4.5/5 Stars

The good:
- I was gripped right away and it's been a while since a book has forced me to read it, to the point where I only read 2 chapters day 1 and could not stop thinking about it until I got time to read.
- I love how Liz KNOWS she's not perfect but continues trying to learn how to balance her ambitions with her community.
- I feel like both Liz and Amy have well developed backstories but it was done in a short amount of time where I wasn't bogged down by their internal reflection monologues.
- The mystery was very twisty and I loved it.

The loss of a half star:
- There is ONE OPEN PLOT POINT that is just dismissed at the end of the book and I cannot stand that. Otherwise, all other plot points are wrapped up nicely.

Overall, if you're looking for a quick YA thriller to help get you out of a reading slump, I'd highly recommend this.

Meadowbrook Murders is a satisfying read for lovers of murder mysteries set in private schools. A variety of personalities provides lots of motives and several red herrings as Amy tries to figure out how her best friend was murdered along with her boyfriend while she slept. Every character is balanced with both redeeming and flawed qualities, and Amy brings the reader along as she struggles to know who to trust, including herself. The other perspective in the book, Liz the school paper editor, provides a layer of objectivity…even though that too is tainted by her own motivations in seeking out the best story she can write without getting it quashed by the school administration. The switch in perspectives did not always flow smoothly for me, but examining the murder from both girls’ viewpoints made the story ebb and flow as it built the tension and helped reveal clues.

Thank you to Penguin Young Readers Group, G.P. Putnam's Sons Books for Young Readers, Netgalley, and the author for early access to this novel.

I was so excited to get an early copy of The Meadowbrook Murders since I’ve read most of Jessica Goodman’s books and loved them. Prep school YA mysteries are always my thing, and this one didn’t disappoint. It’s a classic murder mystery with unlikely friends, a slightly annoying but determined journalist main character, and a traumatized friend who ends up stuck rooming with her after the murders.

Even though it’s YA, this book had plenty of depth and really packed a punch. The tension kept me hooked, and I loved the mix of suspense and drama. My only critique is that the text message formatting was a bit confusing—some were in bubbles, and others were part of the main paragraphs. Cleaning that up would make the story flow smoother.

Overall, this was a solid read that I’d absolutely recommend to anyone who loves prep school dramas, dark secrets, and a good whodunit. Jessica Goodman knows how to keep you turning the pages!

Senior was supposed to be a fun, exciting time. But the week with just seniors present, a grisly murder on campus in a closed dorm room - everyone is a suspect!

This was a fun murder mystery on a high school campus for rich kids. We have 2 POV - Amy and Liz. Liz is a hard hitting journalist in the making and this murder just might be the leg up she needs to get her reporting seen and get that scholarship to her dream school she's always wanted. As a "not have" versus the rich kids, she feels bad someone died but she can't pass up this opportunity!

And then there's Amy, the best friend and dorm roommate. She found the couple, she fought last with her best friend - she can't believe they are gone. But as the police begin to bumble the murder case, she feels compelled to come find out the secrets her best friend was keeping.

This was a compelling story that kept me wanting to know more. I liked that Liz kept getting tripped up, trying to figure out what was the right thing to do. She had to juggle compassion and empathy all while wanting to find the scandal. And Amy had to come to terms with some of the terrible things we say and do in anger. She had to discover Sarah was her best friend but she didn't tell her everything. She had to work through that hurt and still miss and love her. It's my first from this author and I'll definitely look for more!

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.

If you are a fan of murder mysteries as well as shows such as Riverdale or other teenage dramas you will enjoy this swift moving story. It was not hard to make some predictions about who could have done it but there are some twists and turns in there that keep you reading.

The quick cut: Two girls who don't get along end up roommates when two classmates are brutally murdered.

A real review:
Thank you to Penguin Group for providing the arc for an honest review.

Murder is rarely as impersonal as TV shows or movies can make it seem. A person dies brutally and the impact of that leaves devastating waves for everyone else left. It is this impact that Amy and Liz are left in.

Amy and Sarah are roommates who share everything until they have a very public fight at a party. The next morning, Amy wakes up to find Sarah dead, a long with her boyfriend. Senior year was supposed to be a dream, not a nightmare. Liz is a student reporter with big dreams and has no qualms about writing on the recent murders. She's hoping the story leads to a scholarship and elite college acceptance. Can these two work together to figure out who killed their classmates?

I love a good mystery, but I got to the end of this one and felt conflicted. The characters seem so self centered that they lack any true development and the killer reveal is predictably annoying. There were so many better options, so why choose that one?!?!

Amy has one fight and suddenly she can never take it back again. I can't imagine what she's going through considering she discovered the scene and is in a position to be a suspect. That being said, she seems incapable of getting past her ego in order to solve her outstanding questions.

Liz is a typical student reporter who wants to prove her worth and goes too far. While on the outside, she appears to have character development - it's not really the case. She still doesn't get how making the wrong choices benefited her and she only changed to improve her career choices. Considering her final result, she definitely achieved that.

An interesting murder mystery with predictable results and a lack of development.

My rating: 3.5 out of 5

Jessica Goodman knocks it out of the park again! The Meadowbrook Murders was so twisty and suspenseful.

Amy wakes up to find her best friend/roommate and her boyfriend murdered in their dorm. Liz, the editor of the school paper is the first to report on it and break the story. Amy hates the press but winds up roommates with Liz. Liz wants to solve and report on the murders. They very reluctantly work together to figure out who murdered Sarah and Ryan. Secrets come pouring out, people get hurt, but eventually Liz and Amy find the killer.

Midway through I did figure out who the killer was but I loved the roller coaster ride we went on. I am a sucker for a boarding school setting and Meadowbrook Academy felt like the quintessential Connecticut boarding school. I also liked both POVs that we got. Both characters had distinct voices and personalities. Another element that I liked was the discussion of ethics in journalism. The lens The Meadowbrook Murders uses to have this discussion was very interesting. Liz felt like like an outsider but she was reporting on her own community- it was definitely a gray area. I do with there had been one last reveal in the epilogue.

Overall, I really enjoyed The Meadowbrook Murder and highly recommend!

3.5. Dark academia with short chapters old in alternating POVs - Amy, roommate and teammate of the popular golden girl who ends up slaughter beside her boyfriend in their dorm, and Liz, outcast and aspiring journalist. Little snippets of the story come to light along the way leading to a somewhat guessable culprit. Overall, an enjoyable YA thriller.

Jessica Goodman has done it again! She is such a master of the suspenseful YA thriller and it feels like her books get better and better every year. This one was super fun and twisty, I had so many theories and I ended up being taken totally by surprise!

Personally, I loved that this book was dual perspective. It was fun to see Liz's POV as someone on the "outside" of the popular scene - it brought such an interesting dynamic to the story that it needed! This book felt like if The Clique was a murder mystery - it was nostalgic and just pure. heartpounding fun.

Just about everything I love in a YA thriller: intrigue, twists, secret motives, lies, prestige and main characters you feel invested in.

It’s incredibly easy to get caught up in. I often found myself reading more at a time than I had intended to.

The Meadowbrook Murders is told through two different POVs- each distinct, and add different things to the narrative.

Liz is a journalism student who is interested in the case initially because she believes it could be a big break for her. She ends up being the character who grows and changes the most throughout.

Amy is the best friend and roommate of Sarah. She’s the one who finds Sarah and her boyfriend brutally murdered in their bed. She provides a bit of a more emotional take on the story. It is also Amy’s boyfriend who is the suspect of the murders.

I enjoyed following the characters and the twists and turns. While I wasn’t able to guess the killer, I enjoyed following all of the leads and examining the benefits bought by prestige (and how it was eventually overcome).

The one disappointment for me was the setting. I had expected a dark academia vibe after reading the blurb. Not only did I find that missing here, but the school setting wasn’t crucial. There are a lot of scenes set outside the boarding school. There are definite small town vibes here, as there is plenty of gossip and everyone has secrets.

Overall, I absolutely adored The Meadowbrook Murders. I look forward to reading more of Jessica Goodman in the future.

Thank you to NetGalley, and Penguin Group publishers for an ARC in exchange for my honest review.

Senior year of high school is supposed to be a fun, memorable adventure before the challenges of college arrive. But at the elite prep school Meadowbrook Academy, the school year has a grisly beginning, with two star students found murdered in their beds. Everything is put on hold as the investigation is taking place, and when the dead girl’s roommate and the school’s most tenacious reporter find themselves in close quarters, sparks begin to fly. With each new secret that comes to light, the urgency to identify the killer becomes ever clearer. This suspenseful young adult murder mystery leaps into the action and keeps readers engaged throughout the narrative. Told from the alternating perspectives of Liz—the tenacious reporter—and Amy—the deceased’s roommate—the dramatic tension increases with each chapter. Amy carefully divulges choice pieces of information when she feels it is appropriate to do so, and Liz is determined to get to the bottom of the mystery and discover exactly what happened to the unfortunate victims. Short chapters and a gripping storyline help to keep the momentum of the plot moving forward, though there are several red herrings before the resolution occurs. Fans of suspenseful crime novels will enjoy the pacing and delivery of this story, and the novel’s conclusion is both satisfying and appropriate. Best for mature readers due to the intensity of the content, this book is a positive addition to contemporary young adult fiction collections.

3.5⭐️

this was very fast paced but FILLED with drama. two students killed at a boarding school, hella suspects and even more secrets. i didn’t know who to trust!! the FMCs made an unlikely pair (school journalist & bestfriend of one of the victims) but together, they did what needed to be done. if it’s anything i’ve learned about reading all these dark academia books, it’s don’t go to boarding school LMAO

the characters were written well to the that you literally suspected everybody, but i put the pieces together about 15-20% before the twist was revealed and was so happy to see it all come to a close. my biggest takeaway from this story: DON’T LIE. just tell the truth guys, it’s so much easier.

Loved! Jessica is back with another solid YA thriller! I really liked the setting of this one and how it takes place over a short time span.

3.5 stars rounded up. While I did figure out the who in the whodunnit pretty early on, I enjoyed the story and finding out the why. It was a bit slow to me and I wasn't completely in love with the ending. I felt like it just wrapped up too quickly and we saw very little resolution. It was still a solid YA thriller with a fun boarding school setting with dual POVs, the best friend of one of the victims and a journalist student. I really liked how their friendship developed.

Thank you to NetGalley and Penguin Young Readers Group for an ARC in exchange for my honest review.

Wow. Wow. If you love thrillers, drop EVERYTHING and get this book when it comes out Feb. 4.

Bestselling author Jessica Goodman’s novel centers on the students at Meadowbrook Academy following the gruesome murder of two of their own, Sarah and Ryan. Told from dual perspectives, Amy is Sarah’s best friend and crushed by her murder, while Liz is a student reporter determined to uncover the truth.

This is an incredibly well-written story that makes me want to read everything Goodman has ever written. The characters don’t feel like characters, they feel like real people whose stories Goodman captured. I guessed the murderer pretty early on, but that didn’t matter. It’s not about the twists; it’s about the progression, the storytelling, the emotions on display on every page. Questions about why the murderer did it and what everyone is hiding — because for sure, everyone is hiding something — kept me reading until the story’s satisfying ending. Don’t miss this one.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ Writing style
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ Characters
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ Plot
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ Premise
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ Pacing
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ Impact

Thank you to Penguin Group and NetGalley for the eARC in exchange for my honest review. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

This was overall a pretty good YA mystery/thriller set at a boarding school. The addition of dual POV was interesting, although I found Liz to be pretty annoying at times. She did have good character growth, and outside of her obnoxious reporter mindset was really relatable to me versus Amy.

I didn't guess who the killer was, so I didn't find it super predictable. There were some nice secrets and lies reveals sprinkled throughout the book, and it was well paced - I flew through in 24 hours.

Thank you NetGalley and PenguinTeen for the ARC!

This is a who-dun-it mystery about a double murder at a private school. We get two POVs in this book, one from the best friend of the girl that was murdered, and the other from the school journalist. This book is essentially an investigation, trying to figure out who killed Amy's best friend and her boyfriend and why.

This book was fairly well written. It held my attention for the most part, but I feel like it was easy to guess who was behind the murders. I really enjoyed the short chapters and the back and forth between both POV's.

I wouldn't classify this as a thriller because.. it just wasn't thrilling in my opinion.. all the action happens in the first chapter and the very end of the book with the middle being very slow. That being said I rated this 3/5 stars. I'm not sure if this is something I would recommend to anyone I know, but definitely can see the appeal for any YA readers who may be able to relate more to the characters.

Big thank you to NetGalley for an advanced reader copy in exchange for an honest review.

THE MEADOWBROOK MURDERS by Jessica Goodman
⭐️ rating: 8.5/10

read if you like:
🏫 prep school thrillers
🔪 murder mysteries
📰 investigative reporting

summary:
I’ve loved all of Jessica Goodman’s books, including THEY WISH THEY WERE US and THEYLL NEVER CATCH US, and was so grateful when I scored this advanced copy. It follows Amy and Sarah, two students at the elite New England prep school Meadowbrook Academy. They are about to start their epic senior year, full of sports, parties and freedom, when Sarah and her boyfriend are found murdered in their dorm room. Amy is devastated and wonders how anyone could come after her seemingly perfect best friend. But even Amy has a secret of her own she’s desperate to hide. Meanwhile, her new roommate Liz, the editor of the school paper, is desperate to expose the truth both for the feature of the school and for her own journalism career. But as she begins to learn the secrets her classmates were keeping, she finds that everyone could be more at risk than she thought.

This book is such a quick read, with short chapters alternating between Amy and Liz’s POV’s. It offers an intriguing mix of suspense and social commentary, set against the backdrop of an elite prep school where privilege and ambition collide. The realistic depiction of the insular, high-stakes high school scene feels authentic and atmospheric, adding depth to the story. The character development is another highlight. Amy stands out as a compelling protagonist—complex, resourceful, and easy to root for. In contrast, Liz comes across as juvenile and immature at times, making her harder to connect with. Their complicated relationship is one of the story’s strengths, but I found myself wanting more depth in their bond, as it had the potential to elevate the story even further.

While the ending ties the threads together well, it is a bit predictable. That said, the journey to the reveal is engaging enough to make up for it, with twists and turns that keep the pages turning. Thanks to Penguin Group, G.P Putnam’s Sons and Net Galley for the advanced copy. Check this out when it releases on February 4!

4.5/5. I am a big fan of this author and this book didn't disappoint. I love Goodman's writing and find her characters are the written correctly for their ages. Was it my favorite of hers? Not really. I think it could have been a full 5 stars if the ending was more satisfying. I liked the main characters but felt the side characters could have been more fleshed out and maybe we could have had one more suspect along the way.

Boarding school and a murder mystery, I couldn't wait to dive in. While I didn't find the book full of too many twist and turns, I was left guessing until towards the end. I was going through 3 different suspects the whole time.
I will say it was a little slow to start, but when the pace picked up, the rest went pretty quickly.

4.25 stars

Thank you to netgalley and the publisher for the opportunity to read a complimentary copy of this book. All thoughts are my own.