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S.T.A.G.S

(S.T.A.G.S #1)

M.A. Bennett

3.53 · Rating details · 3,868 ratings · 963 reviews

Nine students. Three bloodsports. One deadly weekend.

It is the autumn term and Greer MacDonald is struggling to settle into the sixth form at the exclusive St. Aidan the Great boarding school, known to its privileged pupils as S.T.A.G.S. Just when she despairs of making friends Greer receives a mysterious invitation with three words embossed upon on it: huntin' shootin' f ...more

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Paperback, 290 pages

Published August 10th 2017 by Hot Key Books

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Rating details

· 3,868 ratings · 963 reviews

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Feb 24, 2019 Charlotte May rated it liked it

Shelves: contemporary-recent, ya, crime-mystery-thriller

3.5 ⭐

I must admit I was expecting more from this YA thriller.
Greer has just received a scholarship to the prestigious S.T.A.G.S boarding school. As expected though, she doesn't fit in. These kids are the ultimate in privilege; years and years of entitlement and 'Old money' have led to a 'mean girls' like group known as medievals.

When Greer receives an invitation from the most popular boy in school to go to his family estate for the weekend, she is beyond excited. Maybe finally she can make some 3.5 ⭐️

I must admit I was expecting more from this YA thriller.
Greer has just received a scholarship to the prestigious S.T.A.G.S boarding school. As expected though, she doesn't fit in. These kids are the ultimate in privilege; years and years of entitlement and 'Old money' have led to a 'mean girls' like group known as medievals.

When Greer receives an invitation from the most popular boy in school to go to his family estate for the weekend, she is beyond excited. Maybe finally she can make some friends and be included.

However, she soon realises that what the medievals have in mind is far more sinister than she could have ever imagined.

I had a couple of minor gripes. The first is quite petty, but I stand by it. Authors who don't do their research - or just simply use the wrong information. So, the invitation for Greer was to go to Henry's estate Longcross over half term weekend. 1. Half term is a whole week not a weekend.
2. The author then refers to the 'bank holiday Monday'. There are no bank holidays over the Autumn term in the UK. Our last bank holiday before Christmas is August, so this just doesn't fit. #sorrynotsorry

My other issue was with the main character herself. Greer is a film buff (fair enough) but she uses every waking moment to compare something that is happening to a scene from a film. I love a film reference as much as the next person, but definitely not that many. There is no way the average reader will have watched the number of films she name drops throughout this book - there are absolutely loads.
Second issue with Greer, she calls herself a feminist (which is awesome) but then she says things like "I'm letting down feminism because I worried about what to wear" or "feminism stood a step backward because the first thing I thought when I saw him was that he was hot.". This is just NOT what feminism is. Feminism DOES NOT CARE if you think someone is hot or if you care about what you wear. There is nothing wrong with that!! Feminism is about equality for all, and when people mistake caring about how they look with not being a feminist then we have a problem.

Overall, this was an entertaining read. A few parts I didn't really feel added up, and a few times I had to suspend my disbelief. But the twist at the end pushed my rating up by half a star and I might check out the sequel when it comes out. ...more

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Aug 03, 2017 Miriam Smith rated it it was amazing

Shelves: readers-first

"S.T.A.G.S." written by M.A.Bennett is a superb story that was such a different read to my normal books, yet still in keeping with the thriller genre.
I knew as soon as I started reading this that I was going to enjoy it and I wasn't proved wrong. With twists and turns right to the very end, readers will love this book - so easy to follow with brilliant characters (I could certainly see the attraction with Henry) and a seriously captivating plot.
Greer MacDonald has won a scholarship at the "S.T.A.G.S." written by M.A.Bennett is a superb story that was such a different read to my normal books, yet still in keeping with the thriller genre.
I knew as soon as I started reading this that I was going to enjoy it and I wasn't proved wrong. With twists and turns right to the very end, readers will love this book - so easy to follow with brilliant characters (I could certainly see the attraction with Henry) and a seriously captivating plot.
Greer MacDonald has won a scholarship at the very elite and prestigious St. Aidan the Great School in Northumberland. She doesn't make many friends at the school due to not being the wealthy and socially acceptable student all the others are. When Greer receives the much coveted annual invitation to join a group of 'Medievals' (unofficial prefects of the school) at Longcross Hall, she accepts the "huntin' shootin' fishin'" invitation in the hope she will make new friends and be socially accepted. However, things aren't as they seem in the invitation and things start to go disastrously wrong once the deadly weekend gets underway. We know from the start that a death has occurred - quite possibly a murder - and we are taken on a twisty turny journey that Greer relates in great detail, keeping the reader engrossed in a tale of medieval history, traditional blood sports and the power of long established well to do families.
Living myself beside the hauntingly beautiful counties of Northumberland and Cumberland, I could really relate to the areas the school and Hall were located, the descriptions were truly spot on! I also particularly enjoyed the little references Greer made relating to movies incorporating film scenes where that situation was occurring, and the fact it was written in the first person means we get to hear Greer's doubts and feelings first hand.
"S.T.A.G.S." could easily be made into a movie, there's a huge audience of all ages that would enjoy this story and I highly recommend the book - I thoroughly enjoyed it and I would happily read it again.
5 stars. ...more

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Mar 11, 2019 Wendy Darling rated it it was ok

Shelves: audio

2.5 stars

Intriguing premise, with a plot that is fine at first, but eventually becomes unbelievable, then ludicrous. A slight but entertaining book ruined by heroine's distraction by a blue-eyed charmer (view spoiler), a superfluous continuation post-climax, why-haven't-you-caught-up-to-the-clues-yet frustration, hard-to-swallow mindsets, and occasional poseur shock style (view spoiler)2.5 stars

Intriguing premise, with a plot that is fine at first, but eventually becomes unbelievable, then ludicrous. A slight but entertaining book ruined by heroine's distraction by a blue-eyed charmer (view spoiler), a superfluous continuation post-climax, why-haven't-you-caught-up-to-the-clues-yet frustration, hard-to-swallow mindsets, and occasional poseur shock style (view spoiler).

It's to the credit of the perfect narration by Katharine McEwan that the experience was as compelling as it was. I barely noticed how slight the characters were or how hole-ridden the plot was until halfway through the book.

An audio review copy was provided by the publisher. ...more

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Jul 03, 2017 Cora Tea Party Princess rated it it was amazing

5 Words: Privilege, power, huntin', shootin', fishin'.

Holy wow. I misjudged this book a lot.

I knew from those first gripping pages that there had been a death, that someone thought they had murdered someone else, but I loved how unreliable it felt.

I'm not entirely sure what it was about the cover or the blurb (yes, I read it for once!) that made me think that this was set in the US, but it's not. And that came as a very pleasant and welcome surprise.

I found myself quick ...more

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Oct 22, 2017 Rachel Hall rated it really liked it

S.T.A.G.S is a cracking debut psychological thriller aimed at the YA market but in all honesty with M.A. Bennett’s neat plotting, the scathing humour of her central character and a storyline filled with situations which are accessible to an adult audience, this novel has the ability to entertain well beyond its target bracket. With its dark undertone and a heroine wise beyond her years yet achingly aware of the social conventions which dictates whether an adolescent fits in, S.T.A.G.S offers a p
S.T.A.G.S is a cracking debut psychological thriller aimed at the YA market but in all honesty with M.A. Bennett’s neat plotting, the scathing humour of her central character and a storyline filled with situations which are accessible to an adult audience, this novel has the ability to entertain well beyond its target bracket. With its dark undertone and a heroine wise beyond her years yet achingly aware of the social conventions which dictates whether an adolescent fits in, S.T.A.G.S offers a perceptive take on everything from the entitlement culture which still seems well entrenched in certain circles to the advance of technology. One such environment is the imposing medieval manor house of elite seventeenth century founded bastion of education, St. Aidan the Great, an elite boarding school located in Northumberland. Replete with antiquated traditions, language lessons in Latin and Greek, games consisting of fives and real tennis and a uniform reminiscent of an monastic order, parents are paying for their offspring to be different.

When working class northern sixth-former, Greer MacDonald, is awarded a scholarship from Bewley Park comprehensive to St. Aidan’s she recognises herself for what she is: the girl who doesn’t fit in. As autumn (Michaelmas) terms opens, Greer discovers her lowly rank in the food chain along with a collective of fellow outsiders. Street-smart and just as well educated in the laws of the jungle after spending her formative years watching myriad films, it is no understatement to say that Greer can see the warning bells and smell the danger that comes from being in the vicinity of the ‘Medievals’, a wealthy, arrogant inner sanctum who effectively run the school. With their backgrounds embedded in the wealth of old money and their ancestors all former pupils they pride themselves on eschewing technology and social media, all termed ‘Savage’ and synonymous with the behaviour of coarse heathens. Top dog of this ruling order of prefects is blue-eyed invincible golden boy, Henry de Warlencourt. With his film star good looks and his country estate along with his posse of hangers-on he rules the roost. Although it is difficult to set one of the group of six apart as the instigator of ridicule and bullying, in a group they are merciless.

After a half-term of heartbreaking isolation and loneliness, Greer might not like how the ‘Medievals’ behave but it doesn’t stop her wanting to attract the capricious attentions of Henry de Warlencourt and his crowd or hoping to fit it. Greer’s narration is full of her obvious vulnerability and even as a gifted pupils who would probably be intelligent enough to advise others not too go near them, it is human nature to want to be liked. When a mysterious card is slipped under Greer’s door she is flabbergasted to be given a prestigious invitation to spend Justitium (half-term) weekend at Longcross Hall, the estate of the de Warlencourt family, for a weekend of huntin’ shootin’ fishin’. Could this prove an opportunity to audition to become a ‘Medieval’ and finally be accepted?! Needless to say, Greer is even more surprised to find herself and fellow outsiders Shafeen Jadeja (“Punjabi playboy”) and Chanel Ashford (“Carphone Chanel”) at the gathering. Devoid of adults and staffed by a motley crew of lackeys from the yokel village who take orders from Henry, the setting is suitably creepy. Amongst the dark corridors lined with stags heads and initially caught up in the bonhomie of a few adoring looks from Henry, it takes time to dawn on Greer that the three outsiders are the prey to be hunted... Along with Greer, Bennett takes time to carve out well-realised characters in the cases of Shafeen and Chanel she succeeds in getting the reader invested in their fate. Apart from Henry de Warlencourt, the ‘Medievals’ proved rather interchangeable, however this merely adds to their overall sense of menace.

Whilst this novel is not without its flaws and I certainly found a few plot holes, the greatest problem is that Greer’s narration is told in retrospect, so the reader knows from the get-go something of what to expect and that Greer shares some burden of responsibility for a fatality, which does nothing for the anticipation factor:

“I’m a murderer in the way that fox hunters are murderers - they are each responsible for the fox’s death, even though they hunt in a pack.”

Bennett does a wonderful job with Greer’s sarcastic and youthful commentary, which in contrast to so many of the recent YA novels that I have read actually manages to convince as the words of sixteen-year-old. Greer overlays the story with a darkly comical tone and her narration is littered with movie analogies, the vast majority of which prove amusing and even with my scant film knowledge, I understand the general gist of most of her intimations. I was disappointed by the final third of S.T.AG.S. which seemed rather drawn out and anticlimactic. As it is the epilogue is frustratingly saccharine sweet with a little too much emphasis on opening up the closed order with more public sector teachers, pupils of colour and scholarship students, making for an overly preachy tone into the finish. The final pages of this novel leave potential for a follow-up and whilst I have no appetite to read a rehash of this story, I will be looking out for the future YA novels of M.A. Bennett.

In short, this is an excellent YA psychological thriller which makes some interesting insights on a world increasingly becoming dependent on technology and pitting it alongside an aristocratic boarding school illuminates the pros and cons brilliantly. Narrated with atmosphere and with an excellent lead character, the spirit of Greer and her cohorts make this an exhilarating read for a YA audience and will entertain adults alike. S.T.A.G.S. also proves an education in itself on the area of blood sports (not that I shall be putting any of them into practice)!

Many thanks to Miriam Smith for giving me the opportunity to read this book. ...more

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Feb 14, 2018 Brooke — brooklynnnnereads rated it it was ok · review of another edition

Shelves: unhauled-used-to-own

This was a unique, creative, and thrilling novel that is not typical within the Young Adult genre. It almost felt as if it was a combination of "Pretty Little Liars" by Sara Shepard and the movies "Scream" and "Mean Girls". It was a different story and not only in the idea but the execution of the crimes.

Admittedly (and unfortunately), as much as I was a fan of the idea surrounding the plot, this novel was just not for me. It was a case of "it's not you, it's me". The writing was well done but ...more

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Jul 07, 2017 Annamaria rated it it was ok

Shelves: read-in-english, netgalley

"Huntin', Shootin', Fishin'."

I genuinely thought I was going to thoroughly enjoy S.T.A.G.S. because I requested in during the same period I was watching this brilliant BBC mini-series called, wait for it, “Stag”. The concept was similar and being me the idiot I am I thought it was a sign from the gods to read it. In “Stag” a group of men go on a hunting trip on a friend's stag night. Then, one after the other, they get killed off. My kind of thing if you know me! In “S.T.A.G.S.” a group of kids who attend a very p"Huntin',
"Huntin', Shootin', Fishin'."

I genuinely thought I was going to thoroughly enjoy S.T.A.G.S. because I requested in during the same period I was watching this brilliant BBC mini-series called, wait for it, “Stag”. The concept was similar and being me the idiot I am I thought it was a sign from the gods to read it. In “Stag” a group of men go on a hunting trip on a friend's stag night. Then, one after the other, they get killed off. My kind of thing if you know me! In “S.T.A.G.S.” a group of kids who attend a very posh boarding school is invited on a hunting trip by the very elite of this place. Soon they realize somebody is trying to hurt them. What was brilliant in “Stag”, the suspense, the mystery, the splattery murders, the character development and the backstories, was what lacked in “S.T.A.G.S.”. This last one tries too hard to be a thriller and a YA novel and it shows. It feels like it dumbs down the mystery as not to bore the reader but what it achieves is quite the contrary. Every now and then the chapters will end with a foreshadowing that always assures the reader that a murder is about to happen. In its place though we get long descriptions of places and a useless romance, then when we’re ready to deal with the juicy bits they’re rushed and left underdeveloped.

The villains are one-dimensional and unappealing, (view spoiler) .The main character is an annoying young girl who loves movies and never shuts up about it. I thought that this element would have served a purpose plot-wise but was just a quirk of hers. The ending could have been brilliant had it been built upon solid foundations. Having been the overall story quite simple and pretty uneventful it just felt like a last attempt to throw in there a witty plot-twist/cliffhanger which will perhaps open the doors to a possible second instalment?

Maybe I didn’t like this book the way other readers did because I had raised the bar way too high (when it comes to gory murders the BBC is always a cut above us all!) so if the genre appeals to anyone who’s reading this review I’d recommend not to be completely put off by it, give it a chance and see for yourself!

I was kindly sent the ARC of this book by Netgalley. ...more

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Dec 02, 2018 Amanda rated it it was amazing

Shelves: netgalley

Sometimes you know from the very beginning of a book that you are going to thoroughly enjoy it and this was definitely that book.

Greer MacDonald wins a scholarship to the prestigious STAGS (St Aidan the great school). She finds it hard to make new friends as old money trumps new and it’s an old establishment where one’s ancestry is very important.

When Greer receives an invitation with the words “huntin, shootin and fishin” from the very popular Henry Cookson, it looks like her luck ...more

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Jul 01, 2019 Nenia ☠️ Hecka Wicked ☠️ Campbell rated it liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: thriller, ya-ya-land

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S.T.A.G.S. is the type of book that you remember as being better than it actually was because the premise is so good that you want to forgive it for any tactical errors. It was a strange creature, a blend of cheesy horror cast in the vein of the old Point Horror novels I used to devour as a preteen, but also hauntingly Gothic with passages so dramatic that I reread them a second time.

I've been wanting to read S.T.A.G.S. ever since I heard it was about a deadly party. I'm a sucker for books about ...more

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Jan 20, 2019 Bex (Beckie Bookworm) rated it it was ok · review of another edition

Shelves: arc, book-reviews, mystery, netgalley, young-adult, psychological-thriller, dark

So for me, Stags was just an OK read: one that I was initially very much looking forward to reading: Unfortunately, it didn't deliver the expected results and I found I enjoyed the idea behind this story more than it's actual execution.
This was in itself an interesting premise: Primarily a YA book Stags is an Elite boarding school steeped in tradition and elitism.
Our main girl Greer is a recent scholarship student at this prestigious establishment and she just wants to fit in with her new peers.
The main Clique at Greers new scho ...more

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Nov 03, 2017 Ellie (faerieontheshelf) rated it really liked it

Shelves: ya-lit, contemporary, recieved-for-review, uk-lit, thrillers-crime-mystery, gothic, much-love-so-much-love, good-villains, dark-academia

↠ 4.5/5 stars

I think there's a pretty clear reason why I liked this and rated it so highly. If Tartt's The Secret History and Stiefvater's The Raven Boys had a lovechild, it might look something like this book. It undoubtedly takes more after The Secret History in terms of narrative, but it has key themes that both TSH and TRB share: wealthy youths; private schools; youths doing ill-advised things and taking advantage of their affluence; a newcomer to a group of glittering, enigmatic people. ...more

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Dec 01, 2017 Wing (bibliomeds) rated it really liked it

what a dark, thrilling read set in a lush and posh estate with shady secrets.
~~being rich must be nice sometimes~~

finished this in 2 sittings and i'm so proud of myself.

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Aug 09, 2017 Elle♣ rated it it was ok

Shelves: netgalley-arcs

*Thank you to the author and Netgalley for giving me an ARC in exchange for an honest review*

2.5 starts

I was looking forward to reading this book - the premise sounded great and I had not read anything like what the plot suggested I would be getting. And I did enjoy it... to a degree.

I had zero connection with any of the characters in this book. Yes, their appearences were described, but I never got a sense of who they were as a person, and so honestly, I didn't care what their fate woul/>2.5 ...more

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Jun 02, 2019 rin (￣ヘ￣) read/watch mo dao zu shi rated it it was ok

Shelves: 2019, standalone, m-f, translated, borefest

yeah i get it you love movies please stop name-dropping them every five pages

not only did i dislike this book, russian translation is also horrible
pondering the rating, might lower it down later

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Aug 04, 2018 Mary-ellen rated it liked it

‘Nine students. Three blood sports. One deadly weekend.’

This book is an okay read, but didn’t really live up to its potential.

It is different from standard YA releases and the concept is great. The problem is in the execution. Greer is a fish out of water as a scholarship student at this exclusive school for the extremely wealthy. Largely ignored by her peers, she finally feels like she is being accepted by the elite group at school when she receives an invitation. Greer ...more

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Jan 28, 2018 Jen Ryland added it · review of another edition

Shelves: mean-blond-girl-trope

Entertaining though pretty unsuspenseful suspense book about rich kids behaving badly.

Do you have thirty seconds? Find out why I think this is Mean Girls retold on a British country weekend.

Read my full (cranky) thoughts here: Jen Ryland Reviews STAG

Read more of my reviews on JenRyland.com! Check out my Bookstagram! Or check out my Jen In Ten reviews on Youtube - get the lowdown on current books in 10-30 seconds!

I received a free advance copy of this book from the publisher for possible review ...more

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Sep 22, 2017 Claire rated it did not like it

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here. Well, this is just a train wreck from start to finish.

I was really looking forward to this book. I'd waited until I had nothing pressing to do and could just curl up and enjoy it without any distractions. I was so hopeful. Rich kids being hunted, what could be better than that, huh?

Let's start at the beginning...

Greer is not a rich kid. She's won a scholarship to STAGS, this super prestigious school set in the beautiful Lake Distr ...more

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May 13, 2018 Karima chermiti rated it did not like it

Shelves: 2018, thriller, young-adult

This book is the definition of boredom. I can't believe I finished it even though i liked nothing about, not a thing.

I could've reread 13 Minutes or Little Monsters or We Were Liars and i would had a very good time but instead i chose this book and it ended up being one brutal exhausting and totally disappointing reading experience that bored the feelings out of me.

Full review now posted

Hate is a strong word. I don’t use very often in my life, I don’t think I’ve ever used at all when talking about books, except maybe once and I donme.
...more

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Dec 12, 2017 Olivia & Lori (The Candid Cover) rated it liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: arc, kindle, 2018-releases, netgalley, young-adult

S.T.A.G.S honestly surprised me. It is a very eerie story with a twisty plot and an intelligent main character. The story definitely strays from the classic private school book I was expecting. Although this book is a thriller, I feel like there isn’t enough action, and I would have enjoyed more suspense.

It’s so hard to describe this book without spoilers, but basically, it tells the story of a girl who is invited to the annual weekend trip with the most popular kids in school. She i ...more

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Dec 17, 2017 Stacee rated it liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: netgalley, read-in-2017

I love boarding school/secret society type books, so I was all over this one.

I liked Greer well enough. She is a bit wishy-washy, but she’s smart and resourceful and I loved that her dad’s profession gave her some seemingly random information. I didn’t quite see the appeal of Henry or his friends. Their enviable qualities appeared to be wearing whatever tights they wanted and I’m not sure what else.

Plot wise, I loved the idea. I won’t go into detail because possible spoilers, but it had a lot ...more

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Mar 01, 2018 Taryn Pierson rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: 2018-release, audio

S.T.A.G.S. is one of the most fun books I’ve read this year. I just plain enjoyed myself every time I put on my headphones and fired up the audio. I’m a sucker for a boarding school setting and a fight between the privileged upper crust and the scrappy outsiders. There’s something so satisfying about peeking behind the curtain of the very wealthy to discover a seedy or shocking truth. We all have our junk; some of us can just pay more to hide it.

The group calling themselves the Medievals ...more

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Aug 13, 2017 Abbie rated it liked it

Shelves: read-to-review

(I received a copy from Netgalley, In exchange for an honest review.)

This wasn't awful, but I can't say it was one that I enjoyed. It just couldn't fully gain my interest unfortunately, so I spent a lot of the book feeling quite bored. I was pretty glad to see the end.

Overall, Not awful, but not one for me.

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Oct 11, 2017 AJ rated it did not like it

Shelves: reviewed, horror-thriller-mystery, ya

Honestly, this book made me angrier than I thought was possible. And it wasn't because I didn't enjoy the book (which happens!) but because this book LIED to me. It's like that episode of Bob's Burgers:

If you're wondering what the "lie" is, it's literally the first sentence of the book. The sentence that's supposed to hook you and keep you reading. And it did - at first. But it was a hook built on deception and that my friends it what pissed me off the most about this ...more

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Jan 08, 2018 Aneta Bak rated it it was ok · review of another edition

Shelves: arc, netgalley

I thought I was really going to enjoy S.T.A.G.S. but I was just left very disappointed from beginning to end.

First of all, the book starts off in past-tense from the main character, Greer's point of view. In the beginning, she mentions that a certain individual was killed and that she and a few others were the murderers, then she dives into the story from how she got to the school. Normally this type of thing works really well in mystery novels, where they reveal the killer in the beginning but I thought I was really going to enjoy S.T.A.G.S. but I was just left very disappointed from beginning to end.

First of all, the book starts off in past-tense from the main character, Greer's point of view. In the beginning, she mentions that a certain individual was killed and that she and a few others were the murderers, then she dives into the story from how she got to the school. Normally this type of thing works really well in mystery novels, where they reveal the killer in the beginning but then start the story and theres always some type of crazy plot twist. Yet this book didn't really have a plot twist, and I honestly think it revealed way too much at the beginning. It left me bored and not wanting to read the book, since I already knew what was going to happen.

The main character Greer, was alright in the beginning, but eventually I just ended up not liking her at all. She talks about how she's different, and she wants to be herself rather than worshiping the medievals and being just like them, but throughout her trip she slowly starts becoming more and more like them, obviously not the rich part, but the snobby, I think I'm better than everyone, evil kind of way. It honestly felt like her character development was going backwards, rather than forwards.

The romance in this book was absolutely horrible! In the beginning of the book, Greer mentions how much she dislikes Henry and the other medievals, but of course she ends up falling for him and his tricks the first moment he shows her any type of affection. Greer was described as a smart girl in this book, but man was she dumb for falling for this guy. Then of course she is so blinded by her love for Henry after he calls her beautiful once, that she can't even see that there is someone who actually likes her for real, until he says it out loud. Even then, it was kind of like where the heck did this come from? It was just not written very well.

The writing was alright, but wasn't the best either. If the book didn't do the "mystery" aspect of revealing that someone dies in the end, the action would have been really good. But of course since it was spoiled, it wasn't the best. The world-building was good, there were lots of good descriptions of the school and the mansion and all the land it contained.

The reason why I'm giving this book two stars instead of one, is because of the ending. I found it absolutely hilarious, even though it wasn't meant to be funny at all. So in the end, Greer realized the mistake she made in trusting someone, who ended up being the "most evil" person in the book. I think this was supposed to be a "plot twist" but you could see it from a mile away!! In this moment, Greer was actually shook when she realized what was really going on, and I thought her stupidity was the funniest thing ever. For an elite school for super smart kids, you'd think they'd figure this stuff out.

Overall, I would not call this book a thriller or mystery at all. Although it was definitely not the book for me, if you've read previous books that sound like this and want to give them a try, then I'd say go for it, but if you find yourself bored in the beginning like I was, just give up.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for providing a copy of this book, in exchange for an honest review. ...more

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Feb 20, 2018 Jillian Reynolds (Jillian Loves Books) rated it it was ok · review of another edition

Me when I saw this book was marketed as a "psychological survival adventure" that will "shock readers":

Me after reading this "psychological adventure," which was in fact, not shocking at all:

I don't know. Maybe one day I'll actually find a book that is "shocking," but currently, Little Monsters and We Were Liars are the only two books to hold that ...more

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Oct 02, 2018 Claire (Book Blog Bird) rated it liked it

The plot of this story was completely far-fetched and it took a number of leaps of logic to follow what was going on and keep believing it, but the social commentary was spot on. The MC, a scholarship girl at an incredibly exclusive English public school, gets invited to one of her classmate's massive country estates for the weekend only to find that er classmate wasn't exactly extending the hand of friendship. This book deals with racism, classism, snobbery, old-boy networks and conspiracy theo ...more

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Sep 13, 2018 Gemma ♕ Books_McCoy rated it liked it · review of another edition

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here. Rating: 3.5*

This was a hard one to rate. I really enjoyed the narration and I liked the storyline but there were a few things that brought the rating down.

Positives:
The setting- I really enjoyed he settings of this book, bot the school and the big house. The descriptions of both were really vivid and brought pictures of grandeur to mind. Also, the whole thing gave it a real Agatha Christie murder mystery vibe which I loved.
The motive- I just really enjoyed the idea that there Rating: 3.5*

This was a hard one to rate. I really enjoyed the narration and I liked the storyline but there were a few things that brought the rating down.

Positives:
The setting- I really enjoyed he settings of this book, bot the school and the big house. The descriptions of both were really vivid and brought pictures of grandeur to mind. Also, the whole thing gave it a real Agatha Christie murder mystery vibe which I loved.
The motive- I just really enjoyed the idea that there is a whole sect of people in a developed country that would turn their back entirely on technology and see it as a route of all evil. They brought up some valid points and the debates over the subject were really thought provoking.
The conclusion- By the conclusion I’m actually referring to the scene at the top of the waterfall (more on this below). I enjoyed the showdown, it was very dramatic and him being undone by the things he hated most (‘Savages’ and technology) was pretty perfect.
The movie references- soooo many and although I didn’t get them all I still enjoyed it. I also like the David Attenborough name drop.
Greer- awful name but I enjoyed her being a proper Northern Lass. She was bright, warm and funny. She was not perfect (see below) but that made her more human.
The Medievals- They really were a scary little cult and I could feel how dangerous they were. They were menacing and had a real aura of predator, like a pride of Lions. But it was more than that. It was the way they had been building to this for months, weakening their prey over time, studying their behaviour and weaknesses so that they could exploit them all the better once the hunt began.

Negatives:
Greer’s various ‘bad feminist ’ thoughts- Greer had this thoughts a few times throughout the book and it really started to annoy me. If she thought of one of the boys as handsome or felt all butterfly belly around them, she told herself she was a bad feminist. When she wished someone would sweep her off her feet and carry her down a hill to the car, she was a bad feminist. When she didn’t immediately believe a girl who said she’d been hunted, she was a bad feminist. NEWS FLASH- you are allowed to get a bit giddy over a boy, it doesn’t make you a bad feminist. You are allowed to want to be swept off your feet and men can want that too. You are allowed to not believe something that sounds crazy and not be angry at yourself just because a fellow woman said it.
Feminism is not about all this stuff. It is about equal rights for men and women: in the workplace, in the street, in the home, in the law. It’s about everyone being allowed to giddy over someone they find attractive or wanting to be swept of their feet. As long as you don’t disbelieve someones claims purely because they are female then it has NOTHING TO DO WITH FEMINISM.
It just annoyed me because people reading this book who might only now be getting to the age of being aware of what feminism is will think it’s about shit like hating men or siding with women always and it’s not. It’s about striving for a world were the gender pay gap is a thing of the past, women don’t get assulted in the street and old white men don’t inforce a tapon tax. Rant over.
The ending- This book should have ended about three chapters before it did. I had already guessed everything that was put forward in those chapters and it was a bummer that after everything they didn’t technically win. Although I did like the fact that the order seeped futher than they thought, I wanted justice and I didn’t really get it.
The foreshadowing- it wasn’t foreshadowing. She just basically told us how it would end and it killed a lot of the suspence for me.

Overall I did enjoy this audiobook but it didn’t quite hit all the notes I wanted it to and fell a little short for me. ...more

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Apr 09, 2018 Lindsay♫SingerOfStories♫ rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: 2018-reads, reviewed

STAGS is a boarding school for the wealthy elite. Greer is admitted on a scholarship, whereas most other students at the school have had generations of attendees in their families. When Greer and two other new/outcast students are invited for a weekend of "Huntin'. Shootin'. Fishin'" with the Medievals (the elite clique of students at the school), she is warned against going by a former friend, but ultimately decides to go, seeing it as a chance to finally make friends and be accepted. What occu STAGS is a boarding school for the wealthy elite. Greer is admitted on a scholarship, whereas most other students at the school have had generations of attendees in their families. When Greer and two other new/outcast students are invited for a weekend of "Huntin'. Shootin'. Fishin'" with the Medievals (the elite clique of students at the school), she is warned against going by a former friend, but ultimately decides to go, seeing it as a chance to finally make friends and be accepted. What occurs instead is a weekend of veiled bullying and the thrill of the chase.

I honestly feel that this is one of the better YA thrillers I have read lately. That being said, though, the book certainly has its flaws. However, regarding the genre, I thought M.A. Bennett did a terrific job of setting up a bit of background for the Medievals by showing them flaunting their personal family lineage back to the crusades in class and even around the dinner table. Their shady words alluding to hatred of outsiders was a first clue as to their true motives. However, their talk is so flowery and conversation so natural that who would really think that there was a threat present? Nel just wants to make friends, Greer wants conversation, and Shafeen wants to stand up for himself.

The setting in a boarding school and then a large family estate on the moors of Northumberland was also perfect. Beautiful, yet ominous and eerie...much like the Medievals themselves. I could just imagine mists and fog and these elite teenagers showing off their knowledge of "huntin', shootin', and fishin'" to the outcasts who had never or who had hardly been exposed to that before. It truly was another world for the three outsiders, or "Savages" as they came to be called. The author's descriptions were just wonderful and added an extra dimension of creep factor.

Despite the good in the book, I will admit that I never felt fully invested or connected in the main characters. I cared for them, yes, but I was preoccupied with the bigger picture in the book. Greer is a teenage narrator who really reads like a teenager. She is constantly referencing movies--which I didn't mind much, and it sort of made sense since her father makes films--and jumping around in her telling of the story ("But that was not nearly as bad as what was to happen next," etc.). I could do without that. I felt that some of the descriptions were too drawn out and the action too underplayed. I wanted a bit more out of those.

And of course, the ending. I like the concept and how the book wrapped up. Certain aspects I saw coming, while others were a nice touch. If ever there was a book that should be a movie, its this one. I can absolutely see this as a screenplay and I would definitely go see it. ...more

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Dec 20, 2018 Norrie rated it it was amazing

A gorgeous country side manor, a bunch of posh twats and a weekend full off blood sports. Recipe for a disaster, or a delicious thriller? Well, how about both?

Movie geek Greer is the new girl at St. Aidan’s boarding school, and as a scholarship student, she’s not up enough to the standards of the toffs attending the establishment to actually make friends with her. Not being an aristocratic offspring is not the only reason for these kids to look down upon someone, you see. There’s such thing A gorgeous country side manor, a bunch of posh twats and a weekend full off blood sports. Recipe for a disaster, or a delicious thriller? Well, how about both?

Movie geek Greer is the new girl at St. Aidan’s boarding school, and as a scholarship student, she’s not up enough to the standards of the toffs attending the establishment to actually make friends with her. Not being an aristocratic offspring is not the only reason for these kids to look down upon someone, you see. There’s such thing as good money and bad money, apparently. Nell, another student, is well off, but she didn’t born into money, so should be shunned as well.

To their amazement, the two girls somehow manage to end up on the limited guest list for a weekend getaway, organized by the Medievals, this elite group of six students, lead by the enigmatic Henry de Warlencourt (a.k.a. the most gorgeous boy ever), who seemingly rule the school. The third guest is Shafeen, who is considered royalty in his native India, and a foreigner to be looked down upon at St. Aidan’s. Charming kids, eh?

I was totally engrossed in this one. S.T.A.G.S. had everything I personally look for in a thriller. The sense of something sinister constantly lurking just around the corner, unsmiling and cold servants who may or may not be up to no good and a group of teenagers armed to the teeth.

I loved Greer too. She reminded me a lot of myself when I was 17.

Greer is a smart girl though, so with the help of her new friends they set out to get to the bottom of the odd things that seem to happen to them over the weekend. Why is the head keeper lurking after them in the dark? How is Shafeen’s dad connected to the Warlencourts? Are they in danger or is it just their imagination running wild?

A twisted and eerie story, heavily infused with ominous atmosphere, S.T.A.G.S. will appeal to readers who enjoy dark thrillers that play tricks with their mind.

P.S. The story was quite detailed on the huntin’, shootin’ and fishin’ aspects, so if you don’t like reading about how animals get killed and then subsequently prepared for dinner, you might want to skip this. I now possess way more knowledge about venison than I ever hoped for. ...more

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Jul 23, 2017 Atlas rated it liked it

Shelves: arc-s

It was a bit like that bit in Beauty and the Beast when the Beast dances with Belle. Except there was no Belle. And no music. And no candlelight. Just a beast.

* * *
3 / 5

I don't often read books of the thriller variety, but this one was a special treat for me, mostly because there wasn't that much actual thriller. It's got all the staples of a classic YA boarding school story: rich kids, fancy buildings, pretentious British house names, privilege, power, and bullying, an ...more

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What's the Name o...: SOLVED. Cover is white with a chair/throne(?). Popular girl goes to a very expensive school. She can join a rich social circle by sleeping over at one of the lake houses. [s]	7	41	May 08, 2018 04:01PM

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About M.A. Bennett

M.A. Bennett

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M. A. Bennett is half Venetian and was born in Manchester, England, and raised in the Yorkshire Dales. She is a history graduate of Oxford University and the University of Venice, where she specialized in the study of Shakespeare’s plays as a historical source. After university she studied art and has since worked as an illustrator, an actress, and a film reviewer. She also designed tour visuals f ...more