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Prep School for Serial Killers
In a war-ravaged future, a boarding school cloisters and trains sociopathic children.
When top student, sixteen-year-old Anathema Blight, finds a graduate’s hidden journal, she wonders if they’re simply students, or pawns in a much more dangerous game…and the final exam will be MURDER
When top student, sixteen-year-old Anathema Blight, finds a graduate’s hidden journal, she wonders if they’re simply students, or pawns in a much more dangerous game…and the final exam will be MURDER
319 pages, Kindle Edition
First published September 1, 2022
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122 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 54 reviews
May 8, 2023
I have received this ARC from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
Prep School for Serial Killers was read a while by my wonderful hazel eyes and I'm just now getting to the review portion. Now this book was good to a point, but I did find parts of this pretty slow here and there. Sure, the overall mystery kept the pages flying but the overall school was a little disappointing.
As for the characters, there were okay. At first, I wasn't a huge fan of Vex but I think that's because of what our main character was going through with the drugs they were taking. Like her being under the influence was making us dislike this other character? Which, I also get that they were roommates and competing against one another in this school for killers. I just was expecting more before they actually got their killslips?
Maybe it's just me. Still, I'm happy that I got the chance to jump into this and look forward to the next book that Tara writes.
Prep School for Serial Killers was read a while by my wonderful hazel eyes and I'm just now getting to the review portion. Now this book was good to a point, but I did find parts of this pretty slow here and there. Sure, the overall mystery kept the pages flying but the overall school was a little disappointing.
As for the characters, there were okay. At first, I wasn't a huge fan of Vex but I think that's because of what our main character was going through with the drugs they were taking. Like her being under the influence was making us dislike this other character? Which, I also get that they were roommates and competing against one another in this school for killers. I just was expecting more before they actually got their killslips?
Maybe it's just me. Still, I'm happy that I got the chance to jump into this and look forward to the next book that Tara writes.
July 19, 2022
3 stars.
I thought the concept of this one was really intriguing, mostly because I'm a huge fan of darker stories, and this one proved to be a gripping read throughout. The protagonist, Anathema, was an interesting character to follow and, although I found it difficult to connect with her at first, I really enjoyed reading about her dynamics with the other characters - particularly Vex, her roommate - as well as the various classes she takes in the book. I was a big fan of the journal entries, which gave the narrative a sense of mystery, and some of the turns the plot took definitely caught me by surprise.
That being said, although I loved the plot and characters for the most part, there were some points where I found myself losing interest a little bit, especially when the plotline with Hunting came into play. I also wanted to know more about some of the side characters and their motivations.
Overall, a gripping read with a unique premise, but with a few things that were left underdeveloped or unexplained.
Thank you so much to NetGalley for the early digital copy to read and review!
I thought the concept of this one was really intriguing, mostly because I'm a huge fan of darker stories, and this one proved to be a gripping read throughout. The protagonist, Anathema, was an interesting character to follow and, although I found it difficult to connect with her at first, I really enjoyed reading about her dynamics with the other characters - particularly Vex, her roommate - as well as the various classes she takes in the book. I was a big fan of the journal entries, which gave the narrative a sense of mystery, and some of the turns the plot took definitely caught me by surprise.
That being said, although I loved the plot and characters for the most part, there were some points where I found myself losing interest a little bit, especially when the plotline with Hunting came into play. I also wanted to know more about some of the side characters and their motivations.
Overall, a gripping read with a unique premise, but with a few things that were left underdeveloped or unexplained.
Thank you so much to NetGalley for the early digital copy to read and review!
October 10, 2022
3.25 stars
Thanks to NetGalley and to the Editor. I received a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review
It is pretty hard to not compare this one to the Scholomance series, because we have some really similar settings, even if this one is sci-fi, and we have a lot of similarities between the MCs too. But I would try my best to set aside the comparison.
The book is fast-paced and quite compelling, but since it takes place inside a peculiar school we don't get to see much of the world at large. We get some info on how things work in this new world but I would have loved to have more of them. I mean, it is an interesting idea and there are some really interesting tidbits that the author drops here and there, but I wanted more. And I think it would have helped make things more real.
And I would have loved for more characters too. I mean, we have a lot of them, and most of them seem promising and interesting, but we have one MC and all the others are not even secondary but even far removed so... it was a bit plain.
It is an enjoyable book, and a fast reading so if the idea of it sounds appealing to you, go for it because it is entertaining and it is a good way to spend a day, but if you have doubts well... try something else, because even if this one is enjoyable is nothing to write home about.
Thanks to NetGalley and to the Editor. I received a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review
It is pretty hard to not compare this one to the Scholomance series, because we have some really similar settings, even if this one is sci-fi, and we have a lot of similarities between the MCs too. But I would try my best to set aside the comparison.
The book is fast-paced and quite compelling, but since it takes place inside a peculiar school we don't get to see much of the world at large. We get some info on how things work in this new world but I would have loved to have more of them. I mean, it is an interesting idea and there are some really interesting tidbits that the author drops here and there, but I wanted more. And I think it would have helped make things more real.
And I would have loved for more characters too. I mean, we have a lot of them, and most of them seem promising and interesting, but we have one MC and all the others are not even secondary but even far removed so... it was a bit plain.
It is an enjoyable book, and a fast reading so if the idea of it sounds appealing to you, go for it because it is entertaining and it is a good way to spend a day, but if you have doubts well... try something else, because even if this one is enjoyable is nothing to write home about.
August 20, 2022
Thank you Netgalley for providing me with an early arc in exchange for an honest review!
The premise of Prep School for Serial Killers interested me right away. The book is set in a dystopian world and follows Anathema who is enrolled in a school that trains its students to become assassins. The story builds up to KillSlip day, which is the day the students get their assignment to kill one of their peers.
This book seemed right up my alley but ended up falling flat for me. The descriptions of the scenery are detailed, which I enjoyed. But the characterization fell flat. Motivations lacked, other than being the trained killers that the students are trained to be. The classroom scenes dragged the story a bit for me. The worldbuilding and political angle could be fleshed out more.
Overall, an interesting premise that left much to be desired.
The premise of Prep School for Serial Killers interested me right away. The book is set in a dystopian world and follows Anathema who is enrolled in a school that trains its students to become assassins. The story builds up to KillSlip day, which is the day the students get their assignment to kill one of their peers.
This book seemed right up my alley but ended up falling flat for me. The descriptions of the scenery are detailed, which I enjoyed. But the characterization fell flat. Motivations lacked, other than being the trained killers that the students are trained to be. The classroom scenes dragged the story a bit for me. The worldbuilding and political angle could be fleshed out more.
Overall, an interesting premise that left much to be desired.
September 9, 2022
I found this in the teen/ya section and really think that some of the scenes are too graphic for a younger audience. That said, though, I loved this book.
The world of the future was so crafted so believably with its governmental oversight and intervention and the way that they made the problems and then found a way to profit off the harmful effects they caused.
I adored the names of these students, everything from Vex and Anathema to Robber and Dexter. Very brilliantly believable serial killer names but not too 'out-there'.
I'm not sure what it says about me as a person that I preferred Anamthema when she was taking the mood suppressants to when she freed herself from their control but I was fond of her ruthless ambivalence and cool-headedness.
The back and forth between Anathema and Mary's journal could have been differentiated better but maybe it was because I was reading an ebook. Maybe in the physical copy it was in a different font or italicised or something but not in the ebook version. Because of that sometimes it took me a few paragraphs to realise that it was the journal and not Anathema's thoughts.
It was comped as "Harry Potter meets Hunger Games" which is true in the boarding school, last one standing aspect. But it really has the feel of a more adult book. A school for assassins goes Battle Royale.
Any one who loved murder podcasts or crime documentaries would love this book.
The world of the future was so crafted so believably with its governmental oversight and intervention and the way that they made the problems and then found a way to profit off the harmful effects they caused.
I adored the names of these students, everything from Vex and Anathema to Robber and Dexter. Very brilliantly believable serial killer names but not too 'out-there'.
I'm not sure what it says about me as a person that I preferred Anamthema when she was taking the mood suppressants to when she freed herself from their control but I was fond of her ruthless ambivalence and cool-headedness.
The back and forth between Anathema and Mary's journal could have been differentiated better but maybe it was because I was reading an ebook. Maybe in the physical copy it was in a different font or italicised or something but not in the ebook version. Because of that sometimes it took me a few paragraphs to realise that it was the journal and not Anathema's thoughts.
It was comped as "Harry Potter meets Hunger Games" which is true in the boarding school, last one standing aspect. But it really has the feel of a more adult book. A school for assassins goes Battle Royale.
Any one who loved murder podcasts or crime documentaries would love this book.
September 16, 2022
I'm going, to be honest - I saw the title and I was intrigued instantly! I am happy to say I was not let down with this one. It's a horror fan's perfect wish but be warned it is very gory, if you're sensitive to gore and violence this is NOT the book for you. The story is an easy-to-read fast-paced adventure that will leave you hooked and on the edge of your seat until the very end. I LOVED this one.
July 10, 2022
Thank you to NetGalley and BooksGoSocial for this eARC!
The description immediately intrigued me and I was not disappointed. The concept was so interesting and I enjoyed the twists and turns, and all the mystery and suspense. You can't help but feel for the characters and feel like you're with them in the trenches, which makes the ending wonderfully heartbreaking.
The description immediately intrigued me and I was not disappointed. The concept was so interesting and I enjoyed the twists and turns, and all the mystery and suspense. You can't help but feel for the characters and feel like you're with them in the trenches, which makes the ending wonderfully heartbreaking.
August 18, 2022
Prep School for Serial Killers has a fascinating and disturbing premise. A dystopian world with a much higher proportion of psychopaths who are taught the best ways to inflict harm and kill from a young age and who, worst of all, are eager for it.
It is a really intriguing idea and I enjoyed the switching perspectives between the protagonist Ana, and an old student's journal that Ana found. However, for me there's just not enough world building to understand the setup or the motivations of the characters. The students took medication to remove those pesky emotions, and yet there seemed to be a lot of emotional behaviours from those still under the influence of the medications, so I never really bought into it. The political/rebellion elements of the plot are intriguing but could do with a lot more development.
Overall a really interesting and sinister setting with a lot more that could be explored.
Thanks to NetGalley for providing me an e-copy of the book in exchange for an honest review.
It is a really intriguing idea and I enjoyed the switching perspectives between the protagonist Ana, and an old student's journal that Ana found. However, for me there's just not enough world building to understand the setup or the motivations of the characters. The students took medication to remove those pesky emotions, and yet there seemed to be a lot of emotional behaviours from those still under the influence of the medications, so I never really bought into it. The political/rebellion elements of the plot are intriguing but could do with a lot more development.
Overall a really interesting and sinister setting with a lot more that could be explored.
Thanks to NetGalley for providing me an e-copy of the book in exchange for an honest review.
August 20, 2022
Thank you to NetGalley for the arc.
I really enjoyed this book! That being said, it is not for the squeamish. The entire plot of the book focuses around murder, more often than not it is murder of the gruesome type. I loved the take on the idea of a school for killers and I thought it was excellently executed. I was a little confused in the beginning about the flashbacks but everything was tied up at the end. I also really liked Ana's character arc. She goes from being confident and withdrawn to scared and emotional. That's not an arc that I see often in literature so it was a treat to see it portrayed here.
I really enjoyed this book! That being said, it is not for the squeamish. The entire plot of the book focuses around murder, more often than not it is murder of the gruesome type. I loved the take on the idea of a school for killers and I thought it was excellently executed. I was a little confused in the beginning about the flashbacks but everything was tied up at the end. I also really liked Ana's character arc. She goes from being confident and withdrawn to scared and emotional. That's not an arc that I see often in literature so it was a treat to see it portrayed here.
July 29, 2022
Written with well developed characters and plotlines, Prep School for Serial Killers is an atmospheric and dark, dystopian read that ranks up with some of the better books I have read this year.
*I received an ARC from the NetGalley for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily as all opinions are my own.*
*I received an ARC from the NetGalley for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily as all opinions are my own.*
August 14, 2022
3/5
Premise was interesting but the ending tried to cram in too much too quickly with no real justification for why someone brainwashed for her entire life would be so quickly convinced they're a cog in the machine.
Premise was interesting but the ending tried to cram in too much too quickly with no real justification for why someone brainwashed for her entire life would be so quickly convinced they're a cog in the machine.
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July 29, 2022#neygalleyarc. Totally honest review, I did not like this book at all. The summary hooked me but I just couldn’t get into this book. I’m a big thriller/mystery/horror fan and I thought this book would pull me in but nope, not the book for me. Truth be told there was a description about characters in the prologue that rubbed me the wrong way and I think that set my reading off on the wrong path.
August 21, 2022
I got a free e-arc through Netgalley, this in no way affected this review.
This books starts off very confusing. There was a lot of info dump and it was quite hard to follow everything. You’re basically thrown into this dystopian world and are expected to follow from page one.
When I eventually got through the info dump, I could enjoy the story a bit more, but there were still moments where the book was kind of slow or where the pacing felt weird. The last 15% however pulled everything together, because that’s where all the action happens.
This books starts off very confusing. There was a lot of info dump and it was quite hard to follow everything. You’re basically thrown into this dystopian world and are expected to follow from page one.
When I eventually got through the info dump, I could enjoy the story a bit more, but there were still moments where the book was kind of slow or where the pacing felt weird. The last 15% however pulled everything together, because that’s where all the action happens.
August 10, 2022
Received an ARC via Net Galley.
A surprising book. The almost gentle, matter of fact style of prose made what could have been a truly disturbing story into something great. The main character is likeable and smart. The world building is interesting, giving us just enough and not trying to explain too much. The twist was a little predictable but I didn't care.
Can't wait to see where Anathama's story goes next.
A surprising book. The almost gentle, matter of fact style of prose made what could have been a truly disturbing story into something great. The main character is likeable and smart. The world building is interesting, giving us just enough and not trying to explain too much. The twist was a little predictable but I didn't care.
Can't wait to see where Anathama's story goes next.
July 15, 2022
Thank you to the author, publisher, and Net Galley for this advance review copy.
This story follows our main character Anathema who goes to a school where she's trained to be an assassin. We're in a dystopian world where scientists were trying to solve a problem but accidentally turned everyone into sociopaths (oops). The interactions were fascinating, especially with Anathema and her roommate Vex. They've been together since age 6 or so and Anathema was constantly concerned about Vex attacking her. They're trained by teachers who are experts in their field - either because they've studied, say, poisons extensively, or because they murdered a ton of people. The interactions and events at the school were also engrossing and I loved the first 2/3 of the book.
Where the book lost me was when it switched to talking about the political factions. It reminded me of the Hunger Games (especially Catching Fire and the end of Mockingjay) and once my brain made that connection, I couldn't stop comparing it to HG. Despite the book being about kids being trained to kill, it wasn't until Anathema's first big interaction with Hunting that it felt like HG. We have Some of them absolutely are looser connections to HG, but once I started to see it, it was all I could see.
I also really struggled with the reveal about
There were also other parts that didn't make sense to me.
It wasn't a bad book by any means, but I was left with more questions than the book answered and it felt unsatisfying.
My copy also had a ton of grammar errors - that could just be because it was an advance copy. Hopefully that's resolved in the official release.
This story follows our main character Anathema who goes to a school where she's trained to be an assassin. We're in a dystopian world where scientists were trying to solve a problem but accidentally turned everyone into sociopaths (oops). The interactions were fascinating, especially with Anathema and her roommate Vex. They've been together since age 6 or so and Anathema was constantly concerned about Vex attacking her. They're trained by teachers who are experts in their field - either because they've studied, say, poisons extensively, or because they murdered a ton of people. The interactions and events at the school were also engrossing and I loved the first 2/3 of the book.
Where the book lost me was when it switched to talking about the political factions. It reminded me of the Hunger Games (especially Catching Fire and the end of Mockingjay) and once my brain made that connection, I couldn't stop comparing it to HG. Despite the book being about kids being trained to kill, it wasn't until Anathema's first big interaction with Hunting that it felt like HG. We have Some of them absolutely are looser connections to HG, but once I started to see it, it was all I could see.
I also really struggled with the reveal about
There were also other parts that didn't make sense to me.
It wasn't a bad book by any means, but I was left with more questions than the book answered and it felt unsatisfying.
My copy also had a ton of grammar errors - that could just be because it was an advance copy. Hopefully that's resolved in the official release.
April 15, 2023
Huge thanks to NetGalley and BooksGoSocial for the advanced copy of this book to read and review.
I really wanted to enjoy this book, and to an extent I did, but it did feel like this book didn't really hit the mark for me. There wasn't a moment though that went by when I was reading this book that I ever thought about not finishing it, so that's a win for me!
Character wise, I just found it really hard to warm to Anathema, but that was actually a really good thing because I felt it lent itself well to the dystopian and emotionally unavailable vibe that the book had going on! The characters were meant to feel unavailable to us, they were meant to feel a bit off and a bit prickly and the author did that so well.
The writing was good and the story flowed nicely, but I did find the blocks of text to be too much, it needed breaking up a bit more. And this may seem really nit picky, but it really bugged me and kinda ruined my reading experience, but I feel the book would have benefitted from a better distinction between the main body of text and the journal entries.
On the topic of the journal too, I didn't enjoy how long it took for the journal to become relevant to the story... It almost felt that until around the 55-60% mark it was just used as a space filler and I found it hard to see how it would fit into the book and provide value.
Plot wise, I did find it a little hard to follow at points, I felt the book got lost in itself and I found it difficult to keep track of what the story actually was. Which was really sad as I thought the premise of the story was good! A dystopian world where children are trained to become serial killers seemed SO cool but it just wasn't executed (pardon the pun) in the best way.
It just felt like certain elements of the plot caused the book to lose its way, there were too many things going on and the author would have been better focusing on one or two of them.
I also really liked how the ending was left open, but on the other hand I felt a bit like I've just read the entire book for that ending? It really had a mixed vibe at the end :(
Overall, I did quite enjoy Prep School for Serial Killers, it had a great premise and some really clever, well thought out story lines. I just feel it would have benefitted from a closer focus on one or two of those story lines and a little change in the writing and way the book was presented.
I really wanted to enjoy this book, and to an extent I did, but it did feel like this book didn't really hit the mark for me. There wasn't a moment though that went by when I was reading this book that I ever thought about not finishing it, so that's a win for me!
Character wise, I just found it really hard to warm to Anathema, but that was actually a really good thing because I felt it lent itself well to the dystopian and emotionally unavailable vibe that the book had going on! The characters were meant to feel unavailable to us, they were meant to feel a bit off and a bit prickly and the author did that so well.
The writing was good and the story flowed nicely, but I did find the blocks of text to be too much, it needed breaking up a bit more. And this may seem really nit picky, but it really bugged me and kinda ruined my reading experience, but I feel the book would have benefitted from a better distinction between the main body of text and the journal entries.
On the topic of the journal too, I didn't enjoy how long it took for the journal to become relevant to the story... It almost felt that until around the 55-60% mark it was just used as a space filler and I found it hard to see how it would fit into the book and provide value.
Plot wise, I did find it a little hard to follow at points, I felt the book got lost in itself and I found it difficult to keep track of what the story actually was. Which was really sad as I thought the premise of the story was good! A dystopian world where children are trained to become serial killers seemed SO cool but it just wasn't executed (pardon the pun) in the best way.
It just felt like certain elements of the plot caused the book to lose its way, there were too many things going on and the author would have been better focusing on one or two of them.
I also really liked how the ending was left open, but on the other hand I felt a bit like I've just read the entire book for that ending? It really had a mixed vibe at the end :(
Overall, I did quite enjoy Prep School for Serial Killers, it had a great premise and some really clever, well thought out story lines. I just feel it would have benefitted from a closer focus on one or two of those story lines and a little change in the writing and way the book was presented.
October 2, 2022
I must admit, that when I started reading this book, I had a vague idea in my head: boarding school, rich kids, teen romance, probably some alcohol/drug abuse, some student surely in love with their teacher (or vice versa), and some above-the-law kids thinking they can get away with murder.
That is not remotely what this book is like. This book is Handmaid's Tale meets Hunger Games meets Josh Malerman's Inspection. This is a future where pills have taken away humanity's ability to feel much of anything, and kids who test high enough on the sociopath scale are sent off to special schools where they are actually trained to be assassins. When they reach their last two years of school, they take part in Killslip Day, when every student is assigned to kill another, and the class size is halved by day's end.
Enter protagonist Anathema, who discovers a secret diary from the past hidden under a loose floor tile, a diary which makes her start wondering about things she's never considered before, and maybe even *feeling*. Add to her new mental muddle the fact that every student in this school must be constantly on alert lest one of their classmates (or teachers) murder them out of turn, AND that she has begun noticing some highly suspicious activity among certain students and faculty, and Anathema is in for one heck of a school year.
The actual plot takes awhile to get going; the first half of the book sometimes feels like a school syllabus of ways to poison and torture people. Once that second half hits, however, and the plot thickens up nicely, with one dangerous mystery piling on top of another, the pace picks up and snowballs to a tense conclusion on Killslip Day, when Anathema must make choices that will alter not only her life, but may possibly put things into motion that will affect the world.
Anathema herself is a character that takes a while to like. In the beginning she's rather cold and unrelatable. As the story progresses, however, she gains a bit of humanity and I found myself rooting for her in the end.
A school-based thriller unlike any I've ever read, this one leaves itself wide open for a sequel and I hope we get one. I'd like to see what the students of the Prep School for Serial Killers do, the choices they make and the beliefs they follow, as they go out into the world.
That is not remotely what this book is like. This book is Handmaid's Tale meets Hunger Games meets Josh Malerman's Inspection. This is a future where pills have taken away humanity's ability to feel much of anything, and kids who test high enough on the sociopath scale are sent off to special schools where they are actually trained to be assassins. When they reach their last two years of school, they take part in Killslip Day, when every student is assigned to kill another, and the class size is halved by day's end.
Enter protagonist Anathema, who discovers a secret diary from the past hidden under a loose floor tile, a diary which makes her start wondering about things she's never considered before, and maybe even *feeling*. Add to her new mental muddle the fact that every student in this school must be constantly on alert lest one of their classmates (or teachers) murder them out of turn, AND that she has begun noticing some highly suspicious activity among certain students and faculty, and Anathema is in for one heck of a school year.
The actual plot takes awhile to get going; the first half of the book sometimes feels like a school syllabus of ways to poison and torture people. Once that second half hits, however, and the plot thickens up nicely, with one dangerous mystery piling on top of another, the pace picks up and snowballs to a tense conclusion on Killslip Day, when Anathema must make choices that will alter not only her life, but may possibly put things into motion that will affect the world.
Anathema herself is a character that takes a while to like. In the beginning she's rather cold and unrelatable. As the story progresses, however, she gains a bit of humanity and I found myself rooting for her in the end.
A school-based thriller unlike any I've ever read, this one leaves itself wide open for a sequel and I hope we get one. I'd like to see what the students of the Prep School for Serial Killers do, the choices they make and the beliefs they follow, as they go out into the world.
August 21, 2022
I received an advanced copy from Netgalley. I am posting my honest review
Set years into the future where many people are considered psychopaths. Any who rate between a 6 and 8 on the scale are sent to a special school to be trained as an assassin for the government. Anathema is a level 7 and a very good student until the day she finds a journal under her floorboard. It was written by a student 20 years earlier, who begins to realize that there's something wrong with the way they're raised. This in turn pushes Anathema to begin questioning her life from the tracker in her wrist, the forced medication that ensures they feel very little, and the way they're pinned against each other. Each year, in the spring, the upper level students participate in KillDay, meaning that they each receive a target and are expected to "kill or be killed." This year, everything changes and Anathema finds herself stuck between government cronies and rebels.
First, the title should give an inkling that this book is very violent. There is a scene where they describe the gruesome punishment/deaths of two students. Another where they dissect their own classmate after he died, and one where Ana goes hunting and kills a pregnant animal. If you have a weak stomach, this may not be the book for you. I definitely do not think this is a young adult book even though the character is young.
However, if you can separate yourself from those scenes. This book is really unique. The Killday really reminded me of the Hunger Games and I really enjoyed that. It was interesting hearing about how the world got the way it is and how some of the professors played a role in it. Ana's slow rebellion was compelling, especially as she started to realized that the journal held key information to understanding her world. I enjoyed the plot twists and am eager to find out what happens to Ana in book 2
Set years into the future where many people are considered psychopaths. Any who rate between a 6 and 8 on the scale are sent to a special school to be trained as an assassin for the government. Anathema is a level 7 and a very good student until the day she finds a journal under her floorboard. It was written by a student 20 years earlier, who begins to realize that there's something wrong with the way they're raised. This in turn pushes Anathema to begin questioning her life from the tracker in her wrist, the forced medication that ensures they feel very little, and the way they're pinned against each other. Each year, in the spring, the upper level students participate in KillDay, meaning that they each receive a target and are expected to "kill or be killed." This year, everything changes and Anathema finds herself stuck between government cronies and rebels.
First, the title should give an inkling that this book is very violent. There is a scene where they describe the gruesome punishment/deaths of two students. Another where they dissect their own classmate after he died, and one where Ana goes hunting and kills a pregnant animal. If you have a weak stomach, this may not be the book for you. I definitely do not think this is a young adult book even though the character is young.
However, if you can separate yourself from those scenes. This book is really unique. The Killday really reminded me of the Hunger Games and I really enjoyed that. It was interesting hearing about how the world got the way it is and how some of the professors played a role in it. Ana's slow rebellion was compelling, especially as she started to realized that the journal held key information to understanding her world. I enjoyed the plot twists and am eager to find out what happens to Ana in book 2
September 28, 2022
4/5 stars
Thank you to Netgally, the publishers, and Tara Platt for allowing me to read this book and post a review of it.
I greatly enjoyed this book. I loved figuring things out along with the main character. Who in my opinion was excellently written. Dystopian is a genre that I love and that got me into the love of reading, even though it is not written much anymore. This book was well written with characters you will love, hate, and not know how to feel about.
This book was easy to read and follow. It also kept me wondering what would happen and what decisions the characters would make throughout. The added element of all of the characters being sociopaths with very few true feelings really made predicting what would happen hard.
The only element I did not enjoy was the brief scene of the main character killing and skinning an animal.
I love how the book played out and ended, but I also kind of hope Tara Platt decides to write a sequel one day so we can learn more about the world, the circumstances, and learn more of the characters. I could see this world being a good one to see more experiences from.
******SPOILERS*****
I love that the book ended kind of open ended. I do wish we could have gotten a few more answers, but I am also glad the author knew where a good stopping place was. Now the book can continue to be a stand alone, or the author can later write a sequel, and either way would work well.
Thank you to Netgally, the publishers, and Tara Platt for allowing me to read this book and post a review of it.
I greatly enjoyed this book. I loved figuring things out along with the main character. Who in my opinion was excellently written. Dystopian is a genre that I love and that got me into the love of reading, even though it is not written much anymore. This book was well written with characters you will love, hate, and not know how to feel about.
This book was easy to read and follow. It also kept me wondering what would happen and what decisions the characters would make throughout. The added element of all of the characters being sociopaths with very few true feelings really made predicting what would happen hard.
The only element I did not enjoy was the brief scene of the main character killing and skinning an animal.
I love how the book played out and ended, but I also kind of hope Tara Platt decides to write a sequel one day so we can learn more about the world, the circumstances, and learn more of the characters. I could see this world being a good one to see more experiences from.
******SPOILERS*****
I love that the book ended kind of open ended. I do wish we could have gotten a few more answers, but I am also glad the author knew where a good stopping place was. Now the book can continue to be a stand alone, or the author can later write a sequel, and either way would work well.
August 22, 2022
Thank you so much to NetGalley and Tara Platt for providing me with a complimentary digital ARC for Prep School for Serial Killers coming out September 1, 2022. The honest opinions expressed in this review are my own.
In a future society, a school is set up for elite students who test high on the Psychopath Scale. The school direct their talents toward becoming Assassins. They just have to survive the graduation ritual of Kill Slip Day. Anathema knows she has exceptional deadly skills. She finds a journal in her room that belongs to Mary. Her eyes are opened as she relates to Mary’s journey. She becomes a chess piece in the game at school and soon starts to question everything she knows.
Overall, I enjoyed this story. I loved the diary entries format throughout the book. I think I was expecting a little more serial killer behavior based on the title of the book. I thought it’d be more like Deadly Class or something with the students trying to kill each other more throughout the book. I think it was more sci-fi than serial killers for me. I did really love the last 25% of the book. I thought it was the best part.
I would recommend this to anyone who enjoys sci-fi futuristic societies.
I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.
In a future society, a school is set up for elite students who test high on the Psychopath Scale. The school direct their talents toward becoming Assassins. They just have to survive the graduation ritual of Kill Slip Day. Anathema knows she has exceptional deadly skills. She finds a journal in her room that belongs to Mary. Her eyes are opened as she relates to Mary’s journey. She becomes a chess piece in the game at school and soon starts to question everything she knows.
Overall, I enjoyed this story. I loved the diary entries format throughout the book. I think I was expecting a little more serial killer behavior based on the title of the book. I thought it’d be more like Deadly Class or something with the students trying to kill each other more throughout the book. I think it was more sci-fi than serial killers for me. I did really love the last 25% of the book. I thought it was the best part.
I would recommend this to anyone who enjoys sci-fi futuristic societies.
I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.
August 25, 2022
In the world of the novel we see a war-torn land, which has clearly suffered greatly, and things that we might regard as unusual have now become commonplace. One of these things is psychopathy.
For reasons that never really get explained, the inhabitants of this future world are medicated and controlled. The traits we associate with psychopathy have become much revered, and our setting is a boarding school established solely for the purpose of training sociopaths.
It’s hard to warm to these teens as they are lacking many of the characteristics that we might find ourselves drawn to. However, our main character (Ana) is someone that it’s hard not to empathise with as she finds herself caught up in a much bigger game.
During our time at the school we sense the factions developing. We see the ideological lines on which this society operates, and watch as Ana learns about her past and is entrusted with a potentially life-changing task.
Once we build up to the crux of the story, I found it hard to engage fully as we were kept rather in the dark about the motivations from characters. There were some interesting characters, and a few squeamish scenes.
I’m grateful to NetGalley for giving me the opportunity to read this prior to publication in exchange for my thoughts.
For reasons that never really get explained, the inhabitants of this future world are medicated and controlled. The traits we associate with psychopathy have become much revered, and our setting is a boarding school established solely for the purpose of training sociopaths.
It’s hard to warm to these teens as they are lacking many of the characteristics that we might find ourselves drawn to. However, our main character (Ana) is someone that it’s hard not to empathise with as she finds herself caught up in a much bigger game.
During our time at the school we sense the factions developing. We see the ideological lines on which this society operates, and watch as Ana learns about her past and is entrusted with a potentially life-changing task.
Once we build up to the crux of the story, I found it hard to engage fully as we were kept rather in the dark about the motivations from characters. There were some interesting characters, and a few squeamish scenes.
I’m grateful to NetGalley for giving me the opportunity to read this prior to publication in exchange for my thoughts.
September 1, 2022
Prep School for Serial Killers by Tara Platt drew me in with its premise of a dystopian future where sociopathic children are trained as assassins by a shadowy government organisation. On the verge of graduating from one such school top student Anathema Blight finds the diary of a student from an earlier class and reading it causes her to question everything she' has been trained to believe since early childhood but with the clock ticking down and a huge target on her back in a setting where everyone is a skilled killer, time is running out for her to uncover the truth.
While the premise was interesting and the story had promise I really struggled with the writing style, there was a lot of information dumping and some ambiguity between two different timeliness. Oftentimes I found the style quite stilted or disjointed, it just didn't seem to flow naturally and this really took away from my enjoyment of the book.
I read and reviewed an ARC courtesy of NetGalley and the publisher, all opinions are my own.
While the premise was interesting and the story had promise I really struggled with the writing style, there was a lot of information dumping and some ambiguity between two different timeliness. Oftentimes I found the style quite stilted or disjointed, it just didn't seem to flow naturally and this really took away from my enjoyment of the book.
I read and reviewed an ARC courtesy of NetGalley and the publisher, all opinions are my own.
October 5, 2022
Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for providing me with an advanced copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
3 stars.
Spoilers ahead. I will not reveal anything big - most of the review vaguely alludes to plot, structure, and characters.
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I wanted to like this book a lot more than I did. The premise was very interesting, and I am always a sucker for boarding school-type stories. The characters were pretty interesting, and I was fascinated thinking about how a school for serial killers would function and what it would teach. I felt like I didn't really get to know the characters beyond the surface of who they are - I wanted to know what they wanted and what drove the to do what they did. I also wanted to see more of the world outside of the school - what brought about the need for the school - rather than the actual day-to-day classroom sort of things. A good read for fans of lighter dystopian novels.
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Again, thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for providing me with an advanced copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
3 stars.
Spoilers ahead. I will not reveal anything big - most of the review vaguely alludes to plot, structure, and characters.
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I wanted to like this book a lot more than I did. The premise was very interesting, and I am always a sucker for boarding school-type stories. The characters were pretty interesting, and I was fascinated thinking about how a school for serial killers would function and what it would teach. I felt like I didn't really get to know the characters beyond the surface of who they are - I wanted to know what they wanted and what drove the to do what they did. I also wanted to see more of the world outside of the school - what brought about the need for the school - rather than the actual day-to-day classroom sort of things. A good read for fans of lighter dystopian novels.
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Again, thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for providing me with an advanced copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
Read
August 14, 2022Anathema Blight is an orphan enthralled by ways to kill. She has been living at the school for serial killers for most of her life. Recently she came across a journal by a former student named Mary and had begun to question everything she has been taught. She knows she must be at her best because at this school it is literally kill or be killed and most of the students are not expected to make it out alive. Her final exam sets her up to kill a professor that seems to be the cause of most of her trouble the past school year. Is she going to be able to complete her kill or will she be killed in the process?
I was pulled in from the first chapter. I found myself arguing with different characters and talking to Anathema out-loud, asking her why she did this or that. I "felt" her pain and am so hoping there is a sequel to this book. It is a great stand-alone, but I need more!
I was given the opportunity to read this by NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
I was pulled in from the first chapter. I found myself arguing with different characters and talking to Anathema out-loud, asking her why she did this or that. I "felt" her pain and am so hoping there is a sequel to this book. It is a great stand-alone, but I need more!
I was given the opportunity to read this by NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
July 21, 2022
"Everyone is born with psychopathy now, it is just the levels that differs. It is strange to imagine since the disorder is the norm now. Is it even fair to call it a disorder anymore? "
This book title and description seem already told us everything. Serial killers school with psychopath as teachers and eager students to get all kind deadly studies and bloody exams we only can imagine. Actually I really love the interesting idea of this book. But this intriguing dystopia world building is lack depth and underdeveloped. We only knew plenty from following daily schedule of our protagonist Anathema, a brilliant student who excels in each killing classes. And we learned dark secret behind the school from mysterious diary Ana found.
The plot dan conflicts with political government vs headmaster feel rush, lack explanation and not easy to get through. The ending still hanging, rush and unfinished. This book will appeal to reader who love deadly competition and morally grey characters.
Thank you Netgalley and BooksGoSocial publisher to letting me read this copy. I am grateful and my thoughts are my own.
This book title and description seem already told us everything. Serial killers school with psychopath as teachers and eager students to get all kind deadly studies and bloody exams we only can imagine. Actually I really love the interesting idea of this book. But this intriguing dystopia world building is lack depth and underdeveloped. We only knew plenty from following daily schedule of our protagonist Anathema, a brilliant student who excels in each killing classes. And we learned dark secret behind the school from mysterious diary Ana found.
The plot dan conflicts with political government vs headmaster feel rush, lack explanation and not easy to get through. The ending still hanging, rush and unfinished. This book will appeal to reader who love deadly competition and morally grey characters.
Thank you Netgalley and BooksGoSocial publisher to letting me read this copy. I am grateful and my thoughts are my own.
August 19, 2022
Thank you to the author, publisher and Netgalley for a free ARC in exchange for an honest review.
What I loved about this book: I loved the way it reminded me of the Hunger Games- how these children are raised to kill or be killed, especially one day a year where they receive the name of a fellow student who is their target. It also reminded me a bit of 1984 where students are medicated to stop their emotions, students keep eyes on others and communicate their steps and are constantly surveyed by the headmaster.
What I felt could be improved on: there wasn't enough world-building in my opinion to understand some of the plot twists. What, exactly is at stake here? How would this world be changed if in different hands?
An interesting premise, but I think more could have been done with it.
What I loved about this book: I loved the way it reminded me of the Hunger Games- how these children are raised to kill or be killed, especially one day a year where they receive the name of a fellow student who is their target. It also reminded me a bit of 1984 where students are medicated to stop their emotions, students keep eyes on others and communicate their steps and are constantly surveyed by the headmaster.
What I felt could be improved on: there wasn't enough world-building in my opinion to understand some of the plot twists. What, exactly is at stake here? How would this world be changed if in different hands?
An interesting premise, but I think more could have been done with it.
July 28, 2022
I found this book to be a solid entry in the this is a special/magical school you're attending genre of young adult fiction. It was refreshing to have a character that was focused on success instead of romance. I liked the idea that these students were all sociopaths and immune to the emotion of killing. Anathema was an interesting main character and her exploration of her past and eventual emotions was nuanced. The ending of the book was anticipated with the end of year killed a but I found the actual event to be a little bit rushed and the introduction of the doing factions to be a little bit late in the game. I do think the ending leaves is well set up for a sequel that will hopefully flush out more of the conflicting factions.
August 17, 2022
I received a free review copy from the publisher in exchange for my honest unedited feedback. I requested the book as a fan of dystopian young adult literature. Unfortunately this book didn't quite live up to my expectations. It tells the story of Anathema Blight, a student at a school which specialises in training children to become serial killers. The premise of the book intrigued me but the story itself just didn't grip me as much as I'd hoped. I found that there were too many descriptions (of the school, teachers, and lessons) without much happening in the earlier parts of the book. I also didn't find myself engaging with or warming to the characters. I would give this a 3.5 rounded up to a 4
July 10, 2022
This is a clever premise of a dystopian future world where children are groomed to kill for the state and medicated to ensure they have no real feelings.
It's cleverly written and engaging with the lead character of Anathema finding a hidden journal that brings her to life and gives her hope. There were elements of the book that felt overwritten and confusing, but, overall this is a thrilling and at times gruesome YA read.
Thanks to Tara Platt and NetGalley for the opportunity to preview.
I struggled to score this, as, for me it was a 3.5 / so I've scored up to a 4* due to the clever premise and writing.
It's cleverly written and engaging with the lead character of Anathema finding a hidden journal that brings her to life and gives her hope. There were elements of the book that felt overwritten and confusing, but, overall this is a thrilling and at times gruesome YA read.
Thanks to Tara Platt and NetGalley for the opportunity to preview.
I struggled to score this, as, for me it was a 3.5 / so I've scored up to a 4* due to the clever premise and writing.
July 12, 2022
(Thank you to Netgalley and BooksGoSocial for an eARC in exchange for an honest review)
The concept of this book drew me in instantly and I ended up loving it!
It was well written and easy to read, though there were some parts that were a little over-written and wordy. The plot was super tense, fast-paced and had me hooked the entire time. And that ending!!! I have so many questions!!! The characters were all excellent and I found myself rooting for the main character from the beginning.
I will mention that it is pretty gory and has vivid descriptions of violence so if this is something that you don't like, this definitely isn't the book for you.
The concept of this book drew me in instantly and I ended up loving it!
It was well written and easy to read, though there were some parts that were a little over-written and wordy. The plot was super tense, fast-paced and had me hooked the entire time. And that ending!!! I have so many questions!!! The characters were all excellent and I found myself rooting for the main character from the beginning.
I will mention that it is pretty gory and has vivid descriptions of violence so if this is something that you don't like, this definitely isn't the book for you.
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