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A review by scburhans
Girls with Sharp Sticks by Suzanne Young
challenging
dark
emotional
hopeful
mysterious
reflective
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Perfect for fans of Level 16 and Westworld!
I'm a big fan of Young's The Program series, so I was super excited to start this series! As expected, there was a lot of social commentary as Young tends to write social horror/thriller books. While the commentary could be a little simplistic and heavy-handed at times, it is a YA book so I think choosing to do that makes it more marketable to younger audiences like middle schoolers.
One of the biggest things that drew me in in this book, was how similar it was to the 2018 horror movie Level 16 - a great movie, I'd reccomend it to anyone who likes psychological thriller or suspence. Both revolve around girls-only boarding schools with sketchy business practices, and both lead to some interesting commentary about gender and how it affects our social upbringing and relationships. That being said, they were definitely different enough where it didn't feel like it was a rip-off or copy. Another thing that I adored was that the male love interest does not save the day. The girls get to stand on their own with his support when they needed it, but he didn't swoop in and do all the work, which was wonderfully refreshing. Jackson has the spirit and we need more men like him.
Overall, loved the book and I will be reccomending it to my friends!
I'm a big fan of Young's The Program series, so I was super excited to start this series! As expected, there was a lot of social commentary as Young tends to write social horror/thriller books. While the commentary could be a little simplistic and heavy-handed at times, it is a YA book so I think choosing to do that makes it more marketable to younger audiences like middle schoolers.
One of the biggest things that drew me in in this book, was how similar it was to the 2018 horror movie Level 16 - a great movie, I'd reccomend it to anyone who likes psychological thriller or suspence. Both revolve around girls-only boarding schools with sketchy business practices, and both lead to some interesting commentary about gender and how it affects our social upbringing and relationships. That being said, they were definitely different enough where it didn't feel like it was a rip-off or copy. Another thing that I adored was that the male love interest does not save the day. The girls get to stand on their own with his support when they needed it, but he didn't swoop in and do all the work, which was wonderfully refreshing. Jackson has the spirit and we need more men like him.
Overall, loved the book and I will be reccomending it to my friends!