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3.45 AVERAGE
3.45 AVERAGE
dark
mysterious
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
2.5 stars. I liked the ending twist but I wasn't a fan of the writing. None of the characters were likeable or realistic. The main character is very annoying.
!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
oh damn all those tiny clues
oh damn all those tiny clues
I've had my eyes on this book for months, but settled on waiting to read it after Christmas. That said, I have a very mixed opinion.
Greer MacDonald has just been accepted into the prestigious and medieval, St. Aidan The Great School, otherwise known as 'S.T.A.G.S.' The school is ancient, tracing back hundreds of years. The school is also peculiar. But most peculiar are the students known as 'Medievals' who control the school. No Phones, no computers, nor any other type of 'savage' technology. That's the difference between Greer and the Medievals. She's a savage. She doesn't have their class, nor the know-how to fake it. So it comes as a surprise when she is invited to a good 'ol weekend of Huntin' Shootin' Fishin' with the Medievals.
What starts as the beginning to social elevation for Greer ends in the most dangerous and demeaning event of her life.
My Thoughts: Possible Spoilers
Plot:
The plot is straight forward. Girl invited to the home of the 'cool kids' (in this case, 'cool, wealthy, and in good social standing dating back centuries) and things go awry. What seems to be a moment of acceptance turns into cruel hazing or even worse. My problem with the plot is that it goes from exciting and nerve-wracking to, while not wholly predictable, not necessarily surprising.
I do appreciate thatthe characters are not killed immediately. I truly expected the killings to begin right off the cuff. With Chanel, then Shafeem, leaving Greer in Fishin'. This did leave me scratching my head as I could not predict what would happen since I was banking on it following the classic 'and then there were none' countdown. And it also wouldn't work to have Chanel die and then everyone continue forward in the next day of sports.
But midway into the story, reading was a bit of a chore. Not that it was necessarily boring. But I was pretty sure of what was happening. What kept me going was the murder that Greer has been speaking about since chapter one. We know who it is but I was scrambling to figure out how it occurs. But the end of the weekend infuriated me to now end.
Simply put,Greer lied. Henry wasn't murdered. I understand her reasoning but only to a certain extent. That's why it was so frustrating. They were holding Henry accountable for attempted murder. Henry knew he was cornered and made his decision. A decision for which they are not liable, especially in the context that they were literally prey being hunted. What they did was self-defense. They were just.
Their decision to keep quiet about the history of Huntin' Shootin' Fishin' is also frustrating. I'm glad Bennett added the fear partially of not being believed or of being targeted afterwards. But that legitimate reasoning was used as padding for the main reasoning: that there's 'no point heaping disgrace on the family just to make ourselves feel better.' Ludacris.
Especially in context that some murders/attacks were racially motivated. Why is the reputation of a privileged white boy prioritized over the death/injury of the African boy? Over the humiliation and shame of Shafeem's father, or Shafeem himself?
What about the countless non-racially motivated attacks? The people invited were invited due to their 'otherness.' It could be anything ranging from race, to being poor, or not having 'the right money.' But it should be let go because Henry's mother 'deserves to keep the dignity of her son'? Given the context that this entire event works to reestablish the racist and classist power dynamic between 'Medievals' and 'Savages', this reasoning is deplorable.
The problematic reasoning simmers as we reach the very end and enter 'STAGS II.' And it becomes clear that the problematic reasoning mainly functions so we can have a sequel. Withoutreporting the event, the characters are allowed to return to STAGS as if nothing happened. This gives the author the opportunity to string together the set-up to a sequel.
Characters:
Greer MacDonald is a bit of a conundrum for me. She is presented as nice but at times thinks things (Story is in her POV) that I find judgmental and rude. For example,She refers to Perfect as stupid for counting the shot pheasants aloud and refers to his wife, Betty, as a 'stupid cow' multiple times She is still a likeable character in the way most YA MC's tend to be.
Also, I understand her interest in Henry. After all, the world seems to revolve around him. He's handsome and charming, even 'prince-like'. But as the story goes on, the charm should reasonably be broken. I say this asthere is enough suspicions and sufficient evidence to the contrary especially after Shafeem is shot . I will give Greer the benefit of the doubt, after all, the Medievals are cunning. Butwhen Greer turns back on their plans during the Fishin' act, it was unconvincing. For Greer to reasonably be won over again by Henry, he would have to charm her with a renewed finesse. As the saying goes, 'Fool me once, shame on you. Fool me twice, shame on me.'
But I found his charm was very similar to the 'stag shooting' scene. So this change of heart (despite Shafeem seeing Henry with the smoking gun, despite learning of the seeds planted in the jacket, despite Greer herself seeing Shafeem's name entered in the book) only works entirely to advance the plot. In reality, this actually deters the plot. The audience is halted, then made to wait for Greer to realize she was in fact right all along, then have Shafeem and Chanel rescue her with an amended plan. And she was emotionally vulnerable to Henry's (and the other Medievals') brand of attention, but this disengaged me from the story as I saw the author behind the scenes.
Prose:
The prose was, in my opinion, the best aspect of the story. It was not outstandingly poetic but it easily painted the scenes. I could visualize S.T.A.G.S. and Longcross and feel the textures of the bedspreads and clothing. I could taste the food and smell it. Also, it was uncluttered and easy to read.
My Conclusion:
If not for the problems I mentioned above, I would have given this a 4 star rating. But as of right now, I will assign this a three: Enjoyable. More good than bad.
Greer MacDonald has just been accepted into the prestigious and medieval, St. Aidan The Great School, otherwise known as 'S.T.A.G.S.' The school is ancient, tracing back hundreds of years. The school is also peculiar. But most peculiar are the students known as 'Medievals' who control the school. No Phones, no computers, nor any other type of 'savage' technology. That's the difference between Greer and the Medievals. She's a savage. She doesn't have their class, nor the know-how to fake it. So it comes as a surprise when she is invited to a good 'ol weekend of Huntin' Shootin' Fishin' with the Medievals.
What starts as the beginning to social elevation for Greer ends in the most dangerous and demeaning event of her life.
My Thoughts: Possible Spoilers
Plot:
The plot is straight forward. Girl invited to the home of the 'cool kids' (in this case, 'cool, wealthy, and in good social standing dating back centuries) and things go awry. What seems to be a moment of acceptance turns into cruel hazing or even worse. My problem with the plot is that it goes from exciting and nerve-wracking to, while not wholly predictable, not necessarily surprising.
I do appreciate that
But midway into the story, reading was a bit of a chore. Not that it was necessarily boring. But I was pretty sure of what was happening. What kept me going was the murder that Greer has been speaking about since chapter one. We know who it is but I was scrambling to figure out how it occurs. But the end of the weekend infuriated me to now end.
Simply put,
Their decision to keep quiet about the history of Huntin' Shootin' Fishin' is also frustrating. I'm glad Bennett added the fear partially of not being believed or of being targeted afterwards. But that legitimate reasoning was used as padding for the main reasoning: that there's 'no point heaping disgrace on the family just to make ourselves feel better.' Ludacris.
Especially in context that some murders/attacks were racially motivated. Why is the reputation of a privileged white boy prioritized over the death/injury of the African boy? Over the humiliation and shame of Shafeem's father, or Shafeem himself?
What about the countless non-racially motivated attacks? The people invited were invited due to their 'otherness.' It could be anything ranging from race, to being poor, or not having 'the right money.' But it should be let go because Henry's mother 'deserves to keep the dignity of her son'? Given the context that this entire event works to reestablish the racist and classist power dynamic between 'Medievals' and 'Savages', this reasoning is deplorable.
The problematic reasoning simmers as we reach the very end and enter 'STAGS II.' And it becomes clear that the problematic reasoning mainly functions so we can have a sequel. Without
Characters:
Greer MacDonald is a bit of a conundrum for me. She is presented as nice but at times thinks things (Story is in her POV) that I find judgmental and rude. For example,
Also, I understand her interest in Henry. After all, the world seems to revolve around him. He's handsome and charming, even 'prince-like'. But as the story goes on, the charm should reasonably be broken. I say this as
But I found his charm was very similar to the 'stag shooting' scene. So this change of heart (despite Shafeem seeing Henry with the smoking gun, despite learning of the seeds planted in the jacket, despite Greer herself seeing Shafeem's name entered in the book) only works entirely to advance the plot. In reality, this actually deters the plot. The audience is halted, then made to wait for Greer to realize she was in fact right all along, then have Shafeem and Chanel rescue her with an amended plan.
Prose:
The prose was, in my opinion, the best aspect of the story. It was not outstandingly poetic but it easily painted the scenes. I could visualize S.T.A.G.S. and Longcross and feel the textures of the bedspreads and clothing. I could taste the food and smell it. Also, it was uncluttered and easy to read.
My Conclusion:
If not for the problems I mentioned above, I would have given this a 4 star rating. But as of right now, I will assign this a three: Enjoyable. More good than bad.
completely underrated as a YA thriller and easily one of my favourites. i'm immediately attracted to any "working class protagonist discovers the fucked up lives of the rich" plot, and pairing that with a clever dramatic reveal feels perfect. the writing is also really witty - there's a few lines that i always find myself laughing at. we as a society need to put more respect on the S.T.A.G.S name.
have to preface this by saying i haven't rated this five stars for the writing because that's pretty mediocre. i've rated it five stars because i devoured it in a few hours and it had me completely Hooked, had my heart racing at certain points and resulted in me hitting myself on the forehead with the book multiple times as soon as i'd finished while saying what the fuck over and over
Truly devious fans you need to read this, the boarding school, the outcast friend group, the mystery with an added factor of creepy and first person pov. This book is fantastic. Mystery. Creepy. Plot. Rich elite boarding school vibes. I can't say anymore without spoiling but PLEASE it's so good! It'll get you out of a reading slump!!
3.5/5 sterren. Leest lekker vlot, vrij spannend, bepaalde dingen waren wel erg voorspelbaar, maar dat einde... Mijn recensie verschijnt zondag op mijn blog!
I finished this book in a day. Not because it was addictive, but because I'm really unwell and challenged myself to finish a book in 24 hours!
I am revelling in my minor accomplishment right now hehe.
So, this book is not even mildly filled with the twists and turns I was promised. The writing was repetitive, but at times very good. Our three main protagonists were great, although the continuous reference to the brown MC as 'Prince Caspian', 'Aladdin', 'Tiger Prince' and 'King of India' was very annoying.
Token POC character? CHECK.
TAlso, the story was soooooo predictable. Like there was literally nothing to make this book stand out. The beginning was really good- I got ALL the dark academia vibes, but then it plummeted so badly! This is literally a washed down version of a the classic boarding school mystery.
Overall, boring. Don't waste your time.
UPDATE: i forgot to mention too that while i enjoyed the mc's pov, the amount of film references she makes made me want to dash this book out my window. Literally at least twice on a page she'll reference her current situation to a movie. At first I liked it, then it got SO ANNOYING. So if you want to read a meh mystery but want to get a lot of recommendations for movies to check out, maybe read this?
I am revelling in my minor accomplishment right now hehe.
So, this book is not even mildly filled with the twists and turns I was promised. The writing was repetitive, but at times very good. Our three main protagonists were great, although the continuous reference to the brown MC as 'Prince Caspian', 'Aladdin', 'Tiger Prince' and 'King of India' was very annoying.
Token POC character? CHECK.
TAlso, the story was soooooo predictable. Like there was literally nothing to make this book stand out. The beginning was really good- I got ALL the dark academia vibes, but then it plummeted so badly! This is literally a washed down version of a the classic boarding school mystery.
Overall, boring. Don't waste your time.
UPDATE: i forgot to mention too that while i enjoyed the mc's pov, the amount of film references she makes made me want to dash this book out my window. Literally at least twice on a page she'll reference her current situation to a movie. At first I liked it, then it got SO ANNOYING. So if you want to read a meh mystery but want to get a lot of recommendations for movies to check out, maybe read this?
Heel tof, maar ik zag alles aankomen. Binnenkort mijn recensie.
i just have one thing to say: These White Men Are Dangerous