Suzanne Young

From New York Times bestselling author Suzanne Young comes the start of a thrilling, subversive new series about a girls-only boarding school with a terrifying secret and the friends who will stop at nothing to protect each other. Some of the prettiest flowers have the sharpest thorns. The Girls of Innovations Academy are beautiful and well-behaved—it says so on their report cards. Under the watchful gaze of their Guardian, they receive a well-rounded education that promises to make them better. Obedient girls, free from arrogance or defiance. Free from troublesome opinions or individual interests. But the girls’ carefully controlled existence may not be quite as it appears. As Mena and her friends uncover the dark secrets of what’s actually happening there—and who they really are—the girls of Innovations Academy will learn to fight back. Bringing the trademark plot twists and high-octane drama that made The Program a bestselling and award-winning series, Suzanne Young launches a new series that confronts some of today’s most pressing ethical questions.

Girls with Sharp Sticks

“Enough plot twists to give a reader whiplash.” —Cosmopolitan From New York Times bestselling author Suzanne Young comes the start of a thrilling, subversive new series about a girls-only boarding school with a terrifying secret and the friends who will stop at nothing to protect each other. Some of the prettiest flowers have the sharpest thorns. The Girls of Innovations Academy are beautiful and well-behaved—it says so on their report cards. Under the watchful gaze of their Guardian, they receive a well-rounded education that promises to make them better. Obedient girls, free from arrogance or defiance. Free from troublesome opinions or individual interests. But the girls’ carefully controlled existence may not be quite as it appears. As Mena and her friends uncover the dark secrets of what’s actually happening there—and who they really are—the girls of Innovations Academy will learn to fight back. Bringing the trademark plot twists and high-octane drama that made The Program a bestselling and award-winning series, Suzanne Young launches a new series that confronts some of today’s most pressing ethical questions.

Kristy Donasco

The theme of the story is right up on my face, mushing me heavily with one-layer, elementary poem, characters that lack personality that up to the very end, I could not tell who is who, and emotions spelled out in plain day as if the readers can't understand that "Mena is sad" or "Mena cares for them" without having to explicitly say it. Jackson is "cool" because he curses and doing soft crimes like running away is very rebel of him, oooooh. To put a cherry on that icing there are 2 grammar mistakes spotted on pages ( , ), making me wonder if the editor/publisher even cared enough about this book or the readers who are spending money on this.

On a calmer note. The premise had potential, it truly did. It might have actually helped if I don't know much of what Philomena was thinking because that would keep the tension up and the reader's curiosity piqued. Mr. Weeks was an interesting character, made me want to read more of him. Is he a villain? an anti-hero? I think the story might stir younger girls, embrace their self-worth more through this story so that's a yay.

Lane Hokanson

This one was just okay, a very guessable premise and stock arc. I wanted it to be more girl powery, but it was just kind of blah.

sophia n

i started this audiobook at the end of july when i was in new york and it was so slow i had a hard time really getting into it. decided to try it again but on 2x speed and i actually think that helped a lot, especially with the first half. it's a lot slower paced story than i was expecting (or normally like) but i think listening to the audiobook was a good idea for me, because i'm sure i would have DNF'd it if i was reading the physical book.

unfortunately i guessed the "twist" barely 15% into it, but it was still really interesting to see HOW it would unfold, as the action picked up and the story revealed itself. i did enjoy it. i'm not sure if i'll pick up the second book when it comes out, but i guess we'll see if i'm interested in a year. also the feminist angle felt a little contrived to me, though i can't quite get my thoughts together on why specifically just yet.

Westworld meets The Handmaid's Tale in this start to a thrilling, subversive near future series from New York Times bestselling author Suzanne Young about a girls-only private high school that is far more than it appears to be. Some of the prettiest flowers have the sharpest thorns. The Girls of Innovations Academy are beautiful and well-behaved--it says so on their report cards. Under the watchful gaze of their Guardian, they receive a well-rounded education that promises to make them better. Obedient girls, free from arrogance or defiance. Free from troublesome opinions or individual interests. But the girls' carefully controlled existence may not be quite as it appears. As Mena and her friends uncover the dark secrets of what's actually happening there--and who they really are--the girls of Innovations Academy will learn to fight back. Bringing the trademark plot twists and high-octane drama that made The Program a bestselling and award-winning series, Suzanne Young launches a new series that confronts some of today's most pressing ethical questions.

harper fitzpatrick

overall, i really liked this book and would recommend it. it is a subversive look at the patriarchy through the lens of an all girls finishing school that takes a lot of darkly unique twists and turns. by the end of this book i was on the edge of my seat, waiting for these girls to take up their sharp sticks and use them against the abusive men running the school. i want a very real and vengeful uprising and trust me, these men deserve it. 

what i loved about this book is how it takes that dystopian mirror but shines a real light on a lot of modern day toxic elements of the patriarchy. it seems dark and twisted, but it's also fundamentally rooted in a lot of real life perceptions held by men who would like to maintain male dominance. it's the patriarchy twisted, but also truthful. when you peel back this twisted dystopian curtain you are left with a lot of very real twisted and toxic truths about rape culture, the patriarchy and more. there is a lot of truth to discuss here. it's like looking at our world through a fun-house mirror. it may seem absurd, but it's only a mild distortion of reality. 

a slight problem i had with this narrative is that the girls are ultimately helped a lot by a male outsider in both their growing awareness that something isn't right and in their ultimate attempts at escape. it is unfortunate that a clearly feminist book still has its female characters need so much help from a male character to accomplish their goals (the very reason i gave this book four stars), and of course this male character is presented as a possible romantic interest for one of the main female characters. to me, it's an unfortunate narrative choice, but i understand that a lot of readers also like possible romance in their stories. 

there is lots of good here though. two of the girls are in a relationship with each other. although the many girls start out seeming interchangeable, which makes sense given that they are basically being trained to be the same docile version of femininity, they experience a lot of growth and individuation. and the girls do find lots of ways to fight the system on their own. plus, bonus points here, it is the words of a poem that really help to stir their souls and awaken their intellect, and i loved this because i very much believe in the power of the written word. 

in the end, i found this book to be inspiring, challenging, and binge-worthy. it is by no means perfect, but i am looking forward to reading what happens next as this book is clearly set up for a sequel.

Beckah brooks

“The flowers are to be emulated. Only beautiful things have value.”
•
This book is so good! I read all 400 pages so quickly, I surprised myself. I could not stay away from this book, definitely going on my favorites list.
•
This book is perfect for the fall season, it’s twisted and a little suspenseful. Reading this book with a cup of cider is perfect. This book kind of gives off the same vibes as The Handmaids Tale. I love it!
•
In this book, Philomena is a student at a prestigious academy. However, this academy focuses more on classes they believe a young woman should take. So they take home economics, gardening, and manners and decorum. However, that perfect picture starts cracking...
•
There should probably be a little trigger warning for this book. It talks a bit about men controlling girls so be careful.

Inez

The book has everything that I love about creepy, uncomfortable kind of feeling. I am not sure what is the genre of this book, is it dystopian, thriller, contemporary but I am sure it is a young adult fiction, HAHA.

Okay, now about the story. The setting is girls-only boarding school, reminds me with Catherine House and I love it. Weird how all the teachers are men and the only woman is one of the teachers' wife. Also some strange bits all over the chapters that I am not going to tell you because no spoilers!

Ps. There are two other books following this one, I am gonna read it maybe later.

Addy A

So this is a somewhat unnerving little novel that came out of nowhere for me. This book centers around Philomena Rhodes, better known as Mena, and begins by unceremoniously dropping you in the midst of things. The novel builds slowly as Young builds her set around Mena, introducing characters who seem inconsequential but subtly placing jarring elements around the main character's life. From the first chapter, things are quite clearly not right in a way readers might instinctively notice but are not addressed immediately. 

Instead, Young allows the reader to acclimate themselves to the story and its events alongside its main character as it progresses. This means that while there's something of a disconnect between Mena and the reader (possibly intentionally so), it's likely that the reader will also connect to the rising panic and suspense as the novel progresses. The book takes a fair amount of time to get to the meatier elements of the story, but when it does, things begin to come crashing down upon both Mena and the reader. The narrative is peppered with twists and while the reveal is pretty guessable before it comes, it unfolds in an exceptionally satisfactory manner. 

The novel is also pretty heavy-handed with its feminist themes, as the bonds between female characters in this book are highlighted as it also addresses and confronts misogynistic behaviors. By no means is this even a negative trait however, and it gives this book a sense of purpose behind its more exciting story elements. The author pretty blatantly sets up a series within the last epilogue, but I would say that this is a novel that deserves to be read, even as a stand-alone. There's enough going on here and a full story arc carried out in a masterful and gripping fashion, and I thought the elements introduced to position this novel as part one of a series took something away from the novel's more empowering themes. Altogether, however, I would recommend this novel to anyone looking for a good sci-fi novel with some interesting things to say.

Rebecca Browne

It was.. so messed up. And yet I couldn’t put it down and am already searching places where I can buy the sequel.

laura

* I got this book for review from the publisher*

I really wound up being suprised by this read. I thought this book was solid thriller with a twist on science fiction and dystopia. This book has massive trigger warnings for abuse in so many different forms. I really liked the lead character in this book This book really reminded me of the t.v show doll house. This book does have a small romance plot that I liked but was not the focus of the read. I really also liked the mystery elements that kept me reading and i loved the focus on female friendships in this read. I am super excited to tackled book 2!

Ruth Parker 

The all-girls boarding school seems perfect from the outside world. Beautiful, well-behaved young women being made ready for their roles in the future. 
Inside Innovations Academy all seems well too. These female friendships, their school life, their preparations for the future; what could possibly be wrong? 

A creeping sense of unease starts this book as the further you read the more you become aware that this is anything but a normal school and these are anything but normal girls. 

I loved this book - one of the most interesting and relevant books I read this year. 

However, I had to know down my rating from five to four stars due to literally three or four sentences sprinkled throughout the book that made my stomach turn slightly. Comments about the bad guys - men - and the good guys - women and girls. I hate man-hating books and films that literally hate all men and blame all men for all issues. This book could have been amazing if had steered clear of placing all the blame on every single man in the story. Perhaps the Academy could have had a female teacher involved. Perhaps the boys who helped could have been more involved instead of bystanders. I don’t know. There were ways...

Jayarna La Bozzetta

4.5stars. 

I absolutely adored this. I couldn't stop reading it, and the writing (in my humble opinion) was the perfect balance between descriptive and simple that is needed in a thriller that doesn't just bore you to death. 

The themes in this book are quite subtle, especially in the first half, and allowing for the fact that this is YA, and not adult. As a 17 year old, I would have adored this. It sparks thought about what it means to be human, to be female, to be brave and to fight back, without beating you over the head with the message the author wants you to receive. It speaks a lot to ethics and really makes you think without feeling like you're bored and overwhelmed with it all. I think it was done masterfully, and was very engaging. I couldn't put this book down - I had to know what was going on, and it was beautifully paced.

This made me feel genuinely uncomfortable and disturbed in several parts, and I adored when books can rattle me in such a way, get me feeling things. I think where this started to get a little lackluster was towards the end. The really unsettling parts of this are when Mena feels completely and utterly alone, with no escape. The villains start to feel a little like caricatures, but I felt that the book shined so much in the themes it explored and the way it got to the end that I didn't even care. It also had a cracker of an epilogue, so that makes up for it. Despite my distaste for reading sequels, I think I'll give the next one a go.

Elaine

This was sooo addicting! I loved the main character and how the story progressed. the ending was a bit predictable but I still enjoyed it.

Emily C Peterson

Lovisa

Vad va det där? Holy fkn shit va helt sjuk bok. Såklart älskade jag den

Trigger warnings: (view spoiler)[physical abuse, sexual abuse, rape culture, misogyny, slut-shaming, body-shaming, victim blaming, infertility themes, body horror, murder (hide spoiler)]

The Handmaid's Tale meets Black Mirror, this book is about a group of girls attending a boarding finishing school in an old technological facility. While I want to keep the majority of the plot quiet, you should know that this is a story about girls finding their own strength and ability to change their circumstances. It is about horribly cruel men who get what they deserve. And about some serious futuristic tech that is making me hope for a sequel. 

I've been wanting to pick up something by Suzanne Young for so long and I was not disappointed.

blog •  trigger warning database • more links

Happy reading! ❤

Becca Futrell

Thank you to Simon Pulse for sending me a copy of Girls With Sharp Sticks in exchange for an honest review! 

Trigger Warnings: Sexual abuse & violence.

I’m!! still!! not!! over!! the!! fact!! that Simon Pulse sent me a copy of Girls With Sharp Sticks! I feel so incredibly #blessed, because I was provided a chance to read & review one of my most anticipated 2019 releases & (spoiler alert) I LOVED IT.

Girls With Sharp Sticks tosses us into the Innovations Academy where the girls are beautiful & well-behaved. Lessons prep & prime the girls to be obedient & to make the men in their future proud. But as the girls start to discover the secrets that hide within the walls of the prestigious academy, they learn that they have to fight back.

After reading Beware the Night, I found myself in such a rebellion/revolution mood & Girls With Sharp Sticks definitely helped itch that scratch for me. If you know anything about me, you know that I love, love, love the concept of strong female characters; especially those that literally kick some ass. Girls With Sharp Sticks might start off slow, but ass-kickin’ does happen & every second is worth it.

Suzanne Young’s novel does, as slightly mentioned above, start off as a slow burn — which originally made me nervous, but these beginning chapters set the mood & aesthetic up perfectly. You truly have a chance to get to know the students at Innovations Academy & have even more of a chance to cringe at the men in charge. Let me tell you, they’re very cringe-worthy & you will hate them so much. Major props at Young for doing an amazing job when it comes to creating the villain.

Girls With Sharp Sticks is filled with twists & turns that will constantly keep you guessing; although, in hindsight, I feel like one of the twists may have been obvious. But it’s me & (as usual) I didn’t catch on; therefore, ya girl may have let out an audible gasp at the big reveal.

One of my favorite aspects of Girls With Sharp Sticks is the theme of friendship. Not to be lame, dramatic or cheesy, but wow — I would die for the girls at Innovations Academy. There is so much obvious love and respect between these girls, it really made my heart happy (& also very sad at times). These girls would do anything to keep each other safe & it’s their strength together that really helps them during their challenges.

& then we have Philomena, the person who’s point-of-view we get in Girls With Sharp Sticks. She undergoes a lot of development (& set-backs) throughout this novel. I absolutely adored her & wanted nothing but the very best for her. Which again, props to Suzanne Young for doing an amazing job at creating a wonderful protagonist. As ridiculous as it may sound, I don’t always cheer on the person that I am suppose to, but Young got me to do just that.

There’s one more character that I would like to discuss before wrapping this entire thing up & that would be Jackson. Jackson is the love-interest in Girls With Sharp Sticks & he is a breath of fresh air in a book filled with shitty men. He says ‘fuck’ a lot which I really enjoyed & wants nothing more than to have Philomena be herself; something that she’s not use to whatsoever (but that she deserves!!). I love Jackson so so much.

When I first started reading Girls With Sharp Sticks, I wasn’t entirely sure if I was going to love it — especially, because of the slow beginning. But, I couldn’t stop turning pages & once I got to the meat of the plot, I hated the times that I had to put the book down. It’s phenomenal. & I can not wait to read more of this series!

Reread finished on 3/7/2020: This is STILL good & somehow I managed to be shook the second time around as well.

Ally Wagner

Chelsea White

Wow. This was incredible. The Handmaid’s Tale’s more modern sister, this is a dystopian future that draws on elements of modern culture and the policing of girls’ behaviors and bodies. It gets wilder as you discover more and more of what really happens at Innovations Academy. What Mina and her friends have had to endure is shocking, gripping, terrifying and made for a can’t-put-it-down read.

Heather Roden  

This book was amazing !! Disturbing and brilliant!!

Lisa ✩ @lifeinlit

Omg I'm still reeling. Holy wow that was intense! Intense, empowering, a bit terrifying... I'm kind of in love with Suzanne Young right now. I just wish I didn't have to wait so long until book two comes out. *facepalm*

Girls with Sharp Sticks

Reviews