Heathers meets 2020 college admission scandal meets How I Got Into College. The Ivies focuses on a group of students attending a boarding school who plot, plan, scheme, and kill to get into the colleges they want. Olivia, the point of view character, would definitely appeal and be relatable to many readers. I must admit, I didn't connect with any of these characters, however, I am not a "modern teenager" and I am sure that teens will find themselves and others within these pages. Overall, a fast read that showcases the lengths some people will go to to get what they want.

Thank you NetGalley and Random House Children's for the opportunity to read an advance reader's copy.

I really enjoyed The Ivies! It gave me dark Gossip Girl vibes mixed with Pretty Little Liars and set at a boarding school...OBSESSED. This book follows 5 girls, the Ivies, that all want to go to a different Ivy League school and will let nothing get in their way. My only issue with this novel was how difficult it was to keep track of each girl’s name/school in the first half. I don’t know what the physical book will have but maybe a family tree page in the front of the book, or even a blurb like One of Us is Lying did on the dust jacket, would be helpful.
This had a wonderful blend of mystery and character development that I really liked. There’s also a lot of social commentary on young girls and the pressures they face. These are definitely not your stereotypical ruthless mean girls and you’ll see why when you delve into The Ivies!

Electric thriller about the competitiveness of the Ivy League. I absolutely love this read it was on the edge of my seat until the last page. It’s such a fast paced read. I highly recommend this one.

This book is great! Would definitely recommend. Thanks so much to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC.

Thank you Netgalley and Random House Children for the opportunity to read and review this ARC. Wow, what a wild ride! Private school, mean girl group, and a murder which is my bread and butter. I highly recommend that anyone that is a fan of mysteries read this book. Don’t let the fact that is YA deter you from reading this. I read a lot of thriller and mysteries and I still didn’t really know who did it until the reveal. There were twists and turns everywhere! I’m glad that this was my first thriller of 2021!

Teen thrillers are incredibly trendy right now and my students are always looking for new reads that remind them of Karen McManus. This is a perfect read for students who have flown through their library’s section of teen thrillers. Definitely on the mature side but teens will find this fun and unputdownable,

The prestigious Chaflin Academy is a ball of nerves on Early Decision day as the seniors wait to find out if they've been accepted to their dream colleges. Five girls, self-christened "The Ivies," are nervous, too, but maybe not quite as much as everybody else. After all, the Ivies have gamed the system to virtually guarantee that each of them gets a coveted spot at the Ivy League college that Avery, the group's ring leader, has assigned to them. All their scheming and classmate-sabotage is about to pay off...until it doesn't.

Somebody who wasn't even supposed to apply to Harvard gets in. The Ivy who thought she had a Harvard acceptance on speed dial doesn't get accepted. And somebody winds up dead.

Ambitious Olivia is the Ivy who tells this story. As her search for the killer unfolds, she navigates the thorny truths about who she is, who she is to the Ivies, what they've done, and the secrets everyone at school has been hiding. A scholarship student to the boarding school, Olivia has always felt a little "less than" the other Ivies. Always wondered why they chose her, but always went along for fear of going friendless.

I loved the book's combination of heavy characters, the dark realities they struggled with, and the high drama that kept me turning the page. All grounded in the world of high-stakes college admissions, which is fascinating to me as the student I was growing up and the high school teacher I was some years ago.

With all the twists as Olivia weaves in and out of the buildings of Chaflin confronting others and often herself, The Ivies is as much a coming-of-age tale as it is a thriller. All actions have consequences, but they aren't always the ones you'd think, and they certainly aren't always fair. The Ivies each seem to learn this lesson in their own way.

I found the ending very satisfying because everything about the plot is resolved in a believable way, leaving the surviving characters to persist and pursue opportunities, but not unscathed.

My wish list for this book is really just that it was longer so the story could establish the setting as even more of a character and give me a few more one-on-one moments between Olivia and the other Ivies, ESPECIALLY Emma. I found myself wanting to have a more distinct personal sense of Margot and Sierra as well, mainly because I think it would have deepened some of Olivia's inner conflicts and made it harder to discount them as random, mean rich girls.

Highly recommend The Ivies for anyone who likes thrillers and stories about young people working through their problems, sometimes melodramatically (in a good way!).

⭐⭐⭐⭐.5 !

I HAVE BEEN WAITING FOR THIS BOOK AND I WAS NOT LET DOWN.

Anyone who is a fan of Alexa Donne's YouTube channel knows that her usual fare comes in the vein of soapy, romantic Jane Austen retellings in space. While that is not usually my jam, I bought them all anyway. I think her channel is wonderful and I've enjoyed watching her walk the walk when it comes to applying the concepts she speaks about in her writing, and its been a joy watching her style evolve. What was particularly exciting about 'THE IVIES' is that Alexa is a voracious thriller/suspense fan and this step outside the romance genre was a move that I couldn't wait to see done!

THE IVIES is a YA thriller set in the competitive, cut-throat world of college admissions. Focusing on a group of girls (Avery, Margot, Emma, Sierra, and Olivia) who will do anything, and I mean anything, to gain and keep their coveted spots in the Ivy League schools they chose. They lie, they cheat, they sabotage, and most importantly, they don't get caught. But when the status quo is blown out of the water, fights are had, things are said—and someone ends up dead.

Here, we get to follow Olivia, who has always drifted *just* outside the group known as 'The Ivies. She's not rich, she's not devastatingly pretty, or smart, or talented but she certainly makes up for it in ambition (a fact that I appreciated dearly about her). Olivia can't help but notice that her friends are keeping secrets, but are they deadly? She takes it upon herself to find out.

I've said this about "The Folk of the Air" Series by Holly Black, and I stand by it here: I love a book where not a single person in it is "good". These characters were fleshed out and nuanced. You could not put a concrete label on ANY of them and will find no stereotypes here. That was the beauty. What you think you know, you don't, and in true thriller fashion, I found myself yelling at this book more than once. Alexa managed to pull a successful double-switch that had me cackling. I could see the threads she was weaving, could almost hear her voice describing the concept of how to put a thriller together— but she left just enough ambiguity to make me question myself and I adored every minute of it. (Listen I read a lot of thrillers, I love being duped, especially when it's really so simple.)

The teeny, tiny things that made me pause: Cataldo was by far one of the least useful cops I've ever seen (even though I ended up liking her anyway) and while it pushed Olivia along to do her thing, it seemed a little unrealistic how much she relied on a teenager, but maybe that's just me. There was also a bit of a moment where the book seemed to be grasping at things, taking a little too long to orient itself into moving forward into the investigative phase. Thankfully, this was short-lived, and I can't really blame the book too much: Anyone would be spinning around in circles in that scenario. It just kind of left me wondering where we were going to go from there. This book was chock full of thriller tropes we see every day that some people will enjoy, and others will not. I, personally, had a great time.

Overall? I loved it. I truly did. I wanted to love it, but I came in objectively, and I still was entirely happy with the result. Alexa Donne should ABSOLUTELY write more thrillers (if she wants to) because I'll be the first in line! Keep an eye out cuz THE IVIES hits the shelves 25 May 2021!

This was a fun and twisty read, full of vicious and suspicious characters. I loved how ruthless The Ivies were and how the book explored the complex relationship between Olivia and her wealthier cohorts.

I loved how the plot seemed both over the top and yet completely believable. This is the kind of book you read in 1 or 2 sittings because you need to know what happens next. I did (correctly) guess the culprit fairly early on, but I read an absurd amount of thrillers. Still, there was more than enough suspicion and fun threads to follow to make me doubt myself. There were a few things that were overly convenient/stretched believability in terms of discovery of certain information and cops being a bit overshare-y with a teen, but that's sort of par for the course for the genre and worked within the framework of the book.

I thought the ending was very satisfying, providing a more realistic resolution to the story than a lot of thriller stories. I also appreciated how the ending took the steps to have a more developed finale rather than a lot of thrillers where the killer is revealed and then the book ends abruptly with them getting taken away in cuffs with no denouement. It was also cool to see everyone facing consequences for their actions in one way or another, and it was also nice how it was acknowledged that some people don't face consequences because of real world privilege.

Overall, an excellent read with some snark and heart and surprises throughout.

A great novel on the cutthroat college admissions some students feel. What lengths will this group of girls go to though to ensure they get into their college?

#librarianreviews this new book is fire!!

Cannot wait for the release. I know that this will be amazing for all my thriller lovers.

This book has plenty of twists and turns to keep the reader intrigued. Olivia is part of a group called the Ivies, they will do anything to get into their chosen college.

It all starts on early decision day, ED day, and for one of them it all ends. The book is left open enough for a sequel while wrapping up nicely until it comes out.

#bookstagram #booknerd #bibliophile #ireadya #librariansofinstagram #bookaddict #igreads #librarylife #bookreview #librariansofinstagram #thrillerbooks #yabooks #netgalley

I wanted so bad to love this book. I really loved Brightly Burning, but the characters were just not fleshed out in this book. It was as if someone watched a bunch of The CW and decided that's what being a teenager is like. It was so unrealistic. I was telling my husband about this book at around the 70% mark and for the life of me couldn't remember the MC's name, so when you can't even produce the name of the character whose perspective you're in, while you're smack in the middle of reading the book, it's a bad sign. These kids are all supposed to be seriously smart but I don't see it, I'm told it, though, ad nauseum. They make absolutely mind-boggling choices for the sheer sake of plot progression.
She should stick to sci-fi, I'm sorry, I love you, Alexa!

From Mean Girls to Pretty Little Liars, I'm a sucker for a group of girlfriends with a secret. As soon as I read the summary for The Ivies, I knew I had to request it and was thrilled to be approved.

Set at an elite boarding school where competition for a spot at an Ivy is matched only by the wealth of its student population, Olivia struggles to find balance. A scholarship student who wants nothing more than to go to Harvard, she fights for her place among the cream of the crop: The Ivies, a group of girls determined to obtain their acceptances to the colleges of their choice. But when one of the girls deviates from their plan, someone ends up dead, and Olivia realizes that breaking rank may be more dangerous than breaking friendships.

I really enjoyed this book.

As a protagonist, Olivia was fun and endearing. I related to her desire to prove herself academically and socially and found her sarcastic lens entertaining. She keeps the plot moving, jumping from one clue to the next while juggling her unrequited crush and her fear of her secret being leaked.

There was no shortage of suspects and motives to go around, but this was a plot-centric book, which I thought worked well here. We get general glimpses into the lives of the other characters, but the main focus is the crime and figuring out who among them is a murderer. This really reminded me of Pretty Little Liars but without the plot holes.

In that vein, I did think there was a bit too much repetition at times, from back stories to Ivy break downs to reiterations of clues, and there's always a grain of salt when a teenager is solving a murder mystery faster than a seasoned homicide detective, but these types of narratives aren't reliant on plausibility so much as making sure each scandalous piece fits into a thrilling, fast-paced investigation--which Donne does easily. I read this in a single sitting and could easily see this being made into a Netflix series.

Overall, The Ivies is a fun, sharp read that takes college admissions to a whole new level of intense. For fans of PLL, Mean Girls, Pretty Little Things, or A Good Girl's Guide to Murder, The Ivies is out in May and will definitely be one not to miss.

Big thanks to RH/Crown and NetGalley for providing an eARC in exchange for honest review consideration.

This is a perfect YA thriller that takes place at an elite boarding school. It’s also very timely with what has been going on with the college admissions scandal, the high profile people associated with it and what they were willing to do to help their children succeed. 'The Ivies' are an exclusive clique that are literally dead set on getting into an Ivy League school. Donne does a great job of developing each of the characters as well as the plot. I enjoyed the interesting glimpse into all of their privileged lives from the POV of Olivia, who is the scholarship student from Maryland. She is a part of the Ivies, but in many ways she is still on the outside and feels remorse for all of the things that they do to other students in the book. This book was smart and very addicting, I can't recommend it enough. The writing is perfectly paced and suspense builds throughout the book. There were twists and turns and tons of suspects that all have valid motives that kept me guessing. I did NOT figure out who did it, even when I thought I had, and that final twist left my mind blown. This was like Mean Girls meets Pretty Little Liars on steroids and I think that teens will love it.

Overall, I thought this to be a very enjoyable book and it reminded me why I truly love the YA thriller/mystery genre so much. I think teens will devour it very quickly. There are plenty of twists and turns to keep the reader wondering until the last page is turned.

The Ivies is just the kind of book that I love. A boarding school, a mystery, and an ever-growing list of suspects. Though there were a few things I saw coming, there were also enough surprises to keep me on my toes. My older high school students who are embroiled in the college admissions process will devour this one. Very enjoyable, and I will definitely recommend.

Olivia Winters, Avery Montfort, Sierra Watson, Margot Kim and Emma Russo would do anything to get into the colleges of their dreams. Over the years, they've resorted to the lowest of tactics to eliminate the competition: catfishing Emma's rival in robotics, spiking the protein shakes of Olivia and Sierra's rowing teammate, even calling in a fake bomb threat from the phone of the other candidate for class president. But what happens when one of their own is found dead after going outside her expected role? Are the Ivies capable of murder?

When Avery is rejected from Harvard, Olivia struggles to keep her own acceptance a secret. Her roommate, Emma, offers to share her acceptance first to take Avery's attention off Olivia, but what starts as a completely normal exchange at a party soon turns into a physical fight that ends in Avery threatening to kill Emma. The next morning, Emma's body is found, and all signs point to the Ivies, especially Avery. And Olivia's friends are definitely keeping something from her.
Olivia decides to reach out to everyone Emma has hurt in the past to see if they have anything more than a motive. But she soon finds out that her friend was far more dangerous and powerful than she had previously thought. Who wouldn't want to kill her?

I considered nearly every character in this book a suspect at some point, from Olivia herself to Emma's academic rivals to Avery's private college counselor. I was pretty satisfied with who the murderer actually was, even though they had been extremely suspicious from the beginning and really easy to guess. (At least it wasn't Olivia, because I would've lost my shit.)
Olivia's friends, as awful as they are, were surprisingly sympathetic. Or at least Avery and Sierra were. Margot didn't really get enough page time, and Emma was just the absolute worst. Despite all the scheming they did behind Olivia's back (she didn't even know about the majority of their sabotage,) I found myself having an unlikely appreciation for them. Whether it be Avery's attempt to distance herself from her toxic mother and coming out as gay, or Sierra's fear that all of her accomplishments would be blamed on "affirmative action" by her white classmates. Sierra is the least unbearable, and Emma is the most. You'll start the book totally hating these characters, but it won't stay that way.
There's also Olivia's struggle with being a scholarship student at her elite boarding school, worrying about paying for college and measuring up to her wealthy peers. While this may be overdone and present in nearly every similar book, it was extremely relatable, especially as someone who attended an expensive private school for five years (6th-10th grade.)

If you liked People Like Us, read this book. It may not be the best thriller I've ever read, but it's pretty damn close.

The college admissions game turns deadly at an upscale boarding school, and scholarship student Olivia tries to figure out which one of her friends killed one of their own. Each of the girls in the friend group has a distinct personality and a particular skill for gaming the admissions process, and Olivia is sure they are hiding things from her.
Donne makes all the moves of a seasoned mystery writer, complete with an arrest at the 75% mark, which any mystery reader knows is too early for it to be the real killer. The suspense escalates in the lead-up to the big reveal, and, with all the suspects on the scene, the killer could be anyone!
Thank you to Netgalley and Random House Children's for the advanced copy.

If we move past the slightly overdressed premise and the many, many bad-guy giveaways throughout the book, it's actually a fun little mystery - reasonably paced and rarely overbearing.

think I just found a new favorite book. This book was killer. It reminded me why I love the YA thriller/mystery genre so much, I'm about to go binge more thrillers.

Blurb
A group of five prep school girls will do anything to get into their school of their dreams. Each one of them is gunning for a specific Ivy League school; Harvard, Princeton, UPenn, Columbia, and Yale. After one of them turns up dead, Olivia is determined to get to the bottom of it, unearthing secrets that should've stayed buried. .

First of all, just thinking about this book just makes me laugh. Not because it's humorous, it's actually quite tense. Im laughing because this is such a wild yet realistic concept. How far we have come as a society to make college applications something worth sabotage.

I don't normally read thrillers, but this book reminded me why I love them when I do. I loved being suspicious of every single character, it made me happy for some reason. I didn't expect a single twist, they all caught me by surprise. Not because they felt random, but because they were built so artfully. I fully expect myself to reread this over and over again, and still enjoy the twists just as much. This was SO good!

And, Donne has a way of making you trust a character, only to surprise you when they are not in fact, trustworthy.(view spoiler)

I loved how Donne kept the actual murderer within the group of suspects, she didn't bring in an entirely new person to be the killer. I hate it when thrillers do that, it feels like it cheapens the book. I had never really suspected the murderer, they completely flew under my radar, so I loved the reveal!

And, this book does a great job of exploring the privilege that comes with money without making it the main idea of the book. I really loved our main character, and her struggles were relatable.

After being completely sucked into this book for hours, I don't know what to do with my life now that it's over. I can't believe it ended like it did, I could've easily read another hundred pages! This book definitely holds a spot on my favorites shelf!

Thanks to Netgalley and Alexa Donne for providing a free copy in exchange for an honest review

3.5 rounded up. I was so excited to receive a copy of this and it was the exact book I needed right now: dark, campy, and suspenseful. I wish the ending had been fleshed out a little more, but I'm glad there was a greater discussion of consequences for the individuals involved, while also recognizing the underlying theme of privilege and class. I'm excited to read more from this author.

Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.