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A review by caitlin_c
F.O.X.E.S. by M.A. Bennett
3.0
The M.A. Bennett Trilogy.
S.T.A.G.S D.O.G.S F.O.X.E.S
S.T.A.G.S was one the first books that got me into YA and one that's stayed with me for years. It's the epitome of suspense and thriller.
Bennett has such a flare for one-liners that pack a punch and her ultra-short chapters are sure to keep you turning the page. My only issue is with this book is that Bennett doesn't seem to be able to craft metaphors or similies so compensates by overusing allusions. I get the main character is a massive film buff, but constantly comparing events taking place to various movie scenes gets more than a little tiring after a while.
It's successor, D.O.G.S, was, if possible, even better. I literally could not put it down (something I don't often say.)
The way Bennett intertwines fact and fiction is pure genius. Oh, and if you're into the history of the British monarchy and historical playwriters (like me) you're sure to become OBSESSED with this book. However, the ending felt a little like crossing genres and thanks to the "fantasy" bit, the whole story lost its believability. Finally, I took issue with the mention of "valley's girls" having limited vocabularies. Not true, Bennett and not cool. #proudtobeavalley'sgirl
F.O.X.E.S. Okay, I'll be honest, the third book doesn't "get-going" until you're 60% the way through but my God does the remaining 40% make up for it. That final twist was legendary—probably the best I've ever read. Bravo, Bennett! However, F.O.X.E.S did leave me somewhat unsatisfied. I still have so many unanswered questions! I understand there's still another 2 books to come out but I can't feel but feel a little cheated. On another note, D.O.G.S received a lot of praise for having featured a primary black character. F.O.X.E.S undoes all this because the character in question does a disappearing act! In this sense, I feel like Bennett let her readership down. I sincerely hope Ty makes a come back in books 4 & 5 — I missed her.
Overall, I'd give the trilogy 4/5 stars. The S.T.A.G.S trilogy is most definitely worth adding to your TBR list.
S.T.A.G.S D.O.G.S F.O.X.E.S
S.T.A.G.S was one the first books that got me into YA and one that's stayed with me for years. It's the epitome of suspense and thriller.
Bennett has such a flare for one-liners that pack a punch and her ultra-short chapters are sure to keep you turning the page. My only issue is with this book is that Bennett doesn't seem to be able to craft metaphors or similies so compensates by overusing allusions. I get the main character is a massive film buff, but constantly comparing events taking place to various movie scenes gets more than a little tiring after a while.
It's successor, D.O.G.S, was, if possible, even better. I literally could not put it down (something I don't often say.)
The way Bennett intertwines fact and fiction is pure genius. Oh, and if you're into the history of the British monarchy and historical playwriters (like me) you're sure to become OBSESSED with this book. However, the ending felt a little like crossing genres and thanks to the "fantasy" bit, the whole story lost its believability. Finally, I took issue with the mention of "valley's girls" having limited vocabularies. Not true, Bennett and not cool. #proudtobeavalley'sgirl
F.O.X.E.S. Okay, I'll be honest, the third book doesn't "get-going" until you're 60% the way through but my God does the remaining 40% make up for it. That final twist was legendary—probably the best I've ever read. Bravo, Bennett! However, F.O.X.E.S did leave me somewhat unsatisfied. I still have so many unanswered questions! I understand there's still another 2 books to come out but I can't feel but feel a little cheated. On another note, D.O.G.S received a lot of praise for having featured a primary black character. F.O.X.E.S undoes all this because the character in question does a disappearing act! In this sense, I feel like Bennett let her readership down. I sincerely hope Ty makes a come back in books 4 & 5 — I missed her.
Overall, I'd give the trilogy 4/5 stars. The S.T.A.G.S trilogy is most definitely worth adding to your TBR list.