They Wish They Were Us

By: Jessica Goodman

Narrated by: Kristen Sieh

“Gossip Girl but make it a juicy murder mystery.”—E! Online

A taut murder mystery set against the backdrop of an elite prep school with an exclusive secret society, from New York Times bestselling author of The Counselors.

In Gold Coast, Long Island, everything from the expensive downtown shops to the manicured beaches, to the pressed uniforms of Jill Newman and her friends, looks perfect. But as Jill found out three years ago, nothing is as it seems.

Freshman year Jill's best friend, the brilliant, dazzling Shaila Arnold, was killed by her boyfriend. After that dark night on the beach, Graham confessed, the case was closed, and Jill tried to move on.

Now, it's Jill's senior year and she's determined to make it her best yet. After all, she's a senior and a member of Gold Coast Prep's exclusive, not-so-secret secret society. But when Jill starts getting texts proclaiming Graham's innocence, her dreams of the perfect senior year start to crumble. If Graham didn't kill Shaila, who did? Jill vows to find out, but digging deeper could mean putting her friendships, and her future, in jeopardy.

Critic reviews

“Seductive and slick, They Wish They Were Us is a searing novel about power, privilege, and the dangerous pursuit of perfection. You’ll remember the girls of Gold Coast Prep Long after the last page.”—Jessica Knoll, New York Times bestselling author of The Luckiest Girl Alive and The Favorite Sister

“Fast-paced and completely consuming—I was swept into this riveting mystery from beginning to end. They Wish They Were Us smartly explores the complexities of friendship, the secrets and lies buried under the picturesque façade, and the ultimate cost of perfection.”—Megan Miranda, New York Times bestselling author of All the Missing Girls, The Perfect Stranger, and The Last Guest House

“[A]n engrossing story of evil, upscale Long Island teens.”—Variety

“The chilling murder mystery is an irresistible hook, but it’s the careful building of each character’s fraught, internal conflicts that really digs in, elevating the work from a high society whodunit to a knowing mission to not just uncover one’s own identity, but to build it.”—
Esquire, Best Books of 2020

“A pristine infusion of Gossip Girl and Netflix's Elite, this prep-school thriller has it all: plaid skirts, secret societies, and a gripping murder mystery, but paired with an adept critique of the powers and privileges that goeth before the fall.”—Elle

“Jessica Goodman's thrilling debut is a modern-day Gossip Girl—but darker.”—Marie Claire,

“One of this summer’s buzziest reads.”—Entertainment Weekly

“Jessica Goodman’s debut mystery is a true page-turner, but it’s her exploration of Gold Coast's high-achieving, socioeconomically stratified culture that sets They Wish They Were Us apart on the shelf.”—BookPage

“Goodman deftly explores the complex nature of friendship, privilege, grief, and the often crushing expectations placed on teens, all of which dovetails neatly with a twisty murder mystery….A sophisticated and suspenseful debut.”—Kirkus Reviews

“This debut murder mystery is filled with twists and turns that will keep its pages turning.”—Booklist

"A whip-smart mystery with a pitch-perfect voice."—Kara Thomas, author of The Cheerleaders, Little Monsters and The Darkest Corners

"A juicy, fast-paced, addictive tale that's more than a mystery—it's a timely exploration of ambition, loyalty, and how far we'll go to belong. I couldn't put it down."—Andrea Bartz, author of The Lost Night

Ok- it would not recommend

It was ok, would not recommend to anyone. A fine way to pass the time, but very predictable and at the same time slow moving. They should have spent way more time on the mystery-which is the only interesting part. The rest is just a ridiculous club run by teenagers. It has potential and a good premise, but this was not it.

Predictable

I knew pretty early on who the killer was, it was very predictable. And so was the ending. Wanted to like this book so much more but unfortunately it wasn’t that great.

Addicting

Easy to listen and become addicted! Great book and I can’t wait for the series!

Interesting ya read

Mystery was obvious but the character development and atmosphere was excellent. entertaining ya novel.

All the HS prep school drama

This was an entertaining listen. The story was fun & twisty, and the narration was good. I’ll look for more from Jessica Goodman.

Held my attention the whole time!

Never a boring moment. Really enjoyed listening and kept me on my toes. Would recommend

Fun YA read, but with a predictable ending

Pretty exciting book, but had a predictable ending. I would recommend to listen to on a long drive, but I’m glad I didn’t buy a paper copy.

Could of been better

I liked the setting the town and prep school. It wrapped up too quickly, disappointed of the lead character’s ending. Seem she was too stuck on her emotions.

Very good.

I was very impressed with this. Very captivating and the narrator is absolutely amazing. I couldn’t stop finished all 10 hours in less than a week.

Oh, but really, but really,

아차후웇이야야 나 진짜 너무 너무 사랑해 진짜 진짜진짜 너무너무너무너무 사랑해 너무너무너무 사랑스러워서 너무너무너무 사랑스러워서서 너무너무너무 사랑해 진짜 너무너무너무너무 사랑해 너무너무너무 사랑해 너무너무너무 사랑해 너무너무너무너무 너무너무너무 너무너무너무너무너무너무 너무너무너무 너무너무너무 사랑스러워요 너무너무너무 행복해요 사랑해요사랑해요 사랑해요 사랑해요 사랑해요 사랑해요♡