Author: Suzanne Young
Rating: 4/5
Thanks to Simon and Schuster UK Children's and NetGalley for letting me receive a digital copy of this book.
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.
It's been years since I actually something Suzanne Young wrote. I've always wanted to read her Program series, but just never managed to. But the second I read the blurb for Girls with Sharp Sticks, I knew I had to get my hands on it. I even ordered it for the digital version of the library I'm working at. I could have borrowed it there, but then I saw it being up on NetGalley, almost a bit surprised that they put it online months after it was released. And yay, my request got accepted. Of course, I still had some books to read before that (I'm feeling really bad for lining them up on a pile, never finishing them close to their release date), but lucky me for getting sick and reading like a manic. That meant I could finally dive into the world of Innovations Academy.
That place is seriously messed up. You'll realize that the second your start reading this book. Girls learning how to be perfect, how to serve their future husband and always smiling, always training to be well-behaved around men. I wanted to puke, because at some point, the idea of that seriously messes with a girl's head. I don't know if that was Suzanne Young's goal by writing this book, but well done, because you get so super angry, you just want to scream, you want yourself to become one of the students at this academy so you can lead a revolte, a revenge team and an escape team.
Truth be told, I found Philomena quite naive in the beginning. And even later into the story, her thoughts still seemed so childish, she just swallowed up everything the men at the academy told her. I can see why that was, it wouldn't be the book it is if that hadn't been included, but it still made me mad. To me, it never really seemed like she had her own opinion. To me, it was like she adapted thoughts and wishes. Was it really her wish escaping the academy? I'm not so sure about that. At some point, she seemed to be angry about all of this happening to her and the other girls, but I didn't fully buy it.
And my biggest complain - why isn't there more Jackson? He was so damn cute! I adored him. I can see why his character might have been not as important to the first book in the series - I mean, there's still enough time for him to be super duper cute and charming -, but I really would have liked to see more encounters between him and Philomena. Because there was a lack of chemistry between the two of them. The reader got the impression they are supposed to fall in love, but something felt... Off. And I'm sad about that. I really like the idea of them ending up together, but I need more coming from both of them for that in order to happen.
It scared me to read about the mind-manipulating that has been going on at the academy. About girls disappearing. It was so thrilling (and so scary, because you imagine this could be really happening to future generations of human-kind), I turned the pages so quick, swallowed the words and was seeing it all acting out like a movie inside my head. I love when that happens. I can't even tell why I struggled moving forward after the first few pages. I'd read a bit and put the book aside again. Then, around twenty percent in, I think, I just couldn't put it down anymore. My poor eyes aren't thanking me exactly for reading with my phone in front of my face while it's pitch dark in the room, but well... A good story is worth that.
And it was a really good story, especially that plot twist toward the end, wow. On social media, it seemed to me that this was a book Suzanne Young was more than passionate about - this is something that's coming from deep within her heart, I guess. You can also tell by the dedication. I seriously can't wait for the second book in this series, reading more about the girl's friendship and finding out about what's to come. Too bad I still have to wait until March 2020. Maybe I will read The Porgram in the meantime, finally?!
