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

Jess hates parties, but joins her boyfriend, Jake, and her friends at an end of summer bash before heading into their senior year. However, things get out of hand at the party involving a sex scandal, multiple lines of betrayal, and a missing girl. With every character having something to hide, it becomes very blurry who the good guys and bad guys are and when everyone starts piling on lies and friends begin turning on friends more than one person ends up dead.

I would definitely recommend this for fans of Kara Thomas. It has similar pacing, character development, and edginess of her books. It definitely read like a classic YA thriller. I liked the varying points of view and time lines through the book. I found Jess to make irritating life choices, but in that way she was a very realistic teenaged girl. I also liked how it all wrapped up. I also hated Jake for most of the book, but I also felt his character was pretty spot-on for a 17 year old boy. There were so many lies being tossed around I could not pinpoint the killer. I thought it was everyone at one point or another!

Thank you NetGalley for an arc of this book in exchange for my honest review.

Fast-paced thriller, dynamic characters, and plot twists - a true page-turner

It's been a while since a thriller really made my jaw drop so when the final twist was revealed in Friends Like These, it was an automatic 5 star read for me! I loved the short chapters, multiple POVs and the jumping from past to present. I really liked the multiple characters and their various flaws. This one is twisty with clues laid out so well that I didn't realize it until after everything was revealed. Highly recommend!

Thanks to Harper Books for a #gifted ARC.

Ok, if you’ve been coming here long enough, you know that I absolutely LOVE a good suspense/thriller novel. Even better if it is a YA suspense/thriller novel. Trust me when I say this book doesn’t disappoint.

CHARACTERS
So let’s look at our characters:

First, we have Tegan, who drives me up the wall. I’ve known girls like her – they think they’re so generous and so loyal, but the only person they’re truly loyal to is themselves. I really don’t care much for her, to be honest. She and Jessica used to be best friends, until Chloe came along that is.

Next, we have Jessica. She’s one of our two main characters. She’s in love with Jake. I like Jessica. She’s got spunk – although I don’t like it when she lets her friends or her parents try to make her decisions for her or tell her that Jake is bad news. But her loyalty to her friends could be her downfall.

Speaking of Jake – the other of our two main characters. He’s in love with Jessica. I like him. He’s had a tough life and it shows. I can relate to some of it because I’ve been there. I can’t say which parts because that’d spoil the book. But I can relate to him in some ways.

Chloe is Jessica’s best friend. She’s hard working, focused, and isn’t friends with Tegan. Tegan never liked Chloe even though Chloe tried to be friends with Tegan. It’s complicated. I don’t really have much of an opinion about Chloe.

There are other characters as well, but I don’t have much of an opinion of them, so I’m not going to list them off.

ATMOSPHERE
So this book is set in a small beachside town in Northern California. Although we don’t get a lot of description, suffice it to say that the greater majority of this town seems to be the kind of people who have money to spare. Not everyone mind you, but enough that it might make you wonder how the events in the book would happen there.

To me, the town seems to be a darker place than one would expect. After all, all the events in the book certainly don’t point to an idyllic little seaside town in California. But I think that’s part of what makes it such a great book and such a great atmosphere. This is small town America. You get a taste of the type of headlines you’ll find when things go awry in small town America. It’s great.

WRITING
The writing in this novel is superb. It’s easy to follow along, and it’s easy to get lost in. There aren’t a bunch of glaring typos or missing words, there aren’t a bunch of $10 words that are hard for readers to understand, and the writing flows nicely along. The author keeps the book going at a good clip and doesn’t let up until the very end. This is not a slow burn type of novel – which in my opinion is a good thing.

PLOT
This book has a rather unique plot to it. Sure, we’ve probably all either read or heard about a book where a politician’s child goes missing. But in this case, it’s an ex-politician and it’s not the typical kidnapping and ransom request. This goes much deeper and is much more suspenseful and terrifying.

This isn’t a plot that most authors would go with and I love it. I think the plot for this book is brilliant and I wouldn’t want anything to be changed about it. Absolutely nothing!

INTRIGUE
As I said above, this book isn’t a slow burn. The intrigue starts almost as soon as the book does. There’s very little time between the start of the book and the beginning of the action. This is a good thing. Slow burns aren’t generally my thing when it comes to suspense/thriller novels, so I appreciate the action starting right away.

Another thing I loved was that the book keeps you guessing. You know who the cops think did it. You might think you know who did it. But you’re probably wrong about that. Trust me, I can almost guarantee you’re wrong about that. And if you aren’t? Well, then you must have picked up on some clues I didn’t.

LOGIC
Logic-wise, you’ll need to stay on your toes and pay attention when the chapters change. This is because while they are done in a logical manner, they also move back and forth in time between Tegan’s Fourth of July Bonfire and the current state of affairs. Make sure to read the chapter headings so you don’t get lost, although it shouldn’t be too terribly difficult to figure out.

ENDING
The ending of this book is amazing. Simply stunning. I had no clue until the very end, when everything fell into place, who had actually committed the crimes. I thought I knew. I had a couple of guesses. But the person it turns out to be? Nope. Not a single clue. I loved the ending of this book.

I gave this book five stars because this book was absolutely amazing. I only stopped reading it to do things I needed to do, like sleep. Once I got going, I didn’t want to put it down. Trust me, you need to read this book.

So. Many. Twists!!! Teagen Sheffield is hosting the final party of the summer right before the start of senior year in their small Northern California beach town. She invites her ex-boyfriend Jake, who of course brings his current girlfriend Jessica. Teagen and Jessica have a lot of history, going all the way back to 5th grade. Teagen and her friends have special plans for Jake, which shocks everyone at the party. As everything spirals out of control, Teagen is missing, Jessica's world crumbles around her, and Jake remembers nothing of that night. The number of reveals and twists throughout the book are amazing, all the way up to a huge twist at the end. Highly recommended for grades 9 & up.

Friends Like These is a YA psychological thriller with multiple POVs, toxic relationships and a complex mystery about a missing girl, a dare going wrong and lies.

This book kept me constantly guessing who the true wrong-doer was, and what would be unraveled next. It has a twisted mystery that’s highly engaging, while also dealing with some heavy themes.The emotional aspects of the story added a nice depth to the characters and made it a more engaging read than the standard YA thriller. The writing is really good, and I got way more hooked on the story than I initially thought I would.

When it comes to the characters the majority of the story is told from the perspective of Jess and Jake, the cutest couple in their small California town. The story follows their relationships and lives while having to deal with the aftermath of a disastrous party where everything seems to go wrong. Relationships are getting exposed, bodies are found and no-one knows who to trust anymore. It’s a wild ride, to say the least, and I’m almost impressed with how many different types of toxic people this book managed to pack into it.


The story held me hooked throughout the book, but it felt a bit at the end. The ending was a bit anticlimactic, not what I expected after the build up throughout the book. But for the majority of the book I really enjoyed it. So if you like YA thrillers, then you should check out this one!

The mystery here--where is Tegan? Who killed [character name removed for spoilers]?--is compelling enough that it would probably entertain fans of Karen McManus or Holly Jackson. For me, this didn't do enough to stand out in the plethora of YA mysteries that have come out in the last five years or so. The unreliable narrator trope makes the story more intriguing, but I didn't care what happened to the characters because everyone had at least one aspect that made them wholly unlikeable. I'm all for realism (no one is perfect), but they didn't have anything to make them interesting either. Plus, the suspension of disbelief asked of the reader is, well, almost too much to keep the story going.

Thank you to Random House for sending me an advanced copy of this in exchange for an honest review.

CW: Sexual Assault, Drug Use. Bullying

Can Publishers just start putting trigger warnings in the beginning of a book instead of the end?

This book is very dark and problematic with the subject of teen bullying and sexual assault and someone who may be triggered from those topics will not know unless they read a review.

Did i enjoy this book? yes. it kept me reading and interested and is probably one of the only YA thrillers that i didn't guess the ending of and it didn't bore me.

These is the ideal beachy/small town toxic friendship YA mystery/suspense for fans of excellent writing and character-driven slow burns. Such a gifted person is Jennifer Lynn Alvarez. Wonderful writing! I gave it some more thinking. I became quite immersed in the story just because of some great phrase constructions and a cresting intentional build of suspense and high stakes.

Actual rating 2.75.

It was really hard to enjoy the story when the narrators were unlikeable. Tegan, Jessica, and Jake were connected through an extremely tangled web with lots of history and due to that layered history, several rivalries were rooted. They didn't have any redeeming qualities and so it was difficult to feel sympathetic for them. The plot covered tough subjects and portrayed realistic consequences, but overall, this book was not for me. Thank you NetGalley for an ARC.

Wow! Friends Like These had me hooked from the beginning. We get three different POVs Jake and Jessica from the present day, and Teegans in the days leading up to her party,

When they arrive at Teegans end of summer party, things are already a bit tense as parties aren't Jessicas idea of a good time, especially if it's Teegans. They have this used-to-be-friends rivalry thing going on, that has gotten even worse since Jake dumped Teegan and started dating Jessica.

Then some horrible things go down at the party and Teegan ends up missing, opening up a can of worms that has the police and FBI arriving in town. This makes everyone nervous as they all have secrets they want to keep from the days leading up to and from the night of the party. This story took me on a wild ride, and while I had some very strong suspicions about what happened to Teegan and who was behind what happened at the party I was 100% wrong. I did not see it coming at all. I loved it.

Woah - what a whirlwind of a read! The main character, Jessica, is starting her senior year and looking forward to experiencing all the "good, last times" of high school before she heads off to college. To say she is surrounded by toxic friends and classmates would be an understatement. I struggled to like any of the characters, they are horrid, but I think that may be the point.

Told from the point-of-view of Jessica and her boyfriend, Jake, the story begins at an end-of-summer party where a video prank gone wrong ends up going viral. The video irrevocably changes the lives of everyone at the party and in the community, when they realize the next morning that one person is missing. From here, the story spirals toward a shocking ending that I did not predict. A fast-paced, psychological thriller, this book is sure to captivate fans of Gillian Flynn, Karen McManus, and Tarryn Fisher. TW - this book includes discussions of sex and rape, drug use, underage drinking, and violence.

Thanks to Jennifer Lynn Alvarez, NetGalley, and Random House Children's, Delacorte Press for an advanced eBook in exchange for my honest review.

Boy am I happy my high school days are way behind me! And that we only had access to Facebook & the beginnings of Instagram.

This had me hooked almost immediately! The anticipation is really well done. I wanted to flip to the end because I just couldn’t wait to find out what the heck happened?! I thought I had it figured out but I was wrong (and I love when that happens).

This is told in alternating chapters between 3 of the main characters. I really sympathized with all of them. Who hasn’t made mistakes in high school without wholeheartedly understanding the consequences? I thought Tegan was awful to both Jake and Jessica but her chapters really helped humanize her. I’m glad we got to see things from her point of view as well.

I really enjoyed this one and, if you are into YA thrillers set in sleepy Northern California beach towns (yay Sonoma county), you will too!

This YA thriller was such a wild ride! The mystery of knowing what happened and who did it had me constantly thinking I knew what was going on and then I’d be thrown for another loop! There was so much tension and teen angst and then that betrayal…I loved it!

Thank you Netgalley and Publisher for this Arc!

Talk about toxic!! Whew... this was a wild ride and it had my head spinning with the possibilities in this intense small town thriller.

I think this was the point, but I didn't really like any of the characters. Plus, right from the start, the author throws the reader into the middle of one of the worst things that could happen at a party... or anytime, anywhere really.

When Jessica is ready to leave a huge summer party the TV suddenly turns on and she sits in horror watching her boyfriend hook up with her ex- best friend. This story continues with a missing persons case and much more. So be ready and hold on bc this does not slow down!

Out November 1, 2022!

Jennifer Lynn Alvarez’s Friends Like These feels like it could be one of those great YA murdery, soapy, One of Us is lying type of reads, and it starts out that way, but in the end it was just OK for me. It is probably closer to Pretty Little Liars, which is fine. This was an enjoyable read, but it didn’t grab me. I wasn’t gobsmacked by the ultimate reveal. And as we got to the reveal, things became more and more unbelievable for me. It’s fine if I have to stretch my belief to create a good story; it becomes slightly tedious when I have to push aside all reasonable thought to go along with the story. This is not to diminish the writing of Alvarez, I really liked the flow and the suspense that was created. And the topic matter- date rape drugs, online bullying, privilege- all are relevant and need to be discussed. I just couldn’t really get into the premise of the story background. I didn’t buy in to the “holding a grudge since elementary school” and wanting to get even. Also, Jake starts off immediately cringey and clingy, but is supposed to be sweet? I was never on his side throughout the whole book. And Tegan was very one-note; why do I care who the murderer is if I don’t care about the murdered? Though I wanted to love this book, the story and characters just did not gel enough. I could see high schoolers liking this- it is a bit soapy and, as I said, very PLL. Thanks to @NetGalley for the eARC..

Sometimes high school is hard. Jessica has her "crew" of friends and Tegan has her "crew". They all gather at an end of the year beach party to which Jessica went because her boyfriend, who used to be Tegan's boyfriend, wanted to go. The end of the party results in a dead teenager, unjust accusations, and the discovery that some friends are not really friends. There is a nice little twist at the end. Definitely a good read for the high school crowd. I will buy it for my high school library. I received an arc from NetGalley and am under no pressure for a positive review.

Ramona Thompson

I had enjoyed the Lies Like Wildfire by Jennifer Lynn Alvarez, so I was excited to read more by the author. It worked so well as a young adult novel and a mystery novel. I was invested in what was happening in the story and trying to solve what was going on. I'm glad I was able to read this and getting back to read a mystery by Jennifer Lynn Alvarez.

"Underwood consults a manila folder. “First I’d like to ease both your minds about the video recording. The special agents who flew in earlier this week took it down and did a deep scrub on all the posts from that night and subsequent days. The bureau has methods for tracking the shares and removing the layers as the content moves toward the dark web. It’s not a perfect science, but they’ve done their best.”

I haven't read anything YA in what feels like forever, but Friends Like These really pulled me in. I've been watching Outer Banks as I was reading this, and I saw a lot of thematic similarities - teenagers getting involved in violent situations that go way over their heads.

The story had some mature themes that made it feel more adult, but it was riddled with teenage angst, which I ate right up. It's perfect for fans of the Pretty Little Liars industry - lots of secrets, violence, mystery, suspense, and a hint of romance.

This book is about a small town group of friends that are getting ready for their senior year. I actually enjoyed this book even though I figured it out a little over half way through. The characters, remember, are high school students so their trials and tribulations, that seem minor to some, are real in their eyes. Nice twists and turns. Maybe a little slow in the beginning but worth it in the end.