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laurahuijser's review
3.0
Kept piling on more and more mysteries and questions without answering them, which was alright at first but it just got annoying after a while as it turned into a confusing mess. I was very relieved when I was given the answers I was looking for right at the end of the book but it sure took it's time. Other than this it's a great book, very interesting to read.
laughlinesandliterature's review
2.0
There were many things that I liked about this book, but ultimately it just fell a little short for me. It started out with a great premise, and it was clear from the beginning Anne was being left in the dark. I thought Anne was pretty sympathetic, but it really weirded me out that her Guardian Teddy so skeezy.
I did enjoy Anne and I thought she was wonderfully spunky. I also liked that she wasn't afraid to put some of the horrible girls in place, and especially Teddy! I did really feel bad for her because she had been through so much. I also enjoyed Ben, even though he was hot and cold he was always trying to give her hints instead of keeping her in the dark. Ben also got more and more interesting as the rest of the book went on.
There were many of reasons I wanted to love this book. It had a great premise, the mysterious circumstances actually ended up being pretty substantial. The only problem was it just took so long. There were many times I found my checking where I was at, because it seemed like I was waiting for the book to really get going. The last 40% of the novel really picked up, but the first 60% felt very very dragged out. There were characters that seemed really important like
Also there was the ending. Suddenly I'm supposed to believe someone that has been gross and pervy the whole book is not a bad guy? And the secrets that were revealed and seem straightforward are not? All within the last like 3 pages? No, just no. Do not leave me on that kind of cliffhanger. Clearly there was going to be a sequel, but I didn't need it to end like that and honestly it bothered me. It just seemed unnecessary. I'd give this book 2 out of 5 stars for the things I've mentioned. It had really good potential and despite the low rating I do look forward to the second book. Just because I feel like the author's writing will grow with time.
I did enjoy Anne and I thought she was wonderfully spunky. I also liked that she wasn't afraid to put some of the horrible girls in place, and especially Teddy! I did really feel bad for her because she had been through so much. I also enjoyed Ben, even though he was hot and cold he was always trying to give her hints instead of keeping her in the dark. Ben also got more and more interesting as the rest of the book went on.
There were many of reasons I wanted to love this book. It had a great premise, the mysterious circumstances actually ended up being pretty substantial. The only problem was it just took so long. There were many times I found my checking where I was at, because it seemed like I was waiting for the book to really get going. The last 40% of the novel really picked up, but the first 60% felt very very dragged out. There were characters that seemed really important like
Spoiler
Molly. I'm not sure why we needed her in the story. Maybe she'll come up later, but I have a feeling that she won't. She was really the only nice person so there was that and I did really like her, but she didn't really factor into the story. You could take her out and still end up at the same place. So I'm not sure what purpose she servedAlso there was the ending. Suddenly I'm supposed to believe someone that has been gross and pervy the whole book is not a bad guy? And the secrets that were revealed and seem straightforward are not? All within the last like 3 pages? No, just no. Do not leave me on that kind of cliffhanger. Clearly there was going to be a sequel, but I didn't need it to end like that and honestly it bothered me. It just seemed unnecessary. I'd give this book 2 out of 5 stars for the things I've mentioned. It had really good potential and despite the low rating I do look forward to the second book. Just because I feel like the author's writing will grow with time.
vickyyyy's review
1.0
I will make this really short, because there is not that much to say, considering I stopped at about 15%. But: This book is full of judgmental shit and stereotypes. I wish I could give it no stars but oh well.. Let me explain why I hated the book:
1. I did not like the writing at all... it is just really terrible. You can check out the review below me for some examples because they sum it up really well. It is really ridiculous.
2. Anne is a judgemental bitch - she has stereotypes for everyone but despite being a bitch herself, everyone thinks she is the shit: special, pretty and whatever. I don't get it. Reading from her perspective gave me a headache, I couldn't sympathize with her.
3. There are so many stereotypes: The rich kids don't like her because she is poor, Anne just went on a world trip, because she knows the nationality based on just one single look, no kidding -.- No one can do that. It is just that simple. There is so much stereotypical shit going on: The girl with the plain bond hair is from Russia, she knows that a girl is from Thailand just by looking at her and she even says someone is "Mandarin" despite Mandarin being a language being spoken in China. It is ridiculous. And this leads me to point 4:
She knows the nationality based on one look- seriously? No one can do that and there might be people in countries who look different than one would imagine. It is just ridiculous and leads to point three:
3. The stereotypical portrayal of the German Headmaster. This is hurtful and upsetting for all Germans out there. Based on her description he seems like a Nazi and he calls her "nubile fraulein". WTF is this? Not even my grandfather called someone weird shit like this. This is just fucking upsetting and for me, since I am very sensible with the topic of how Germans are portrayed (I mean c'mon I live here) the tipping point of this already terrible book.
So as you can see, this book uses all the nationality cliches and stereotypes. Should have googled a little moe about the countries and their people because this is shit.
4. There is so much shut-shaming - it is ridiculous. Just because you aren't in the popular crowd does not mean that they are all bitches and sluts! I don't know why this portrayal is so common, but it is terrible.
Can't tell you more about the story - other than it is supposed to be terrible and about this ridiculous race to become valedictorian. So yeah, do yourself a favour and don't read it.
1. I did not like the writing at all... it is just really terrible. You can check out the review below me for some examples because they sum it up really well. It is really ridiculous.
2. Anne is a judgemental bitch - she has stereotypes for everyone but despite being a bitch herself, everyone thinks she is the shit: special, pretty and whatever. I don't get it. Reading from her perspective gave me a headache, I couldn't sympathize with her.
3. There are so many stereotypes: The rich kids don't like her because she is poor, Anne just went on a world trip, because she knows the nationality based on just one single look, no kidding -.- No one can do that. It is just that simple. There is so much stereotypical shit going on: The girl with the plain bond hair is from Russia, she knows that a girl is from Thailand just by looking at her and she even says someone is "Mandarin" despite Mandarin being a language being spoken in China. It is ridiculous. And this leads me to point 4:
She knows the nationality based on one look- seriously? No one can do that and there might be people in countries who look different than one would imagine. It is just ridiculous and leads to point three:
3. The stereotypical portrayal of the German Headmaster. This is hurtful and upsetting for all Germans out there. Based on her description he seems like a Nazi and he calls her "nubile fraulein". WTF is this? Not even my grandfather called someone weird shit like this. This is just fucking upsetting and for me, since I am very sensible with the topic of how Germans are portrayed (I mean c'mon I live here) the tipping point of this already terrible book.
So as you can see, this book uses all the nationality cliches and stereotypes. Should have googled a little moe about the countries and their people because this is shit.
4. There is so much shut-shaming - it is ridiculous. Just because you aren't in the popular crowd does not mean that they are all bitches and sluts! I don't know why this portrayal is so common, but it is terrible.
Can't tell you more about the story - other than it is supposed to be terrible and about this ridiculous race to become valedictorian. So yeah, do yourself a favour and don't read it.
teganbeesebooks's review
3.0
*Review also published on my blog: t and a book!*
Title: The Unseemly Education of Anne Merchant
Author: Joanna Wiebe
Type: Young Adult
Genre: Fantasy/Mystery
Tea: Roobois Chai, tastes good and you enjoyed it, but not quite like you expected and maybe not as good as similar teas.
Rating: 3 out of 5.
*Warning! Here Be Spoilers!!*
I received this novel from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
I had a really hard time rating this novel. At some points I'd give it a one, at times I would give it a 5. So I settled for a 3, right in the middle. When I saw this novel posted on NetGalley I was really intrigued and had to have. I was super excited when I was approved and couldn't wait to read it. But the first few chapters really threw me for a loop. I wanted to write this review without spoilers, but this is gonna be a hard one to discuss without them. So only read if you don't mind the spoilers or don't really plan on reading this, I don't wanna ruin anything!
I felt like the first few chapters were really rushed and just jumps right into the story. Once you learn the plot twist (which I'll discuss farther down) it makes more sense. There was no way for there to be back story or prior knowledge. So I'll forgive that. But some of the characterization is really weird. I get that the headmaster is supposed to be bizarre, but the way some things were handled and discussed was uncomfortable.
So Anne is a student at a school called Cania Christy and it's a prestigious private school where everyone is working hard to win The Big V. "WTF?" you might be saying. Don't worry, it's just the valedictorian spot. Even though it sure doesn't sound like it. You also get some other weird acronyms thrown at you that they don't explain until a few chapters in, but once that's figured out it's a little easier to follow.
There's a pretty serious case of insta-love in here between Anne and her neighbor, Ben. It didn't bother me too much. And later when you learn they have a connection from way back (a kind of morbid connection) it makes it a little easier to understand.
So most of the first part of the book is a lot of cryptic clues and slutty, popular girls that make Regina George look like a Cabbage Patch Kid. But you do start getting clues as to what this place it. I finally put it together when we learn Ben's back story. He discusses the death of his sister and mom. All of a sudden I remembered that EVERY story told by this kids as to how they got into the school involved something dangerous.
Uh. What...THEY'RE ALL DEAD! It's like Lost-lite.
So that just makes The Big V even more important, it's a chance to live again.
So I really enjoyed the overall plot and idea of the novel, it's different than anything I've read and I'm curious to see where she goes with it (especially since Anne is in a coma and not actually dead). What I didn't like was how she handled some of the minor characters and the filler. Some of it was really annoying and silly. Some of the characters I just didn't get. The twist at the end though of who the Headmaster is was really creepy though. Also the involvement of the community was interesting. I liked the historical aspect she threw in there.
Overall an intriguing read, but can be difficult to get through at some points. Once you get into the meat of it it's a very quick and interesting read. It had many first book syndrome symptoms, so I'm hoping the second one can cure itself of them. We'll find out!
If you're looking for a different take on YA, check this out!
Title: The Unseemly Education of Anne Merchant
Author: Joanna Wiebe
Type: Young Adult
Genre: Fantasy/Mystery
Tea: Roobois Chai, tastes good and you enjoyed it, but not quite like you expected and maybe not as good as similar teas.
Rating: 3 out of 5.
*Warning! Here Be Spoilers!!*
I received this novel from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
I had a really hard time rating this novel. At some points I'd give it a one, at times I would give it a 5. So I settled for a 3, right in the middle. When I saw this novel posted on NetGalley I was really intrigued and had to have. I was super excited when I was approved and couldn't wait to read it. But the first few chapters really threw me for a loop. I wanted to write this review without spoilers, but this is gonna be a hard one to discuss without them. So only read if you don't mind the spoilers or don't really plan on reading this, I don't wanna ruin anything!
I felt like the first few chapters were really rushed and just jumps right into the story. Once you learn the plot twist (which I'll discuss farther down) it makes more sense. There was no way for there to be back story or prior knowledge. So I'll forgive that. But some of the characterization is really weird. I get that the headmaster is supposed to be bizarre, but the way some things were handled and discussed was uncomfortable.
So Anne is a student at a school called Cania Christy and it's a prestigious private school where everyone is working hard to win The Big V. "WTF?" you might be saying. Don't worry, it's just the valedictorian spot. Even though it sure doesn't sound like it. You also get some other weird acronyms thrown at you that they don't explain until a few chapters in, but once that's figured out it's a little easier to follow.
There's a pretty serious case of insta-love in here between Anne and her neighbor, Ben. It didn't bother me too much. And later when you learn they have a connection from way back (a kind of morbid connection) it makes it a little easier to understand.
So most of the first part of the book is a lot of cryptic clues and slutty, popular girls that make Regina George look like a Cabbage Patch Kid. But you do start getting clues as to what this place it. I finally put it together when we learn Ben's back story. He discusses the death of his sister and mom. All of a sudden I remembered that EVERY story told by this kids as to how they got into the school involved something dangerous.
Uh. What...THEY'RE ALL DEAD! It's like Lost-lite.
So that just makes The Big V even more important, it's a chance to live again.
So I really enjoyed the overall plot and idea of the novel, it's different than anything I've read and I'm curious to see where she goes with it (especially since Anne is in a coma and not actually dead). What I didn't like was how she handled some of the minor characters and the filler. Some of it was really annoying and silly. Some of the characters I just didn't get. The twist at the end though of who the Headmaster is was really creepy though. Also the involvement of the community was interesting. I liked the historical aspect she threw in there.
Overall an intriguing read, but can be difficult to get through at some points. Once you get into the meat of it it's a very quick and interesting read. It had many first book syndrome symptoms, so I'm hoping the second one can cure itself of them. We'll find out!
If you're looking for a different take on YA, check this out!
chelsea_jack's review
4.0
The Unseemly Education of Anne Merchant is a sort of mystery about the boarding school that Anne finds herself in, determined to attain the coveted Valedictorian position.
Now, everyone at the school is obsessed with the 'big V' to the point of secluding themselves from each other, constant competition and outright hostilities. Add to that the Guardian everyone receives, shadowing them around school....
Something is fishy about the school right from the start, and while I really appreciated the reveals as they happened, and the overall concept of the book, it was all a little slow for me. The last third, maybe, of the book is quicker, as Anne's pieced together *enough* to start to move the plot forward at a much faster pace. In fact, everyone's obsession with keeping the secrets of the school from her, of being not the person to specifically inform her of the truth drove me nuts by the end. After a while, it seemed pointless not to give her all the information.
That said, I loved loved loved the details in this book. The characters are all richly defined, with back stories and motivation and it's all quite wonderfully designed. This was a universe I wanted to spend more time in, particularly once Anne clicked onto the truth. There are still some mysteries hanging by the end of the book, and I'll be on board with book 2 to find out what happens next.
See this and other reviews at ToEachTheirOwnReviews.com
Received via Goodreads First Reads.
Now, everyone at the school is obsessed with the 'big V' to the point of secluding themselves from each other, constant competition and outright hostilities. Add to that the Guardian everyone receives, shadowing them around school....
Something is fishy about the school right from the start, and while I really appreciated the reveals as they happened, and the overall concept of the book, it was all a little slow for me. The last third, maybe, of the book is quicker, as Anne's pieced together *enough* to start to move the plot forward at a much faster pace. In fact, everyone's obsession with keeping the secrets of the school from her, of being not the person to specifically inform her of the truth drove me nuts by the end. After a while, it seemed pointless not to give her all the information.
That said, I loved loved loved the details in this book. The characters are all richly defined, with back stories and motivation and it's all quite wonderfully designed. This was a universe I wanted to spend more time in, particularly once Anne clicked onto the truth. There are still some mysteries hanging by the end of the book, and I'll be on board with book 2 to find out what happens next.
See this and other reviews at ToEachTheirOwnReviews.com
Received via Goodreads First Reads.
booksushi's review
4.0
I really enjoyed this book! Very interesting version of the faustian story. So happy to see that this is a series! Can't wait to read the next one!
losetimereading's review
4.0
I hadn’t heard a lot about this when I added it to my TBR, but often those are some of my favorite reads. A boarding school, tons of questions and a creep factor… I was sold by the synopsis and couldn’t wait to dive into it!
I liked Anne almost immediately. There was something about her that I was just instantly drawn to. She has a no-nonsense type of personality, and if she thought a rule was worth breaking, or didn’t believe what she was told she had no problem doing what she wanted. The other characters were just sort of “meh” for me, although I did really like Molly. I thought she was really interesting, although I wish we could have seen more of her. Pilot was sketchy to me from the beginning, I didn’t really see the appeal in Ben (although I did really like him during the second half of the novel) and the other students and weird teachers I disliked too much to care about them. That being said, The Unseemly Education of Anne Merchant(phew… what a mouthful!) is by far a plot driven novel, not character driven, so even if you don’t enjoy the characters/relate to them you can still get very invested in the plot.
From the get go you realize that there are a lot of strange happenings at Cania Christy. The rituals they have are very strange, and you are often like “WTF” while reading it. But that’s a good thing here. The twists and turns that this book takes are crazy. I thought I had it all figured out, and I definitely didn’t. That says a lot because I’m almost never shocked by a twist lately, and I was thoroughly stunned at some of the events. There were a few things I figured out beforehand but for the most part I was on the edge of my seat, waiting to see what was coming next. I found the pacing to be very well done, and while I wanted it to hurry up, it was for the sole fact that I needed answers!!
This is Joanna Wiebe’s debut novel, and she definitely has me hooked for the rest of the series! I can’t wait to see what happens in the second book.
I definitely recommend this one!
I liked Anne almost immediately. There was something about her that I was just instantly drawn to. She has a no-nonsense type of personality, and if she thought a rule was worth breaking, or didn’t believe what she was told she had no problem doing what she wanted. The other characters were just sort of “meh” for me, although I did really like Molly. I thought she was really interesting, although I wish we could have seen more of her. Pilot was sketchy to me from the beginning, I didn’t really see the appeal in Ben (although I did really like him during the second half of the novel) and the other students and weird teachers I disliked too much to care about them. That being said, The Unseemly Education of Anne Merchant(phew… what a mouthful!) is by far a plot driven novel, not character driven, so even if you don’t enjoy the characters/relate to them you can still get very invested in the plot.
From the get go you realize that there are a lot of strange happenings at Cania Christy. The rituals they have are very strange, and you are often like “WTF” while reading it. But that’s a good thing here. The twists and turns that this book takes are crazy. I thought I had it all figured out, and I definitely didn’t. That says a lot because I’m almost never shocked by a twist lately, and I was thoroughly stunned at some of the events. There were a few things I figured out beforehand but for the most part I was on the edge of my seat, waiting to see what was coming next. I found the pacing to be very well done, and while I wanted it to hurry up, it was for the sole fact that I needed answers!!
This is Joanna Wiebe’s debut novel, and she definitely has me hooked for the rest of the series! I can’t wait to see what happens in the second book.
I definitely recommend this one!
felinity's review
4.0
(3.5 stars for plot but rounded up for the compulsion I felt to keep reading at 2am.)
Anne Merchant is a mortician's daughter, so she's used to a bit of spooky atmosphere and people acting strangely, but when she is suddenly fortunate enough to be sent to a private school in Maine, she realizes that there's something else going on. Unsure whether she's in a boarding school, reform school or insane asylum, she tries to find out why everyone is keeping secrets from her and why there are all these strange rules.
Anne finds it hard to make friends, veiled in levels of secrecy and distrust as everyone is, but eventually starts piecing together something resembling a normal life. At least, as far as "normal" goes in a place called Wormwood Island. But then maybe fitting in is overrated.
It's been a while since this particular plot was used, so at least it's a little original. It's worth noting that, as many others have discovered before, the villagers soon realize that they've given the devil a foothold and he's using it to drag more people into his domain.
Disclaimer: I received a free copy from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.
Anne Merchant is a mortician's daughter, so she's used to a bit of spooky atmosphere and people acting strangely, but when she is suddenly fortunate enough to be sent to a private school in Maine, she realizes that there's something else going on. Unsure whether she's in a boarding school, reform school or insane asylum, she tries to find out why everyone is keeping secrets from her and why there are all these strange rules.
Anne finds it hard to make friends, veiled in levels of secrecy and distrust as everyone is, but eventually starts piecing together something resembling a normal life. At least, as far as "normal" goes in a place called Wormwood Island. But then maybe fitting in is overrated.
Spoiler
Hints are dropped from the beginning (Wormwood Island, anyone?) and the occasional "oops" in conversation (most people don't refer to others as "mortals"). Between those and Ben's increasingly obvious hints, I was surprised at how obtuse Anne was, especially given her tendency to look closer. (Mind you, Ben found it very easy to tell Teddy what she knew, immediately after telling her to say nothing.)It's been a while since this particular plot was used, so at least it's a little original. It's worth noting that, as many others have discovered before, the villagers soon realize that they've given the devil a foothold and he's using it to drag more people into his domain.
Disclaimer: I received a free copy from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.