Girls Who Play Dead, Joelle Wellington
Girls Who Play Dead, Joelle Wellington
List: $25.99 | Sale: $17.68
Club: $12.99

Girls Who Play Dead

Author: Joelle Wellington

Narrator: Keylor Leigh

Unabridged: 10 hr 38 min

Format: Digital Audiobook Download

Published: 11/04/2025


Synopsis

“Addictively unnerving…burrows right into the cracks of this small town’s foundation, revealing the gruesome truth at its core.” —Ryan La Sala, bestselling author of The Dead of Summer

Two siblings investigate the murder of a friend only to unearth even more deadly mysteries in their small town in this page-turning young adult thriller “that captures the seedy underbelly of small-town politics and the intense bonds of girlhood” (Kirkus Reviews) from the acclaimed author of Their Vicious Games.

When Mikky Graves left his small, stifling hometown of Prophets Lake to live with his estranged mother, he thought nothing could ever make him go back.

Until his sister Kyla’s best friend, Erin, is murdered.

Mikky never worried about leaving Kyla behind at their family-owned funeral home so long as she had Erin. But when Mikky heads home, determined to help Kyla grieve, the sister he encounters barely resembles the one he remembers. Mikky decides, then and there, to do the one thing that seems even more impossible than returning: stay.

As Kyla spirals further into her rage and secrets, Mikky realizes the only thing that can help his sister is finding the truth about who killed Erin. But the more he investigates, the further he’s pulled into other ugly mysteries of Prophets Lake and the beauty brand that is its lifeblood. The town’s rot runs deep, and everyone has something to hide. Perhaps no one more than Kyla herself.

About Joelle Wellington

Joelle Wellington grew up in Brooklyn, New York, where her childhood was spent wandering the main branch of the Brooklyn Public Library. Her love of the written word led her to a BA in creative writing and international studies. When she isn’t writing, she’s reading and when she’s not doing that, she’s attempting to bake bread with varying degrees of success or strengthening her encyclopedia-like pop culture knowledge. She’s the author of Their Vicious Games, The Blonde Dies First, and Girls Who Play Dead.


Reviews

Goodreads review by Laura on November 09, 2025

THE BEAUTY INDUSTRY IS SO UGLY Erin has been murdered. Siblings Mikky and Kyla who were friends with Erin decide to investigate in their small town the truth behind her death. This town has a lot of ugly secrets, and everyone has something to hide. Hmmm I wish I had enjoyed this so much more. The sto......more

Goodreads review by Fifi’s Bookshelf on June 30, 2025

Ever since Their Vicious Games, Joelle Wellington has a fan in me for life, no matter what she writes next. That was one of the best YA books ever written, dare I say. Because of that, I had certain expectations going into this, and a strong bias towards giving this a high review, so it really pains......more

Goodreads review by suonnahbooks on October 25, 2025

Girls who play dead by Joelle Wellington audiobook Arc from libro FM Release: Nov 4th 2025 This was a very interesting and intriguing thriller, love the school drama and cliques. -I loved the different voices and accents for the different students truly made me feel as if in class / lunch break with......more

Goodreads review by Lia on November 07, 2025

I listened to the audiobook and really enjoyed this one! It’s a YA mystery with a sprinkle of romance and I thought it was well thought out. By the end I still had no idea who did it, really good twist. There was a lot of miscommunication and frustration but they’re teens so it’s understandable......more

Goodreads review by Lance on October 31, 2025

E-ARC generously provided by S&S Children's Books in exchange for an honest review! Thank you so much! 5 stars. Reminiscent of teen murder mystery classics with a glamorous and small town gothic edge, Girls Who Play Dead is the exact kind of narrative I love: glittering in its aesthetic and all gore......more