Review: Wicked Darlings by Jordyn Taylor

A fun and twisty thriller that would be perfect for fans of Gossip Girl.

A summer internship attending glitzy events and parties in Manhattan’s high society should have been a dream for Noa’s sister; instead she ended up dead. After a year of being racked with guilt for ignoring her sister’s texts, Noa comes across some information that leads her to believe there was more to her sister’s death than she believed. An aspiring journalist, Noa starts her own investigation that leads her to the glamorous Avalon family and the secrets they may hold about that summer. Wicked Darlings is a fast-paced mystery that keeps you guessing.

Sure, the plot of this book is unrealistic but it is fun and a great escape. The strongest aspect of this book is that Taylor’s characters exist to build relationships with Noa and help her grow as a character, not simply to move the mystery plot along. The character of Leah, Noa’s sister, is less fleshed out; she is not alive at any point of the book but even the memories of her seem sketched out at best. Overall though, Wicked Darlings is a solid teen thriller that would especially appeal to fans of Gossip Girl and similar stories.

Thank you Delacorte Press for providing this book for review consideration via NetGalley. All opinions are my own.

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Book Information

Title: Wicked Darlings

Author: Jordyn Taylor

Publisher: Delacorte Press

Publish date: February 11, 2025

Genre(s): mystery/ thriller

Character description: main character is white, Jewish and bisexual; side characters are diverse, including a nonbinary friend.

Content warnings: death/ murder, implications of sex, discussion of suicide

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