Scan barcode
foreverinastory's review against another edition
challenging
dark
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
I wanted to love this but this was not what I was expecting. There were so many toxic things in here and I was not prepared for it. Or the cannibalism.
Squad is the story of Becca, a transfer student to an elite high school. She doesn't expect to be adopted into the popular clique. But she is and now she has friends. Friends that are sometimes mean to each other, but that's the price of belonging right? Then Becca finds out her friends are werewolves and they prey on boys who sexually assault people. Becca agrees to be turned and together the four of them are unstoppable. When Arianna's predatory boyfriend is accidentally killed, cops begin looking for a serial killer and the girls world begins to unravel.
I guess in all this a good guide on what friendship shouldn't look like. You shouldn't be afraid of your friends. They should call you by the name you want them to use. They shouldn't insult your body or what you do with it.
I did like Becca's romantic storyline, even though it did feel a tad underdeveloped. Overall, I think this was not for me, which is par for the course with me and werewolf books honestly.
Rep: queer Asian American female MC, sapphic white female love interest, Black female side character, white fat female side character, BIPOC female side character, hijabi BIPOC female side character.
CWs: Murder, cannibalism, violence, attempted sexual assault, attempted rape, death, gore, blood, toxic friendship, bullying, sexual harassment, body shaming, slut shaming, misogyny, sexism, lesbomisia/lesbophobia, underage alcohol consumption, fatphobia, toxic relationship. Moderate: Racism and racial microaggressions, eating disorder mention, ableism, classism, grief.
Squad is the story of Becca, a transfer student to an elite high school. She doesn't expect to be adopted into the popular clique. But she is and now she has friends. Friends that are sometimes mean to each other, but that's the price of belonging right? Then Becca finds out her friends are werewolves and they prey on boys who sexually assault people. Becca agrees to be turned and together the four of them are unstoppable. When Arianna's predatory boyfriend is accidentally killed, cops begin looking for a serial killer and the girls world begins to unravel.
I guess in all this a good guide on what friendship shouldn't look like. You shouldn't be afraid of your friends. They should call you by the name you want them to use. They shouldn't insult your body or what you do with it.
I did like Becca's romantic storyline, even though it did feel a tad underdeveloped. Overall, I think this was not for me, which is par for the course with me and werewolf books honestly.
Rep: queer Asian American female MC, sapphic white female love interest, Black female side character, white fat female side character, BIPOC female side character, hijabi BIPOC female side character.
CWs: Murder, cannibalism, violence, attempted sexual assault, attempted rape, death, gore, blood, toxic friendship, bullying, sexual harassment, body shaming, slut shaming, misogyny, sexism, lesbomisia/lesbophobia, underage alcohol consumption, fatphobia, toxic relationship. Moderate: Racism and racial microaggressions, eating disorder mention, ableism, classism, grief.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Sexual assault, Gore, Toxic friendship, Bullying, Sexism, Lesbophobia, Cannibalism, Sexual harassment, Misogyny, Body shaming, Toxic relationship, Murder, Violence, Rape, Death, Blood, Alcohol, and Fatphobia
Moderate: Ableism, Classism, Racism, Eating disorder, and Grief
booksthatburn's review against another edition
adventurous
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
5.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Blood, Murder, and Death
Moderate: Homophobia, Bullying, Body horror, Body shaming, Fatphobia, Toxic friendship, Toxic relationship, Violence, Sexual assault, Cannibalism, and Child death
Minor: Eating disorder and Racism
gem114's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
Squad is a YA graphic novel that I picked up for my classroom. It addresses the desire to fit in as well as young women's desire to feel powerful and does both with a heaping dose of the paranormal. While I understand the goal of the story, the characters are a bit too far over the line of morally gray to be likeable, even if you can sympathize with them, in my opinion.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Blood, Death, Violence, and Murder
Moderate: Toxic friendship and Toxic relationship
Minor: Eating disorder
seawarrior's review against another edition
dark
emotional
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
This was an interesting and exciting story that was reminiscent of Heathers, The Craft, and Jennifer's Body. Becca's newfound friendship with the Squad gives her the sense of belonging she's always craved, but at a price. Before long her hunger and her power begins to spin out of control, leading her to question how far she's willing to go to sate it, and if her Alpha really possesses the judgement necessary to protect the group.
The plot went off into directions I didn't see coming and ended with a darker twist than what I had expected from a young adult book. Becca's world is definitely grisly, she and her friends spend one night a month baiting themselves for predators, and tackling their cognitive dissonance when they consume someone they're not certain was deserving of a death sentence. Additionally, Becca is dealing with internalized shame from being sapphic and having been humiliatingly rejected in the past. Varied experiences of victimization, victimhood, vengeance and how to go on living with them are displayed throughout the narrative, with each girl having their own perspective on their bloodthirsty secret, which begin to splinter into disillusionment.
I really enjoyed the art for this book too, it was dynamic and full of expression, supplying additional meaning in some scenes where words weren't used. For the most part I felt the panels were paced well, giving the story almost a cinematic effect, though they were some instances where I couldn't follow what was meant to be happening on the page. Overall I would recommend this story to others who feel they can handle the subject matter. I was pleasantly surprised by its fresh depiction of werewolf lore and plot that continued to complicate itself.
The plot went off into directions I didn't see coming and ended with a darker twist than what I had expected from a young adult book. Becca's world is definitely grisly, she and her friends spend one night a month baiting themselves for predators, and tackling their cognitive dissonance when they consume someone they're not certain was deserving of a death sentence. Additionally, Becca is dealing with internalized shame from being sapphic and having been humiliatingly rejected in the past. Varied experiences of victimization, victimhood, vengeance and how to go on living with them are displayed throughout the narrative, with each girl having their own perspective on their bloodthirsty secret, which begin to splinter into disillusionment.
I really enjoyed the art for this book too, it was dynamic and full of expression, supplying additional meaning in some scenes where words weren't used. For the most part I felt the panels were paced well, giving the story almost a cinematic effect, though they were some instances where I couldn't follow what was meant to be happening on the page. Overall I would recommend this story to others who feel they can handle the subject matter. I was pleasantly surprised by its fresh depiction of werewolf lore and plot that continued to complicate itself.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Alcohol, Blood, Cannibalism, Death, Gore, Infidelity, Injury/Injury detail, Lesbophobia, Misogyny, Sexual harassment, Toxic friendship, Toxic relationship, and Violence
More...