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They Wish They Were Us
They Wish They Were Us | Jessica Goodman
Gossip Girl meets One of Us Is Lying with a dash of The Secret History in this slick, taut murder mystery set against the backdrop of an exclusive prep school on Long Island. In Gold Coast, Long Island, everything from the expensive downtown shops to the manicured beaches, to the pressed uniforms of Jill Newman and her friends, looks perfect. But as Jill found out three years ago, nothing is as it seems. Freshman year Jill's best friend, the brilliant, dazzling Shaila Arnold, was killed by her boyfriend. After that dark night on the beach, Graham confessed, the case was closed, and Jill tried to move on. Now, it's Jill's senior year and she's determined to make it her best yet. After all, she's a senior and a Player--a member of Gold Coast Prep's exclusive, not-so-secret secret society. Senior Players have the best parties, highest grades and the admiration of the entire school. This is going to be Jill's year. She's sure of it. But when Jill starts getting texts proclaiming Graham's innocence, her dreams of the perfect senior year start to crumble. If Graham didn't kill Shaila, who did? Jill vows to find out, but digging deeper could mean putting her friendships, and her future, in jeopardy.
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Charityann
They Wish They Were Us | Jessica Goodman
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Hoping the nice weather means spring is here!!🌼🪻🌸📚

🦋What‘s the weather like where you live?🦋

Jari-chan Our weather: winter - summer - winter - spring and now it's winter again 🤷 3w
Kelly_the_Bookish_Sidekick Mild and rainy this week, about 50° and gloomy. My dog and I are ready for some sunshine again. 3w
Ruthiella Rainy and cold! 😃 ☔️ 3w
41 likes1 stack add3 comments
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5feet.of.fury
They Wish They Were Us | Jessica Goodman
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Panpan

Ugh. This is on me because I knew I should have bailed about 50 pages in, but I was shocked by how good PLL was which this was compared to in the blurb so I toughed it out. Plus this coverrrr 😍

But it was not good. Twists were obvious. characters were not endearing or relatable. There‘s many instances that don‘t fit the teenage mindset &plot devices that are too conveniently shoe horned in. The deified dead BFF isn‘t even well fleshed out.

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5feet.of.fury
They Wish They Were Us | Jessica Goodman
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Supposed to be putting some time into this before work but instead I‘m just listening to my neighbors have a domestic squabble at 7am

Side note, whatever I bring out here seems to match my accent pieces? Idk how. I do not plan this lol

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5feet.of.fury
They Wish They Were Us | Jessica Goodman
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GOALS
Finish WOOL (I have 7 hours left 🎧)
#losersclub discussion date is approaching so King‘s gotta get finished & I‘m only at 60% or so 🙃
the tagged book because it‘s my shortest hardcover &I need to clear my hardcover shelf
Get through Magic Shifts so I can start All the Sinners Bleed the people are waiting! my due dates are approaching!

I‘m going to a baseball game & concert this weekend, so might not make it all, but why not try. #20in4

Andrew65 Best of luck 😁 8mo
39 likes1 stack add1 comment
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5feet.of.fury
They Wish They Were Us | Jessica Goodman
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Savers haul. $11 spent and definitely left some goodies behind. What should I read first?

Bookwormjillk The Shining! 9mo
BarkingMadRead Ohhhhhhh the Shining 😍😍 9mo
5feet.of.fury @Bookwormjillk @BarkingMadRead I haven‘t read it! Which is even funnier since I just read the sequel with #losersclub I was surprised to see it there, and for $3.49 I couldn‘t pass it up. 9mo
jamield1911 The Shining or My Dark Vanessa. Both 5⭐️ reads! 9mo
bthegood The Shining ⭐ 9mo
39 likes5 comments
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Ravenpuff
They Wish They Were Us | Jessica Goodman
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Panpan

3 years ago, Jill‘s best friend Shaila was said to have been murdered by her boyfriend. Now, she‘s receiving messages saying her friend‘s boyfriend‘s innocent. Who really killed Shaila and why?

I didn‘t really enjoy this one. I didn‘t like most of the characters. The main character annoyed me because she was too indecisive. I already knew who did it from the beginning. Also, the reveal felt forced rather than natural.

#mysterybooks

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BeeMagical
They Wish They Were Us | Jessica Goodman
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Mehso-so

Book 149🎧 2.5⭐️

Take it or leave it. General academic YA Thriller. Still good but not memorable 🤷🏼‍♀️

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canbku
They Wish They Were Us | Jessica Goodman
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Pickpick

The second half was so so so much better than the first half. It makes sense that once the coming of age storyline starts to be realized, the annoying, dangerous, and immature behavior becomes a lot more multi dimensional. I figured out who did it long before the ending, but it was still interesting how they got there. If you are a fan of YA, there's a lot here to enjoy

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canbku
They Wish They Were Us | Jessica Goodman
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Hoping for a good mystery to sink into!

45 likes1 stack add
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canbku
They Wish They Were Us | Jessica Goodman
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This has sat on my bedside table forever. Time to get it started. Hoping it will be fun,!

ReadingisMyPassion I enjoyed it. 2y
59 likes1 comment
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kbuggle
They Wish They Were Us | Jessica Goodman
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Mehso-so

Long Island prep school cliques
Secret society
hazing
murdered girl
guilty boyfriend
wrong suspect?

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emmaturi
They Wish They Were Us | Jessica Goodman
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Pickpick

This a good YA crime novel, Jill Newman and her friends are trying to get over the death of their friend Shalia who was killed by her boyfriend Graham. But now the Graham is saying he didn't kill her so if he didn't then who did. I find it quite gripping although I did guess who did it near the end.

28 likes1 stack add
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Wildly_Bookish
They Wish They Were Us | Jessica Goodman
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Up next for the 2021 Reading Challenge prompt #murdermystery.

15 likes1 stack add
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KristenDuck
They Wish They Were Us | Jessica Goodman
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Pickpick

This one was interesting and a pleasant surprise!

Jill‘s best friend, Shaila, was murdered freshman year when they were both joining an exclusive and kind-of secret society, The Players.

Fellow student, Graham confessed to killing her... but Jill is beginning to think something else is going on. What if Graham is innocent?

Such a fun audiobook and loved listening to all the “perks” of being a Player.

75 likes1 stack add
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alessandrafn
They Wish They Were Us | Jessica Goodman
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6 likes1 stack add
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BookDragonNotWorm
They Wish They Were Us | Jessica Goodman
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Pickpick

This is about a girl who attends a prestigious school on scholarship, is inducted into an elite social group & whose best friend is murdered freshman year. Senior year, doubts arise about the identity of the killer. This one was good but I didn't connect with any of the characters and aspects of the plot were too far-fetched. I did want to know what happened & there were just enough red herrings to keep me guessing, but I wanted a bit more.

54 likes1 stack add
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Moonprismpower
They Wish They Were Us | Jessica Goodman
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Mehso-so

It wasn‘t an overwhelming book. The protagonist was so-so and the big reveal wasn‘t much of a surprise. Although I‘m glad it wasn‘t who I thought it was at first.

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jmtrivera
They Wish They Were Us | Jessica Goodman
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Pickpick

I usually like a slow-burn mystery, but this took a bit even for me. All the hint-dropping about terrible things Jill & friends did as freshmen started to feel unnecessarily dragged out instead of intriguing. Once she begins to open up about her doubts & concerns to her friends & digs up the past, the book picks up pace. The 2 possible solutions are obvious early on in the book, which kind of negates the twist, but I still liked how it unfolded.

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Tattooedteacher
They Wish They Were Us | Jessica Goodman
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Done and done. Took today‘s snow day to finish this one for #lmbpc. Enjoyable, made me think.

Sarahreadstoomuch Nice! Look forward to my turn with it 😊 3y
17 likes1 comment
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Tattooedteacher
They Wish They Were Us | Jessica Goodman
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Five more great reads for Classroom Book a Day. #bookaday

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Tattooedteacher
They Wish They Were Us | Jessica Goodman
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It‘s finally going out. Hopefully vaccines, Christmas and the impending storm doesn‘t slow mail delivery down. Enjoy! #lmpbc

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Tattooedteacher
They Wish They Were Us | Jessica Goodman
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Sure do wish my lesson plans were done so I can get back to the good stuff. #lmpbc

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Tattooedteacher
They Wish They Were Us | Jessica Goodman
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Just arrived last night in the mail. Already on page 50. Cooking and reading. Cooking and reading.

AmberWB Can‘t wait to hear what you think! 3y
EH2018 @Sarahreadstoomuch @AmberWB @Tattooedteacher just sent out my book and should arrive monday or tues 3y
10 likes1 stack add3 comments
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Godpants
They Wish They Were Us | Jessica Goodman
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Pickpick

The killer is pretty obvious from the start, but I think this is a decent prep school thriller overall. It didn‘t blow me away, but it was fun.

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ClairesReads
They Wish They Were Us | Jessica Goodman
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Pickpick

A bit of YA murder mystery fun. This is easy reading, plot driven and is a bonus bit of fun if you like a campus novel or reading about rich people problems. I spotted the killer a mile off but I‘m not exactly the target demographic so who cares?

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Godpants
They Wish They Were Us | Jessica Goodman
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I‘m in a Facebook book group where everyone is VERY into YA, so I feel like I‘m always on top of the “hot” YA reads. This sounds like a fun one to take my mind off some dense and difficult reads.

11 likes1 stack add
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AmberWB
They Wish They Were Us | Jessica Goodman
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Pickpick

Just dropped this in the mail yesterday for #lmpbc. Anxious to hear what the rest of my group thinks!

@Tattooedteacher @Sarahreadstoomuch @EH2018

Sarahreadstoomuch I went to the post office yesterday too 😉 3y
42 likes1 comment
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OutsmartYourShelf
They Wish They Were Us | Jessica Goodman
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Mehso-so

Average YA suspense with the seemingly ubiquitous clique of rich, spoilt teenagers. The guilty party is glaringly obvious. 3⭐️

28 likes1 stack add
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UnabridgedPod
They Wish They Were Us | Jessica Goodman
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Pickpick

I read Jessica Goodman's They Wish They Were Us with #totallyteenbuddyread. This is a fast-moving YA novel of suspense with some great intrigue. ⠀

The novel's protagonist is Jill, a scholarship kid at an exclusive prep school, who has made it to the pinnacle of the student body's high society, The Players. Each year, this group of seniors chooses a small selection of freshmen to invite into their extravagant world of parties and drugs, ⬇️

UnabridgedPod with the benefit of keys to all the tests and favors from alumni. The freshmen just have to survive some extreme hazing first. Jill is now a senior and riding high with the chance at Player-assisted admission to the school of her dreams. But she can't forget the tragedy from her freshman year: the murder of her best friend by her boyfriend (both Players). ⬇️ 3y
UnabridgedPod With its focus on extreme wealth and privilege, central mystery, and smart teenagers, They Wish They Were Us gave some Veronica Mars vibes, and I appreciated Goodman's ability to depict this world vividly. It had an interesting focus on sibling relationships, the college admissions system, and gender roles (though I'd love to have seen more development of this last topic). ⬇️ 3y
UnabridgedPod I figured out the mystery fairly early, but I do think many teenagers would find the story to be engaging. For me, though, I felt as if I've read many stories similar to this one before.⠀

Do you like books that take on wealth and privilege? What are some of your favorite YA mysteries?
3y
erzascarletbookgasm I think the only ones I‘ve read are One Of Us Is Lying and Two Can Keep A Secret. 3y
UnabridgedPod @erzascarletbookgasm I enjoyed One of Us Is Lying, but I haven‘t read the sequel yet! 3y
26 likes5 comments
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Karisa
They Wish They Were Us | Jessica Goodman
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🎃 Sleep, read, and try not to drink too much as we approach 11/3
🎃 Laini Taylor, Rainbow Rowell, Sarah Addison Allen, Erin Morgenstern. . .
🎃 They Wish They Were Us (meh)

@eggs #WondrousWednesday

Eggs ❤️ Sarah A. A. ❤️. Thanks for joining in 👏🏻📚🎃🧡 3y
31 likes1 comment
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LibbyC
They Wish They Were Us | Jessica Goodman
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Pickpick

This was a fantastic book, and an amazing murder mystery. The plot thickens throughout the book. I would recommend this book for Teenagers as there are coarse language and sexual happenings. I totally recommend this!!! Be ready for an amazing gripping book you won‘t be able to put down..

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Lovesbooks87
They Wish They Were Us | Jessica Goodman
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Pickpick

BINGO AGAIN!!! It took me a little while to get into this book but once I did I didn‘t want to put it down at all. This book is set in Gold Coast, Long Island. Jill goes to an expensive prep school and is in her senior year. But the school is still dealing with the tragic lost of her friend Shaila killed by her boyfriend Graham. But when new evidence comes to light did Graham really kill her or is the killer still out there?

Nute I think that you might achieve a blackout before the end of the month. Good luck!👍🏽 4y
50 likes1 stack add2 comments
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Nitpickyabouttrains
They Wish They Were Us | Jessica Goodman
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Pickpick

A group of teens are part of a group in school which gets a lot of extra help and secrets but need to go through hazing and then haze others. Someone dies and they all deal with the emotional ramifications.

jmtrivera I'm still on the holds list for this one! Taking foreverrrrrrrr! 4y
16 likes1 comment
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JoyBlue
They Wish They Were Us | Jessica Goodman
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Bailedbailed

I am so over rich assholes having their way with the world. [I apologize for my language—that's just how disgusted I am.] We have too much of that garbage in our real lives right now. Why would I want to read about this type of scenario during my precious recreation time? [more in comment]

JoyBlue I gave this a try because of its comparison to One of Us Is Lying, which I expected to hate, but actually ended up liking. That was more about the mystery, and it had some diversity of characters. This (so far) is about a bunch of spoiled, selfish rich kids getting away with murder (literally and figuratively) because their parents' money can buy them into or out of any situation. Just no. 4y
42 likes1 comment
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ReadingisMyPassion
They Wish They Were Us | Jessica Goodman
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Pickpick

An entertaining Young Adult read. Great for fans of Gossip Girl. Lots of high school angst, lies, betrayals, and secrets.

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Valink
They Wish They Were Us | Jessica Goodman
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Reading a book set on Long Island while sitting on my sailboat on the LI Sound, mentioned several times already in the book. My daughter was a very average kid who graduated from a private school w/ peers as privileged as the kids in the book. They haven‘t mentioned a town yet, but there was mention of a local planetarium and an oyster festival, both of which we do have. I found it fitting that these two fancy boats came & anchored next to to us!

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Valink
They Wish They Were Us | Jessica Goodman
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I‘m a sucker for books set on Long Island, where I live. I‘ve been having a hard time getting into anything this past week. Everything I pick up is too heavy. So, rich kids behaving badly? I‘m in.

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Tanzy13
They Wish They Were Us | Jessica Goodman
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Gossip Girl meets One of Us Is Lying in this slick, taut murder mystery set against the backdrop of an exclusive prep school on Long Island.

55 likes3 stack adds
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LibrarianRyan
They Wish They Were Us | Jessica Goodman
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This cover makes me think The Cheerleaders while the title makes me think of We Were Liars. Which means someone is probably going to die.

Out Aug 4
#CoverLove #YAEdition

47 likes3 stack adds