There is so much to love about this incredible fantasy – magic, beasts, a lethal labyrinth and a fierce and intelligent female lead.

Mary Weber created a world that is deadly yet intriguing. Caldon is a province where the poor not only have to contend with rich politicians making choices that impact their livelihoods but the deadly beasts that their town is famous for. Rhen Tellur has lived her entire life in this province feeling like she doesn’t belong. She and her parents live in the lower part of town where the poor struggle to survive while her cousin and closest friend, Seleni, has grown up on the hill where the rich reside. Rhen feels the strain of being pulled between both worlds as she occasionally dresses up and attends parties hosted by her wealthy relatives. However, most days are spend assisting her Dad conduct scientific experiments to try to find a cure for a deadly disease that has been inflicting many of the poor, including her Mother.

Rhen knows her Mother’s time is running out and would do anything to save her. With limited options available to a girl in Caldon, beyond marriage and wifely duties, Rhen decides to take matters into her own hands. For over fifty years, the residents of the town have received a letter from Mr. Holm inviting all boys of a certain age to compete for a scholarship to an esteemed all-male University. The townsfolk know little about the Labyrinth in the challenge beyond the fact very few come out of it unscathed. Rhen knows that the education she would obtain at the University could make all the difference in finding a cure for her Mom. So she and her cousin decide to put on disguises and join the challenge for a chance at the better life and to prove that they can not only contend with the boys but beat them.

To Best the Boys had me hooked from the start. Not only did I adore Rhen and her tenacity to take on a society that tried to force her into a box but was immediately drawn into the romance that unfolded along the way. If Rhen didn’t already have enough to contend with by entering the labyrinth, she also finds herself having to decide between the son of a wealthy politician who she shares a love of science with and a boy from school who always caught her eye.

This story was highly entertaining while tackling challenging topics such as gender, class and education inequality. I’d recommend this book to fans of fast-paced, action-filled fantasies with a dash of romance.

I received an ARC from the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for my honest review. I really enjoyed this book. It has a strong female lead character that is a great role model for young girls. It has great story building and very likeable characters. I thoroughly enjoyed it and will be reading more by this author.

This book was such a refreshing read for me and was much more whimsical and witty than I was anticipating! It’s a very empowering story with characters that inspire strength in readers, especially young women seeking inspiration to go against all odds and expectations. I feel that this would be a great story to share with others, my students most of all. Thank you to netgalley for providing me with a copy for an honest review.

It's always thrilling when you get to approved to advance read one of the year's book releases that you've been most looking forward to. I honestly really didn't know too much about what To Best The Boys was even about. I'd heard, however, that it was going to be a novel that spoke to girls standing up for themselves and proving their voices deserved to be heard too, and for that alone I knew I wanted to read this book. Also, from the cover I knew it was going to having something to do with a maze, and I was expecting something along the lines of The Hunger Games and The Maze Runner. While To Best The Boys has similarities to both of these series, it's so much more in its own right, and I think it's going to be a new favorite for many fans of those previous series.

Its premise revolves around a sixteen year girl named Rhen Tellur. Rhen's father is a scientist who's trying with limited means to figure out what's causing the mysterious disease that's killing so many people from the "lower societies", and he's only more driven to figure it out when Rhen's own mother falls ill with the dreaded disease. Rhen is determined to help her father figure out what's going on, but she's limited in what she's able to do. This is mainly due to the fact that those who live in the lower society area have fewer resources available to them than do the privileged ones who are part of the upper society. Fed up with not being able to do anything with what she's been given, and determined to prove that girls are just as worthy as boys, Rhen decides to disguise herself in order to enter the town's annual scholarship competition. Not much is known about either the competition itself, or the mysterious beneficiary who sponsors it, other than that it's not for the weak minded or the weak at heart, and the end results can often be catastrophic.

Rhen's cousin Seleni soon learns of her plan, and is determined to not let Rhen do this alone. Together the two girls enter the Labyrinth with their end goal in sight-get Rhen to finish first to prove that girls are just as good as boys, and to give her access to the education she needs to end this dreaded disease once and for all. However, there's a reason that the details of the Labyrinth have been kept so secret, and both girls are unprepared for the sinister components they're about to encounter within the twisted maze.

To Best The Boys is an action packed, young adult fantasy novel that will keep readers on the edge of their seat from start to finish. Mary Weber hits the nail on the head with her depiction of a strong female heroine who's determined to not take a back seat any longer to the males who continue to try and make her feel like she's less than what she is. This novel definitely does the female empowerment theme in the right way, and is by far one of the most enjoyable parts of the overall novel. Rhen and Seleni were both characters I really enjoyed, as I loved the way they refuse to back down, and the way they're determined to do whatever it takes to help those they care about, despite the dangerous circumstances it puts them in. Both girls have love interests throughout the story, and I enjoyed both Beryll and Lute, and the way that not only are the strong, and dependable, but also the way that they're willing to respect that both Rhen and Seleni are strong willed girls, and both encourage rather than discourage this trait in the girls.

Now all of that being said, this novel was not quite the five star read I was expecting it to be, and I found myself having issues with several portions of the story as it went along.

Firstly, the setting was really weird and off putting. I couldn't personally tell where the novel was supposed to be set, and also couldn't guess as to what time period it was supposed to be set in. The way that the characters talked, and the way that the setting was described made this impossible to decipher, and I wish this had been better stated by the author at the start of the story.

I thought the love triangle was completely unnecessary. It made absolutely no sense how in one scene Rhen was a determined, strong heroine who wouldn't let anyone treat her in a way she didn't deserve, and yet in the next scene she's letting Vincent talk to her like she's a small child. Her refusal to stand up to him throughout most of their interactions in the entirety of the novel became a massive pet peeve for me. I understood the character of Vincent being an important part of the story line, but I did not understand why Rhen put up with him treating her the way he did.

I found by far that the most interesting part of the whole story was the part that actually takes place in the labyrinth, and I was severely disappointed that this is actually a really small part of the story. It almost felt like this should have been made into a duology, as it felt like the parts in the labyrinth were rushed, and so was the ending. And speaking of the ending, I didn't feel it did its job in giving the reader a satisfying conclusion to the story. With how amazing the plot was for most of the story, I felt there could have been so much more done with the ending, and what the reader is given felt pretty lackluster.

I also want to mention that the opening couple of chapters were extremely off putting for me. I started this book back at the start of January, and after reading those chapters, it took me a good month to have the urge to want to read any more of this. I didn't enjoy reading about the dissection of a corpse, or said corpse exploding, or where the bodily fluid ends up from said corpse. While after those chapters were over, I became really invested and interested in the story, and found it to be a roller coaster from that point on, I really could have done without those chapters, and it started the book off on a bad note for me.

Lastly, and most importantly, I can't finish this review without talking about the fact that I was a little bothered by some of the content that was included in a novel put out by a Christian publisher. A lot of the content of this book resolves around characters with demonic tendencies, like ghouls and sirens. Now I would have had no problem with them being included, if there were ever a passage that spoke of the light overcoming the darkness, like is usually included in these type of Christian fantasy novels. Unfortunately, that never happens, and I was left wondering why this content was included in a title put out by a Christian publisher, when there was never any mention of Christ or God overcoming the darkness.

All in all, To Best The Boys is not without its fair share of problems, but it is still a really enjoyable read that gives readers a thrilling fantasy adventure and speaks to the notion that girls can too. With strong female characters, two swoon worthy love interests, and a plot line that will appeal to fans of books like The Hunger Games, Divergent and The Maze Runner, I foresee this book being a huge success in the young adult market. However, I wish they could left some of the content out, and corrected the issues I had with it. Overall though, I'm giving it three out of five stars, and I'm thankful I got the chance to advance read it.

Thanks so much to Thomas Nelson and NetGalley for the opportunity to advance read this!


I received a complimentary copy of this book from Thomas Nelson via NetGalley. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own. I was not required to give a positive review.

This is such a great book! In all honesty, I would not have decided to pick this book up on my own. I didn't think it would be something I enjoyed, but the moment I started reading I realized just how wrong I was.
This book follows a girl who has a lot to fight for, and the way she overcomes challenges is very inspirational.
My review cannot do this book justice, it was just that good. The plot was well developed and I think that the world building was okay. I only had one problem, which was that I couldn't figure out the time period. There were a few twists that I did not see coming, whether it be because I was so enveloped by the story I couldn't see it right in front of me, or because of my stupidity, I do not know. The characters were well developed, and the descriptions were well done. They weren't overdone, or in need of development. I could clearly picture the areas Rhen was in. I could not put it down, and when I did I couldn't stop thinking about this book! I'm so sad that I finished, and I wish there was more. I think that everyone should give this book a chance, especially if they are debating whether or not to read it.

To Best the Boys is the first book I’ve read by Mary Weber and I chose it because I liked the fantasy aspect in the description. I also liked the idea of a young girl trying to make her way in a man’s world, which is exactly what Rhen is trying to do. Rhen has always worked with her father in his laboratory to try to find a cure for different illnesses. It is her dream to become a scientist. When her mother falls ill to a disease that is crippling and killing the local poor people, she is determined to find a cure. Every year there is a race inside a labyrinth to award a full scholarship to the local all male university. Rhen and her cousin decide to enter, dressed as young boys, and win that scholarship. But inside, where they have to battle not only the others, but also the puzzles and problems set forth, they find that some contestants will do anything to win. Can they make it through unscathed, uncovered, and victorious? And what else will they discover about life and themselves along the way? I really enjoyed this story. It was a lot of fun and had good detail. I’m curious now about Weber’s other works and will look into finding them. I would recommend this book for people who enjoy fantasy and adventure. I received a free copy of this story from the publisher through NetGalley for my honest review. All opinions are my own.

This is a fun read and a quick read for anyone who is a fan of this author I highly recommend it. This fantasy story is a mix of many other YA pieces of writing and I really enjoyed the empowerment message for women! I will share this with my students! Thank you netgalley for an arc in exchange for my honest opinion.

I received this ARC from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
I really enjoyed this book! For me, the premise reminded me of a cross between Hunger Games and the Maze Runner. The main character Rhen, just wants to be able to pursue a career in science but in her society, it is the men who receive an education. Every year there is a competition held for all the boys to see who will receive a scholarship for one of the colleges, so Rhen and her cousin Seleni disguise themselves as men and enter the competition.
This is a book that proves that anything boys can do, girls can do better.
The book gets you hooked very early on and keeps you enthralled throughout all 352 pages. I really enjoyed this book!

Why has it taken me this long to read a book by Mary Weber?  I'm now a confirmed fan, and To Best the Boys was an absolute delight to read.

You can't help falling in love with Rhen.  She's exceptionally intelligent, compassionate, driven, and is more comfortable in the presence of dead bodies than at an opulent party.  She's also dyslexic, and has found ways to succeed in spite of it.  Although society expects her to be content with 'wifely duties', she sees a different future for herself, and takes risky steps to make it happen.  It's important to mention that when Rhen's cousin, Seleni, says being a wife and mother is what she wants, her choice isn't disparaged - it's the path that's right for her.  And that's what this book is about - knowing what's right for you, and not compromising your dreams to fit someone else's expectations.

It's also about outsmarting the labyrinth.  Riddles, creatures, death, dangerous feats - all lie within, and you'll be holding your breath through some tension-filled moments.  Besides all of that, ghosts and sirens are also dangerous elements in this world, inhabiting the streets and sea at night.

I have to mention Rhen's relationships with her parents, Seleni, and her other friends - all are honest, loving, and done so well.  Everyone needs their support people.

To Best the Boys is an exciting adventure with a splash of a mystery, and I'd highly recommend it to young women interested in STEM.  And as a bonus, there's a mouth-watering recipe for Labyrinth Cookies!  A joy to read from beginning to end.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the digital ARC.

This is a really good, short read. I ended up staying up way past my bedtime to finish it in one night. Pacing was really good throughout and just kept the story moving.

The characters were interesting, and I would like to know more about them. I'm hoping there will be more books in the future.

Thanks go to NetGalley and the publisher for the opportunity to read an advance copy in exchange for my honest review.

To Best the Boys is a delightful fantasy with a strong female lead character. Not only is she science-minded and determined to "Best the boys", she's also sensitive and caring. While some books portray strong female characters as if having feelings is a weakness, this book shows that one can be strong AND sensitive. Rhen is a great role model whose story I highly recommend.

I love anything that Mary Weber writes, so I was giddy about reading To Best the Boys. It’s fabulous, guys. I so enjoyed all her characters Rhen, Lute, Mr. Holm, Seleni, and Beryll. (I loved Seleni and Beryll SO MUCH! ♥️💕) The storyworld was wonderful. And I love the depth that the events in the circumstances of the story bring too. This book is releasing next month. You all must read it!. Go. Order it. You’re going to want it on your shelf.

I’m insanely disappointed to have to give this book such a low rating. It incorporates two of my favourite tropes – girl dressed as boy, and girl trying to break into a male bastion of education.

Unfortunately, both the execution and romance were so weak that it struggled to hold my interest.

Sixteen-year-old Rhen Tellur is a Lower: a lower-class resident of Pinsbury Port. She spends her days hanging out with her cousin, an Upper girl named Seleni, and trying to find a cure for the disease that’s slowly killing her mother. There’s no point waiting for people with actual resources to find a cure. Only Lowers seem to be dying, so the Uppers have ascribed the cause to poor sanitation habits and no longer care about stopping it.

Every year, a reclusive and mysterious figure named Mr Holm holds a competition in his labyrinth to see which boy from Pinsbury Port will receive a scholarship to attend Stemwick University. Since only boys can attend, only boys have ever entered the competition. But this year, Rhen is determined to best the boys. Seleni, whose fiancé Beryll is also participating, decides to enter too. The pair of them disguise themselves as boys and join the competition.

It was at this point that the book began to lose me.

Their entire disguise is cutting off their hair – or, in Seleni’s case, just pinning it up under a hat – and donning breeches. That’s it. There’s no mention of breasts being bound, or what they plan to do with their curves, nothing. They barely remember to lower their voices. And yet I’m expected to believe that this paltry disguise fools people who have literally known them since birth.

I just wasn’t buying what Weber was trying to sell me here. Since the disguise is a pretty big element of the plot, that unfortunately impacted my overall enjoyment.

The romance was also lacklustre.

Frankly, there is no romance. The love interest, Lute, is a fait accompli: he’s a boy Rhen has always had a crush on, and he just appears in the story as someone she already fancies. There was no build-up. Which means I saw no reason why she even liked Lute, felt no chemistry between them, and wasn’t interested in their romance at all.

There was no sense of danger in the labyrinth either.

The whole drama in the book is supposed to come from the fact that the labyrinth is a dangerous place, where people are known to die. But we also knew all along that Mr Holm would step in if things got really dangerous, so I never felt a good sense of tension. Even Vincent, the villain of the piece who’s planned dastardly things to win the competition, didn’t feel like an adequate enemy.

A minor gripe: British culture . The worldbuilding in general wasn’t brilliant, but Pinsbury Port is set very obviously in a British-inspired fantasy: there’s a Parliament, complete with House of Lords, and the author also drops in British language. Unfortunately she gets it wrong a couple of times. Men don’t ever wear knickers; those are for girls. Also, at one point the university is referred to as ‘the best secondary school in the country’, which was just horrifying. It doesn’t help that some of Weber’s sentences were fairly clunky.

The best thing about the book is the friendship between Rhen and Seleni. While they want very different things out of life – Rhen is an intellectual, while Seleni just wants to be married – they respect each other’s goals and support each other in pursuing them. That’s why this thing got two stars.

Overall

A good premise, but plot holes and a weak romance ruined it for me.

3.75-4 /5 stars
I received a complimentary copy of this book from Thomas Nelson through NetGalley. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own <3

I absolutely loved the female empowerment entwined with the atmospheric story. We see Rhen take her life and her future into her own hands, rather than letting someone else do it for her. She has multiple people supporting her for the bravery she possesses in order to enter a competition 'designed for boys'. The story tackles feminism in a way which involves action and romance to further prove women can be whoever they wish to be, and ring whoever they want on their journey, if they choose to.

The story took twists and turns and surprised me a number of times. The writing kept me engaged and wanting to see how the story ended. There were, however, a few minor plot points left untied. These things could possibly lead to a sequel. Although, accompanied by these things we did have closure for other aspects of the story.

Overall, I really enjoyed the story and would definitely recommend this book to anyone looking for a fantasy with a feminist plot point. The story held an interesting story with strong, inspiring messages which I found really uplifting.

An entertaining YA fantasy set in a world with sirens and ghouls where girls’ only hope to improve their situation is landing a rich husband. Rhen Tellur wants so much more than an advantageous marriage. She wants to be the scientist who finds a cure to a mysterious disease that is taking her mother. She will stop at nothing. Is it necessary to experiment with dead bodies or with rats? She is willing to do so. If only she had more resources, she would be able to do so much more. The answer seems to be marrying Vincent, her rich childhood friend who seems nice but doesn’t make her swoon. Her other option is to disguise herself as a boy and enter a competition whose winner will get a full scholarship to university. Being a YA heroine, she goes with door number 2 and that was my favorite part. The challenges she and her friends and frenemies face are scary and exciting. I wish a larger part of the novel would have been devoted to this, but it is only a third of the book. The rest is still interesting: Rhen’s life and struggles, her crush on hunky fisherman Lute, her experiments to save her mother’s life, but I really wanted more of the action in the labyrinth. The novel is entertaining and proves how women can do anything they set their mind to, and that learning disabilities are no obstacle to a person’s will and determination (Rhen is dyslexic). It’s a fun read.
I chose to read this book and all opinions in this review are my own and completely unbiased. Thank you, NetGalley/Thomas Nelson!

The novel opens with Rhen, and her two friends, in a morgue. They are stealing DNA samples as there is a deadly disease running through their town, and Rhen and her father are doing all the research and experiments they can to find a cure.

We also find out about an awesome competition/game thing. The premise had me hyped. The first few chapters had me so excited. Unfortunately, I did not love this novel.

The first thing that struck me as odd was the kind of language the characters used. They often used words like "jesting", making it sound 'old timey', but the rest of the lexis kind of hints towards a more modern use of language. One minute the characters are talking as though they're from the twenty-first century, the next minute they sound like they're in a Jane Austen novel. Furthermore, from the start I felt that the novel was clearly set in a semi-fantasy, medieval setting, but then the idea of science and labs and University was introduced, and it left me wondering through the entire novel just when the story was set. By the end of the novel I was still wondering and unfortunately it wasn't made any clearer.

And then we get to the actual plot of the novel. For the first third of the novel it felt like absolutely nothing happened. It was over halfway through before the labyrinth maze competition was even properly mentioned. Considering this was the main selling point of the novel for me - and the main thing mentioned in the synopsis - I was definitely disappointed to discover that it didn't take place over the main course of the novel.

Furthermore, once they are actually in the labyrinth, I feel like the events of what takes place would be really cool to read about, but they're not explained very well and they're over before you've figured out what's happening. Additionally, the test of the labyrinth is supposed to be incredibly difficult but they get down the final round very quickly and it didn't feel like they'd actually done anything other than just 'run and hope for the best'. Oh and of course the final test just happened to be the one skill Rhen actually had. Nobody saw that coming. It would have been far more impressive if she actually had other skills.

Rhen was not a very likeable character for me. While she didn't have the usual 'I have sword, I don't like dresses' lazy feminist personality, the gist was basically the same. Her whole persona was 'I don't want a husband therefore I'm better than you' and that honestly not something I can get on board with. The only character I felt I could get on board with was Seleni. She was the actual feminist icon that I was hoping for in this novel. However, the point of her character - which is actually super cool - is only just scraping the surface of what Weber's trying to say.

I feel like this novel was trying to say a lot but ultimately failed at every hurdle. It tried to make some truly valid feminist points but ended up pushing them to the sidelines and focussing on a plot that a) wasn't what we were promised and b) not at all interesting.

I feel bad rating an ARC that has been gifted to me so low, and I really didn't want to give it a bad review, but as much as I want to I can't bring myself to find a part of this book that I actually liked.

I requested this book from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

Wow I could not put this book down. Mary Weber created a thrilling story of friendships, love, and challenged obstacles so well. If you are a fan of strong female characters like Katniss from The Hunger Games you will love the main character in this story. Highly recommend reading for a thrilling adventure through a maze against time.

To Best the Boys – Mary Weber

I received a complimentary copy of this book from Thomas Nelson through NetGalley. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

Rating: 5 stars

First impression:
YES YES YES YES!

This is how you do a stand-alone fantasy! This. This right here! To Best the Boys might be my favorite book of the year so far. The story is tight, the setting amazing and the characters are alive and relatable. I loved Rhen, I loved the way she would always think long and hard before responding to people (except when it came to science, then she would just spit it out). I loved Lute, who cares for an autistic brother with down syndrome. He loves Ben, and so does his mother, even though caring for Ben cannot be easy. Seleni, whose path is so different from Rhen’s, is remarkable. Even though she wants to be a mother and a wife, this book never paints it as wrong, or less admirable. In short, I adore this book, all the representation and the way it feels so very natural. Nothing felt forced to me. And that’s what made it work.

Pros:
Stand-alone fantasy, amazing and relatable characters, great pacing. Did I mention that a stand-alone????

Cons:
I suppose some people might find the ‘solution’ too simple. Personally, I liked it that way, but to each their own.

[I received a complimentary copy of this book from Thomas Nelson through NetGalley. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.]

Release date: 3/19/19
Rating: 3/5 stars
Genre: Young adult fantasy
Features: Strong female characters, supportive family, family illness, female scientist, high-stakes competition, oppressive social systems, women's rights, science/biology
Quotes:

"Careful, Miss Tellur. Women who don't know their place have a habit of losing their place."

"You are a specific kind of species, my girl. A strange and terrifying beauty of mind."

"You win this thing, Rhen Tellur. Enough to make [the boys] regret they weren't born women."

"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."


What attracted me to this book was the unique plot line. Yes, a number of YA lit books have a "competition" -- Hunger Games, Caraval, Maze Runner -- but this one has a new premise: once a year, a wealthy citizen of the community hosts a dangerous and elaborate game that tests the mental, psychological, and physical strength of the contestants. The victor must be skilled in math and science, and they receive a scholarship to a college as their prize.

I liked that this YA lit book applauded the world of academia, and moreover, math and science for women. Of course, it's even better that the book supports women in science, as the main character is a 17-year-old girl. I won't give any spoilers, but she must go up against the prevailing attitudes and systems of her day to change the status quo and follow her own scientific pursuits.

I also liked that Rhen, the main character, had two supportive and living parents that loved her and each other. It's rare to see this in YA lit. Rhen had her own way of thinking, too, and didn't let society define her for her. She didn't let boys define her either, and she didn't ever change for a boy. (Finally!)

What I didn't like as much: the writing style, world building, and plot development. Each of these was lacking, which is a shame because the basic plot and premise was so promising. These were the main things that brought down my rating, because honestly, they are the things I appreciate most in a book. I think if the book had gone through more editing, some of this could have been remedied.

Overall, though, if you want to read an empowering story about a girl defining her own future with a supportive, intact family and a sweet, healthy romance on the side, this is the book for you.

I've been a huge Mary Weber fan since reading Storm Siren. I'm pretty sure To Best the Boys is going down in my book as my favorite!! Loved the characters, the story ... everything!