I received my copy from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

Lena is desperate for a job to help her family out financially. She goes for random job interview and ends up lucking into the position. Little does she know she has ended up working for one of the most prestigious families, the Verdeaus. The son, Jonathan, is chronically ill, and Lena has been hired to be the physician's assistant and also help out at any family functions. These family functions turn out to be parties where the elite come to partake in drugs with doctors on hand to make sure no one dies. She soon learns that the patriarch is the one responsible for her dad's firing she is determined to seek revenge.

This book had peaks and valleys for me. I thought the first third was really captivating and held my attention greatly. Once we find out that Martin Verdeau was the one responsible for her dad's firing and Lena decides to get revenge, I felt like the big twist was over way too early. There were some other intriguing moments throughout the book, but I thought it would have been more intriguing if that had been the big reveal. Or I guess it was but came too early. I also found the ending a little unsatisfactory/abrupt. There was less Gatsby and romance than the book jacket suggested and more dysfunctional family drama.

I really really wanted to love this, and the synopsis sounded deliciously fun. But the prose was a little too purple for my taste here (though this is probably situational--I've been known to down a purple book in one sitting before). I couldn't get into it that much, and the blending of a (nearly?) contemporary setting with archaic prose just didn't work for me, though I understand why Mayquist did it. I'm sure it'll work for plenty of readers, though, so I'm certainly ordering it in for my store.

WOW! I think this one is a new favorite for me. Tripping Arcadia is an intoxicating book, it wraps you up into this world and pulls you along for the journey, through disgustingly wealthy parties and poison plants and a strange house and its equally strange sometimes-inhabitants. It's a book that's dark and beautiful and disturbing, even with all the terrible things that occur in it, it is also full of so much fierceness and love. Regarding the characters, I loved the protagonist Helena and her arc through the novel and I loved Audrey and Jonathan and the ways their lives intertwine with Lena's. The writing is brilliantly done, the storytelling is fantastic, and the whole book is simply fantastic. I loved it, I already want to read it again, and I certainly recommend it. Bravo to Kit Mayquist, this book is sublime!

TRIPPING ARCADIA can be described in three key themes - Gothic, Current, and Lush.

We follow a med school dropout, Lena who is desperate for a job in order to help the people she loves most. She finds one among some of the most elite families, and it is not long before she discovers a more sinister side of the family. Their parties, self-destructive tendencies, and the allure of her boss’s sister. Soon Lena has to a decision - what is she willing to do for revenge, and who is she willing to destroy?

As a debut, Mayquist does a fabulous job keeping your attention. She proves she is an author to look out for. TRIPPING ARCADIA is spooky, addictive, and filled with promise. It captures our current world through a dark and gothic lens and is a deep story for fans of Mexican Gothic and more.

As another reviewer said, "meh", and in a word, tedious. I found the first ten or so chapters of Tripping Arcadia to be tedious and exhausting. Too quickly Lena is fantasizing about poisoning and Audrey - no development here at all. Also found the Verdeaus tedious. Just didn't work for me, and I did not finish.

P. S. Thanks to #NetGalley for the ARC.

Thank you to Dutton for an advanced copy of Tripping Arcadia

If you want a unique, fresh...and dark read, then add Tripping Arcadia to your list. I won't give away too much of the story because it is just wild, but Lena gets hired as a physician's assistant for a wealthy family. She starts assisting at extravagant parties where she gets paid if the cops aren't called. Lena starts to unravel the family secrets and also wants some revenge for herself.

I was drawn to this one for the dark academia and opulent setting and characters. I enjoyed the protagonist Lena, and the LGBT representation. Lena, Aubrey, Jonathan, and Lena’s friends all seemed to be LGBT+.

I found the pacing of this book to be challenging at the start. It felt like events and actions of the characters escalated quite quickly and I would have preferred a slower build to the action. But I loved Mayquists's world-building and the atmosphere created within the novel.

Every description I heard of this book had me so excited to read it. A Gothic re-telling of Gatsby?!
Lena has just moved back to Boston and is looking for a job in the medical field, though she has dropped out of med school. She does find a position as a doctors assistant for a very wealthy family. Quickly she finds herself completely entangled with her patient's lives..

Overall, this story was interesting and fun. I look forward to checking out the authors next book.

*A big thank you to Penguin Group Dutton, Kit Mayquist and NetGalley for an ARC in exchange for an honest review*

Previously published at https://www.mysteryandsuspense.com/tripping-arcadia/

ar·​ca·​dia | \ är-ˈkā-dē-ə \

Definition of arcadia:

A region or scene of simple pleasure and quiet

Tripping Arcadia is both lush and brilliantly written. A debut novel that I devoured in two sittings; full of complex characters, surprising twists and a completely unique story that mirrors The Great Gatsby but transcends with bisexual characters, botany, and pure evil. It hooked me from the first sentence.

The reader follows Helena (Lena) Gereghty,who has gone to Italy after dropping out of med school. She has been working with her aunt, a world-renowned medieval botanist, when she is summoned back to the US to support her family after her father has lost his job. Lena lands a position quickly as the medical assistant to a resident doctor for the Verdeau family, a well-known wealthy clan, who owns a tech company. The doctor is in charge of the ailing heir to the fortune, though her position is vague, as is the heir’s diagnosis.

They pulled Lena into a world the opposite of her blue collar upbringing; wild parties, drugs, sin, alcohol and debauchery. Jonathan’s illness remains vague though Lena is expected to dispense treatment of noxious black pills every day, which make him sicker. After a few weeks as an employee in the Verdeau home, Lena is given the added responsibility of caring for the family and their friends at their wild parties in the Berkshires. She quickly learns that this means making sure the cops don’t come to the house or she doesn’t get paid. When she navigates the first party, which means taking care of those who have taken too many drugs or drank too much, she is paid handsomely. As she grows closer to both Jonathan and his sister Audrey, she uses her background of botany to find out what is making Jonathan so sick. But when she discovers that Martin Verdeau is to blame for her father losing his job, she comes up with an entirely different plan. One that includes revenge and poison.

I have never read a book like this before. It is at once dark, deep, and opulent. As you see Lena falling for Audrey, you can’t help but worry for her, as you never know who in the Verdeau family is to be trusted. We can compare Jonathan to Holden Caulfield in Catcher in the Rye as a sensitive young man who just wants to want and be wanted. The ending is surprising with a twist I did not see coming. It is almost impossible to believe that this is Kit Mayquist’s debut novel. I can’t wait to see what he writes next.

This is a very glamorous and gothic thriller that could take place in modern day as it could in any time period. In this case, it's fairly modern day Boston. Lena has just returned to Boston and is desperate for work. Her father has recently lost his job and she needs to help her family with bills. As a medical school dropout, she interviews for a physician's assistant job for a wealthy family in Back Bay.

While the job position isn't necessarily described to her, and the interview doesn't go particularly well, Lena is called back and given the job. She's drawn in to the family and the darkness that surrounds them.

Tripping Arcadia is an interesting book. It's a thriller and a drama. It's a mystery and a family melodrama. There's a medical mystery and a LGBTQ romance element. There's revenge, there's murder, there's business... basically, there's everything that one could ever want in a book. This is Kit Mayquist's debut novel and I expect that this will not be his last. I look forward to seeing what he does next.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publishers for the opportunity to read and review this book.

Tripping Arcadia releases a day after my own Divine Vintage debut, so I jumped on a Netgalley ARC to support the launch. And wow, I totally agree with the buzz surrounding this book.

Kit Mayfield’s elegant prose kept me riveted past my bedtime, flying through pages because I had to know what happened. He pulls readers in with super-flawed characters who can elicit admiration, empathy, and disdain, all within the same scene. It’s not a book for the faint-hearted, as the wealthy family at the rotted core of the tale indulges in graphic debauchery. But ultimately, glimpses of humanity and understanding of the three millennial main characters pull you out of the pit of depravity toward a more hopeful future.

Thanks to Netgalley and Dutton for providing this ARC copy.

Gothic, Gatsby-esc parties. Botanical poisons and eat-the-rich vibes. A mysterious illness plaguing the broody heir to a powerful family and a med-school drop-out tasked to figure it all out—what more could you want from a book?

Thank you to NetGalley and the publishers for this advanced review copy in exchange for an honest review.
The story follows Lena as she’s just arriving back in Boston. She took a break from medical school and went to work with her Aunt in Italy working with plants that have medicinal purposes. But she’s returned to help her parents who are having financial issues. This leads to Lena getting a job as a doctors assistant for a very wealthy family. Lena finds herself entirely too involved with the family, and that’s she’s in completely over her head. But when she realizes the connections between the family she’s employed by and the downfall of her own family, she decides to take things into her own hands and seek revenge.
I really liked Lena right from the start. You could tell that she was super smart and passionate about certain things (like the work with plants she was doing with her Aunt). Her sudden idea and decision to position the man that employed her seemed a little rash for what we were shown was an otherwise thoughtful character. Lena seemed to try to think things through before making reckless choices, but the choice to attempt to poison Martin was a snap decision that felt like it took hold of her rather than her actually making the decision. Aside from that, I liked Lena. I didn’t totally understand why she was so enamored by Audrey and Jonathan, as neither of them were very likable characters.
Overall, this was an absolutely wild ride and I really enjoyed it. While I didn’t like all of the characters, I liked Lena. The writing of this story was absolutely beautiful. Mayquist’s prose was lyrical and mysterious, with beautifully described settings. I will be looking forward to whatever work Mayquist writes in the future.

Alrighty I’ll admit this didn’t go where I thought it would. The beginning has moments of…not quite infodump but rumination from the narrator that I didn’t quite vibe with at first. Luckily it gets over that real quick and drop kicks you into the story. RIGHT into the story. Like the stuff in the goodreads summary, about Lena vowing revenge for her dad? That all happens relatively early on, which had me wondering constantly, what next?

And while at first I was annoyed that okay there’s the whole blurb and there’s like 60% of the book left, I loved how it kept me guessing. Everything got progressively more bonkers as the story went on and every time I thought this is it this is what we’re building to, no there’s still another peak to climb, still more shit to go down, and honestly that was so much fun.

So if you want something bonkers, something you think you know where it’s going but trust me you don’t, read this. Go into it as blind as you can, don’t read a ton about it, I’ve tried to be vague, and let yourself be immersed; you’ll thank me later.

Dark and lush, Tripping Arcadia is a standout gothic novel from an immensely talented debut author. This book has it all -grotesquely decadent parties, a young woman desperate for revenge and purpose, Romantic poetry, and poison. Lots and lots of poison.
I enjoyed every second of reading this book. The language paired with the building tension of the plot had me completely entranced and I can’t wait to see what else Kit writes.

"From debut author Kit Mayquist, a propulsive and atmospheric modern Gothic with all the splendor of The Great Gatsby...and all the secrets, lies, and darkness that opulence can hide.

Med school dropout Lena is desperate for a job, any job, to help her parents, who are approaching bankruptcy after her father was injured and laid off nearly simultaneously. So when she is offered a position, against all odds, working for one of Boston’s most elite families, the illustrious and secretive Verdeaus, she knows she must accept it - no matter how bizarre the interview or how vague the job description.

By day, she is assistant to the family doctor and his charge, Jonathan, the sickly, poetic, drunken heir to the family empire, who is as difficult as his illness is mysterious. By night, Lena discovers the more sinister side of the family, as she works overtime at their lavish parties, helping to hide their self-destructive tendencies...and trying not to fall for Jonathan’s alluring sister, Audrey. But when she stumbles upon the knowledge that the Verdeau patriarch is the one responsible for the ruin of her own family, Lena vows to get revenge - a poison-filled quest that leads her further into this hedonistic world than she ever bargained for, forcing her to decide how much - and who - she's willing to sacrifice for payback.

The perfect next read for fans of Mexican Gothic, Tripping Arcadia is a page-turning and shocking tale with an unforgettable protagonist that explores family legacy and inheritance, the sacrifices we must make to get by in today’s world, and the intoxicating, dangerous power of wealth."

I love the idea of Gothic splendor more than I can say.

Tripping Arcadia was like Knives Out meets The Wolf of Wall Street, and I loved it. The plot was really unique, and the writing flowed in a really interesting way for a contemporary/thriller. Mayquist describes the opulence of the Verdeaus' lifestyle in such an elegant way, and the horror Lena uncovers is described equally elegantly. I liked Lena, and while I thought Audrey was fine, I loved Jonathan so much.
4/5 stars.

CW: drug and alcohol use, medical stuff (IVs and needles, etc), prescription drug addiction, death.

This is a great example of gothic literature and has all the things we love about the genre: big creepy houses, family secrets, debauchery, murderous plots, poison, and suspicious medical practices. It was executed exceptionally well and the writing was beautiful and atmospheric.

I absolutely loved these characters. The characterization of Jonathan was wonderfully done and the slow reveals of the siblings' “true nature” was so engrossing. Lena was kind of annoying at times but overall I liked her as a narrator. The tension between the three of them was so tangible and I loved the ending resolution.

There were a few things that bothered me, such as some discrepancies in the logic of Lena’s plan to exact revenge upon the family patriarch, but I’m going to chalk most of that up to my reading it as an ARC. There were a lot of unexpected time jumps of varying length and I had a hard time imaging the timeline in a concrete way. But the biggest thing that bothered me, and this might just be nit-picky, was the fact that this is a family of billionaires but the father had a $2000 watch and was excited about a profit of $5 million dollars?? Those sums of money are chump change to billionaires!! Little details like this didn’t always fit with the vibe I think the book was going for. The opulence and indulgence the family is supposed to exude didn’t always come across quite as strong as I would have expected and as much as I wanted. But the wild estate parties definitely fit the vibe and were horrifyingly gripping to read.

I was hoping for a bit more of an unhinged “eat the rich” vibe and in reality it was more on the tame side, which does actually fit the gothic vibes. Tame, of course, being a relative word here. The things Lena did are certainly not good behavior but I just wanted MORE.

First of all, the cover to this book is absolutely beautiful and I would have picked it up for the cover alone. Second, I loved Lena. I loved the representation in this story. I loved the themes in this book. Amazing read, I will definitely be purchasing a physical copy.

Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for the opportunity to read and review this book. All of the opinions given are my own and have been given nothing for my review.