
Member Reviews

The Trespassers follows four friends after a house party goes terribly wrong. Finley has just returned back home to Alaska after living in LA for four years following the death of her father. She falls back in with her three best friends, Mya, River, and Eli. They throw a Valentine’s Day house party at Mya’s mom’s modal home and find a stranger squatting in the house. When he attacks Finley, she defends herself and the friends decide to cover up the assault. But when people start asking questions and the stranger doesn’t turn up, cracks grow between the friends as secrets threaten to bury them.
This was a fun mystery thriller with a great setting. The Alaskan winter made for a very dramatic and intense setting that I thoroughly enjoyed. The author did a great job creating a lovely atmosphere. I really enjoyed the exploration of this complicated friendship group as their loyalty is tested. I did find it a little slow and predictable, but the last 20% really picks up and I enjoyed where the author ended things.
I really enjoyed the characters in this one. They’re all very morally gray and it was fascinating to read about their motives and morals and where their lines were. I did feel really bad for Finley. She made herself a better version of herself in LA and when she came back to Alaska she sunk into old routines. I liked the exploration of realizing your old friends aren’t necessarily good for you anymore. I didn’t love Mya at first but I found I really enjoyed her chapters by the end and her character arc was really well done.
Overall, if you love twisty YA thrillers with morally gray characters, I’d definitely recommend checking this one out.
Thank you to Penguin Teen CA and Netgalley for the arc!

Loved this fun horror story! Read in one sitting. Very atmospheric, loved the characters & their backstories! Would definitely read more by this author!

"The Trespassers" is a YA thriller by Jennifer Lynn Alvarez. Finley is a high schooler who moved down to LA with her mother when her father was killed, but due to inheriting a house from her late grandmother, they have moved back to Alaska. She reconnects with her old friend group, but you can tell that there is something that the author isn't telling us. After a violent attack with a trespasser, Finley and her friends have different ideas about what to do about it. This thriller explores the idea of peer pressure and keeping secrets. A recommended purchase where YA thrillers are popular.

I really wish I could give this a 3.5 cause for me that’s really kind of where it landed. I really liked the concept of the story. Finley returns home to Alaska after being in LA and has to reunite with her old best friends who were There when her father committed murder. But what she is quickly realizing is that old friends don’t always mean good friends, and that while she may have changed and grown, it’s not entirely clear whether they have. As the book progresses, you realize that everybody has secrets from each other, and from themselves, and then once those secrets come out, nobody’s life is going to be the same. Everybody in this book is a little morally gray and it’s not we’ll clear who you should feel badly for. There was a lot of interesting commentary around on how people and how they are treated in this world and how that needs to change. For me the downside of this book was I just thought it was too long. There was a lot of alluding to things, but it took a really long time to get there and I think that if it had been shorter, we would’ve gotten there quicker with the same payoff

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
THE TRESPASSERS by Jennifer Lynn Alvarez
Thank you Netgalley and GetUnderlined for the earc (Oct 28)
Before tragedy struck and Finley moved away from Alaska, she, Mya, River, and Eli were inseparable. Now she's back. When Mya throws a party on Valentine's night, it's supposed to be a fun get together, but that changes when a stranger shows up. The group tries to cover up what they've done, but secrets don't stay secrets forever. They were all trespassing afterall.
I've read Alvarez's other YA thrillers, and THE TRESPASSERS has been my favorite---though the other two were just as well-crafted and thrilling. This book starts with a bang and doesn't let up until the last, heart-pounding page.THE TRESPASSERS is a gripping thriller that is wickedly good with its secrets, drama, and romance. This book is fast-paced, and the short chapters help love it along in a way that is much appreciated. Each chapter delivered a punch until the final blow that left me heartbroken and speechless.
I loved this book and how suspenseful it was. This was easily devourable, and I finished it so quickly---reading it in under a day. I felt so bad for Finley, and at times her friends. I hated what they went through, and I hated what happened..
I highly recommend this.

I really loved Jennifer Lynn Alvarez's Lies Like Wildfire. The Trespassers put me in mind of that. I love the way her characters are drawn as well as the storyline. This book takes place in Alaska which I have special feelings for. Recommended!
Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for allowing me to read this digital ARC.

2 stars
Finley has returned to Anchorage for her senior year of high school ; she and her mother spent four years in Los Angeles after Finley’s dad died after killing her friend River’s father. Now she is back with her lifelong best friends, River, Mya and Eli.
However, while Finley has become a good girl in L.A., her old friends haven’t changed and while the four are partying one night a dreadful incident occurs. What will happen to the four friends.
Are high school seniors really this stupid? Or, I don’t know, maybe I was too, and I’ve just forgotten, though I do think that, now, with the popularity of “CSI” and all the true crime stuff out there, I would never, even as a 17 year old, expect to get away with anything. Plus my parents would have beat my ass all the way down to the police station, so there’s that. There were also a couple of things I found quite annoying, but they are spoilers, so I won’t mention them.
I really like YA, but GOOD YA, and I don’t see enough of it. But I rate these books as ME reading YA, however I always try to say whether I think a fourteen or fifteen year old might like it. And they might like this. I just didn’t.

This was such a good book. I loved the story and the writing so much. The characters were great and the story flowed smoothly. Will definitely read more books by this author in the future.

Thank you Netgalley and Delacorte Press for the ARC in exchange for an honest review!
Jennifer Lynn Alvarez delivers another unforgettable YA thriller with “The Trespassers”—a suspense-filled, emotionally complex story that explores friendship, betrayal, guilt, and the haunting consequences of buried secrets. Set against the stark, atmospheric backdrop of the Alaskan wilderness, this story plunges you into a web of lies that refuses to stay hidden.
Finley is returning to her hometown in Alaska for the first time since the tragic death of her father—a death shrouded in mystery and deception. Once inseparable from her childhood friends Mya, River, and Eli, Finley finds herself re-entering a dynamic that has shifted in troubling ways. When a stranger crashes a Valentine’s Day party the group throws at a supposedly haunted lodge, a shocking incident occurs that forces them all into panic. What follows is a desperate attempt to cover up the truth, but the lies they've built begin to crack under pressure.
Finley is a deeply sympathetic and believable protagonist. Wracked with guilt over a horrifying accident involving an unhoused man, she wrestles with the weight of her decisions, even as she’s manipulated by those she once trusted. Her grief and confusion are palpable, especially as she slowly uncovers a long-held secret surrounding her father’s death—one her friends have been hiding for years. Mya, in particular, emerges as a compelling but unreliable character. Her willingness to protect the group at Finley’s expense highlights the blurred lines between loyalty and self-preservation.
Alvarez expertly balances fast-paced thrills with meaningful emotional stakes. The story unfolds in short, punchy chapters that keep the tension sky-high. Twists arrive with regularity, yet never feel cheap. Instead, each reveal deepens the mystery and intensifies the stakes, especially as the teens navigate legal troubles, splintering trust, and their own inner demons.
Themes of homelessness, trauma, and cycles of abuse give the story depth beyond its pulse-pounding surface. Alvarez doesn’t shy away from the darker aspects of her characters’ choices, and the moral ambiguity adds weight to the final twist—an unexpected revelation about the unhoused man and Finley's dad that shifts the entire narrative in a powerful way. The ending is both tragic and redemptive, giving each character the chance to face the truth and find some measure of closure.
And then there’s the setting - icy, remote Alaska, which Alvarez uses to stunning effect. It adds not just atmosphere but an emotional chill that seeps into every scene. Much like she did with nature in her previous thrillers, Alvarez makes the landscape a silent, menacing character of its own.
Overall, “The Trespassers” is a razor-sharp, emotionally resonant thriller packed with tension, twists, and the emotional wreckage of long-held secrets. Alvarez proves yet again that she’s a master of teen suspense, delivering a story as thoughtful as it is terrifying. Perfect for fans of psychological thrillers, survival stories, and twisty tales about loyalty, guilt, and the lies we tell to protect the people we love.

Not my favorite. I found a lot of the characters very annoying but the idea of the book was great. I just couldn’t get past certain characters.

If you’re looking for an adventure-filled read that keeps you guessing, The Trespassers by Jennifer Lynn Alvarez is a fantastic pick! This gripping story takes readers into the mysterious world of a group of teens who stumble upon an abandoned, supposedly haunted lodge deep in the woods. But what starts as a spooky exploration quickly turns into a heart-racing mystery filled with secrets, danger, and unexpected twists. Alvarez masterfully captures the thrill of teenage curiosity—imagine sneaking out into the night, only to find more than you bargained for. The characters are relatable and lively, each with their own quirks and fears, which makes their journey all the more engaging. The creepy atmosphere is perfectly balanced with moments of humor and friendship, making it an exciting yet fun read. The pacing is just right, keeping me eager to turn pages, and the suspense builds steadily as they uncover clues about the lodge’s dark history. While a few plot points might seem a tad predictable, the overall vibe is exhilarating and satisfying. The Trespassers is perfect for anyone who loves teen mysteries, ghost stories, or just a good adventure with some spooky sparks flying. Definitely a 4-star read—thrilling, fun, and well worth the journey!