Rich teens and parents behaving badly with exclusive clubs? Sign me up. This is a fun, YA thriller and if you’ve enjoyed goodmans other books, you’ll like this one.

3/5⭐️

I am a sucker for a good thriller with rich people. I was initially intrigued by this story as it is a YA thriller/mystery that follows a group of high schoolers joining a club of the ultra-elite. However, the execution of this fell flat for me. This was not my favorite of Goodman’s work but still feel like it was worth the quick, twisty read. If you are a fan of high school drama and are interested by the privilege and lives of NYC wealthy teens, then pick this one up!

Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for providing me with an early copy in exchange for an honest review!

Many thanks to NetGalley and the Penguin group for this advance reader copy of The Legacies by Jessica Goodman - this one is out next month, 7/25/23!

I should note that I've recently started checking out the original Gossip Girl, and this one gave me MAJOR GG vibes, mixed with Pretty Little Liars. This one is a YA book about a group of friends that have had a lot of privilege growing up and are vying for spots into the Legacy Club, which will propel them into success and wealth in life. Told between rotating POVs of Bernie, Isobel and Tori, this one was a very quick read. I'm not sure how I feel about the timeline - the Legacy Ball is the titular event for this book, and some parts, we're a few days before the ball, and then a few times we're after the ball, so there's a lead-up that some major event happens. I was reading this one on my Kindle, and the "future" after-ball chapters are italicized, so it was a nice visual cue to remember what timeline we were in, but I can see that this may get lost if you're listening to the audio.

While I thought this one was easy to read, there's a lot of characters. When I was reading it, I was having trouble keeping them straight - Skylar in this book is a male, and I just read a book with a female Skylar character, so that was a little bit tricky to keep straight. While this one doesn't apply a lot of practicality to "real life" settings, it was fun nonetheless. I haven't read anything else by this author, nor do I read a ton of YA, but if I do check out young adult works, I do enjoy this mystery/whodunnit-style. If you've been a fan of Gossip Girl or Pretty Little Liars, I think you'd enjoy this one!

Thank you again to NetGalley and the publishers for this ARC in exchange for this honest review. Check this one out when it publishes 7/25/23!

To start: As always thank you to NetGalley for access to this ARC! When I started The Legacies by Jessica Goodman I wasn’t entirely impressed. The book felt very much like Goodman’s past novels and lacked the compelling edge I was so badly looking for. Early on, most of the characters are extremely unlikeable and unable to truly help themselves. But the more this book went on, the better it got. It begins to pick up at a very fast rate with short chapters and some extreme character growth. Isobel and Bernie, along with Tori, become some of the best characters. The multiple mystery plots carry this book and keep you wanting to know more. The pacing along with the characters truly serve this plot in the best way. A slow start ends up leading to a pretty good payoff. Out very soon, mystery lovers need to check out The Legacies!

Thank you to NetGalley and Razorbill for this ARC! All opinions are my own.

This book was wonderful! The multiple POVs were woven together seamlessly, and really helped to build the characters. I enjoyed seeing the girls from each others’ point of view and then learning more about them when it was their own turn to “speak,” because this made them seem like real people—good and bad, with both sinister and innocent motivations. The writing was easy to follow and continued to build in intensity as the book continued. I would recommend this to anyone who enjoys a good socialite mystery!

I don’t think this is Jessica Goodman’s best book. I thought it was a good story. But I think her others are better. I would suggest though. I enjoy every book I’ve read by her. Just wish this one was a little better.

This is like Gossip Girl meets Big Little Lies. I was super excited to read this, because I really liked They Wish They Were Us and The Counselors, but this left me cold.

The structure is nearly identical to Big Little Lies -- there was a fancy party and someone died. And we keep flashing back to the night of the party (sans police interviews like BLL) and then forward to the days leading up to it. Much like BLL, you're kept in the dark not just about who did it, but also who died, so everyone is a suspect on both fronts (I honestly forget how the end of BLL plays out - if we find out who died before we find out who killed them). It did keep me guessing - the victim could have been any one of our main characters OR their parents; same for the culprit. But I wish more time had been spent on denouement.

The Legacies are members of an elite Manhattan club - every year, a committee nominates six students from each of the top Manhattan private schools. Members take turns giving nominations, and the only rule is you aren't allowed to nominate your own child (but it's also a given that the children of legacies are likely to become legacies themselves, so they just coordinate who's going to nominate whose kid). Our three main characters are Bernie, Isobel, and Tori. Bernie and Isobel are shoo-ins, of course. Bernie's mom is running all of the events. Isobel is a bit of a hot mess - pills, alcohol, etc. And Tori is the resident scholarship kid. Her parents own a diner, her mother passed away right when she got into Excelsior prep, and her family is having money problems because they still haven't received the payout from the wrongful death lawsuit her father filed after her mother's death. On the night of the Legacy Ball, all of the new members have to get up and give a speech about supporting different scholarships (mind you, until Tori, none of the recipients of said scholarships ever made it into the club). The person who gives the best speech wins 25 grand. Usually the winner just donates it back, but Tori's hoping to get the money for her family.

We also keep hearing about some party that happened earlier in the summer - which all 3 of our girls attended - that resulted in a falling out for Isobel and Bernie (they've....kind of mended fences?) and some kind of blackmail scheme for Tori. I guess the reveals there are supposed to keep you from realizing that we aren't getting much forward momentum on the whole "someone fell off the roof" opener. And also Bernie's mom has disappeared and isn't answering her calls.

There's somehow simultaneously a lot happening and not much happening. And the last few chapters almost feel out of order. We end with Tori finding out something that Bernie already figured out a couple chapters earlier (but it's played like this is a BIG revelation, and the first we're hearing of it). I'm wondering if it will play out differently in the final edit.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for providing me with an ARC.

I think this book was trying to be like a YA mystery with the wealth, location, and drama of Gossip Girl, but I did not get the vision.

In my opinion, the alternating chapters were not executed well. I am usually a fan of short chapters, but when the person telling the story is constantly changing, along with these random "After the Ball" chapters, it is difficult to stay invested in the story. The characters seemed so snotty and unlikable that I lost interest in the plot fast.

The tone of the book was just so flat. I thought the storytelling lacked the intrigue and drama you would think would be obvious in an elite, high society mystery. Each character's narration felt stiff and monotonous.

Overall, I definitely was not a fan of this author's writing style. The initial premise was interesting, but the plot and characters did not live up to the blurb.

I really enjoyed this book! This book is perfect for people that like Gossip Girl and mystery thrillers. It combines those two things perfectly. This was all about an exclusive and elite club in New York and the rich privileged children and an outsider going through the ropes to gain membership, but someone ends up dead. I liked that this book jumped timelines and shifted perspectives. It was well executed and held my attention for the entire book. I had to keep reading and know how it ended! Truly a great and fun read!

I'm going to be completely transparent here. This was not my favorite Jessica Goodman book. It was still extremely well written structurally, but contextually it was just a bit meh for me. I love her writing and I was absolutely ecstatic to be approved for this ARC but it left a bit to be desired. I will say, however, the ending sent me for a loop. It almost redeemed the whole book for me. Still worth the read though as all of her books usually are. 3.5/5 stars.

I'm going to be completely transparent here. This was not my favorite Jessica Goodman book. It was still extremely well written structurally, but contextually it was just a bit meh for me. I love her writing and I was absolutely ecstatic to be approved for this ARC but it left a bit to be desired. I will say, however, the ending sent me for a loop. It almost redeemed the whole book for me. Still worth the read though as all of her books usually are. 3.5/5 stars.

I would like to thank Netgalley, PENGUIN GROUP Penguin Young Readers Group, and Jessica Goodman for granting me a ARC of The Legacies in exchange for my honest review of the book. Ms. Goodman is a talented writer and the reader is left guessing as to who exactly is "killed" at the Legacy Ball until the reveal.. Since the story is not told chronologically it left me constantly wanting to keep reading but I was disappointed with who exactly was killed. I guess I was not that vested in this character. I also wish she would have time jumped to the Legacy week that is pivotal to the plot line instead of hearing about it from those who were present. I was also frustrated with the actual ending with Tori reviving a letter...I kept trying to turn the page of my kindle. So I am not sure if this was on purpose OR possible set up for a second book. BUT it left me feeling like it was unfinished....

Thank you Netgalley and Razorbill for this eARC!

This was my first book by Jessica Goodman, and I definitely enjoyed it. It provided a fun look into the intricacies of the Upper class in NYC and the secrets and lies that inundate even the teenagers. At times some of the plot was confusing and details were hard to understand, but once I hit the 50% mark I couldn't stop reading. Some of the topics were a little more intense than I feel like I've seen in a YA book recently (drug & alcohol addiction), and I'm not sure if there would have been a better way to discuss possible recovery and the reasoning behind the addiction beginning. A content warning is necessary in my opinion. I definitely didn't predict the ending, and for awhile I wasn't even sure who the victim was. I liked the format of going back and forth between the past and present. It provided a good insight and foreshadowing into the main events of the novel.

Basically, this was Gossip Girl meets Big Little Lies - if that description appeals to you, you're going to love this book! This was definitely one of those that read as "entertaining but not good" to me. I didn't really care for any of the characters, and it was all a little too predictable. But I was entertained and I think it's intended audience, teens, might really like it. 3 stars Netgalley, 2 stars Goodreads

I am a sucker for mysteries set at elite boarding schools...it's a unique niche, I know. But this delivers. Its it a masterpiece of intrigue? No, but it's fun and it scratched an itch I've had. Go with the flow on this and you won't regret it!

Thank you to Netgalley and Penguin for the ARC of this book.

I was pulled in by the cover and title and the description solidified that it was a book I needed to read! (please also note that the version I read was an uncorrected text)

This one pulled me in quick. It is a fun setting taking place amongst a high society elite club that members need to be nominated into. They then participate in a week of events prepping them for the final event- The Legacy Ball.

Throughout the legacy week the members and new inductees anticipate luxurious attire, an opulent ballroom and sumptuous food. No one expected a death.... or worse.... possibly a murder?

Everyone is doing their best to appear deserving of their nominated spot. Who will have secrets revealed? Who can each member truly trust? This story was a quick easy read. It kept me wanting to know what would happen next.

Definitely would recommend. =]

This was another juicy tale from Goodman; however, it was missing the heart and spirit of her previous works. If you are willing to overlook this, it is a fast-paced ride of privilege and intrigue. I will still read whatever Goodman gives us!

True to form, this is a wild ride of a mystery that lives up to the promises it makes. With all the politics, drama, and glamor of Gossip Girl and the intrigue of The Counselors. Told in four perspectives-- a detached third of the aftermath of the death and the three girls who are wrapped up in it.

The structure propels the story forward; the release of information is timed perfectly in each of the perspectives to reveal twists and turns right when you think you've figured out what's going on. There are some moments, particularly towards the end, where it feels a little convoluted or hard to follow or unconvincing, but this didn't ruin it for me.

Sometimes the stakes/intensity felt a little off. For instance, there's a lot of tension around something one character, Isobel, said to another, Bernie, at a party. It's supposedly so bad we don't find out what it is for a while-- and when we do, it's the kind of thing said in the heat of the moment that hurts but doesn't necessarily ruin a friendship.

If this sounds like something you'd be into-- read it! It's a great mystery with so so so much drama, really interesting dynamics, and complicated characters.

Sadly I finish this book with a big "meh", as it was very average: there were things really interesting and others really boring that I can only give a 2.5 stars.

I really liked the Legacy Club idea, the way everything was around that club, high society and what everything did or knew to get there easily. The Legacy week was interesting as itself. The whole story surrounding the death and the revelations was still really great.

But it was extremely slow and predictable. Only the last 40% were really holding me on my seat, even tho I wasn't surprised by any reveals made (again, it was too predictable). The first 60% were just blah blah to me and way too many useless description. It felt like the book could have been perfect with less than 200 pages but somehow a novella was turned into a full novel.

I really liked the "Elite" vibe (from Netflix, without the adult/sexual side), with flashbacks from the moment of the death and up to the discovering of the body, police questionning, as well as current timeline with the whole socialite thing and all the drama. But I was also very frustrated because, unless the tv show, we get to learn who's dead only at the very end of the book. I would have prefered to know who were dead and get into investigation mode through my reading to know why would they be dead and who could have done it. But it's a personal liking, hence why it's upped to a 3 stars here!

This was a quick easy page turner. A guilty pleasure suitable for beach reading. The characters are awful people and pretty whiny. They all have pretty idyllic lives. Even the "outsider" has a pretty sweet existence.
The ending I found to be a bit unsatisfying. I think it would have been okay, But the build up, and intertwining of the "after the party" incidents throughout the book, made it feel like some big horrible reveal was coming at the end.