3.5, this was a little harder to follow the timelines than I would have liked, the sister's voices just weren't different enough for me to remember who was who. An academic centered mystery is always a fun time though, so this did come together in the end. ( )

Promising Debut. This is one of those debut books where it absolutely shows flashes of brilliance... yet also doesn't fully come together. But not in any objective-ish sense, just more of a more nebulous "there should probably be more *there* there". And because it isn't objective-ish and because I can't really put a finger on exactly what my ultimate issue is here, the book by default retains its full 5* in my own rating system.

Ultimately this *is* a reasonably solid mystery-thriller (part of the issue is the tension between the two and the book constantly switching gears and never really settling on one or the other, even just in a "this genre is dominant and that one is a touch secondary" manner) that keeps fans of both genres reasonably satisfied throughout. Set at Princeton among its real life eating clubs, and featuring such real world issues (even well outside Princeton at State colleges) as tutoring a kid getting particularly preferential treatment due to being a Legacy, this is one of those tales that will excite some and turn off others, but I thought it worked well enough for what it was. Far from a Dead Poets Society, this is really more of a The Skulls level tale, but primarily featuring 2 sisters each in two different timelines each.

And I think, ultimately, that is the key to enjoying this tale - if you approach it ala The Skulls (and if you haven't seen that movie from current Dr. Odyssey Joshua Jackson's Dawson's Creek years, you should) - you'll likely have a great time with this tale. If "Dark Academia" is 100% not your thing... you likely won't have such a great time here.

Very much recommended. ( )

I didn't get a chance to finish this audiobook, so I wanted to put a description here to remind myself once this book comes back around to me. There is Maya who is the older sister (10 years older) than Naomi. She went to Princeton and some shit went down there. She was part of a secret society and one of her friends Layla died during her time there. The teacher seems sketchy and up to no good. He has pictures of students for blackmail. He was possibly abusing Layla because she was beaten up in his office at one point. And now fast forward 10 years and Maya's sister Naomi is now going to Princeton and also got into the secret society. She was dating Liam who's brother died, and then that went off the rails. She started dating Ben, but ended up back with Liam. Her roommate Amy is trying to write an article exposing all the no-good that's happening at the school, there's some insider trading, blackmailing, bunch of sketchy stuff. And they are investigating Layla's murder which Naomi starts to get involved in as well. I think that about covers it. When the book comes off hold again, you may want to go back a chapter. Not sure I was paying attention.

I love when I leave myself notes for future Trish! I did end up finishing this audiobook. Maybe because I didn't listen to this all at one time, but I got a little lost in the characters and I think the jumping back and forth in the timeline and also jumping between two main characters, I was always like what perspective is this? What timeline am I in? The killer ended up being someone from Maya's friend group who was like an aunt to Naomi. She was involved with the teacher and so she killed the girl 10 years prior and then also killed Naomi 10 years later because she started digging and was getting closer to the truth. I enjoyed it because I got to the end, but not sure this is going to stay with me. Maybe if I had listened to it all at one time, it would've been a different experience, but it just didn't hit for me. ( )

Returning to Princeton for her younger sister's graduation, Maya finds that Naomi has died. As Maya looks into the events of Naomi's death, she finds that her sister became involved in the same secret society she was in when she was a student. Maya had tried to discourage Naomi from getting involved in the secret society, but to no avail.
As Maya investigates, her own life is in danger. She has to wonder who really killed Naomi, and how it relates to her life at Princeton.
I know this was selected for Reese's Book Club, but I didn't love it. ( )

Set among the culture of the secret eating societies of Princeton University, Naomi, graduate of that Ivy League school, sacrificed a lot of herself to enable her younger sister, Maya, to also attend. Visiting the University for Maya’s graduation, Naomi is shocked when her sister is found drowned on campus. Did her death have anything to do with actions taken or not taken when Naomi was a part of those private clubs?

Written from two POVs with three timelines, this debut, multilayered novel touches on dark academia, the corruption of money, power and privilege, young people trying to find their place in the world while dealing with the social aspects of the multiracial experience. The suspense and twists are there yet slow to develop. Usually I find different POVs and timelines easy to follow; with this book, I needed to often remind myself who was speaking when starting new chapters.

This is a worthy first novel and I look forward to future works by this author.

Thanks to #NetGalley and #RandomHouse #Ballantine #Bantam for the DRC. ( )

Review of Uncorrected eBook File

Maya Banks returns to Princeton University for her ten-year reunion expecting to see her sister, Naomi, graduate. But that is not to be . . . Naomi’s body has been found in the lake . . . a tragic accident.

As Maya tries to make sense of Naomi’s death, she finds herself returning to the exclusive social society, the Sterling Club. Eager to belong somewhere, Maya had joined this eating club when she was a student at the university; however, she’d warned Naomi not to join any of the social clubs.

Nevertheless, Naomi, like her sister, joined the Sterling Club.

Was Naomi’s death really an accident? If not, who was responsible? And why?

=========

Told from dual points of view . . . sisters Maya and Naomi . . . and moving between present and past [to provide the necessary backstory], this twisty tale of college secret societies is both intriguing and terrifying. The tension is palpable, the suspense continually building.

Well-defined characters, a strong sense of place, and a compelling mystery all work together to keep the reader involved in the telling of the tale. Unexpected revelations and discoveries keep readers guessing right up to the surprising denouement most readers will not see coming.

Highly recommended.

I received a free copy of this book from Random House Publishing Group – Ballantine/Bantam and NetGalley and am voluntarily leaving an honest review.
#SocietyofLies #NetGalley ( )