They're Watching You

by Chelsea Ichaso

A dark boarding school thriller from the author of Dead Girls Can't Tell Secrets and The Summer She Went Missing!

When a secret society has you in their sights, it can lead to power, privilege… or death.

It's been two weeks since Polly St. James went missing. The police, the headmistress of Torrey-Wells Academy, and even her parents have ruled her a runaway. But not Maren, her best friend and roommate. She knows Polly had a secret that she was about to share with Maren before she disappeared— something to do with the elite, ultra-rich crowd at Torrey-Wells.

Then Maren finds an envelope hidden among Polly's things: an invitation to the Gamemaster's Society. Do not tell anyone, it says. Maren is certain her classmates in the Society know the truth about what happened to Polly, though it's no easy feat to join. Once Maren's made it through the treacherous initiation, she discovers a world she never knew existed within her school, where Society members compete in high-stakes games for unheard-of rewards—Ivy League connections, privileges, favors.

But Maren's been drawn into a different game: for every win, she’ll receive a clue about Polly. And as Maren keeps winning, she begins to see just how powerful the Society's game is—bigger and deadlier than she ever imagined. They see, they know, they control. And they kill.

• ISBN10: 1728251060
• ISBN13: 9781728251066
• Publish Date: 3 February 2023
• Publish Status: Active
• Publish Country: US
• Imprint: Sourcebooks Fire
• Format: Paperback (US Trade)
• Pages: 384
• Language: English

Reviews

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Thank you, NetGalley and Sourcebooks Fire for the chance to read and review They're Watching You by Chelsea Ichaso.

 

They're Watching You came out on the 3rd of January. It's 386 pages long and is the second book I've read by the author! The first being Dead Girls Can't Tell Secrets. The book is a YA thriller featuring a secret society, a missing girl, and it has all the dark academia vibes by being set at an old expensive private boarding school.

 

Chelsea Ichaso is a good writer, and I suspect the book may be better received by younger readers; on my end, I can't give it more than 3 stars.

 

As I've mentioned, the elements in this book are fantastic, and Chelsea Ichaso is a clean writer who can suck you in. I read this book without stopping, and it is entertaining! I was hooked when Maren was playing cards at the start of the book; her relief was infectious!

 

But there are plot holes. For instance, Gavin lets far too much slip for Maren. The events are only triggered after she finds the invite, which is odd because she's apparently been chosen as a champion. Besides Maren being a scholarship student who plays three sports and is very loyal, we don't see a personality. The whole thing with Polly is weird because how are high school students rising so quickly in this? And I'm not a big fan of Gavin, who was a weirdo from start to end. The love story didn't add much for me.

 

Jordan is my baby; the only decent person in all of this! She's the only one who heard the information and decided to be a good person even though the society could have helped her.

 

All in all, the book is a good way to spend a low energy day and I would recommend it for readers in their teens. I do hope that the authors next book is better. She has tremendous potential.