The Revenge Game / Jordyn Taylor / Book Review

THE REVENGE GAME

Alyson is a hopeless romantic, emphasis on hopeless. She's tricked herself before into thinking a guy might be into her. So when she meets Brenton, she knows to be wary.

But this connection isn't just in her head, and Brenton is willing to prove it. When he swoops in to save her from an unwanted sexual encounter at a party, she knows they're meant to be. It's a fairytale romance, the kind she's always wanted, and she--they--couldn't be happier.

Until Alyson finds out about the King's Cup. An age-old competition at Sullivan-Steward Boarding School, most of her male classmates seem to be in on it. The object: proving who has the most sexual prowess, one "encounter" at a time. Naturally, this puts Alyson on edge. Is her relationship with Brenton real, or it is all some elaborate ruse? Alyson doesn't know, but she and the other girls aren't just going to sit back and wait to find out.

THOUGHTS

I was delightfully surprised by this book! I will admit that I picked this book up not expecting much. YA thrillers just haven't been wowing me this year. But The characters were so carefully rendered, and the plot unfolds just right. Well done!

PROS

No Initial Bad Guy	So often, books like this are a little too on-the-nose when it comes to the bad guy(s). One of the cast of characters will stick out as a red flag off the bat... or perhaps they all will. So you'll have an inkling throughout the whole book who is wrapped up in this case and potential motives why. That's not the case here. Sure, a lot gets revealed throughout the book, but these revelations are slow and natural. The red flags are red only as they build up, and I really appreciate that. It left me in much more suspense than I would have thought.
Girls Believing Girls	I really love books where women support women, and this book hits that note on so many levels. Even when Alyson doesn't necessarily want to believe what her friends are telling her, she still does her due diligence, and when she hears or witnesses major red flags about the boys in her friends' lives, she is quick to let them know. These girls support each other's choices about their personal romantic lives, even when they might not make the same choices, and they always have each other's backs. And I really, really appreciate that. There's no manipulating, no secrets and lies and gaslighting between these girls. And that's so good!
Pro Reporting	Perhaps this isn't a major part of the book, but it is one of those little details that helps cement the storytelling. There are report transcripts and news write-ups scattered throughout this book as an on-going investigation unfolds, and Jordyn Taylor absolutely nails that reporter voice in these pieces. It's a small detail, but it's one I appreciate.

CONS

I appreciate a book that is sex-positive, but what that means really depends on the audience the book is written for. And here, the sex-positivity far outstripped that a YA book should hold. There's a lot of talk about watching porn, which feels like too much to harp on about. And the sex talk itself, too, is too much for an audience that is supposedly comprised of minors. Oral, orgasms, and more end up in these pages... again and again and again. The balance wasn't there.	Porn Talk
This book just doesn't feel like a high school book. These kids don't feel like high school kids. I've highlighted a content issue above already, but even beyond that, it just doesn't feel right. These kids are far too independent. They're spending so much time unsupervised, and that just doesn't seem like it would be possible. Why would any parent trust a boarding school that is going to leave kids this unobserved, especially after two single-sex schools just merged to become co-ed. (And, like, were the parents asked about this merger? Because if I sent my daughter to an all-girls boarding school that was suddenly co-ed, I'd have things to say about it, okay?)	College Level
I think Taylor tried to combat this, because there are, ultimately, a few boys that slip through this accusation unscathed... but only a few. So, so many of these boys were involved in this plot to dehumanize and victimize the girls around them, and it felt like too much. The King's Cup was too big. True feminism doesn't blame all men. And this book doesn't blame all all of them, either, but it very much goes into the "most" category.	Yes, All Men

Rating

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
7/10

Fans of Gabriella Lepore's The Last One to Fall will like this chilly new thriller. Those who enjoyed Sonora Reyes's The Luis Ortega Survival Club will enjoy this new group of girls supporting girls.

Details Publisher: Delacorte Press Date: November 7, 2023 Series: N/A Add to Goodreads Buy it HERE

Note: I was provided with an ARC by the publisher in exchange for an honest review. All opinions here are my own.