Amy McCulloch

Zoe Sugg

A body of a girl, a student, is discovered - on her back is an elaborate tattoo of a magpie. For Audrey, it is just another strange and unsettling thing about her new surroundings. And for her roommate Ivy, well, she's just annoyed she has to share with the new girl from America. As an unlikely friendship develops, the two are drawn deeper into the mystery of the murder

One for Sorrow

The Magpie Society

Nina Verhaaff 

The magpie society is a modern murder mystery thriller written by two authors, zoë and Amy. There are also two perspectives in the book one is Audrey written by Zoe and Ivy written by Amy. This book takes place in a very modern time they even have AirPods and TikTok (which really annoyed me). The story takes place in a private school where they also wear uniforms. There are no phones allowed during school days. The stories are about two POVs and these two people are roommates at the school Illumen hall. Audrey (the new girl) took Lola her place in the dorm. In the beginning, they don't really like each other. They all try to figure out who killed Lola (don't worry it was written in the prologue). There was this big party on the beach and because the school does not allow phones on school days they didn't capture anything. Lola eventually ends up on the beach dead, with a magpie tattoo on her neck and the investigation starts to find out who killed Lola. 
I did enjoy the writing styles but if you told me it was written by one person I still would've believed it. I still really enjoyed the book for what it was and for a book written by to authors.

Spoilers from here

I thought that Audrey was really annoying in the beginning she's like that bitch with blonde hair the popular girl in the school. Eventually, I see a lot of character development in Audrey and she doesn't only have that bitchy side on her she also has a traumatic experience she has to deal with.
First, we were the find out who killed Lola but then the big thing we wanted to know changed to 'who is running the podcast?'. But we figure out who made a podcast in the middle of the book so they reveal the big thing in the middle of the book. For the rest of the book, there wasn't anything revealed we didn't even figure out who killed Lola. 
Audrey and Ivy were trying to discover who killed Lola or what killed Lola but the podcast was already trying to discover that, so when Clover was revealed as the person who did the podcast. There were now two parties searching for the same answers. Felt a bit irrelevant.
The ending was a bit rushed with everything happening at the same moment I wish still shocked with the ending but still, it was a little rushed. The cover was taken by the Magpie society really hit me though because I wasn't expecting that at all I was trying to figure it out in my mind what was going to happen but this wasn't one of the options. 
The only thing in the whole book that is revealed is that clover is doing the podcast we still don't know who or what killed Lola who was spreading those flyers, nothing. The big thing they revealed in the middle of the book and in the end, there wasn't anything to reveal that was just an ending I know there's a second book but still you could've at least revealed who killed or like a Lola.

Raphaëlle

This is exactly the same flavor of trash content that Pretty Little Liars was - this could very well be a freeform or CW show. 
The plot is... convoluted at best. Neither main characters are particularly likeable. My main quarrel with this book is that it doesn’t end in a satisfactory manner. I do understand that the cliffhanger is supposed to propel a second book but this book’s story isn’t self-contained & thus the book isn’t self-sufficient, even as part as a duology or trilogy. There is no sustenance to it. There is no resolution in the slightest. By the end of the book, I at least expected to know who killed Lola. 
The “major” revelation I saw coming from a mile away - when the main character involved actually appeared on the page.

Alice Myles

Thanks to NetGalley and Penguin Random House for providing me with an advance copy

I had such high hopes for this book but unfortunately, I just didn't love it! I think it was tailored towards a younger audience as the writing style seemed a little on the younger side although there was frequent swearing and references to slightly older themes it seemed that the authors didn't really know their demographic. I can usually never guess what's going to happen in a mystery book but I predicted almost every single thing that happened fairly early on. I also just didn't care much for either of the main characters (or the side characters). I'm such a fan of Zoe and thought this series sounded so promising but I don't know if I would be in a rush to continue it! My copy had some printing errors too but I was able to figure out what was going on with that pretty quickly and it didn't affect my experience too much.

Fleur van Ravesteijn 

To me this was a simple novel, not necessarily a pageturner but entertaining enough to make me want to read “Two for joy”. The writing style wasn’t very creative or gripping, but overall I enjoyed reading it (after reading two heavy literary classics, maybe that helps to appreciate the simplicity?). Amy said in an interview that the school itself almost became its own character, and I think thats true. In fact, Illumen Hall might be the best written character in the entire book.

Amy Mcculloch

Léa

QUELLE SURPRISE 

Je pensais que ça allait être une lecture bof-bof et que j’allais m’ennuyer mais PAS DU TOUT ! 
J’ai beaucoup aimé l’alternance de POV, l’intrigue principale. Vraiment j’ai été happé par l’histoire et par l’enquête. 
C’était un peu trop jeunesse à mon goût mais pas suffisamment pour que ça me gêne même si c’est ce qui a fait que ce n’était pas un coup de ♥️ 

Par contre : CETTE FIN !!!! Ça nous laisse sur un cliffhanger de FOLIE ! Et je dois dire que j’ai beaucoup aimé cette fin mais du coup, il me faut le tome 2 et VITE

Taryn Quigg

I've been a fan of Zoe's for so many years so when she announced this book I definitely wanted to read it. I love this book so much and you will too if you like murder mystery young adult type books.

FEVRONIA AVERI

I finished it in no time and I really loved it!! But that ending!!!

Eden Isaacs

This book was extremely hyped up and honestly quite disappointing :( 

Both girls (Ivy and Audrey) were equally annoying as protagonist/antagonist. I wish we had delved deeper into their histories, it might have made them more tolerable. Ivy and Audrey becoming closer friends took WAY too long (basically half the book of them hating each other) and then when they did eventually become friends, it was rushed. 

Although I have 2 stars, I would say 2.5

The ending did not satisfy me at all, gave no closure, and neither of the characters had much growth. 

The setting was beautifully described, but I found myself continually looking for more. More of everything. 

I wish the actual crime was more in detail, and the characters had more attachment to Lola’s death, or how it negatively affected them.

Lynn

Fun to read YA murder mystery novel, some odd choices midway through the book made everything seem a little too easy? But the characters are relatable and the book touches on some real-life issues such as trauma and mental health. Beware though this first book in the series ends on a cliffhanger!

Inouch

first thoughts : I LOVED the setting, I want to read books like this moreeee

3⭐︎

my review:

"Qui voit une pie voit ses peines ; qui en voit deux voit ses joies." 
― Zoe Sugg, The Magpie Society #1

trigger warning: Mental health, discussion of suicide, discussion of inappropriate teacher student relationship. (13+ readers)

english version:
I didn’t particularly expect to like this book. It intrigued me by its summary and the atmosphere that seemed to be reflected. And if it wasn’t perfect, I still really enjoyed the atmosphere and the setting of the story. You read it fast, it’s fast, it’s not complicated, and it goes by itself. the characters not very deep and a little cliché but they each have potential, to see how these are worked in volume 2. but I confess that it has been a long time since I had not read a book of this kind (It made me think of the book "Le malicieux journal des soeurs Mouche au collège de Castelroc" that I devoured when I was little) and it clearly revived me in this kind of story. In short, it was a quick, effective reading that is clearly meant to be read in September!

version française:
je ne m'attendait pas particulièrement à aimer ce livre. il m'intriguait par son résumé et l'ambiance qui semblait en transparaitre. et si ce ne fut pas parfait, j'ai tout de même vraiment apprécié l'ambiance et le setting de l'histoire. ça se lit vite, c'est rapide, pas compliqué et ça passe tout seul. les personnages pas très profonds et un peu clichés mais ils ont chacun du potentiel, à voir comment ceux ci sont travaillé dans le tome 2. mais j'avoue que cela faisait longtemps que j'avais pas lu de livre de ce genre (ça m'a fait penser au livre "Le malicieux journal des soeurs Mouche au collège de Castelroc" que je dévorais quand j'étais petite) et ça m'a clairement relancée dans ce genre d'histoire. En résumé, ce fut une lecture rapide, efficace et qui est clairement faite pour être lue au mois de septembre!

Lucy

It was alright, I guess? 

TW: Discussions of death, murder, suicide and anxiety/ anxiety attacks. 

The writing was simplistic, the characters never really had any development, the plot was weak and almost nonexistent, and the ending was a mess. 

But.... I did enjoy the concept of the secret society. I wish that was explored in more depth. I did enjoy Audrey and her backstory as it gave her some more depth. 

Felt as though this was part one of a larger book, instead of being a first instalment in a series.

Amy Buckle

I love reading murder mysteries and thrillers so I was excited to be sent a proof copy of The Magpie Society ahead of its release on the 29th October. The Magpie Society is set in Illumen Hall, an English boarding school with a mysterious history and a grand interior to match its elite standards. When American, Audrey, enrols there after moving to the UK for a fresh start, she’s intimidated by its grandeur, but more worryingly, she quickly learns that the summer before she started one of the students was discovered dead on the beach with an elaborate magpie tattoo on her back. Apprehensive to get herself involved in anything, Audrey tries to keep focused on schoolwork and get through the year ahead. However, that proves tricky when she realises she’s staying in the room the dead girl (Lola) used to live in and her new roommate, Ivy, gives her a less than warm welcome. Despite their frosty start though, the girls find themselves drawn together as they uncover the secrets of the school and try to get to the bottom of its dark and mysterious history.

I was worried there would be a dichotomy in the narrative because it had two authors, but it was only after finishing that I learnt the two protagonists, Audrey and Ivy, were written by Zoe and Amy respectively and I was impressed because I never felt like it was two people writing – they melded together seamlessly. Overall Audrey and Ivy were both intriguing in their own ways and the contrast of their personalities made their relationship more compelling too.

This novel, presumably, is intended for a young adult audience, so there were moments which took away from it being “edge-of-your-seat” because the characters were occupied with less than serious things such as school drama, relationships, and their phones. However, that didn’t necessarily take away from the plot, if anything, it just help set, (or rather reaffirm) the tone as a murder mystery set in a school.

There was a plethora of interesting characters and the authors managed to somehow make just about all of them suspicious which definitely made me even more excited to read on. The book touches on some serious issues such as bullying and suicide and I think it was handled well, though I would be interested to see if they choose to delve into any of the characters’ personal lives any more in the sequel.

In general I felt the intrigue and suspense could have been built for longer throughout the novel; there were moments where I was frantically turning the page, desperate to know what happens, but found myself almost disappointed by how quickly it was revealed. I realise that is a little contradictory, but I guess I wanted to be a little more tantalised than I was! Having said that, to mention a couple of examples without spoiling them, the letter and Audrey’s past were plot points dragged out for a little while and both became good reasons to keep turning the page.

As I mentioned earlier, the ending of this left me with a lot of unanswered questions, but far from being unsatisfied, it just made me excited for the next one. I loved the feeling this book gave me and it definitely felt like an Agatha Christie cum Malory Towers book with Netflix thriller twists! If you’re looking for something fun, fast-paced, and refreshingly intriguing, pre-order yourself a copy of this now!

Thank you to Penguin for sending me a proof copy of this book.

Lisa Beasley

This was a really easy and intriguing read. I liked the characters and the plot and it definitely had me guessing and wondering. Overall a fun read and I will definitely pick up book 2.

The Magpie Society One for Sorrow

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