Scan barcode
A review by kalventure
Very Bad People by Kit Frick
Overall I enjoyed this one, but imagine you read an entire book and the very last paragraph makes you groan and leaves a sour taste in your mouth. 😭
"It's the Bolan girls. The ones who survived. We don't live in a fairy tale, but people regard us, sometimes, as if we are more story than girl. More myth than flesh that hurts and bleeds and grieves."
Sixteen year old Calliope lives in a small town in the Adirondacks with her father and two younger sisters, a life where she is known by everyone and her trauma is common knowledge. I can't imagine having the worst day of my life on everyone's mind and being something I cannot escape, so my heart instantly hurt for Calliope and her family. The hometown she never envisioned leaving suddenly became a place she couldn't wait to escape.
Mysteries old and new collide when sixteen year old Calliope transfers to Tipton Academy and she realizes there may be more to the "accident" that caused her mother's death six years ago. She's almost immediately tapped to join Haunt and Rail, the only active secret society at the academy. But where most secret societies brim with privilege and elitism, Haunt and Rail serves as a social justice society that encourages the school and community to do better.
Mysteries old and new collide when sixteen year old Calliope transfers to Tipton Academy and she realizes there may be more to the "accident" that caused her mother's death six years ago. She's almost immediately tapped to join Haunt and Rail, the only active secret society at the academy. But where most secret societies brim with privilege and elitism, Haunt and Rail serves as a social justice society that encourages the school and community to do better.
"The society's purpose will be to haunt and rail, that is to clandestinely observe injustices, inequities, and bad actors at Tipton Academy, and to rail against their wrongs."
A girl who's been searching for where she belongs, Calliope finds her place at Tipton and a purpose within Haunt and Rail. But are things as good as they seem?
Full of moral quandaries and ethical debate, Calliope is forced to reconcile her belief in the rules with disruption of inspiring change. Is it wrong to break a rule if it is for a good reason? If so, how big of a rule can you break before it skews into Bad Territory?
Full of moral quandaries and ethical debate, Calliope is forced to reconcile her belief in the rules with disruption of inspiring change. Is it wrong to break a rule if it is for a good reason? If so, how big of a rule can you break before it skews into Bad Territory?
"Tipton guards its own, even when it means protecting very bad people."
I loved the subtle critique on the systems in place that make progress difficult and how Tipton Academy basically serves as a microcosm for society at large. The people in power protect their own and the systems in place are built to maintain the status quo. The red tape and bureaucracies, how often (student) government actions make little progress at all; it highlights not only the need for social justice but also importance of awareness campaigns... and how they must appeal to what people care about.
“I came back to Tipton ready to open my eyes to the real story, messy and imperfect, and that’s exactly what I got.”
While I wasn't fully invested in any of the characters per se, I really liked the relationship between Calliope and Nico. They are just two kids who have no idea what they're doing, full of awkward behavior and assumptions. It was so refreshing to see Calliope be brave and direct, expressing not only what she wants and asking for permission, but also seeking clarification to avoid misunderstandings.
This is a book that's a wild ride, fully engaging with a web of secrets and mysteries the reader and Calliope must unravel together. The writing style is very blunt and to the point, which makes it easy to consume in one sitting. The ending isn't quite what I like to see in a book, but I can understand why Kit wrote it the way she did (doesn't mean I like it though!). If you like your characters morally grey, then Very Bad People is a must-read!
eARC provided by the publisher for my honest review. This does not impact my opinions of the book nor the contents of my review. Quotations are from an unfinished proof and subject to change upon final publication.
This is a book that's a wild ride, fully engaging with a web of secrets and mysteries the reader and Calliope must unravel together. The writing style is very blunt and to the point, which makes it easy to consume in one sitting. The ending isn't quite what I like to see in a book, but I can understand why Kit wrote it the way she did (doesn't mean I like it though!). If you like your characters morally grey, then Very Bad People is a must-read!
eARC provided by the publisher for my honest review. This does not impact my opinions of the book nor the contents of my review. Quotations are from an unfinished proof and subject to change upon final publication.