Thanks, Wednesday Books, for the arc! 

 

I become a bigger fan of Olivia Worley’s writing every book I read. PEOPLE TO FOLLOW was entertaining, but the mystery of THE DEBUTANTES had me unable to set the book down. 

 

I was not a debutante or around that culture, so everything I know is from TV and books. Deb culture fascinates me, so reading a murder mystery set in that culture was fun. 

 

Worley kept me intrigued with her cast of characters and their interactions. The book has excellent pacing, and I was constantly guessing—the end was a complete surprise! 

 

Definitely recommend this book! I can’t wait to see what Worley does next! 

 

Content warnings: murder, blood, sexual assault, misogyny, infidelity, adult/minor relationship, kidnapping, grief, gaslighting 

Books set in Louisiana are done either very well or horribly, and those done well either are written by an author from here or an author who did the research. Worley is from New Orleans and knows the people and culture she wrote about. All three maids being very different young girls gave the narrative sparks of personality that I loved. The multi-pov is a great way to keep this mystery unraveling slowly yet with me in the edge of my seat, anxious for more. I felt reminded of One of Us is Lying because of all the secrets held by characters, and the society Lily, Vivian, Piper, and April belong to teleported me a bit to the original Gossip Girl with the expectations of the wealthy families. There's mystery and suspense with many twists and Mardi Gras vibes, but sorry, no parade due to the timing of the actual story. Great book to read at Halloween, New Years, or during the Mardi Gras season, though.

The Debutantes by Olivia Worley

Thank you @netgalley and @wednesdaybooks for an eARC in exchange for an honest review. 

I didn’t expect to like this one so much! It’s a Young Adult mystery thriller set in NOLA. The author did an awesome job of describing New Orleans. I could picture it clearly. There are multiple POVs and takes place in the present. 

 

I did guess a couple twists but there were others that surprised me. This was a quick read for me. Page turner. I was hooked the entire time I was reading it. 

It has strong female leads. It reminded me a bit of Pretty Little Liars which I loved. The Debutantes would be a great movie or even one of those limited series that’s so popular now. 

I recommend this book to anyone who likes murder mysteries, thrillers, parental drama, twists, complicated friends and a splash of romance.

4 stars!!! ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Releases 10/29/24

#thedebutantes #wednesdaybooks #oliviaworley

Debutante season in New Orleans. The current “Queen” is missing, while the last Queen died of a drug overdose. Everyone seems to have secrets. 

This is a pretty standard YA mystery/thriller. I enjoyed the concept, although I had a hard time getting really into it. There were multiple POV - April, Piper, Vivian, and a bit from Lily (the current Queen). While they had different personalities, it was difficult in the beginning to tell them apart and I think that impacted my ability to get into the story. 

This is a mystery so there are obviously secrets being discovered throughout, and although a few were predictable, a few I didn’t guess which I always appreciate.

Overall a decent book. If you like YA thrillers and Mardis Gras/debutantes interest you, definitely give this one a try. 

Thank you to NetGalley and St Martin’s Press for a chance to read and review this eARC.