A review by pandotter
S.T.A.G.S by M.A. Bennett

slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Plot
• Strong character development? No
• Loveable characters? No
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

0.0

Knowing the blurb of the book felt to me like knowing 85% of the whole book and I was left waiting for the plot to start. The author seemed to know that since she kept leaving foreshadowing as to what would happen ("but that would not be the end of it" "and yet it was about to get worse") which felt to me like a cheap way to keep the reader interested, even though there is no real tension either since it's established in the first (or maybe second) chapter that the three protagonists survive. Finally, I understand the concept of guilt but saying throughout the whole book that the protagonist is "a murderer" is a straight up lie and I was left feeling cheated by the ending.  
I'm aware that this is the first of a series, but it should not be an excuse for it to feel like a cheap introduction to a real story.