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The Ivies  By  cover art

The Ivies

By: Alexa Donne
Narrated by: Phoebe Strole
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Publisher's summary

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.

"The Plastics meet the Heathers in this murder mystery about ruthless Ivy League ambition." -Kirkus Reviews

"Twisty and thrilling...boarding school murder has never been so much fun!" –Kara Thomas, author of That Weekend

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.

©2021 Alexa Donne (P)2021 Listening Library

Critic reviews

"The Plastics meet the Heathers in this murder mystery about ruthless Ivy League ambition.... A thrilling boarding school story with a satirical edge." (Kirkus Reviews)

"Donne pens a thrilling novel set in the world of competitive, hyper-elite college admissions, combining romance, suspense, and mystery into one thrilling story that closes with a twist." (Booklist)

"Quick pacing, dark humor, and deftly drawn characters distinguish this satirical thriller from Donne." (Publishers Weekly)

"Donne unravels elite college admissions with a bitter blend of privilege, high pressure, competitiveness...and murder, in this twisty, page-turning thriller. A definite one-sitting read." (J.Elle, New York Times best-selling author of Wings of Ebony)

Featured Article: Get Lost in the Drama and Intrigue of Dark Academia


Both an aesthetic and a subgenre of fiction, dark academia explores morally gray characters with impious or evil intentions set against the backdrop of beautiful, hallowed, and unsettling boarding schools and university campuses. The dark academia subgenre encompasses everything from murder mysteries to horror and fantasy, so there's a little something in it for everyone. From angst-filled fiction to brooding novels, we've rounded up the very best listens.

What listeners say about The Ivies

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    5 out of 5 stars

Wow!

Donne’s entrance into the thriller space was a complete success in my opinion. Once I started this book, I quite literally could not stop. There were some things I was able to predict but the ending really got me! Overall, absolutely loved it.

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3 people found this helpful

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    3 out of 5 stars
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    4 out of 5 stars
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    3 out of 5 stars

The book could be better if…

I like the story line but there was way to much VS we had to throw in every little thing. I read to escape all the crap going on in the world not to her about capitalism sexism etc etc etc pretty much everyone was mentioned. Unless you are writing political literature leave it out of fiction it will make the book way more enjoyable

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1 person found this helpful

  • Overall
    2 out of 5 stars
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    1 out of 5 stars

A celebration of depravity just for teens!

(Disclosure: I'm an adult YA book reviewer elsewhere.) The performance of this YA novel couldn't have been better. The story is enticing and engaging, and the characters are well-developed and believable. Outside of those positives, this is like a study of the seven deadly sins. This might be fine if it cautioned readers about the dangers of these sins, but it doesn't. Near the end, I thought it might be heading that direction, because the characters do face some consequences, but it ends on the lowest note possible. I feel icky and gross, like I've walked into a spider's web, and I wish I hadn't been sucked into it. None of the characters are likable, including the protagonist/narrator, except for the detective, and there is no end to their disgusting behavior. Swearing and open, on-campus drinking with no consequences are rampant, as is sex (including student-staff) and sexting. Fortunately, graphic sexual content is minimal, but the whole novel was slimy and depraved. I'd never recommend this to a teen, and if I saw one of my kids with it, I'd take it away. I picked it because I like school stories and stories about rich elites, but reading this one was a mistake.

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1 person found this helpful

  • Overall
    4 out of 5 stars

Slight spoilers alert

The ending wasn't too thrilling, kind of made me roll my eyes. I guess author is trying to keep it current with what's going on in the world today, with mentions of the pandemic and ongoing racism.

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  • Overall
    3 out of 5 stars
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    2 out of 5 stars

Good story, however..

Alexa Donne is a fantastic story teller and creative with her writing but in this novel the language is a bit overwhelming. The story itself is pretty good but falls flat at the end with the killers explanation and just everything in general.

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1 person found this helpful

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    5 out of 5 stars
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10/10, well worth the listen!

Honestly, this was incredible. I binged it in less than 24-hours. Impeccably written. I'm not a big thriller reader, but I loved the sound of this enough to give it a chance, and I'm so glad that I did. I was hooked from the first page, and the story never lagged, never trudged. Perfectly paced. Multi-faceted, flawed characters. Wonderful denouement. I loved this book.

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1 person found this helpful

  • Overall
    3 out of 5 stars

Good but too much cussing

First of all, the narration was good. I feel like she grasped the story well and read it well. I would've probably given this book a 4 star review but it was pretty hard to get through with all the cussing. Other than that i liked the murder mystery aspect, Alexa Donne did a great job at throwing me off, I didn't guess the killer. I did feel the reason behind the killing fell a little flat, that's why I would've given it a 4 star. I wish there was more depth to the killing. I wouldn't let my teenage daughter read it because of the strong language. I will read Alexa Donne's future books but I hope she leaves out all the cussing going forward so I could let my teenage kids listen or read as well.

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1 person found this helpful

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars

Terrific teen thriller

This story was very well thought out. The characters were believably wretched, for the most part, and enjoyable. There were a lot of plot twists which kept me engaged. Great thriller.

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    2 out of 5 stars
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    2 out of 5 stars

Ok story, but turned political

Would prefer to read a fiction novel that doesn’t delve into the authors political beliefs

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  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars

Great Book

Storyline kept me engaged until the end. Makes the listener invested in where our main character ends up based on the choices she makes throughout the story.

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