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annettebooksofhopeanddreams's review against another edition
5.0
There are authors that just work for me. Authors that write the way I like to read. Authors caring as much about emotions and feelings and hurt and love and building up as I do. Authors knowing what kind of characters I like, both sweet and psychotic and preferable combined in one character. Authors who never let me down, no matter what they write, no matter if it's my kink or not. Katie May is one of those authors for me.
This book was everything I had hoped it would be, even though I usually don't read much contemporary. I loved the secret society and I'm loving it even more now I've reached the cliffhanger. I can't wait to dive into the next book and to get some more answers and probably also a lot more questions. The stakes are clearly very high in this book and therefore I was constantly kept on the edge of my seat, glued to the pages.
I also really loved the guys in this book! Yes, they were psychotic, they weren't afraid of murder or torture. The entire school was terrified of them, and with reason. However, they also had other sides. They were protective, funny, caring and they were the kind of guys doing everything for their sweet girl. Don't get me wrong, I love the sweet guys, but it's very powerful when guys love you that much that they literally kill everyone harming and hurting you.
And the heroine in this book was so sweet and innocent and lovely! At times she's a little naive. Since we know much more about what's going on I sometimes had to remind myself that things really aren't that obvious if you have no idea what's going on. However, she was so easy to like and love and I also liked how much of myself I could recognize in her! The glasses, the love for reading and music, the innocence. I can't wait to dive into the next book!
This book was everything I had hoped it would be, even though I usually don't read much contemporary. I loved the secret society and I'm loving it even more now I've reached the cliffhanger. I can't wait to dive into the next book and to get some more answers and probably also a lot more questions. The stakes are clearly very high in this book and therefore I was constantly kept on the edge of my seat, glued to the pages.
I also really loved the guys in this book! Yes, they were psychotic, they weren't afraid of murder or torture. The entire school was terrified of them, and with reason. However, they also had other sides. They were protective, funny, caring and they were the kind of guys doing everything for their sweet girl. Don't get me wrong, I love the sweet guys, but it's very powerful when guys love you that much that they literally kill everyone harming and hurting you.
And the heroine in this book was so sweet and innocent and lovely! At times she's a little naive. Since we know much more about what's going on I sometimes had to remind myself that things really aren't that obvious if you have no idea what's going on. However, she was so easy to like and love and I also liked how much of myself I could recognize in her! The glasses, the love for reading and music, the innocence. I can't wait to dive into the next book!
sigridoost's review
adventurous
dark
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.75
rinasoso's review against another edition
2.0
DNF at 30%.
I really wanted to get into this book. Serial killing MMCs who are obsessed with their girl? Hell yeah. But sadly, beyond the idea and the MMCs inner monologue towards the FMC, there wasn’t too much I could enjoy.
The first problem I ran into was the setting. The academy is a high school, but the author doesn’t consider it NA, which leads to a huge issue: their ages. They aren’t discussed. Senior year just started, so it’s possible they are 18, but it’s never explicitly stated.
But even if they are, that’s very young (too young IMO) for them to have been killing *for years* and having established an army of sorts. (Just set it in college, it would solve so much!!)
Another related issue (at least I think it’s because of their ages), is all the MCs continually referring to women as “females”. I think it’s to not call them girls, which would imply them being underage, and not women because it would make them seem old(?). And it’s not only once or twice, but seemingly as often as possible. (One time, she meets a classmate, and it’s described as “a blonde female walked up to us”. The “female” could have been left out altogether. It’s truly infuriating.)
I quit when it happened twice in one page, in a flashback, where one of the MMCs first notices “a blonde female” (the FMC). They are playing on a slide and don’t seem older than ten at the most, so what kept the author from calling her a girl??
Second, where the academy is. Again, it isn’t stated explicitly, which in itself I don’t mind at all. But it seems to be very rural, as one of the MMCs has a farm that borders it, and the only fancy restaurant is a few towns over.
The book starts with them murdering a man on said farm who apparently has a history of domestic abuse against his wife and kids, and they send her a letter saying he ran away with his mistress. Okay, but doesn’t he have a job? Wouldn’t she report him missing, or at least go after child support?
And this is only one in a long line of victims, so I can’t see how no one would have noticed the disappearances of so many people in such a small community. (And they all have to be local, because the reason given for killing them is to protect the FMC.)
Third, the FMC. My god, the FMC. She moves into the dorms of the academy her senior year, but she’s attended this school all 3 years before that. And yet, she doesn’t know anybody in her class, except her lab partner and the MMCs.
And no, it’s not that she isn’t friends with them, but she literally has never seen these people before. The explanation is her having been in a fog of grief because her parents died five years earlier.
Of course people grieve differently, but not to notice a single one of your classmates in three years, when her parents deaths occurred two years before even starting at this school?
I think the author did this to have her meet her new roommates, classmates and antagonists for the first time for the reader, but it just makes her seem like an idiot. (Especially when everybody at school knows who she is.)
She is also *very* naive, so naive it borders on stupid, to a degree I really couldn’t empathize with. (“Ooh, this boy hates me so much, but every time he sees me, he gives me his hoodie”)
I wanted to like this book. I really did. And if it weren’t for the male perspectives, I wouldn’t have gotten past the first few pages. But my suspension of disbelief sadly only goes so far.
I really wanted to get into this book. Serial killing MMCs who are obsessed with their girl? Hell yeah. But sadly, beyond the idea and the MMCs inner monologue towards the FMC, there wasn’t too much I could enjoy.
The first problem I ran into was the setting. The academy is a high school, but the author doesn’t consider it NA, which leads to a huge issue: their ages. They aren’t discussed. Senior year just started, so it’s possible they are 18, but it’s never explicitly stated.
But even if they are, that’s very young (too young IMO) for them to have been killing *for years* and having established an army of sorts. (Just set it in college, it would solve so much!!)
Another related issue (at least I think it’s because of their ages), is all the MCs continually referring to women as “females”. I think it’s to not call them girls, which would imply them being underage, and not women because it would make them seem old(?). And it’s not only once or twice, but seemingly as often as possible. (One time, she meets a classmate, and it’s described as “a blonde female walked up to us”. The “female” could have been left out altogether. It’s truly infuriating.)
I quit when it happened twice in one page, in a flashback, where one of the MMCs first notices “a blonde female” (the FMC). They are playing on a slide and don’t seem older than ten at the most, so what kept the author from calling her a girl??
Second, where the academy is. Again, it isn’t stated explicitly, which in itself I don’t mind at all. But it seems to be very rural, as one of the MMCs has a farm that borders it, and the only fancy restaurant is a few towns over.
The book starts with them murdering a man on said farm who apparently has a history of domestic abuse against his wife and kids, and they send her a letter saying he ran away with his mistress. Okay, but doesn’t he have a job? Wouldn’t she report him missing, or at least go after child support?
And this is only one in a long line of victims, so I can’t see how no one would have noticed the disappearances of so many people in such a small community. (And they all have to be local, because the reason given for killing them is to protect the FMC.)
Third, the FMC. My god, the FMC. She moves into the dorms of the academy her senior year, but she’s attended this school all 3 years before that. And yet, she doesn’t know anybody in her class, except her lab partner and the MMCs.
And no, it’s not that she isn’t friends with them, but she literally has never seen these people before. The explanation is her having been in a fog of grief because her parents died five years earlier.
Of course people grieve differently, but not to notice a single one of your classmates in three years, when her parents deaths occurred two years before even starting at this school?
I think the author did this to have her meet her new roommates, classmates and antagonists for the first time for the reader, but it just makes her seem like an idiot. (Especially when everybody at school knows who she is.)
She is also *very* naive, so naive it borders on stupid, to a degree I really couldn’t empathize with. (“Ooh, this boy hates me so much, but every time he sees me, he gives me his hoodie”)
I wanted to like this book. I really did. And if it weren’t for the male perspectives, I wouldn’t have gotten past the first few pages. But my suspension of disbelief sadly only goes so far.
thmallory's review against another edition
dark
mysterious
tense
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? No
3.0
ariloves2read's review against another edition
5.0
This was a good book. I really laughed at the guys personalities. This is a great start to the series. I would love to see where this goes.
kayleereads's review
adventurous
dark
mysterious
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.0
malang's review
dark
emotional
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
gabriellarose_20's review against another edition
4.0
★★★★☆
This was a really good start to the series. I am in love with all the characters and can’t wait to see where it goes. There is a good mystery aspect to it. I really love how this isn’t an enemies or bully situation. They all love her and treat her like a princess from the start. My heart is a little broken over Blair I’m not going to lie. I really loved her with Piper and thought that relationship was adorable.
This was a really good start to the series. I am in love with all the characters and can’t wait to see where it goes. There is a good mystery aspect to it. I really love how this isn’t an enemies or bully situation. They all love her and treat her like a princess from the start. My heart is a little broken over Blair I’m not going to lie. I really loved her with Piper and thought that relationship was adorable.