amhren 's review for:

Havoc at Prescott High by C.M. Stunich

2.5

dark tense medium-paced

Plot or Character Driven: Plot

Strong character development: No

Loveable characters: Complicated

Flaws of characters a main focus: Yes

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This started off promising, if super cringey as most high school bully setting books I've read do - I mean 17-18 year olds being de facto gang leaders, covered in tattoos while going to this super awful, run-down school which has dogs and police officers check students at the door? Yet, they get away with things? Dramatic much? (it reminded me of the Crowned Crows series by Veronica Eden with the whole the Havoc boys control the school and you can go ask them for favors in exchange for whatever payment they decide on). The MFC was bullied by the Havoc boys in the past and now she's the one evoking their name in exchange of becoming a Havoc girl, as she wants to take revenge on bunch of people.

Bernadette's (and why did the author give her such a name, lol) relationship with the boys was obviously very complex and nuanced, a lot of hate and lust going around, being hot then cold then hot again as the story progresses. You definitely need to read this by suspending your disbelief not only because of what happens in the present, but also when Bernadette recaps what had happened when she was their victim, and how she's finding reasons to downplay the torment as she supposedly gets to know them better.

There's a lot of drama going on, like, a lot. Aside from her revenge, Bernadette has to deal with

an awful home situation, she's busy throwing punches with her ex-best friend, taking care of her sister, and jumping in bed with the boys

. Frankly, most of the spice was pretty good, but it lacked emotional connection for me. Like, she'd say she hates them and she paints herself as their plaything, and while her mental narrative supports her turbulent emotions being all over the place, I just didn't feel a thing about it, lol. 

Despite the cringe-y start of the book, I think I prefered the first half of it better than the second? It was focused more on fleshing out

Victor's weird obsession with Bernadette and the out of nowhere marriage of convenience trope

, which I found intriguing, while the second half dragged on and lost me with

the half-assed attempt at integrating the rest of the boys' interested in her + raising the stakes by turning the story into some sort of gang-turf war.

 

The book ended on a cliffhanger and I'll probably see how the 2nd one goes out of stupid curiosity and nothing better to do, lol.