I ate this up in a handful of hours like I'd been starved my whole life.

The Goldens is such an interesting story that totally blew me away, as much as a book can when you've stayed up until 2am reading and are slightly delerious. Still, I loved how we had a handful of key characters that were really built on giving such depth to them, their motivations and how much I cared for them as a reader. A sparkling debut.

The influencers have gone feral, thank you to Netgalley and the publishers for the ARC

The Goldens by Lauren Wilson is a dark and intoxicating thriller that pulls you into a world of glamour, mystery and chilling secrets. Chloe, an aspiring writer, finds herself drawn to the enigmatic influencer Clara Holland and moves into her lavish mansion. But as Clara’s fame rises, her behaviour becomes increasingly erratic, with wild parties involving strange rituals casting a shadow over their seemingly perfect lives.

When rumours of a cult begin to swirl and a girl disappears after a notorious party, the tension escalates to a terrifying new level. Chloe must find a way to escape Clara’s dangerous grip before she becomes the next victim.

Rich with atmosphere and mounting suspense, The Goldens is an unputdownable story that will haunt you long after the last page.

Read more at The Secret Book Review.

Thank you to the publisher and Netgalley for approving me to read this, I’m rating it 4.5 rounded to 5 stars.

I enjoyed this so much, the academic setting and that constant desire to belong. The way fitting in takes such a dark and sinister turn, it was interesting to say the least. I liked our FMC although she was delusional at points, but her heart just saw the best in people she shouldn't.

The vibes of the book reminded me of Bunny, but a lot less weird and fever dream like. Highly recommend for a book that will make you question how far you would go while thinking the whole time that this is definitely a cult.

Lauren Wilson’s The Goldens is what happens when the world of academia gets a glittering, social media fuelled facetune. Forget stories based around libraries and student unions, this book swaps the average student life for influencer culture, and the result is utterly hypnotic. It’s got all the classic hallmarks of the genre: An outsider lured into an intoxicating world, a web of toxic friendships, whispers of a cult-like existence, and of course, the creeping shadow of an unsolved mystery. Wilson’s world pulses with tremendous glamour, camera attention, designer gowns, and the slippery allure of online fame. Gossip Girl could NEVER!

At the heart of it all are Chloe and Clara, two girls bound together in a that codependent university friendship we all experience that feels both intoxicating and inevitable. However, Clara isn’t just popular. She’s alluring (tries not to make a Miranda reference), the kind of girl who makes you believe that standing next to her is enough to define your identity. And Chloe? She’s the rest of us at university with a combo of insecurity and eagerness, willing to mould to fit the world in which we want to belong, even if the cracks start showing.

The tension builds like a slow burn thriller, but without you realising. You know something is off, but you’re so invested in the characters and their relationship that trying to pinpoint exactly what will keep you turning pages at an alarming rate. Lauren Wilson’s writing is so immersive that, like Chloe, you will ignore the red flags of Clara waving in your face out of want to dive deeper into this world!

And then comes the unravelling. Wilson masterfully dials up the claustrophobia, twisting the high life of influencer-hood in university into something dark and unsettling. The eerie cult-like undertones, the obsession, the unanswered questions, it all crescendos into an ending that will not only shock but satisfy readers aswell. Is Clara a visionary or a villain? Was Chloe a willing participant or just another pawn? The Goldens leaves you haunted, questioning, and will have you absolutely desperate for more.

The Goldens is going to have you as obsessed as the student population is with Clara over this summer. Not only is it the perfect beach, holiday, friends trip read, it suits the likely stormy summer we’ll experience at home too. Ideal for anyone reading YA, this is one thriller I don’t want you to miss, and get preordering your copy now!

In today's world, where social media is deeply intertwined in the fabric of society, The Goldens is a cautionary tale about obsession, parasocialism and how that can bleed into your day-to-day lives. The protagonist of this book, Chloe, is a young girl who has just started at university. And so are the others who surround her. This really shows on page when you see their utterly juvenile behaviour regarding their campus celebrity, Clara Holland. Most people follow her online, and aspire to be like her.

What this book does a great job in is showing how much a screen hides from us. Online, Clara seems like someone to live up to. She has a massive amount of followers, knows a lot of famous people and lives in a huge mansion with everything she could every want. Yet in real life, her personality has a nasty undercurrent to it. Her personality shifts are quite visceral, and her red flags are visible from the get go. It becomes very easy to understandable why people would want to follow her.

Although my qualms with this book lay with the protagonist Chloe. It was difficult to connect with her, at least for me, as a lot of her thoughts felt weirdly repetitive. I felt like I didn't really know her enough, beyond the fact that she was somewhat shy, wanted to be a writer and that she was obsessed with Clara. I wish we had gotten to know her a lot better, because this book focused on Clara too much for me to actually like our protagonist (I loved how Clara was written).

I do think The Goldens is perfect for the younger side of YA, people who are still in high school (whether just joining it, or about to graduate), or even for those entering the university for the first time. It perfectly encapsulates the dangers of things that can happen online and how easily you can be manipulated into doing something that you wouldn't even think about doing.

The Goldens is a dark thriller about falling in with a cult and the part that social media can play in this day and age. It was good, although I'm not sure I was totally convinced by some of the characters actions and responses. The writing was good though, and I enjoyed it overall.

I received a copy from the publisher in exchange for an honest review

The Goldens is a dark, twisted page-turning thriller that I couldn't look away from.
Much like the cult that starts to form around Clara I found myself completely drawn in, needing to know exactly what was going to happen next as quickly has possible.
The plot is perfectly paced, the tension growing with every chapter and all the characters are brilliantly written, making this a perfect psychological thriller.

Firstly, thank you to Harper Fire and Netgalley for providing me with an ARC of this book.

The Goldens follows our FMC, Chloe in her first year at Dern university. She quickly becomes wrapped up in a very unhealthy and obsessive friendship with social media star and fellow student, Clara. And then things take a turn for the worst.

Marketing this book as a thriller feels like a bit of a stretch, the pacing of this book was only sped up by the easy to read writing style and the short chapters. I felt like there wasn’t a lot happening until the very end of the book.

I don’t think I realised quite how YA this book was going to feel. With talk about cults and the word thriller being thrown around in the marketing, I was expecting something that felt a bit more grown up, but I struggled to connect to a single character in this book. The girls all felt incredibly petty and juvenile, I struggled to relate to anybody’s motivation. I was particularly disturbed by Chloe’s behaviour midway through the book when she essentially realised what was happening and her resulting actions.

The major plot hole in this book for me was simply that Clara didn’t seem that special - certainly not special enough to achieve what she does in this book. She just seemed nasty and I’m unsure how she would be able to cultivate such a devoted following by giving people crumbs.

That being said, the writing itself was what kept me engaged with this book. The descriptions were so rich and I really enjoyed the setting Wilson portrayed. The super short chapters kept me turning pages and I did want to know how the story would end.

I see what this book was getting at as a critique of social media culture and its influence on young women and it was a super binge-worthy read but I feel it would be much more suited to a younger audience than myself.

This is so fun, jarring yet addictive. The storyline had a thriller-style undertone with the cult depictions and I absolutely loved the sapphic relationship. Overall, I’ll definitely read this again.

The goldens
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️.25

This book is exactly what I want to find every single time I see the mention of dark academia on tropes or anything like it. I'm a big fan of this aesthetic and what it represents in terms of story and plot and The Goldens is a fresh take on everything we can find in a DA book: the character of the "outsider", the toxic friendships, the idea of cult and obssesion, the tension surrounding a mysterious death but instead of the classic academic interest on literature or ancient history (for example), the focus of attention is social media, influencers and socialites, Gossip Girl style.

The setting was amazing! The author did a great job reflecting this world of luxury and exclusivity, being very descriptive of every detail: the decorations, the dresses, the jewelries, and I found it quite inmersive and like I could see what was happening, not just reading about it.

The pacing was also really well done, slow yet engaging. This is the type of story where you know that something is happening, but can't point a finger on what and that made it very bingeable for me. I just couldn't stop reading. The vibe was kinda claustrophobic at times, in a good way.

The characters were quite interesting as well! The dynamic between Chloe and Clara was so intense and a bit codependent but at the same time kinda relatable tho I wish that certain secondary characters have had a better development and more on page time. However, I understand that by maintaining the focus on the 2 FMCs mostly, added to that feeling of isolation and bubble where both lived.

As for the ending, it wasn't a big surprise for me but that doesn't mean I enjoyed any less. As the rest of the book it was well crafted if not to over the top. I think I would actually like a sequel 😏.

So, I def recommend!!!! Plus the edition is just gorgeous!!!! I'm in love and I need it in my hands!

This was an exciting, fast-paced read, of how peer pressure can influence and shape our actions, in an academic setting. The characters are captivating and Lauren is masterful in her slow development of their personalities, allowing them to grow and adapt as the book takes more sinister turns. Without spoiling, it's a book that makes you question how far you'd go for someone and the tight line between admiration, jealousy and love. Popularity is seductive, but also has its dark charm, and Lauren depicts this theme well.

I particularly liked the links to today's modern day problems with social media, and the effect it can have on young women. It was chilling in its realisism, and I really felt for the main character Clara, and her friend Olivia. The ending was just absolutely beautifully devestating, and the last paragraph hits hard.

I'm surprised to read that this is a debut novel, as it reads beautifully and flows perfectly. This is definately an author I will be following for future works!

Thank you so much Harper Fire for allowing me to read this early!

This was a book I had been highly anticipating and it did not disappoint

The Goldens follows shy bookish Chloe as she starts Uni and meets the enigmatic influencer Clara and from a chance meeting the two become best friends. As the story unravels we start to see the dark lengths Clara goes to truly be adored.

The writing is really captivating, the descriptions Lauren writes makes everything feel so vivid and decedent, I felt like I was absorbed in this world.

The book is about obsession, the need to feel wanted and loved, you get drawn into The Goldens just as Clara attracts people to her.

Truly a spectacular novel and one I will be thinking about for a long time!

Chloe's dreams of becoming a famous writer seem to be on course, when she receives a surprising boost in the form of her encounter, and the subsequent hitching of her wagon, to the meteoric rise of social media influencer Clara Holland.

But things are not as straightforward as they initially appear and a rapid descent into decidedly bizarre territory follows. Soon, Clara becomes increasingly unpredictable. Drawing a large group of wannabes to her, her followers' are uncomfortably cult-like in their devotion, drawing comparisons to precisely that.

This story offers a crystal-clear glimpse into the excesses and ambitions of our celebrity obsessed society. How badly people want to be famous and what they will do to achieve their aims is held up to the light, painting a portrait that is less than pretty. Worth a read, it gets 3.5 stars.

I'm absolutely obsessed
A captivating debut thriller based on the toxicity of being an influencer. I loved the english university background setting, quite a lot of the storytelling reminded me of my uni days.
The characters are incredibly complex and I love how Lauren shows their crave for love and affection in different ways.
This book gripped me and pulled me on a journey of almost 400 pages

The only thing now is hoping there's a special edition somewhere to be kept on my shelves....

Wow! What a page turner. Couldn't put this down for a second until the end. I love an academia thriller but this does a brilliant job of bringing the premise of an it girl, girl gangs and influencers together.

The book talks brilliantly about the impact of influence of our peers, the feeling of being in and wanting to be in and complex relationships we have. The thriller element is dark and has serious chills. The college life and friendships is brought out well along with the theme of ambition, family and dysfunction. Absolutely recommend this!

Thank you HarperCollins UK and NetGalley for this e-arc in exchange of my unbiased review.

Lauren Wilson delivers a chilling and compulsively readable thriller in The Goldens, diving deep into the allure and danger of influence, obsession, and the thin line between devotion and manipulation.

Chloe, an aspiring writer, is drawn into the dazzling world of Clara Holland, a magnetic influencer with a mysterious past and a growing following. What begins as inspiration for a novel quickly spirals into something much darker, as Chloe becomes entangled in Clara’s cult-like lifestyle of river baptisms, bonfire rituals, and unsettling secrets. When a girl vanishes after one of Clara’s infamous parties, Chloe realizes the price of belonging might be her own safety—or sanity.

Wilson masterfully builds a world simmering with tension and glittering deception. The Goldens is perfect for readers who love twisted female friendships, influencer culture critique, and stories where glamour hides rot.

I could not put down this book and was actually so sad when it finally finished because it was absolutely intoxicating to read!

The book was so gripping and thrilling while being accessible at the same time. It tells the tale of Clara who pretty much winds up in a wellness cult and it goes through the subtle stages of how she becomes entrenched within it. If you're into cults and the beauty industry, this book is for you!

I could not put down Goldens. The book was as mesmerizing as Clara allegedly was, and I really enjoyed the spiral of madness basically every chapter went down on. I would recommend to anyone who liked the drama of gossip girl and also thinks cult documentaries are really interesting. And the twist at the end, damn! What a ride :)

This was a thoroughly enjoyable, gripping YA thriller. I read the first half in a single sitting. If you’re a fan of dark academia mysteries like The Secret History, or sparkly social-media driven narratives like Gossip Girl or Emily in Paris, you’ll enjoy the two smashed together in this fast-paced rollercoaster. I thought the author perfectly summarised the sometimes rapid development of female best friendships, in which you throw yourself into a new friend and embracing their proximity before you really know them. Chloe is awestruck by Clara’s shiny, glamorous, influencer lifestyle, and flattered by her attention, and it was easy as a reader to get sucked in and absorbed in the luxury of it all. Soon the cracks start to show, with frequent references to true crime reporting and trials building the tension, ready for the explosive third act. I really loved this book, and it’s full of beautifully written phrases that did remind me of The Secret History and If We Were Villains, with an almost poetic quality, but a much brighter, sparkly feel to the setting. Anyone who has experienced the tumultuous nature of young female friendships and feeling out of place will relate to Chloe, and see why she was so easily led into Clara’s perfect visage of a world. I really enjoyed this book and can’t wait to see what the author writes next!

Okay, I need a minute to recover because The Goldens just wrecked me in the best possible way. Lauren Wilson has crafted a hypnotic, unsettling tale about the seductive allure of power and the dangerous lengths we’ll go to feel like we belong.

The story follows Chloe, an ordinary college girl who dreams of being a writer, and Clara, the kind of effortlessly glamorous, wildly charismatic social media star who makes you feel like your entire life is beige in comparison. When they meet, Chloe is instantly pulled into Clara’s golden orbit—the mansion, the parties, the hypnotic charm that makes you ignore every red flag waving in your face. At first, it’s all champagne and late-night confessions, but then things start getting… weird. Like, bonfire rituals and river baptisms weird. And when a girl disappears after one of Clara’s infamous parties, Chloe has to ask: Is she part of something magical, or something seriously dangerous?

What makes this book so gripping is how real it feels. Clara is that girl the one who makes you feel special just by noticing you, but whose smile never quite reaches her eyes. You know the type. And Chloe? Relatable as hell. She’s not some fearless heroine; she’s messy, insecure, and so desperate to be someone that she ignores every warning sign. I spent half the book yelling at her in my head, obviously and the other half realizing, Oh no, I’d probably do the same thing.

The cultish vibes are chef’s kiss Wilson slowly ramps up the tension until you’re as trapped as Chloe, questioning whether Clara’s a visionary or a villain. And that ending?

If you’re into stories that make you side-eye every too-perfect influencer on your feed, this is your next obsession. And yeah, it’s technically YA, but don’t let that fool you—this is a razor-sharp, unputdownable thriller that’ll mess with your head no matter how old you are.

4/5 stars, zero regrets, and a strong urge to go delete some apps off my phone ! Thanks for the psychological damage.