Scan barcode
A review by daniellewalsh
S.T.A.G.S by M.A. Bennett
2.0
Just going to start by saying I didn't realise this was a YA novel. Obviously since reading The Secret History, any book that mentions an academic setting with an elite group of students and a 'mystery' sounds appealing. It's probably a bad point of comparison because I always expect them to live up to The Secret History, but they rarely do (apart from If We Were Villains, excellent book, highly recommend).
Greer McDonald gets invited to the country manor of the wealthiest boy at S.T.A.G.S., for a weekend of 'shootin', huntin' and fishin'' (doesn't sound like a great weekend to me if I'm honest). The weekend has more in store for Greer and the two other misfits, as the blood sports become more dark and twisted.
The idea of the book was really great, and I can imagine my younger-self loving it, so if you're into YA, it may be right up your street.
I love a film reference in a book, but they weren't just peppered in here, they were constant, and the writing style in general was a bit jarring. It's also a very guided book, with lots of foreshadowing, but again maybe it's for the target audience?
The premise was so good, but everything just felt a little underdeveloped in my opinion. Don't want to be too harsh because the idea is great, and maybe it's my fault for going into it without realising it was a YA book.
Greer McDonald gets invited to the country manor of the wealthiest boy at S.T.A.G.S., for a weekend of 'shootin', huntin' and fishin'' (doesn't sound like a great weekend to me if I'm honest). The weekend has more in store for Greer and the two other misfits, as the blood sports become more dark and twisted.
The idea of the book was really great, and I can imagine my younger-self loving it, so if you're into YA, it may be right up your street.
I love a film reference in a book, but they weren't just peppered in here, they were constant, and the writing style in general was a bit jarring. It's also a very guided book, with lots of foreshadowing, but again maybe it's for the target audience?
The premise was so good, but everything just felt a little underdeveloped in my opinion. Don't want to be too harsh because the idea is great, and maybe it's my fault for going into it without realising it was a YA book.