3.75/5 rounded up

Thank you Macmillan Audio for the advanced listening copy!

What a wild ride! I had NO idea what this book was about going into it, and was not expecting a crazy, cultish, twisty, female, college drama -- but what a great time! I was so shocked by the twists and turns throughout the story, and the overall plot was not what I anticipated at all.

My only real issue with this one is that it dragged a bit in the middle, and started to feel repetitive. We already had enough information to determine and make judgements about the situation, but continued to get more and more unnecessarily. To be clear -- I was still entertained and interested, just feel we could have skipped a few details.

THAT ENDING! 🤯!! So many great surprises in this one. I wish I would have been able to attend book club last month and discuss this one -- I'm sure there were lots of hot takes and discussion points on the story, characters and plotting. Overall this was a fun and solid cultish thriller!

*Thanks to NetGalley and Macmillan Audio for early copy for review*

Listened to the audiobook for this and the narrator's accent transported me to a British university. I truly felt they captured Chloe's voice.

This being said the story was not for me. For me I was looking for a thriller, but it felt more Dark Academia were we're following the poor character surrounded by unlikable rick people. I really dislike that type of genre and prefer the horror/thriller genre. This dragged so much for me and made me like the story less.

While this was not a favorite thriller for me, it was entertaining. It centers around two female students, Chloe and Clara. I liked Chloe’s character the first half, but I really wanted to slap some sense into her the last bit. How she’s not getting cult leader vibes from Clara is beyond me.

I read this by audiobook, and I feel that’s the way to go with this one. By the half way point, I thought it should be almost done so it dragged for me a bit there. Thankfully the narrator was great, and I did find the plot interesting enough to finish. Thanks Macmillan Audio for this opportunity! This book is set to publish on 7/15! Read if you like cult stories, crazy influencers, and dark academia.

🎧 Book Review 🎧 I still have not decided if it is harder to be a young adult girl or be the parent to one and I feel pretty confident that is a debate I will never settle. Lauren Wilson’s The Goldens definitely scored me a few more points in that tally. As I go into battle every day raising three daughters, my biggest hope is to instill an understanding of healthy relationships in them. But that will never stop me from indulging in a juicy young adult novel about the descent from a new friendship in college into a dangerous cult…

As Chloe steps into the college world away from home, she is swept under the golden wing of a social media influencer named Clara whose lifestyle is more luxurious and grander than anything she could have imagined. What starts as the companionship we all seek as strangers in a new environment quickly takes a dark and twisty turn where not everyone will make it out alive. The Goldens is a delectable and decadent tale of wanting to be a part of the in crowd at all costs, perfectly brought to life by Cassandra Hardwood.

This was just ok for me. I am not usually a hater but I slightly felt like this was a book I have read a few times before (Society of Lies, Bunny, etc). I still enjoyed the book and definitely liked the narrator a lot in this one. Great voice, cadence, tone. It wasn't an uninteresting story, I just personally have read many other books like it already. The ending was definitely interesting and made me gasp a little bit so I am happy for that element of surprise.

The Goldens had all the ingredients to be a five-star read—an intriguing setup, solid narration, and plenty of atmosphere—but it just didn’t land for me. I kept waiting for that goosebump-inducing twist or emotional hit, and it never really came. The story moved fine, but I never felt fully in it. And the ending? Honestly, it felt kind of unnecessary. Like it was trying to be profound or shocking but didn’t quite earn it. Not a bad read, just not one that left a lasting impression.

3.5⭐️

"The Goldens" is a popcorn thriller involving university students, influencers, glamorous parties, and cults (allegedly). Do I have your attention yet? This was certainly a fun and fast-paced read. I really enjoyed the setting, the intriguing plot, and the messy but well-written characters. It felt a bit young adult/new adult, and I think a younger audience will definitely enjoy this book (but check the content warnings). It was a bit predictable, and I had hoped for a few more twists. But overall, this was an enjoyable read and a great debut.

I listened to the audiobook narrated by Cassandra Harwood. She did a great job bringing the characters to life and building a lot of tension and suspense. This was an unpausable listen, and I binged the entire audiobook in just a few sittings.

Thank you to NetGalley and Macmillan Audio for the ALC in exchange for an honest review.

Rating: 3/5 stars

Thank you to NetGalley and Macmillan Audio for the audiobook ARC!

This story follows a college girl who befriends a rising influencer that slowly builds a cult-like following. The premise was interesting, but it leaned a little too YA for me. I think it would hit better with a teen or young adult audience.

I would have liked more detail on certain events, but I get why some things were left vague to keep the tone mysterious. I didn’t really connect with the characters, but I was still curious enough to see how it ended.

The narrator was solid and fit the vibe well. I could actually see this playing out as a miniseries or something on Amazon. Overall, it was decent. Not my favorite, and not quite thrillery enough for what I was hoping. Probably forgettable for me, but I’m still glad I finished it.

I would not consider this YA after reading it. Wilson definitely kept you guessing with what actually happened. I am not big into cult stories since they really just creep me out, but this one was a little different than most. There was plenty of suspense with waiting to know what Chloe would do or control next or what Clara would do that would upset Chloe. The influencer aspect was very different than normal cult stories, but it worked here and kinda shed some light on how people will blindly follow influencers today.

A wonderful different from anything I've been reading!! One of those books you read and you know what's going to happen, but you don't really.

The ending was definitely open ended, like I feel it was wrapped up, but also left for readers to use their own imagination or play around with what they think Chloe will actually do next.

🎧ALC REVIEW🎧

Pub Date July 15th

Overall I enjoyed this one. I didn’t realize it was YA when I first got it but that’s ok! It was giving rich privilege and social media influence mixed with some dark, culty vibes. The narrator did a great job voicing the all female cast. Overall I would recommend it if you’re a fan of shows like Gossip Girl or Pretty Little Liars 💛

Thank you @netgalley @macmillan.audio
Narrated by @readbycassandraharwood

#netgalley #thegoldens #darkacademia #cultvibes #mysterybooks #yamystery #bookcommunity

3.5 stars. Loved the gorgeous cover and the audiobook narrator of this debut novel, The Goldens.

I love psychological thrillers about female friendship, especially with an outsider theme, so the idea behind this book was right up my alley. Chloe is a working class college student who befriends the enigmatic "it girl" on campus, Clara, who comes from old money. Chloe is quickly enticed by Clara's privileged life, which includes lavish and exclusive parties at her family's country estate, so she is willing to overlook some violent red flags about Clara's past during their burgeoning friendship. The audiobook format kept me hooked, but the inconsistent pacing, with most of the action happening at the very end, were a bit of a miss for me. Despite this, I appreciated the somewhat ambiguous ending. Overall, I think this author has potential and I look forward to reading her future work!

Thank you to Macmillan Audio and NetGalley for the audiobook ARC in exchange for my honest review.

Lauren Wilson's new book The Goldens will have you sucked into the orbit of a young influencer and experience first-hand the dogma that can lead impressionable young people down a path they may not even realize they're being led down. It's an excellent commentary on the tides of social media and social manipulation packed into a suspenseful novel that will have you raising, then clenching your eyebrows.

Clara is a golden girl. She seems to have everything a young woman might ever hope for: wealth, beauty, a social media following, all the new 'it' items, and even setting trends herself. She's also far more approachable than one might think. A fortuitous coincidence of matching initials leads Chloe to meet her, and they hit it off. Chloe is a bit infatuated with the whole aura Clara has going on, and she becomes her right hand, indispensable, and she revels in the feeling of being loved and needed by someone so cool. But as more of Clara's layers are revealed, and her actions start taking things too far, Chloe wonders if everything is as it seems, or if she needs to start removing herself from what others are beginning to call a cult.

While this book was fascinating, it wasn't quite as compelling as I'd have liked. It approached a real suspense novel a few times, and I think it would have been amazing if that had been leaned into a little bit more. The description calls it a thriller, but I wouldn't agree at all, and I think that's where my inclination to rate to three stars comes from. The messages it explores are incredibly important, especially for young ladies who are always trying to fit in and find their place among their contemporaries.

One of the strengths I think is that the characters are portrayed very well to support the story. Everyone has the right kind of background and history to fuel the circumstances they find themselves in now, and the ending was absolutely haunting. I'm looking forward to reading more from this debut author!

Note:: I received an early copy of this book from the publisher through netgalley in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.

Thanks to NetGalley and Macmillan Audio for the advanced audiobook.

Cults are so wild to me. The concept, the lure, and what they get away with. Influencers too. It's bonkers to me. The Goldens really scratched my itch for a summer read that hit on all of this.

The Goldens follows 18 year old Chloe to college hoping to show a new persona than the one she had while in high school, make new friends, and have new experiences. Her first few weeks are hard, but she eventually meets popular and rich It girl Clara through coincidence, and becomes close with her. Caught in finally having a friend, she stays loyal, even through the all of the red flags, bad press, and Clara wanting to start a sorority of sorts.
I could put myself in Chloe's shoes, and understand why she continued being friends with Clara. It was thrilling being put in the rich world of Clara. The descriptions of the special parties and events were great. I think this book would be great for young adults who are looking for a little thriller.
I did feel like the ending was kind of rushed, as well as Chloe finding out all of the things she was too naïve to know/realize, after how long it took to get to that point.

I love a good atmospheric thriller and this one definitely hit the mark! This book has culty vibes with a psychological twist. An intensity that comes with just wanting to be someone known.

Chloe is just beginning her life at school, with dreams of writing. Quiet and bookish, she lives a lowkey life. That is until she’s swept under Clara’s glamorous lifestyle. To live in a mansion and have elegant clothes, champagne by the fountain, who wouldn’t want that life? But as Chloe gets closer to Clara, she learns that not everything is as it seems and she has to decide what’s worth it, or someone may wind up dead

Thank you so much to Macmillan Audio for the ARC!

I'll try to keep this as short and sweet as possible, even though this book wasn't for me. I'll call it a me issue!

I love culty books and books about rich people behaving badly, and I LOVE this cover, so I was so convinced this would be a win for me. I'm bummed that the slowness of it didn't work for me as I just kept waiting and waiting for the action to happen that only happened on the last few pages.

Overall, not one I'd recommend but I would be open to trying her books again in the future and wish her success.

The narrator was very good and I probably stuck with this book because of the narrator. Very easy to listen to.
The book itself was fine, fast paced, reminded me of the virgin suicides (and was even referenced in the book) and gossip girl. But once the book devolved into a cult like setting, I was disappointed because I feel like so many books use this as the twist in their story.
Overall, a quick read but didn't satisfy in the end

I enjoyed the FMC, though at times I did want to shake her and shout at her. I did not enjoy Clara, though, which this book centers around. It was an interesting enough read to finish, but the first half felt like an uphill trudge. I listened to the audiobook, which I think helped, I dont know if I would've enjoyed it as much if I had physically read it.

I received this audiobook from Macmillan Audio to listen/review. All of the statements above are my true opinions after fully listening to this audiobook.

Thank you Netgalley and Macmillan Audio for my ARC.

Interestingly enough this trope is one I dont particularly care for but in this case it worked and I couldn't stop listening. Cassandra Harwood was a fantastic narrator switching between the different characters. There were a few spots that lagged but overall it was a very good book.