3.5 stars
i feel so conflicted about this book. on one hand, it was an easy read. on the other hand, i think that there were some things just lacking. i feel like the past relationship between chloe & hayes could have been better fleshed out, and i think some of the character’s motivations + parts of the plot just didn’t make that much sense. a student died in the past and yet they continued the trials?? they’re all staying in a decaying old house yet there’s electricity? it’s supposed to be an honor to compete yet the characters spend chapters cleaning the estate? if most of the characters are rich then why is competing such a big deal? if its for the glory, why do they feel they need it, what real world connections result from being a champion? also most of the competition felt pretty low stakes and then randomly the students were almost being killed?? i think all of these questions just lowered my rating a lot and there was just too much suspension of disbelief required.

thank you to netgalley and the publisher for a copy of this book.

“I’m going to the Wilde Trials. For two weeks, it will be me, the forest, and these fifteen people. One of whom is a bully, another who used to be my best friend, a third who used to be my boyfriend, and a fourth who is annoyingly loyal to said ex-boyfriend. Great.”


I mean. Yeah. This book is wild.

I read Reed’s debut novel, The Rosewood Hunt, and enjoyed that one a lot (for a YA novel). Unfortunately, her second novel, a similar world to the first book (even mentions Rosetown), didn’t hit me the same.

I did like that there was less swearing than the first book and more positive familial relationships, however, I think the biggest downside for me was that the plot of the book would have been much better in a dystopian or sci-fi setting rather than a realistic modern-day world.


The whole book centers around The Wilde Trials which is an invitation-only event for seniors at a private ‘rich people’ high school in which they compete for a $600,000 prize. But they go out in the forest, sleep in an abandoned estate and compete in dangerous challenges and there is not a single adult around.

At first it didn’t seem like a big deal, but the more the story progressed the more outlandish the situation became. Fifteen high school seniors supervised by three college kids in the wilderness? There wasn’t even a medical team on hand just in case an accident happened.

Not to mention, a kid had literally just died during the last trials (the main character’s ex-boyfriend’s brother so it’s a big plot point). The author is very clear about how the school ‘fixed’ a lot of things— which largely meant walling off a section of the estate and putting caution tape around it— but just saying ‘its safer now’ a hundred times, doesn’t actually mean it’s safer. There’s no way a school already in hot water for an unexplained death can legally run the trials with no supervision or medical team. That’s insane.

One of the challenges they are climbing up a cliff face. Yes, they get harnesses and the ropes were installed by 'professional climbers.' But the contestants are responsible for clipping themselves into the harnesses and no one is there watching. One of the ropes is almost frayed through (well, because, sabotage) but don’t they realize that adult supervision prevents sabotage and keeps a lot of accidents from being serious?

If this was a different world, something dystopian or sci-fi, then it would be more understandable that these kids are competing in potentially fatal challenges without adults. I don’t know entirely why it would be more acceptable, it just would.

In the last challenge the prize money was literally bagged up and placed throughout the forest for the competitors to find and bring back as part of the challenge. Who in their right mind would send out $600,000 in cash with 18-21 year olds into a forest with no adults and expect that it would all come back alright?!

Oh, and by the way, the main character didn’t even tell her parents she was going out there and competing. They had no idea. Sure, she’s 18 years old and legally an adult, but this is a school-sanctioned event. Parents being unaware of a student participating in two-week long trials in the woods with no adult supervision is also ridiculous.

Oh, and by the way, the college kids in charge of the whole thing? Well one of them decides to change up what the challenges are last minute. Because of course they would have the freedom to make up whatever they want and one of them could just change everything and decide to not tell the other ‘supervisors’ and there’s no problem.



I wanted to like the book. I like that the main character, Chloe, wants to win because her younger sister has cancer and her parents can’t afford the medical bills because they paid to send her to a private high school. It’s a good heroic premise.

I liked that she was being blackmailed about a secret which kept her from bringing the saboteur to attention. That was something that made a little sense and added some mystery.

I don’t mind that there is the romantic thread of her and her ex-boyfriend competing with each other where they absolutely hate each other but you know they most likely don’t and will probably end up together again. I don’t even mind that I predicted part of the ending at only 5% of the way through the book. Some of those things are to be expected in a YA novel.

But I just could not get past the ridiculousness and insanity of the whole situation. Because so much of the plot and the suspense of the book revolved around the trials and the outcome of the trials. The implausibility of everything wrecked the tension. I like high stakes, but I want the stakes to make sense.

For example, the YA novel Heist Royale is about teenagers in the modern day world competing in dangerous missions in which there isn’t a lot of oversight or rules. But it takes place in the context of the thieving, dishonest, dangerous world. So it works. The setting and context of The Wilde Trials does not work.



I like the seven traits that they structured the trials around:

“The seven traits the trials are based on each year are strength, collaboration, wit, ambition, fortitude, agility, and adaptability.”

I think in a different context these traits could have been fleshed out more and really been showcased in the trials and in the character development creating a deeper experience and invoking more investment from the readers.

There was definitely potential to the idea behind this book; it just fell short.


It probably makes me a boring adult. Maybe young adults— the target audience— reading this book will have no qualms with the lack of adults. That’s fine. I understand that my interest in YA books tends to be more particular than most. I’m okay with that.

You can discern if my concerns match your concerns or if you are hyped up for the adult-free zone of The Wilde. Go crazy.



Recommendation

I’m sure there are people who might like this book, but the outlandish context and execution of the trials was too over-the-top for me to stay engaged with the story and the characters.

This was a book I was happy to get over with.

I did like her first book so it’s possible I’ll give this author another chance, but this book will definitely make me more wary of her next one.

Unless you are more into the romance and teenage relationship side of things, I would not recommend this one.



[Content Advisory: 29 f-words, 34 s-words, 5 b-words; a few prominent characters are LGBTQ and in relationships; a teenage couple has sex in the back of a car but it’s not described]

**Received an ARC via NetGalley**

I thought this was very good and I will have to add this to the shop shelves. Thank you for the chance for us to review.

Chloe is thrilled to be participating in her boarding school's senior trials - the winner gets a prize pot and she needs the money to help her family with her sister's cancer treatment. But when she gets there, she finds out someone is blackmailing her. She reluctantly teams up with her ex - he will help her figure out who is blackmailing her and she will help him figure out what happened to his brother a few years earlier.

This one started a little slow, but once I got into it, I didn't want to put it down! There were some good twists and turns that kept it interesting. I think by the end maybe the final whodunits (one for each mystery) were a little obvious. But by that point there were only so many suspects! It still was a great read though despite that. I read Reed's first book The Rosewood Hunt and really liked that one too. I find her writing captivating and can't wait to see what future books she writes!

I received my copy from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

A school mystery set - mostly - in a tumbledown, overgrown mansion? Sign me up! Chloe's exclusive boarding school hosts a cross between a survival course and a reality show each year, giving twenty students a chance to earn the title of Champion and more than half a million dollars. While most of Chloe's schoolmates are just in it for the notoriety, she really needs the money. But her competition includes all the people who hate her the most - so when someone starts blackmailing her, she has a long list of suspects.

Mackenzie has a knack for building fully contained worlds. The school depicted here is amazing, and the estate the Trials happen on is even better. The descriptions of the overgrown, gloomy building were so evocative. There were a lot of people to keep track of, with a complicated web of alliances and enmities between them. I often have trouble keeping track of characters in this kind of situation, but other readers won't have that difficulty.

The story itself was interesting, the trials were well thought out and fun, and I really enjoyed the read. I'll be looking forward to Mackenzie's next one! Highly recommend for fans of plotty, twisty YA mysteries.


Movie recommendation: The Hunger Games. While the Wilde Trials aren’t filmed, the sense of being trapped in a competition controlled by unseen forces echoes the brutal reality of the Games.

Book recommendation: The Inheritance Games by Jennifer Lynn Barnes. Like The Wilde Trials, this series follows a protagonist navigating an intricate puzzle of secrets, alliances, and high-stakes competition for a massive fortune. If you love unraveling layered mysteries, this series is a must-read.

This was amazing !!!! YA in the best way, and a happy ending?? Mwah. I need more Mackenzie Reed asap please !!!!

Genuinely - I adored this book. Mackenzie’s writing drew me in, even though I was hooked from the blurb, and the dramatis personae only serve to add to the story.

This is peak YA. Trials, Thriller, Threats?? I was rooting for Chloe all the way (even while screaming at her).

If you love YA thrillers, give this one a shot!

I enjoyed the writing style!
I could picture everything so vividly in my head.

The competition was really interesting! I related to Chloe, and wanted to keep reading up way past my bedtime to find out what was going to happen in the trials.

Again, I recommend this if you like YA thrillers and books about competitions and trials.

I look forward to reading more by this author!

The Wilde Trials by Mackenzie Reed was a solid YA mystery with trials and a second-chance romance. I think I would have enjoyed it more if it was dual POV with a few chapters from Hayes perspective. I think the other side characters needed to be fleshed out a little more, it was hard for me to understand their ambitions and emotions until the very end when the big reveal happened. I loved the mystery aspect of it but would have liked a look into the Trevors reasoning for being so cruel to his best friend. I don't think being jealous and wanting to win is good enough to justify beating Hunter up and making him repeatedly fear for his life. I would have been okay with the book being 70 pages longer if it meant we got a better understanding of the side characters and their motivators.

Wasn’t able to read this one digitally but I did order a copy of the book so will be reviewing it after I’ve read it. I’m really excited for it as I’ve only heard great things about it.

I straight up binged this, no breaks except for sleep 😭 I read it till 2am yesterday night, and then spent half my morning reading this, postponing my breakfast because I HAD to get to the end

The book was so thrilling, I was racing through the pages to solve the mysteries! The character dynamics were amazing and the second chance romance + the healed friendships have my whole heart 😭 I'm just saying, if you like YA contemporary and/or you like (a) PLL or (b) The Inheritance Games, this book should be on your tbr!

TWs - death of sibling, sibling with cancer who is receiving treatment for it

-- ty to the author, the publisher and Netgalley for an advanced copy !

I loved The Rosewood Hunt by Reed so was excited to get to read The Wilde Trials. This a brilliant pacy thriller that lives up to The Rosewood Hunt. I loved the characters, particular Hayes who was written really well. That said I also loved Chloe.

I won’t spoil all the twists and turns in this but I will say that once I started I couldn’t put it down! It’s really addictive and falls into the ‘I’ll just read one more chapter…oh now it’s the middle of the night on a work night’ genre. I don’t regret it at all though. If you love a good twisty thriller with brilliant, pacy writing and well developed characters this is for you.

As always thank you to Harper360YA for the advanced copy to review, my reviews are always honest and freely given.

Wait, I loved this! I've never read a Mackenzie Reed before, but I will definitely be reading more. The competition was so interesting and I was INVESTED

when I first opened this book I was in a massive slump and couldn't get through it to save my life. so I decided give it some time and come back when I was ready. and let me tell you, this book was everything that ive ever looked for in a book. maybe since i haven't read for so long that im handing out easy 5 stars, but I deeply, deeply adored this book and everyone in it. the complexity of the characters was interesting, knowing what motivates everyone was intriguing, and it demonstrated the sense of that we dont always know what is happening behind closed doors.

This was such a wonderful follow-up on Reed's debut—another excellent ensemble cast, high-stakes and fast-paced plot, and a tension-filled romantic subplot!

I found this slow to start but it really picked up .
Sort of like a hunger games vibe .

Chloe was a really strong character.
It was interesting Hayes brother was part of the trails before and he joints find out what or who killed him.

It did really pick up near the end.
The ending was really memorable but I did quite enjoy this book.

This book was made for me. I had SO much fun reading it, from the very first chapter it hooked me and I read it in literally two sittings. I’m not usually a fan of exes-to-lovers romances but this one my friends!!!! This one was done *perfectly* 🤌🏻. I could spend an entire day talking about everything I loved and it still wouldn’t be enough. Absolutely perfection.

4/5⭐️

I loved it!! I was hooked from the beginning!

12 students are chosen for an academic competition in the woods on their old school grounds. The chosen are very elite and impressive. Our FMC Chloe finds out she’s going be joined by some of her fiercest rivals, including her ex best friend and her ex boyfriend. Chloe is determined to win because along with becoming valedictorian she’ll get a million dollar cash prize which can help her sick sister. Everything is going well until she starts becoming sabotaged and she’s receiving threatening notes. She reluctantly strikes a deal with her ex Hayes- if he helps her find her saboteur she’ll help him solve the mysterious death of his brother at this very competition a few years ago.

Will they solve the clues his brother left? Will her unresolved feeling bubble to the surface? Can she win this competition for her sister?

You’ll have to read to find out!!

Seriously one of the best mysteries I’ve ready in a while! It’s pretty fast- paced and the characters are so real! I love reading characters I can relate to or see how they make mistakes and try to make it right! I loved the twist and the romance it was all perfectly executed with the many different elements added in. Highly recommend reading, you won’t regret it!

*Mystery
*Secrets
*Romance
*Friendship
*Twists
*Rivalry

Chloe's desperate. Her sister needs expensive cancer treatment, and the only way to get the money is to win the Wilde Trials, a grueling competition for graduating seniors with a grand prize of $600,000. Chloe's smart, adaptable, and brave, but the trials are even more challenging than she imagined. Not only must she face the intense competition itself, but someone is actively working against her, sabotaging her chances at every turn. Adding to the pressure, her ex-boyfriend, Hayes, is also a competitor. Their breakup was messy, fueled by Chloe's determination to enter the trials—a competition Hayes despises after losing his brother in it three years prior. As Chloe struggles to survive the trials and uncover the identity of her saboteur, she must confront not only the dangers of the competition itself, but also the complex emotions swirling between her and Hayes. Who is trying to stop her, and why?

🕷️ 🔪🌲

I really enjoyed this one!! This was a compelling thriller--I did peg the identity of the challenger early on, but I was still invested in the motivation of the characters. I think this is a great one for kids that are looking for both thriller and romance (riller? thromance? we'll make it work), because the heart of this book is the relationship between Chloe & Hayes (and their connections to their siblings. I know I have kids that will love this--for fans of Inheritance Games or Truly Devious--this was fun!

The sudden trend of mysterious and thrilling school competitions is definitely trying to capitalize on the dark academia interest, but overall Reed did a good job of incorporating puzzles, mystery, and intrigue into a survival competition designed to thrill. While frequent readers of the genre might find it trite or predictable, overall it's a solid entry.

Thank you to the publisher for the earc!

This book was such a surprise to me. I admit I expected the murder to take place in the present, not in the past. But still I really enjoyed it!

I was a bit taken aback by the whole trial. I mean not by the trial itself, as it’s something I can see a private academy to host. It was the setting. And Chloe mentioned it a few times that the pictures from the estate should be in the main building or in a museum. And this is exactly what I didn’t understand. They have a lot of money, why not take proper care of the place that started the whole academy? They just let it rot and it’s extremely heartbreaking. (Yes, it’s a fictional place but still!)

Everything else I really loved, the trial itself was interesting, and I’m sure I would have failed. I loved the romance subplot, I was hoping Chloe and Hayes would get back together. Because teaming up with your ex to solve a murder and survive this trial, was definitely a choice.

My heart was breaking for Hayes. He had to be in the same place where his brother died 3 years ago. Just because he got some clues that his death might not have been an accident. So he’s here, trying to solve the mystery.

I admit, I had a feeling early in the book who might be right behind everything, and I was right. Partially. There were some twists that even I did not see coming.

Anyway, if you love YA murder mysteries definitely add this one to your list, trust me you won’t regret it!