Jessica Goodman is my favorite ya thriller writer and this book is exactly why. She ATE! The story line kept me pulled in and my wife also loved it so that’s a win.

This book had potential and the premise sounded interesting but was slow to get into and didn’t hook me from the start and the ending fell a bit flat

I don’t ask for much from a YA mystery. Usually give me opulence, a campus, an old friend group, a summer camp, a podcast or an unsolved murder and I’m happy as a clam. This one didn’t disappoint. It was like soaking in to watch some PG(ish) reality TV. Definitely a fun read even though you’ll love to hate all the characters. And I KNOW. That’s coming from me, 👑 of saying I don’t like a book because I need to like at least one character.

There’s a lot going on in this book and the intricate web that’s spun about a fairly complex high society club is super well done for a YA. It managed to clearly explain everything, while developing both the plot and the characters. Suuuuuure not everything lines up in a satisfying way + you do have to look past some things where the explanation doesn’t actually provide any explanation but as a whole it was v good!

Def a good get you out of a slump, fun, snackable YA thriller (more thriller leaning than mystery only because you don’t find out who died until the end but that’s a mystery in itself really).

Wow!!! 5 star read!!! I could not put it down!! This is a murder mystery book, that’s multiple pov, and you don’t know who died until the end. It’s like if Gossip Girl and Only Murders in the Building had a baby. There’s lots of secrets that get revealed throughout the book. Along with lots of twists and turns that I was not expecting. I felt like the ending left off in a cliffhanger, so I’m hoping there’ll be another book. Either way I can’t recommend this book enough and can’t wait to own a physical copy of this book! I will be definitely reading more books from this author. I do want to add that this is my first murder mystery book and that I mainly read fantasy and romance, so the fact that I was very into the storyline speaks volumes for this book and how amazing it is.

I tried so hard to care. I'm sorry, I don't. I used to love rich teens/gossip girl vibes... but apparently not anymore because this was not for me.

I really enjoyed Goodman’s first novel and I have been chasing that ever since. This is a decent YA mystery, very reminiscent of Gossip Girl, but I just didn’t care about the characters. It’s interesting to read about the elite, but it’s so over the top that I have no frame of reference for if people actually live this way. And if they do? No thank you. The backstory between the older Legacy club members was much more interesting to me. That said, it was entertaining overall and would be a good way to spend an afternoon on the beach.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for a digital copy and a chance to read this early. All opinions are my own.

The Legacies, by Jessica Goodman.
3/5⭐️⭐️⭐️

TRIGGER WARNINGS-
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.
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Murder, drinking, drugs, death

Past alumni members to the exclusive Legacy Club in New York City, (where you get a life time supply of power and wealth), get to nominate new members every year. Each year these high school seniors get a chance to win the $25,000 cash prize on the night of the Legacy Ball.
This year friends Bernie, Isobel, Skyler, Lee and Kendall are nominated from Excelsior Prep along with a new face, Tori.
This year is different though as secrets start to emerge, relationships are rattled and on the night of the Legacy Ball there's been a murder.

I was so confused for the longest while on the whole legacy thing and how the schools worked. Like are there multiple schools involved? Only one school? How are all the schools connected? I think I managed to figure it out in the middle.
The story is told from the POV of three of the characters. It's told in the setting of before the ball and after the ball.
It's written a bit different because not only do you obviously not know who the killer is you also don't even know who was killed till almost the end.
It does drag on a bit-the beginning and end were good, but the middle had some long draggy parts.

I'm familiar with her writing, having read her other three novels, and since she writes all her books the same way I know her style so, I know that the obvious isn't always the answer and that there's twists and turns coming so it kind of gives the element of surprise away. 


Thank you to Razorbill and NetGalley for giving me an E-ARC in exchange for my honest review.

Thank you to NetGalley and Razorbill for the eARC of The Legacies in exchange for my honest review!

A mix of PLL and Gossip Girl with a group of girls who are legacies for an exclusive club with the extra member of their group getting in on a scholarship. The book alternates between their POVs which showed all of their secrets.

The pacing was alright, I think it could have been stronger for sure. I felt as if we had a lot of build up at the beginning and then it tapered off which led to an almost lackluster ending.

This was my first book by Jessica Goodman and it won’t be my last. I enjoyed the Manhattan Gossip Girl vibe. I look forward to seeing what Ms. Goodman does next!

The Legacies is a book with just the right amount of mystery and intrigue mixed with the drama of the upper class that will draw the reader in right from the beginning. The story is told from different characters' points of view as well from a neutral stand point. The neutral standpoint focuses on what happened after the ball and on the death of one of the students. This information is not revealed until much later and adds to the mystery of the plot.

The story revolves around six kids from Excelsior Prep and how they navigate their induction into the Legacy club. For five of them, it was a no brainer to be nominated, but tori's nomination was a curve ball that no-one saw coming. The author handles each of the characters quite well, giving us glimpses into who they are and why they do what they do or react the way they do.

At times the story felt a little disjointed. I didn't get attached or invested in any of the characters. The character of Esther was odd to me. Most of what she did didn't make sense or seem necessary to the story even with the plot twist.

If you like YA mysteries with rich people backstabbing each other, lies, secrets, and not-perfect characters, then you should read this.

Thank you, NetGalley and Penguin Group Young leaders for this arc for an honest review.

The Legacies is a YA mystery thriller born from the incredible pen of Jessica Goodman, out July 25 for Razorbill / Penguin Group.
Old money. New secrets. One killer party.

Scoring an invitation for membership to the exclusive Legacy Club in New York City is more than an honor. It gives you a lifetime of access to power and wealth beyond any prep school doors and guaranteed safety and security as Legacy Club members always look out for their own. That is, after you make it through a rigorous week of events and the extravagant gala, the Legacy Ball.

So it’s not surprising when Excelsior Prep seniors Bernie Kaplan, Isobel Rothcroft, and Skyler Hawkins are nominated as Legacies; their family pedigrees have assured their membership since birth—even if they're all keeping secrets that could destroy their reputations. But scholarship kid from Queens Tori Tasso? She’s a surprise nominee, someone no one saw coming. Tori’s never fit in this world of designer bags, penthouse apartments, and million-dollar donations. So what did she do to secure her place?

The night of the Legacy Ball is supposed to be the best night of these seniors’ lives, a night of haute couture, endless champagne, and plenty of hushed gossip.

Everyone expects a night of luxury and excess.
No one expects their secrets to come out.
Or for someone to die trying to keep them hidden.

"The Legacy Ball never ended in murder, of course."

A bewitching and overwhelming story is the one we are told in The Legacies by Jessica Goodman. Full of betrayal and drama, lies, a missing mother, backstabbing, money, money and more money.
Between continuous time jumps between the past and the present, we get to understand the actions, grudges and motivations of our three protagonists: Isobel, Bernie and Tori. The girls, of course, are connected to each other: all three had access to the Legacy Club. However, one of them, during the famous Legacy Ball, loses her life.
Who among them, how and why you will find out by reading this fantastic book.
The author's writing is so intriguing and engaging that I struggled to put it away. So, I ended up devouring this book in just 2 days. The characters are all well characterized and studied, even if I could not particularly attach myself to any of them. And the setting... Well, who wouldn't want to become a member of the NYC Legacy Club and have access to a life of power, wealth and open doors EVERYWHERE? I don't know about you, but I would pay billions to get access.

Perfect for lovers of Gossip Girl, Pretty Little Liars and Élite.

Thanks Netgalley, the publisher, and Jessica Goodman for sending me the ARC copy of this book in exchange for an honest opinion. All the considerations are mine.

This reminded me a lot of gossip girl with lots of secrets and rich families who will die to protect those!

It wasn’t my favorite by Jessica I think I enjoyed her other book They’ll never catch us more.

The Legacies is a gripping, can't-put-down, YA thriller that follows a group of NYC's elite teenagers as they gain access to an exclusive, secret society. Bernie has been preparing for this week for as long as she can remember; Isobel isn't sure that she wants to be here but with Bernie by her side, she knows it is where she belongs; Tori knows she doesn't belong here and the only reason that she is here is a secret that if revealed will ruin several people's lives. On the final night, the night of the ball, the unthinkable happens at this Upper East Side secret society - someone is killed.

The Legacies is fast-paced, and the use of the dual timelines and multiple POVs is well executed. The characters are all morally gray and exhibit the insecurities of teenagers. There were plenty of surprises throughout the book, and I was kept guessing on "what happened" until the end. Overall, it's a fast, easy, and enjoyable read. It's a perfect beach book for this summer!

Thank you Penguin Teen, Razorbill for my copy of The Legacies! All thoughts are my own.

I often say I don’t read thrillers, but when I do, they’re YA thrillers and usually by Jessica Goodman. Now, I was all about the idea behind this book. There’s nothing quite like the intrigue of the “rich people behaving badly” trope, especially for those of us who grew up watching Blair and Serena on Gossip Girl. I picked this book up because I needed a fast paced book to get me back into a good reading routine…and sadly this didn’t do the trick.

I really enjoyed The Counselors from this author in 2022 so maybe I missed the more summery setting, but I do still think this will be a fun book to put in your beach bag this Summer if you want something totally escapist and a little unbelievable!

Synopsis:

“Old money. New secrets. One killer party.Scoring an invitation for membership to the exclusive Legacy Club in New York City is more than an honor. It gives you a lifetime of access to power and wealth beyond any prep school doors and guaranteed safety and security as Legacy Club members always look out for their own. That is, after you make it through a rigorous week of events and the extravagant gala, the Legacy Ball.So it’s not surprising when Excelsior Prep seniors Bernie Kaplan, Isobel Rothcroft, and Skyler Hawkins are nominated as Legacies; their family pedigrees have assured their membership since birth—even if they're all keeping secrets that could destroy their reputations. But scholarship kid from Queens Tori Tasso? She’s a surprise nominee, someone no one saw coming. Tori’s never fit in this world of designer bags, penthouse apartments, and million-dollar donations. So what did she do to secure her place?The night of the Legacy Ball is supposed to be the best night of these seniors’ lives, a night of haute couture, endless champagne, and plenty of hushed gossip.Everyone expects a night of luxury and excess.No one expects their secrets to come out.Or for someone to die trying to keep them hidden.” —NetGalley

What I Liked:

The World—I love a good rich people behaving trope. As a Gossip Girl girlie (OG, of course) I was quite excited by the premise of this book set in the mysterious world of elite Manhattan schools.

The Intrigue—There’s an air on intrigue that surrounds this book because it feels like the ending could be very predictable but at the same time, the writing keeps you on your toes.

What Didn’t Work For Me:

The Pacing—Things felt a little stale for me, even with the dual timeline.

Things Felt Low Stakes?—Shockingly! This could be a me problem but this book almost put me in a reading slump. I thought it would be fast paced and exciting, but it didn’t make me want to read it.

Character Authenticity: 3/5 Spice Rating: N/A Overall Rating: 3.5/5

Content Warnings:

infidelity, grief, loss of a parent, medical malpractice, substance abuse, death

I think this wasn't Jessica's strongest book, though I did enjoy it.

I ended up reading this over the course of a couple months because for some reason I just had a lot of trouble getting into it -- which is weird, because with Jessica's books I'm usually sucked in and finish the book in a day, maybe even just a number of hours.

Tori was a great character, and I loved the dynamics between her, Isobel, and Bernie, but I found that the plot itself kind of fell short; I wanted to be done reading more than I was enjoying reading it.

BIG LITTLE LIES meets Pretty Little Liars in THE LEGACIES, and it definitely delivered.

This book had SO many things I love--an elite group that was nearly a secret society, a cutthroat competition, and abounding secrets. It was such a fun twist on all things 'elite school,' and the interspersed chapters of after the death had me on the edge of my seat. I would have loved for the ending to come together a little more, and for Isobel's character to have a bit more contribution, but I still highly enjoyed it.

A solid four stars. Very grateful to Netgalley and the publisher for this arc--I'll be recommending it to all lovers of glamorous competitions, secret societies.

Jessica has done it again! I have loved all of Jessica's books so I'm not surprised that I loved The Legacies. The Legacies feels a bit more mature than Jessica's other books, and it's clear she has now mastered the YA thriller genre. I loved the dual timelines and thought the alternating POVs were done so well! There were lots of POVs, but I never felt confused or lost. Jessica did a great job of distinguishing between the voices. The book is plotted super well. The Legacies is one you won't want to put down!

This book was a really good YA read. Honestly it barely even felt like it was YA. I loved the old money aspect and the leadup to solving the death. Goodman did a wonderful job bouncing between time and point of view. Each chapter gave a little bit more information, but also asked more questions in the meantime. I thought it was really well done. If you're a fan of Gossip Girl, this one is for you. The ending was really well done.

I enjoyed the structure of this story. Getting a glimpse at the future without knowing who died kept me guessing for quite some time. At times the story felt a little disjointed. I didn't get attached or invested in any of the characters. The character of Esther was odd to me. Most of what she did didn't make sense or seem necessary to the story even with the plot twist. The biggest negative for me was the excessive use of profanity. It was too much. This is the first book I have read by this author so I don't know if that's just her normal writing style or not. I ended up skimming through a lot of the second half just to see who died because that's all I really wanted to know. It was a fast read though.

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

This was not the best mystery I’ve ever read, but I still enjoyed reading it. It felt more like a romance than a mystery for most of the book.

The story has a unique structure. There is a glimpse of the future, where you know something has gone wrong in the extravagant Legacy Ball, you just don’t know what exactly happens. Then there are a few chapters set during the week before the ball, from the povs of Bernie, Tori, and Isobel. It continues like that until the present day meets up with the future, and you get to see what actually happens at the ball.

Besides the whole romance secret plotline of the book, none of the other secrets actually were revealed until later in the book, which made it feel like a romance for me.

Honestly, it was a pretty average book, which is why I gave it 3 stars. I didn't really connect with any of the characters, and I didn’t really like any of them ngl

The foreshadowing of the mystery was nice, as it was a surprise who got murdered, but since I didn’t really get attached to any of the characters, I didn’t care as much as I would have liked to.

This was a decent ya mystery, and if you are in the mood, I would recommend reading this book, but I would also recommend so many other ya mysteries over this one.