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3.29 AVERAGE
3.29 AVERAGE
the setup/first 75% was really promising and then the ending just felt kind of lazy to me. i also wish we would have gotten to know the side characters from their own pov's. overall it was okay i just had higher expectations especially because this was one of my most anticipated reads for the year.
1.5 stars. One of the worst books I’ve ever read. The writing is terrible. If I have to read that stupid school motto one more time…also when are authors going to stop with the dumb fake stuttering. Not a single character is likable or relatable in this book. The twist at the end was incredibly far fetched and made no sense. I hate to be so harsh but this book was so hyped and it could have been amazing if executed better.
4 stars!
Truly gripping and engaging, this is an amazing YA mystery that shines a light on the pressures many Asian American students face. This representation and being able to read about the struggles and different backgrounds of different people makes this book worth reading already.
We follow Nancy Luo as the news that her former best friend Jamie Ruan has died break. To make matters worse, now Nancy and her friends Krystal, Akil, and Alexander are being accused of the murder by an anonymous someone. This anonymous person seems to know all go the groups' darkest secrets, which only Jamie Ruan knew back from when they were friends.
In order to clear their names, the group of friends decide to find the culprit themselves before their dark secrets get spilled to the entire school.
In murder mystery terms, this book pretty much follows the crowd and the twist can be quite easy to guess if you're a fan of the genre and have read a few books. However, it is still extremely enjoyable and the characters are very well developed.
Overall, this is definitely worth a read and considering there will be a sequel coming at some point, definitely worth keeping an eye out for.
Truly gripping and engaging, this is an amazing YA mystery that shines a light on the pressures many Asian American students face. This representation and being able to read about the struggles and different backgrounds of different people makes this book worth reading already.
We follow Nancy Luo as the news that her former best friend Jamie Ruan has died break. To make matters worse, now Nancy and her friends Krystal, Akil, and Alexander are being accused of the murder by an anonymous someone. This anonymous person seems to know all go the groups' darkest secrets, which only Jamie Ruan knew back from when they were friends.
In order to clear their names, the group of friends decide to find the culprit themselves before their dark secrets get spilled to the entire school.
In murder mystery terms, this book pretty much follows the crowd and the twist can be quite easy to guess if you're a fan of the genre and have read a few books. However, it is still extremely enjoyable and the characters are very well developed.
Overall, this is definitely worth a read and considering there will be a sequel coming at some point, definitely worth keeping an eye out for.
Meh. The writing was a bit underdeveloped, but the ending was just too much. I do not like it when an author goes with an ending that is out of the blue and completely unbelievable - it feels like cheating.
Had some higher hopes for this one but ended up reminding me of something I’d written in high school :/ predictable ending with some very bizarre characters. Tried to emulate some rage-and-righteous-indignation but Iron Widow does it better. Not too keen on checking out book two :/
I was really looking forward to this book and right from the start I liked the characters but somehow the story just didn't catched me...
This book deserves the buzz that Katie Zhao has been generating for it on social media and booktok! I would highly recommend this for fans of Pretty Little Liars or Gossip Girl and it's an engaging read! I was constantly turning pages and I read it in a single day! I am eager for more in the series and more from this author! I could both sympathize with the characters and criticize them for some of the things they did, but most of all it was thrilling to follow their journey to try to protect their secrets and try to discover who had killed their former friend.
challenging
dark
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
The main character is fucking dumb 😒
Content Warnings
Graphic: Physical abuse
Moderate: Adult/minor relationship, Sexual assault, Violence
Richard Sinclair Prep is America's best performing high school in all aspects and students from different background fight tooth and nail to remain on top of this prestigious institute that promises a brighter future.
Nancy Luo, a full-scholar, always strives for the best but wasn't able to exceed Sinclair's queen bee, Jamie Ruan.
Until Jamie was found dead and whispers start in the hallways about who Jamie's killer is. Then came the mysterious messenger who named themselves The Proctor and they are here to unveil all the secrets of Sinclair including the dark past of the academe's brightest students which list Nancy and her friends Krystal, Alexander, and Akil - all were Jamie's former friends.
Okay, don't expect a decent review from me because mystery-thriller is not my main cup but I really enjoyed this one. Imagine a dark academia storyline with life-changing stakes featuring an ensemble of BIPOC characters and you have this book.
I enjoyed the writing style - it gave me the atmosphere of how intense the competition in Sinclair Prep is and the mystery of who killed Jamie Ruan.
Nancy Luo, Alexander Lin, Krystal Choi, and Akil Patel may be the best students of Sinclair after Jamie but their characters were written well in a way that they feel like morally-gray characters whom you are unsure whether to cheer or snitch on as the story move forward.
The story was going well until the reveal of who The Proctor is. I'm not a big fan of the twist because it felt a bit unrealistic but anyway, I'm still looking forward to the second book especially with the way things ended (*coughs Jamie's father + Sinclair's Golden Trio)
What's in this book: Asian-American rep (second generation children of Chinese, Indian immigrants)
I highly recommend if you enjoy: Dark Academia books
Trigger warnings: Abuse, Self-harm, Violence, Parental neglect, panic attacks, drug use, mental illness, inappropriate student-teacher relationship, racism, suicidal thoughts
RATING: 4 stars
Nancy Luo, a full-scholar, always strives for the best but wasn't able to exceed Sinclair's queen bee, Jamie Ruan.
Until Jamie was found dead and whispers start in the hallways about who Jamie's killer is. Then came the mysterious messenger who named themselves The Proctor and they are here to unveil all the secrets of Sinclair including the dark past of the academe's brightest students which list Nancy and her friends Krystal, Alexander, and Akil - all were Jamie's former friends.
Okay, don't expect a decent review from me because mystery-thriller is not my main cup but I really enjoyed this one. Imagine a dark academia storyline with life-changing stakes featuring an ensemble of BIPOC characters and you have this book.
I enjoyed the writing style - it gave me the atmosphere of how intense the competition in Sinclair Prep is and the mystery of who killed Jamie Ruan.
Nancy Luo, Alexander Lin, Krystal Choi, and Akil Patel may be the best students of Sinclair after Jamie but their characters were written well in a way that they feel like morally-gray characters whom you are unsure whether to cheer or snitch on as the story move forward.
The story was going well until the reveal of who The Proctor is. I'm not a big fan of the twist because it felt a bit unrealistic but anyway, I'm still looking forward to the second book especially with the way things ended (*coughs Jamie's father + Sinclair's Golden Trio)
What's in this book: Asian-American rep (second generation children of Chinese, Indian immigrants)
I highly recommend if you enjoy: Dark Academia books
Trigger warnings: Abuse, Self-harm, Violence, Parental neglect, panic attacks, drug use, mental illness, inappropriate student-teacher relationship, racism, suicidal thoughts
RATING: 4 stars