"Jessica Goodman meets The Agathas in this taut, twisty YA thriller set in the glittering world of Mardi Gras in New Orleans, where secrets - and bodies - never stay buried.

For the New Orleans elite, the Les Masques Ball is sure to be the social event of the season - if they can avoid another dead Queen. When debutante Margot Landry was found dead the morning after her reign at last year's ball, it was a tragedy, but not a shocking one. Margot was a wild child with a self-destructive streak, nothing like this year's Queen, Lily LeBlanc. With a perfectly poised debutante on the throne, everything is going according to plan...until the ball is hijacked by a mysterious figure in a Jester costume. That night, Lily sends a text to three of the Maids on her royal court - her best friend, Vivian; her boyfriend's sister, Piper; and April, her former frenemy - asking them all to meet the next morning. But Lily never shows up.

On the surface, these three debutantes don't have anything in common except their exclusive private school and their ties to Les Masques. But soon, they realize why Lily brought them together: something dark is lurking beneath the glamorous surface of the debutante world, and it might be the reason she disappeared. And the further the girls dig, the more they begin to suspect that Margot's death may not have been an accident - and that Lily may be next. When the Jester starts threatening to expose their own secrets, this unlikely trio must team up to uncover the monsters behind the Mardi Gras masks - before they're left with another dead debutante."

A wonderful combination of the dark underbelly of being a deb with the equally dark underbelly of Mardi Gras!

I received a gifted copy of THE DEBUTANTES by Oliva Worley from Wednesday Books / St. Martin’s Press for review.

Rating: 3.5 / 5

THE DEBUTANTES is a YA mystery/thriller which begins with Les Masques Ball, the peak of New Orleans elite society prestige. The stain of last year’s ball is still hanging over everyone’s head since last year’s Queen died shortly afterwards. Things quickly go off track again this year when a masked man comes in, throws red paint and the new Queen Lily and flashes up pictures of the previous year’s monarch.

When Lily goes missing after the ball, her friends and/or not so friendly fellow debutantes are left wondering what happened. It seems the adults who should be in charge of getting answers just think Lily ran away. The girls believe there’s something more to the story, and when they start getting threatening messages, it only reinforces this belief. Three very different debs must work together to try to uncover the secrets held behind the disguises of Mardi Gras.

It took me a bit to get into the story, but once I did get more hooked, I had a good time with it. I think it was a bit slower to engage in the beginning because we’re following multiple POVs and that leads to a lot of characters and side characters to learn. There is something about the setup here that reminds me of Pretty Little Liars. There are similarities to the group of girls on the hunt for a mysterious figure behind text messages and threats, plus the fact that the adults seem on the clueless side much of the time. There is a need to somewhat turn off the logic brain here as the girls do make some pretty bad decisions along the way, but yelling ‘no, don’t do that’ is sometimes half the fun!

I thought that this had some good discussions about the whole debutante concept and the roles of men and women, plus the idea of privilege itself in this very elite setup. I really enjoyed the New Orleans and Mardi Gras backdrop to the story as well. I wasn’t entirely sure how I felt about the ending and the final reveals, but overall I had fun reading this!

Wow, what a roller coaster ride! This book was jam-packed with twists and turns and action—lots of drama! I really enjoyed the setting of New Orleans and all the traditions; it was all pretty cool. This book reminded me of Pretty Little Liars meets Gossip Girls. It was a page-turner, and I just needed more. I enjoyed it very much, and I totally love the cover.

This was a fast read, with twists I both did and didn't see coming. The balls, the nights out, all the horrible things - they were shocking in the way that they were a surprised but not unbelievable. This played out like a movie in my head and made it so easy to read, so shocking to keep going. I loved it!

I love a good YA thriller because I am a high school teacher so I am always looking for relatable books for my kids. Keeping track of the characters in this book was hard because there were quite a few. I found myself having to go back to remind myself who each one was. There are tons of secrets and twists in this book and I did not see where it was going so that is good in my book!

Highly enjoyable read immersed in the New Orleans Mardi Gras culture. I always enjoy a theme of rich people behaving badly and this book is no exception. We find ourselves set in the old money culture of New Orleans with Debutante balls, Mardi gras krewes, secrets and coverups. The Queen of last year's debutante ball is dead and the new Queen never makes it home after the ball. It's very suspenseful. There are lots of secrets and coverups, twists and turns in this one.

Loved this book! What a fun well written YA novel with intriguing characters, a Carrie scene and fantastic atmospheric vibes. Devoured this in 1 day!

Many thanks to Netgally and St Martin's Press for the ARC.

I read The Debutantes and let me tell you, I couldn’t put it down. This ya thriller gave me serious Pretty Little Liars vibes and I loved every second of it. Set in the glamorous world of debutante season in New Orleans, this book follows three girls who enter the scene only to uncover the dark and twisted secrets that lie beneath. With a missing girl, a secret society, betrayal, and plenty of lies, this book has all the makings of a page-turning thriller. If you’re looking for a quick and easy read with a great setting and lovable characters, then I highly recommend The Debutantes. 👌🏼 Trust me, you won’t be able to put it down!

I don't even know how to kick this off! The Debutantes was an absolute blast of a YA rollercoaster! Full of suspense and crafted like a fine gumbo, it had me hooked! The story flowed smoother than jazz in the French Quarter, the characters were delightful, and the New Orleans backdrop was a total party! This one is definitely snagging a top spot among my fave YA reads of the year!

Olivia Worley's The Debutantes is a clever thriller with enough twists and turns to keep even the most savvy reader guessing. Les Masques Ball marks the beginning of Mardi Gras season, and while the debutantes should be excited about the crowning of their new queen and an unparalleled social event, the untimely death of the former queen Margot is on everyone's minds. When a prank during the gala leads to the disappearance of the new queen, Lily, maids Vivian, April, and Piper begin receiving intel that reveals that Margot's death may not have been an overdose but murder. After the local detective brushes the girls off and refuses to take their suspicions seriously, the girls begin their own investigation to find Lily and uncover the truth about Margot. But some secrets are meant to stay buried, and behind the glitter and spectacle of the New Orleans elite, a dark, sinister society lurks.

Told from the perspectives of Lily, Vivian, April, and Piper, The Debutantes is a fast-paced read that will keep you on the edge of your seat. The characters are well-developed and relatable, and the ending is satisfying. Fans of Karen McManus and Holly Jackson would enjoy this novel.

I loved the rich person drama aspect of this one!! Everything was so twisted and everyone was so conniving, but having the character names titled at the top of each chapter helped to keep everything straight. So many twists and shocking moments throughout!!

Absolutely twisted and so good! Talk about un-put-downable!

To start, you will be thrown a lot of names and characters. It will just take a chapter or 2 but the girls become very unique in their voice and you'll easily be able to identify who is who. And it's quick - Lily goes missing and the girls must come together to try to figure out what's happened.

This was a fast read, with twists I both did and didn't see coming. The balls, the nights out, all the horrible things - they were shocking in the way that they were a surprised but not unbelievable. This played out like a movie in my head and made it so easy to read, so shocking to keep going. I loved it!

A huge thank you to the author and publisher for providing an e-ARC via Netgalley. This does not affect my opinion regarding the book.

The Debutantes by Olivia Worley is a captivating tale set against the backdrop of elite society, where glamour and ambition collide. The story follows a group of young women as they navigate the complexities of friendship, love, and rivalry during their debutante season. Worley’s sharp writing brings to life the intricacies of social expectations and personal desires, making for a compelling read. With rich character development and unexpected twists, this novel is perfect for fans of contemporary fiction that explores the nuances of growing up in a world obsessed with status.

As an Avid YA mystery thriller reader this was another great hit for me and I really enjoyed it! This gave off subtle Pretty Little Liar’s vibes which is not a show I really got into after the first season, but I now I want to go back and give it another try! As someone who lives in New England, I was not very familiar with the debutante scene and actually ended up learning a lot from this book! Overall it was such a great book and one I think anyone who enjoys YA thrillers should add to their TBR!

Thank you so much to NetGalley and Olivia Worley for providing me with a complimentary digital ARC for The Debutantes coming out October 29, 2024. The honest opinions expressed in this review are my own.

This is the second book I’ve read by this author. I really loved the New Orleans setting. I haven’t been yet but I’ve learned a lot about New Orleans books. It has a lot of history. I hear a lot about debutante balls. It seems like an interesting culture with some aspects that outsiders like me probably don’t understand as much. I thought this was a really fun mystery. Aspects of the book a little lime Pretty Little Liars with the dead girl and missing girl. I think Lily and Piper really well rounded characters. Vivian didn’t feel as fleshed out to me. There were a lot of serious themes to the book. Parts of the book seemed to focus on the me. and it kind of felt like they were all bad guys. I would’ve liked to see better guys. But overall, I really enjoyed the book. I would definitely read more books by this author!

I would recommend this book to anyone who enjoys YA mysteries!

Overview: After the last Queen of the Les Masques Ball was found dead, three debutantes take it upon themselves to investigate the suspicious disappearance of their classmate and this year’s Queen, Lily LeBlanc.

Thoughts: In general, I’m not a huge reader of YA books, but the fast-paced storyline of this one kept my interest! There were enough clues throughout that I could guess some of those involved, but also enough twists that it wasn’t TOO predictable. My favorite part of the book was actually the New Orleans backdrop - the descriptions of the characters’ accents, the traditions, and the indulgent lifestyles of all the rich families were pitch perfect in setting up the mood and tone. My only gripe is that the story was told from 4 different POVs, which was a bit difficult to keep straight at the beginning, but ended up being an effective device for revealing bits and pieces of info; I also liked seeing all of the different personalities.

Take home message: This is a contemporary multi POV YA thriller set in New Orleans that leaves enough breadcrumbs throughout to keep you guessing about who can be trusted. Note that there are allusions to drugs, sex, and racism throughout.

Thanks to NetGalley and St Martin’s for this ARC in exchange for my honest opinion.

Thank you to Net Galley and Wednesday Books for the ARC. I really enjoyed how mysterious this book was. I also enjoyed following along as the mystery was solved. The book was fast paced and the ending will definitely linger in my mind.

Excellent book! Both the writing and the story are incredible and I loved reading this book.
It was also a very good length for a book in my opinion. I will be recommending this book

The Debutantes is a sick and twisted YA mystery set in New Orleans around New Years among big money. What I enjoyed the most about this book is the sense of place I could feel throughout, having lived in New Orleans for 8 years: I could so tell that author Olivia Worley knew the places and location withing New Orleans she was taking us. None of the usual, stereotypical New Orleans crap. It starts off with a Debutantes ball that ends up not going as planned. A dead former queen, a missing current queen, several high schoolers who are forced to work together to figure out what happened to their mutual friend, lots of buried and shameful confessions coming to the surface, and a dark and disgusting misogynistic society pulling all the strings in the city.

This is my second Olivia Worley book. Her stories are entertaining, quick-paced, modern, atmospheric, dark, and multi-layered. Maybe I say an auto-buy author?

Rating it 4.5 stars

ARC Review!!!
For the New Orleans elite, the Les Masques Ball is sure to be the social event of the season—if they can avoid another dead Queen. When debutante Margot Landry was found dead the morning after her reign at last year’s ball, it was a tragedy, but not a shocking one. Margot was a wild child with a self-destructive streak, nothing like this year’s Queen, Lily LeBlanc. With a perfectly poised debutante on the throne, everything is going according to plan…until the ball is hijacked by a mysterious figure in a Jester costume. That night, Lily sends a text to three of the Maids on her royal court—her best friend, Vivian; her boyfriend's sister, Piper; and April, her former frenemy—asking them all to meet the next morning. But Lily never shows up.

On the surface, these three debutantes don’t have anything in common except their exclusive private school and their ties to Les Masques. But soon, they realize why Lily brought them together: something dark is lurking beneath the glamorous surface of the debutante world, and it might be the reason she disappeared. And the further the girls dig, the more they begin to suspect that Margot's death may not have been an accident—and that Lily may be next. When the Jester starts threatening to expose their own secrets, this unlikely trio must team up to uncover the monsters behind the Mardi Gras masks—before they’re left with another dead debutante.

This was such a fun read!! I have been to New Orleans and when everything is described it was so fun connecting my experience and the way the author wrote it based from being from there! The story was good! I loved the plot and the way it flowed! There were moments where I thought I knew who had done it but then a complete twist happened! The romance was very subtle in the book but so cute!!! It is mostly triller/mystery vibes. I loved the ending! Wrapped up nicely in a bow but left to the readers imagination of more potentially happening!!! This was such a good book! 4 stars!!