The Legacies

By: Jessica Goodman

Narrated by: Jesse Vilinsky, Kristen Sieh, Phoebe Strole, Lisa Flanagan

Length: 9 hrs and 5 mins

Publisher's summary

"Our new favorite thriller."–COSMOPOLITAN

A glitzy YA thriller set in New York City elite social circles, filled with backstabbing and blackmail, twisty secrets, and a dead body, from New York Times bestselling author Jessica Goodman.

Perfect for fans of Euphoria, Holly Jackson, and Jessica Knoll.

An invitation for membership to the exclusive Legacy Club in New York City is more than an honor. It gives lifetime access to power and wealth beyond any prep school doors, as Legacy Club members always look out for their own. That is, after you make it through a rigorous week of events and the extravagant gala, the Legacy Ball.

It’s not surprising when Excelsior Prep seniors Bernie Kaplan, Isobel Rothcroft, and Skyler Hawkins are nominated as Legacies; their family pedigrees have assured their membership since birth—even if they're all keeping secrets that could destroy their reputations. But scholarship kid from Queens Tori Tasso is the surprise nominee no one saw coming. She’s never fit in this world of designer bags, penthouse apartments, and million-dollar donations. So what did she do to secure her place?

The evening of the Legacy Ball arrives, and everyone expects a night of luxury and excess, haute couture, and plenty of hushed gossip. No one expects their secrets to come out. Or for someone to die trying to keep them hidden.

©2023 Jessica Goodman (P)2023 Listening Library

Critic reviews

"A skillfully executed thriller with a decadent setting that fans of the genre will adore."—Kirkus Reviews

"Sharp and snappy dialogue; a fleshed-out, intersectionally diverse cast; and thought-provoking interrogations of classism elevate this adrenaline-packed read."—Publishers Weekly

Always a fan

Really enjoyed this book. Liked the mystery and how everything came together in the end.

Ahhh My Brain Is Happy Dancing!

I love a good YA mystery, and The Legacies follows through! A classic whodunit, clue inspired, everybody is a suspect, literary brilliant read that will literally have you finishing this in one sitting.

Our story is interspersed between four point of views, one of the narrator, with flash-forwards of event's happening now, dotted with the point of views of three distinct young women, each going through life's various up and downs. Bernie, head honcho, Queen B, thankfully, without the snark and bad attitude of one in her status, Isobel, talented artist who makes her own problems, and Tori, scholarship student (because there always needs to be a scholarship student), whose mother passing away recently has rocked her world.

In their three combined stories you'll find yourself immersed in their tales, seeing how they weave around and are tied with each other in such titillating ways. But will they see it before it's too late?

Gah! Again, I love a good YA thriller or mystery, and The Legacies is definitely in the mystery category. The plot takes you on an adventure as you try to piece the puzzle together alongside the characters, and as the story continues and the picture starts to make sense I HAD to keep reading to see the characters reaction. Did I see the end coming? Yeah, a bit, but it still kept me guessing until the actual end. Now what occurred there...I feel could have been a little better, rougher, more in context with the buildup throughout the whole book. It was slightly anticlimactic, like I wanted something more...but yet...it was still a great book, and kudos to Jessica Goodman for giving us another brilliant read that did capture my attention until I finally had to stand still to 100% concentrate on the story!

Great plot, FANTASTIC narrators, seriously...amazing narrators, characters you root and empathize with, and an ending that left me feeling good. What more could I ask for?

Another great book by Jessica Goodman

Another great book by Jessica Goodman. As always, I enjoy reading or listening to her books.

Pretty good

I enjoyed the story and love that it wrapped up everything. Loved the narrators!!

Excellent

4.5 STARS

Six seniors from the prestigious Excelsior school are tapped to join THE LEGACIES. The best, brightest and most talented. Future leaders, judges, politicians, award winning artists. Many of their hotshot parents belong. Bernie, her best friend Isobel, their boyfriends and scholarship student Tori are among the new members. THE LEGACIES have secrets. Their parents have bigger ones.

Jessica Goodman is a writer whose books I preorder and eagerly anticipate because her stories live up to their blurbs. She creates interesting, unique characters set in plots unlike other mysteries and thrillers in YA lit. Goodman’s word building keeps me glued to her books, which I often read in one setting.

Told in the points of view of Bernie, Isobel, Tori and the police investigation, THE LEGACIES is unputdownable. Though a number of characters are horrid, Bernie and Tori gave me characters to embrace through their imperfections.

The beginning was a bit slow, but once the secrets started spilling I my heart was pounding. I can’t wait to see what Goodman writes next.

The narration kept me going….

The narrators did a great job but this book was so lackluster. I found myself completely uninterested in the characters, the plot. It was all building up to an ending that I just didn’t really care about. Just meh.

Exciting look into a gossip girl like world…

Loved this story, almost as much as the Councilors. Waaaay better than They’ll Never Catch us. Likable characters for the most part, and probably the best plot of all her books. She does a good job brining us into this world of social elites and their private school. If you have ever been in or a member of a downtown or city type club, you can very much imagine the people and what it is like. There is a little virtue signaling, but not as much. My only real complaint is the narrator for the main character changes her voice to speak for her girlfriend, and it’s comical and probably offensive to other lesbians as it sounds very stereotypical.