The Wilde Trials

From the acclaimed author of The Rosewood Hunt comes a thrilling dark academia mystery with an exes-to-lovers second chance romance about a high-stakes competition at an elite boarding school packed with shocking twists, second chances, and deadly deceit, where allies—and enemies—are the people you’d least expect.

Chloe Gatti will do whatever it takes to win her elite boarding school’s annual competition, the Wilde Trials. In the two weeks leading up to graduation from Wilde Academy, a dozen seniors are chosen to compete in a series of seven ultimate physical and mental tests, and the winner will take home over half a million dollars—money that Chloe needs to help her sick sister.

But the competition is fierce and includes her brooding ex-boyfriend, Hayes Stratford, whose brother was the only student to die during the trials a few years ago. When someone starts blackmailing Chloe during the competition, she’s forced to strike a deal with Hayes—if he helps her discover who is sabotaging her, she’ll help him solve the mystery his brother left behind.

Following clues from Hayes’s brother, the unlikely allies discover that something isn’t right about the Wilde Trials. With a life-changing prize looming over her head and her buried feelings for Hayes rising to the surface, Chloe will have to decide what’s really worth fighting for, and if the cost of competing outweighs the potential consequences, even if that includes ending up like Hayes’s brother—dead.

Fans of Jessica Goodman and Maureen Johnson will love this dark academia thriller with a romantic twist!

“An action-packed, fast-paced adventure with characters that crackled off the page. I had so much fun on this wild ride.” —Goldy Moldavsky, New York Times bestselling author of The Mary Shelley Club

“Mackenzie Reed does it again! Action-packed and filled with heart, The Wilde Trials is a thrill ride from start to finish. With a jaw-dropping mystery and unexpected twists at every turn, this cutthroat academic competition keeps its Challengers—and readers—on their toes.” —Rachel Moore, author of Us in Ruins and The Library of Shadows

"Atmospheric, pulse-pounding, and swoon-worthy, The Wilde Trials is perfect for readers who like their thrillers with a delicious side of dark academia. Full of riddles, hidden passageways, and a creepy, crumbling estate, Mackenzie Reed’s sophomore novel offers not only a high-stakes competition but also a thoughtful examination of ambition—and its sometimes deadly cost." —Olivia Worley, author of People to Follow and The Debutantes

• A JLG Gold Standard selection! • One of Forbes Magazine's 40 Most-Anticipated Young Adult Books! • A Paste Magazine Best New YA Book!

© 2025 Storytide (Audiobook): 9780063287686

Release date

Audiobook: 21 January 2025