I miss these characters (well, some of them). The length of this intimidated me initially, but once I got into it, I enjoyed it.  

Energy: Suspicious. Resilient. Perceptive. 

Scene: 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁥󠁮󠁧󠁿 Fictional village and prestigious boarding school in England

Perspective: We’re following a Year 3 high school student on their first day at boarding school after years of home-schooling. Not long after they arrive, their roommate goes missing. 

 

🐩 Tail Wags: The writing style. Gradually getting to know the characters. Sade. Friendship dynamics. Balance of clues and reveals. The portrayal of dark academia (the irl kind) and handling of heavy themes. 

 

There were moments in the middle where I thought this book would feel too long, but just as I started having those thoughts, something would happen, and I wouldn’t feel that way anymore. That said, it’s a mystery story that takes time, with some breaks, for the characters to chill and get to know each other, so I see how this could feel long. 

 

This had just the right amount of heavy, high-stakes scenes near the end (~70% mark) for me. But I don’t like it when high stakes dominate, so if you’re the opposite, it may feel like nothing much happens until 70%. 

 

Sade (pronounced ‘Sha-day’) is a relatable and likeable character. I loved the portrayal of anxiety, especially in social situations. Her entire backstory isn’t revealed all at once, but it doesn't feel like it is kept secret from the audience as suspense bait. There’s no overreliance on that "if only they knew..." stuff.

 

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🎬 Tale-Telling: YA style in a good way. Descriptive, clear, but still nuanced and with depth. 

🤓 Reader Role: Getting to know Sade, following her around and hearing her current thoughts on things while learning more about her and her family life growing up.  

🗺️ World-Building: Immersive, atmospheric, and descriptive. I easily imagined the boarding school facilities, halls, and layout. The unease was built gradually. Sometimes, the school felt like a safe place, but then little things would happen to make it seem shady.

🔥 Fuel: Most of the fuel requires caring for what happens to the characters. Of the love interests and budding friendships, who can Sade trust? Who has ulterior motives? Is something sketchy going on with the faculty and staff? What happened in Sade’s past with her parents and sister? Where is Sade’s roommate, and is she in danger? How far will Sade go to protect herself and her friends?  

📖 Cred: Mostly realistic to hyper-realistic 

🚙 Journey: Cozied up streaming a high school drama series that transports you back (or forward) to high school days. 

 

Content Heads-Up: Parental neglect/estrangement. Anxiety, panic. Sleepwalking, dissociation. Loss of parent (as teen). Loss of a sibling. Suicide (descriptive, recall). Missing person. Alcohol and drug use (partying, recreational). Drugging. Sexual assault and rape. Death. Injury. Corruption (institutional). 

Rep: Cisgender. Gay. Lesbian. Bisexual. Heterosexual. Diverse skin colours. Black, White, Irish, Sri Lankan, Brazilian, American, and British characters. 

 

📚 Format: Hardcover