Member Reviews

I had a hard time getting into this book. But overall it was very well written I just could not really fully engorge myself in it.

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Thank you to to netgalley, the publishers and the author Ellie Keel for letting me read & review this book ARC that releases August 20th 2024. This was a great mystery read that is full of twists and turns that also reminded me of the thrilling scream movies.

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Ellie Keel's debut novel, The Four, follows Rose, Marta, Sami, and Lloyd, four scholarship students at the exclusive High Realms boarding school.  They are all outsiders to the other students' world of power and privilege.  This dark academia novel reminded me of Donna Tartt's The Secret History.  It took me a while to really get into the novel, which at times felt a bit unnecessarily long and drawn out, though perhaps that only added to the sense of tragedy and unease that permeates the pages.  Parts are quite difficult to read, though important to the characters and storyline - I would recommend some caution for potential triggers. Overall a solid debut perfect for fans of dark academia.

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The Four by Ellie Keel is was quite simply surreal and unforgettable. Keel truly has a gift in the was she writes emotional scenes and as a reader I’ve never been this shocked, surprised and heartbroken by a novel. This is one you will never forget.

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What a story! So much sadness and bad things that happened at this school and even more secrets. Though also this story is about 4 friends that will do anything to protect each other. I felt every emotion while reading this because it was written so well.

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The description of this book had me interested. I was ready to go into the dark academia world but I really struggled to connect to this book. Being a 90's HS girl I wanted to connect to someone in this book and I just couldn't, that being said I do think this would work best for someone currently in HS or fresh out of it. The writing is well done in describing locations and situations and I think there is definitely an audience that will connect to this book.

** Thank you NetGalley, Kellie Keel and William Morrow Books for an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review. **

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This book was gripping and hard to put down. It didn't feel like everything else you see out there, it felt very fresh. I really enjoyed this book!

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They were known as The Four. at the boarding school High Realms, where they were all scholarship students. They were outsiders in a world of power and privilege, and according to everyone else, they were dangerous. When the prefect Genevieve took a long fall, everyone assumed Marta pushed her. What really happened to Genevieve? And how far will Marta's friends go to protect her?

Normally I love books that are set in schools like this, but this one fell flat for me. It was a slow burn for the entire book, all of the characters felt one dimensional, and I just could not get invested in the story. I really tried to like it. I wanted to DNF it, but I kept going hoping it would get better. It never did. I can not in good conscience recommend this one.

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Four students on scholarship at an elite boarding school band together against the brutal and privileged students who have been attending for years. The dark academia vibes were spot on. It was easy to picture the school and the students and how they were behaving. The characters were multi-faceted and thought-out. I liked that the story was written with some hindsight to hint at what would happen later in the story. Please check trigger warnings before reading because some of this is very dark.

Thanks NetGalley!

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The Four by Ellie Keel was such a fun and entertaining dark academia story.
I was completely immersed in this clever story which was executed brilliantly with some nerve-jittering suspense.
An entertaining and gripping mystery, great setting and well developed characters.

Thank You NetGalley and William Morrow for your generosity and gifting me a copy of this amazing eARC!

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A dark academia suspense debut perfect for fans of The Secret History and If We Were Villains, The Four follows a group of scholarship students whose dreams become a reality when they are accepted into an exclusive boarding school, but they are soon bound by a dark secret that could save one of them… or destroy them all.

I don’t regret what we did. And I would do it all again.

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Debut Author Ellie Keel delivered the dark academia vibes. It was easy to quickly envision High Realms, the boarding school in which “The Four” attend on scholarship.

In complete transparency, The Four took a minute to get into. Once getting to know the dynamics at High Realms, the students, and the staff, The Four was engaging until the end.

The Four is told in first person narrative with hindsight. Doing so further added to the dark vibe present through The Four.

Please check for TW prior to reading. 🖤

Thank you go NetGalley and William Morrow for an advanced copy of The Four in exchange for my honest review.

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Thank you NetGalley and and William Morrow Books for an ARC of this title!

The Four primarily follows Rose, a scholarship student at High Realms school. Rose is part of a tight friend quartet, but when one of the friends is accused of pushing another student down the stairs, the friend group is turned upside down.

I believe this book lagged on a little too long. The last 100 pages really slowed down the pacing. I thought the plot of this novel was really intriguing, but the book could have done better with an additional round of editing. One element I really enjoyed was the classroom discussions. These discussions introduced the themes of the novel, and I wish there were more of those moments. Furthermore, those moments could have used more connection to the main plot of the book.

Overall I would recommend this book to those who love the dark academia sub genre, and are looking for books which explore the mental strain of a high stress school environment.

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This debut novel is very well written and the descriptions of the High Realms boarding school are immersive. I really enjoyed the environment, the distinctive classes and rituals the students follow. Unfortunately, I didn’t connect with any of the characters, their motivations or even their predicaments. I understand that teenagers act in ways incomprehensible to adults but these kids were especially dense. I also didn’t love the inclusion of a few actual lessons. It seems like it was a way to explore the protagonists’ minds, but it made the book unnecessarily long. There are some powerful images, and I was hoping there would be more of that. I was probably the wrong reader for this, since I enjoy Dark Academia when there are mysteries to solve. This is more about the feelings of the four titular students. I imagine how hard it must be to write a book and it pains me to give it a bad review but this wasn’t for me.
I chose to read this book and all opinions in this review are my own and completely unbiased. Thank you, NetGalley/William Morrow.

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I can't finish it, it's just too much. The characters are too unreal to be people. The school is too oppressive and the hazing entirely too sadistic and unreal. I keep thinking at least at Hogwarts they had teachers around!

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Between the striking cover and the intriguing dark academia plot, I was so excited to read The Four. Unfortunately, from the very first pages, I knew this would become a DNF. The characters' behavior is just so grim; the constant and cruel bullying made for a depressing read. Even some of the much more minor behavior — like Marta's complete unawareness that results in Rose continually getting into trouble — added to the overall sad tone of the book.

I was hoping the difference between the scholarship students and the rich ones would play out more like S.T.A.G.S., but it proved to be very much the opposite.

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This one is for fans of the dark boarding school novel. Rose, Marta, Sami, and Lloyd are scholarship students and the subject of bullying. Rose narrates this tale of what happens when they decide to fight back. Know that it doesn't go well. Thanks to the publisher for the ARC. It was less engaging than I'd hoped but I know there's going to be an audience for this-especially among the YA crowd.

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For Fans Of: That’s Not My Name, Perfect Little Monsters
Rating: 🌕🌕🌕🌕🌘
Genre: YA Thriller
Violence: 🔪🔪
Spice: 🔥
TW: Self harm, bullying, assault, mental illness

Synopsis: Tale of four scholarship students at a prestigious English boarding school, whose “free-loader” status marks them as targets. Shocking event compels them to take extreme action to protect one of their own, with far-reaching results.

Thoughts: Not gonna lie: struggling a little with this review. I enjoyed this debut author’s masterful, sophisticated storytelling. And...it is DARK. The mold that originally hooked me on YA thrillers—a good puzzle, engaging characters, violence at a remove—is being joined by a newer trend: darker, more visceral stories addressing timely, important themes. The Four falls into the latter category. The story begins by foreshadowing a death that will occur and which therefore hangs over every scene. The first-person narration, told with the benefit of hindsight, further weights each scene with meaning and foreboding. The pairing of these devices allows the author to reflect on the tumultuous landscape of high school, that liminal place between adolescence & adulthood, with its social hierarchies, vicious bullying, and academic pressures. Particularly compelling is the book’s examination of how behaviors that would be frowned upon (if not considered criminal) in the broader world are normalized within an insular culture, warping ones sense of right and wrong. While I’m leery to suggest the book to teens, given the potential triggers, I would highly recommend it to adults. For anyone with children in their lives, it provides a deeply empathetic view of their mental and emotional journey. And the story ends on a bright not as it highlights what is possible when adults embrace their duty of care.

Thank you to @williammorrowbooks and @netgalley for the #gifted copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

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Boarding Schools are a different breed. It’s not just the students, but the staff, the traditions …and the realization among students when things don’t go as they’re expected to.

The new school year brings together four scholarship students - Rose, Marta, Lloyd, and Sami. Rose and Marta are roommates. Rose is more socially aware, having attended public school up to this point. Marta, however, has been home schooled her entire life, so her social skills (and most other skills) are near nonexistent.

Almost immediately upon their arrival, Rose and Marta are picked on by the “Alphas” in their class - Gin, Max, and Sylvia. Over time the attacks get worse, even spraying Marta with a horse cleaning hose on full blast.

It all takes a huge shift one day, though, when Gin is pushed down the stairs. There is an altercation between Marta and Gin (no one is overly clear what words are exchanged), Marta shoved Gin, and Gin falls down the stairs - concussion, broken ribs, cracked skull, broken arm - the gamut of injuries. There is even question as to if Gin will “return to normal” given the impact of injuries to her brain.

Marta immediately goes into “flight” mode. Having a horrible relationship with her father, being sent home is not an option. She hides out in a hidden room and her friends not only are able to find her, but tend to her over the next ~6 months.

The question is - Is it better to face the music immediately after a situation like this or does the long the time that passes, make both the initial situation and Marta’s current mental situation worse…due to being alone all the time?

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Haunting, intense, and absolutely engrossing - The Four is the new Secret History!

When "The Four," Sami Lynch, Lloyd Williams, Marta Williams and Rose Lawson are recruited to attend the very prestigious boarding high school High Realm, they are excited and anxious and believe that their lives are about to change. They spend time rereading boarding school novels and imagine the magic of Harry Potter.

What they find, however, is a hierarchy of the worst order - in both the instructors and the students, students who have been in school together since they were very young. The Four stick together and support each other as they fight through the violence. But one secret binds them all, and as the time passes, each student buckles under the pressure.

A dark academia, a savage school tale, a thrilling page turner - this book has it all.
This isn't your neatly wrapped up story nor is anyone truly good or bad. Shakespearean and soul stirring- this is a novel for the ages! #thefour #elliekeel #williammorrow

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