Review Detail

THE DEBUTANTES is an intriguing YA thriller set among the New Orleans elite. After the previous queen of the debutante ball was found dead, this year's is under increased scrutiny, so when the new queen goes missing, her friends must do whatever they can to prevent the same fate from befalling her.

What I loved: The setting was fantastic, and I loved this deeper look into debutante balls, the wealthy, and the things that lurk under the surface. The story does a good job of diving into these themes even while the thriller is driving the story forward. The characters were compelling enough that I wanted to follow their stories and figure out what was really going on throughout the story. There were also some really great twists along the way.

What left me wanting more: I found the beginning of the book a bit confusing with the different characters and points-of-view, keeping everything straight. It made for a bit of a slower read, as early on, I needed to keep going back to remind myself of who is who and such. It did move more smoothly as they began to differentiate more through the story and the later parts of the book were really engaging.

Final verdict: Overall, THE DEBUTANTES was an intriguing YA thriller with some engaging themes and good twists.