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.
Release Date: May 25th, 2021
*I received a copy of this book in return for an honest review! Thanks to Crown Books for Young Readers and Random House Children’s for the opportunity!*
I have been so excited about The Ivies ever since Alexa Donne started talking about it on her YouTube channel, and I was beyond thrilled to get an ARC for it. First of all, the boarding school trope always draws me in and I loved the murder mystery/thriller take on it. The Ivies were an interesting clique, and I definitely got Mean Girls and Heathers vibes from them. Avery was probably my favorite, as the leader and most complex of them all. Our narrator, Olivia, is the typical scholarship student brought into the popular clique, but I loved her internal struggles with the clique’s actions and her own ambition. The backstabbing, conniving antics of The Ivies was fascinating to watch unfold and added great layers to the mystery. The plot was super fun, and while some of the twists were a bit predictable, I was still caught by surprise at a few of the big ones, and she kept me guessing who the killer was to the very end. Overall, a truly exciting and enjoyable read.
Reading In The Wings 
One thought on “ARC Review: The Ivies by Alexa Donne”