People Like Us

By: Dana Mele

Narrated by: Erin Spencer

"Mean Girls meets Donna Tartt's The Secret History with a little bit of Riverdale mixed in. So yeah, it's epic."--HelloGiggles

"In People Like Us, Dana Mele delivers the Gossip Girl meets Pretty Little Liars young adult novel you've been waiting for."--Bustle

Kay Donovan may have skeletons in her closet, but the past is past, and she's reinvented herself entirely. Now she's a star soccer player whose group of gorgeous friends run their private school with effortless popularity and acerbic wit. But when a girl's body is found in the lake, Kay's carefully constructed life begins to topple. The dead girl has left Kay a computer-coded scavenger hunt, which, as it unravels, begins to implicate suspect after suspect, until Kay herself is in the crosshairs of a murder investigation. But if Kay's finally backed into a corner, she'll do what it takes to survive. Because at Bates Academy, the truth is something you make...not something that happened.

Debut author Dana Mele has written a taut, sophisticated suspense novel that will keep readers guessing until the very end.

Critic reviews

“This juicy prep-school thriller has queen bees, super-cliques, and hints of PLL and Gossip Girl. But if you think you’ve got every plot turn figured out, think again: the drama is just getting started.”—Seventeen Magazine

“[A] whirlwind, fast-paced YA mystery. . . Not only will Mele’s gorgeous, melodic writing have you entranced, but the layered mystery of it all will have you scrambling to turn the pages to see who-dun-it.”—Buzzfeed

"Steeped in scandal and profound tragedy, this is a dark and thrilling look at female friendships, the pressures of scholastic success, and mental health . . . A classic and frightening tale of betrayal and mental illness told in a fresh and contemporary way, this book is difficult to set down for even a moment. It is an intricately designed, beautifully written, and extraordinarily chilling story."—School Library Journal

"Mele creates a cast of sharp-edged, prickly students; the fluid sexuality of various characters is handled well, and themes of betrayal and bullying are front and center. An eerie, unsettling thriller with deadly consequences."—Publishers Weekly

"Mele . . . weave[s] a tale of mystery, intrigue, and revenge in the style of Jay Asher’s Thirteen Reasons Why (2007), but with its own twists to keep readers on the their toes."—Booklist

"The characters and their relationships are nuanced, especially sexually fluid Kay, who has intimate encounters with males and females. This blend of predictable prep school elements with unpredictable suspense makes this a fizzy read for fans of the genre."—Kirkus Reviews

"This is a fun, dark whodunit with loads of twists and turns to keep readers guessing."—VOYA

"A . . . sophisticated read that is fast-paced and surprising to the last page."—School Library Connection

Interesting book

It was a good story. I liked the narrator. I’m glad I didn’t figure out who did it.

Pretty good, easy listen

The book was good. I liked the story but it was pretty simple. There was a point in the story when I felt I had missed something (can’t give too much away) and had to go back only to realize I didn’t miss anything, there just seemed to be a gap. The characters are easy to get mad at but then you have to realize they’re still in high school. I would have liked for the story to start from before “the event” instead of starting there.

this book

is a cross between Pretty Little Liars and Mean Girls.
It’s a thrilling story of Who Done It and leaves you guessing until the very end.

Very predictable

the basis of the story is very good. however, I knew the "who done it " as soon as her character was introduced. if the writer would have not been so forthcoming on the killer's personality and actions then maybe it would keep you guessing but unfortunately the way she was written into the story, I knew right away she was the killer. it's too bad that it was so obvious because the basis was a great read, but it just didn't keep me entranced . I just kept listening just to see (hoping) there would be some extreme turn of events that I never saw coming. sadly there wasn't. A very predictable read. I wouldn't recommend this if you are looking for suspense and surprises. you won't find either of these in this book.

I really liked it!

I'm not usually a YA reader, but I listened to this during a business trip recently and looked forward to turning it back on every time I had to shut it off. I thought I could predict the end, and I sort of did, but then it took a real unexpected turn that I never saw coming.