Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for an advanced readers audio book in exchange for an honest review.

3.9 stars

Riley Ozment is an wealthy high school senior who embarrassed herself on social media and is looking for a way to improve her reputation. She and 19 other teens are on an island playing a Survivor-type game. While there Riley and the others get involved in hunting for a treasure.

Riley could be a bit annoying, especially regarding a crush.

I enjoyed the narration by Stephanie Willing.

I somewhat enjoyed this story. It was mildly entertaining. At first, I thought the synopsis sounded awesome! It was a little too YA for me, I was expecting it to be a bit more thrilling.

I did find that I liked the characters and their interactions. The main character wasn’t unbearable like most YA books. The treasure hunting stuff really doesn’t appeal to me, so that part felt flat. I did like the survivor piece to the book. Although, there wasn’t a whole lot of that.

It wasn’t amazing, but it wasn’t horrible. I would recommend to pass some time.

I have received this ARC from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

I'll admit that I was pretty excited to jump into The Girl Who Knew Too Much. Mostly because the synopsis mentioned this being like Survivor meets Lord of the Flies. Now I'm obsessed with the show Survivor. So, I was really intrigued to see the spin on this.

Unfortunately, things fell flat. In the beginning, I got the survivor vibes but not necessarily the lord of the flies. More like Pirates of the Caribbean, or even Legends of the Hidden Temple, but that's because they are on a treasure hunt. Then I met the characters, and I was even more intrigued with what was going to happen on this island.

I think the only good thing about this book was the pace. Everything moved pretty quickly so you never felt bored. It just sucks that I wasn't invested in any of the characters. Sure, they could be likable to someone, but they just weren't my cup of tea.

Other than that, the twists and turns throughout this book was okay. I'm not exactly sure what I was looking for in this book, but it felt like something was missing. With poor decision making, overdramatic characters, and betrayal lurking at every corner I was hoping that this was going to be amazing.

In the end, it just ended up being okay really. The potential was there but fell short.

If you enjoy game shows like Survivor and have always wanted to go on a treasure hunt, you should pick up this book. Riley has been interested in a supposed buried treasure on an uninhabited island for years and when she finds out a game show will be filming there, it's the perfect opportunity for her to search. Unfortunately, there's a rumored curse on the island and things are going wrong from the beginning. Technology breaks, people are hurt, and someone else seems to be looking for the treasure too.

This is definitely fast paced and has a lot of drama going on. Riley wasn't that likeable to me. She kept playing this 'poor me' card, even though she's a rich white girl who has been saved from being expelled by her father's influence. I had no sympathy for her, especially when she kept making poor choices and alienating the other contestants. I did like seeing the teens compete against each other, plot ways to take others down, and reveal their many secrets.

I do love books with games or competitions as the main plot and hope to see more like this in the future. The fairly short length coupled with a lot happening made this pretty fun.

I voluntarily read and reviewed this book. All opinions are my own. Thank you to Dreamscape Media and NetGalley for the audiobook

This book had so many of my fave elements...locked room (of sorts)...it is set on an island, desperate people willing to do desperate things, and a credible POV.

I loved this mash up of Survivor, Big Brother and Lord of the Flies and I highly recommend.

Thank you to Dreamscape Media for gifting me a copy. It was my pleasure to write an honest review.

This book follows twenty teens who ultimately get stuck on a island together. They are told that not only is there a million dollars but a buried treasure and more money too boot. I felt very much like Survior and also had the desperation of Squid Games. I liked how our main character knew what was already buried but the story slowly peels away that not only does she know whats there but so do the other contestants.
I wished they had more quests to get the treasure but overall this was a solid listen and will gift this too my neice for christmas

I was given an advance audiobook in exchange for my honest review.. this story is seen through the eyes of Riley. She has been suspended from school, and was then home schooled. Riley was living down the humiliation she brought down upon herself when she became crossways with her former friends and social media thrashing. Riley got opportunity to go on a survival type show if her application is chosen there is a million dollars if they find the actual treasure. This show will be taping the same place she last had fun with her dad and uncle Steve where they had searched for the treasure.so she knew her way around a little bit. Steve would die in an accident. It is said bad things happen if you look for the treasures. Maybe going would earn her points with her dad. Does going men having to make friends and alliances or can you be on our own.there are lots of twists and turns as well as romances while looking behind the curtains of a reality show. Nothing is what it appears to be and can the staff really be trusted on this reality show? Thank you to #NetGalley, #DreamscapeMedia, #TiffanyBrooks for allowing me to review an early audiobook.

This was the teenage version of Survivor. Teens dropped off on a deserted island to compete for a cash prize and the opportunity to search for treasure when not recording. When Riley got into some trouble at school she thought this would be the perfect change to rebuild her image and it helped that she was familiar with the island due to a past treasure hunt, Turns out, she was not the only one that was familiar and had done their research.

This book was slow to start for me and at first I wondered why in the world I decided to read this. Turned out it was a great read and I am so happy that I stepped out of my normal genre.

HUGE thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the review copy.

A reality show gold hunt where you complete strangers are thrown into groups and really everyone is for themselves with the main goal of gaining that gold. As time goes on they start to learn more about each other and how much they should not trust each other. And then things start happening. Bad things. definitely a page turner. I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

Pros: The premise of this YA book is a lot of fun—a survivor-like reality tv competition show (featuring 20 influencer-types) plus a treasure hunt.

Cons: I had high expectations for the book based on the premise (it has so much potential!), but the execution was just okay.

Thank you to NetGalley and Dreamscape Media for the opportunity to listen to this book.

2.5 stars rounded up to 3

I’ve shared this review on Goodreads and StoryGraph.
https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/4395793550
https://app.thestorygraph.com/reviews/75e7eb1c-6701-4376-88bf-da654116e726

I did find this book to be “survivor meets lord of the flies” which was disappointing. I will say that the narrator did a great job of telling the story and giving some life to the characters - which they needed because character development was lacking. The main narrator Riley had a good backstory and should have been likable but while she was smart she made all of the stupidest decisions when it came to reading other people. And I especially hated her “love interest” story line because anytime a girl spends half her time talking about what a jerk a guy is he’s no longer attractive period. I felt like clues were dropped heavily several times and the narrator just ignored them.

Riley got into some trouble at school which through a series of missteps led to her getting some internet fame in a super negative way. Isolated from all of her friends and doing school online she decides the solution is to do a reality tv show - survivor with teens on a small island off Brazil (I know, I know this was the first super dumb and lack of insightful idea she had. Had she never watched a reality tv show?). Hidden on that island is a treasure that Riley is familiar with since her father funds treasure hunts and even brought her to that island a couple of years prior. Riley decides to hunt the treasure but both the show and the treasure hunt are more full of dangers than she guessed. I gave it a 2.5 rounded down for star rating.

This is Survivor meets the Hunger Games. And it was pretty darn good, if not a tiny bit too long. Definitely have off reality show vibes.
20 teens are dropped off on a remote island to compete against each other for a cash prize. While competing, there is also hidden treasure to be found, and Riley, the main character has her own reason for wanting to be there. Her godfather started hunting for the treasure many years ago and when he died without finding his life’s work complete, she vowed she would do her best to find it for him, despite the attention it would bring to her. You see, Riley had some previous internet fame when a meme of her went viral for being a spoiled little rich girl and the kids at school bullied her til she ends up getting kicked out.
But the island appears to be cursed-things go missing or broken, they randomly get food poisoning and the director and her staff all act strangely. It’s up to Riley to not get voted off the island so she has more time to find the treasure, but ultimately she finds that she is not who everyone thinks she is, and makes some real new friends in the midst of it all.
The narrator did a great job of differentiating the characters voices, and even when one of them had an accent, she didn’t try to hard and make it sound super fake. I enjoyed her telling the story.

If you’re a fan of reality tv like survivor or if you liked Lord Of the Flies or Hunger Games (like me!) you’ll prob enjoy this one. It’ definitely feels YA, so know that going in.
Thanks to Sourcebooks Fire and Netgalley for this Arc in exchange for my review.
Publication date: January 1, 2022

Really great story. The narrator brought all the characters to life and made the words move and come to life. It was a great book for our road-trip. Kept us all entertained.

The premise of the book really captured my attention and I am not even a watcher of shows like Survivor, but I liked the social media culture + reality TV aspect of the plot. I didn't have high hopes for this book, but I still thought it would be better than it actually was. First of all the San Francisco rep was terrible. As someone who grew up in San Francisco, it's a big no for me. Also, equity issues are real and the author made it sound like students caring about privilege was annoying. It's not. Riley, our MC, went on a reality show to change the way people on social media perceived her after an incident caused her to get negative social media attention.
So she decides to go on a reality TV show that is also the site of buried treasure that her family has ties too and she brings a device that would help her out tremendously in searching for treasure that she wasn't going to tell anyone she would do since it wasn't part of the show... Uh, what? The whole point was to show a different side of her and all she did was prove how privileged and selfish she is.

The other teenagers that were on the reality show with her were okay, you can distinguish them, but overall they were not memorable. I also didn't care for the romance at all. I did enjoy the behind the scenes of the show. I thought that was really cool and wish we got more of that. The show and the treasure hunting part of the plot needed to be connected better. It just didn't hit the mark for me.

I gave this book 3 stars and would not recommend it because I don't think it is that interesting. I also need people to stop saying this is a thriller because it really is not.

Major thanks to NetGalley and Dreamscape Media for the audiobook in exchange for an honest review!

thank you to NetGalley and dreamscape media for this audiobook! I had such a fun time going on a treasure hunt with Riley and the gang!

what drew me to this book was the premise. I love surviver, I’ve been watching since season one, so when I saw this was pitched as surviver meets lord of the flies I was in. and did I have fun!

Riley is trying to clear her name and run from a past scandal. she believes going on this reality show will show the world how good and selfless she is. while the reality show is part of the reason she’s wanting on the island, the treasure her god father died searching for is another!

as a fan of surviver, I loved the parts of this book that were nods to the game. aka the tribal councils, voting people off, the challenges etc. I thought the atmosphere was perfectly in line with the feel of the show.

while there were lots of things to enjoy the major let down for me was the romance. I don’t think the book needed that plot line. the execution of it fell so flat and it seemed to come out of no where to the point I wish it was just cut out completely.

overall, I had a fun time reading it and if you like the show surviver, this is for you!

This book was pretty good, overall I really enjoyed it. It was like reading a reality tv show instead of watching it. 20 teens are dropped off on a deserted island to compete against one another for a cash prize. They would have the opportunity to use it for whatever they needed to and a lot of them were looking for funding for their college.
However, our main character has her own motives to come to this project and it's not just to compete with the people on the island to be the last one standing. Riley wants to continue along with the work of her godfather Miles who died on this island looking for the treasure. Riley wants to find that treasure, along with proving herself to all the people in the world that she is not what she thinks that people think of her.
At first, it seems like everything is going well, and then stuff starts to turn in different directions when stuff starts turning up missing or broken then they go through a bout of food poisoning.
Overall the book was a good way to pass the afternoon, I liked the storyline and some of the characters. However, I wish that there were more challenges for the tv show. If you like the show survivor or reality tv then this is a great book to check out! The ending was kind of expected but I really enjoyed it!
I received the audiobook from Dreamscape Media to review and the audiobook was amazing! The narrator was easily understood along she fit the part. Thank you Netgalley & Dreamscape Media for the opportunity to listen and review this one!

This tension-filled story brought back memories of the first season of the Survivor Series, which I believe is still in syndication? I am not a huge fan of series so I have not kept up with the Survivor Series. It was interesting to go behind the scenes and see how this type of show is "engineered." Did I honestly ever believe that the entire show wasn't rigged for maximum audience appeal? Hardly!

Riley wants to escape - social media has made her life a misery because of a school prank, so at first I found it hard to understand why Riley would subject herself to even more exposure by insisting on joining a televised "Survivor" type TV show. The Island on which the show will be filmed is also the location where her late godfather, Miles, lost his life while he was searching for buried treasure. The island has a tragic history: six people, including her late godfather, have died during their failed attempts to find the trove of buried treasure that is rumoured to be hidden somewhere in a secret subterranean cave. There are also rumours that the island and the treasure are cursed and legend has it that seven searchers must die before the location of the treasure will be revealed.

This young adult thriller has all the elements to hold your attention: plenty of personal and team challenges, tons of maps and clues to decipher, and some menacing outside forces to keep everyone on their toes after dark!

I enjoyed this story but found the ending left us with a major loose end - no spoilers here - which made me suspect that this might become a series? At any rate, this was a very enjoyable YA novel that will satisfy on all levels. I'm rating this a 3.8 out of 5 stars, rounded up to a 4. I received an E-Book as well as an Audiobook ARC of <u>The Girl Who Knew Too Much</u> in exchange for an honest review. Having the the very well narrated E-book for those times when I preferred to sit and simultaneously listen and read along to the audiobook was a huge bonus because - with all the young contestants and crew members in this story - it made it much easier to keep track of who was who at any given time in the narrative. I highly recommend this YA Thriller.

🔊Song Pairing: Treasure - Sanjoy

💭What I thought would happen:

I figured a murder mystery where a woman goes missing/dies for knowing a dirty little secret. Big nope. I was very wrong.

📖What actually happens:

Riley is about to get dumped onto an island with a supposed treasure all for the sake of reality television when she chooses to be a part of a new show that is like if Survivor and Treasure Island had a love child.

Riley is a teenage girl who recently had a scandal occur and is desperate trying to change her privileged bad girl image by being like totally likeable but she’s known about the treasure for years and wants to be the one to find it for curiosity sake not wealth.

🗯Thoughts:

The MC, Riley is a naracisst living in her own vain world. I tried desperately to be on her side but dang girl it was just a constant pity party for the poor rich girl with a minor tarnished reputation. By the end, I will say she finally did have some character growth bumping this rating from a 2.5 to 3 stars.

This book was like if National Treasure x Pirates of the Caribbean yet failing to be either. A Captain John Sparrow did make an appearance but not in a comical nor thrilling way.

I’d say I was curious in the beginning and genuinely thought perhaps I’d found a gem. Not so much. I will say give it a shot and maybe you’ll like it more than I did. It had potential for sure. Thank you, next.

Honest review- I didn’t love this book but I didn’t hate it either. I do think that the storyline was very interesting and there was a little character development. However, there were way too many characters and I felt at times just too much going on in this book to make it flow as well as it could have. Thank you Net Galley for the ARC.

Received access to the ebook version of this publication from NetGalley and Dreamscape Media in exchange for an honest review.

Overall, this is an entertaining book. Fun premise that is executed well, I think. It is very much your run-of-the-mill YA, but as an adult, I still enjoyed the ride.

My real issue was characterization, specifically with its protagonist. Now, I'm all for a flawed protag, even if their flaws annoy me. In fact, I think it often adds to my enjoyment of a story.

This is not to say I disliked our protagonist, Riley, but I did have a few issues with her. Her entire motive from the beginning of the story is to prove other people's judgements of her are wrong, and she works very hard to get others to perceive her the way she would like to be perceived. Something we can all relate to, at one point or another. Especially as a teenager/young adult.

However, with all her preoccupation with not being judged... She spent a whole lot of time judging everyone around her. Unfairly. Again, this is not to say this isn't realistic because who among us is not guilty of this? But it gets a little tiring to hear judgmental thought after judgmental thought all the while trying to sympathize with her plight.

That aside, I had fun with this teen thriller. It was well-paced and interesting, and a lot of fun, even if the characters were a bit on the tropey side.