Hey, y'all! How's your weekend going? So far, mine has been relaxing, full of books and Fearless (Taylor's Version) blaring from my speaker. The springtime weather here is wonderful, and I'm loving all the blooming plants and beautiful flowers! My rose plants are growing like crazy and my strawberry plants are actually getting real, honest-to-goodness strawberries, so I declare my gardening escapades to be a success. Today I have for you my review of The Ivies by Alexa Donne! Thank you to NetGalley and Random House Children's for providing me with a copy in exchange for an honest review. I can't wait to share my thoughts on this book with you, so let's dive right on in! Synopsis
Book title: The Ivies Author: Alexa Donne Release date: May 25, 2021 Publisher: Crown Books for Young Readers Pages: 320 My ReviewI was hooked on this book from the first page. The Ivies was the cause of much sleep deprivation for me as I huddled in bed flipping ebook pages late into the night, my eyes glued to the screen like some sort of creepy possessed vampire. When I picked this book up, I knew it was a mystery, but a boarding school mystery? I had no clue, and I was delighted when I found out, because boarding school mysteries are most certainly my cup of tea. It was also interesting to read a book that touched heavily on college admissions and Ivy League schools; I hadn't read anything like that before, but it was perfect for a mystery novel. I really enjoyed the narrator, Olivia's, voice; it felt very authentic and realistic. It was interesting to read about her thought processes during the book, especially when discovering hidden secrets and lies. I have mixed feelings about the mystery itself. I suspected one part of it from the beginning, but I felt like another part came out of nowhere--and not necessarily in a good way, if you get what I mean? I don't want to say too much and give anything away, but the ending just felt unsatisfactory to me for some reason. I thought it was a bit unrealistic, plus the motive was super lacking. Olivia's friend group was interesting to read about. I honestly can't say I was a fan of any of them aside from Olivia and maybe Avery closer to the end. They were all very cutthroat and ruthless, and Avery was the only one of them who had even the slightest hint of a redemption arc. However, they were made for a mystery novel (literally): they were shady, twisted, and definitely the type of people who just might murder someone to get what they want. I do wish we had gotten to know some of them more; I feel like character development was mainly focused on Avery. However, the book still worked well having them just as side characters. That's a wrap on my review of The Ivies! I highly recommend this book to anyone looking for a boarding school mystery with twisted characters, especially if you're a fan of One of Us is Lying or Truly Devious! I gave this book Four Stars ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️. Have you read The Ivies? If so, what did you think of it? And what are some of your favorite boarding school mysteries? Let me know in the comments!
Thanks for reading! Have a fabulous weekend!
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Hey there, bookworms!My name is Rose (she/her) and I'm the creator of Books of Magic and Mystery. I love reading YA books, especially fantasy and mystery. When I'm not reading, you can find me baking, studying, or cuddling with my super-furry pets. Visit me on Instagram @booksofmagicandmystery! Archives
November 2021
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