The Hidden Agenda of Sigrid Sugden

by Jill MacLean

A new novel in the award-winning Travis Keating/Prinny Murphy series. Sigrid Sugden is a Shrike, a member of one of the toughest group of girls in school. They are experts at blackmail, extortion and bullying their terrorized classmates. But one day, the Shrikes go too far. Sigrid realizes that their favourite victim, Prinny Murphy, is in real danger. She makes a decision that will save Prinny from danger but will turn the Shrikes anger and bullying against the former friend who betrayed them to the authorities. For Sigrid, this is a transformative moment. She wants to be a better person and begins to reflect on the events that led to her being a Shrike. Participating in their mean pranks made her feel powerful and safe. But now, she realizes she needs and wants to turn over a new leaf - make new friends and be kinder to others. But overcoming her badgirl image is a whole lot harder to do than she originally thought. No one likes her, no one trusts her - no one is willing to give her a second chance. But then an unlikely ally comes forward to help her convince the rest of the students at school that she really does want to be a better person - her former victim, Prinny Murphy. 2014/2015 Red Cedar Fiction Award winner in the fiction category On Resource Links' Best of 2013 list 2015 Silver Birch Fiction Award nominee On Ontario Library Association Best Bets List 2013 Shortlisted for The Manitoba Young Readers' Choice Award, 2015

Genres: Contemporary, Canada, Young Adult, Middle Grade, Fiction, Childrens

240 pages, Paperback

First published September 1, 2013

About the author

Jill MacLean started as a writer of so-called formula fiction, but many years ago turned to poetry, its polar opposite; her collection was shortlisted for two awards, while her five literary novels for young readers have won four awards and received numerous nominations, four of them international. She’s now working on a novel for adults, set in the early years of the One Hundred Years War, in the shadow of plague.

She lives in Nova Scotia, has been a palliative care volunteer and a dog walker for two humane societies, and is a keen reader who loves libraries (they’re full of books and they’re free). Time with family and friends is of the essence. Gardening, music and solo canoeing are also high on her list: picture her paddling into the sunrise on a mist-wreathed lake (edit out the blackflies). She has a strong sense of adventure: she’s hiked the high Arctic tundra, driven the Dempster Highway, tramped lava fields in central Iceland, traversed very scary, unlit, one-way tunnels in the Faroes Islands and been much too close to a grizzly in the Mackenzie Mountains. Medieval peasants, war and plague? An adventure of a different kind. Add to this curiosity and a propensity for eavesdropping, along with a passion for vibrant characters and a well-told story, and you begin to understand what keeps her at her desk, day after day.

Jill needs an update here - a busy few years. Her first medieval novel, "The Arrows of Mercy," was published in 2023, and was a finalist for the Whistler Independent Book Awards sponsored by The Writers' Union of Canada. It received a stellar review in The Miramichi Reader and was one of their Best Books for 2023. The Historical Society highly recommended it.
Since then, she's written a standalone sequel, called "The Arrows of Fealty," which will be launched September 21, 2025. The advance reviews are excellent, and it received a 5-star review (based on the ARC) yesterday.

Reviews

[Vicki · Rating 5 out of 5]

I didn't know that this book was the third book about the kids in this small town in Newfoundland until after I'd read it, because it stands alone as a great contemporary read for kids about bullying. This one, however, deals with a girl who is one of the school bullies who is trying to break away from her past and create a normal life for herself, and make amends for some of the terrible things she has done. The struggle she goes through is so compelling and realistic, that I couldn't put it down. I have already ordered the other two in the series. Highly recommended, love that it's by a Canadian author.

[Paula · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really liked Sigrid and all the characters in her tiny Newfoundland village. Nothing in this story was easy, pat, or tossed off. Every character (except maybe Sigrid's parents!) fights the good fight for a decent life, day in, day out. Even the "monsters" have honest longings, if not helpful ways of addressing them. Jill MacLean is a master at realistic fiction, something kids love and get too little of.

[Erika · Rating 5 out of 5]

A great book about being a bully, trying to stop being a bully, and the secret lives of bullies that make them who they are. A tense story as Sigrid fights to lose the "mean" that has taken over her life the past two years and rediscover the "nice" in her.

[Glenda Fu · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was a very melancholic yet happy book to read. It took me on a ride of emotions, and pulled me into deep sympathy for the characters. Although it's set in a small town, it feels like there is a big world of possibilities. In this story we follow Sigrid Sugden, a 13 year old girl who is part of the bully trio, the Shrikes. We have the ruthless ring leader Tate, short but has a tongue sharper than a knife, and Mel, brawn over brain, slightly on the bigger side and will pounce on you if you mess with her. They specialize in blackmail and terrorizing, and will squeeze out every last penny before they're done with you. In the beginning, we observe as Sigrid suffers a personal dilemma. She realizes her guilt, and when one of their victims is in trouble she makes a decision that will put her relationship with the rest of the Shrikes in jeopardy. Now Sigrid has Tate and Mel hot on her trail, dubbing her as a traitor and making her life miserable. Sigrid tries to make amends for her wrong deeds, but she always ends up making things worse. And to add fuel to the fire, things at home are rocky. Her life goes on a downward path, as she makes decisions she will later regret, anger people when she was only trying to help, and has to face the fact that her loved ones are moving on without her.And we see that when her step-dad finds somebody new, her seldom home mother getting angry, her real dad getting married and her brother wanting to move out with his girlfriend, Sigrid gets very lonely. She also "befriends" the nasty bully Hud Quinn, and tries to help with his issues, but only seeming to make things worse. However, we do get a happy ending and mostly everything is resolved. Only downfall is that the situation with Tate and Mel hasn't reached a solid resolution and ended on a sour note. The moral of this story I think is, no one is born mean, or is pure evil, we are all just very complicated. Still 4.5 out of 5 stars. -Glenda

[Kayla · Rating 4 out of 5]

So... I started reading this book for my book club about a month ago because we had to read a MYRCA and this one seemed fairly interesting compared to the others from what I read on the back.

I was slightly disappointed at first. I felt that the book was a little bit boring with being so repetitive about Sigrid wanting to get people to like her. But then the other sub-plots started getting better and it all went uphill from there.

I think that Sigrid is an inspirational character in terms of her being able to hold her own against Tate and Mel and wanting to make everything better. When she finally ended up befriending Hud I was really happy.

I wish we had a little bit more closure on what happened to Tate and Mel. I wish we had more backstory on them and what their situations were even though we already know that Tate's family is extremely religious and Mel's mother is dead and she wants to be like Carly Rae Jepsen.

Overall I think that the book was enjoyable, despite being slightly confusing and a bit boring at first. 3.8 stars from me.

[Lindsy C. · Rating 4 out of 5]

A quick read, with a strong and hopeful message rooted in self-identity. I found many parts of this novel to be quite moving. It was simple in concept, yet powerful in the delivery. I found it interesting this was actually a companion to two previous novels, which I didn't realize until I read the back pages of excerpts/reviews. This novel stands alone very well however, so I'd be interested to see how the other titles compare. The main character of Sigrid comes to life on the pages, and seemed wise beyond her years. I really found myself rooting for her! This book would probably be enjoyed best by middle schoolers (grades 6-8).

[Niki · Rating 4 out of 5]

Sigrid Sugden has grown weary of being a Shrike (aka a bully), but learns that it is a tough way of life to remove yourself from. Sigrid deals with loneliness and longing for friends, but also for family. A third book in Jill MacLean's series about a variety of small town characters, but "The Hidden Agenda of Sigrid Sugden" also reads well as a stand alone book. An excellent novel to use as a springboard for conversations about bullying, redemption and relationships.
Short-listed for the 2015 MYRCA.

[Megan Hunt · Rating 5 out of 5]

I really loved how Sigrid tried to become nice after leaving her group 'Shrike'. Sigrid is one of favourite characters in the book because she never gave up on trying to find new friends after her old ones ditched her. Nothing in this book was really bad, it was a nice light read with lots of detail. After Sigrid's group brakes ups, Sigrid is in need of a friend, and being an ex- bully isn't really helping her case. After helping the people she once blackmail Sigrid realizes that people aren't going to be her friend until she starts cleaning up her act.

[Jonine Bergen · Rating 4 out of 5]

A companion book to The Nine Lives of Travis Keating and The Present Tense of Prinny Murphy, author Jill MacLean tells the story of another set of characters. MacLean masterfully weaves in her previous characters into a new tale of bullying, retribution, and consequences. A good stand-alone but even better when you know the back stories referred to in the novel.

[Brendan · Rating 5 out of 5]

Remarkable book about a bully trying to mend her ways. Although it's about sixth graders, it resonates far beyond the middle-grade audience. How do you live with yourself when you've done terrible things? And when you want to become a different person, how the hell do you do it? Thought-provoking, moving, and generally awesome.

[Cheri Linton · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book continues the saga of life in this tiny village in Nova Scotia. Having read those and knowing what Prinny had to endure at home and to find out that she is targeted at school is a heart breaker. In the end this is a story of redemption. This book has been nominated for a Forest of Reading Award in 2015.

[Hailie Bienvenu · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was my favourite book so far! The only thing that I didn't really love was the bullying but that's what the book is based on. I loved the last chapter! Sigrid is my favourite person because she never gave up! I would really recommend this book.

[Thano · Rating 2 out of 5]

I really enjoyed this book. It is about a girl named Sigrid who is a shrike with her two friends Mell and Tate. Soon Sigrid doesn't want to be a shrike and her two friends turn on her. This book was hard to handle at some parts but it was overall very good. I would recommend this book to a friend.

[Noor :) · Rating 4 out of 5]

It was amazing. it is a little bit upsetting at first but it is a story about standing up. there are a lot of books like that but this one is not typical. it is amazing but i think only ages 10 and up should be allowed to read it

[Beyond Words · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.5 rating.
This was a great book that has a great story. I read this one first instead of the other two so I didn't get their background knowledge but I wasn't too important. I love all the touches to it which made it a good book.

[Diane · Rating 5 out of 5]

Once again Jill McLean's writing knocked my socks off.

[Nic · Rating 4 out of 5]

Good book! Really enjoyed the Newfoundland location. Reforming after being a bully would be really hard unless someone gives you a chance. Interested in reading the other books by Jill MacLean.

[serena · Rating 5 out of 5]

My favourite out of the whole series, tied with Prinny Murphy. I feel like these books are getting better and better. A great idea to take on the point of view of one of the bullies, and what she went through in order to stop being one. ~Amazing~

I hope the fourth book comes out soon. Waited for a few years by now.