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3.45 AVERAGE
3.45 AVERAGE
3 stars.
S.T.A.G.S is a novel following the invitation of three misfits at an upper-class boarding school known as STAGS to the home of the leader of the most popular group in school; the Medievals. The three misfits are promised a weekend of huntin', shootin' and fishin' and a chance to be accepted into the Medievals but this weekend is more sinister than it seems. A Greer-esque comment would be to call the novel 'Get Out' without the black people.
What I Liked:
- The premise. It is one of my guilty pleasures to read about rich and important teens at school, especially the teens that get blood-thirsty because they believe they're above the law.
- Shafeen. He was honestly my favourite character; he was brave, he was sweet and he wasn't fawning all over the place like a dolt, he was the only intelligent one in the novel.
- The one and only good thing about the writing was that it was fast-paced, so it never got boring. I read the book in a day.
- The ending. OH MY GOD, the ending was the best part of this book, it bumped my rating from 2 stars to 3.
What I Didn't Like:
- The writing style was lazy. I liked the analogies and symbolism but it was obvious, you didn't have to search the text for anything. I really like reading a book and thinking 'oh that's why the author put that in there' or 'described it this way' when you finish, but you don't have to worry about that at all with this book. My second criticism, we'll come to why I disliked Greer in a sec but, half her personality was describing the setting by comparing it to movies in EVERY OTHER SENTENCE. This for one just felt like a way for the author to get out of describing the setting and came across very lazy.
- Greer's personality. So, Greer isn't as bad as some protagonists I've read about, she wasn't really developed but she didn't need to be because it wasn't about her growing as a person, however the parts that did shine through of her personality I didn't like. The fact she compared everything, from her feelings to the settings to movies pissed me right off, yeah okay do it once or twice to show she's a fan, but in every other sentence, it started to get on my nerves. Secondly, and I hate this in people too, was her pseudo-feminism, why do so many girls including Greer believe they can't be feminists if they like a guy? Why do they believe they have to be non-feminine, man hating and emotionless to be a TRUE feminist?
Now I normally finish with favorite quotes, but there wasn't a lot because the writing was so poor, so here is the one I like at the end:
To conclude, this book wasn't anything special but it wasn't bad either. If there was a sequel I'd probably read it.
- Much Love
S.T.A.G.S is a novel following the invitation of three misfits at an upper-class boarding school known as STAGS to the home of the leader of the most popular group in school; the Medievals. The three misfits are promised a weekend of huntin', shootin' and fishin' and a chance to be accepted into the Medievals but this weekend is more sinister than it seems. A Greer-esque comment would be to call the novel 'Get Out' without the black people.
What I Liked:
- The premise. It is one of my guilty pleasures to read about rich and important teens at school, especially the teens that get blood-thirsty because they believe they're above the law.
- Shafeen. He was honestly my favourite character; he was brave, he was sweet and he wasn't fawning all over the place like a dolt, he was the only intelligent one in the novel.
- The one and only good thing about the writing was that it was fast-paced, so it never got boring. I read the book in a day.
- The ending. OH MY GOD, the ending was the best part of this book, it bumped my rating from 2 stars to 3.
Spoiler
I loved the fact it didn't end on a happy note, it was way too easy to disband an organisation like that with one kid's suicide. And, while we'll come to why I hate Greer's movie obsession, I really liked the cliffhanger that they copied from the Sherlock Holmes movie.What I Didn't Like:
- The writing style was lazy. I liked the analogies and symbolism but it was obvious, you didn't have to search the text for anything. I really like reading a book and thinking 'oh that's why the author put that in there' or 'described it this way' when you finish, but you don't have to worry about that at all with this book. My second criticism, we'll come to why I disliked Greer in a sec but, half her personality was describing the setting by comparing it to movies in EVERY OTHER SENTENCE. This for one just felt like a way for the author to get out of describing the setting and came across very lazy.
- Greer's personality. So, Greer isn't as bad as some protagonists I've read about, she wasn't really developed but she didn't need to be because it wasn't about her growing as a person, however the parts that did shine through of her personality I didn't like. The fact she compared everything, from her feelings to the settings to movies pissed me right off, yeah okay do it once or twice to show she's a fan, but in every other sentence, it started to get on my nerves. Secondly, and I hate this in people too, was her pseudo-feminism, why do so many girls including Greer believe they can't be feminists if they like a guy? Why do they believe they have to be non-feminine, man hating and emotionless to be a TRUE feminist?
Now I normally finish with favorite quotes, but there wasn't a lot because the writing was so poor, so here is the one I like at the end:
“Then, his arms flung out like a cross, he tipped back over the lip of the falls.
Suddenly I was back in Paulinus quad, dropping a coin down the medieval well. The coin was falling down and down into the darkness, and I was waiting for it to hit the surface of the water.and the coin falling together. At Conrad’s Force, too, time stretched out to infinity, and the roar of the waterfall was so loud that we couldn’t even hear whenSpoiler
Henryhit the rocks below.”Spoiler
Henry
To conclude, this book wasn't anything special but it wasn't bad either. If there was a sequel I'd probably read it.
- Much Love
dark
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
3 stars.
This book was average. I expected a murderous, young adult mystery and I got a mediocre narrative with touches of blood and secrets. However, there are elements to be commended and I didn't completely hate it.
Greer MacDonald attends S.T.A.G.S - a prestigious and old-fashioned school dominated by the children of Britain's most elite and wealthy families. As one of the school's only scholarship students, Greer is not like her fellow classmates. But when she receives an invitation from the school's most popular boy to a weekend of "Huntin', shootin', fishin'" at his family's estate, she thinks she is finally becoming accepted. What she doesn't know is that the weekend is much more than just fun and games.
My main issue with S.T.A.G.S was the narration. The voice of Bennett’s protagonist, Greer, was no where near the standard I am used to reading in the young adult genre. I appreciate the author’s efforts to include some examples of British slang – which she does relatively successfully, without making the writing cringey or at risk of becoming outdated – but aside from this, Greer’s voice is pretty plain. On the verge of boring, really. With the novel told in first person I found it difficult to forget the simplicity of her character, even when the story itself was at its most exciting point. When compared to the likes of Charlie from Perks or Katniss, Greer is overwhelmingly forgettable which ultimately puts the whole novel at risk of being forgotten, too.
It is mentioned very early on in the book that readers can anticipate a murder in the upcoming recount of events. I wasn’t sure how I felt about this early revelation – it was as if the book was spoiling itself – but I was soon grateful for the hook when I entered the middle section of S.T.A.G.S. which was painfully slow. Greer enters the world of her old-money-rich schoolmates which is unlike anything she, or I, have ever seen, but I was bored. The twisted ‘incidents’ which supposedly tie the narrative together were mere pin pricks compared to the disasters that they could have been. I know a sense of mystery and disbelief must remain, but I wanted more reactions from Greer and more consequences. The only thing which kept me reading was the aforementioned murder which I knew was approaching, so I suppose Bennett must be credited for making the decision to write the novel with a retrospective tone in order to maintain interest.
The ending of S.T.A.G.S. was much more enjoyable than I perhaps expected given the dry sections which came before it. I thought that the way everything came together was clever, and the added twists were both necessary and well thought-through. As far as endings go, this one was pretty good and provided adequate secrets and revelations needed to label this book as a mystery.
I’ve just learnt that there is a sequel to this book, and whilst I can’t say I’ll be rushing to get hold of it any time soon, I won’t completely avoid it either. Especially after that ending (which can be read by itself perfectly well) I would like to know what could come next…
This book was average. I expected a murderous, young adult mystery and I got a mediocre narrative with touches of blood and secrets. However, there are elements to be commended and I didn't completely hate it.
Greer MacDonald attends S.T.A.G.S - a prestigious and old-fashioned school dominated by the children of Britain's most elite and wealthy families. As one of the school's only scholarship students, Greer is not like her fellow classmates. But when she receives an invitation from the school's most popular boy to a weekend of "Huntin', shootin', fishin'" at his family's estate, she thinks she is finally becoming accepted. What she doesn't know is that the weekend is much more than just fun and games.
My main issue with S.T.A.G.S was the narration. The voice of Bennett’s protagonist, Greer, was no where near the standard I am used to reading in the young adult genre. I appreciate the author’s efforts to include some examples of British slang – which she does relatively successfully, without making the writing cringey or at risk of becoming outdated – but aside from this, Greer’s voice is pretty plain. On the verge of boring, really. With the novel told in first person I found it difficult to forget the simplicity of her character, even when the story itself was at its most exciting point. When compared to the likes of Charlie from Perks or Katniss, Greer is overwhelmingly forgettable which ultimately puts the whole novel at risk of being forgotten, too.
It is mentioned very early on in the book that readers can anticipate a murder in the upcoming recount of events. I wasn’t sure how I felt about this early revelation – it was as if the book was spoiling itself – but I was soon grateful for the hook when I entered the middle section of S.T.A.G.S. which was painfully slow. Greer enters the world of her old-money-rich schoolmates which is unlike anything she, or I, have ever seen, but I was bored. The twisted ‘incidents’ which supposedly tie the narrative together were mere pin pricks compared to the disasters that they could have been. I know a sense of mystery and disbelief must remain, but I wanted more reactions from Greer and more consequences. The only thing which kept me reading was the aforementioned murder which I knew was approaching, so I suppose Bennett must be credited for making the decision to write the novel with a retrospective tone in order to maintain interest.
The ending of S.T.A.G.S. was much more enjoyable than I perhaps expected given the dry sections which came before it. I thought that the way everything came together was clever, and the added twists were both necessary and well thought-through. As far as endings go, this one was pretty good and provided adequate secrets and revelations needed to label this book as a mystery.
I’ve just learnt that there is a sequel to this book, and whilst I can’t say I’ll be rushing to get hold of it any time soon, I won’t completely avoid it either. Especially after that ending (which can be read by itself perfectly well) I would like to know what could come next…
Where was the suspense?!!!!!!!!!
Very annoyed 🙄
This really deserves 2 stars but I'm too nice.
Very annoyed 🙄
This really deserves 2 stars but I'm too nice.
Do you love stories of obnoxiously rich over privileged people? Are you a sucker for a boarding school story? And do you like your books a little bit dark? Then you'll love S.T.A.G.S.
The first thing you find out is that our narrator is a murderer. And the story unfolds from there. The S.T.A.G.S in question are students at the oldest boarding school in England, all hair flicks and Barbour jackets. When scholarship student Greer is invited for a weekend huntin' shootin' and fishin', she thinks this is her opportunity to finally fit in. But (obviously), things start to go awry...
This is a great fun and very creepy book, perfect for fans of Gossip Girl and One of Us Is Lying.
The first thing you find out is that our narrator is a murderer. And the story unfolds from there. The S.T.A.G.S in question are students at the oldest boarding school in England, all hair flicks and Barbour jackets. When scholarship student Greer is invited for a weekend huntin' shootin' and fishin', she thinks this is her opportunity to finally fit in. But (obviously), things start to go awry...
This is a great fun and very creepy book, perfect for fans of Gossip Girl and One of Us Is Lying.
Huntin'
Shootin'
Fishin'
Nine Students. Three blood sports. One deadly weekend.
STAGS is a YA thriller set in rural england, which zones in on the higher classes and their treatment of those who do not fit into the standard old money mold.
Sounds great. Right?
And it is good. But there were some issues which kept me from enjoying the book to it's fullest.
Greer Macdonald - our protagonist - is at both times hesitant and naive. And not in a good way. She is the standard pick me girl of YA fiction, one who claims to be a "buzzfeed feminist" who seems to be totally self serving and a little narcissistic.
Henry - the main main, has two sides to him that seem not to gel together at all. It's like the author is describing two separate people, which is jarring in parts.
In addition, there are some minor issues with print. In that once a bracket didn't close and that annoyed me immensely.
But!!! All this aside, it's really fun. I couldn't put it down. Despite Greers narrative being close to unbearable at parts, the story was so compelling. Despite my reluctance, I will read the others in the series.
I think this novel reminded me a bit of the Elites TV series on Netflix. Same premise, different execution. So read this if you like that!
Shootin'
Fishin'
Nine Students. Three blood sports. One deadly weekend.
STAGS is a YA thriller set in rural england, which zones in on the higher classes and their treatment of those who do not fit into the standard old money mold.
Sounds great. Right?
And it is good. But there were some issues which kept me from enjoying the book to it's fullest.
Greer Macdonald - our protagonist - is at both times hesitant and naive. And not in a good way. She is the standard pick me girl of YA fiction, one who claims to be a "buzzfeed feminist" who seems to be totally self serving and a little narcissistic.
Henry - the main main, has two sides to him that seem not to gel together at all. It's like the author is describing two separate people, which is jarring in parts.
In addition, there are some minor issues with print. In that once a bracket didn't close and that annoyed me immensely.
But!!! All this aside, it's really fun. I couldn't put it down. Despite Greers narrative being close to unbearable at parts, the story was so compelling. Despite my reluctance, I will read the others in the series.
I think this novel reminded me a bit of the Elites TV series on Netflix. Same premise, different execution. So read this if you like that!
dark
mysterious
fast-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:
Yes