Skip to main content

The Finalists by David Bell

"What had potential as a dark academia, suspenseful thriller quickly devolved into a "he said, she said" blame game. ciche, "who dun it" murder mystery. The only reason I finished the book was to find out "who dun it" and it was rather a let down in the end."

1 Star

Pros: The idea of the Hyde Scholarship, the whole process had me intrigued but it quickly lost its edge. 

Cons: The characters couldn't have been anymore cliche or one dimensional. A veteran who insists that everyone call him Captain, the bespectacled, black clad, Doc Marten wearing English Major with tattoo sleeves and the good ol' home grown, American boy, Duffy who works on his family farm and I'm pretty sure, actually said, "Aw shucks" at one point/The fact that no one was ever honest with anyone got really old really quickly and is one of the main reasons I don't really read murder mysteries.   

Full Review

Vincent Gaines, the Vice President of Institutional Development at Hyde College pulls up to Hyde House, eager and excited for this new year and new opportunity. Every year, on the third Saturday of April, six students from six different majors and six obviously different backgrounds all meet at the legendary Hyde House at Hyde College.  They're given the opportunity to compete for the legendary and prestigious Hyde Fellowship. The winner gets the rest of their tuition paid and a guaranteed entry level job at the Hyde Corporation after graduation.  

Of course, it's come to light that Ezekiel Hyde, the founder of Hyde House and the resulting Hyde College, was in the Union army during the Civil War and participated in a slaughtering of Confederate prisoners, so his morality is brought into question. Also the Hyde fortune was founded on Coal, which people thinks is killing the Earth. This year is very different from anything prior since there are now protestors, a police presence and also, Theodore Hyde has passed and the sole survivor and heir of the Hyde fortune is Nicholas Hyde, a perpetually hung over 30 something year old Billionaire playboy. 

Once the process begins, everyone hands over their cell phones and are locked in Hyde House and must remain in the house until 4 pm or everything is null and void. 

They all have Tea, as is customary and Nicholas Hyde does his best to fill in for his Father, playing the role of the Hyde heir. and explaining how the day will proceed. But when one of the students suddenly starts seizing, frothing at the mouth and dies, well, this whole being locked in a house with 7 other people suddenly isn't as appealing as it was. 

The story quickly devolved into a "who dun it" cliche murder mystery and the only reason I kept reading was to find out well, "who dun it." And the revelation at the end made sense but 300+ pages felt like an awfully long time to get to the point. Also, every chapter ended with, "Mr. Gaines, you should come see this" or "Mr. Gaines, I need to speak to you in private." No one was honest with one another and it was all a huge "he said, she said" blame game that got old after 20 pages in. I'd been looking at this book for a long time and now that I've read it, I just wasn't all that impressed. 

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Fantastic Voyage by Isaac Asimov

"When a scientist, Benes, who has integral and world changing information attempts to defect and join our Side, he's injured. A blood  clot forms in his brain and the only way to save his life is to miniaturize the crew of the Proteus and inject them into Benes' body, so they can break up the blood clot from the inside. Of course, one thing after another goes wrong and every chapter is a new catastrophe but it was definitely a fantastic voyage.   2 Stars Pros:  Grant is one dry character but he's a welcome bit of amusement in an otherwise serious and scientific novel.  Cons:  Grant is also SUCH a man that he spends most of the mission staring at saving the one woman board, Cora./Definitely ripe with anatomical lessons and what part of the body they were in. Since I've never been great at anatomy, a lot of it was lost on me and became burdensome near the end.  Full Review: As in all things, there is a good side and a bad side. This book is very vague as...
Post a Comment
Read more

Animal Farm by George Orwell

"A blithe and scathing commentary on equality, power, corruption and how everyone is created equal, but...some are more equal than others. Orwell hit the nail right on the head with this novel and it's no wonder it's a staple for most high school curriculums. " 3 Stars.  Pros:  Benjamin the Donkey is the smartest animal on the farm and it would have done all the others a world of good if they had listened to him in the first place.  Cons:  The fact that societies like this actually do exist is nauseating and terrible. It's not a con, per se, it's just a gut wrenching fact.  Full Review:  When the overworked and mistreated Animals on Manor Farm decide to rise up and overthrow their cruel master, they're successful. They rebel and now find themselves with an entire Farm to run. They rename it Animal Farm and are intent on creating a paradise, where work and play are equal, where productivity is key but relaxation is a must and all the lives of all the animal...
Post a Comment
Read more

The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian by Sherman Alexie.

"Arnold Spirit, Jr, or "Junior" as he's known on the Rez, does something no Spokane Indian has ever done. He enrolls in Reardon High School and begins the long and often painful process off navigating not only high school and adolescence but also being an outsider. Alexie handles it all with grace, humor and honesty. This was a great read. I would recommend it to anyone."  5 Stars Pros: Alexie handles the ups and downs of not only adolescence, but tragedy and loss in a stark, honest but gut wrenchingly relatable way.  Cons:  Some of Junior's all-consuming guilt, though understandable was a little repetitive but it's all part of being a teenager.  Full Review:  It all starts when Arnold Spirit Jr, or Junior, throws a textbook across the classroom. When he opened the book he saw his mother's name, her maiden name and it enrages him. He's furious that the reservation is so poor that they're learning from thirty-year old textbooks. He doesn't...
Post a Comment
Read more