disclaimer: I don’t really give starred reviews. I hope my reviews provide enough information to let you know if a book is for you or not. Find me here: https://linktr.ee/bookishmillennial

HEEEEEY THIS BOOK PISSED ME THE F--- OFF AND THREW ME INTO A READING SLUMP LMAO

New Orleans x debutante ball setting x atmosphere was super fun and immersive at first, but then fell a bit off because we focused more on the character dynamics (which is fine, I just noticed it lol). 

The internal dialogue of the characters sometimes sounded a bit juvenile & I struggled to sympathize with some of their motivations. 

The twists and turns were well paced but the ending really pissed me off 😭

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 

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.