A haunting book about the perils of keeping the status quo. I really loved how Kiely wove this story together and brought the characters to life. It was a refreshing take on what rape culture is and what it looks like.

3/5 Stars

Honestly a hard read. Jules' headspace is difficult to inhabit (honestly? Because of the trauma she's forced to deal with), and while that's not a bad thing, it wasn't a book that I connected with easily because of this. Would recommend but with the caveat that it can be a difficult read for some.

Kiely's timely message of rape culture and toxic masculinity resonates and is a valuable YA contribution during the Me Too movement.

Realistic fiction with food for thought!
Thanks to NetGalley and Simon & Schuster for the opportunity to read and review Tradition by Brendan Kiely!
The book opens as Jules is recovering from an attack that she’s trying to wrap her head around. She decides she needs to get up and walk home. Next, James is helping a teen girl to her dorm after he found her unconscious in the woods. Part One: Before- introduces James to Fullbrook, his new school, his dorm and fellow sports players, then Jules as she is trying to hand out women’s health pamphlets to students, since it’s move-in day. Mothers are extremely offended and some are angry about this. As school begins for the year, inequality is apparent in many ways and it’s the way things are and always have been at Fullbrook. James is trying to fit in and mentally recover from a football accident last year that had his Iowa hometown reeling and Jules wants to change the inequality to help more people feel comfortable and accepted. Jules becomes friends with Aileen, a loner, and Javi, who has been her friend throughout high school. The three of them hang out with James and realize they have a lot in common because none of them are snobby, rude, bullies or pushy people. They are relaxed around each other and completely accepting of each other’s differences and they have a great time sneaking out of their dorms and into a college party together. Part Two: The Night at Horn Rock- tells us about Jules’ attack and the girl that James helped get to her dorm and brings the inequality to light in so many ways. Part Three: After- shows the aftermath of the attack and how Fullbrook sweeps problems under the rug for certain people. Part Four: The Winter Ball- brings a new group of freshmen girls into the Senior Send-Off Tradition with all of their naivety and innocence. Tradition addresses many controversial issues intelligently and without being too graphic about any of them. 5 stars for a realistic fiction book and its food for thought!

Fantatsic and essential young adult novel that tackles a very hard reality that many of our girls face. Brendan Kiely is a master storyteller

James Baxter is getting his second chance, he needs to prove that he's more than his mistakes. Jules Devereaux is trying to make her senior year mean something, so she can go to the college she wants. What they don't know at the beginning of the school year is, they have a lot more in common than most of the students at Fullbrook Academy, a private institute known for it's good old-boy outlook. They're both just trying to survive, get out, and never look back. When Jules & Bax become friends, along with a couple other school outcasts, and things begin to spiral out of control, they realize that Fullbrook's "traditions" are rooted in hate, misogyny, and privilege. They have to do whatever it takes to stop the excuses and bring the traditions down, even if that means losing it all in the process.

Brendan Kiely proves himself over and over again in his books. He is not afraid to tackle tough subjects. Tradition fires back at toxic masculinity, rape culture, & white male privilege that can be found everywhere, but especially in the traditions that are the foundation for so many social circles and societies. Seeing the struggle and enlightenment of both characters was compelling and it gave a realness to the story. I think this book's message will continue to provide teaching moments for the youth of the world and I think everyone can learn a little from Jules & Bax, two people who are willing to risk everything to bring down the traditions that cause so much hurt to so many of their classmates.

“At a place like Fullbrook, a man could do whatever he wanted to me, to anyone, and get away with it.”
Brave, bold and brassy, in his latest work, Brendan Kiely takes the uncomfortable subject of sexual assault, and tells its malicious discourse unabashedly. It is a brilliantly told, well-executed story about “toxic masculinity” and the “rape culture” that plagues our society today. Told in dual perspective, one male and one female, gives the reader an insight to the cruel, poisonous “traditions” that are still in practice today. This is not a book to be read lightly, yet I feel it is an important, realistic book so powerful it will resonate with students, teachers and parents in hopes to have those very real, very important conversations.

Jules is a girl on a mission. She wants to bring awareness to her fellow students of inequities and injustice. Her stance ostracizes her from most of the students and makes her a thorn in the side of the administration. Jaime is a new scholarship student who has been given a second chance to impress colleges with his athletic prowess. All he needs to do is play hockey and stay out of trouble.

The problem is that there are traditions that dictate what’s goes on at school. Jules and Jaime find these expectations unreasonable and outright wrong. The jocks are part of an entitled group (no surprise) and the girls are expected to go along with the old traditions, even if it entails them being demeaned.

The book starts slowly and it isn’t until the last third that there’s any real momentum. While Jules is admirable in her righteousness, her motivation initially seems lacking. The basic concept of changing outdated traditions is commendable and anything that touches on the idea that harassment is not acceptable, is timely and to be applauded. Had the book been stronger at the start, it would have been more successful. Jaime is perhaps the stronger of the dual narrators. He has a more defined dilemma facing him throughout the book. It’s too bad that Jules’ story doesn’t engender the same emotion until much later in the narrative. Because of the Me Too movement, this book is one that definitely has merit, but it could have been more powerful.
3.5*

4.5 stars!

Tradition is told from two viewpoints-- Jules and Bax. Jules is a senior at Fulbrook Academy, a boarding school with upside down and archaic, though unfortunately common, traditions. Bax has been nearly driven out of his town and school after a horrible accident; he's given a scholarship at Fulbrook, where he meets Jules.

As Bax encounters the lives of the wealthy, privileged, and entitled, Jules is struggling with any kind of campaign that deems her a "pain" by the administration and the rest of the school. The two soon become friends and confront their own demons among a patriarchal society and school.

Wow! This book is incredibly important. In the wake of the "me too" movement, consent is an important part of understanding sexual abuse and harassment. Kiely takes it on, while still weaving a fascinating story. He's got it all-- the girl who people think is annoying because she wants to make a difference in the world, the spoiled guys who believe that "affluenza" will get them out of anything, the administration with no clue, the scholarship kid, who is wondering how he can fit in, the "loner" with a reputation. While all this might sound cliched, it's not at all. It's a beautifully intertwined story that's important for young people to read and discuss. I wish that the voices of Jules and Bax were a little different, but that is my only critique!

A powerful commentary on social traditions in an elite boarding school - and the story of the students who stand up against the casual misogyny and “business as usual” attitude of the good old boys club. Told through the eyes of two of these brave students, Jules and Bax, readers will learn about Jules’ assault at the hands of her ex-boyfriend and the pariah she becomes when she reports it. Bax is a scholarship student recruited for hockey and he knows he is nothing like his rich, entitled teammates who treat young women like objects. He and Jules become close friends and navigate the year together. With well-developed and believable characters, this story will resonate long after the final pages are read.

When you think about high school, what traditions pop into your mind? Are they school events or actions taken by those who attended? Brendan Kiely tackles the difficult topic of sexual assault at a high school boarding school and how these behaviors are perpetuated by the traditions allowed at the schools.

Tradition is told in a dual narrative: Jules, a strong opinionated senior who fights for the the rights she believes in, is sexually assaulted by her ex-boyfriend, who is the son of a rich private donor. When she shares what has happened the principal (head master) treats the matter as if she is the one in the wrong.

Jamie (Bax) is a new student who is trying to find a new start after an accident in his home town. He is at Fullbrook Academy on a scholarship and doesn't want to get into trouble or do anything to jeopardize his future. That is... until he meets and gets to know Jules.

Together the two of them fight the "traditions" that have developed over the years at Fullbrook.

In the time of #MeToo, I am grateful that a white male author is willing to speak up against sexual assault among high school teens. No means No. This is a story that needs to be read and shared. Make it required reading and have genuine conversations about the actions of these teenagers and why their behaviors are NOT okay.

Thank you NetGalley for the opportunity to read and spread the importance of this book. I will be book talking this one to whoever will listen.

Tradition by Brendan Kiely reminded me of a cross between Gossip Girl, Looking for Alaska and every Lifetime movie I've ever seen about sexual assault. I feel like it sat on the precipice of going even further in the story, but played it a bit safe at each turn. The ending leaves it open to interpretation as well and I wished for a bit more closure so I knew what happened to Bax and Jules in the future. I feel like we didn't get to know the characters as well as I wanted to either, even though we had the same two character chapters back and forth between Bax and Jules throughout the entire novel. In some ways I feel like I got surface, stereotypical portrayals of the two of them, who didn't get as close as I thought they would throughout the book. I did really like diving into the twisted world of prep schools and how sexist and masochistic they can be. I hope books like this continue to push the envelope so equality can be achieved at all academic institutions. Overall I struggled a bit to get through the dialogue and some storyline choices, but I did like Tradition. It's too mature for my middle school library, but would work well in a high school library.

3.5 stars.

*Thank you Netgalley and Margaret K. McElderry Books for this ARC. All opinions are my own.

This book drew me and I can honestly say it didn't disappoint. The author did an excellent job of keeping it interesting the entire time and the perspective on rape culture and traditional settings was well done. I also loved the unexpected and satisfying ending.

Tradition is a good book for its messages and also for its plot. Feminist revolutions are always fun to read about! One thing that makes this book stand out is its narration—it switches perspectives between a girl, Jules, and a boy, Jamie.

Because the majority of rape survivors are women, it makes sense that most books about sexual assault are about women, but I liked that Tradition has these two viewpoints. While it’s very important to hear the voices of people who have been sexually assaulted, I think it’s also great for boys to be able to read a book like this and see that they, like Jamie, can be a supporter of sexual assault survivors. Men can and should be feminists too!

The timing was interesting—there’s a prologue about something that happens much later in the book, so that added some suspense and intrigue.

I also really enjoyed the setting. Though I’ve never been to boarding school, I love reading about them. There’s just something so interesting about schools that kids live at! And the boarding school culture piece adds a whole new layer to the story.

I enjoyed Tradition, and I’m so glad that books are being published that talk about such an important issue!

This story started a little slow but picked up in the middle. The one good thing about the slow beginning was that it really introduced the characters. By the time the main incident happened, I felt like I really knew who they were.

I really liked that there was a hook at the beginning, which took place right after the main party, so it encouraged me to keep reading. It just took a while to get to that point. Once the incident in Part 2 happened, the story flew by.

The characters were great and they had quite unique backgrounds. Jules was an outcast at school because she promotes women’s health. However, the year before she was dating one of the most popular guys in school. Jamie on the other hand is new to the school. He got a full scholarship to the school after he had to leave his public school.

The traditions of the school were disrupted by real life. The winning hockey team was disrupted by a violent player, and Jules’ life was disrupted by the assault at the party. Both Jules and Jamie had to fit in with the traditions of this private school, but still maintain their modern lives.

This is a great young adult novel.

A smart, well thought out, and important read. This is definitely a book teenagers should all be reading.

I honestly cannot tell you enough how much I loved this book. It was gripping from start to finish and addresses so many issues in such a conscientious way! TW: rape and sexual assault.

This story is told from dual perspectives, and I really loved this part of the story. Both James and Jules are going through their own struggles at Fullbrook. James is struggling to figure out the nonchalant way people act about wealth and how they use their money to solve all problems. I really liked James’s character, who is slightly timid and is scarred from his own past experiences. He knows better than these privileged students: money can’t solve everything. I didn’t love Jules’s character as much because I found her a little too in-your-face. Of course, I didn’t want her to be someone very submissive, but at times, I found her attitude to be a bit … annoying, and perhaps not the best way to describe a feminist.
I also wish that James and Jules had a stronger friendship. At times, the story felt like it was telling two separate tales – which is really fine, because it would have worked well and connected well at the end. However, the author kept expressing that they were good friends. If this had been established better, I think my rating would have gone up.
I absolutely loved the writing style and flow of this novel. It was tense and engaging and it took the reader to places that could be uncomfortable, but were ultimately necessary in order to shed light on topics like consent, privilege, assault, and respect for others. Yes, there are other books out there that also speak about these issues. But I think that the more books that bring this to the forefront, the better. The novel handles these issues with delicacy and does a fine job of getting people to really understand what it must feel like for those stuck in similar situations to Jules and James.
This is a thought-provoking and gripping tale and I urge everyone to go give it a shot! I’m giving this book a solid 4/5 stars!

This was an interesting book with dual narrators - and 4 stories. All four students are seniors at an elite prep school. Jules is a feminist who has recently broken up with her boyfriend. Bax is a post-grad on scholarship who is going to be governor for the hockey team. Aileen has been nicknamed The Viking and Javi is gay. They are all navigating the harsh world of gossip and entitlement while looking for honesty and love.

A necessary addition to every YA collection a title that needs to be read by everyone - parents, teen girls, teen boys, teachers, administrators . . . everyone. Kiely approaches this with such sensitivity and honesty, just like his debut, "The Gospel of Winter," and he opens his readers eyes to several issues that we need to continue to address and discuss. Once again, Kiely has done it again and I cannot recommend this title enough.

I really enjoyed Brendan Kiely’s TRADITION. The story takes place at Fullbrook Academy; this prestigious boarding school, screams money. It has a tradition of being a boy’s club. There are horrible things that happen that are overlooked. People that challenge the system are frowned upon.

One of these challengers is Jules Devereux. Having stirred things up one too many times, Jules is counting the days until graduation.

After a tragedy at his prior high school, Jamie Baxter, is given a second chance at Fullbrook Academy. He is on a full hockey scholarship and feels like an outsider.

Jules and Jamie form a friendship. Both are frustrated at the injustices that are swept under the rug and want to do something about it. I really liked Jules and Jamie. A lot of the things that happen in this story are unfair but realistic.

The ending was believable and convincing. I would love to see a follow novel to find out what happens to the main characters. This is the first book that I have read by Brendan Kiely. I enjoyed his writing style. I voluntarily reviewed an advance reader copy of this book.