They Wish They Were Us was an addictive, twisty thriller and I'm so glad it's been picked up for a tv show.
Protagonist Jill Newman attends Gold Coast Prep, an elite school on Long Island, but often feels on the outside as she is less affluent than many of her peers. As a freshman, she and her best friend Shaila Arnold get tapped to join the school's secret society the Players. After undergoing horrible hazing rituals, the two are on the precipice of entering the group's ranks. On their initiation night, Shaila is found murdered and her boyfriend Graham pleads guilty.
The book explores Jill's senior year and how driven she is to be perfect and make this last year perfect. She wants to go to Brown, partially because of its Women in STEM program but also because her unrequited crush is there. She wants to reform the Players, to make it less toxic. She wants to maybe actually be in love with her boyfriend. She wants to protect her brother from the Players. However, all of her plans are dashed when Graham's sister tells Jill that he didn't kill Shaila. Jill gets pulled to reviving the mystery of her best friend's death and is forced to grapple with her own flaws.
They Wish They Were Us does a fantastic job at exploring privilege, misogyny, family, and friendship.
Protagonist Jill Newman attends Gold Coast Prep, an elite school on Long Island, but often feels on the outside as she is less affluent than many of her peers. As a freshman, she and her best friend Shaila Arnold get tapped to join the school's secret society the Players. After undergoing horrible hazing rituals, the two are on the precipice of entering the group's ranks. On their initiation night, Shaila is found murdered and her boyfriend Graham pleads guilty.
The book explores Jill's senior year and how driven she is to be perfect and make this last year perfect. She wants to go to Brown, partially because of its Women in STEM program but also because her unrequited crush is there. She wants to reform the Players, to make it less toxic. She wants to maybe actually be in love with her boyfriend. She wants to protect her brother from the Players. However, all of her plans are dashed when Graham's sister tells Jill that he didn't kill Shaila. Jill gets pulled to reviving the mystery of her best friend's death and is forced to grapple with her own flaws.
They Wish They Were Us does a fantastic job at exploring privilege, misogyny, family, and friendship.