This is the third dark academia book I've read in the last few months & to be honest, i think that trope is not for me. Every one of these books is so similar it makes it hard to distinguish one from the other.....similar to sports romance novels.

That being said, I will base my rating solely off how i felt while and after reading this book.

Chloe has a rough start to the school year. Her best friend gets head girl over her, she was dumped by her boyfriend, and then her boyfriend starts dating said "best friend". While all of this is gong on, people from the "secret society" at this school begin to turn up dead.

All in all....i wanted a thriller and this was more of a mystery. I think the author was trying to throw in a romance aspect and that fell flat for me too. I usually love YA thrillers but this one just missed the bar for me. Cynthia's books have always been 3 star reads for me and that's what I'm giving this one. it was just ok. I wouldn't re-read this or purchase this but it wasn't awful.

I haven’t been reading a lot of thrillers lately so it’s been nice to jump back into a few in a row. This premise had the makings of something really great, but I think ultimately fell a bit short of 4-star for me with its execution. It was an enjoyable summer read, and had pretty good pacing, but was simultaneously predictable and unpredictable. There’s a surprise twist at the end, but for some reason it was not too impactful? Overall not a bad story but just isn’t one of the greats for me

Chloe Roberts is our main character, who gets robbed (ha!) of her Head Girl position at Morton Academy by her supposed best friend, Nikhita Patel. Being Head Girl is important as it comes with a load of perks like your own room at the Academy, and sponsorships by the rich Morton alumni to have her life paid and paved for her. Yes, there is also a Book of Crime and Punishment quite akin to the infamous Burn Book. I have to also inject that there are a lot of references to Mean Girls, including some that are very, very, direct references.

I really enjoyed the premise after the initial backstory is introduced, and I was certainly expecting some sort of fun revenge story. Unfortunately that’s not what I got. The backstory is really just a reason for Chloe to hate Nikhita and be suspicious of her the entire story. It did add a bit to the suspense, but not really the stakes. There were the beginnings of many different storylines that I could have seen explored, but none of the ones I wanted were actually explored. The story actually follows a much more classic story of Chloe going through school as suspicious things happen around her, and getting ostracized from the “secret society,” etc. Think Mean Girls but thriller. All the expected high school teenaged-girl drama appears, but with some dead bodies that pop up. I really expected more active revenge, rather than just suspicion.

Nikhita is just so annoying and over-the-top that she becomes a bit of a caricature of Regina George, and it’s hard to take her seriously as a real character. The other girls around her (basically, the plastics) are also not super interesting. The two new friends outside of the main group that Chloe makes (think Damien and Janice) are the focus of the story. But ultimately we really only follow the POV of Chloe and the decisions that she make as her world crumbles around her and suspicious activity (obviously, murder) happen at her school.

Obviously I have just made a list of things that I didn’t enjoy, but honestly the overall story was an easy read and had a good level of suspense. I did want to find out what happened and what the big denouement would be, though ultimately it was not what I expected. The turnaround from the climax to the finish (end of the book) was also extremely fast, I felt like it was …. <4% of the book if I remembered correctly. That really surprised me as I felt like there could have been a lot of resolution time, but it was more of a typical time skip “haunting” epilogue. I put the quotes there because to me it was pretty obvious that this would be the epilogue, so it did not really add anything for me. But again, this doesn’t make it back, but just for someone like me who has read what feels like hundreds of these, it didn’t quite tickle the itch.

The protagonist of this novel infuriated me to no end. Every choice she made was torture to experience. This story had wayyy too much going on and was severely hindered by technically being a prequel, something that wasn’t even necessary. I’ve noticed that authors tend to underestimate how bored and desperate for sensation teenagers often are, especially when cooped up in a boarding school. There’s no way the student body would accept a string of deadly “accidents” as actual accidents. The romance (?) in this book was also very confusing. Are we supposed to root for this relationship? Why does the MC still want this relationship? Huh? More to come on TikTok.

Thank you so much to Random House Children's Books and Cynthia Murphy for this ARC!

Return to Morton in Cynthia Muprhy’s newest thriller, Keep Your Friends Close. This book had me gagged by the end of it. Murphy certainly lives up to her title, CEO of Plot Twists. If you were a fan of Win Lose Kill Die, you’ll love this book. We reenter Morton Academy following Chloe Roberts right after she has been awarded Deputy Head Girl of Jewel and Bone. You know the secret society that is not all that secret, as Chloe comes to find out. And this lack of secrecy leads to only one thing: someone picking off the girls of Jewel and Bone one by one. Murphy’s writing pulls you in and makes you feel like you’re the one physically there, trying to uncover all the secrets of Morton Academy.

I enjoyed the variety of characters that were present in this story. Everyone had something to hide and a reason to want to get ahead at Morton. That made the story all the more intriguing. The introduction of the “Book of Crime and Punishment” added even more suspense and mystery to the book. I was unable to put the book down and was constantly writing down different theories just as Chloe did. The writing is difficult to digest, and it’s a great young adult thriller.

Overall, this book was 5/5 stars. Can’t wait to read more of Cynthia Murphy’s books!

Keep Your Friends Close was the perfect quick read—fast-paced, addictive, and hard to put down. Right from the beginning, you're pulled into Chloe's world as everything starts to unravel: her boyfriend dumps her, her social standing at school vanishes, and she’s left feeling completely lost.

Still, as one of only twelve members of the school’s secret society, Chloe knows she has to hold it together. If she wants any chance at securing a university sponsor, she needs to stay in line—even if that means enduring constant abuse from the girl who stole both her Head Girl title and her boyfriend.

As the story unfolds, Chloe finds herself helplessly watching as her friends begin to die, one by one. The tension builds steadily, and she’s left to piece together what’s really happening.

Yes, I figured out the twist about halfway through, but that didn’t take away from the suspense or the fun. I still found myself second-guessing everything until the final reveal.

The ending did feel a little rushed—I wish it had a bit more time to land emotionally—but overall, this was a gripping and satisfying read. Highly recommend if you’re in the mood for a fast and twisty YA thriller!

And as a bonus—lots of references to Buffy the Vampire Slayer, which is always welcome.

Big thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the advance copy!

It is with great sadness that I write this two star review. I wish I loved this book, maybe it's just not the right book for me or maybe the mystery fell flat. Because the second I opened this book, I pegged the "antagonist," and I knew what was going on. Maybe it was supposed to be like that but I just felt duped out of a thriller. YA specifically because YA is usually SO good with thrillers. I think I'm gaslight gatekeep girlbossing my way of thinking with this because lowk, reading back on my notes--nothing hit. I didn't like the main character at all. Reading some of the other reviews, I might be in the minority and that's probably a me thing.

But the action and depth was lacking, our "romance" if we can call it that was cringe and...i hated the love interest. And when the ending came, I shut the book and verbally went "well, i wasted two hours." So yes, please keep your friends close, but keep your enemies closer.

Thank you to netgalley + the publisher for the arc in exchange for an honest review, all opinions are my own.

I was a bit bummed because I really like this authors books and this one started out so strong! An exclusive boarding school potentially hiding nefarious deeds done but teachers, students and donors sounds right up my alley! The books started strong w out main character having a string of bad things happen and wondering where it all went wrong. Where it lost me was the end- it took a long time to get there and then it was over, rather anti climatically, in like 10 pages. I want to say I was shocked by the ending but really it felt like it didn’t matter by the end. I think my students will like this one if they can stick with it and I look forward to more from this author.

Thank you, Random House Children's Books | Delacorte Press, for providing the copy of Keep Your Friends Close by Cynthia Murphy. This is the first book I've read by Murphy, and it won't be my last. I loved the engaging story and the vivid characters. Being set in the 90s was an interesting choice, and I enjoyed the portrayal of the early days of the internet and phones without as many bells and whistles as today. The clever ending was a complete surprise to me, although I’m not sure it was gratifying for me. This is a fun read, and I will be recommending it to everyone I know! 4.5 stars rounded up to 5.

Cynthia Murphy has done it again—Keep Your Friends Close is a tightly wound, dark academia thriller that kept me glued to the pages from the very first chapter. Set in the shadowy, secret-ridden halls of Morton Academy (familiar to fans of Win, Lose, Kill, Die), the story follows Chloe Roberts, a student who seems to have it all—beauty, intelligence, a perfect academic record. But from the start, there’s an unsettling sense that nothing is quite what it seems.

As Chloe becomes entangled in a dangerous game of manipulation, lies, and secret societies, Murphy masterfully builds suspense with a razor-sharp eye for psychological detail. The tension between characters is palpable. Every interaction feels loaded, and just when you think you know who to trust, she flips the script. I especially loved how Murphy uses the elite school setting to explore privilege, pressure, and performance—themes that resonate deeply in today’s academic culture.

The pacing is relentless in the best way. Short chapters, cliffhanger endings, and eerie interludes kept me compulsively turning pages late into the night. The reveals toward the end are so satisfying—twisty, but never cheap. Everything clicks into place, and yet the lingering chill of the final scene stays with you.

What sets Murphy apart, though, is her ability to blend genuine emotion with horror-tinged thrills. Beneath the gothic atmosphere and clever plotting, Chloe is a fully realized, flawed protagonist trying to understand her place in a cutthroat world.

Let me start by saying I love Cynthia Murphy’s books. I was lucky to receive an ARC copy and was beyond excited to start. By the second chapter I was experiencing severe déjà vu, and began to compare to win lose kill die. The books are set in the same school, have different characters, but still felt as if read it before. I did love the characters but was able to predict the twist. That has never happened for me with her books in the past. So while it was an enjoyable read, it was not as good as I had anticipated.

2.5 stars rounded up. This one started promising with the allure of secret societies, nineties references, and teenage drama, but ended up being slow and overdone. I began to lose interest around 31%, decided to power through, and ultimately hated the ending and how predictable it was. I had hoped that Chloe would show growth, but she didn't. The dialogue and characters ended up being one-dimensional by the end, which I wasn't expecting.

While this one wasn't for me NOW, I think I would have loved this when I was younger. Chloe's friendships and relationships are some that I think all readers can understand and empathize with.

A dark academia YA thriller set in the '90s? Yes. Please.

I was ready to love Keep Your Friends Close, but I just could not get into the story. While I loved the '90s references, at times they seemed a bit heavy-handed. I also struggled with some of the one-dimensional dialogue. I'm clearly not the audience for the writing, but I'm excited that there are great YA books for this current generation.

This one was a bit too predictable for me. I feel like I had it figured out in the first third of the book, but there were a couple of good red herrings mixed in.

Cynthia Murphy is amazing at teen thrillers and this is nothing exception. It was such an easy and fast paced read. It kept me guessing the entire time and I didnt want it to end.

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

KEEP YOUR FRIENDS CLOSE by Cynthia Murphy

Thank you Netgalley and Getunderlined for the earc (Sept 2)

KEEP YOUR FRIENDS CLOSE is a dark academia, YA thriller that kept me on the edge-of-my-seat. It follows Chloe Roberts, a student at Morton Academy. When she loses out on being Head girl of Jewel and Bone +plus her boyfriend, Chloe discovers the secret society isn't so secret. The rest of the school knows---and despises---the members. They even have a Book of Crimes and Punishments with their misdeeds listed. When the bodies start piling up, Chloe works to connect the dots before she d*es next.
Murphy has done it again with this enthralling mystery that sticks its talons in you and doesn't let go until the last page. It'll have you grasping at the seems, breath held as everything plays out. Set in the 90's, at Morton Academy like WIN LOSE KILL DIE, KEEP YOUR FRIENDS CLOSE is full of mysterious societies, mean girls, and neverending drama.
I love this author's work, and KEEP YOUR FRIENDS CLOSE has become an immediate favorite. The first page offers a look into Chloe's mind, and the tension that follows up until the first k*ll was topnotch.
KEEP YOUR FRIENDS CLOSE is easily devourable because it pulls you in and keeps you there. I read this in under a day, and once the bodies started piling up, I tried to solve the m*rders. There were times where I was absolutely sure I was right---thinking it had to be who Chloe thought---then Murphy offers a twist---and then a reveal---that left me utterly shocked. The whodunit reveal was just the beginning.  The epilogue is where it's at---I gasped at that final reveal.
This book is perfect for fans of Murphy's previous work, but also for those who love heart-pounding mysteries with secret societies at its core. 10/10.