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Cover of They Wish They Were Us

They Wish They Were Us

Jessica Goodman ยท 2024

Literary fiction

Banned in 1 country

About this book

โ€œGossip Girl but make it a juicy murder mystery.โ€โ€”E! Online A taut murder mystery set against the backdrop of an elite prep school with an exclusive secret society, from New York Times bestselling author of The Counselors. In Gold Coast, Long Island, everything from the expensive downtown shops to the manicured beaches, to the pressed uniforms of Jill Newman and her friends, looks perfect. But as Jill found out three years ago, nothing is as it seems. Freshman year Jill's best friend, the brilliant, dazzling Shaila Arnold, was killed by her boyfriend. After that dark night on the beach, Graham confessed, the case was closed, and Jill tried to move on. Now, it's Jill's senior year and she's determined to make it her best yet. After all, she's a senior and a member of Gold Coast Prep's exclusive, not-so-secret secret society. But when Jill starts getting texts proclaiming Graham's innocence, her dreams of the perfect senior year start to crumble. If Graham didn't kill Shaila, who did? Jill vows to find out, but digging deeper could mean putting her friendships, and her future, in jeopardy.

Censorship history

They Wish They Were Us was banned or restricted in United States in 2024 for its LGBTQ+ themes and positive depiction of queer identity, as well as sexual content and violence. This case is part of a global pattern in which LGBTQ+ representation in literature faces disproportionate legal and institutional pressure.

Bans

CountryYearReasons
United States2024
LGBTQ+SexualViolence

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