I received a free copy in a giveaway. The premise was interesting but the execution is flat and boring.

This book kept me guessing until the end! I loved the characters--they were all well developed and believable. I loved the portrayal of the therapy dog in the story. The book was fast-paced and I could not wait to finish it.

A twisty academia read set in a prestigious LA private school, Argyle Prep, and focuses in on what really happened in a car crash that killed a classmate. No one is sure what happened as the memories of that night are hazy. Who was behind the wheel? Was it an accident or something more? It cannot be a coincidence that all of them were part of the elite of the school and part of the Headmaster's list, Perfect book for fans of Good Girl's Guide to Murder and other popular YA mysteries.

This book sounded like it would be such a fun read but I just could not get into the book. The cast of characters, a handful of rich spoiled teens, felt super flat to me. Nothing about any of them stood out or made me care about them. The pacing of the book also felt off. The beginning is intense and quick to draw you in but it doesn't keep that up. Overall I think this one was probably geared towards younger teens.

4.5/5 stars
LISTEN TO THE AUDIOBOOK I BEG OF YOU. This book was fire and I did the thing that I always do by falling for the wrong guy. I will not going into deeper detail but if you read this book you will know what I'm talking about. Exactly how it was pitched Gossip Girl with A Good Girl's Guide to Murder. I love overachieving academic atmospheres in books because it makes me want to be an overachieving smart person who will do anything to get into their dream school (but without the murder ;) I need more books like this because I'm a fan of Gossip Girl and murder. Check it out if you feel the same.

Earning a coveted top spot on the elite Headmaster’s List at Armstrong Prep, senior Spencer Sandoval’s future plans seem to be falling into place. Some people’s family’s have to donate buildings to get them on the list, but that’s not a big problem in L.A. When a high speed car crash ends in tragedy, leaving Chris Moore – son of a Armstrong teacher – dead, Spencer wishes she could remember the details. Why was she in the car with her ex Ethan, who she caught cheating at the party; Chris, an underclassmen; and Tabby, a newer transfer student? Missing the first week of classes definitely wasn’t part of Spencer’s plan. Upon her return to school, Spencer gets plenty of unwanted attention and everyone wants to know what she can’t remember. Perhaps more than anyone else, classmate Peyton Salt wants an exclusive interview to propel her – and her podcast Get Salty – into fame. Recovering from her injuries means Spencer can’t play field hockey, and no one seems to look away new scar on her face. While her new service dog Ripley helps keep Spencer’s emotions in check and wake her from recurring night terrors, she also notices the pitying glances that come her way despite her best friend Olivia’s attempts to shield Spencer. Ethan, who admitted to causing the accident, couldn’t have meant it, and now he’s being charged as an adult. Spencer has a nagging feeling if she just could remember something, all would be resolved. Teaming up with Jackson Chan, Ethan’s best friend, who is helping Spencer catch up from her absence gives Spencer the sense of purpose she’s been missing – and hope that she’ll fill in the pieces of that night.

THOUGHTS: Readers looking for a puzzle will appreciate Spencer’s unreliable narrative as she tries to remember (and accept) what happened and her part in it. Recommended for high school collections where mysteries with memory gaps like We Were Liars and Monday’s Not Coming are popular.

This book was a fun ride! At every turn you weren't really sure who to trust and who was telling the truth. Why was Ethan so set on taking the blame? Why would no one answer Spencer's questions? Why can't she remember anything?! I had to keep reading to find out.

Now where this book lost me is that it kind of felt like nothing was happening for about 60% of the book. It took so long to get new clues and more pieces of the puzzle. By the time I got a new clue, I sort of forgot why it mattered and it took me a minute to piece it back together. I just wish there had been more action or more detective work.

I did REALLY love Ripley and the author's descriptions of how the mental health dog's actions soothed Spencer. It was a really interesting look at therapy animals and how they're trained to help.

I'd still recommend if you're looking for a YA mystery! I did this both as an audiobook and a physical book - and I have to say the audiobook is very well done & I'd highly recommend.

Read if you like:
Veronica Mars
Teenage Sleuths
The Agathas
A Good Girl's Guide to Murder

After a fatal car crash that left their classmate dead, everyone wants to know who's fault it is. Spencer doesn't remember the crash but knows her ex-boyfriend didn't do it (even though he's taking the fall for it).

This YA thriller was entertaining but ultimately, middle of the road for me. I think it's perfect for teens who enjoyed "One of Us is Lying" or "Pretty Little Liars". I wish there was more clues for the reader to follow. It just felt at the end that the main character figured out the mystery without the reader being about to follow. I think if I would have physically read this book, it would have felt more slow than the audiobook did.

I wasn't a huge fan of this one, but as a high school librarian, I can already tell its going to be a hit in my library. My readers will like this one.

I received this book in exchange for an honest review.

This book took me forever to read but not because the book itself, I just had a hard time getting into books the last couple of months. But I finished it finally!

Ethan, Spencer, Tabby, and Chris are all in a car accident after a party. Chris is dead. Ethan is charged for murder. Spencer, who is Ethan's ex-girlfriend is determined to figure out what happened. She knows that Ethan drives fast but he couldn't have been going that fast, or could he? Together with Jackson, Spencer and him try and solve the case to hopefully keep Ethan out of prison.

This book hooked me in quickly and I enjoyed the mystery/thriller aspect of it. My biggest issue is the ending felt super rushed! I would have loved to see more why and what happened after everything was solved. Overall a good book, but ended very fast.

Oh what a mystery thriller of a story. Lots of twists and turns when Spencer tries to find out what really happened the night she and her friends were in a car accident.

Thank you NetGalley and the publisher for an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Give me all the dark, rich private school vibes! A car crash, amnesia and a therapy dog! I loved this YA thriller that had a gossip girl/ one of us is lying vibe. Well done!

Melissa de la Cruz never ceases to amaze me - and The Headmaster's List is no different! There were a few slow moments where I almost contemplated setting the book down but I am glad I pushed through. Either de la Cruz is incredibly talented or I am incredibly rusty because I did not catch any of the plot twists. I felt the ending wrapped everything up perfectly, which I loved. A Very fun read!

I loved the story, the world building and meeting the different characters. I felt completely immersed in the story and couldn't stop reading it.

After leaving a party before school starts, 4 teens get into a car crash, one is dead. Spencer wakes up in the hospital with no memory of the crash. With nightmares plaguing her about that night and the police story not matching up with her snippets of memory, Spencer becomes determined to solve the case. Confessing to driving recklessly, right before the crash, Spencer’s ex-boyfriend, Ethan is on house arrest awaiting trial. With a dark past and secrets of his own, could he have really broken his sobriety that night? With the help of Ethan’s friend, Jackson, and her service dog, Ripley, Spencer dives into social media posts, an annoying podcaster’s account, and other pieces of evidence. With wire cutters found at the scene, evidence of drugs, people getting drugged at the party, and discoveries of people from Ethan’s past wanting revenge, Spencer becomes convinced that their car crash wasn’t an accident. Things take a dark turn when she starts receiving threatening letters in her locker and someone tries to run her over. What really happened that night? Can Spencer regain her memory before it’s too late?
The characters are engaging, realistic, and draw the reader into the story. The plot is well-developed, complex, and full of twists and turns. The middle feels like it drags on, but ends up playing an important part in the book. Overall, this book is a binge-worthy read for anyone who likes Sara Shepard, mysteries, and thrillers.

Please Note: A copy of this book was given in exchange for an honest review. All opinions expressed are my own. No other compensation was received.

A well written, mysterious thriller by Melissa de la Cruz, full of twists and turns that keep you on your toes from the get go. Fast paced and interesting, this story will keep you guessing.

I guessed a couple of the twists pretty early on but that didn't take away from my enjoyment of the book. Very THEY WISH THEY WERE US and ONE OF US IS LYING vibes of which both I love. I rooted for Spencer to find the truth and of course, my favorite character was Ripley haha. I was disappointed with one of the twists though and thought it didn't really mesh with the earlier character development. Overall, I enjoyed this as I love dark academia thrillers.

“One of them was driving. One of them was high. One of them screamed. And one of them died.”
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Spencer Sandoval wakes up from a car accident that killed her friend, Chris, and her recent-ex boyfriend is being charged with his death. Even though Ethan was driving and she just caught him cheating on her, Spencer is determined to find out what really happened that night now that her memories are gone. With the help of Ethan’s best friend, Spencer starts to put the pieces together and realizes that everyone involved is on the prestigious Headmaster’s List at their prep school. Is that part of why the accident happened in the first place?
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Like with all YA books I read by Melissa de la Cruz, it was just okay for me. It was a mix of A Good Girl’s Guide to Murder and prep school mysteries like They Wish They Were Us and The Ivies. Nothing groundbreaking or original. I saw the twist coming, but had to finish to make sure I was right. This had the formula for the mystery books being released right now, but it was missing something for me. The audiobook was done really well.

CW: hospitalization, PTSD, panic attacks, gun, alcohol, drug use, drug dealing, car accident, attempted murder

Looking for your next fun thriller/mystery? As soon as I picked up The Headmaster’s List, I couldn’t put it down! I did not guess the twists in this one and it had me turning page after page to find out more! After reading this, I will definitely be picking up more of Melissa’s books!

The mystery kept me reading even through some parts that were a bit slow and some times not believable. I am not a big fan of "regular" people trying to solve a mystery that the police have closed the books on. It just feels like if the police can't solve it, how can someone else solve it.

I had a couple of guesses of what really happened - I was not too far off, but I don't think it took away from the story. Reading the podcast added some information and a different perspective. I do think Ripley the dog was my favorite character and Tabby my least favorite - this character being neither he nor she was distracting and felt like it was just thrown in - it had no real part to the story.

The ending was a good one - it answered all the lingering questions.