Jodie Andrefski's "The Society" presents a truly compelling premise that initially drew me in with its promise of a thought-provoking dystopian world. The core concept behind the society itself is imaginative and raises interesting questions about control, individuality, and societal structures. Andrefski clearly has a knack for world-building, and I found myself genuinely curious about how this unique system functioned and evolved.

The prose is generally straightforward and accessible, making for a relatively quick read. There were moments of genuine intrigue, particularly when the protagonist began to question the established norms, and some of the secondary characters offered glimpses of real depth. The pacing, for the most part, kept the story moving forward, preventing it from feeling bogged down.

However, where "The Society" truly faltered for me was in its execution of certain key elements. The characters, while having potential, often felt a bit underdeveloped, making it hard to fully connect with their struggles or root for their successes. Their motivations, at times, seemed to shift abruptly or weren't fully explored, leaving me wanting more.

The plot, while engaging in parts, occasionally felt predictable, and some of the dramatic reveals didn't land with the emotional impact I'd hoped for. There were also instances where the narrative felt rushed, glossing over moments that could have benefited from more detailed exploration or emotional resonance. The ending, in particular, left me feeling somewhat unsatisfied, as if it didn't quite live up to the ambitious ideas presented earlier in the book.

Overall, "The Society" is a book with a strong foundation and a great hook, but it doesn't always manage to build upon that promise consistently. It's a decent read for those who enjoy dystopian fiction and are looking for a quick exploration of a unique concept, but don't expect a fully fleshed-out character journey or a perfectly polished narrative. With a bit more depth in character development and a more nuanced approach to pacing and plot twists, this could have easily been a 4 or even 5-star read.

And so it begins... a book loaded with drama. A quick page turner and several times of disbelief that things happen like this. Easy to follow and well written, this book will have you wanting more. As I don't do spoilers.. You'll have to see for yourself just what really happens behind the cover of this book!

The Society has been on my TBR for over two years. I don’t know what exactly made me finally pick it up, but I’m glad I did. It was a fast, easy and enjoyable read. Not gonna lie though, I was hoping for a little bit… MORE. The author’s note indicates the whole book was a moral lesson about bullying, which I’m conflicted on… It’s an IMPORTANT lesson, but I kind of just wanted a fun, creepy thriller, à la The Skulls, not a moral lesson.

I’m still torn, re: how I feel about Samantha. In the beginning, I liked her voice and personality, and I didn’t blame her for wanting revenge on the ex-best friend who made her life a living hell. I usually don’t like the “best friends to enemies” trope because plenty of people stop being friends and DON’T torment each other, yet this trope tends to be over-used in YA – like, 80% of the time, the “mean girl” is the main character’s ex-best friend. In the beginning, I was sympathetic toward Sam, who was angry and hurt and confused. As time went on, however, I actually felt sort of bad for Jessica. NOTHING excuses bullying, but for some reason, I wanted her side of the story. I wanted to know WHY she did what she did, and why she turned so completely on Sam. It just felt like there was more to it than we knew. I REALLY wanted more closure with Sam and Jessica, too. We didn’t get that and I really wanted it.

I really liked Sam’s relationship with Jeremy, and how organic it felt. The “best friend to boyfriend” thing didn’t feel forced, and they faced some hardship. The whole Ransom thing, though, was… weird. I understand why Sam pulled away from Jeremy – and why he pulled away from her – but the Ransom thing was just really random and maybe a little unnecessary? I don’t know, I’m still sorting out how I feel about it all.

Throughout the book, I developed some weird theories and none of them panned out, which was a bit of a surprise because I’m usually at least half right. I was positive there would be some huge twist and shock at the end, and there wasn’t. That was a bit of a let-down. I do like how it ended, though – I know that’s probably contradictory, but there it is. I guess a big shocking twist would fit if this HAD just been a fun, creepy thriller. Since it wasn’t that kind of book, the way it ended felt right for the tone of the story.

I’m conflicted on whether to recommend this or not, and who I would even recommend it to. If you like a good old-fashioned revenge story, you’ll probably enjoy this. If you like books about secret societies, I wouldn’t recommend this one, because it was less about the secret society and more about bullying, cliques and (like I said before) revenge.

This one was okay - the plot was interesting but it wasn't as engaging as I had hoped it would be based upon what the summary says.

I love little thrillers like this one, especially when there is a hearty splash of contemporary mixed in! This novel is definitely one of the best in the genre that I've read in some time!