4.5 stars rounded up

I think this is one of Jessica Goodman's best novels! The Meadowbrook Murders is a murder mystery set at an elite boarding school a popular couple has just been murdered. Amy is the best friend of the girl who sleeps next door, but she and her friend had been fighting with each other at a party the night before. The other perspective is Liz, an aspiring journalist and editor of the student newspaper who has been dying for something interesting to happen at their school to advance her career.

As the story progresses, Amy realizes that she might not have known her friend as well as she thought she did. And Liz must grapple with the consequences of reporting on your own community and the ethics of journalism in a case where there are victims. It's a thoughtful, twisty story that kept me hooked. I did kind of guess who the killer might ultimately be, but it didn't detract from the book for me. This was really well done! I received a copy of this book for review from the publisher, all opinions are my own.

Jessica Goodman always knows how to create a compelling high school mystery and The Meadowbrook Murders is no exception. The action starts immediately and with each chapter, there’s a growing ominous feeling that I just absolutely love in a book like this. I really enjoyed getting both Amy and Liz’s POVs and getting to know them as characters. I felt like the book gave us some GREAT red herrings and truthfully, they would have all made sense as the killer. I did guess the big twist, but it was such a fun one that I didn’t mind it at all. Also, I’m a sucker for a boarding school setting and oh man, it was done so well here. If you enjoyed her other books or like an intriguing YA thriller, definitely check this one out! And now I impatiently wait for her next book.
CW: murder, violence

Thank you to NetGalley and Penguin Teen for an advanced digital readers copy in exchange for an honest review!

Imagine waking up in your dorm room to find your best friend and her boyfriend murdered right before your eyes, not an easy sight, right? Amy had the unfortunate experience to find Sarah and Ryan murdered in a double homicide with no leads to finding the culprit. That's when you need a reporter to help uncover the secrets to this case, except that report is another student on campus who has been advised to not report on this matter, but when has that ever stopped her?

The Meadowbrook Murders is a young adult mystery that I didn't want to put down. The amount of times I had to stop myself from reading on at night or before a class was astronomical. Why would I go to sleep or continue my education when I could find out who murdered Sarah and Ryan?

I hate to say that I found this murder mystery novel "fun" as no murder mystery should be fun as it's quite tragic, but I really enjoyed the story. The characters on the other hand, they were frustrating to read about on another level, which is a good thing as this proved to me they were human with human emotions and thoughts as high school seniors (and I've been there). I went through a lot of second hand embarrassment for their actions, and they were justifiable, it was just every single character acted like this and that was a lot to take in.

Despite my feelings about the characters, I really do recommend this book for people to read if they want to get into mystery books (like I do), because let me tell you, I couldn't say who actually did it until it was written out in front of me. I bet I missed so many clues that pointed in the direction of the culprit. . .

Thank you, Penguin Teen, for allowing me to read and review The Meadowbrook Murders!

I thought this was an interesting thriller throughout and it held my interest! The two perspectives were good viewpoints, and I was interested to find out how it would all turn out. The ending was surprising, but there were some slow parts throughout. I really liked the setting and idea behind the book and thought it was well executed overall. 3.5 stars!

Do you like twisty dark academica ya novels with more than one pov? The Meadowbrook Murders is the book for you!

There has a been a lot of buzz surrounding this book and I was very thankful when NetGalley and Penguin approved me to read an e-galley.

This fast paced thriller rocks the seemingly idyllic Meadowbrook Academy community when two seniors end up murdered during senior week.

Told in the point of views of Amy (murder victim 1's best friend) and Liz(editor of the school paper), this unlikely duo ultimately team up to unravel the mystery of who could commit such an awful crime.

I loved the short chapter format and the back and forth point of views. This kept me guessing until the very end! I thoroughly enjoyed this thriller!

The ending was super predictable, so I wasn't as impressed with this one as I was with They Wish They Were Us or The Counselors, but it was still a fun read for mystery readers and I will be recommending this to the many teen patrons who want readalikes for "A Good Girl's Guide to Murder".

I did enjoy this story and liked the characters of Amy and Liz. I did feel as though there were too many side characters in this one to keep track of and the other red herrings didn't really work for me as they weren't in the story as often. The killer was obvious from the beginning, so I wasn't surprised there. Overall, I did enjoy this one but it didn't wow me like the author's previous work.

This young adult mystery/thriller is set in an elite boarding school, and the author does an impressive job of creating a vivid atmosphere, rich with detail about the surroundings. The story follows Amy, who wakes up one morning to find her roommate Sarah and her boyfriend brutally murdered. As the only other person in the room, Amy quickly becomes the prime suspect, despite knowing she’s innocent. Desperate to clear her name and protect her boyfriend—who she had sneaked in for part of the night—she sets out to uncover the truth.

The narrative alternates between Amy's perspective and that of Liz, the school newspaper editor (and Amy's new roommate), who is covering the story in the hopes of winning a scholarship. The two girls initially clash, but as secrets start to unravel, they are forced to team up. However, despite some strong character development in Amy and Liz, I found the supporting characters lacking depth.

While I appreciated the author's knowledge of the school campus and surrounding town, I struggled to form a clear picture of the setting. It felt like the layout of the place was not fully conveyed to the reader. Additionally, the story could have benefitted from more backstory, particularly regarding the characters' histories and relationships. I found it hard to connect with Sarah, Amy's roommate, which made the eventual reveals about Sarah's secrets feel less impactful.

As for the mystery itself, I didn’t feel the kind of urgency or suspense I was expecting. The pacing could have been more intense, and the stakes higher to really draw me into the hunt for the killer.

Overall, while the book has potential, it falls short in areas like character development and building a compelling sense of mystery.

Thank you G.P. Putnam's Sons Books for Young Readers for providing this book for review consideration via NetGalley. All opinions are my own.

Summary: In "The Meadowbrook Murders," Amy's senior year turns into a nightmare when her best friend Sarah and Sarah's boyfriend are murdered, leading to a tense investigation by school newspaper editor Liz, who uncovers dangerous secrets while a killer remains on campus.

My review: "The Meadowbrook Murders" is a quick, gripping read with short, snappy chapters that keep you flipping pages. The suspense is top-notch, though the ending becomes a bit predictable. While the plot twist isn't mind-blowing, it's satisfying enough to keep you hooked until the end. The killer's motive could have used more depth, but the character growth of Amy and Liz is a highlight, making their evolution and teamwork a joy to watch. I definitely recommend this book to dark academia fans for its balanced pacing and engaging character development. Perfect for fans of A Good Girl’s Guide to Murder; this is my 2nd read of Jessica Goodman, I will definitely go back and read her backlog!

Genres/Themes: Young Adult Fiction / Thrillers & Suspense - Crime / School & Education - Boarding School & Prep School / Mysteries & Detective Stories

The Meadowbrook Murders is scheduled for publication on February 4, 2025, by G.P. Putnam's Sons Books for Young Readers.

I love Jessica Goodman's YA thrillers. They are always the perfect binge read to get me out of a slump! They are almost always set at private schools and the storylines of rich kids doing bad things are a favorite. Amy and Liz, two seniors, were interesting main characters in The Meadowbrook Murders and I loved getting both of their POVs as they try to figure out what happened to their murdered classmates. I saw a lot of myself in Liz as I wanted to do journalism when I was that age! Unfortunately, the twist was a little too predictable to me compared to her prior books so this isn't my favorite from Goodman! But it was still a quick and twisty read!

The Meadowbrook Murders is a YA murder mystery that is told in a dual POV format. I enjoyed this book more than I thought I would to be honest. I loved the academic setting which is an elite boarding school. YA doesn't always grab me but this author did a great job pulling me and the pacing? The fast pacing and short chapters ( yes! i love short chapters) had me turning pages until I was finished.

The story is told through Amy and Liz's POV. AMy's bestfried and boyfriend are murdered in their dorm but AMy slept through the whole thing! Liz is a reporter who wants to uncover the truth and report on the murders. They are absolutely not friends but as the story grows so do they and it is done in a believable way. Do they become best friends, no but reading how they work together was an absolute joy for me.

I enjoyed the predicatable plot twist but it did take me time to get there so that's an absolute win for me.

Overall this is a fun, fast paced murder mystery that I would absolutely recommend for fans of a good YA and a good mystery!

Thank you so much to G.P Putnam, Netgalley and Jessica Goodman for this ARC! I think I need to pick up more books from this author ASAP!

Not my favorite Jessica Goodman book but I still enjoyed it. I love boarding school settings so it was alright for me. It’s a quick interesting read with a somewhat foreseeable culprit.

I’m always down for a boarding school story, but what makes one even better? When there happens to be a murderer among them. In what I’m starting to see as Jessica Goodman’s usual writing style, The Meadowbrook Murders was a fast-paced and fun murder mystery to dive into on a slow afternoon.

Written in two first-person POVs, we follow Liz, an avid student journalist, and Amy, the suspect (ahem I mean, roommate) of the two students who were killed. I’m seeing a trend in YA murder mysteries to be written in at least more than one POV to give us more insight into the investigation, and thereby suspect more people, but in this case, I am not sure if it was my favourite use of it. I’ll get back to this point later. But with senior year about to start and fellow students in the lower grades still yet to arrive on campus, this book gave almost a locked-room mystery vibe as who else could have done it than someone with access to the school dorms on a private campus?

We get introduced to a number of different characters through Amy and Liz’s interactions. I will say that I didn’t immediately predict everything or who could’ve been involved, but we know off the bat that certain people were acting suspiciously. Namely, Amy and her boyfriend Joseph. In the room right next door, how did Amy not hear anything happening? Was this just a clever red herring or are one of the POVs intentionally misleading?

While I enjoyed the quick succession of chapters alternating between Liz and Amy that never slacked, I will say I still had some gripes with the book. I still rated it highly as pacing is super important to me in a mystery or thriller, but the characterization was a little lacking in my opinion. I constantly was confused between Amy and Liz’s voice, having to look up which chapter I was in. Although they came from different family backgrounds and class, the way they described their worldview felt too similar to easily differentiate. Their characters weren’t distinct, relegated to simple facts in their history that “impacted” their present choices.

In this regard, I also didn’t feel it was done well. While Amy had traumatic run-ins with the media in the past that made her even more wary of the press during their coverage of the murders, it wasn’t fully addressed how she could reconcile a potential allyship with Liz who practically represented the press. Likewise, Liz was far too stuck on pressing for the truth in her writing no matter how that may impact the people she was writing about. How could she balance that in her writing in the future as a journalist covering stories that weren’t just stories but the life and death of others she may even know? The ending of the story was pretty rushed and never really gave us a direct sense that they were able to overcome these issues. At most, it was brushed over as something they conquered or got better at, but it was never truly shown on page.

So if you like your murder stories as whirlwind whodunnits with good characterizations secondary to the plot, I would say this book is definitely still a fun one to read. It won’t change your life or anything, but it makes for an entertaining evening.

I enjoyed reading this book because I enjoy murder mysteries. It takes place at a boarding school, and Amy, a senior, finds her roommate and her roommate’s boyfriend dead in their dorm room. The story is told from two main viewpoints: Amy and Liz, the school newspaper's editor. I like the many twists and turns that keep you on the edge of your seat as you read. This book would be a great backdrop for discussions on dysfunctional families, peer relationships, loyalty, personal safety, and trust issues. I would recommend this book for a high school library.

I think I just really like Goodman’s thriller formula. Every book is different, but I always enjoy myself.

Great multi-faceted characters, an engaging writing style, and a juicy plot where you never know what is going to happen next. You get all of that here, with The Meadowbrook Murders. Two people are dead. A mystery rooted in secrets and friendship. A killer running around at Middlebrook… I love friend group drama and this book has plenty.

When Sarah and her boyfriend are murdered in her room during the first week of their senior year, shocks are felt through this prep school and their happy little town. We follow Amy, Sarah’s best friend and Liz, editor for the school paper. Both of them are determined to uncover the truth, for different reasons.

The unlikely two, the girl who everyone knows had a fight with Sarah shortly before her death, and the school outcast looking for her big story, and subsequently a chance at something bigger in life, have to team up.. and I live for this plot line!!!!!!

This book was just FUN. There is always so much going on at any given moment. The ending was as explosive as it was satisfying. This was all around, a good time! I listened to the audiobook while reading along in the book. The narration was great.

3.5 ⭐️

A boarding school thriller where two students are murdered in a dorm room, Sarah and Ryan. Sarah is on the girls soccer team along with her best friend and roommate, Amy. The book flips between Amy’s POV and another student Liz, who is a reporter for the school’s newspaper. Amy is trying to make sense of what happened to her roommate and Liz is digging to uncover the truth of what happened. There were several twists and turns, wrong people being blamed, secrets being uncovered. I was surprised to learn who had actually done it in the end. Overall, it was an interesting read.

Thank you Penguin Young Readers Group and NetGalley for the ARC!

Thank you to Penguin Teen Publisher for an advanced copy of the book for my honest review.

Meadowbrook Murders is a suspenseful young adult book that takes place at a boarding school for teenagers. It was a fun and engaging read and I highly recommend it for teens who are starting to get into mystery or thrillers. This is a perfect starter book for both genres.

As a teacher who loves to recommend books to my students, I wouldn't hesitate to recommend this one. While there are references to "hooking up" and the murder, everything is written without going into too much detail.

Thank you to NetGalley for providing me with an ARC of The Meadowbrook Murders by Jessica Goodman. As a fan of Jessica's previous works, I was excited to dive into this latest mystery, and it did not disappoint. Overall I would rate it a solid 4 stars.

The Meadowbrook Murders is a quick and engaging read, perfect for those who enjoy a blend of suspense, murder, and drama at a private boarding school.

Amy awakens to the horrifying discovery that her roommate, Sarah, and Sarah's boyfriend, Ryan, have been murdered in the next room. This sets the stage for a gripping narrative filled with lies, privilege, and the quest for truth.

As the investigation unfolds, Amy finds herself entangled in the mystery, becoming a lead suspect in the case. Goodman's writing skillfully keeps readers on their toes, weaving a web of secrets and suspicion that keeps you guessing until the very end (even thought i was able to identify the suspect early on in the story).

Fans of Jessica Goodman's previous novels will appreciate her knack for creating compelling characters and well crafted settings.

Overall, The Meadowbrook Murders is a must-read for mystery enthusiasts. Its fast pace and intriguing plot make it a perfect addition to any TBR.

I’m a big fan of boarding school settings, so any murder mystery that takes place at one is an immediate add to my TBR 🎒

Meadowbrook Academy is an elite boarding school in Connecticut. It has a mix of upper crust nepo babies, scholarship kids looking to better their futures and townies who look down upon them all from outside the walls.

This group should lead to a lot of interesting class issues that were touched on but I thought could’ve been explored a little further to add more depth to the story. We get two points of view in this book: one from Amy, the roommate and best friend of the girl who was murdered, and the other from Liz, a student journalist. While I liked both of their POVs, they each got quite repetitive, and I do wish we’d had at least one or two more to round it all out.

While I also loved Goodman’s writing style and how she wove in the clues amongst red herrings, I needed more action throughout the middle. This is a slow burn mystery, and at times I almost lost interest waiting on a break in the case. The ending was worth it, though. And even when I clocked the killer early on, I still liked how we got there in the end.

Probably wouldn’t put this at the top of my recommends list, but it was good and I’d like to give some of her other books on my physical TBR a chance!

I do enjoy YA murder mysteries, bonus if they’re at a boarding school.

Nothing revolutionary but an enjoyable mystery that alternates between two girls at the school. I do with they had formed more of a bond early on and worked together, I enjoy that sort of thing. And I feel like I didn’t get to know Sarah or Ryan much. But those are small complaints.