I’m slowly getting used to the idea that I cannot devour books like I used to. Then again, sometimes you get a book that is good enough that the crash is worth it.
The book follows three people who are brought to a very special school. Everyone there is an adult who has a singular goal: Murder. Each and every student has someone that they want to eliminate in the world, a person whose death would ultimately make the world a better place and there is no other resolution to their existence. The first half of the book is primarily about the school and how they train people. The second half has us follow three of the students as they carry out the murder.
I loved this book. It took a while to really get into, since the world building was very heavy in the first half. Once we’re out in the world and seeing them apply their skills for their particular target and you see just how terrible their actual targets are to warrant this kind of action, it ends up feeling very cathartic and fun to watch things unfold. Also, Doris is amazing and I loved her.
My main issue was with one of the protagonists. There is a woman who is highly skilled, but not that driven to actually do the murder. Once I saw more of her perspective, I was more annoyed than rooting for her and ultimately didn’t care about what happened. I would much rather read someone who is driven without the skills than skillful without the drive.
It was ultimately a fantastic read. I had so much fun with it and hope that the ending was a fake out because I do not want that one character to meet their end. If you’re in the mood for some 50s style heist-y revenge stories or a school story that’s more college than high school, definitely check it out!