"The perfect dark academia read, filled with murder, twists, a jaw-dropping mystery and very privileged people doing deliciously bad things.” – Danielle Valentine, New York Times Bestselling author of Two Sides to Every Murder.

That sentence sums up everything this book is, with the twists and turns of an intriguing murder mystery, and interesting characters doing deliciously bad things. The Meadowbrook Murders is told from two different POVs: Amy, one of the privileged students at a very prestigious private boarding school in Connecticut, who is the roommate of one of the students killed (Sarah) who was her best friend and confidante, and Liz, a scholarship student and the editor of the school newspaper, who is determined to break the story from the inside, hopefully garnering the attention of and scholarship to a good college. When Sarah and her boyfriend, Ryan, are killed in the same dorm room Amy and her boyfriend, Joseph, are sleeping in, who hear nothing and claim that they know nothing about what happened, Amy is transferred to Liz's room while the police investigate. Liz thinks this is her chance to get the inside scoop on the story and tries to insert herself into the investigation and get Amy, who she has never been friends with, to trust her and help her figure out who really committed the murders. Amy wants nothing to do with that, until Joseph becomes a suspect, and then Amy is all in.

I really enjoyed this book. The mystery was interesting, with lots of twists and turns. The characters were unique and varied, and well fleshed out, which is always helpful. The pacing was good and the ending was satisfying.

All in all, I enjoyed this book very much and happily recommend it.

5/5 stars.

*** I would like to thank NetGalley, Penguin Young Readers Group, and Jessica Goodman for the opportunity to read and review The Meadowbrook Murders.

This book pulled me in right from the start! It’s set at Middlebrook Academy during the first week of senior year when the tragedy strikes: Amy’s best friend, Sarah, and Sarah’s boyfriend are brutally murdered in their dorm. Suddenly, everything Amy has been looking forward to turns into a nightmare.

The story is told from two perspectives: Amy, who’s reeling from losing her best friend (and dodging suspicions), and Liz, the school newspaper’s determined editor, who’s chasing the truth behind the murders. I loved how these two totally different girls—Amy, the popular, grieving roommate, and Liz, the awkward journalist—slowly form this uneasy partnership. Watching them work together despite their differences made their dynamic so relatable and intriguing.

The mystery itself was so much fun to unravel. The author kept me guessing, and even when I thought I had it all figured out, I was wrong. (I love it when that happens!) The writing also did a great job of pulling me into the setting—I could almost feel the chilly fall air on campus and the tension brewing in the hallways.

If you’re in the mood for a bingeable YA thriller with a nostalgic murder mystery vibe, this is it. It’s gripping, emotional, and full of twists I didn’t see coming. Definitely a fun read!

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the eARC in exchange for my honest opinion.

I really liked the way that this book was split between Amy and Liz. I believe that because it is written that way you get the full perspective of the murder mystery happening at Meadowbrook. I did peg the killer pretty early on which wasn’t necessarily a bad thing, as I was interested enough to see if I was right. All in all, this is a solid YA mystery, and it will be available in February of 2025!

Thanks to NetGalley and Putnam for the ARC of this book!

Jessica Goodman does not disappoint once again, this was a great YA mystery! The story is about a double murder at a boarding school with many suspects, including the best friend and roommate of one of the victims. There are themes of money vs. middle class and cliques but the main focus is who would commit this act and why. I definitely didn't guess the ending! YA readers and adults alike will connect to this story and get quickly hooked by the writing. Thanks to Jessica Goodman, PENGUIN GROUP Penguin Young Readers Group | G.P. Putnam's Sons Books for Young Readers, and NetGalley for an advanced copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.

This was great young adult mystery with a brilliant setting. I've always loved reading about books set in boarding schools so that was a plus. I liked the characters and the mystery was intriguing enought to keep me hooked till the reveal. I would recommend it for a fun murder mystery and would work well for a readathon because it's so engaging.

Jessica Goodman is a household name at this point, and The Meadowbrook Murders was another success. To be fully transparent, YA is not my preferred genre for thrillers. But every so often, I need a palate cleanser. This really delivered. If you're looking for the darkness/depravity of more mature mysteries, you can skip this one. But if you want a fun popcorn thriller for a cozy weekend, definitely pick this up!

A great high school murder mystery! The YA setting kept it suspenseful but not too scary or gory. Just enough characters were introduced to provide enough viable suspects without it being overwhelming. I also always love a story set in a boarding school. The emotional side of it was great too and I appreciated the emotional arch Amy went through.

**Book Review: *The Meadowbrook Murders* by Jessica Goodman**
3.5/5 stars

Thank you to NetGalley and PENGUIN GROUP Penguin Young Readers Group | G.P. Putnam's Sons Books for Young Readers for providing me with an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.

*The Meadowbrook Murders* is a solid YA murder mystery that delivers strong writing and well-executed twists. Jessica Goodman crafts a story with plenty of intrigue and suspense, though for me, the book leaned a little too much into its YA audience to fully hold my interest. While I enjoy YA as a genre, when it comes to mysteries or thrillers, I tend to prefer the complexity and darker tones found in adult novels. This is very much a personal preference rather than a critique of the book itself.

That said, Goodman’s writing is engaging, and the plot would likely appeal to younger readers who enjoy mysteries with an accessible, fast-paced style. While I did find much of the story predictable, I think this is more a reflection of my own familiarity with the genre. I could see *The Meadowbrook Murders* being adapted into a successful movie that would resonate with a teen audience.

Overall, this is a solid pick for fans of YA murder mysteries. Though it wasn’t a perfect fit for me, I can appreciate the quality of the writing and the appeal it will have for its target audience.

This was such a quick, interesting read and an interesting look into the lives of privileged, prep school students.

I really enjoyed getting to know both Amy and Liz. Their characters were very well-rounded and their faults were on full display, but I still really liked both of them. I liked their dynamic together, too. They argued a lot and rarely saw eye-to-eye, but you could tell they were still building a special friendship through the tragedy.

I wish we’d gotten to know a little bit more about Ryan and Sarah. We did get more glimpses of Sarah than we did of Ryan, but still not enough to figure out who she really was.

This book was full of fun red herrings and kept me on my toes. While I did figure out who the killer was a little over half-way through the book, I didn’t know how the author would pull it all together and it was a really fun experience reading it.

Highly recommend this book for fans of YA mysteries.

My reviews of this book will be posted on Goodreads at the link provided with this feedback and also on my IG account at https://instagram.com/kraftykatreads closer to the pub date.

I really enjoyed this book! I would highly recommend this book to my friends. I really enjoy this book!

I was so excited to read this one after reading the description of the book, but unfortunately this one did not hold my focus like I would have liked. The story is told through the POVs of two main characters: Amy and Liz which keeps things a bit interesting and allows the story to unfold in a natural way with bits coming up via one of the characters. Things I enjoyed about this book were the setting (I'm a sucker for a good boarding school setting), liked the chapters alternating between the two characters, sort of liked the story being separated into parts or sections (for example the first one is "The Day She Found Them") as it gave you a sneak peak of what was going to happen in the next few chapters but at the same time it sort of took away the suspense a bit, and of course I liked the murder mystery aspect of the story. Things I wasn't crazy about were I didn't really care for any of the characters, felt at times there was a bit of fluff or filler that wasn't really needed, and the reveal of who the killer was and why they did it wasn't a big surprise as it was pretty predictable early on. If you enjoy a typical YA thriller then I'd recommend giving this one a shot or you are getting into thrillers then this would be a good starter.

eARC Review: The meadowbrook murders by Jessica Goodman
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Pub date: Feb 4 2025
This book is my first to read by 'Goodman' and has left me looking forward to reading her others. While reading, I was interested in what would happen from beginning to end. The story kept me intrigued throughout all of it and I was left really in shock from the plot twist, which came towards the end! I did also enjoy the back and forth of the character developments and the overall outcome to tie everything together in a good way.

I received a copy from the publisher via Netgalley for an honest review.

I really enjoyed this novel! I previously read this author's novel, The Legacies, which I quite enjoyed so I was very excited for this one! I love how this is written with the back and forth between two different characters on totally different social spectrums in this boarding school. You have Liz, who seems more like an introverted loner who just wants to make sure she has a future AFTER high school. Then, we have Amy, who is part of the sporty, popular kids who are very much living in the moment and not worried about any financial issues.

When I first was reading this novel, I very much got the vibe that this was feeling like an Amanda Knox retelling and I was wondering if that meant we were potentially not going to get a proper resolution...but then we started getting some suspects, so I stopped getting that feeling.

I appreciated how this novel slowly told this story with sooooo many twists and turns, many that were highly unexpected and some that I felt I could see coming. In the ending, this was a satisfying ending to the novel and we DO find out 'who done it' and more importantly, why?!?! Really enjoyable novel and I will absolutely keep looking up novels by this author!

So good I loved the dual pov and seeing both sides to the story. Seeing the side of the victim and side of a detective ish mind set was amazing and having them join together to find the truth and save an innocent person 😉😉 from going to jail is everything a good murder mystery book needs

3.5 stars rounded up- The Meadowbrook Murders is a high school private school murder mystery. Amy is asleep in her room when her roommate Sarah and her boyfriend are killed in the adjoining room of the dorm they share. Liz is the school newspaper editor and is itching to break a big case and win a big scholarship. The girls are both working to find a killer as they are forced to become temporary roommates. Suspicion is thrown right and left as secrets and lies come to light. The story twists and turns and the whodunnit comes out of left field. The mystery is unpredictable but I wasn’t too enthused with the main characters to make this story a slightly above average read for me. My voluntary, unbiased, and non-mandatory review is based upon a review copy from NetGalley.

This was a very quick read and while I was entertained by the plot, it was not the most well-written and was quite predictable. The boarding school setting was interesting but not very well developed or explored, and the concept of a week before school starts where all the students are there without teachers or any security measures set up yet felt like lazy writing rather than an actual plot device.

Very well-written novel of life at a boarding school with a slight twist. One of the main characters is in charge of the school newspaper, she's learning how to report a crime against her friends with the right amount of emotion. Pleasing read for anyone but maybe a little more relevant to the teen reader.

This was told from the points of view of Amy and Liz. Amy was Sarah’s best friend who found her body along with her boyfriend, and Liz who was an ambitious journalist. I wanted to know why Amy and Sarah fought the night before her demise, and I wanted to find out who killed the two teens and why.

I was intrigued by the prestigious and bougie boarding school along with the bratty students. I love a dark academia plot, but this one was just okay to me. The buildup was strong, but I wish the ending and motive had a bit more insight than what was given.

This was a twisty, entertaining read and if you are a fan of YA mystery I would recommend. The ending was very well done and I couldn't figure out who did it which was automatically a plus for me. I enjoyed the characters and the setting, it made the book more tense and exciting while the dynamics between the characters was fun to read.

Three stars for this one.

Amy and her best friend Sarah are seniors at Meadowbrook Academy in Connecticut when Sarah and her boyfriend are murdered in Sarah’s dorm room; Amy was asleep in the next room when they were killed, along with her own boyfriend. As the investigation begins it turns out that Sarah lied about a lot of things.

Liz, the editor of the school newspaper and social outcast wants to find out what happened, hoping she’ll win a journalism scholarship. As she searches for answers she risks bringing the murderer’s wrath down on herself next.

Another YA for YA. This one was just all right for me, but I do love things set at boarding school, where everyone is at risk of murder constantly. It must be exhausting.