Narrator: Phoebe Strole
Published by Penguin Random House Audio Publishing Group
Published on 25 May 2021
Genres: Adolescence, Contemporary, Friendship, Girls & Women, Thriller, United States, Young Adult
Format: Audiobook
Source: my local library
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RRP: $19.9
Enroll in this boarding school thriller about a group of prep school elites who would kill to get into the college of their dreams...literally.
Everyone knows the Ivies: the most coveted universities in the United States. Far more important are the Ivies. The Ivies at Claflin Academy, that is. Five girls with the same mission: to get into the Ivy League by any means necessary. I would know. I'm one of them. We disrupt class ranks, club leaderships, and academic competitions...among other things. We improve our own odds by decreasing the fortunes of others. Because hyper-elite competitive college admissions is serious business. And in some cases, it's deadly.
Alexa Donne delivers a nail-biting and timely thriller about teens who will stop at nothing to get into the college of their dreams. Too bad no one told them murder isn't an extracurricular.
I quite enjoyed The Ivies by Alexa Donne.
Donne debuted as a sci-fi romance author, but it appears she has pivoted and found a niche in YA thrillers, and I for one applaud that. I love it when an author who has found moderate success in one genre pivots into another and it takes off.
Before I go any further I do want to talk about the mystery genre in general: to reiterate that if you can predict certain plot points and which characters ended up being the killer, that’s not a reflection on the book or the author. It’s because the author WANTS you to solve the mystery along with the main character. They drop hints ON PURPOSE. Mysteries are not supposed to shock and impress readers with unexpected twists that come out of nowhere. The whole point of mystery, and why it’s so popular, is that the reader feels like they are solving the case along with the lead character. So that’s why, even though I identified one of the main secrets in the opening chapters (due to the context clues), I wasn’t disappointed when it ended up being true. I didn’t feel disdain towards the author or the book because it was ‘predictable’. I was happy that I picked up on the context clues, even when the main character didn’t, because I understand the genre.
Being able to predict a murder mystery means you understand the genre and plot beats and that the book has dropped enough context clues for you to work it out, not that the book is bad.
The Ivies was an engaging murder mystery, and I was fortunate that I had some physical tasks to complete over a weekend that let me listen to hours of the book on end. I found the lead character Olivia, a poor but full-scholarship student that’s part of a clique of incredibly competitive, driven Ivy League-wannabes at an exclusive rich boarding school to be intelligent, capable, and curious. When Olivia’s friend and roommate is murdered after secretly applying – and getting accepted to – Harvard University, Olivia uncovers many secrets that lead to many suspects, and is driven to investigate.
I went into this book as an Australian that doesn’t understand the hyper-competitive college application process in the US. I still found the plot engaging and I enjoyed the diverse cast of characters. Several of the character were less fleshed out than others: Margot, for example, is supposed to be one of Olivia’s best friends, but all I can tell you is that she’s basically the Gretchen Weiners of the group, whereas Sierra, Olivia’s rowing crew buddy, had more characterisation but her role seemed remarkably diminished in the latter half of the novel. I was low-key half expecting the detective on the case, who seemed to develop a rapport with Olivia, to suggest she become a cop instead of the journalist she wanted to be.
I also want to mention that the murderer? Not a surprise due to the context clues dropped by the author throughout the book. The motive? When I thought about it, it may have been a dumb motive, but it was faithful to the character.
I listened to the audiobook, and I really loved the way the narrator changed accents (especially the Brooklyn accent) and voices for the different characters. She was also believable as a teenage Olivia.
Overall, I am definitely a fan of Donne’s thrillers, and I would happily read another one.