, 2021
Actual rating 3.5/5 stars.
The Players are the chosen elite who pinnacle the Gold Coast prep school's social hierarchy. They are more than the most popular students though and they do more than throw the wildest parties. The Players have access to test answers, have their chosen college admissions guaranteed, and the futures they desire provided for them. They also have the task of ensuring those next in line sacrifice everything they are to get this place, just like they did.
This is exactly the type of story-line that I just eat up. There is something endlessly interesting about the wealthy elite and their prep-school prodigies for me. The academic setting provided some structure but, very early on, we witness almost every single character vying to test and ultimately shatter their boundaries there. Much of this book took place after dark, most of it was illegal, and all of it was intriguing.
Whilst an exploration of the privileges the Players enjoy remained a prominent focus, a murder mystery story-line also simultaneously run alongside it and I was just as invested in learning more about both. Issues such as gender disparity and the rampant accepted sexism were exposed and also became an increasingly dominant theme.
I didn't particularly care for Jill, the protagonist, and I did guess some of the concluding grand reveals but this was still an enjoyable and voyeuristic insight to the lives of these pampered Players and the games they play with each other's lives and greatest fears.
The Players are the chosen elite who pinnacle the Gold Coast prep school's social hierarchy. They are more than the most popular students though and they do more than throw the wildest parties. The Players have access to test answers, have their chosen college admissions guaranteed, and the futures they desire provided for them. They also have the task of ensuring those next in line sacrifice everything they are to get this place, just like they did.
This is exactly the type of story-line that I just eat up. There is something endlessly interesting about the wealthy elite and their prep-school prodigies for me. The academic setting provided some structure but, very early on, we witness almost every single character vying to test and ultimately shatter their boundaries there. Much of this book took place after dark, most of it was illegal, and all of it was intriguing.
Whilst an exploration of the privileges the Players enjoy remained a prominent focus, a murder mystery story-line also simultaneously run alongside it and I was just as invested in learning more about both. Issues such as gender disparity and the rampant accepted sexism were exposed and also became an increasingly dominant theme.
I didn't particularly care for Jill, the protagonist, and I did guess some of the concluding grand reveals but this was still an enjoyable and voyeuristic insight to the lives of these pampered Players and the games they play with each other's lives and greatest fears.
Want to read
October 25, 2020i have a weakness for boarding school mysteries...
August 28, 2021
I love YA and I love Thrillers…so when they are mixed together I get excited as a puppy playing fetch!! 😂 They Wish They Were Us is something I’d had my eye on because it’s a combo of my favorite genres. Honestly though I don’t think I would have picked it up as quickly if I hadn’t decided to Buddy Read with the cool peeps of the #ratherbereading book club on Bookstagram in April. Yes this review is so late!! 🤦♀️🙈
Jill starts out at Gold Coast Prep High as a freshman scholarship kid and in order to fit in she and her best friend Shaila join a secret type society called “The Players”. It wasn’t easy there were lots of challenges they had to pass (hazing) to get in, but it was worth it. This clique gets them in to the best parties, the best schools, all the answers to those pesky finals, and most of all a place to fit in even if it’s at the bottom of the totem pole. Something happened on the last challenge before admittance, when tensions were high. Shailia ends up being murdered by her boyfriend Graham who willingly confessed to killing her.
All that is behind Jill now, she’s a senior and this year is different because she’s at the top of the food chain. And she’s going to help change the direction of The Players. But her friends who vowed to make it different are making it just as difficult for the underclassmen as they had it. All this and then texts start to come that proclaim Graham is not guilty and that he’s really innocent, start to make Jill spiral out of control. Putting her friendships, her future and her actual life on the line as she tries to put together the pieces of what really happened the night her best friend was murdered.
This book was a such thrill ride and If I had had the time I would have absorbed it instantaneously. I wanted to throw my responsibilities out the window and binge. But because this was a buddy read and I am a responsible person 😉 I had to pace myself.
I couldn’t believe what Jill and the others were willing to do just to get ahead. And while their actions were not exactly realistic, which I think works perfectly for the story, the pressure some kids face to get into a good college and make it in this world I felt was 100% accurate.
It took me awhile to figure it out if Graham was actually innocent or guilty. But I was a little underwhelmed when I found out exactly what happened, which is why I lowered it to 4 stars. But other than that this book was an interesting, heart poundingly good read!
Let’s just say I’m counting down to Jessica Goodman’s next book They’ll Never Catch Us and no it’s not a sequel (that’s what I thought at first glance), but it looks just as good!
Jill starts out at Gold Coast Prep High as a freshman scholarship kid and in order to fit in she and her best friend Shaila join a secret type society called “The Players”. It wasn’t easy there were lots of challenges they had to pass (hazing) to get in, but it was worth it. This clique gets them in to the best parties, the best schools, all the answers to those pesky finals, and most of all a place to fit in even if it’s at the bottom of the totem pole. Something happened on the last challenge before admittance, when tensions were high. Shailia ends up being murdered by her boyfriend Graham who willingly confessed to killing her.
All that is behind Jill now, she’s a senior and this year is different because she’s at the top of the food chain. And she’s going to help change the direction of The Players. But her friends who vowed to make it different are making it just as difficult for the underclassmen as they had it. All this and then texts start to come that proclaim Graham is not guilty and that he’s really innocent, start to make Jill spiral out of control. Putting her friendships, her future and her actual life on the line as she tries to put together the pieces of what really happened the night her best friend was murdered.
This book was a such thrill ride and If I had had the time I would have absorbed it instantaneously. I wanted to throw my responsibilities out the window and binge. But because this was a buddy read and I am a responsible person 😉 I had to pace myself.
I couldn’t believe what Jill and the others were willing to do just to get ahead. And while their actions were not exactly realistic, which I think works perfectly for the story, the pressure some kids face to get into a good college and make it in this world I felt was 100% accurate.
It took me awhile to figure it out if Graham was actually innocent or guilty. But I was a little underwhelmed when I found out exactly what happened, which is why I lowered it to 4 stars. But other than that this book was an interesting, heart poundingly good read!
Let’s just say I’m counting down to Jessica Goodman’s next book They’ll Never Catch Us and no it’s not a sequel (that’s what I thought at first glance), but it looks just as good!
August 11, 2020
2.5⭐
They Wish They Were Us sounded like something I would love, but I struggled to get into this story. It kept me just interested enough to see if it got better. It was a little too predictable, and the alternating timelines were unclear and confusing at times. This wasn't really a bad book, but it doesn't stand out from any other YA thriller.
CW - sexual harassment, misogyny, bullying / hazing
They Wish They Were Us sounded like something I would love, but I struggled to get into this story. It kept me just interested enough to see if it got better. It was a little too predictable, and the alternating timelines were unclear and confusing at times. This wasn't really a bad book, but it doesn't stand out from any other YA thriller.
CW - sexual harassment, misogyny, bullying / hazing
September 14, 2024
˚₊· ͟͟͞͞➳❥ 1,5 stars
This book was sooo boring. Literally nothing happened in the first 250 pages, the main character was telling her boring life story and there was barely any mention of Sheila's case. After that, everything happened so fast and it was too simple for me, it was so cliche, literally happens in every movie. Honestly I think it was waste of time.
*:･ﾟ✧*:･ﾟ✧
This book was sooo boring. Literally nothing happened in the first 250 pages, the main character was telling her boring life story and there was barely any mention of Sheila's case. After that, everything happened so fast and it was too simple for me, it was so cliche, literally happens in every movie. Honestly I think it was waste of time.
*:･ﾟ✧*:･ﾟ✧
July 16, 2021
.·:·.☽✧ 2.4 stars ✧☾.·:·.
I nearly didn't finish this book. For some reason, it took me nearly 17 days to finish a book with 28 chapters. I got really discouraged after a while because I had so much work to do and I didn't think I would have enough time to finish this book. But I'm really glad I took the chance on this novel. "They Wish They Were Us" annoyed me at times, was pretty predictable, but I somewhat enjoyed the novel nonetheless.
Synopsis
Jill is a senior at Gold Coast Prep and is one of The Players. Jill always has good grades, takes part in various clubs, and has great friends. In her freshman year, Jill's best friend Shaila was murdered by her boyfriend Graham. After that dark night on the beach, Graham confessed, the case was closed, and Jill tried to move on. But 3 years after this incident, someone tells Jill that Graham is innocent, and Jill's dreams of having a perfect senior year as a Player is shattered. If Graham didn't kill Shaila, who did? She vows to find out, but digging deeper could mean putting her friendships, and her future, in jeopardy.
My Thoughts
Positives
When I first read the plot for this novel, I thought this would be pretty mediocre since many authors have used this plot before. I liked learning about the different characters in the novel and seeing their little development (even though Robert had the least development). It was interesting seeing Jill's perspective of everything she knew completely flip, and see her handle all the shit she went through. I appreciated the author showing Jill actually talking to her parents and talking to Nikki about what happened, even though I personally don't think Nikki deserved her.
Negatives (watch out, there are more negatives than positives)
The real killer was predictable. Goodman tried to make us think it was someone else, but come on now, we're not foolish. I wish that there was just more put into this novel. I feel like there could have been just more ✨creativity ✨ put into this novel. I couldn't stand how ignorant and privileged most of the characters were in this novel (especially Jill). Like, the only characters who weren't in a privileged bubble were Marla and Quentin.
And why were there barely any characters of color? Even though Jill says something like "I wish there were more students of color and teachers of color here. But this is a prestigious school, so they want the school to look perfect". I'm sorry, what? Are POC not intelligent enough to get into this fictional prestigious school?
Anyway, it seemed like the killer was right in front of them, and everyone just ignored them because Jill was too in love to see it until the truth smacked her in the face. Jill and almost all the characters were selfish and couldn't care less about each other. When I cannot relate with the character, reading about her inner monologues, her actions, motives, and choices turned this into a torturous reading.
And another little thing, why did the author keep making Jill say "I see tiny little hairs between her eyebrows, waiting to be plucked"? Like, does Jill work at a hair/nail salon where they pluck eyebrows and do hair and shit? This has just been annoying me, because Jill keeps saying this every time someone is angry. Instead of LISTENING to what they're saying, she's looking at their baby unibrow.
Final Thoughts
The characters were privileged, the chapters were unnecessarily wordy, the true killer was pretty predictable, and Jill is annoying. And it's kinda hard for me to remember what I liked about this novel because there wasn't really much that I liked about it. I kinda feel bad about not liking this novel, but this novel annoyed me way too much for me to enjoy it.
I nearly didn't finish this book. For some reason, it took me nearly 17 days to finish a book with 28 chapters. I got really discouraged after a while because I had so much work to do and I didn't think I would have enough time to finish this book. But I'm really glad I took the chance on this novel. "They Wish They Were Us" annoyed me at times, was pretty predictable, but I somewhat enjoyed the novel nonetheless.
Synopsis
Jill is a senior at Gold Coast Prep and is one of The Players. Jill always has good grades, takes part in various clubs, and has great friends. In her freshman year, Jill's best friend Shaila was murdered by her boyfriend Graham. After that dark night on the beach, Graham confessed, the case was closed, and Jill tried to move on. But 3 years after this incident, someone tells Jill that Graham is innocent, and Jill's dreams of having a perfect senior year as a Player is shattered. If Graham didn't kill Shaila, who did? She vows to find out, but digging deeper could mean putting her friendships, and her future, in jeopardy.
My Thoughts
Positives
When I first read the plot for this novel, I thought this would be pretty mediocre since many authors have used this plot before. I liked learning about the different characters in the novel and seeing their little development (even though Robert had the least development). It was interesting seeing Jill's perspective of everything she knew completely flip, and see her handle all the shit she went through. I appreciated the author showing Jill actually talking to her parents and talking to Nikki about what happened, even though I personally don't think Nikki deserved her.
Negatives (watch out, there are more negatives than positives)
The real killer was predictable. Goodman tried to make us think it was someone else, but come on now, we're not foolish. I wish that there was just more put into this novel. I feel like there could have been just more ✨creativity ✨ put into this novel. I couldn't stand how ignorant and privileged most of the characters were in this novel (especially Jill). Like, the only characters who weren't in a privileged bubble were Marla and Quentin.
And why were there barely any characters of color? Even though Jill says something like "I wish there were more students of color and teachers of color here. But this is a prestigious school, so they want the school to look perfect". I'm sorry, what? Are POC not intelligent enough to get into this fictional prestigious school?
Anyway, it seemed like the killer was right in front of them, and everyone just ignored them because Jill was too in love to see it until the truth smacked her in the face. Jill and almost all the characters were selfish and couldn't care less about each other. When I cannot relate with the character, reading about her inner monologues, her actions, motives, and choices turned this into a torturous reading.
And another little thing, why did the author keep making Jill say "I see tiny little hairs between her eyebrows, waiting to be plucked"? Like, does Jill work at a hair/nail salon where they pluck eyebrows and do hair and shit? This has just been annoying me, because Jill keeps saying this every time someone is angry. Instead of LISTENING to what they're saying, she's looking at their baby unibrow.
Final Thoughts
The characters were privileged, the chapters were unnecessarily wordy, the true killer was pretty predictable, and Jill is annoying. And it's kinda hard for me to remember what I liked about this novel because there wasn't really much that I liked about it. I kinda feel bad about not liking this novel, but this novel annoyed me way too much for me to enjoy it.
July 20, 2020
It's been a minute since I've been so invested in a book that I managed to finish it in a matter of hours. From the first page I was invested in the narrative even if it wasn't immediately apparent where the story was going to go. Jill Newman was the kind of protagonist that I love to follow; straddling the line between reluctant hero and wanting to sick to the status quo that was engaging without ever teetering over into annoying territory. The only real qualm I had with the narrative is one that is unique to me I'd say, and that's how time is handled. While I appreciated the flashbacks, I wasn't so much a fan o the way days would pass by or that we somehow managed to spend an entire school year with these characters given how long the book was. Not that the book ever felt rushed, because it definitely didn't and I do think that even a lot of the side characters got enough time for them to never feel two dimensional, but they definitely didn't feel as important as I might have wanted. I will say that this is one of the times that I think the ending was good and the twist was believable with the proper hints there for a smarter reader than I to pick up on. I am definitely looking forward to more from this author and would wholeheartedly recommend this book to people looking for a good time.
September 4, 2020
The main thing I can say about this book is "disappointing." I can follow that up with "misleading" and "dull."
I'm a sucker for a YA thriller. Give me murderous teens and I'm pretty much bound to dive in head first. Throw in a secret society and I'm predisposed to love it. So why didn't I leave this one loving it?
Well, it was a letdown in a lot of ways.
Firstly, the summary on the book jacket is pretty misleading, I was expecting the text messages sent to our lead character to be coming from an anonymous person with inside information about who actually committed the murder years ago. That is not the case. They are coming from the sister of the person who was arrested and confessed to the murder. She is working off a hunch and some evidence that was never entered into police hands. This immediately saps the narrative of any tension because we know who the texts are coming from, we know what this person stands to gain from exonerating Graham (the brother/boyfriend of the murdered girl).
Second, the secret society isn't much of a secret. It's a pretty public, well-known entity in the high school, and, in fact, amongst the faculty of the school. They have the lunch table in the middle of the cafeteria for the seniors in the society, and the surrounding tables are for the underclassmen. Additionally, there is such a legacy of the group (basically, 8 or so freshmen are recruited every year) that there is a whole database of test answers, interview advice, etc. for everyone to have access to. This is all well and good, I wouldn't mind the society being a little more public, except that The Players (the name of the society, cue eyeroll here), are actually the main fixture of the whole book. Not the murder. Not the hunt for more evidence to either exonerate or condemn Graham. The Players and their seemingly ENDLESS recruitment/hazing/initiation rituals are the focus for, without exaggerating, the first 200 pages. And even when the texts about Graham come into play and there is forward motion in that storyline, The Players are still the main focus. Again, all well and good, but when I'm promised murderous teenagers, I want COPIUS AMOUNTS of murderous teenagers.
Third, the pacing is all over the place. It's not a hard read. At all. But most chapters include tangents where we revisit moments from freshman year as Jill reminisces on her own initiation into The Players, these offer valuable backstory to her relationship with the other senior Players as well as her friendship with Shaila, the girl who was murdered. But ultimately, it splits the focus in such a way that it is difficult to get to invested in senior year Jill's perspective. Especially as she becomes more and more disillusioned by The Players. In the end, I'd estimate that a good third of the book takes place in freshman year with various flashbacks happening left and right. Again, not necessarily a problem, but it definitely made it difficult for me to get invested.
Fourth, the characters are kind of all over the map. Jill has a boyfriend who we never really get to know all that well, he seems like a good guy, but there are hints that maybe he's not. These hints go nowhere (that I can recall?) and he ultimately is a good guy. The other Players are sort of interchangeable in many ways, largely a group of wealthy, white teenagers "struggling" through their senior year. Jill's best friend is a freshman at Brown and while their relationship is well-developed, it sort of goes off the rails for me when it takes steps towards romance seemingly out of the blue.
Finally--because I'm rambling at this point--the final resolution left me feeling cold. There is a red herring thrown in that a teacher (a former Player himself) killed Shaila. This comes about when Jill remembers a rumor that the teacher was sleeping with a student, she believes the student is Shaila, the teacher is arrested, he is later cleared as he has an alibi for the night Shaila was murdered. But...that doesn't explain the rumor that he was sleeping with *a* student. It isn't until present day we are led to believe it was Shaila. But the rumor existed before Shaila was murdered. So...did he sleep with a student?
In the end, it was Jill's best friend. He was sleeping with Shaila, he thought she loved him, he wanted more than she was willing to give. He killed her out of anger/jealousy and then framed Graham. This comes out in such a haphazard, rushed way, that it was hard for me to feel any sort of closure. It would have been one thing if we'd gotten real hints that there was something off about him, but instead it felt like Goodman thought "who's the least likely person, who's the person whose involvement would hurt Jill the most" and then worked backwards from there to make it work.
I know it sounds like I really ripped into this one. And I guess I did. But I take issue with books being misrepresented, if it had been marketed differently, I probably would have enjoyed it a lot more. I didn't dislike Goodman's writing at all, she has a clear voice that I found enjoyable, youthful, and if the story had been better, I think it could've been fun. But ultimately, I don't think her voice and the storyline meshed for me.
As a reader of YA thrillers and someone who also LOVES stories about wealthy people behaving badly, I was disappointed to not love this one as much as I hoped to. I'm hopeful that Goodman's future books will impress me more than this one did.
I'm a sucker for a YA thriller. Give me murderous teens and I'm pretty much bound to dive in head first. Throw in a secret society and I'm predisposed to love it. So why didn't I leave this one loving it?
Well, it was a letdown in a lot of ways.
Firstly, the summary on the book jacket is pretty misleading, I was expecting the text messages sent to our lead character to be coming from an anonymous person with inside information about who actually committed the murder years ago. That is not the case. They are coming from the sister of the person who was arrested and confessed to the murder. She is working off a hunch and some evidence that was never entered into police hands. This immediately saps the narrative of any tension because we know who the texts are coming from, we know what this person stands to gain from exonerating Graham (the brother/boyfriend of the murdered girl).
Second, the secret society isn't much of a secret. It's a pretty public, well-known entity in the high school, and, in fact, amongst the faculty of the school. They have the lunch table in the middle of the cafeteria for the seniors in the society, and the surrounding tables are for the underclassmen. Additionally, there is such a legacy of the group (basically, 8 or so freshmen are recruited every year) that there is a whole database of test answers, interview advice, etc. for everyone to have access to. This is all well and good, I wouldn't mind the society being a little more public, except that The Players (the name of the society, cue eyeroll here), are actually the main fixture of the whole book. Not the murder. Not the hunt for more evidence to either exonerate or condemn Graham. The Players and their seemingly ENDLESS recruitment/hazing/initiation rituals are the focus for, without exaggerating, the first 200 pages. And even when the texts about Graham come into play and there is forward motion in that storyline, The Players are still the main focus. Again, all well and good, but when I'm promised murderous teenagers, I want COPIUS AMOUNTS of murderous teenagers.
Third, the pacing is all over the place. It's not a hard read. At all. But most chapters include tangents where we revisit moments from freshman year as Jill reminisces on her own initiation into The Players, these offer valuable backstory to her relationship with the other senior Players as well as her friendship with Shaila, the girl who was murdered. But ultimately, it splits the focus in such a way that it is difficult to get to invested in senior year Jill's perspective. Especially as she becomes more and more disillusioned by The Players. In the end, I'd estimate that a good third of the book takes place in freshman year with various flashbacks happening left and right. Again, not necessarily a problem, but it definitely made it difficult for me to get invested.
Fourth, the characters are kind of all over the map. Jill has a boyfriend who we never really get to know all that well, he seems like a good guy, but there are hints that maybe he's not. These hints go nowhere (that I can recall?) and he ultimately is a good guy. The other Players are sort of interchangeable in many ways, largely a group of wealthy, white teenagers "struggling" through their senior year. Jill's best friend is a freshman at Brown and while their relationship is well-developed, it sort of goes off the rails for me when it takes steps towards romance seemingly out of the blue.
Finally--because I'm rambling at this point--the final resolution left me feeling cold. There is a red herring thrown in that a teacher (a former Player himself) killed Shaila. This comes about when Jill remembers a rumor that the teacher was sleeping with a student, she believes the student is Shaila, the teacher is arrested, he is later cleared as he has an alibi for the night Shaila was murdered. But...that doesn't explain the rumor that he was sleeping with *a* student. It isn't until present day we are led to believe it was Shaila. But the rumor existed before Shaila was murdered. So...did he sleep with a student?
In the end, it was Jill's best friend. He was sleeping with Shaila, he thought she loved him, he wanted more than she was willing to give. He killed her out of anger/jealousy and then framed Graham. This comes out in such a haphazard, rushed way, that it was hard for me to feel any sort of closure. It would have been one thing if we'd gotten real hints that there was something off about him, but instead it felt like Goodman thought "who's the least likely person, who's the person whose involvement would hurt Jill the most" and then worked backwards from there to make it work.
I know it sounds like I really ripped into this one. And I guess I did. But I take issue with books being misrepresented, if it had been marketed differently, I probably would have enjoyed it a lot more. I didn't dislike Goodman's writing at all, she has a clear voice that I found enjoyable, youthful, and if the story had been better, I think it could've been fun. But ultimately, I don't think her voice and the storyline meshed for me.
As a reader of YA thrillers and someone who also LOVES stories about wealthy people behaving badly, I was disappointed to not love this one as much as I hoped to. I'm hopeful that Goodman's future books will impress me more than this one did.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
December 20, 2019
Was anyone else completely obsessed when the television series Gossip Girls aired?! It came out my senior year of college, and my friends and I were absolute trash for it. They Wish They Were Us brings back all of the feels plus adds a murder mystery to boot.
Gold Coast Prep is one of the most prestigious schools in the country where trust funds and privilege are commonplace. During their freshman year, Jill Newman and her friends were selected to join the Players, an exclusive society at Gold Coast that opens doors to the unimaginable. But first, they have to prove themselves worthy by taking part in hazing rituals called ‘pops’. On the last night, Jill’s best friend Shaila Arnold was found murdered at the hands of her boyfriend Graham Calloway. After his confession, he was locked up and everyone tried to move past this tragic event.
Now it’s senior year, which means Jill and her friends are now the leaders of the Players. It’s their time to host the best parties, choose the next freshmen Players, and get into their dream colleges. Everything is exactly as it should be until Graham Calloway withdraws his confession and claims he didn’t kill Shaila. Could Graham be telling the truth? What actually happened that night?
I devoured this book in less than 24 hours. This gripping, fast-paced story is packed with lies, secrets, and betrayal, which made for an utterly addictive and unputdownable book. As we learn more about the Players and the expectations of being a Player, we see just how far people are willing to go to belong as well as to maintain a certain image.
Overall, if you’re looking for an obsessive thriller/murder mystery laced with twists and turns then definitely pick this one up!
Thank you to Penguin Teen for my review copy. This did not influence my review. All opinions are my own.
Gold Coast Prep is one of the most prestigious schools in the country where trust funds and privilege are commonplace. During their freshman year, Jill Newman and her friends were selected to join the Players, an exclusive society at Gold Coast that opens doors to the unimaginable. But first, they have to prove themselves worthy by taking part in hazing rituals called ‘pops’. On the last night, Jill’s best friend Shaila Arnold was found murdered at the hands of her boyfriend Graham Calloway. After his confession, he was locked up and everyone tried to move past this tragic event.
Now it’s senior year, which means Jill and her friends are now the leaders of the Players. It’s their time to host the best parties, choose the next freshmen Players, and get into their dream colleges. Everything is exactly as it should be until Graham Calloway withdraws his confession and claims he didn’t kill Shaila. Could Graham be telling the truth? What actually happened that night?
I devoured this book in less than 24 hours. This gripping, fast-paced story is packed with lies, secrets, and betrayal, which made for an utterly addictive and unputdownable book. As we learn more about the Players and the expectations of being a Player, we see just how far people are willing to go to belong as well as to maintain a certain image.
Overall, if you’re looking for an obsessive thriller/murder mystery laced with twists and turns then definitely pick this one up!
Thank you to Penguin Teen for my review copy. This did not influence my review. All opinions are my own.
December 26, 2022
**4.5 stars
Okay I’m actually proud of myself because I guessed the killer. Which made this book incredible because I was HOPING the author would go in that direction. I surprisingly loved this story and mystery aspect. It was also the perfect length and kept me interested! Definitely recommend:)
Okay I’m actually proud of myself because I guessed the killer. Which made this book incredible because I was HOPING the author would go in that direction. I surprisingly loved this story and mystery aspect. It was also the perfect length and kept me interested! Definitely recommend:)
January 18, 2023
I love a good prep school/boarding school murder mystery thriller. That’s how this book caught my eye. The cover lured me in and the story line kept me reading. The plot was thick with twists and turns but it was still a light and short read for me. I have enjoyed all of Jessica Goodmans books including this one. I look forward to more books by this author!
They wish they were us takes places at a fancy exclusive prep school in Long Island. Hill Newman and her fun group of friends attend school here. But the prep school is not all that it appears to be. Three years earlier Jills best friend Shaila is murdered by her boyfriend, Graham. He even confessed to the murder so it was solved quickly. Now it’s Jills senior year and she starts receiving text messages saying that Graham isn’t the killer. But if Graham isn’t the killer then who is? Could it be someone else in her circle of friends? Will she be able to figure out who the real killer is before graduation?
They wish they were us takes places at a fancy exclusive prep school in Long Island. Hill Newman and her fun group of friends attend school here. But the prep school is not all that it appears to be. Three years earlier Jills best friend Shaila is murdered by her boyfriend, Graham. He even confessed to the murder so it was solved quickly. Now it’s Jills senior year and she starts receiving text messages saying that Graham isn’t the killer. But if Graham isn’t the killer then who is? Could it be someone else in her circle of friends? Will she be able to figure out who the real killer is before graduation?
October 4, 2020
4.5/5 ⭐ Full review right HERE.
So keen for the show, this was like gossip girl and pretty little liars combined with such a great concept of light academia/murder mystery 👌
So keen for the show, this was like gossip girl and pretty little liars combined with such a great concept of light academia/murder mystery 👌
November 1, 2020
Eh it was fine. nothing extraordinary.
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