Scan barcode
katykelly's review against another edition
4.0
Running Man, Hard Target - human hunting now hits schools
A school of privilege, and one in which the wealthiest invite 'lesser' classmates home for the weekend, to be targeted in blood sports. Many films have used similar themes - Battle Royale and Series 7 The Contenders as a sign of a weakening, immoral society, as well as those mentioned above. It's a concept that shocks but also fascinates - who would hunt a fellow human?
At STAG (St Aidan the Great) Boarding School, Greer is a scholarship girl, the only student without money at a highly privileged and ancient institution run by monks. Invited to a fellow sixth former's ancestral home one weekend with fellow misfits, she is put to the test as she begins to suspect her host and his friends of using them as sport.
It moved quickly, but I was a little disappointed in the danger the threesome were put in - rather convenient escapes and near misses, it never had the feeling of 'The Wicker Man' when everyone turns on the victim and you fear for their lives. The final twist isn't too much of a surprise, though I did enjoy the reasoning behind the whole scheme.
Greer herself benefits (to my film fan mind) from a quirky love of films, seeing significant events as key moments in films and telling us what she is reminded of. Personally, I loved these references though I can imagine that not all readers will recognise the references.
Enjoyable enough, not really any surprises but a few elements that make it memorable. Would transfer well to the screen.
With thanks to Netgalley for the advance reading copy.
A school of privilege, and one in which the wealthiest invite 'lesser' classmates home for the weekend, to be targeted in blood sports. Many films have used similar themes - Battle Royale and Series 7 The Contenders as a sign of a weakening, immoral society, as well as those mentioned above. It's a concept that shocks but also fascinates - who would hunt a fellow human?
At STAG (St Aidan the Great) Boarding School, Greer is a scholarship girl, the only student without money at a highly privileged and ancient institution run by monks. Invited to a fellow sixth former's ancestral home one weekend with fellow misfits, she is put to the test as she begins to suspect her host and his friends of using them as sport.
It moved quickly, but I was a little disappointed in the danger the threesome were put in - rather convenient escapes and near misses, it never had the feeling of 'The Wicker Man' when everyone turns on the victim and you fear for their lives. The final twist isn't too much of a surprise, though I did enjoy the reasoning behind the whole scheme.
Greer herself benefits (to my film fan mind) from a quirky love of films, seeing significant events as key moments in films and telling us what she is reminded of. Personally, I loved these references though I can imagine that not all readers will recognise the references.
Enjoyable enough, not really any surprises but a few elements that make it memorable. Would transfer well to the screen.
With thanks to Netgalley for the advance reading copy.
waitaminuteash's review against another edition
1.0
I really want to say something good about this book... I had high expectations after reading the reviews and being recommended by a friend, but the book barely met any of them.
For one, the writing isn't what I expected, with so many "kind of" and "sort of" thrown into almost every sentence. I also did not expect the book to have any POC, but there was Shafeen and as a POC myself, I feel like he was unnecessary to the plot. He was necessary as a character, but there was no reason for him to be a POC if his entire purpose in the book was for the other characters to be racist towards him. I think the author wanted to add diversity to a book full of White characters, but they executed it badly. There were a lot of mentions of his "dark skin" and the whole "jungle book Indian" stereotype.
The main character was very very annoying with her "I'm not a feminist because I want to look nice" narrative. She has truly been one of the most annoying main characters I've ever seen in a book (including Wattpad stories).
I only like Chanel in this book if I'm being honest. Chanel and Shafeen should have been the only ones to survive at the end of the story.
I wish Greer fell off the waterfall with Henry.
definitely would not recommend it. There are books on Wattpad with less annoying characters and better writing.
For one, the writing isn't what I expected, with so many "kind of" and "sort of" thrown into almost every sentence. I also did not expect the book to have any POC, but there was Shafeen and as a POC myself, I feel like he was unnecessary to the plot. He was necessary as a character, but there was no reason for him to be a POC if his entire purpose in the book was for the other characters to be racist towards him. I think the author wanted to add diversity to a book full of White characters, but they executed it badly. There were a lot of mentions of his "dark skin" and the whole "jungle book Indian" stereotype.
The main character was very very annoying with her "I'm not a feminist because I want to look nice" narrative. She has truly been one of the most annoying main characters I've ever seen in a book (including Wattpad stories).
I only like Chanel in this book if I'm being honest. Chanel and Shafeen should have been the only ones to survive at the end of the story.
I wish Greer fell off the waterfall with Henry.
definitely would not recommend it. There are books on Wattpad with less annoying characters and better writing.
stjehanne's review against another edition
2.0
Predictable and very on-the-nose. This book obviously tries to comment on social hierarchies and their implications but does so without any nuance or depth.
Characters are as flat as they can be, which results in them being quite comical. Basically, the entire cast consists of caricatures.
Greer also has this rather unfortunate gimmick that forces her to constantly compare the events around her to random films. It’s cute the first couple of times but when she starts ranting about some mediocre movie while something actually tense and interesting is supposed to happen, you learn to hate it quite quickly.
Characters are as flat as they can be, which results in them being quite comical. Basically, the entire cast consists of caricatures.
Greer also has this rather unfortunate gimmick that forces her to constantly compare the events around her to random films. It’s cute the first couple of times but when she starts ranting about some mediocre movie while something actually tense and interesting is supposed to happen, you learn to hate it quite quickly.
the_reading_vampire's review against another edition
dark
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
4.0
siri1's review against another edition
dark
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.5
annettebooksofhopeanddreams's review against another edition
3.0
Dit is op alle fronten een typisch drie sterren boek en toch heeft het een bepaald verslavend gehalte, waardoor ik het toch niet kon laten het boek thuis nog even snel uit te lezen. En op zich is dat ook wel weer een kwaliteit. Ik kan me voorstellen dat het zeker als zomerread, als je toch iets lekker luchtigs wil, niet te zwaar, niet te diep en niet te ingewikkeld, bij veel mensen toch wel in de smaak gaat vallen. (En dat was een hoop keer toch in één alinea)
Want dat is wel een beetje wat dit boek is. Het is niet te zwaar. Ondanks het feit dat het een thriller is, wordt het gevaar eigenlijk nauwelijks echt voelbaar, mede omdat de afloop van het verhaal al vrij vroeg wordt weggegeven en het vooral een kwestie is van lezen hoe het zover heeft kunnen komen en wat er nu eigenlijk precies gebeurd is. Maar het is geen nachtmerrie materiaal. Verre van zelfs.
Ook de karakters worden nergens echt goed uitgewerkt. We weten van alle karakters wel wat hun vaders voor baan hebben en waar ze wonen, maar ik durf niet echt te zeggen dat ik ook hun persoonlijkheden ken. Misschien is het de kostschool, maar de karakters lijken toch net iets te veel op elkaar, als je het mij vraagt.
En het is ook geen gelaagd kunstwerkje met allerlei twisten en plotwendingen die je niet aan ziet komen. Het is allemaal nogal vrij voorspelbaar en rechtlijnig.
Maar zoals al gezegd, het leest wel ongelooflijk lekker weg. Het is vlot geschreven, het taalgebruik past bij de karakters en wordt in dat opzicht ook nog wel goed gebruikt. En ondanks het feit dat het spanning mist en diepgang, is het wel verslavend. Ik wilde op een bepaald moment weten wat er precies gebeurd was ook. Dat viel dan weer een klein beetje tegen, maar vooruit.
Zoals ik al zei. Een typisch drie sterren boek. En wie heeft daar op zijn tijd niet gewoon even zin in?
Want dat is wel een beetje wat dit boek is. Het is niet te zwaar. Ondanks het feit dat het een thriller is, wordt het gevaar eigenlijk nauwelijks echt voelbaar, mede omdat de afloop van het verhaal al vrij vroeg wordt weggegeven en het vooral een kwestie is van lezen hoe het zover heeft kunnen komen en wat er nu eigenlijk precies gebeurd is. Maar het is geen nachtmerrie materiaal. Verre van zelfs.
Ook de karakters worden nergens echt goed uitgewerkt. We weten van alle karakters wel wat hun vaders voor baan hebben en waar ze wonen, maar ik durf niet echt te zeggen dat ik ook hun persoonlijkheden ken. Misschien is het de kostschool, maar de karakters lijken toch net iets te veel op elkaar, als je het mij vraagt.
En het is ook geen gelaagd kunstwerkje met allerlei twisten en plotwendingen die je niet aan ziet komen. Het is allemaal nogal vrij voorspelbaar en rechtlijnig.
Maar zoals al gezegd, het leest wel ongelooflijk lekker weg. Het is vlot geschreven, het taalgebruik past bij de karakters en wordt in dat opzicht ook nog wel goed gebruikt. En ondanks het feit dat het spanning mist en diepgang, is het wel verslavend. Ik wilde op een bepaald moment weten wat er precies gebeurd was ook. Dat viel dan weer een klein beetje tegen, maar vooruit.
Zoals ik al zei. Een typisch drie sterren boek. En wie heeft daar op zijn tijd niet gewoon even zin in?
pandotter's review against another edition
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
Knowing the blurb of the book felt to me like knowing 85% of the whole book and I was left waiting for the plot to start. The author seemed to know that since she kept leaving foreshadowing as to what would happen ("but that would not be the end of it" "and yet it was about to get worse") which felt to me like a cheap way to keep the reader interested, even though there is no real tension either since it's established in the first (or maybe second) chapter that the three protagonists survive. Finally, I understand the concept of guilt but saying throughout the whole book that the protagonist is "a murderer" is a straight up lie and I was left feeling cheated by the ending.
I'm aware that this is the first of a series, but it should not be an excuse for it to feel like a cheap introduction to a real story.
I'm aware that this is the first of a series, but it should not be an excuse for it to feel like a cheap introduction to a real story.
hroszczyk's review against another edition
3.0
Fun, quick YA read that manages to combine vibes of Secret History, Downton Abbey, and Hunger Games into one. Cliffhanger-ish ending was enticing and I’ll probably pick up the second at some point.
siantaylor27's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
informative
mysterious
reflective
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.0
Content Warnings
Minor: Suicide