A decent read just not as thrilling as the first book....
D.O.G.S. is the second book in S.T.A.G.S series, written by M A Bennett and follows on immediately from the first story.
After thoroughly enjoying ‘STAGS’ and loving the writers style of narration, I was very much looking forward to catching up with Greer and her friends again, six weeks after the drastically fatal events at Longcross. Although I did once again enjoy this exciting series, I did feel it lacked the adrenaline rush the first had and didn’t quite take off for me until the final third of the book.
Blurb - A priceless lost play, buried by time, is pushed under Greer’s door of her dormitory room. It is Ben Jonson's The Isle of Dogs, a play considered so dangerous in Elizabethan times that every copy was burned . . . except one. As the students begin to rehearse it, events become increasingly dark and strange, and they lead Greer back to where she never thought she would return - Longcross Hall.
The author captured the tone of the voice of Greer absolutely perfectly and I found her a very likeable character. Her knowledge as a film buff was very entertaining and the inclusion of film trivia placed in the story at appropriate times was both very clever and interesting.
I also thought it quite ingenious how the author wrote the book in five ‘acts’ exactly the number that traditional Elizabethan and Jacobean plays were written of that time. Having the story set locally to me also attracted my interest and I could vividly picture the school and the woods at Longcross.
This series is perfect for the YA audience it is aimed at and with a beautifully defined glossary and history of the STAGS school at the back, this makes for a very intriguing and entertaining read. I also appreciated the authors historical notes on the play ‘The Isle of Dogs’, for which I felt compelled enough to research myself and along with the historical content and information mentioned in the story about Queen Elizabeth 1 and the Earl of Essex I found this an historically entertaining mystery story that was easy to follow and understand.
Even though this book didn’t quite reach the thrilling peaks the first one did for me, I did enjoy reading it and would happily invest in a third one. I’d happily recommend this book, although if you have no interest in classical English Literature you may find the premise a bit tedious but all in all it’s a decent and captivating read. The author is exceptionally talented too in conveying her imagination to the readers and I suspect her books will be very popular amongst a teen audience and I wish her every success with this sequel.
3.5 stars
After thoroughly enjoying ‘STAGS’ and loving the writers style of narration, I was very much looking forward to catching up with Greer and her friends again, six weeks after the drastically fatal events at Longcross. Although I did once again enjoy this exciting series, I did feel it lacked the adrenaline rush the first had and didn’t quite take off for me until the final third of the book.
Blurb - A priceless lost play, buried by time, is pushed under Greer’s door of her dormitory room. It is Ben Jonson's The Isle of Dogs, a play considered so dangerous in Elizabethan times that every copy was burned . . . except one. As the students begin to rehearse it, events become increasingly dark and strange, and they lead Greer back to where she never thought she would return - Longcross Hall.
The author captured the tone of the voice of Greer absolutely perfectly and I found her a very likeable character. Her knowledge as a film buff was very entertaining and the inclusion of film trivia placed in the story at appropriate times was both very clever and interesting.
I also thought it quite ingenious how the author wrote the book in five ‘acts’ exactly the number that traditional Elizabethan and Jacobean plays were written of that time. Having the story set locally to me also attracted my interest and I could vividly picture the school and the woods at Longcross.
This series is perfect for the YA audience it is aimed at and with a beautifully defined glossary and history of the STAGS school at the back, this makes for a very intriguing and entertaining read. I also appreciated the authors historical notes on the play ‘The Isle of Dogs’, for which I felt compelled enough to research myself and along with the historical content and information mentioned in the story about Queen Elizabeth 1 and the Earl of Essex I found this an historically entertaining mystery story that was easy to follow and understand.
Even though this book didn’t quite reach the thrilling peaks the first one did for me, I did enjoy reading it and would happily invest in a third one. I’d happily recommend this book, although if you have no interest in classical English Literature you may find the premise a bit tedious but all in all it’s a decent and captivating read. The author is exceptionally talented too in conveying her imagination to the readers and I suspect her books will be very popular amongst a teen audience and I wish her every success with this sequel.
3.5 stars