Good morning everyone. Last night I finished a great book and today I am here to review it! 😀

To Best The Boys by Mary Weber (Goodreads)

Every year for the past fifty-four years, the residents of Pinsbury Port receive a mysterious letter inviting all eligible-aged boys to compete for an esteemed scholarship to the all-male Stemwick University. Every year, the poorer residents look to see that their names are on the list. The wealthier look to see how likely their sons are to survive. And Rhen Tellur opens it to see if she can derive which substances the ink and parchment are created from, using her father’s microscope.

In the province of Caldon, where women are trained in wifely duties and men are encouraged into collegiate education, sixteen-year-old Rhen Tellur wants nothing more than to become a scientist. As the poor of her seaside town fall prey to a deadly disease, she and her father work desperately to find a cure. But when her Mum succumbs to it as well? Rhen decides to take the future into her own hands—through the annual all-male scholarship competition.

With her cousin, Seleni, by her side, the girls don disguises and enter Mr. Holm’s labyrinth, to best the boys and claim the scholarship prize. Except not everyone’s ready for a girl who doesn’t know her place. And not everyone survives the maze.

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My Review: 

WOW. YOU GUYS. THIS BOOK.

For me, To Best The Boys was one of those books I wasn’t sure if I was going to enjoy or not. I read it anyway and ended up loving it! 😀

One of my favorite parts of To Best The Boys was the writing style. It was constantly painting pictures in my mind. Another part I loved was the characters. They were awesome.

I think my favorite character was actually Seleni. I loved her personality and that even though she is an Upper, she did not act like one! I also really enjoyed reading about Lute and Rhen. (totally ship them, by the way!!) I loved the way they both persistently fought for what they cared for! Beryll was an interesting character… I still can’t decide if I like him or not. AND VINCENT KING. AHHHHH. He bugged me. So much. I never liked him. (especially at that one plot twist towards the end that I DID NOT expect AT ALL. LIKE WHAT???) And Holm. I’m still kinda mindblown about that whole thing…

(Also, I loved all the characters names! :D)

Another thing… I’m still kinda left wondering and wanting more. I feel like the author maybe could have wrapped things up a little more tightly??

Overall, I’m very glad I read this book. It had great characters, awesome world building, a wonderful plot (just the whole Labyrinth Contest thing is awesome), and a GORGEOUS cover! 4.5 stars.

Recommended for 13+

**I received a free copy in exchange for an honest review. A positive review was not required.**

NOTE: This book contains no Christian content, values, or characters whatsoever even though it was published by Thomas Nelson.

And there you have it, my thoughts on To Best The Boys.

So…

Will you be reading To Best The Boys? Did you enjoy my review? Should I do review more often?

Photo by Susan Yin on Unsplash

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