This psychological thriller was so engrossing that I was reading it while walking to the laundromat. I was absolutely unprepared for the twist at the ending - it had me screaming. I work with a lot of teens who love scary novels; and the richly detailed plot of the upper classes huntin’ shootin’ fishin’ the “not quite right ones” will appeal to my bloodthirsty group.

The bare bones of the plot is very interesting. Old, aristocratic system will do what it takes to stay in power. Corruption everywhere. Don't know who to trust. Unfortunately, some of the writing is lazy. Instead of building a scene the narrator just says what movie a scene reminds her of. There were so many references.

The main character was kind of dumb. I could understand the peer pressure she bowed down to but it was like she refused to learn from the bad things happening around her.

Enjoyable read but I'm not interested in reading the next book.

Twisty, thrilling and filled to the brim with suspense, S.T.A.G.S. will keep the readers company into the long hours of the night as Greer, our intrepid heroine, traverses the cutthroat (literally) world of her boarding school.

One of the oddest books I've read to date, S.T.A.G.S, is as utterly entertaining as it is disturbing. While the novel itself didn't blow me away--it kept me thoroughly entertained.

It took me about a third of the book to get into the story, but once I did, I found it to be quite a good thriller and a clever commentary on current events. It’s best read on a rainy night, which is what I did. Be prepared for some strange nightmares! I wish I could say more but anything other than what’s already in the blurb would be a spoiler.

Caution: Animal Deaths

The story itself -- "outsiders" from a prestigious British boarding school invited for a sporting weekend at the castle-like homestead of the "elite" kids -- was intriguing. The twist on who's really being hunted seemed a smidge predictable but was actually pulled together quite nicely. And of course, there's the interesting twist at the end that you could kind of see coming but was a nice touch nonetheless. The issue for me was the British setting. As a high school librarian in the U.S., I worry my students would struggle a bit with not only terminology they may not understand and the UK locations mentioned that they've never heard of before that factor into the plot, but also the concept of an elite boarding school for "rich kids" with a complicated backstory that might make very little sense to the typical American teenager. Great story, but even I had to re-read portions and look up terms.

Are they really out to get you, or can you shed your embarrassing image and move up a social class? In answer to the first part: Um, did you see “Get Out”? A highly traditional prep school is truly full of little beasts, and those looking to fit in are advised to reconsider, especially if their first few years at school haven’t gone swimmingly. Hint: fortunes don’t suddenly change just because. Yes, there’s something sinister there, no matter how much you’d like to believe otherwise, and this tale of class and privilege run amok is deliciously awful.

DNF at 30% I could not get into the story no matter how hard I tried to power through it

Enjoyed this thriller. Great pacing, writing and character development. Loved the twists and turns. Highly recommend!

A thriller surrounding a secret society in a boarding school? I was so into the concept. Now, technically I had assumed it was a secret society before starting the book but it turns out it was not exactly secret, just exclusive. Three outcasts in a very old boarding school discover hazing in a whole new form when they agree to a weekend of “Huntin’ Shootin’ Fishin'” with the Medievals, the school’s most popular sixsome who have a cult-like status. Greer has always flown under the radar when it comes to the school; she is a scholarship kid who has been friendless for a half-term, and when she gets an opportunity to be included she is ecstatic about it. It also helps that the invitation comes from Henry McWhatshisname (I am not going to bother), who is like the hottest white guy over there. Over the weekend, though, the Medieval’s ambiguous bullying gets more and more shady. .

Now, firstly, and very rightly, you would question why would three kids even agree to such a thing, when, by all appearances it looks like a trap to haze them. Well, when you have a isolated school full of kids who would rather ignore you, any attention seems worthwhile. And Greer is also enchanted by the old money vibe and the aristrocratic trappings of these Medievals, who eschew nearly everything modern and call it ‘Savage’, (Personally, I feel very conflicted about the use of that word in the book considering the colonial undertones behind the word) and most of the school also gets drawn into the same attitude. She is accompanied by Chanel, aka Nel, a rich girl whose ‘new money’ status keeps her out, and Shafeen, an Indian student who is, well, bullied for simply being brown, despite being as elite as the rest of the Medievals.

The three of them are simultaneously charmed and bullied in a manner they can’t exactly pinpoint, which leads to Greer being practically oblivious at first. She is much more charmed by Henry and since this is narrated in a retrospective first-person, you see her berating her own self and passing snarky comments throughout the book. As the weekend gets progressively darker, so does the tension mount. They are essentially trapped in a remote manor, with no one around for miles who is not under Henry’s family pay, and have to be very careful to not let the Medievals know what they know. By the time I had arrived near the climax, my anxiety levels were high, and I was so afraid for these three! The ending gives a nice twist – that’s all I am going to say without spoilers – and I can see this being an excellent thriller movie. Whether it was a cliffhanger or not, well, that is not clear at the moment, but even if it is, that was one awesome ending.

The one thing I was annoyed by was how stupid Greer was at times – yes, she is a teen but come on, Henry was being awful right in front of her rose-tinted eyes, and she still was making excuses for him. Even after seeing the light (and proof in the dead of the night), she is second-guessing things and thinking there is a more friendly way to deal with things. Additionally, she kind of gives away what happens at the end in the first chapter itself, so it takes the mystery out of the equation and only leaves you with mounting dread and tension. I would have much preferred the mystery to also be a part of the plot, but oh well, it was written in a retrospective manner. Overall, a short fast-paced thriller that you can devour in one sitting!

S.T.A.G.S. is a young adult mystery thriller by author M.A. Bennett. In case you didn’t know, S.T.A.G.S. stands for St. Aidan the Great School, is a book that is touted to be awesome for fans of The Secret History and Pretty Little Liars. I am a big fan of both of those books, so that coupled with the boarding school setting, I was pretty pumped for S.T.A.G.S. And S.T.A.G.S. delivered on what it promised, a twisty thriller. And though S.T.A.G.S. is set at a boarding school, a bulk of the novel took place at a country manor where this “hunting” weekend is set to take place.

I loved the premise of S.T.A.G.S. I think that was my favorite aspect of the story. And the writing and storyline were both excellent. They kept my attention the entire time and I loved the eerie feeling of the story. But the characters didn’t always live up to the plot in my opinion. I liked Greer well enough, but I didn’t completely love her. And I not entirely sure why. There wasn’t anything I could pinpoint that I really disliked. I was just way more invested in the storyline than I was the characters.

But the storyline was pretty great. I loved the way the story is presented. Pretty early on we learn about a murder and we also know the murderer, which is totally unique. (It kind of reminded me of episodes of the tv show Monk, where we watch the murder take place, and then we spend the rest of the episode finding out the how and the why.) We didn’t know the why, which had me totally intrigued. And I have to say, I really really enjoyed watching this story unfold. MA Bennett did a really great job making it very interesting. It does seem reminiscent of The Secret History by Donna Tart.

Overall, Plot driven readers will likely enjoy this suspense thriller. The setting was great and the writing was excellent. There were many areas of the plot and mystery game that I absolutely loved, but I don’t want to get into specifics because they are every much a part of the plot that gets revealed as Greer and her friend pulls back some layers and dive into the mystery. It is worth discovering for yourself. I liked the characters well enough, but I wasn’t completely won over by them all. Fans of this book will be excited to find out that it is going to be made into a movie. I am really excited for this news because I think it will translate really well to the big screen.

Caution: detailed scene of hunting & cleaning of the kill.

S.T.A.G.S. has a great set-up for a thriller/mystery book, or a film even. There were a lot of classic elements leaning the book toward it, such as the elite group of students, the lack of phone/Internet usage, and so on. The setting especially, from the remote St. Aidan the Great's School to the manor house belonging to Henry's family, was well crafted to make the story as a whole even creepier.

Written in first person, the story is told by Greer, a outcast of sorts looking in on the Medievals, a group of six super popular and rich boys and girls. The events of the book are told from a future the reader is working toward. The course of the story unfolds as Greer tells them to us, so while oddities abound and behaviors are analyzed, it's all from her singular view, lending a slant to it that the reader must decide to believe or question.

Greer is that person who, in horror movies, is set-up as the intelligent character here to talk sense into the other future victims, but ends up being just as dumb as they are (check out the dark hallways, go in the basement after a mysterious noise, etc.). She thought a lot about the differences between herself and the rich Medieval kids and rather than strengthening her character, her observations came across as almost snobby, as if she were proud of sussing these people out.

M.A. Bennett used Greer's personality and the first person perspective of the novel to make an interesting point regarding society. All manner of sin is covered up by a pretty face. Not just the face evident to have swayed Greer; even after she discovers what the Medievals are up to, the attention paid to her by Henry and the sumptuous glamour of his estate shake her off course, temporarily winning her over and endangering the plan she, Shafeen, and Nel came up with to lay bare the nasty history of this popular group. Their elitism, the thing that protected them for centuries, echoes the real world crimes that the rich and powerful are able to get away with.

As wicked as Henry and his predecessors were, he did espouse some ideas about the nature or technology and the loss of the past that resonated with me. Technology moves so quickly that traditions can be lost if they're not respected and cared for. Progress can be a good thing, but embracing it fully and ignoring what brought civilization to the future can be dangerous. Some comments were made about the reliance on tech that people have in this age, from young people aspiring to nothing more than a YouTube career to the current state of American politics where a reality-t.v. star with no government experience is now at the head of the establishment.

I liked the times when Greer made film references relevant to her current situation. Her and her dad bonded over films and it was clear their watched list was quite long. There were also some discussions that cropped up between Greer and the others, such as the one about tech and the Medievals abstention from most of it. The discourse on what tech has given and what it has poisoned had good points as well as fanciful, almost deluded ones. The conversation could easily turn from the characters in the book to real world discussions.

The ending was not quite obvious, but it didn't surprise me. The eerie feeling of having won in a horror movie, only to realize that time hasn't healed anything at all. There are still remnants of the old order and whatever the heroes thought they'd accomplished, whatever they thought they'd done to win, was worthless because at the end of the tunnel was no light, only more darkness and evil. Greer might escape St. Aidan's School, but at what cost? The future is grim and there's no certainty for anyone except for the Order of the Stag.

I received a copy of this book from Netgalley for an honest review.

Well...I'm not really sure what to say about this. The plot was definitely different and I wasn't really sure what to expect going into it. The writing was great and that's probably the only reason I stuck with it the whole time. It reminded me a lot of the movie "The Skulls" and I didn't really care for that either, which ironically is something the MC of this book would say. She had tons of movie references, a little too much in my opinion. Overall, just ok.

First of al thank you to Netgalley for providing me with an ARC of this book. Secondly. YAS. I WANT MORE. This book was well written, intriguing, and just so good. I love it. I don’t even have anything else to say. I just really loved it.

I loved this Gossip Girl meets Game of Thrones meets Survivor tale of power and privilege gone wrong. I especially loved all the movie references and the incredibly strong first person narrative.

I was so intrigued by the idea of this book that I was nearly flailing when I received the review copy. I made the mistake shortly after of checking its Goodreads rating and was subsequently expecting a letdown of large proportions.

I. Was. Not.

When working-class student Greer receives a scholarship to the prestigious school, one thing is clear: she doesn’t fit in. Especially next to the ‘rulers’ of the school, a group of 6 illustrious, arrogant, and supremely wealthy students who are the untouchables. The ones everyone wants to be friends with and aspire to be. And even though she’s smart enough to recognize the truth, she can’t help but want to become part of their group, The Medievals. That is clear from her narrative. As is the fact that she crushes on the group’s leader, Henry de Warlencourt. And as always seems to be the case, he doesn’t seem so bad at first.

From the very beginning we are told a death has taken place. A murder. And that Greer was part of said act. To what degree, we don’t yet know. But since she’s telling it retrospectively, we know what to expect, if not when. Though, that becomes clear quite early on, too.

What I found quite interesting was how The Medievals shunned technology and therefore, cell phones, tablets, etc were deemed uncool. It lent a view of the current world without all the things most teens (and yes, adults) today can’t typically live without. So when an envelope is slid under her door—one clearly from those she’s so desperate to catch the attention of—it’s as if her luck and world are changing. Which, I suppose, is the case. It’s only when she realizes the two other biggest outcasts have also been invited that perhaps this weekend outing won’t be everything she hoped for. And that maybe, they were going to be the hunted in the shenanigans of the weekend.

Greer, Shafeen, and Chanel are clearly the ones we are supposed to care about. This (to me) because their characters are wholly fleshed out, while The Medievals were mostly the same—with the exception of Henry. I found loads of twists and turns, and enough misdirection to keep me guessing as to what exactly happened. Greer’s voice is not only believable as a 16-year-old, but the added humor and film nods make it even more enjoyable than normal.

And yes, the book and plot has its flaws. (Argue all you want, but NO book is perfect!) But I really couldn’t care much as my interest never wavered. The ending is sweet, if not a bit preachy. I also felt it may have been left open for more, though I’d be 100% okay with this being the complete story. I enjoy using my imagination at times for the “after” parts we don’t always see. Overall, I found this to be quite the page-turner. Anyone who enjoys mysteries and thrillers would definitely be sucked in and have a blast trying to put all the pieces together. I look forward to future works from M.A. Bennett!

This is an intense psychological thriller that is done right. It grabs you in the first couple of pages and does not let go.

STAGS is about a girl who’s an outsider at an exclusive British boarding school, a school with a name so convoluted that it’s abbreviated to S.T.A.G.S. (Mounted deer heads also play a role in the story. And as “ugh” as deer heads are, I think this cover could have used one to steer me away from bachelor party thoughts. Just saying.)

IN ANY CASE, GREER IS THE CLASSIC OUTSIDER NARRATOR WHO, IN THE BOOK’S VERY FIRST SENTENCE, TELLS THE READER THAT SHE “MIGHT BE A MURDERER.”

That was an attention-getting opener and I approve! I’m a fan of unreliable narrators. But as the story went on, Greer struck me as quite reliable, and as a result (and because I thought the book telegraphed early on pretty much everything that was going to happen) this isn’t a book that is very successful at building suspense.

There were things I liked about STAGS, so let’s talk about those next. If you’re the kind of person who loves movies and books set in British country houses, the kind of person who likes watching the Downton Abbey crowd ride out on a fox hunt or head out to shoot some grouse and then dress for dinner, you’ll enjoy the overall atmosphere of the book. As did I.

However, my main problem with the book is that (as mentioned above) after that kicker of an opening line there were not many surprises to be had. Greer tells you in the first few pages exactly what will happen in the last few pages.

IN ADDITION, I HAVE TO SAY THAT, BRITISH HOUSE PARTY TRAPPINGS ASIDE, THIS BOOK FELT VERY VERY MUCH LIKE A RETELLING OF MEAN GIRLS.

For fans of How to Get Away With Murder, this book is heavy on thrill. Opening with the big reveal already out of the way, Bennett leaves readers wondering how the main character gets tangled up in body counts.

This was a book unlike anything I have read. It took a while to get into the book but it was interesting to read the farther I got. What happens when the twisted meets the depraved? This book will need to be read with the lights on. Thank you for allowing me to read this and write about it