The Wilde Trials

Featured

4.3

0.0 (0)

687 0

Write Review Add to favorites

Author(s)

Mackenzie Reed

Publisher

Storytide

Genre(s)

Age Range

12+

Release Date

January 21, 2025

ISBN

9780063287648

Buy This Book

From the acclaimed author of The Rosewood Hunt comes a thrilling new mystery about a high-stakes competition packed with shocking twists, second chances, and deadly deceit, where allies—and enemies—are the people you’d least expect.

Chloe Gatti will do whatever it takes to win her elite boarding school’s annual competition, the Wilde Trials. In the two weeks leading up to graduation from Wilde Academy, a dozen seniors are chosen to compete in a series of seven ultimate physical and mental tests, and the winner will take home over half a million dollars—money that Chloe needs to help her sick sister.

But the competition is fierce, and includes her brooding ex-boyfriend, Hayes Stratford, whose brother was the only student to die during the Trials a few years ago. When someone starts blackmailing Chloe during the competition, she’s forced to strike a deal with Hayes—if he helps her discover who is sabotaging her, she’ll help him solve the mystery his brother left behind.

Following clues from Hayes’s brother, the unlikely allies discover that something isn’t right about the Wilde Trials. With a lifechanging prize looming over her head and her buried feelings for Hayes rising to the surface, Chloe will have to decide what’s really worth fighting for, and if the cost of competing outweighs the potential consequences, even if that includes ending up like Hayes’s brother—dead.

Fans of Jessica Goodman and Maureen Johnson will love this dark academia thriller with a romantic twist!

Editor review

1 review

Mackenzie Reed for the win!

April 23, 2025 (Updated: May 31, 2026)

Overall rating

4.3

Plot

4.0

Characters

5.0

Writing Style

4.0

Illustrations/Photos (if applicable)

N/A

THE WILDE TRIALS by Mackenzie Reed is a YA mystery novel in which selected boarding school kids compete for a major cash prize, making them exempt from finals. For Chloe, though, it’s different. She needs the money to help pay for her sister’s treatments. The tricky part is that her ex-boyfriend’s brother died in the trials, so her determination to compete drives a wedge, and a major food fight, between them. And that’s also why she’s incredibly shocked when Hayes, her ex, gets picked as one of the twelve Challengers. Chloe can hardly face him, but that’s the least of her problems as someone starts sabotaging her chances at winning. Either she needs to figure it out fast, or she’ll be forced to admit Hayes was right — the Wilde Trials are dangerous.

This book is Mackenzie Reed’s sophomore novel and a great follow-up to The Rosewood Hunt. It’s well plotted, has an interesting setting and lore, and most importantly, is a lot of fun. What really makes this book work though is the relationship between Chloe, Hayes, and Woolf — Hayes’ best friend, who is also competing and will do anything to protect him. I really liked seeing their dynamics and how they change and shift with new information. Enemies-to-Lovers is a trope that could never be tired, and I love how Reed puts it to work here.

I did wonder why there weren’t any teachers who oversaw the events, or even the stay on the estate, and my other major critique is that a lot of the twists are fairly predictable. That said, I still enjoyed the ride. I loved getting to explore the tunnels, connecting the dots between clues, witnessing the angst between the exes, forming and breaking alliances — it was a blast, and also cemented Reed’s style as a writer. She is funny, smart, romantic, and mysterious, and all of that shows up on the page!

Overall, I’d highly recommend THE WILDE TRIALS. It’s perfect for those who want a mix of Panic and Maxton Hall. After this book, I can safely say I will pick up anything Mackenzie Reed writes!