This was a fun, upbeat, and adventurous YA novel! I loved the premise of this, and how fast paced the storyline went. The ending felt a little rushed, and I didn’t love all the characters so I knocked off one star. The treasure hunting and reality show concept was a great read.

unfortunately
the pace was a bit slow for me. i typically enjoy thrillers however this one being a YA thriller may have been why it was so lackluster. thank you for the ARC

I felt like this book tried too hard. I tend to find reality tv empty and manipulative so with reality tv a central part of this plot it follows that I'd associate those feelings. I'll give Brooks some credit - it knows the truth about those shows and it's exploring the relationship we have with such programs. But the characters are inconsistent and the plot pushes the bounds of reality.

Thank you to NetGalley for a free ARC copy of this book, in exchange for my honest review.

This book started off great. By around 40%, I was wishing more was actually happening-- things became stale. I wanted to like it and kept reading to realize this book just wasn't for me.

The characters have so much potential, and the premise of the story is really interesting. Ultimately, there's a lot of words for not much content past the introduction.

Riley Ozment has made mistakes, she just wished those mistakes would stay in the past not haunt her in the present. She hopes to remake her image by going on a reality TV show and discovering a treasure that her family has been searching for. Both to win acceptance from her father and the hearts of her peers. The Girl Who Knew Too Much is a blend of mystery and the TV show Survivor yet it missed its mark on fully capturing the intense drama. Riley did not seem relatable in her rich girl seeking redemption cliche. She didn't see her own part in why she was being shunned and it only made her more unlikable. The suspense building was shallow and the tempo of the book mixed. The ending and tying up of all the loose ends was anti-climatic.

This was a solid thriller. I don’t normally read YA thrillers as they just seem so unrealistic and cheesy to me. This one was just okay, it wasn’t anything too crazy and the characters weren’t likable.

The Girl Who Knew Too Much
Tiffany Brooks
This book was originally published under the name of Reality Gold.
Riley Ozaki and her best friend Ivy are expelled from their private school during their senior year but even worse they are humiliated and bullied on social media by their classmates. Their friendship was shattered. Looking for a way to make her classmates see her for who she really is, Riley signs on as a contestant on Reality Gold a TV show similar to Survivor.
A group of twenty teens including Riley are dropped off on a deserted tropical island (Black Rock Island). The participants will be competing in challenges but also searching for a treasure that has been hidden for centuries. The prize for winning the show is a million dollars but finding the cursed treasure has an added bonus. The participants are divided into two groups. Like the show survivor a participant can be voted off the island. Riley knew about the treasure because her godfather Miles had been fixated with the treasure and died on the island. A total of six people have died searching for the buried treasure.
The participants are not a friendly bunch or team players; they are there to win not make friends. The teens face pirates and vicious treasure hunters that do not want a bunch of teens interfering with their search for the treasure.
I like the idea of a book about a reality show for tens. Riley is a well fleshed out character and I liked her; she is like all of us a flawed character. The small romance in this tale didn’t work and the book would have been better without it. This is a “coming of age” tale. It is a fun thriller which sounds contradictory but is the best description for this book.

This book is a mix of survivor and the goonies.

If you need more than that to pick it up this story is about Riley Ozaki after a school scandal and all her peers and friends turning against her. She becomes a internet joke. She thinks the only way to change her story and erase everything that's posted about her online is to join a reality TV competition. The twist is the show is being filmed on deserted Black Rock island off the coast of Brazil that hides a stolen treasure of Inca gold.

The show wasn't supposed to be about the treasure. But as they are getting dropped off they told its a side challenge and all of a sudden her plans are starting to go up in flames. She's going to try to look for it without anyone else knowing or anyone else on her team knowing she's searching for it. And that she knows more about the island and treasure then she's telling anyone.

this was a fast paced, adventure from start to finish. You have the Survivor reality side of competing teams and being voted off the island mixed with the treasure hunt from finding clues and facing danger from searching for the treasure. There’s lots of drama and danger.

Thank you NetGalley for this ARC in exchange for my honest review.

Although this book does not have magic, it does have a deadly game that gave me Hunger Games vibes the minute I read it. When a group of high school students are brought to a deserted island for a reality show like survivor, nothing is at it seems. Everyone has their own reason for being part of the show. Riley, is trying to change her reputation, wiin the show and find the treasure that has been alluding her family for years.

As the competitors search for a treasure that has been lost long ago, things start to go very wrong on the set. And local curse does say 7 will die before the treasure is found. This book will keep you turning the pages until the last sentence.
Thank you to Netgalley and Dreamscape Media for my copy of the book. All opinions are my own

I enjoyed The Girl Who Knew Too Much which I received as an audiobook ARC (thanks Netgalley & Dreamscape Media). This was an interesting take on a YA mystery and was a fun read. The ending was an unexpected surprise and a little rushed. I also found the romance forced and unnecessary, I think I would have enjoyed it far more without it as it seemed out of place. Overall I would recommend it for a fun, quick read but I wish it focused more on the friendships and the mystery closure, so it's a solid 3 stars from me.

Not a bad book, I enjoyed the beginning, but the middle got quite boring, however the ending wasn't lacking at all. I would recommend this to anyone who likes a good thriller and is into reality shows.

The Girl Who Knew Too Much by Tiffany Brooks - 3/5 stars

Thank you to NetGalley and Dreamscape Media for access to a free copy of this audiobook. I am leaving this unbiased review independently.

This book is a fun, lightweight adventure of several teens filming a Survivor-like TV show on an island with a mysterious treasure and some dark past. A quick and easy read, this book is like the perfect junk food. I don't have much to say about this book. I wouldn't say you need to rush out to buy it, but if you like mystery books and happen to see it at the library or a thrift book store, pick it up and give it a try. Just be aware it's much less sinister than the cover tries to make it look.

4 stars. Very much enjoyed this book and it’s cast of characters. I’ll be adding “filming a reality show” to my list of oddly specific story plots in books.

DNF

I really couldn't get into this despite my best efforts. The main character irritated me beyond measure and I hated her stereotyping/judgment of all the other characters. The insta-love made no sense. Her reasoning for joining a reality show was irrational (people don't like you hun, why would you go deeper into the spotlight?)
Ya, this just wasn't for me, unfortunately.

I did not enjoy this at all. Sorry to say so but I was. Very thankful for the opportunity to read it early

I never set expectations for a book as you are always going to let yourself down but I am completely puzzled by this one.

I was expecting a darker, more thrilling YA. The hook line of “survivor meets Lord of the Flies” really had me intrigued, not to mention the cover art spoke something different than what I just listened to.

It wasn’t bad but it wasn’t exciting either. It was a semi-cute mystery with a little treasure hunting thrown in.

The narrator read this book as it was more of a feel good read. I didn’t feel tension, scared or even the want of wanting to win. (if that makes sense)

I really enjoyed the concept of this book, but the execution felt a little clumsy at times. As a librarian though, I would add this series to our collection, and I am sure I would have students who would enjoy it and want to know what happens.

This book is billed as "Survivor meets Lord of the Flies". I definitely got the Survivor part but didn't feel Lord of the Flies. I really enjoyed this teen YA reality show treasure hunt. story. I'm a sucker for a good competitive reality show. This was filled with challenges, suspense, thrills, treasure , and tad romance- what more could you want?

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the ALC in exchange for my honest review.

I received the audio galley from NetGalley free of charge of The Girl Who Knew Too Much. Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher. It was my choice to read and I'm leaving this review voluntarily.

In the beginning I was loving the Survivor vibes, but the end was anti-climactic and throughout, I wasn't on the edge of my seat or scared. I was just going with the flow and following the ride. I did read with some buddies and I think I enjoyed it more than them and it might be because I didn't read the description ahead of time I just started listening with no idea what it was about just that they were interested and so I wanted to check it out if NetGalley would approve me. I didn't read the description until I started making comments on our buddy read.

So, this one might be more enjoyable for future readers if they know it's like Survivor but not like Lord of the Flies as the description suggests.

The book was very slow-moving and did not have a lot of character development. There is a really good idea here but lacked the details to keep the book engaging. It felt that the main character was somewhat all over the place with boys, finding the treasure and her family. Riley was really hard to relate to.