Read time: 3 minutes
Genre: Young Adult Mystery Thriller, Dark Academia
🎧 Listened in audio
📢 Narrated by Sophie Amoss, Jesse Vilinsky
⏱ Duration: approx. 8 hours (typical YA audiobook length)
🏷️ Publisher: Listening Library (GP Putnam’s Sons Books for Young Readers for print/Kindle)
Book Blurb:
It’s senior year at the prestigious Meadowbrook Academy, but the excitement of parties and freedom is shattered when Amy’s best friend and her boyfriend are found brutally murdered in their dorm. Amy becomes the prime suspect while dark secrets about her friend emerge. Outcast school reporter Liz teams up with Amy, diving into a dangerous investigation that uncovers hidden scandals in the elite school community. A gripping YA thriller blending dark academia with a twisted murder mystery, where power, privilege, and secrets come with deadly consequences.
Let’s talk about the book:
The Meadowbrook Murders is a twisted, fast-paced story told through the perspectives of Liz and Amy. The narrative shifts back and forth between the two, which makes sense given their teenage mindsets. It captures that restless, sometimes scattered way of thinking. Still, as someone who left those years behind decades ago, I found the constant back-and-forth a bit more annoying than engaging.
The audio-book is narrated by Sophie Amoss and Jesse Vilinsky, and both bring energy and distinction to their characters. Their performances definitely helped keep me invested, even when the structure of the story itself felt uneven.
As for the ending, it left me wanting more. After so much buildup and tension, the conclusion felt a little lacking, as if it didn’t fully deliver on what the story promised.
Overall, it’s a sharp and dramatic read, and the narration elevates it, but it ultimately didn’t stick with me the way I hoped. The mature content might resonate more with older teens.
Would I recommend it?
This one is a mixed bag for me. A vibrant YA mystery audio-book on one hand, that thrills with its dual-voice chaos and stellar narration. But on the other hand, stumbles on delivery with a lackluster close. It dulled the edges just when I needed a mic-drop moment. Great for book club debates on privilege and plot holes, but that’s where I would stop the recommendation.
Similar Books:
- One of Us Is Lying by Karen M. McManus
- A Good Girl’s Guide to Murder by Holly Jackson
- They Wish They Were Us by Jessica Goodman
- The Cheerleaders by Kara Thomas
Your turn to weigh in
Ever cracked open a YA mystery that felt too grown-up for its britches? Spill in the comments: Did The Meadowbrook Murders twist you up, or leave you cold?
book links:
Amazon CA
Goodreads
Visit Jessica Goodman on her author page
Check out other books by Listening Library and GP Putnam’s Sons Books for Young Readers
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