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.