TL;DR: The Wilde Trials was a great young adult mystery/thriller. It’s been a minute since I read YA in this genre but this made me want to pick up more of them! The setting of the Wilde Manor was perfectly atmospheric, the puzzles fun, the mystery intriguing and even the teenage drama was entertaining. Overall, if you’re looking for a well-paced mystery with empathetic characters who are easy to root for, I would recommend checking this out.

I enjoyed The Wilde Trials more than I expected to and it reminded me of why I enjoy YA mysteries so much. They’re easy to devour in one sitting and have just enough stakes to be intense and intriguing without being too dark or drawn out. For all the danger our protagonists may find themselves in, these books are simply “good time” popcorn reads and I love them! While it was easy to see how things would unfold, I still enjoyed the twists and turns this took. I found it to be a great story about sibling bonds and the age-old lessons of learning where you fit in and accepting who you are. You can expect there to be teenage drama and angst, but thankfully, it wasn’t too over-the-top and neither did it take over the overall story.

I loved the setting and thought the overgrown and falling-apart Wilde Manor was perfect for creating a dark and creepy atmospheric read. With the looming forest along the manor’s periphery, decaying buildings spread across the manor grounds, and potential hidden passageways behind thin walls, everything about this perfectly fit the ‘mysterious’ vibe. Despite knowing that the manor is a short bus ride away from the school grounds, it still felt completely isolated and exactly like the kind of place where just about anything can go wrong! 🫣 But also, that library… It sounded as creepy as it was beautiful and I could picture it vividly in my mind.

Chloe was an interesting protagonist but I’m honestly still not sure how I felt about her. She’s portrayed as so many things by different people—selfish, self-serving, kind-hearted, and brave. Unfortunately, I didn’t think those traits shone particularly well in the writing. Yes, she has grit, is determined, and doesn’t cower in the face of school bullies, but we are told all of that and not shown it, which made it feel like something was missing. She does have a wonderful bond with her sister though and I’m glad that the reason behind why she’s participating in the Wilde Trials was consistent throughout. I will say that Chloe’s arc perfectly captures the teenage angst and confusion about fitting in, finding your place, etc., and I think the author did a great job of also bringing that through in all of the characters we meet.

An element that I wasn’t expecting to enjoy as much as I did was the romance between Chloe and her ex, Hayes. Despite them professing to hate each other’s guts, it’s clear to the reader that there are many unresolved feelings. Chloe and Hayes might’ve been completely oblivious to each other’s true feelings—lost as they were in their anger and confusion, but appreciated the frank conversation they had about how they ended up where they are. This romance was surprisingly sweet and I enjoyed seeing the flashbacks of their relationship before it fractured.

That all being said, the Wilde Trials does require a great deal of suspension of disbelief because I don’t know where or when this type of “game” would be allowed IRL. I can’t believe there’s any school that would send a bunch of teenagers to live in a crumbling manor for a week without proper adult supervision—and I’m not talking about college kid supervision either. Not to mention that a student has previously died on the same grounds where they’re being made to do potentially life-threatening challenges to win $600,000… 👀 Other than that, there were also some moments when the logic didn’t logic and Chloe made questionable decisions and hasty judgements that didn’t make sense! I was also admittedly a bit let down by the resolution of the mystery. It felt slightly anticlimactic although I don’t think the motive was unrealistic because sadly, it’s not something we haven’t seen before. It’s rather depressing to think about because it speaks to the toxicity of the system we’re raised to participate in and yet, nothing changes. 😮‍💨

Overall, despite certain (minor) things that didn’t work for me, I thought this was a solid read and I’m glad to count it as one of the first books I read at the start of a new year!