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wemily0's review against another edition
emotional
mysterious
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
This was a book that made me think a lot about the inaccessibility of the past and the ways in which we grow as we age. I enjoyed this book overall, it was a little reflective, had a big twist (!), and ended well.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Suicide, Toxic friendship, and Abandonment
Moderate: Religious bigotry
sabrinaboyk's review against another edition
dark
mysterious
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.0
Content Warnings
Moderate: Suicide, Religious bigotry, and Murder
theirgracegrace's review against another edition
dark
mysterious
sad
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.75
What I liked about the book: the richness of the language and the complicated system of roles and reversals that kept me reading. What I disliked: literally everything else. The attempt at Holocaust imagery is absurd, the love story completely overshadows the setting and the threats, and the characters are completely forgettable and ordinary. The author is also a TERF and you can see it in the way that the final reveal is played out. Honestly want my money back.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Alcoholism, Child abuse, Death, Genocide, Hate crime, Mental illness, Misogyny, Self harm, Sexism, Sexual content, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Grief, Religious bigotry, Suicide attempt, Abandonment, and Alcohol
Moderate: Blood, Pregnancy, Gaslighting, and Injury/Injury detail
Minor: Police brutality, Death of parent, and Sexual harassment
While the book itself does not handle transphobia and related topics, a particular reveal late in the book comes across as transphobic on the part of the author.tericarol21's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
dark
medium-paced
5.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Sexism and Suicide
Moderate: Religious bigotry and Murder
Minor: Death of parent
kellyloubishop's review against another edition
challenging
mysterious
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
Content Warnings
Graphic: Religious bigotry
Moderate: Sexual assault and Suicide
kindra_demi's review against another edition
dark
mysterious
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
1.75
Honestly, if it weren't for my curiousity in what the Grand Jeu was and how to play it, I would have DNF'ed this book. The twist/surprise only really caught me because I had also spent the 300+ pages before it trying to piece together the game. And all of that was to ultimately never get a complete answer.
I do appreciate a slow paced book, but there are points where it is so slow that I put it down and didn't pick it up for a couple weeks. There are 4 different pov:
- The Rat: her point of view doesn't really matter until the end of the book though you did get to see her grow with it starting in her pov and ending in it.
-Léo (in the past. His journal from when he attended school): probably the pov where you see the most growth. It was typically the only pov I looked forward to because it actually built the story.
-Léo (present day): a man who is so self absorbed he can't see 2 inches past his nose to realize he is being set up in a trap. I get there was a tragedy where it could have stopped his growth at the end of his journal and into present day him, but that being said, seeing him grow in the journal only to be so ignorant in present day was frustrating. He held records. Played this complex game that was worthy of an elite school (the one he attended). With all of this, I would hope that he would be smart enough to realize that him being forced into quitting his job and return to his old school to "rekindle his love of the Grand Jeu" isn't just that...
-Magister Ludi: One of the heads of the school Léo attended/was forced to return to. And don't forget that SHE must do it alone because SHE is a WOMAN and SHE is going to be the future of the Grand Jeu because women aren't allowed to play but SHE worked for it. Did I mention that the Magister Ludi is a woman? This pov gave me "written by a man" energy. It felt like there wasn't an understanding of being a woman actually, but every time this pov came up, it was overly emphasized.
I don't know if it should be called miscommunication, but that is about the closest thing to describe this whole background of the problem in the book. One character was purposely left in the dark by another. Another character took their understanding of Léo's journal and ran with it in a total opposite direction than the original meaning. It's a journal but in this character's mind, they could have been purposely misleading (like the purpose of a journal is for other people to read).
Before I got to the twist, I was weirded out by the fact Léo went from having feeling for Carfax to having feelings for Claire. After it is revealed she is Carfax, it makes sense, but it just wasn't something that sat right with me.
I know Bridget Collins has another book, and I've seen good reviews for it, but I don't have hopes for it and won't be picking it up any time soon after this book.
I do appreciate a slow paced book, but there are points where it is so slow that I put it down and didn't pick it up for a couple weeks. There are 4 different pov:
- The Rat: her point of view doesn't really matter until the end of the book though you did get to see her grow with it starting in her pov and ending in it.
-Léo (in the past. His journal from when he attended school): probably the pov where you see the most growth. It was typically the only pov I looked forward to because it actually built the story.
-Léo (present day): a man who is so self absorbed he can't see 2 inches past his nose
-Magister Ludi: One of the heads of the school Léo attended/was forced to return to. And don't forget that SHE must do it alone because SHE is a WOMAN and SHE is going to be the future of the Grand Jeu because women aren't allowed to play but SHE worked for it. Did I mention that the Magister Ludi is a woman? This pov gave me "written by a man" energy. It felt like there wasn't an understanding of being a woman actually, but every time this pov came up, it was overly emphasized.
I don't know if it should be called miscommunication, but that is about the closest thing to describe this whole background of the problem in the book. One character was purposely left in the dark by another. Another character took their understanding of Léo's journal and ran with it in a total opposite direction than the original meaning. It's a journal but in this character's mind, they could have been purposely misleading (like the purpose of a journal is for other people to read).
I know Bridget Collins has another book, and I've seen good reviews for it, but I don't have hopes for it and won't be picking it up any time soon after this book.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Blood, Grief, Religious bigotry, and Murder
Moderate: Mental illness, Misogyny, Sexism, and Alcohol
Minor: Sexual content
lazymajou's review against another edition
dark
emotional
mysterious
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.25
This book is just stunning. It has all of the dark academia vibes but it’s also an adult fiction piece. We follow the story of 3 different main characters: the Rat, Léo and Magister Ludi. The story takes place at a boarding school called Montverre where student train in this thing they call grand jeu. Martin Léo is banished by the Party to the school he used to go to 10 years prior where Magister Ludi teaches and where the Rat is hiding. With time we get to know what happened when Léo used to go to school and why Magister Ludi hates him so much.
Léo made many mistakes in his life and he’s not… very likeable to me. He’s low key misogynistic – he believes that women are inferior to men, that their place is at home, not at school. We learn that the Party he is a part of is introducing those “Purity Laws” that are highly nationalistic and especially anti-Christian and anti-Communistic and everyone that defines them.. disappears. Léo is lucky, because even tho he went against what Party wanted of him “Old Man” (head of the Party, he’s only mentioned a few times) likes him, so he was banished.
Magister Ludi, fist female Magister at Montverre as we learn later is also aware of what happened at school when Léo attended it and she knows more than anyone would expect.
And this book has the biggest plot twist at the end that I’d never have expected. Now that I think about it, it was hinted here and there but I never expected THAT! I did not expect Claire (Magister Ludi) to not only be Carfrax’s sister but also the fact that it wasn’t the real Carfrax, who Léo fell in love in when they were at school but it was Claire. And while the real Carfrax did indeed commit suicide – the Carfrax that Léo knew, his love, Claire was alive.
I would love to give it 5 starts but to be honest.. I’ve missed something in it. Not sure why, it’s just the feeling I got.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Misogyny and Suicide
Minor: Religious bigotry
toldinstories's review against another edition
dark
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
This book sounded really intriguing and I had pretty high hopes for it. I loved Claire as a character, it couldn’t care about Léo. He was just annoying;, but I also get that it fits the vibe of the setting, yet still .... Also, I found myself very underwhelmed by the actual plot. I was like: Is this it? At the end of the book I was still confused about many things. It had so much potential, also with the concept of the grand jeu, which I really liked, but this book just fell short.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Misogyny, Sexism, and Religious bigotry
Moderate: Suicide
Minor: Police brutality
lilacsophie's review against another edition
emotional
mysterious
4.25
Content Warnings
Graphic: Bullying, Mental illness, Misogyny, Violence, Blood, Vomit, and Murder
Moderate: Death, Sexual content, Suicide, Police brutality, Grief, and Religious bigotry
Minor: Death of parent
unfiltered_fiction's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
mysterious
slow-paced
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75
The Betrayals is a fantastic book. I know there have been mixed reviews, and to an extent I understand them. Your ability to enjoy this book will be defined by your willingness to embrace abstraction, and so it won't be what all readers are looking for.
Collins does not shirk from her narrators' unlikeable qualities, which can sometimes make for uncomfortable reading. The plot of this story has definite weak moments, where either too much or too little is given away, and the central concept of the grand jeu remains an abstract mystery throughout, which may frustrate readers. Personally, the subplot of the Rat is a particular point of contention, as I feel that this thread added very little to the story. I also have a personal preference for more certain, definitive endings - but I won't go into too much detail, as I'd like to keep this review light on spoilers! These, however, are the main reasons I have not rated this book any higher.
Despite these criticisms, I genuinely think that this book is a fantastic achievement. What it does well, it does excellently.
The glory of The Betrayals is not in its plot, but in the way it captures themes, concepts, atmospheres, and emotions. The snatches of the grand jeu which we are allowed to understand contain sing with love for classical music, philosophy, mythology, modern art, and even mathematical principles. Collins herself notes taking substantial inspiration from The Glass Bead Game by Herman Hesse. I think the story also owes much to George Orwell's 1984, as the dystopian society framing Montverre is much like an infant version of Oceania.
The grand jeu is an ode to interdisciplinary work and divergent thinking. The plot of The Betrayals pushes its central characters further, to consider the moral obligations of scholars towards their art, pupils, and wider society. This book is a maze of intertextuality and social philosophy, and I think, in some ways, it might struggle to find its audience. But it's certainly found itself a loving home on my bookshelves.
Collins does not shirk from her narrators' unlikeable qualities, which can sometimes make for uncomfortable reading. The plot of this story has definite weak moments, where either too much or too little is given away, and the central concept of the grand jeu remains an abstract mystery throughout, which may frustrate readers. Personally, the subplot of the Rat is a particular point of contention, as I feel that this thread added very little to the story. I also have a personal preference for more certain, definitive endings - but I won't go into too much detail, as I'd like to keep this review light on spoilers! These, however, are the main reasons I have not rated this book any higher.
Despite these criticisms, I genuinely think that this book is a fantastic achievement. What it does well, it does excellently.
The glory of The Betrayals is not in its plot, but in the way it captures themes, concepts, atmospheres, and emotions. The snatches of the grand jeu which we are allowed to understand contain sing with love for classical music, philosophy, mythology, modern art, and even mathematical principles. Collins herself notes taking substantial inspiration from The Glass Bead Game by Herman Hesse. I think the story also owes much to George Orwell's 1984, as the dystopian society framing Montverre is much like an infant version of Oceania.
The grand jeu is an ode to interdisciplinary work and divergent thinking. The plot of The Betrayals pushes its central characters further, to consider the moral obligations of scholars towards their art, pupils, and wider society. This book is a maze of intertextuality and social philosophy, and I think, in some ways, it might struggle to find its audience. But it's certainly found itself a loving home on my bookshelves.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Suicidal thoughts, and Suicide
Moderate: Misogyny, Police brutality, and Religious bigotry