STAGS is a YA thriller that’s been on my radar for a while. The premise is undoubtedly intriguing - Greer, an outsider at her boarding school STAGS, is invited alongside two other pupils to spend a weekend ‘huntin’ shootin’ fish in’’ with the most popular and wealthy kids at school. This quickly turns sour when the blood sports become dark and twisted, putting Greer in fear of her life. I really liked the author’s writing style. I was definitely captivated by the story and read it very quickly. I enjoyed Greer’s POV and all of the characters were brilliantly described and felt very real to me.
I liked the thriller aspect as well, although I felt at times things were obvious and Greer was blatantly ignoring them to provide a stronger sense of ‘mystery’. The concept of the blood sports wasn’t quite as thrilling as the execution, but still enjoyable to read nonetheless. I have to say I loved the ending to the novel, both the conclusion of the weekend and the cliffhanger at the very end which set up the way for more books. Overall, I enjoyed the novel but thought it could have heightened the mystery/thriller aspect more in places, and it felt more like an introduction to the world of STAGS than a completed novel. At the time of writing this review I have already read the 2nd book, and I have to say this book sets things up brilliantly for the rest of the series. Once you finish this, you will definitely feel compelled to read on.
I liked the thriller aspect as well, although I felt at times things were obvious and Greer was blatantly ignoring them to provide a stronger sense of ‘mystery’. The concept of the blood sports wasn’t quite as thrilling as the execution, but still enjoyable to read nonetheless. I have to say I loved the ending to the novel, both the conclusion of the weekend and the cliffhanger at the very end which set up the way for more books. Overall, I enjoyed the novel but thought it could have heightened the mystery/thriller aspect more in places, and it felt more like an introduction to the world of STAGS than a completed novel. At the time of writing this review I have already read the 2nd book, and I have to say this book sets things up brilliantly for the rest of the series. Once you finish this, you will definitely feel compelled to read on.