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victorialoretta's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
loislane083's review against another edition
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
tiffreads919's review
dark
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
“My dearest Maids, Isn’t it time we let the dead stay buried?
After all, we all know how hard it is to keep a body underground in this city.
Yours, The Jester”
Holy crow! This young adult thriller was such a fun, that completely gave off Pretty Little Liars at Mardi Gras debutante ball vibes. I kept finding myself expecting “A” to make an appearance. I loved getting the points of view from each of the main characters and their snarky camaraderie. Each of them were underestimated in different ways but far outshone the roles they were being stereotyped into. This story truly has it all: sketchy villain who always seems to be one step ahead, spunky heroines, surprises on all fronts, and so many twists and turns! I would love for this book to become a movie or tv show. I am definitely going to be reading more of Worley’s writing!
After all, we all know how hard it is to keep a body underground in this city.
Yours, The Jester”
Holy crow! This young adult thriller was such a fun, that completely gave off Pretty Little Liars at Mardi Gras debutante ball vibes. I kept finding myself expecting “A” to make an appearance. I loved getting the points of view from each of the main characters and their snarky camaraderie. Each of them were underestimated in different ways but far outshone the roles they were being stereotyped into. This story truly has it all: sketchy villain who always seems to be one step ahead, spunky heroines, surprises on all fronts, and so many twists and turns! I would love for this book to become a movie or tv show. I am definitely going to be reading more of Worley’s writing!
avy9891's review against another edition
5.0
This book was so good. As I read more, I felt like I was watching a movie. After one queen was found dead a year ago, this year's debutant ball is filled with tension. After a minor mishap, everything seems to be okay, but something happens suddenly. Three girls will have to work together to determine what is going on and if it has to do anything with the last queen's death. There were so many characters that you felt like something was off about them. Then others made you believe they were completely innocent, and it was unbelievable they were not. It was such a thrilling read from start to finish.
weirdgirlsoul's review
dark
emotional
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
Disclosure: I received an ARC of this novel from Netgalley, however all opinions are my own.
I don't real a whole lot of YA fiction anymore, but it's nice when I do that I stumble upon a fun read like this one.
First of all, I LOVED this novel taking place in New Orleans, a place I have always wanted to visit. I also really enjoyed the idea of a Debutante ball, however what really did it for me in the dark underbelly that this ball brings with it.
But I think what I've been missing the most lately is a group of women that come together to try to figure something out, and I really loved the main characters so much.
This book was a fun little read that I genuinely enjoyed, and the ending was totally worth it.
I don't real a whole lot of YA fiction anymore, but it's nice when I do that I stumble upon a fun read like this one.
First of all, I LOVED this novel taking place in New Orleans, a place I have always wanted to visit. I also really enjoyed the idea of a Debutante ball, however what really did it for me in the dark underbelly that this ball brings with it.
But I think what I've been missing the most lately is a group of women that come together to try to figure something out, and I really loved the main characters so much.
This book was a fun little read that I genuinely enjoyed, and the ending was totally worth it.
bookswithshasha's review
3.0
This is a YA thriller mystery! This reminded me so much of like the Pretty Little Liars era. I loved seeing the girls work together and the honest conversations about misogyny, classism and bit of racism.
It was nice to read about Louisiana, I’ve never been so it was quite intriguing to get a piece of what life looks like down there!
Overall , a solid mystery/thriller for a young audience, it was just a bit forgettable for me.
It was nice to read about Louisiana, I’ve never been so it was quite intriguing to get a piece of what life looks like down there!
Overall , a solid mystery/thriller for a young audience, it was just a bit forgettable for me.
apagetoturn's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
5.0
Wow, just wow! The Debutantes by Olivia Worley is an absolute must-read for fans of twisty YA thrillers. Think Karen McManus meets the glittering, dark world of New Orleans Mardi Gras. This book hooked me from the very first page and didn’t let go until the jaw-dropping ending—I honestly did NOT see it coming!
The story immerses you in the opulence and intrigue of the Les Masques Ball, where secrets, scandals, and murder lurk behind every mask. The setting is so atmospheric, you can practically hear the jazz and feel the tension in the humid New Orleans air. The characters—Vivian, Piper, and April—are richly drawn and wonderfully flawed, each with secrets that keep you guessing about their motives.
I loved how the mystery unraveled in layers, with clues sprinkled throughout that made you think you’d figured it out, only to be thrown by another twist. The Jester’s eerie threats and the sinister connections to Margot’s death added such a chilling element to the story. And the ending? Absolutely explosive!
This book is a perfect blend of glamour, danger, and suspense. If you love stories where nothing—and no one—is as it seems, The Debutantes is for you. I’m already hoping for more books from Olivia Worley. Five glittering stars!
a_mcg's review
3.0
3.5-3.7 stars.
This book is set in New Orleans in late December/early January, right at the end of deb season and the beginning of Carnival. It is told from three different perspectives, those of Piper, Vivian, and April, three debutante "Maids" who get tangled up in the mystery of two debutante queens, Margot (who died mysteriously the year before) and their fellow deb Lily, who goes missing the night of their ball.
I'm really struggling with what to rate this book, because there are so many elements that I love and yet also some things that I had a hard time with. For one, I love the setting! I can feel New Orleans in this piece and I enjoyed that a lot, especially as someone who loves the city. I also really like the way that all of the characters, even Margot, express their feelings about New Orleans, whether they love it or loathe it, because that element really helped me to understand the characters. I learned a lot about Mardi Gras culture and Krewes, as well as a lot about Mardi Gras debutante culture, which I had no idea about, so it was interesting (and at times, unsettling, though I'm sure that's the point). I enjoyed this setting as the back drop for the mystery and thought it was the perfect combination of serious, fun, interesting, and spooky. I think this setting choice also allowed the author to discuss important topics such as the toxic elements of debutante culture, toxic masculinity, and feminism (especially how women are exploited or forced to operate within environments like the Krewe of Deus and debutante culture). I also liked the three main characters and enjoyed getting to know them and watching and their friendship grow.
But, I did struggle at times to understand the characters. I felt as though there weren't many details grounding them, especially Vivian, who felt less well-rounded than the other two and less like a true individual. I also thought that the author struggled with side characters. For example, we meet the parents of all three debs early on, but only Piper's come to play a significant role, which is confusing. Or Savannah or Aiden, who are really interesting side characters, but who aren't very well-rounded and aren't mentioned enough, except for when they need to move the plot forward or make one of the main three seem more interesting, which was a bit hard to follow. It also seems that some plot elements didn't quite line up, and I struggled to follow some details. There were just many small contradictory details that did not seem all the way thought out, given the way that the mystery resolved itself. I also felt a little bit unsatisfied with the ending, given that nothing really changes with the toxic culture of the Krewe of Deus after everything that the three FMCs go through in order to expose the corruption and misogyny at the heart of the organization, even though the Pierrot is destroyed.
All of that said, this book fits in so well with other YA mysteries, like Karen McManus or Jessica Goodman, and I did really enjoy it! The mystery is taut and compelling and the setting was so eerie and vivid!
Thanks to NetGalley and to Wednesday Books for the advanced copy!
This book is set in New Orleans in late December/early January, right at the end of deb season and the beginning of Carnival. It is told from three different perspectives, those of Piper, Vivian, and April, three debutante "Maids" who get tangled up in the mystery of two debutante queens, Margot (who died mysteriously the year before) and their fellow deb Lily, who goes missing the night of their ball.
I'm really struggling with what to rate this book, because there are so many elements that I love and yet also some things that I had a hard time with. For one, I love the setting! I can feel New Orleans in this piece and I enjoyed that a lot, especially as someone who loves the city. I also really like the way that all of the characters, even Margot, express their feelings about New Orleans, whether they love it or loathe it, because that element really helped me to understand the characters. I learned a lot about Mardi Gras culture and Krewes, as well as a lot about Mardi Gras debutante culture, which I had no idea about, so it was interesting (and at times, unsettling, though I'm sure that's the point). I enjoyed this setting as the back drop for the mystery and thought it was the perfect combination of serious, fun, interesting, and spooky. I think this setting choice also allowed the author to discuss important topics such as the toxic elements of debutante culture, toxic masculinity, and feminism (especially how women are exploited or forced to operate within environments like the Krewe of Deus and debutante culture). I also liked the three main characters and enjoyed getting to know them and watching and their friendship grow.
But, I did struggle at times to understand the characters. I felt as though there weren't many details grounding them, especially Vivian, who felt less well-rounded than the other two and less like a true individual. I also thought that the author struggled with side characters. For example, we meet the parents of all three debs early on, but only Piper's come to play a significant role, which is confusing. Or Savannah or Aiden, who are really interesting side characters, but who aren't very well-rounded and aren't mentioned enough, except for when they need to move the plot forward or make one of the main three seem more interesting, which was a bit hard to follow. It also seems that some plot elements didn't quite line up, and I struggled to follow some details. There were just many small contradictory details that did not seem all the way thought out, given the way that the mystery resolved itself. I also felt a little bit unsatisfied with the ending, given that nothing really changes with the toxic culture of the Krewe of Deus after everything that the three FMCs go through in order to expose the corruption and misogyny at the heart of the organization, even though the Pierrot is destroyed.
All of that said, this book fits in so well with other YA mysteries, like Karen McManus or Jessica Goodman, and I did really enjoy it! The mystery is taut and compelling and the setting was so eerie and vivid!
Thanks to NetGalley and to Wednesday Books for the advanced copy!
allthebookblognamesaretaken's review
5.0
Fucking loved this and read it in a matter of hours. Review to come. Received a copy from the publisher via NetGalley.
lollyreadspei's review
4.0
3.5/5
This is definitely YA- but that’s not a knock. It’s giving Pretty Little Liars but make it Mardi Gras, which was a fun ride. Like PLL, the plot is bonkers and not everything makes sense - but it was still fun. Will definitely be recommending this one to my high school kiddos.
This is definitely YA- but that’s not a knock. It’s giving Pretty Little Liars but make it Mardi Gras, which was a fun ride. Like PLL, the plot is bonkers and not everything makes sense - but it was still fun. Will definitely be recommending this one to my high school kiddos.