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bunnyjax 's review for:
Oxford Blood
by Rachael Davis-Featherstone
challenging
dark
mysterious
fast-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:
No
Thank you to Netgalley for providing me with an ARC in exchange for an honest review.
Oxford Blood is a YA Thriller/Murder Mystery revolving around Oxford University and its admissions process. I have to admit, I am not a person who typically reads YA Thrillers. But this book sucked me in like no other.
Eva is a very compelling protagonist. Throughout the book, I was rooting for her as she went up against the racist, classist members of the Elite who were fighting to prevent her from both discovering the truth and becoming an Oxford student. Her internal dilemma revolving around the murder of her best friend (with occasional benefits?) felt very realistic and grounded. I deeply enjoyed the acknowledgement of her mental health and grief after everything happened.
The murder mystery was genuinely very interesting to me. There were so many players involved with everything and I loved the fact that almost everyone had something that made them look guilty. Who I thought the culprit was changed a lot over the course of the book, and that was great. I don't like mysteries that heavily implicate the true murderer from the beginning. This book did a great job at obscuring the identity of the killer while still dropping hints as to who they were. There were so many twists and turns that kept me hooked the whole time.
4.5 stars out of 5. So very excited to be able to discuss this book with more people once it is officially released!
Oxford Blood is a YA Thriller/Murder Mystery revolving around Oxford University and its admissions process. I have to admit, I am not a person who typically reads YA Thrillers. But this book sucked me in like no other.
Eva is a very compelling protagonist. Throughout the book, I was rooting for her as she went up against the racist, classist members of the Elite who were fighting to prevent her from both discovering the truth and becoming an Oxford student. Her internal dilemma revolving around the murder of her best friend (with occasional benefits?) felt very realistic and grounded. I deeply enjoyed the acknowledgement of her mental health and grief after everything happened.
The murder mystery was genuinely very interesting to me. There were so many players involved with everything and I loved the fact that almost everyone had something that made them look guilty. Who I thought the culprit was changed a lot over the course of the book, and that was great. I don't like mysteries that heavily implicate the true murderer from the beginning. This book did a great job at obscuring the identity of the killer while still dropping hints as to who they were. There were so many twists and turns that kept me hooked the whole time.
4.5 stars out of 5. So very excited to be able to discuss this book with more people once it is officially released!
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death
Moderate: Rape, Sexual assault, Death of parent, Murder