Review Detail

The Lilies is a dark academic murder mystery with a touch of sci-fi and secret society vibes. The story is told from multiple points of view by the four main characters, and the rep of trans, queer, and nonbinary characters will make it relatable to young adult readers. The setting is a dark academia, with a magical society and an all-girls school created to have a safe space for young ladies to learn. You can imagine what happens when those who don't fit the typical mold join the school. We also have this secret society that only sure students are chosen to be in, and if you have a legacy, you are supposed to gain automatic entrance and protection. But what happens when a legacy is not who those who are in the society expect her to be. There is a mysterious disappearance of a student from the past and one from now. The whole time loop and mystery around The Lilies Society made for an intriguing read. I found the mix of the four main characters' backgrounds and gender identities to be a great mix as I did not read many books where you get to see how those characters explain themselves and others start to understand more about them. It's an attractive, dark academic read that will surely be a hit once released.