A review by alicihonest
The Bellwether Revivals by Benjamin Wood

3.0

I chose to read this because I love the 'dark secrets of rich private school kids' genre, and was delighted to find that their dark secrets were hypnotism related, one of my other Favourite Things. But oh, this book was a struggle. It's hard to put my finger on it exactly, but I think my problem with The Belwether Revivals was in the 'show, don't tell' philosophy of storytelling. Benjamin Wood tried to tell one thing, but what he was showing was something else entirely, and thus I realised I was rooting for the character I wasn't supposed to and absolutely sick of the character who was meant to be the protagonist. Oscar is boring, selfish, and arrogant. We're supposed to think the last two adjectives apply to Eden, but I don't think they do in as harmful of a way. I thought this book was going to be a lot smarter than it was. I though there would be a twist that would justify why Oscar was so unlikeble, only concerned with hooking up with Iris and not with the fact that Eden needed help. He didn't need to be poked with a stick, he didn't need to be treated like he was a jerk, he needed help. Oscar was so inexplicably preoccupied with himself and his own frame of experience. He tried to make it seem like Eden was arrogant because he made himself at home in his own home? He tried to make it seem like Eden was arrogant because he talked about what he was passionate about to his friends even though they didn't share the passion? That's how friendships work. You are supposed to like hearing what your friends are passionate about, what is important to them. This book was supposed to be sinister, but it wasn't, because Eden was only ever trying to help people. Though misguided means, sure, but help them. Oscar was just tying to do whatever he had to to keep Iris interested in him. And thus the ending made no sense, and thus although this book had engaging prose and pacing, the story was a disappointment and Eden deserved better.