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A review by ahalsnad
A Deadly Education by Naomi Novik
3.0
I hated the protagonist, El, almost until half of the book, whose teenage angst and misdirected anger were suffocating. But it provided the required basis for why no one liked her. Her constant rambling about almost everything was a bit over the top for me, and I can't say that the writing kept me going.
That said, the alternate world with monsters that hunt people, esp. teens, who wield magic, the architecture of Scholomance school reinforced by students' belief of its existence, and no teachers were some of the exciting concepts of the book. The students are always in survival mode, scheming grand plans for the present and future, forming alliances, and vying for an opportunity to be part of an enclave, with almost no drive for forming friendships.
The story itself was fast, and if one ignores the rambling, smooth, not boring, the romance is predictable and ends with a dramatic cliffhanger.
That said, the alternate world with monsters that hunt people, esp. teens, who wield magic, the architecture of Scholomance school reinforced by students' belief of its existence, and no teachers were some of the exciting concepts of the book. The students are always in survival mode, scheming grand plans for the present and future, forming alliances, and vying for an opportunity to be part of an enclave, with almost no drive for forming friendships.
The story itself was fast, and if one ignores the rambling, smooth, not boring, the romance is predictable and ends with a dramatic cliffhanger.