Melissa de la Cruz’s “The Headmaster’s List” is a mystery set in Cali. Spencer, the main character, is a survivor of a horrific car accident. She awakes in the hospital with no memory about what happened the night of the accident except for she was at a party & had broken up with her boyfriend, Ethan, who is being blamed for the accident. Spencer tries to return to her old life as a stellar student, but something doesn’t sit right with how the car accident is investigated and reported. She needs to remember what happened. Ethan’s best friend, Jackson, offers his help. The two of them work together to find the truth. Spencer doesn’t realize that knowing the truth with endanger her life.

This novel is a good mystery geared towards a YA audience. I would recommend it to my 9th & 10th graders. Melissa de la Cruz has some red herrings in the plot that novice mystery readers will enjoy.

Thanks to the publisher and to NetGalley for sending me a copy of this book in exchange for my honest review!

This was....messy. But in an entertaining way? A boy from school is killed in a tragic car accident, and Spencer's ex boyfriend is accused of being the one who was drunk driving. Spencer had no memory of the night and is trying to piece everything together to absolve him and free him.

I think I'm learning that this type of YA mystery is not necessarily for me? I saw the twist at the end coming a mile away, and I had a hard time liking Spencer as a main character. But the writing was very good and the story kept me turning the pages. I just don't think I'll be re-reading this one any time soon.

I received this as an ARC without any requirement for a review, however I've decided to rate this anyway because this was absolutely awful. Nothing in this book makes any sense, and frankly it seemed to be trying to capitalize off of the success of similar (and much better books).
Thank you to NetGalley & the publisher for the ARC.

The Headmaster's List really reminded me of Karen McManus in a really good way. I really enjoyed the interplay between the characters in the aftermath of a horrible accident... Or was it? Seriously, this went a direction I did not see coming at all. I don't know that I feel like everything was completely wrapped up by the end, but I was very overall satisfied.

Not bad, not great. Did not really love the authors writing. The story kind of dragged for me and I did not care for the character.

Great book that was a rollercoaster ride of a thriller. Great characters and wonderful storyline. Such a good book.

The Headmater's List by Melissa de la Cruz was not my favorite read, to put it lightly. I found it to be quite dull and I figured out the twist right away. There were several unrealistic aspects about the book, just like physical limitations that the main character, Spencer, would have with several broken bones. The characters were fine, the best one was the dog, Ripley, and that's never a good sign.

Spencer wakes up in the hospital after surviving a car accident to learn she's blocked out all memories from the crash and that her ex-boyfriend is being blamed for manslaughter because one of the passengers didn't survive.
Spencer has been hurt by Ethan because she found out he had cheated on her, but she doesn't believe he is responsible for the car crash or Chris's death. With the help of Jackson, Ethan's best friend, Spencer decided to try to figure out what her memories are hididn, but she also uncovered secrets someone close to Ethan and her would rather she keep hidden.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for granting me free access to the advanced digital copy of this book, as this book has already been published, I will not share my review on Netgalley at this time.

This was a fast-paced mystery thriller that kept me wanting to find out what was going to happen next. After attending a party, Spencer is seriously injured in a car accident. Her boyfriend was the driver (he becomes the ex when Spencer catches him cheating at the party). Chris Moore - who everyone loves - died in the accident, and Tabby Hill, also in the car, isn't talking about the accident. Spencer can't remember what happened, but starts having flashbacks, and feels that something just isn't right. She teams up with her ex-boyfriend's best friend, Jackson, to find the answers and make sense of the accident. Overall, this was a fast-paced story that kept me guessing.

Hello Again!

I have still been on my mystery kick and this time I decided I would try to pick something off of my Kindle. I have lots of Kindle books as well as E-ARCs from Netgalley, so I wanted to pick something that was waiting for me. After browsing my Kindle for a bit, I made the choice to try to read The Headmaster’s List. (Thank you so much to the publisher for the E-ARC in exchange for my honest opinions). I ended up reading the majority of this book on my Kindle, with a bit of it becoming a phone book while I was waiting at a few appointments.

SPOILERS AHEAD

Spencer attends a private school in California. She has a great boyfriend, is an amazing student, and great friend. She is even on the Headmaster’s List, (a special list of the top ten best students at the school, a position on this list can help you get into an ivy league school). But one night Spencer shows up to a school party a little late and catches her boyfriend kissing someone she thought was a friend. After arguing a lot, Spencer, her boyfriend Ethan, and two other kids from the school get into Ethan’s car. But instead of getting home safely, the car wrecks, and one of them passes away. Now Ethan is being blamed for the death of the other student. But Spencer feels like something is off about that night, she just can not be sure what.

I really enjoyed this book! When I was a bit younger I read the Blue Bloods series by this same author (and since then have read many of her other books). However, this one might be a new favorite of her works for me. The characters were all interesting (my favorites were Spencer, Ethan, and Ripley). Even the side characters such as Spencer’s sister held my attention (I would love a book about Spencer’s little sister someday). In the meantime, I recommend giving this book a try!

Goodreads Rating: 5 Stars

***Thank you so much to the publisher for the E-ARC in exchange for my honest opinions.

This was okay. I didn't expect it to be amazing or anything, and I didn't see the twist coming at least!

I thought The Headmaster's List by Melissa de la Cruz was entertaining. I liked how it handled the themes of privilege and identity (there's even a mental health therapy dog!!!!), but in the end, I found the plot a bit predictable. Still, it was a very engaging read and I can't say no to a slow-burn romance!

~~Synopsis~~
On the night of the biggest party of the year, an accident claims the life of a young Armstrong Prep student. The three survivors find themselves the subject of rumors as one faces trial and another struggles to find the truth.

Spencer Sandoval remembers only one thing about the accident -- Scream. Float. Crash. This sequence is on repeat in her mind but beyond that.... nothing. No matter how much her ex-boyfriend, Ethan, insists he was at fault, though, she is sure there's more to the story, and she's determined to bring the details to light.

Unfortunately, the police are not supportive of her theories, and Ethan is resigned to accepting his fate. There is only one person Spencer can count on to help her play detective and uncover what really happened, Ethan's best friend Jackson. The further they investigate, however, the more someone tries to stop them.

What really happened? Is it as cut and dried as the authorities seem to think, or was something more sinister going on in the background that played a part in the tragic death of Chris Moore?

~~What I Liked~~
For the most part, this was a very readable book. Although I had things figured out right from the start (except the second twist that we'll get into later), I was kept interested and moved through the pages at a good pace. The premise was intriguing, if not unique, and I was curious how something that seemed like just a car accident could be more complicated than that. My favorite part was Ripley, Spencer's service dog. I'm a sucker for a good doggie.

~~What I Disliked~~
This felt very much like rushed work. There were too many inconsistencies, plot holes, forgotten storylines and inaccuracies for it to be a well thought out and cohesive book. Firstly, the legal system (unless California is very different) does not work the way it's portrayed here. Even if there is no question who was driving, a vehicle that was involved in a car crash that resulted in a death would be gone over with a fine-tooth comb and certainly wouldn't have been compacted within a few weeks. Also, a trial that starts within a couple weeks of the accident? And what kind of trial was it? At one point, it's said that Chris's parents are suing Ethan, but that appears to morph into a criminal trial instead. Is the author suggesting both were going on at the same time?

Secondly, the plot holes and storylines left hanging...and then remembered...and then left hanging. The entire book is based on the mystery Spencer feels she must solve at any cost, but there's no solid basis for her thought process. She just thinks there was something off about Ethan's face during the crash. The Headmaster's List (you know, the TITLE of the book) was a wasted plot point. Even the characters argued whether the list was truly important. It serves no purpose other than to be a red herring just as too many other dropped aspects, or people, were. Don’t even get me started on Spencer’s Vicodin use (that somehow extended SIX MONTHS after the accident? What doctor continues to fill a prescription for that long??) Nothing was fleshed out to be believable, and when it was all finally revealed, it still left me with the feeling that there wasn't enough of a reason for what happened. And... as far as that final reveal. Ugh! It's an overdone trope I despise. I could have picked out a couple of red herrings that could have been expanded upon to make a better ending than the one chosen.

Normally, when there end up being so many things that are wrong with a book (and I didn't even touch on them all), I'd give it no more than two stars; however, because the majority of my issues arose in the last 25% of the book, I upped that to three. This was lazy writing that could have been improved with the right editing, fewer pages, and more attention to detail.

Thank you to NetGalley and Macmillan Children's Publishing Group for providing an egalley of this book that I chose to review honestly and objectively.

In the Young Adult thriller The Headmaster's List by Melissa de la Cruz, introductions are made into the posh life of the upper crust. The parties, the money, and the cut-throat competition. When a fellow student dies, is it just another example of rich kids behaving badly, or is the competition amongst the elite teens even more sinister than anyone realized?

Four people were in the car when the fatal car crash happened. Three survived. Who really was driving? This is a fast paced novel that is gripping, exciting, and unputownable. Think One of Us is Lying meets Gossip Girl. Once you start reading you will not want to stop! Thanks to NetGalley and the Publisher for an ARC.

I was not a fan of this book. I found it to be boring and poorly paced, and the characters were annoying. I don't really recommend it, but it reminded me of the Private series by Kate Brian, one of my favorites. I'm sure there's an audience for this book, otherwise it wouldn't exist. But that audience is not me.

This feels like it's for a younger YA audience. Yes it deals with some complex heavy topics but there's not depth or detail. A simple read

YA suspense/mystery is one of my favorite reading genres, but I found this one to be fairly unsatisfying. There were a lot of plot holes and the end was just too unbelievable. 2.5 stars rounded to 3

My students and I love Melissa de la Cruz novels! The Headmaster's List engaged in a little suspension of disbelief but it got the girls talking! Thanks to #NetGalley for the opportunity to preview #TheHeadmastersList - I'm already looking forward to her next release!