Name: Hope Brockway's review of To Best the Boys by Mary Weber
Item: To Best the Boys
Rating: 5
Author: Hope Brockway

Mary Weber

In a new fantasy novel from Mary Weber, bestselling author of the Storm Siren series and the Sofi Snow books, one girl makes a stand against society and enters a world made exclusively for boys.

To Best the Boys

Hope Brockway

Linara K.S

menna

This review has mild spoilers

This book was okay, to me a book about a girl being disguised as a boy to enter a competition to win a scholarship to go to university should be the best book ever but sadly it was just okay. 

i liked the idea of the plot but i found myself unimpressed with the events that took place in the competition and the world building which was not developed to say the least. 
There are ghouls and magic and other things that we don't even get a look into. 

The book also had slow pacing and the actual plot didn't start until the second half of the book. I found myself not very interested in the first half and that is part because of there being a love triangle.

Love triangles aren't my cup of tea but they normally don't bother me as much as they do when there are two love interests and they have to make one of them an asshole or evil. To me it feels like a cheap and convenient way to make the main character end up with the other guy instead of actually building up the romance and making us see why they're great together. 

We also didn't get any background information about how they met or why they came to have feelings for each other, so i didn't really care about the romance.

For me the only real highlight of this book is the development the main character Rhen had, because she started out being a judgmental i'm-not-like-other-girls girl who thinks things like "sometimes i think being Beryll's wife and having kids is her highest aspiration." about Seleni, her cousin and best friend to someone who sees that there is nothing wrong with that and that women can be whatever the fuck they want to be, and that her way of life is not the right way and every way is valid and i think this is an important message that a lot of people should know.

in conclusion, Seleni is an amazing and supportive friend and everyone should appreciate and love her.


  
"But my way of winning is different, and it's my own choice. I've always wanted the life of a wife, and mother, and helpmate to my husband, and I know you may not think much of that, but it's what I want. And I'd be proud of it. Same as I'll be proud of whatever you do."

I look at her and blink. I think I know that. I think I've always known that. 

"And I think that desire is just as noble as what you're doing, if that's the life I want and choose."

Cristina Iglesias

When I read the summary of this book I was really excited to read it, although I did like the book for several reasons, I was also sort of disappointed. 

The book is sold with this magical and fantasy vibe when that is, let's say, a 10% of the book and its plot, which is the part that disappointed me. Once I started it I already had the feeling that the whole labryinth part was going to be really short since it doesn't start until half of the book, but either way I thought okay maybe it'll be an amazing short part. It wasn't. It had this  The Maze Runner  vibe going on with a hint of  The Hunger Games  which is something I could've enjoyed if it was well done, it was also supposed to be a bit scary, but half the time I didn't really get what was going on, for example when (view spoiler)[ the kids started disappearing out of nowhere or some could even get killed with the things that were inside, but like, what even were they? or why was any of that happening?  (hide spoiler)]. I would've liked a lot more the book if it was a bit longer, therefore the part inside the labryinth could've been longer as well or if at least I got a bit of backstory of the whole thing. 

Other thing I didn't like was the ending. Not the part of the (view spoiler)[ main character taking the exam to get in the university, which that made sense although from what I've seen from the reviews they didn't see it like I did, or at least the way I understood is that if you win, yes, you have the scholarship, but it makes sense that you need to prove your knowledgement over things, and probably even more if you're a woman.  (hide spoiler)] but the one in which we discover who Mr. Holm is, in all seriousness, what the heck was that? I mean I did understand it and the point the author was trying to make, but I don't know, I would've liked if it was explained a bit more and we got to know more about Mr. Holm or why he was doing the whole labryinth thing. 

One thing I didn't quite catch is that in the letters they recieve, it said  gentlepersons  and not gentleman. If I lived there and recieved that letter I wouldn't feel left out as a woman to partcipate in the competition. Not sure if they weren't smart enough to get it or that it has been that way since the beginning and they simply accepted that it was for men only. 

Now to the parts I did like and made me enjoy it a bit more.
First thing I was grateful of was the supportive parents. Typically, when the main character is smart, strong, independent and feminist, she gets bullied by her own parents, if not worse (in these type of timelines). And sometimes the main character is that way out of nowhere, which of course can happen, but I find more realistic when main characters are feminist when she has met someone that way, even if it's only in hidden places and she's the one to actually do something to make things change. In this case it made sense for Rhen to be that way because her mother was sort of one, and of course her dad was supportive of everything Rhen wanted or didn't want to do.

Second thing I liked was the character growth Rhen had. I wasn't really expecting one because it was both mentioned and resolved towards the end, but I liked how the author wrote Rhen's problems deciding what to do, since she needed to stay home and help her parents, but also follow her own dreams. A quote that I loved when she put an end to her indecisions was  "It's not that I don't belong. It's that  I belong to me."   and I thought that was a beautiful way of putting it. 

That quote leads me to mention the third thing I liked, which is the author's way of writing. There were moments truly beautiful and well described, with many emotions intertwined with the words that made me think of poems hidden inside the book. I'm a sucker for beautiful moments beautifully written. Besides this, the book is easy to read, there weren't many unnecessary descriptions and you can read this book really fast. The chapters weren't too long either, so that's another good point, although I don't mind long ones either. 

Now, to the fourth and last thing I liked most was Seleni's character and the point she made inside the labryinth about how she supported the life Rhen was pursuing, it wasn't less of a good life that the one Seleni wanted, even if they were completely different and Rhen wasn't fond of that one. They both have a beautiful relationship as cousins and they support so much it was endearing, but that moment was definitely my favourite one and what Rhen said afterwards made it even better: "Her life may not be for me, but it is for her." 

I could mention something about the love interest, the villian, and the health problems around her town, but the first two were quite simple and common. Although I must confess that the love interest was supportive too of Rhen and it was well written, it didn't seem forced at all, so the character itself was also well written to the point of knowing that he would definitely say things like that to any other woman that wasn't Rhen. 

Overall is not a book I'd read again someday, but I enjoyed my time reading it and I would probably recommend it to someone who would want to read something short to avoid boredom.

Nicole Dykeman

This was fabulous. Rhen is such an easy narrator to root for—I really felt for her as she struggled with a sick mom and a society that wants her to fall in line. Nevertheless, she persists, and her strength and intelligence push her and everyone around her to be better. The book itself has themes that are very timely; the author discusses politics, feminine strengths, and class division openly. The plot, driven by the scholarship competition, is fun and endearing. I absolutely love competitions in books. 

My only complaints: I wish the competition itself were longer. The setup of the world and introduction of the various characters took almost 140 pages of this ~300 page book—nearly half of the story was over before the competition even really started. I wanted the book to be longer; I wanted the fun and danger and mystery of the Labyrinth to last. I was still satisfied with the ending of the book as it is, but I think it was lacking just a little something to push it from 4 to 5 star-worthy.

Mary Horton

Well then.

I didn't hate it, but that's the most glowing praise you'll get out of me. 

Two stars feels slightly harsh, but three stars feels too generous . . . *scratches head* Times like these make me wish Goodreads had half stars, but c'est la vie.

L I K ES:

-The cover. The way the letters loop around the maze and the gorgeous greenery everywhere?? Yeah. I'm digging that cover.

-A YA BOOK WITH SUPPORTIVE PARENTS. Ladies and gentleman, you heard that correctly. This is indeed a rare specimen. It's not often I read YA books with parents, much less supportive and loving ones with whom the protagonist shares a close relationship. This was one of my favorite parts of the book. Rhen's parents never stop encouraging her to pursue her dreams and challenge the status quo. I especially loved her Da, who Rhen worked with in their in-home laboratory. Alllllll the kudos to the author for wonderful parental relationships. 

-The whole science/uni focus. I'm not a science girl--like, at all--but I really appreciated seeing a character who loved science and was education-focused. We need more stories with girls (and guys) who actually want to get a higher education and love learning.

-Seleni. She was probably my favorite character in this book. To be honest, I feel kind of "meh" about the characters in this book as a whole. However, I loved that Seleni unashamedly loved her long hair and fancy dresses and wanted a family of her own . . . but she wasn't afraid to get her hands dirty and fight for what she believed in. She was a strong female character who was still feminine. I really appreciated that Mary showed there's more than "one type" of strong female character. WE SUPPORT. 

D I S L I K E S:

-The writing style. Ehhhhhhhhhhhh. I really disliked the writing style in Storm Stiren, so I didn't expect it to be different here. Her writing style is pretty clunky and awkward. Sometimes I have to reread sentences for them to make sense. Most of the writing consists of run-ons, sentences with an excessive amount of prepositional phrases, or cliche/boring descriptions. I don't know. I'm not trying to be critical, but her writing just isn't My Thing. It feels very unpolished and awkward. (Plus, I came across several grammatical and syntactical errors. I know it's impossible to avoid, but it was more frequent than I would have liked.)

-The setting. Mary Weber does an . . . interesting job at worldbuilding. Her worlds always feel so random and unnecessarily weird. I never got a good sense for what the world was like other than the fact that it had a lot of dead bodies/ghouls/creepy sirens. IT WAS WEIRD, GUYS. I just felt really weirded out by the setting. It didn't seem like she really thought through her worldbuilding that well. She just came up with a bunch of odd creatures and dumped them in a random setting. #notafan

-The labyrinth. Speaking of weird . . . *cough* The labyrinth was really bizarre. Reading about it was such a disorienting, unsettling sensation. It wasn't actually a maze but a bunch of mind-games and anticlimactic tests. This whole book felt like a wild, trippy experience & the labyrinth just emphasized how W E I RD the whole setting was. To be clear, I don't mind weird things; there just has to be a method to the madness. In the case of To Best the Boys, there were no rules to the world. It was all very undefined. I never really understood what the world was supposed to look and feel like. It just left me confused and Very Disturbed.

-aLl ThE dEaD boDiEs. NO THANK YOU. The first chapter should have been a warning to me. I honestly felt sickened by all the corpses, blood, and nasty dead things that were described in length. It felt superfluous. Like yeah, I get it - Rhen does a lot of experiments. But her interest in dead things borders on morbid. I got a really "icky" feeling. and legitimately almost stopped reading because of the excessive discussion of bodily fluids, exploding corpses, etc. Not to mention, she actually flirts with people by talking about corpses. I don't know whether to laugh, cringe, or gag . . . 

-The romance. It felt so awkward but not in a cute way. Rhen kept thinking about Lute's pursed, anatomically perfect lips (gross) and the kiss scenes made me put the book down. I don't know why, but the romance between them made me Uncomfy. It had a good amount of teenage angst, and I'm not here for that.

-Everything was just "meh." The dialogue felt forced, the writing was awkward, the setting was odd, the characters (mostly) felt bland, the plot didn't get underway until halfway in the book, etc. I feel rather "meh" about the whole book. I didn't hate it, but the only feelings it really generated in me were confusion & boredom & disgust. Nothing wowed me; it's just overall forgettable.

Like I said, it wasn't the worst book ever. It was just kind of a waste of time. I highly doubt I'll be reading more of Mary Weber's books in the future because, sadly, she just isn't for me. :)

2.5 stars

Chriss

This story is containing the strongest female character I have ever read about. It's is so interesting and although the main plot only starts in the middle of the book there is not one plot point or page that is unnescessary or unwanted or boring.
The writing style is so relatable since it really feels like Rhen, the main character, telling the story, every word draws you in and the imagery is gorgeous.
There is a heart warming Lovestory, a story of Emanzipation, growing up, education, freedom and fighting for your future.

Kristin

I really enjoyed this book! Rhen was a super amazing main character and the story and events overall were intriguing and made me keep on reading. The writing style was perfect as well. I honestly enjoyed this book from the bottom of my heart, it was a light/not-too-dark and exciting read! ☺

Still there were some parts that could have had been given more depth... like the whole labyrinth thingy. I felt like we did not get as many details about the whole event, so something could sometimes be confusing or make less sense. Like why did the winner of the labyrinth have to take another test to actually get scholarship? And why did this mr. Holm let lots of boys almost get killed for a scholarship?

However, I liked that Weber took her time before we got thrown into the labyrinth, and I especially liked how the story focuses on the differences between the Uppers and the Lowers. The labyrinth was a very fun and intriguing part of the novel.

Definitely something I would recommend if you're hungry for something lighter than most dark-fanatsy novels or just want to read something light and exciting with amazingingly balanced feminist-vibes! 😄

Paige Green

Disclaimer: I received this book from Netgalley. Thanks! All opinions are my own.

Book Series: Standalone

Rating: 2/5

Publication Date: March 19, 2019

Genre: YA Fantasy

Recommended Age: 13+ (violence, some scary moments)

Publisher: Thomas Nelson

Pages: 352

Amazon Link

Synopsis: Every year for the past fifty-four years, the residents of Pinsbury Port receive a mysterious letter inviting all eligible-aged boys to compete for an esteemed scholarship to the all-male Stemwick University. Every year, the poorer residents look to see that their names are on the list. The wealthier look to see how likely their sons are to survive. And Rhen Tellur opens it to see if she can derive which substances the ink and parchment are created from, using her father’s microscope.

In the province of Caldon, where women are trained in wifely duties and men are encouraged into collegiate education, sixteen-year-old Rhen Tellur wants nothing more than to become a scientist. As the poor of her seaside town fall prey to a deadly disease, she and her father work desperately to find a cure. But when her Mum succumbs to it as well? Rhen decides to take the future into her own hands—through the annual all-male scholarship competition.

With her cousin, Seleni, by her side, the girls don disguises and enter Mr. Holm’s labyrinth, to best the boys and claim the scholarship prize. Except not everyone’s ready for a girl who doesn’t know her place. And not everyone survives the maze.

Review: So, for the most part the book was well written and I thought it was an interesting premise. I know this book resonated with a lot of young women and I respect the author for that. I also liked that the book didn’t overly rely on the romance aspect of this book. It seems like a lot of people think it’s a great book.

However, I’m not one of those people. I really really disliked this book for a multitude of reasons. The book had an issue with a lot of repeating sentences. I know that they were for effect, but it just annoyed me. It took me until 56% of the way through to get to the labyrinth. Everything before could have been summed up in a couple of chapters in my opinion and the way the book is now just makes it feel really slow. The exclusion that Rhen found in the papers was, in my opinion, really dumb. I feel like someone years before now could have seen it since it was so obvious. I feel that the premise of the book was that this main character would defy the societal rules to enter this labyrinth, but the way it was presented in this book feels that there was always an expectation for someone to find it and that when it would be found out it wouldn’t have been a big deal. The book is supposed to touch on gender inequality but I don’t feel like it adequately addressed it. I have a question about the university. Does it only accept one person a year? I’m so confused by this. At one point the main is in the labyrinth and thinks that mind altering drugs are being used, but she can see what the afflicted person is seeing… sooo it’s not drugs? Higher education doesn’t seem to be a big concern for the girls. Rhen’s main concern was healing her mother and Seleni’s whole personality can be summed as obsessed about this one boy. And speaking about the illness her mother suffers, this illness is really the focal point of the book. The whole labyrinth and Rhen is just a sidestory to this. The magic isn’t explained, some parts of the book aren’t explained at all, and I feel like the disguise part of the book is really laughably weak. The main cuts her hair. Seleni pins her hair up and under a hat. They wear pants. These people that have known them for 16 years don’t recognize them? It’s not like they live in NYC, they live in a small village. There are plot holes galore and the book reads more like a rushed rough draft than a nearly finished book. 

Verdict: Overall, I feel really lied to about this book. I imagined it being something else, something fantastic and death defying and exciting. I got a book in which the main storyline isn’t represented by the hook or synopsis. I’m really disappointed in this book, as it was one of my most anticipated reads of this year. However, I know that the majority of people really liked this book, so if it seems interesting to you I definitely recommend that you read it for yourself.

The task is simple: Don a disguise. Survive the labyrinth . . . Best the boys. Every year for the past fifty-four years, the residents of Pinsbury Port have received a mysterious letter inviting all eligible-aged boys to compete for an esteemed scholarship to the all-male Stemwick University. The poorer residents look to see if their names are on the list. The wealthier look to see how likely their sons are to survive. And Rhen Tellur opens it to see if she can derive which substances the ink and parchment are created from, using her father’s microscope. In the province of Caldon, where women train in wifely duties and men pursue collegiate education, sixteen-year-old Rhen Tellur wants nothing more than to become a scientist. As the poor of her seaside town fall prey to a deadly disease, she and her father work desperately to find a cure. But when her mum succumbs to it as well? Rhen decides to take the future into her own hands—through the annual all-male scholarship competition. With her cousin, Seleni, by her side, the girls don disguises and enter Mr. Holm’s labyrinth, to best the boys and claim the scholarship prize. Except not everyone is ready for a girl who doesn’t know her place. And not everyone survives the deadly maze. Welcome to the labyrinth. Praise for To Best the Boys: “Atmospheric, romantic, inspiring.” —KRISTEN CICCARELLI, internationally bestselling author of The Last Namsara "Smart, determined, and ready to take on the world: Rhen Tellur is an outstanding heroine with every reason to win a competition historically intended for boys." —Jodi Meadows, New York Times bestselling author of The Incarnate Trilogy and coauthor of My Lady Jane A “Hunger Games/Handmaid’s Tale mash-up.” —BN Teen Blog

Vanessa Beppler

Elodia

** spoiler alert **
           (view spoiler)[As a woman in a STEM field attending a STEM school, there are not many women in my classes. So it was nice to see a character fighting for her right to attend school and study science. I also appreciate that this book not only featured a woman who wants to seek out higher education, but another who wanted to marry and have a family, and it showed that both were good choices.
The pacing was slow and I was expecting the labyrinth element to come in sooner, but it only came into play about the 50% mark and it is only a small portion of the book. The challenges throughout weren’t that interesting, and I was bored throughout.
A lot of things weren’t explained. Such as how the magic system works, or why it is only present in a few places around the labyrinth.
The characters were good, but I couldn’t stand the two main villains (I guess this makes sense). It was specified in the beginning that cheaters were thrown out, yet Germain and Vincent are constantly cheating yet they make it to the final four? And when Vincent poisons everyone he still gets the key and the adults just stand by looking at the kids die. He doesn’t get any repercussions after the event even though he literally POISONED THREE PEOPLE.
However, I do like how everything was wrapped up and the last 50 or so pages were great in my opinion.
I know there were many things I disliked but some of the dialogue and scenes were really good so it was still a fine book. I still think it’s worthwhile and if you’re interested definitely check it out. (hide spoiler)]

Shirley Krijnen

Such a good book. that made me feel all kinds of emotion. Themes in this book where done amazing too.

Nynke Elise

** spoiler alert **
           I loved this book! The setting of the story is so amazingly well described, I could imagine myself walking down the cobble roads of Pinsbury Port. I liked the creatures that were thrown in. At first I thought it was a little odd, but it matched perfectly once the story had shifted to the Labyrinth. 
This book had very well written and fun characters, I wanted to know more about all of them. They all felt so natural and real, like there really is a Pinsbury Port with Uppers and Lowers somewhere. I only have praise for this book!

Jessica Nottingham

Settle in friends, because I'm about to ramble. It always strikes me as funny that it's so much harder for me to write a review of a book that I really loved, rather than one I didn't click with. I don't know how to accurately convey to you my deep love for everything about To Best The Boys, but I promise to do my best! If I go off on a few tangets, or gush a lot more than I plan to, please pardon me. This is a book that will definitely do that to you, and you'll soon see why.

Where to start? First off, Rhen is my new favorite character. She's so smart, so passionate, and so full of the kind of fire that makes me smile hard enough to hurt my face. Watching her and all the of townspeople like her, who fought to make a happy and comfortable space in a world that wanted to ignore them, made me happy. The message here about the division between the upper and lower classes (in this story, quite literal separation) is extremely well done. Just like our real world, the decisions made by the few, disconnected Upper patrons directly affect the many. Rhen is that special person, the one able to flit between these two worlds, and therefore the best voice for the people that she so adores. I couldn't think of a better person for the job.

Lest I gush about Rhen endlessly though, and forget the other characters, I should say that every person Mary Weber creates in this book is utterly perfect. From Lute, who has a huge heart, to Seleni, who is brave and sweet, to Vincent, who is a product of the Upper crust he was raised in. Each character that is touched upon is full of life and has their own personality. Whether I loved or hated them, it felt good to be lost in this new space surrounded by people who I actually enjoyed being with. Weber creates a sense of community here that I haven't felt while reading a story in a long time. It was so pleasant, and one of the biggest reasons that I adored this book.

Oh, and I haven't even touched on the plot yet. It's fairly obvious from the beginning that Rhen will be the one to upset the whole system in her town. What I didn't expect, was how perfect her journey to that point would be. This story is paced excellently, always revealing new things at just the right time to keep it moving. There is intrigue, there are heists, and there is just the right amount of romance to really make a reader like me feel like the balance was spot on. Her time spent in the Labyrinth was my favorite part, but you won't get any spoilers from me. You need to experience this yourself. I never felt bored, and I never felt rushed. In other words, I had a blast reading this!

So, as I'm sure you've already surmised, this book gets a massive five, sparkly stars from me. It's been quite a while since I've read a Fantasy book that made me want to push it at people and scream at them to read it. This book gets that honor. Read this. Buy it, borrow it, love it, and then push it at other people so they can too. It is so good! Come meet Rhen, and join me in gushing over To Best The Boys. You won't regret it.

Megan Rose

** spoiler alert **
           This has a great theme but I felt pretty underwhelmed when I finished this book. The part I was most looking forward to was the labyrinth and the different puzzles the contestants would face, but they were all fairly unmemorable. Overall, it was a nice and short read although I am glad it’s not a series because I don’t know if I would continue.

Joleen

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 likable. 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?!

Vanessa Bintou

I have to say that this book exceeded all my expectations! 

The story is set in a world that resembles a lot our own, where science and magic coexist. Women are not allowed to study and are expected to find a husband to be happy, the society is distinguished in the upper class and the lower class and there is a deadly disease spreading, but no one cares to do anything because it only threatens the "lowers". Rhen is a scientist and she is trying to find a cure for this disease, with the help of her father, in order to save her mother. The problem is that she doesn't have enough time and means to do it. That is why she decides to enter a yearly contest for a university scholarship, The Labyrinth, hosted by the elusive and mysterious Mr. Holmes..

I loved everything in this book. The characters were all very interesting and complex. Rhen is intelligent, driven, compassionate, loving and loyal. She longs for the opportunity to study and to have the same opportunities as her boy - friends. She also has a beautiful friendship with her cousin Seleni and her boyfriend, both of whom are wealthy and members of the Upper Class. 
Seleni is one of the best secondary characters I've ever read about. She is smart, beautiful and funny. She truly cares about Rhen, her friends and her boyfriend, and she doesn't care about the society rules. She is a young girl who wants to marry and make a family, but respects choices in life that are different than hers.
This was actually an element in the book that I loved the most. The Respect of all choices. Rhen's choice to do something unexpected, Seleni's to follow the rules because of love, Lute's to put himself behind in order to care for his family.
Lute is another great character. He is Rhen's friend and romantic interest. He decides to enter the Labyrinth to have more choices to care for his mother and brother. He loves Rhen mainly because of her bravery to follow her passion. I liked their friendship/romance a lot.
As for Mr. Holmes, I am not going to say anything about him, except that he is one of my favourite characters ever.
In general all the characters and relationships were very honest and genuine.

As for the Labyrinth, it seems to be the highlight of everyone's year, despite the fact that it's very dangerous and the host extremely mysterious. There are riddles, dangerous creatures such as Basilisks and Sirens, deaths and dangerous characters. The contest is not only about knowledge and technical skills, but most importantly about character strength and choices.

One of the most important things in the book is the representation of some struggles and situations in the book. Rhen is dyslexic and Lute's brother, Ben, has special needs. I have to say that it was done with respect and love and I appreciated very much.

To Best the Boys is a beautiful story, an adventure set in a whimsical world and I recommended to everyone and especially young girls, It's a book about girl power and love.

Thanks to Thomas Nelson and NetGalley for the arc.

Belle Ellrich

*I WAS PROVIDED A PHYSICAL COPY IN RETURN FOR AN HONEST REVIEW. THIS DOES NOT AFFECT MY OPINION*

I know I've mentioned before that Mary Weber is one of my top ten, favorite authors, but man is she pushing herself up on that list. I rarely ever reach out to people while reading or after I've finished a book, but I ended up ranting with my friend Mary Beth (@liz.lovez.bookz) about how much we both loved this book.

To Best the Boys is a book I didn't realize I needed, and I am so grateful to BookLook Bloggers at Harper Collins for sending me a copy to review. This book was energetic, fiesty, fierce, and powerful. The MC Rhen is someone I'd want as a friend in real life, as she is determined to not conform to society's beliefs of what a woman should be.

While I was a little surprised by the long intro into the story, it was quickly made up for by the realization of how important the information in the intro was to the rest of the novel.

One of my favorite quotes from this book was one made by Rhen's mom toward the middle of the novel.

"You take this world and make it what it should be. And don't let the beliefs of a backward system define you. You are the one who has to live with the future, baby girl. So you live it."

This one really stuck with me, as Rhen's mom was a huge influence on her character and choices. I found that to be the perfect addition to the story, and looked forward to every word she said.

All in all, I did really love this book. The characters (while I wanted to strangle some of them) were great, and the story was addicting. For that, I rate it 4.75 stars. I HIGHLY suggest you check out this book if you haven't already.

Manon van Heumen

This book was so good. Though a bit predictable, I absolutely loved the plot, and Mary's story-telling is brilliantly enchanting. A definite recommendation!

Lisa Beasley

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.

Liz Griffin

Everything wonderful that I heard about this book is absolutely true. Such a satisfying read. I loved it all so much and read through the last 200 pages in one chunk because I just couldn’t stop!

Hope Brockway &
To Best the Boys by Mary Weber

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Hope Brockway &To Best the Boys by Mary Weber

Reviews

Join the club

Hope Brockway &
To Best the Boys by Mary Weber