Wow. This book . . . wow. Ever since I first heard about S.T.A.G.S, I was excited to read it as it sounded right up my street: a YA mystery set in an English boarding school, complete with class issues (landed gentry vs new money / no money) and murder. What's not to love? When I first started, I was a little wary of the voice as Greer is telling the story after it happened, but the voice proved to be perfect.
Within twenty pages or so, I was hooked. We know from very early on that Henry, a charismatic and slightly mysterious prefect, ends up dead, but we have no idea how or why. It made Greer's narrative even more interesting as she was telling the story from a point of hindsight rather than as if it was happening right then, dropping hints and foreshadowing along the way. I was gripped from start to finish, torn between my desire to know what happened and to keep the mystery going.
I didn't want the book to end. Bennett's imagery was phenomenal, doing an absolutely stellar job of building the world of Longcross - Henry's lavish estate home, where the weekend of blood sports begins. This book had everything I want from a YA mystery: tension; suspense; brilliantly developed characters, and an intricate, grounded location. Not to mention a couple of brilliant twists! I can't wait to read Bennett's upcoming novel, The Island - another YA mystery.
Within twenty pages or so, I was hooked. We know from very early on that Henry, a charismatic and slightly mysterious prefect, ends up dead, but we have no idea how or why. It made Greer's narrative even more interesting as she was telling the story from a point of hindsight rather than as if it was happening right then, dropping hints and foreshadowing along the way. I was gripped from start to finish, torn between my desire to know what happened and to keep the mystery going.
I didn't want the book to end. Bennett's imagery was phenomenal, doing an absolutely stellar job of building the world of Longcross - Henry's lavish estate home, where the weekend of blood sports begins. This book had everything I want from a YA mystery: tension; suspense; brilliantly developed characters, and an intricate, grounded location. Not to mention a couple of brilliant twists! I can't wait to read Bennett's upcoming novel, The Island - another YA mystery.