“ Killing November” by Adriana Mather is book one in the “Killing November” series. November attends a boarding school but make no mistake about it, this is no ordinary boarding school. Instead this is a boarding school of assassins. November quickly finds herself the number one suspect in the murder of a student. Now she must solve the case while protecting herself at the same time, or she'll be next.
      I wasn’t sure what to expect with this book. The premise of it was awesome. I mean, assassins, heck yeah! But could the author pull it off? I definitely believe so. I loved the setting of the book and it really pulled me in. November herself was very likeable. This is a dark read with twists and I enjoyed it very much!

* I received an advanced digital copy of this book from NetGalley and the publisher in exchange for an honest review.*

There is just something about Adriana Mather's writing that is wholly consumable. I devour her writing like air to breathe and come out looking for more. Killing November is no different and was enjoyable in a whole different way from her other books.

In Killing November, November gets shipped of to this school not knowing anything about it or why her father is making her go. When she gets there it seems like nobody wants her there and everyone knows more about her than she does and they seem to want to kill her. She quickly learns that this is no ordinary school but a school to train assassins.

I enjoyed this one as I thought it was a pretty quick read with a lot of action. I didn't always like November as I thought she was kind of whiny but then I might be two if everyone knew more about me than I did them. She is tough though and doesn't give up and learns quickly. She made some faithful friends which I guess can be good and bad when in an assassin school. The end didn't leave me hanging but it did leave me curious about what was going to happen next.

I would recommend it if your looking for a quick action filled YA novel.

Adriana Mather became one of me new go to YA authors after I read How to Hang a Witch. Killing November doesn’t disappoint. It’s a fast, thrill ride through a secret school that seemingly trains elite assassins to be unleashed on the world and inform major events. Can’t wait to see what this author has in store next.

I have a lot of mixed feelings about Killing November and I'm not even sure what to rate it. I nearly DNFed it throughout the first third and it took all I had to push myself to keep going. This was supposed to be a book about a secret academy for secret members but it just felt too unbelievable. I didn't like how left in the dark we were and the answers we did get seemed predictable. 

I love thrillers and mysteries but this one just didn't do it for me. I wasn't given enough to make me invested in the story or propel me to the end to get answers. The relationships in this weren't believable to me and I was constantly confused by characters actions or motivations. I just needed more from the characterization and a lot more details about who she was, the Families, and the academy. It had a lot of potential but it just didn't do it for me. 

*I received a complimentary copy of this book from Knopf Books for Young Readers through NetGalley. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.*

4.5 stars. Stunning! An excellent mystery full of secrets and grudges and danger. The plotting is perfect as is the set up - November has just enough "training" to keep breathing for awhile, but none of the information she needs to understand her new environment or the factions and alliances of those around her. It's brilliant! Highly recommend! (Language)

Let me start by saying that I really enjoyed parts of this book. There are several scenes that play out perfectly and those scenes made the book worth the read. However, as a whole, the book was just kind of... "meh" and unbelievable. Not unbelievable in premise, but unbelievable in the fact that a normal girl is thrust into this secret society and basically immediately is like "Yeah, this is fine". There were also so many info dumps. The book was weighed down (and the plot slowed down) by these gigantic passages of info that truly made me not care.

I was so excited to read this novel, because I’m always down for a good mystery, and this had the perfect elements that would made it amazing, so I had such high hopes, and I was pleasantly surprises by how much I enjoyed Killing November and by how fast paced it was.

The plot of the novel was so interesting. I always find that mysteries that take place in boarding schools tend to have those eerie and dark vibes that make the plot of the book flourish so much more, and I think this was no different. Though there was some type of secret society going on, I didn’t find it hard to understand everything or get into the story. I also really enjoyed how the author added some historical elements and lessons to the story and made those an important part of the novel. 

Something that I also really loved was how atmospheric it was. There was this constant feeling that something bad was going to happen, and that along with the writing made such a great and captivating mystery. I didn’t know what was going to happen, and there were certain parts that kept me at the edge of my seat wanting to know what was going on, and that plus that eerie and dark atmosphere took the story to a whole other level.

The characters were quite interesting, though I have to admit that sometimes their interactions were a bit unrealistic. Maybe it was because some of these characters were snobs and the author was trying to write about stereotype wealthy teenagers, but sometimes I just couldn’t believe the things they were talking about. Since we were reading the book from our main character’s perspective, we were pretty much kept in the dark the entire time, so I really didn’t care much about the characters and was focused on trying to solve the mystery.

The ending sadly wasn’t what I expected. Though it wasn’t bad, it didn’t reach my expectations and I found it a bit predictable, and I guess I would have liked to see something different done.

Still, it was such a fast paced and full of action packed scenes and I overall enjoyed how the mystery was done, though I’m pretty sure this is going to have a sequel, because there were a couple of questions left unanswered.

You know those books you come across that sound AMAZING, like they will be an EXACT fit for you, and are already praised and LOVED by EVERYONE? 

And then you start reading it, all giddy and excited for what’s to come…

…but then you get about 60 pages in and are just kind of like…

Yeah. 

…

Killing November. 

November assumed she had a normal upbringing, that was until she arrived at Academy Absconditi. Here, the students aren’t animated with conversation, worried about calculus tests and pining over who will ask them to homecoming. Their movements are deliberate, and they are masters at mind games and killing. So why would November’s father leave her in a place like this? Where the teachers enact an “eye for an eye” punishment system,  family secrets are to be kept hidden for one’s safety and students keep turning up dead? Surrounded by people who assume she is weaving a clever game of innocence and daftness, November is thrust into a world she can barely navigate, all the while trying to learn the secrets of her family and who she is. 

Killing November is a YA Mystery dripping in deceit, manipulation, darkness and brutality. 

I witnessed all these themes and more while reading. 

But in the end, all I was REALLY left feeling,

was indifference.

It started out great. November describes being named after a maple tree, how her father describes her as “too trusting”, and having awakened in dungeon-like room with little idea how she arrived there. Who wouldn’t be intrigued? As I started reading more, I learned that November is just like most of us readers – not entirely proficient in the art of deceiving and killing people via poisons, a bow and arrow or a set of freshly sharpened knives. 

Woe is us for our normalcy. 

She knows nothing of Strategia – an ancient secret society of spies and assassins, has barely heard a whisper about the Families of the Strategia who are responsible for pulling the strings behind MAJOR historical events throughout history, and has no idea how she fits into any of it. So as the story started picking up and November was thrust into her new lessons, I started noticing a constant theme of wishy-washiness with this character. 

For most of the story, November is running around like a confused goose saying and doing the wrong things. I don’t blame the poor girl either, this school sounds like a nuthouse. But when November is given a task in lessons to steal a scarf off another player in the dark, or throw knives at targets…she becomes arrogant and cocky and just magically knows what she is doing. 

Look, I love a confident character who has witty comments and a snarky attitude.

I know that she had a little training in these areas as a child. 

But when the main character acts like a deer in headlights for 80% of the book, and has a few random and brief moments of god-awful one-liners boasting her perfection, it’s a turn-off.  After the first instance of this, and the multiple continuances of her silly demeanor and confusing personality after, I became increasingly checked out. 

I almost DNF’d this book about 15 times, but kept at it because so many other readers were telling me how much they loved it. So I forced myself to keep reading…and reading…and…reading. In the end, they were right in some cases. It DID get better. But it wasn’t amazing and unforgettable. 

It was just okay. 

I really wish I could have fell in love with this story more, because the suspense was there. The mystery and grittiness were shouting through the pages, but I just couldn’t connect with November or any of the other characters for that matter.  The romance element was lacking in that it felt shoved together rather than formed naturally, and the friendship between Layla and November felt stiff. I just wasn’t invested in this read at all, and for that I am truly dismayed.

As a big fan of Adriana Mather's How to Hang a Witch series, this was a disappointment.  I stuck with the book for the dual mysteries, but didn't feel anything for the main character or side characters.  I thought the assassin school idea had already been done and that it didn't offer many new ideas.  We also were never given proper time to bond with the main character and the side vignettes of her with her parents didn't help us connect- they were there to teach us that her parents had sort of tried to prep her for this school.

Overall, I can see the teen appeal but it wasn't what I was hoping for.

Completely unrealistic, with some clunky writing here and there, but a fun ride nonetheless.

*Thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for providing an e-galley in exchange for an honest review.

I heard about this book from another blogger and after reading the synopsis, I knew I had to get it!
This book was a lot of smart fun. November's classmates are all suspect, none of them are who they appear to be. Old grudges, fueling families and teachers who are just as dangerous as the students round out this big cast of characters. 

There's murder and lies and secrets. I really liked the plot which twisted its way this and that, never letting me think I knew what was really happening.  I had some problems with November. She is supposed to be very smart, like really book smart, but some things she did are pretty stupid and it took her a little too long to get with the game. But it was minor annoyances and overall, the story is powerful enough for me to have still enjoyed it. 

I am really looking for the next book. I didn't realize it was going to be a series when I started reading it, but I'm really glad it will be. There are so many questions still to be answered!

Killing November took me by surprised. I don't know why but I thought I would like it less than I actually did. I don't really know why I thought that. Maybe it's because I was having a bad reading slump when I first started but it doesn't matter now. 

Killing November was quite atmospheric and compelling. I was really into the story of this girl who got dropped in a boarding school that seem to be like nothing she's ever seen before. The people inside seem to be trained in many areas and even though she has a lot of questions, they seem to think she knows all about being a "Strategia" except that her father (and deceased mother) never told her about this place or about the different Strategia Families. She's trying to get answers and the fact that a boy is killed and people are trying to frame her for the murder. 

Oh and by the way, in this school there is a strict policy in this school. It's called "an eye for an eye". So if she's found guilty, she will be executed. Just like that. 

I won't say much more than that because I don't want to spoil anything. Overall, I really liked this book. It was entertaining and I would be curious to see what the author has planned for November. 

(Thank you for letting me read and review an ARC of this book via Netgalley)

Killing November was an excellent novel filled with deception, intrigue and so much more!

Have you ever experienced the blind leading the blind? That is exactly how I felt while reading Killing November! There was so much that our leading lady, November wasn't filled in on and it was no exception when it came to me as the reader. I learned as she learned and unraveling this mystery was some kind of fantastic.

I love the idea of boarding schools, but a boarding school hidden by a secret society? I couldn't sign up fast enough, nor could I read fast enough. Everything was constantly changing and evolving. Hidden messages everywhere. Everyone out to get November. 

Killing November was more of an experience than just reading a story. I felt like I was there. I could vividly see what was being described. I fascinated and terrified in equal measure. How these teenagers could figure out so much while I the adult would have been petrified was amazing.

November was a strong yet forgiving and undeniably human character that you could relate to and I feel like I am smarter after reading her story. This is just the beginning for November and I can't wait for the rest of this story to be unveiled!

Killing November by Adriana Mather

Read: 04/11-04/14

It’s a school completely off the grid, hidden by dense forest and surrounded by traps. There’s no electricity, no internet, and an eye-for-an-eye punishment system. Classes include everything from Knife-Throwing and Poisons to the Art of Deception and Historical Analysis. And all of the students are children of the world’s most elite strategists—training to become assassins, counselors, spies, and master impersonators. Into this world walks November Adley, who quickly discovers that friends are few in a school where personal revelations are discouraged and competition is everything. When another student is murdered, all eyes turn to November, who must figure out exactly how she fits into the school’s bizarre strategy games before she is found guilty of the crime…or becomes the killer’s next victim

First off: Thank you to NetGalley and the publishers for providing me with this ARC in exchange for my honest review!

What I Liked:

I really liked how consistent November’s character growth was throughout the book. Oftentimes authors will have their characters jump from inexperienced to perfect at everything. Mather did a great job at showing November gain new skills but not overnight become a master at everything. It made the storyline more realistic. I also enjoyed her relationships with the various characters. The world of the “Families” was so intriguing that I am eager to learn more about them. Parts of the plot were a little predictable but Mather did a good job at putting her own twist onto them so that it felt unique.

What I Didn’t Like:

I personally am not a huge fan of the trope where the main character has absolutely no idea what is happening and is thrown into a situation where everyone around them does. It ends up taking up a lot of the plot of the book because the character has to learn about everything happening. That was my biggest complaint about this book. There was a lot of explaining or history lessons that were done in soliloquies by different characters. Mather created this interesting world but it was being built through lectures rather than experience. That and November was extremely naive considering how she was raised. I enjoyed that she was trusting and wanted to see the good in people. That trait was key to the storyline and not what bothered me. Instead, it was that she was so surprised that her dad was not who she thought he was but then shared all about her strange upbringing. To me, it didn’t match.

Overall, this was not my favorite of Adriana Mather’s books but it intrigued me and I think the sequels will be more action packed now that November is more familiar with the world.

Rating: 7/10

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First off I would like to thank the author, the publisher, and NetGalley for giving me the chance to read and review this ARC. Please note that the version I read was an advanced copy, and certain events/language may be changed in the published edition. While the copy was provided for free, all opinions are honest and my own.

In Killing November, November Adley must learn to navigate a new school, but it’s unlike any other school. It’s hidden in a place no one knows of and trains its students, all elite children of secret Families, in the arts of deception, battle, and secrets. November is thrown into this world without ever having heard of it and must figure out how she fits in, fast. After all, it seems someone is trying to kill her.

This is my first book of Mather’s, though I have wanted to read How To Hang A Witch for a while. When I was accepted for this ARC, I was so intrigued by the synopsis that I started it almost right after being approved. Unfortunately, while this book was far from a bad one, I never truly connected with it.

On a structural level, this book is a pretty good one. The world itself is decently constructed, with explanations for almost everything. While you’re still left with lots of questions of how things work, you know enough quite quickly to understand what’s going on. There were a few moments of major info dump, but generally, November learned about the world around her slowly, gleaned from little hints dropped by her peers. It led to an easing into the chaotic and complicated world of the Families and Strategia, meaning there was no point where I was too confused or overwhelmed.

Additionally, the plot itself is pretty decent too. This book is dipped heavily in the idea of secrets, betrayals, and hidden plots, and it delivers on these promises pretty well. Even though you’re told not to trust anyone, the way the characters are written and sold to the main character still leads to November, and the reader, trusting and writing off the wrong people. While one of the twists was fairly easy to spot from early on, most of the other twists and turns were cleverly hidden. Lastly, all the puzzle pieces clicked together quite neatly, which is an important aspect of this book. It sells the idea of deception and reading others so much that if the book itself had been unable to accomplish that itself, it would have fallen quite short. 

Like I mentioned above, the characters are also quite well written and planned, continuous even through the reveals of their various ‘faces.’ And while there are a few “tropey” characters, the book tries to spin these tropes and assumptions that come along with them on their heads, leading to an interesting ending. However, I did have a few issues in this category as well. Firstly, the romance of this book was pretty insta love. It was also just your standard YA romance, in the first book the characters start liking each other and by the end, they’re willing to do anything for the other, even at the cost of themselves. In a story like this, I felt like this made even less sense than usual. Secondly, November was a hard character to pin down, especially at first. She is shown entirely clueless at some moments, and other times extremely skilled in odd arts like knife throwing and archery. While this is all explained later and through her memories, it makes it hard to connect with her as a character at first because you feel as if you don’t really know her at all. And once you’ve missed that initial chance for connection, you don’t really get another, which led to me being distanced from the characters and therefore the consequences of certain events.

Lastly, I’m not necessarily that into where the series seems to be going. We seem to be leaving the boarding school to move into a larger, save the world/save the society plotline, and I’m just not sure how well that will fit with what we’ve seen of the characters and the world so far. However, I may still end up continuing the series, but we’ll see!

I received this e-arc from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. 

Killing November had me intrigued from the very beginning. I have to admit that it took me a few chapters to fully get into it, but once I did, I couldn’t stop reading. 

We follow November, who lives in a very quaint town with her father. She goes to a normal school and has normal friends, and for the most part, lived a normal life. Her mother died when she was 6, so it’s just her and her father. She is close to her Aunt, even though they don’t live close to one another. 

From what November’s been told, Her father is a former CSI Agent. Growing up he has always taught her different survival skills. She has always thought it was because of his background in the CSI, but she soon finds out it’s because of other reasons. Something has happened to her Aunt Jo so her father decided to send her off to a “school” to keep her safe while he takes care of Jo. This all happens in a rush and her father can’t really give her details about this school but she trusts her father enough to go along without fighting. 

November has no idea what to expect and she’s in for a real treat. This school she is sent to is completely off-grid. There is no way for anyone to sneak onto the premises but there is also no way for anyone to sneak out. There are tons of traps to catch whoever is coming in or out. Along with being completely off-grid, the school has a crazy eye-for-an-eye punishment system, and have some insane punishments for breaking the rules. This isn’t your usual school with the usual educational classes, the classes here include knife-throwing, poisons, strategy, and history. November soon realizes she is at a school with a ton of soon-to-be assassins, spies, and who knows what else. 

November is also realizing that being the new girl is the worst, especially when you get thrown into a world you know nothing about, and everyone else seems to think you should. She makes a few friends, but it’s not the easiest, and there is really no one you can trust. While at this school November will learn a lot about her family’s history, and her past as well. 

I really liked November. I loved learning things right along with her. She was fun to follow, and never really annoyed me at all. There were a lot of twists and turns and so many great scenes! Once I understood more and got more into November’s character I couldn’t put this book down. I had to know what happened next.

I was so excited to find out that this was the first book in a series! Towards the end of the book, I was wondering how the crud Adriana was going to tie everything up. I decided to look up the book on Goodreads to see if it may be part of a series and was so happy to see it was! I cannot wait to read the second book!!!

***I received this as an eARC from NetGalley in an exchange for an honest review***

Dropped off in the dead of night at a spy school, November doesn’t know why she is at Academy Abscondi. She quickly learns she is basically trapped here, with deadly students who are more experienced than her and do not want her there. All the other students are descendants of the world’s most powerful strategists, and November just wants her life back.

November doesn’t know how her family fits into this world or how her father hid so many things from her her whole life, while still managing to prepare her in other ways. 

Then someone ends up dead. And November is on the line for it. Now its time to adapt or die. Find allies and uncover her enemies. But in a school where everyone lies as easily as breathing, who can she really trust?
………….

This book had a very interesting premise and I was so excited to have a chance to read it early. It was hard to just be dropped into everything and I liked that it made me feel like November would feel in that situation. Reexamining all these situations she had been in with father and what some of the double meanings might mean.

It has great pacing. I felt danger for her, and I was worried for her safety multiple times. 

It makes it hard to review though because I can’t really tell you much. This was a great ride. I’ve heard there will be a second one and I am so into it. Or maybe this will be a series. That would be great.

I was paranoid about who to trust the whole time. Take everyone with a grain of salt and suspect everyone’s intentions. I liked that I couldn’t figure where this was going to happen next.

Things I didn’t like so much had to do mostly with the school. I have a serious justice-seeking personality, so I really wanted one of the teachers to be on November’s freaking side! It was so frustrating that they just didn’t believe her ever. This girl was not prepared to be here, and it bothered me.

All in All, I give this 4 stars and I look forward to more with these characters.

When I first heard of Killing November, I was really intrigued since it sounded like something right up my alley. I read How to Hang a Witch and liked it but the premise for Adriana Mather's new book spoke to me much more and I was not disappointed.  

Killing November starts off with our main character, November, waking up in a new secret school after being sent there by her father with not a lot of explanations except that she will be safe. We start to understand very quickly that safety is a subjective concept when it comes to this school that I like to call a dysfunctional Hogwarts. When one of the students turns up dead after November's first day, it becomes very clear that someone doesn't want her there and that she will need to work out who fast if she wants to survive. November is a great character that felt like a typical teenage girl but with a passion for survival skills. Her reaction to being thrown to the wolves was very authentic and her acceptance to her situation took time like you would imagine instead of just being skimmed like we sometimes see. Though she came off strong and fierce you could see that she wasn't too proud to admit she needed help, that help was scarce but came mostly from November's roomate Layla and her twin brother Ashai. They are reluctant to aid November at first, but they soon learn that they will all find that they are in this together. November starts to understand how to navigate her current situation at the same time as discover her place and that she truly does belong here.

I found Killing November to be very addictive from the premise to the execution. I never found it predictable which is a rare feat for me since I tend to see the outcome of the story from a mile away. I didn't want to put this one down and by the end I still wanted more. I'm really hoping that we will get a second book, the story surely keeps it open for one at the same time of closing the chapter. I found this is one of Adriana Mather's skills as an author, she keeps us wanting more but ties everything up by the end of the book. The pacing of this book was just right, even though some parts went super fast it never skipped ahead too much or leave out critical details. Everything seemed thought out and I must say I have so many questions about how she came up with this story. It's inventive and unlike anything I've read before.

 If you are looking for a great Mystery/Thriller do check this one out, I don't think you will be disappointed.

The plot and description of this book had me hoping that this would be an interesting and adventurous read, but in truth it was flat and two-dimensional.
Starting with character development, there was none. The characters were as flat as paper with no ark or any development; they were given a little blurb at their first introduction and that was it. Because of this, I felt no emotional connection to any of the characters and didn’t really think that any of the supporting character had anything to do with the story. Also, I did NOT like the main character, she was annoying (and mainly useless) and honestly served no purpose to the plot or the book as she didn’t really do anything. 
Next going into the plot of this book…there was none. Here me out, things did happen, but the way they were written and the way this book was structured, I could see everything that was going to happen from miles away and made this book extremely boring to read. Over 3/4ths of the book was just boring unnecessary fluff with tiny spikes of interesting plot developments. 
The romantic relationship in this book was also unnecessary as I didn’t really see any chemistry between the two characters and they just seem smushed together in order to hastily paste a relationship together for the book.
This book was extremely disappointing because I was promised an interesting novel with espionage, twists and turns, and I was given a boring, bland novel instead.