I enjoyed this book far more than I expected to. The main character was great, I loved her attitude and personality and I liked how all the others characters had distinct personalities too. It may be a little simplified perhaps with the world not really exported very in depth but I think we got enough for a good story and a quick read. Solid 4 stars.

To Best the Boys is Weber's most recent novel tells the story of Rhen Tellur, a girl that decides to take on the challenge of defeating a labyrinth as much as take on the challenge of destroying the nature of Pinsbury Port's male dominated society. In Pinsbury Port the women are taught wifely duties and responsibilities while the men are left to pursue anything they wish as long as they have the proper income. For the past fifty four years eligible aged boys receive a letter offering them the chance to compete for a scholarship to the all male Stemick University. Each year the residents if poor look to see if their sons will be on the list as the rich look to determine the survival rate of their sons. For Rhen, the letter is a new experiment and test to unravel the mystery. Rhen wants nothing more than to become a scientist, which is against everything the province of Caldon encourages, while her once friend seeks her hand in marriage. Rhen wants nothing of this especially when the poor in Caldon are dying from a mysterious illness. Rhen becomes only more determined to overlook the demands of her gender's place in life when her mother becomes infected by the same mysterious illness.

Driven by a desire for answers and a cure, Rhen faces the labyrinth to claim the scholarship. She and her cousin Seleni disguise themselves as boys to enter the labyrinth Mr Holm's has created to win and prove that not every girl and not every boy is meant to fit in a perfect cookie cutter of what the town expects of them. During Rhen's venture into the labyrinth many unexpected secrets are discovered just as paths never once made available to women are suddenly made available because of Rhen's chosen path. Her actions lead the way to forge a new hope for option and choice to the future women of Caldon. If anything the title of the story holds true, as Rhen surely knows the way to Best the Boys. I certainly won't spoil the story and the outcome for you. I can tell you there is adventure, suspense, friendships, women that overcome the obstacles society presses upon them, and of course a splash of romance. The presence of so many of these characters left me wanting more. At the end I found myself wanting to know more of what happens to Seleni, Rhen, and Rhen's love interest, Lute.

But don't let a little bit of love and longing detract you, and certainly don't let the notion of a girl standing up for herself put you off. To Best the Boys is not a book to throw romance or the Feminist movement in your face. Not in the least. Instead it is a twisted, crafted labyrinth of prose that leaves the reader pursuing every unexpected turn and pause with a delightful eagerness. Even when the reader exits the labyrinth of words that Weber has created they find themselves looking behind them to the pages past as much as flipping through those final blank pages for a tease of something more. Much like the Labyrinth cakes Rhen herself delivers to those waiting for them, every word in to Best the Boys is simple, sweet, and lovely. Fingers crossed for a sequel! But until that time comes... happy reading!

In the process of previewing books for schools, I read many that are adequate. I knew this book stood out when I found myself choosing it over the other books I'd started. Weber's characters come to life and her imagined world is intriguing. This title didn't quite rise to the level of the Sofi Snow novels, but even though I found the plot somewhat predictable, I still couldn't put it down. Edgy but not graphic, this is a book I can easily recommend to all types of teen readers.
Review based on an ARC received through NetGalley.

I wasn't sure what to expect, but I enjoyed reading this. An interesting story with fun characters. Well written.

What a beautiful, uplifting novel!

The book starts off with our main character Rhen, in a morgue dissecting a dead body! If that doesn't set the mood of this book my dudes. Rhen is 16 and the daughter of a scientist father and upper-class mom turned lower-class when she married. Women in this sea-side town are meant for one thing and that is to be a wife and do wifely duties. But that is not the life Rhen wants. When her mother contracts a deadly virus that is sweeping through her town, Rhen and her father are furiously searching to find a cure before it takes their beloved wife and mother. But with time creeping up on them and no cure in sight, Rhen decides to enter into The Competition- an all-male scholarship competition in hopes of winning and furthering her education and finding a cure for the horrid disease.

"Society's more likely to embrace cross-stitch as a sport than toss out its long-standing history of gender roles."

Rhen and Seleni, Rhen's cousin, decide to put on disguises to make them appear as boys and enter into the famed but deadly competition. Put on by the elusive Mr. Holms, the game tests a person's strengths and weaknesses and the girls find themselves fighting for their right to be there at every twist and turn the labyrinth throws at them.

" 'Any young men you specifically hope will win, Rhen?' the old cat biddies ask. 'No.' Because Seleni and I aren't men."

To Best the Boys was an amazing girl power novel! I inhaled this story in pretty much a sitting and was so invested in Rhens story I was a bit disoriented when I was finished with it. Not only do we have girl power, but there's also a fantastic romance( OMG LUTE I LOVE YOU) and plenty of fantasy elements-ghouls, sirens, and BASILISKS oh my! Also, villians! and magic!

"Whoever said the female is the weaker of a species never tested that theory against the draw of a woman's love."

This was a beautiful journey of finding your place in a world that keeps pushing you down and developing the courage needed to stand up for your rights. I give it 5 stars.

This was a quick read because I could not put it down. Our main character is courageous and strong willed, fragile and fierce. Rhen doesn't care that she is a Lower or that her cousin Seleni is an Upper. She only cares about finding a cure for the horrid disease that is killing her Mom and others as well. Rhen is not like other girls, she has dreams of mixing chemicals and evaluating microscope slides while your average female looks for a smart match and a good marriage partner to help and support. While Rhen is being pursued by Vincent, once friend now a politician in the making she decides that she will do some pursing of her own. The Holm's Scholarship somewhat deadly labyrinth competition. This test of will and wits is open to all boys wishing to attend the University, after all that is what the Upper boys do and the Lower boys aspire. Rhen has plans of her own, to win the contest and attend the University giving her access to state of the art equipment needed to advance her and her father's research and find a cure for the deadly disease that is ravaging her Mother's body. There is much that Rhen could lose in addition to a few inches of her hair but so much more that she could gain. With the help of her cousin who joins her in the maze if for no other reason than to keep her eye on Rhen and Seleni's easily appalled beau Beryll.. Rhen doesn't need a husband to propel through the ranks of parliament but rather a partner to navigate life. An excellent book and if at all possible I would love to see a sequel written as well.

Although I received a copy of the ARC from NetGallery, it wasn’t until I got a copy in March’s Fairyloot box that I actually got around to reading this book. Which was more due to a lack of time than anything else, because this was a book that I’ve been eager to read for a long time now.

I really like stories about girls joining a man’s world and proving their worth, so this book caught my attention straight away. And I was really impressed with it!

However I wasn’t sure about the book at first. There were a lot of errors still remaining in the ARC which made it a little hard to read, so I switched to my Fairyloot copy quite early on. But even then the writing style was different and a little hard to get my head around at points.

But the plot was wonderful! It was full of magic and betrayal, action and suspense and I was hooked from the moment Rhen and Seleni decided to enter the maze.

I was also hooked on the romance in this story, both Rhen’s and Selini’s which were both adorable. The characters were lively and believable, and I especially liked the girls in STEM aspect of the plot.

My favourite part of this book was the fact that it represented disability. Disability is something we don’t see a lot in fantasy, and although Dyslexia is more commonly represented, this is the first time I have seen Down Syndrome and Autism represented in a Fantasy before and that made me instantly like this book for that.

I can say I was surprised by this book, although a lot of it followed what was given in the book description there were a few unexpected twists that I didn’t see coming. It was also set in a world that was surprisingly historical with a hint of magic, and I really liked the idea of the divide between the fishing port and the ‘uppers’ which created a lot of depth to the world Weber created.

I can’t give this book five stars, it didn’t stand out enough for me. And although I enjoyed the characters and the plot, I did struggle with the writing style, and I found some parts a little predictable. However the world was well crafted and the characters well rounded, and I did enjoy the overall reading experience.

I wanted to love this, I really did but it fell flat for me. Like a few others I thought this would be a Hunger Games meets Tri Wizard Tournament. Pretty much you go through a maze to win a scholarship. A major catch? You need to be male to compete. So in an effort to win the scholarship Rhen dresses as a boy to take control of her fate. There were romance moments that didn't quite seem to fit the rest of the book. While the writing was good I feel like the romance and plot left a bit to be desired.

Going in to To Best The Boys, I was expecting action and adventure and something resembling the Tri-Wizard Tournament because the blurb literally says she is entering a contest. But that didn't happen until literally halfway through (yes I was disappointed BUT it definitely worked out in the end). So what did happen? The first half of this novel builds background and the various characters so once the competition (finally) hits, everything falls into place like a well constructed line of dominoes.

It introduces us to Rhen, the strong female protagonist who refuses to bow down to the patriarchy, a determined teen out to prove her value in a society where women belong in the kitchen not the laboratory. She is so intent on helping to discover the cure to a mysterious illness plaguing the lower society, she refuses to play her part in civilised society by pursuing a husband and learning to be a good wife.

Rhen's best friend/cousin Seleni is all things family goals, assisting Rhen in basically all her misinformed endeavours. She is soft and squish but also a strong female, potentially throwing it all away in order to support her cousin and boyfriend in any and all adventures. Which brings me to the men.

Now, Weber could have easily painted all the men within this novel with the 'asshole' brush. Instead within the male population, there is a wide array of personalities. In Lute the reader gets a caring and compassionate man, wrapped in a hard fisherman exterior who is just trying to ensure his family stays afloat in hard times. Vincent, Rhen's betrothed (kind of) and competitor within Holm's Labyrinth starts out pleasant but by the end shows his true colours. Kellen, an old man and mysteriously disappearing visitor, is cryptic to say the least, seeming to have a secret that is yet to be shared.


Earlier in the piece, I mentioned that the actual competition around which this narrative revolves does not start until more than half way through. Although it is mentioned and from literally the first page, the reader knows it is about to occur, a vast percent of the initial portion of TBTB is mostly centred around world- and character-building. While it is not implicitly stated, it has an 1800's type vibe whereby women are still treated as property but small sectors of society are coming around to the idea the women can do amazing things. Most female characters are portrayed as homemakers or working towards learning how to be a good wife. The main character Rhen is ignored when she raises the issue of a new and deadly disease and is even more looked down upon when she suggests she may be integral in discovering its cure. But there is still light to be found in the opinions of a few key men, especially the opportunity to compete in Mr Holm's Labyrinth. Although it felt old and dank for the most part, this simply enabled the latter half to shine when a beacon of hope arises for Rhen.

The actual story arc has a little bit of a Caraval type feel with its simple magic and abundant illusions. Early on, it is a tale of friendship and familial love with Rhen determined to move mountains to help her mother and community in their time of need. Once the contestants finally reach the Labyrinth itself, the vivid imagery and creative storytelling gave me Harry Potter in the Triwizard tournament/Hunger Games-esque vibes with it being outwardly obvious that some players will do anything to win Holm's game and coveted scholarship to Stemwick University. There were moments that pulled at the heart strings throughout while Weber portrayed all her women as powerful, despite the fact that some were not physically strong.

Just quickly, I the ultimate hater of all things romance, actually got warm fuzzies near the end. Yes, there is a kind of triangle but not really because at least one party is not voluntarily involved BUT its so well placed and surrounded by other events that it was not overbearing. And I mean he gave her the chance to just be friends even though he would look after everything *insert soft blubbering here*. My heart has been melted and its wrong but oh so right.

Basically To Best The Boys is a fantastical trip through oppression and the underestimation of the female gender, all told in a kind of Victorian era society with a twist. The women are powerful and loyal, the men run the gamut and the magic included within gives the reader something just a little fantastic to season this amazing tale. The romance portion is fairly understated and fits within the entirety of the tale in a genius way so as to not be on the nose for even the greatest hater of anything resembling emotion. Definitely worth a read.

DNF @ page 55

ARC received from NetGalley and the publisher in exchange for an honest review. All of my opinions are my own, and are in no way affected by the exchange.

I have been reading this off and on for what feels like forever. I am really upset that I could not get into this as it was one of my most anticipated releases. I dont know what it was that made me not be able to get into this. I might try again later but for now it's a no from me.

Because I didnt get into this book, I dont think it's fair for me to rate it.

There are some books that I pick up at the right reading mood, and when the book matches my reading cravings, it instantly becomes my new favorite.
Has this ever happened to you before?

One Sunday afternoon, I decided that it was time to start reading «To Best the Boys» in preparation to OWLs read-a-thon that takes place this month. I’ve chosen it for my Herbology exam and wanted to give it a little glimpse, to get the feeling of the story. To my surprise, once I’ve started reading it, I couldn’t put it down!

Ren Tellur lives in a world where power and knowledge belong to men. Women are not supposed to pursue careers or go to Universities. They are meant to support their husbands, look after their children. Be mothers, wives, and housekeepers. And this was Ren’s worst nightmare!

Smart, free-willed, and determined, she will serve no-one. She believes in herself, and she gets to decide how to build her own future.

Every year, before the autumn solstice, the wealthy Holm family invites every gentperson to participate in the labyrinth challenge. The winner gets a full scholarship to the University. The Lower and the Upper-class boys, between 17 and 19 years of age, find it their duty to participate in this challenge and prove their worth. When Ren’s mother falls ill, she decides to disguise herself as a boy and take a chance at the Labyrinth, striving for the promised wealth and knowledge.

Brave and stubborn can be good traits, especially when you are looking to achieve unachievable. Determined to prove herself, nothing could possibly stop Ren from getting to her ultimate goal. But it wasn’t just her wild character that drew me in. Mary Weber gave Ren a very unique voice. She was smart but made mistakes like everyone else. She was serious, but also funny and witty with people she felt at ease. The very first pages made me chuckle, and I knew right away that it was going to be a great read.

Ren was this untamable strength fighting for herself and those dear to her. But other opinions were also represented. Mary Weber did a great job showing the unfairness of the world where women were cast aside, deemed unworthy of knowledge and education. Through Ren we saw determination, the force of will, even stubbornness for what she felt was right. But Mary Weber also gave us different opinions - It is great that women all over the world are fighting for their rights, for their independence. But what if a woman wants to only be a housewife, support her husband and raise their children?

This story wouldn’t be as good as it is without some villains and, of course, the crew. The secondary characters weren’t there just to support Ren or act as fillers in the story. They had their own struggles, their own wishes and blended well together, each one bringing something to the table.

This arc was provided to me for free from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

3 stars

Every year a select group of young boys are invited to compete for an exclusive scholarship to the all male university. The men of the town are encouraged to seek education while the women are trained for wifely duties. But sixteen year old, Rhen has other dreams, she wants to be a scientist. When the town people begin to get sick, Rhen teams up with her father to develop a cure. When her mother gets sick, Rhen and her cousin, Seleni must enter the competition for a chance at the exclusive scholarship. Dressed as boys, the girls must navigate the impossible labyrinth or die trying.

To Best the Boys had an interesting yet familiar concept, maybe combine Hunger Games and Maze Runner into one book. The overall storyline wasn’t bad, I was just expecting the labyrinth to be a major part of the book. The competition itself seemed to start and be over in 2.5 seconds. The pacing of the plot just felt off and I didn’t feel like the overall synopsis captured the entire book.

What I did love about this book was the lovely main character, Rhen was brilliant. She was exactly what a main character should be. Smart, independent, and passionate, her love of science was inspiring. I haven’t come across a female protagonist that I instantly liked this much in a while. Rhen is truly one to look up to and I am glad to have go to read this story. Seleni, the other female lead was equally likeable. She was so sweet and brave, I truly enjoyed how different both girls were! Rhen and Seleni had the best kind of friendship out there.

If you enjoy solid female leads who don’t take crap than pick up this book. It may have not been my favorite plot wise, but I think the amazing characters made up for it. Strong female characters, a little romance, and science with some magic? Who couldn’t enjoy this?!

I really loved this premise and it's been one of my most anticipated reads! It didn't disappoint. I loved the empowering story of Rhen facing the Labyrinth. The whimsical setting was beautiful and I loved the use of STEM themes- that's always a favourite in books and something I'm always excited to see more of.

*I voluntarily read and reviewed an ARC of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.*

Oh man this one just didn't work for me.
There is a lot of good here -- the messages, the potential talking points for book clubs, the concept, but to me it felt slow. We don't actually get into the Labyrinth until over halfway into the book. So, most of the book felt like build up to me, since that was the part I was waiting for. The labyrinth isn't the point of the book though, but Rhen's journey to finding a cure and figuring out what type of future she wants for herself.

Rhen is a good character -- she's smart, a great friend, and a fighter. She also has dyslexia, which I wasn't expecting. I really liked her friend Seleni though, who knows what she wants in life which is to be a wife and mother. We get so many books where being a mother is looked down on, so to have a book where we get both a female scientist and one who wants to have a more traditional role, is pretty cool.

I did find it weird that for as much build up I still didn't completely understand the setting. There are magical beings and potentially magic, but it isn't said how it all works. I was wondering why the disease couldn't have been a magical one if it was acting so strange.
There are definitely a few suspending belief moments in regards to the girls' disguises and how they flawlessly fool everyone by doing the bare minimum.

There is also a romance subplot. I don't necessarily think it was needed, even if I did like the guy and how supportive he is of Rhen and her dreams.

All in all, it isn't a bad book, it ended up being one I wasn't really interested in. I would recommend this one to people who like contemporaries, but are looking for some fantasy-lite with positive female characters and events.

Rhen wants to find a cure that is killing her mother for a disease that's spreading.
Not having the right equipment she enters the yearly all boys competition for a scholarship. Of course with the help with her cousin she disguises herself as one of the boys to fit in. Rhen is a likeable character that's one reason why I didn't want to give up on the book.
The writing was great and so was the story! I just went in with big expectations for the Labyrinth portion of the book, and of course it wasn't what I expected. But just because it wasn't a 5 star read for me doesn't mean it won't be for you.

Thank you to Netgalley and Thomas Nelson Fiction for a free E-Arc to review.

I was instantly dragged into this book, the writing pulls you in and refuses to let you go.
I fell in love with the main character Rhen and the friendship she has with her cousin is beautiful!!
Poor vs rich, and a competition that doesn’t allow wealth to be a deciding factor. But only men are allowed... until Rhen needs to save her dying mother and will do anything to find a cure - including pretending to be male to enter the competition.
I followed this story along so intensely! Thoroughly enjoyed it!

<b>“I received a complimentary copy of this book. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own."</b>

In a world where people are classified as the “upper” and the “lower” this book is definitely one of those book that depicts the superiority of the rich versus the poor. It also still has the apt discussion of Feminism in terms of women’s equal rights for education.

Things I love about this book, and why I would highly recommend it:
- It has a very strong female lead character. A girl willing to break the norm. And a girl who stands up for what she wants and what she wanted to become.
- It shows how person’s dream shouldn’t be over- shadowed by what people expects from you.
- It has a very simple narration that even young readers will enjoy.
- No complicated plot.

Overall, this was such a nice read. Definitely recommended!

I loved the premise of this book but it, unfortunately, fell a little flat for me. I think the labyrinth could have been a much bigger part of the book as the blurb led me to believe it would be centre-stage. The characters were quite fun though and there were some enjoyable moments.

I received an arc from Netgalley for an honest review.
To best the boys is such a magical novel. I was so excited to get a chance to read it early. Mary Weber created a world and a story that I absolutely fell in love with. Rhen and Seleni are such good strong females characters in their own way. Rhen, is a scientist, she’s strong and intelligent. Seleni, is Rhen cousin she’s a part of the upper society.
In this story Rhen and her dad are trying to cure her mom because if they don’t succeed her mom will died and so will others. Since she’s a girl, men in parliament who can change things and help people won’t listen to her; so she decides to disguise herself as a boy to enter an all boys competition that Mr.Holms host every to give any boy who is lower or upper class a chance to win a scholarship to a prestigious all boys university. So Rhen decides that if she wins this competition, she has a chance go to university for an education so she can cure her mom.
This novel was so good. I loved the story and the characters they were all well developed. This was the perfect. I really enjoyed To Best The Boys and I would totally recommend.

From the very beginning, I loved the spooky, dangerous story world of TO BEST THE BOYS. Ghouls stalk through the mist at night, and sirens make the sea a treacherous place. Add to that a fearless, smart-as-a-whip heroine and you've got a story which delivers on the promised wild ride.

I loved Rhen's passion for science. I also loved that TO BEST THE BOYS features a heroine who's deeply into science, but the book doesn't feel like a science book. Does that make sense? It didn't feel like so much of the book was about the science that it would be a turn-off to readers who don't really have an interest in science.

Rhen doesn't neatly fit in the world into which she was born. She doesn't want to marry and devote her life only to raising a family. She wants an education, something that her society denies her an opportunity to pursue.

I liked that the story took a moment to give a nod to women who do desire a hearth and home life. Not everyone is the same or wants the same things, and it's okay to want to be a full time homemaker, too.

On the romance element in TO BEST THE BOYS. Y'all, Mary Weber knows how to write strong men. Like, not just physically strong, which obviously Lute is because of being a fisherman. But a strength of character and heart. He supports Rhen, sometimes simply by standing back and not interfering. He tries very hard to respect her wishes, even when he believes she's doing something foolish. I liked him a lot. Definitely a worthy addition to a book boyfriend list, if you're the type to keep one.

Overall, I liked this book so much. From the spooky story world to the like-Hunger-Games-but-for-college contest to the whip-sharp heroine, TO BEST THE BOYS has so much to offer. A great pick for DIVERGENT fans.