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3.45 AVERAGE
3.45 AVERAGE
I wasn’t expecting to like this at all. Early on, we are told the main character has a fairly unique ability that contributed to her getting into S.T.A.G.S. I did wonder if this would come back later as a bit of a McGuffin, but brilliantly sometimes characters are just allowed a bit of development! It highlights how cliques can ostracise anyone a little bit different for either being new money, the wrong type of old money, accent, skin colour or just because. That’s the very obvious top note. Privilege and money vs “the poor”. I don’t want to go into too much else in case you haven’t read it! I went from “not sure it’s my thing” to “glad there’s a sequel coming”.
I am going to start with the fact that this isnt your run-of-the-mill thriller. You start off knowing there was a “murder” and who the “murderer” is. I’ve put these in quotation marks because its debatable whether it could actually be classed as murder. However knowing this doesn’t ruin the story, the fun part is reading about how they got there.
I have seen a lot of mixed reviews for this book, but I thoroughly enjoyed it. It is a dark, fun read that intrigued me from the start.
The characters are well thought out, we have our group of misfits that are invited to the country manor of Henry de Warlencourt, the leader of ‘The Medievals’. The Medievals are unofficial leaders of the school, these are the wealthiest kids in the school. They’re pretty much clones and hard to tell apart most of the time, this is essential to the story.
The author has has done a fantastic job with the story line, the amount of twists left me reeling. Although it is quite obvious who is going to die, the story and all the plot twists are entertaining to say the least. The ending of this book is the best! I’m really hoping that there is a sequel!!
The only issue I had with the book though is the reason The Medievals conduct the “Huntin’, Shootin’, Fishin’” weekend. Honestly I probably would have preferred it if the reasoning was that they were just rich privileged kids.
This is a brilliant book with an intriguing story line. I would love to see this turned into a movie!!
Massive thanks to the author and Allen & Unwin for providing me with a copy of this book. This has not affected my view or opinions in any way.
I have seen a lot of mixed reviews for this book, but I thoroughly enjoyed it. It is a dark, fun read that intrigued me from the start.
The characters are well thought out, we have our group of misfits that are invited to the country manor of Henry de Warlencourt, the leader of ‘The Medievals’. The Medievals are unofficial leaders of the school, these are the wealthiest kids in the school. They’re pretty much clones and hard to tell apart most of the time, this is essential to the story.
The author has has done a fantastic job with the story line, the amount of twists left me reeling. Although it is quite obvious who is going to die, the story and all the plot twists are entertaining to say the least. The ending of this book is the best! I’m really hoping that there is a sequel!!
The only issue I had with the book though is the reason The Medievals conduct the “Huntin’, Shootin’, Fishin’” weekend. Honestly I probably would have preferred it if the reasoning was that they were just rich privileged kids.
This is a brilliant book with an intriguing story line. I would love to see this turned into a movie!!
Massive thanks to the author and Allen & Unwin for providing me with a copy of this book. This has not affected my view or opinions in any way.
Pass. Nothing riveting about this book (and it's about rich British people which is usually my cup of tea). I didn't really care about any of the characters. The main character is a cinophile and constantly references movies which I found annoying because most of the movies I hadn't seen and did not help me to better imagine the scenario.
I had an immense amount of fun with this book. It had just the right amount of thrill and suspense to keep you on your toes!
I enjoyed Greer as a narrator and MC in this book. She was quirky and intuitive. She was also foolish and at one point I really want to knock her outside of the head. But she redeems herself! I absolutely loved that she brought up references to the films she and her dad loved to watch and how she inserts her personality and likes into the narration of the story. It really showed off her nerdy and quirky self and her grand ability to make connections and put two and two together!
I also loved Shafeen! Although he is not in most parts of the story, he is still very much a present. And when he is there, he is there. Every word that came out of his mouth, priceless. Every move he made turned tables.
The Medievals a.k.a the white, rich (psycho) kids who brought down their wrath on the previous characters mentioned. I wasn’t thinking of mentioning them because I really hated them, so let’s just say I enjoyed hating them very much.
It was a very bloody book in that Huntin’ Shootin’ Fishin’ fostered danger, elevated the stakes and made the characters act in ways that were feral and wild. I really enjoyed the twist of the games and how they brought characters together and wreaked havoc too.
Greer was retelling the story to us. It’s that kind of thriller, where the reader goes in and they are given this mini-introduction, so they have a foggy idea of how the book is going to end or where the direction of the story it headed. I especially loved it when Greer would add in her own little comments about what was happening and how she should have acted differently.
What really struck me about this world though, was experiencing the consequences of the power and privilege bestowed upon these teenagers that were almost lethal. They controlled everything and everyone. They got away with everything they did. And it’s not a far fact from how it is in real life. How far money and power can take you. How much money rules the world and the extent to which it can bend the will of a person. Scary stuff.
And the ending.....WOW
Just one tiny problem:
There were twists trust me and some of them I saw coming. This really stems from the very beginning of the book and how Greer introduces the problem. I already knew going in that deaths would be inevitable and I was kind of thinking that everyone was going to die. And while I don’t mean to sound sadistic, one person died and it was a little anti-climatic. You have an idea of who dies and why they die and who kills them. So I felt that the intro given by Greer gave too much and it took away from the reader.
Overall, it was a great book. For a non-thrillerish gal I thoroughly enjoyed it very much. It was fun, fast, and quite a ride. It makes you think about the consequences of money and privilege and also the effect of living in a world where everything is on the internet.
I enjoyed Greer as a narrator and MC in this book. She was quirky and intuitive. She was also foolish and at one point I really want to knock her outside of the head. But she redeems herself! I absolutely loved that she brought up references to the films she and her dad loved to watch and how she inserts her personality and likes into the narration of the story. It really showed off her nerdy and quirky self and her grand ability to make connections and put two and two together!
I also loved Shafeen! Although he is not in most parts of the story, he is still very much a present. And when he is there, he is there. Every word that came out of his mouth, priceless. Every move he made turned tables.
The Medievals a.k.a the white, rich (psycho) kids who brought down their wrath on the previous characters mentioned. I wasn’t thinking of mentioning them because I really hated them, so let’s just say I enjoyed hating them very much.
It was a very bloody book in that Huntin’ Shootin’ Fishin’ fostered danger, elevated the stakes and made the characters act in ways that were feral and wild. I really enjoyed the twist of the games and how they brought characters together and wreaked havoc too.
Greer was retelling the story to us. It’s that kind of thriller, where the reader goes in and they are given this mini-introduction, so they have a foggy idea of how the book is going to end or where the direction of the story it headed. I especially loved it when Greer would add in her own little comments about what was happening and how she should have acted differently.
What really struck me about this world though, was experiencing the consequences of the power and privilege bestowed upon these teenagers that were almost lethal. They controlled everything and everyone. They got away with everything they did. And it’s not a far fact from how it is in real life. How far money and power can take you. How much money rules the world and the extent to which it can bend the will of a person. Scary stuff.
And the ending.....WOW
Just one tiny problem:
There were twists trust me and some of them I saw coming. This really stems from the very beginning of the book and how Greer introduces the problem. I already knew going in that deaths would be inevitable and I was kind of thinking that everyone was going to die. And while I don’t mean to sound sadistic, one person died and it was a little anti-climatic. You have an idea of who dies and why they die and who kills them. So I felt that the intro given by Greer gave too much and it took away from the reader.
Overall, it was a great book. For a non-thrillerish gal I thoroughly enjoyed it very much. It was fun, fast, and quite a ride. It makes you think about the consequences of money and privilege and also the effect of living in a world where everything is on the internet.
HOLY SHIT.
I loved how it had a female protagonist, when I first read the blurb I thought it was going to just be an Eton type situation, with posh white boys going on a jolly weekend in which they murdered everyone. I was thinking The Secret History vibes, only worse, and probably with a fandom who thought the murder boys were just soooo cute and shippable!!!
BUT NO. Our protagonist is a girl!!! From Manchester!!! Who is gobby and lovely!!! Honestly, I loved her, and I wish I could be her friend in real life, she seemed so vibrant and funny, and I loved all her film references.
This book though. Absolutely fucking terrifying. By the time we got to the fishing scene (no spoilers) I was literally ready to throw up in nervousness. I literally felt queasy I was so anxious. I devoured this book all in one morning just because of the build up to this fucking scene.
And the ending. Again, no spoilers, but the book was almost, /almost/, thrown across the room, narrowly missing my own sleeping hound. I CAN'T BELIEVE THEY DID /THAT/. THE RING???? THE TWINS??? AHHHHHHHHHHHHHH
Ahem. A really fucking fantastic book, with diverse characters where it matters most (i.e, the main characters and not throwaway characters or the bad guys), and the ending will knock your fucking socks off.
I loved how it had a female protagonist, when I first read the blurb I thought it was going to just be an Eton type situation, with posh white boys going on a jolly weekend in which they murdered everyone. I was thinking The Secret History vibes, only worse, and probably with a fandom who thought the murder boys were just soooo cute and shippable!!!
BUT NO. Our protagonist is a girl!!! From Manchester!!! Who is gobby and lovely!!! Honestly, I loved her, and I wish I could be her friend in real life, she seemed so vibrant and funny, and I loved all her film references.
This book though. Absolutely fucking terrifying. By the time we got to the fishing scene (no spoilers) I was literally ready to throw up in nervousness. I literally felt queasy I was so anxious. I devoured this book all in one morning just because of the build up to this fucking scene.
And the ending. Again, no spoilers, but the book was almost, /almost/, thrown across the room, narrowly missing my own sleeping hound. I CAN'T BELIEVE THEY DID /THAT/. THE RING???? THE TWINS??? AHHHHHHHHHHHHHH
Ahem. A really fucking fantastic book, with diverse characters where it matters most (i.e, the main characters and not throwaway characters or the bad guys), and the ending will knock your fucking socks off.
I'm not entirely sure I particularly enjoyed this YA mystery thriller or not, but it certainly hooked me enough to complete the audiobook. I wasn't really a fan of any of the characters though I did like the boarding school setting and the cultish aspect. It isn't that long of a book, but at times it felt like it dragged just a little too much to really rave about it. My favorite part - the audiobook narrator's voice and accent.
A good teen thriller with a few twists, including a twist ending (that was a little predictable).
Greer is a scholarship student at an extremely exclusive college prep. school. The whole point of attending is having her choice of college to attend, but she can't help but want to be part of the inner circle of students at the same time. This group is called the Medievals and is comprised of not only the most popular kids in school, but also the richest.
When Greer gets an invite to their annual long weekend retreat, "Ridin' Huntin' Fishin'" she thinks she's won a golden ticket, but is it really so easy? What's really going on at the de Warlencourt estate and could it really end in murder?
Readers will enjoy the tension as Greer starts questioning why she was invited on the retreat and goes back and forth between believing popular and handsome Medieval Henry is a love-interest or a threat or is it fellow invitee Shafeen Jadeja who has something to hide? The Medievals are definitely creepy, almost too mature and poised in front of adults, but when they're alone they can be as vicious and cruel as any bully.
Beyond the twists and turns of the plot and readers concern for whether Greer will survive the weekend, there are definite social messages to the book. Much like the US and other places, the UK has a growing population of white people who don't like the direction their country is going, who don't like the ideals of democracy and civil/social justice. Who think that due to their skin tone, their heritage, their wealth or whatever else, they deserve more power than anyone else, especially people of color. This was very present in the book. All of the Medievals are rich white kids and the main villain of the piece soliloquizes at the end that he's sick of people like Shafeen (an Indian immigrant), Greer (a girl from a low-income family) and Chanel (a girl whose family gained wealth after an invention took off, but otherwise from a low-income family), thinking that they deserve to attend the same schools as those 'better' than them.
He and his fellow rich white kids use the weekend as a way to discipline those from what they consider lower classes for trying to 'rise above their station.' While it looks like the weekends didn't usually end up in murder, any injuries or deaths were covered up by their wealthy and well connected families with help from parents, teachers and individuals in the school and in other places of power.
The really scary part about this book is that people who have those opinions are not fictional and bullies using their wealth and privilege to hurt and put barriers in place for those who don't have access to those privileges is commonplace. A book that really speaks to the times.
Greer is a scholarship student at an extremely exclusive college prep. school. The whole point of attending is having her choice of college to attend, but she can't help but want to be part of the inner circle of students at the same time. This group is called the Medievals and is comprised of not only the most popular kids in school, but also the richest.
When Greer gets an invite to their annual long weekend retreat, "Ridin' Huntin' Fishin'" she thinks she's won a golden ticket, but is it really so easy? What's really going on at the de Warlencourt estate and could it really end in murder?
Readers will enjoy the tension as Greer starts questioning why she was invited on the retreat and goes back and forth between believing popular and handsome Medieval Henry is a love-interest or a threat or is it fellow invitee Shafeen Jadeja who has something to hide? The Medievals are definitely creepy, almost too mature and poised in front of adults, but when they're alone they can be as vicious and cruel as any bully.
Beyond the twists and turns of the plot and readers concern for whether Greer will survive the weekend, there are definite social messages to the book. Much like the US and other places, the UK has a growing population of white people who don't like the direction their country is going, who don't like the ideals of democracy and civil/social justice. Who think that due to their skin tone, their heritage, their wealth or whatever else, they deserve more power than anyone else, especially people of color. This was very present in the book. All of the Medievals are rich white kids and the main villain of the piece soliloquizes at the end that he's sick of people like Shafeen (an Indian immigrant), Greer (a girl from a low-income family) and Chanel (a girl whose family gained wealth after an invention took off, but otherwise from a low-income family), thinking that they deserve to attend the same schools as those 'better' than them.
He and his fellow rich white kids use the weekend as a way to discipline those from what they consider lower classes for trying to 'rise above their station.' While it looks like the weekends didn't usually end up in murder, any injuries or deaths were covered up by their wealthy and well connected families with help from parents, teachers and individuals in the school and in other places of power.
The really scary part about this book is that people who have those opinions are not fictional and bullies using their wealth and privilege to hurt and put barriers in place for those who don't have access to those privileges is commonplace. A book that really speaks to the times.
dark
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
"I'm a murderer in the way foxhunters are murderers - They are each responsible for the fix's death, even though they hunt in a pack"
I knew as soon as I started S.T.A G.S that I was not going to be disappointed. It gripped me and kept me intrigued right to the very end. Filled with twists and turns, with a lot of thriller and a sprinkle of darkness.
Greer MacDonald is a scholarship student at the prestigious school STAGS which is the oldest school in England. At Greer's school, technology is labelled as 'savage', and highly frowned upon by the most prestigious group of people: The Medievals, who are a group of six upper class students from old money led by the handsome Henry de Warlencourt and his five closest friends. They don't tolerate different people: scholarships, new money or the dark skinned. This is why Greer and two other outcast students are suprised to get an invitation to the "huntin' shootin' fishin'" party for Justitium weekend at the Longross Hall owned by no other than the de Warlencourt family. Greer accepts the invitation in hopes that she'll finally make friends and be socially accepted into a group of people after being deprived of that by her awful roommate 'Jesus'.
A murder has been committed, as revealed on the first page, this has bonded three outcasts in a way they may never have done if it wasn't from, quite frankly the weekend from hell.
The writing and storyline itself was superb and I really can't fault it. I would recommend this read for the older end of young readers (possibly) but a great read for everyone who loves a good nail biting, sitting on the edge of your seat thriller.
It also rings true about the effect of technology and how it can take over our lives, the Medievals were right: it's like Pandora's box, we live through our screens rather than in the movement which totally rings true. I'll bear that in mind from now on!
I was provided a copy on netgalley and I am really thankful for the opportunity to read it. It is available to buy now, and it is definitely worth the read!!
I knew as soon as I started S.T.A G.S that I was not going to be disappointed. It gripped me and kept me intrigued right to the very end. Filled with twists and turns, with a lot of thriller and a sprinkle of darkness.
Greer MacDonald is a scholarship student at the prestigious school STAGS which is the oldest school in England. At Greer's school, technology is labelled as 'savage', and highly frowned upon by the most prestigious group of people: The Medievals, who are a group of six upper class students from old money led by the handsome Henry de Warlencourt and his five closest friends. They don't tolerate different people: scholarships, new money or the dark skinned. This is why Greer and two other outcast students are suprised to get an invitation to the "huntin' shootin' fishin'" party for Justitium weekend at the Longross Hall owned by no other than the de Warlencourt family. Greer accepts the invitation in hopes that she'll finally make friends and be socially accepted into a group of people after being deprived of that by her awful roommate 'Jesus'.
A murder has been committed, as revealed on the first page, this has bonded three outcasts in a way they may never have done if it wasn't from, quite frankly the weekend from hell.
The writing and storyline itself was superb and I really can't fault it. I would recommend this read for the older end of young readers (possibly) but a great read for everyone who loves a good nail biting, sitting on the edge of your seat thriller.
It also rings true about the effect of technology and how it can take over our lives, the Medievals were right: it's like Pandora's box, we live through our screens rather than in the movement which totally rings true. I'll bear that in mind from now on!
I was provided a copy on netgalley and I am really thankful for the opportunity to read it. It is available to buy now, and it is definitely worth the read!!