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3.37 AVERAGE
3.37 AVERAGE
This wasn't my kind of book at all.
Four children are awarded a scholarship to High Realms, a private boarding school.
From the moment they arrive at the school they are outsiders and they stick together.
I didn't like Rose and as she was the narrator throughout, it wasn't ideal and I had no interest in Marta at all.
Four children are awarded a scholarship to High Realms, a private boarding school.
From the moment they arrive at the school they are outsiders and they stick together.
I didn't like Rose and as she was the narrator throughout, it wasn't ideal and I had no interest in Marta at all.
“ it would have made our lives far easier if marta had simply pushed Genevieve out of our bedroom window “
When a book starts on this tone I know it’s going to me good , drawing me in instantly , and it did not dissapoint!
Set in High Elms at the end of the 90’s , High Elms being a prestigious boarding school it follows the lives of four friends and their time there .
Their story is told by Rose , the narration by her could be confusing however she told a story of morality , loyalty , abuse , love and friendships and how all of these moulded their friendships and lives .
Not for the faint hearted a brilliant debut novel .
Thank you @netgalley for the opportunity to ARC read this book .
When a book starts on this tone I know it’s going to me good , drawing me in instantly , and it did not dissapoint!
Set in High Elms at the end of the 90’s , High Elms being a prestigious boarding school it follows the lives of four friends and their time there .
Their story is told by Rose , the narration by her could be confusing however she told a story of morality , loyalty , abuse , love and friendships and how all of these moulded their friendships and lives .
Not for the faint hearted a brilliant debut novel .
Thank you @netgalley for the opportunity to ARC read this book .
challenging
dark
emotional
sad
tense
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
4.5 stars
Holy crap. This book.
This book is about friendship and love and lies and secrets and selflessness and selfishness and how one can only hold so much before things break.
This book is about learning how to live with oneself after a trauma. About mystery. About trusting.
The narrator was amazing. I loved hearing all the different accents and voices for the characters (Sammy, especially). Being American…I never knew the complexities of British accents. Very cool and immersive.
CHECK THE TRIGGERS. I’ve listed a few below, but I’m sure there are more.
Bullying
Recounted r*pe / sexual assault(s)
Violence
Death of parent
Recounted death of a parent, and a sibling
Self-harm
-
-
Thank you to libro’s ALC program for the early copy.
Holy crap. This book.
This book is about friendship and love and lies and secrets and selflessness and selfishness and how one can only hold so much before things break.
This book is about learning how to live with oneself after a trauma. About mystery. About trusting.
The narrator was amazing. I loved hearing all the different accents and voices for the characters (Sammy, especially). Being American…I never knew the complexities of British accents. Very cool and immersive.
CHECK THE TRIGGERS. I’ve listed a few below, but I’m sure there are more.
Bullying
Recounted r*pe / sexual assault(s)
Violence
Death of parent
Recounted death of a parent, and a sibling
Self-harm
-
-
Thank you to libro’s ALC program for the early copy.
dark
tense
medium-paced
This book was too long, I think at least 150 pages could have been cut. And then the ending was really rushed which for a reasonably long book felt particularly off. I think with a better ending this could have been a 4 star read for me. Also: super depressing read. Definitely check the trigger warnings.
A book has not gripped me this much in many years! Absolutely exquisitely written. I was ripped apart and put back together again in 427 pages. Suspense, drama, secrets, love triangles, elitism, this book was everything from the very beginning! I just simply could not put it down.
A dark academia written by Ellie Keel
A dark academia written by Ellie Keel
Not for me. I found this one hard going. The characters were an unlikeable bunch and hard to empathise with. Difficult to believe that such an elite school would employ such poor staff. I was disenfranchised by the time I’d read the first 30% and, for once, decided to call it a day.
challenging
dark
emotional
mysterious
reflective
sad
tense
medium-paced
dark
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
While I liked the premise and the unexpected queer rep, this ended up as a "meh" book for me. I should have known when it was compared to If We Were Villians, it wasn't going to be for me.
I did like much of the writing in this book, but a lot of the story felt equal parts confusing and unnecessary. There was trauma on top of trauma and things that happened that felt like it was for the sake of some shock factor rather than to move the plot. And I know it was likely to keep readers guessing, but how many times in one book can you use the plot device of people getting interrupted right before they reveal important information? (It happens so often to the point of annoyance for me).
I do appreciate that the queer rep was just another part of the story rather than one of the main trauma points. I did like the writing enough that I would give this author another try, probably.
Oh, and pretty significant content warnings
I did like much of the writing in this book, but a lot of the story felt equal parts confusing and unnecessary. There was trauma on top of trauma and things that happened that felt like it was for the sake of some shock factor rather than to move the plot. And I know it was likely to keep readers guessing, but how many times in one book can you use the plot device of people getting interrupted right before they reveal important information? (It happens so often to the point of annoyance for me).
I do appreciate that the queer rep was just another part of the story rather than one of the main trauma points. I did like the writing enough that I would give this author another try, probably.
Oh, and pretty significant content warnings
Content Warnings
Graphic: Bullying, Confinement, Mental illness, Pedophilia, Rape, Self harm, Sexual assault, Toxic relationship, Blood, Vomit, Abandonment, Injury/Injury detail
Moderate: Eating disorder, Suicide