"Tell Me Everything"

“Tell Me Everything”
Written by Cambria Brockman
Review written by Diana Iozzia / Bookworm Banter


“Tell Me Everything” was not the book that I expected it to be, which was disappointing. Now, according to the description, we have the main character, Malin, who quickly becomes a part of a strange friend group at a prestigious. Also, we read in the events and secrets that occur in this story will build up to a murder. Then, Malin will fight for the truth to stay hidden. So, I was wrong thinking this book to be a part of the “dark academia” genre, similar to “The Secret History”, “If We Were Villains”, “Black Chalk”, and more. Unfortunately, the entire book is all about the trials and lies each character in the friend group goes through, until the murder occurs at a point that I felt to be too late in the book. The resolution fell very flat for me.

So, after realizing about halfway through that I completely misread the story, I was determined to still enjoy the book. I think I did for the most part, but this book completely let down any expectation I had. For deep details of various college parties, awkward and sinister sexual encounters, and friendship betrayal, look no further.

The novel is told in three parts: as Malin is a child, suffering through the abuse and violence of her older brother Levi, the freshmen year of college, and the last year of college. We see how Malin’s horrific childhood allows her to develop into a secretive and vengeful character. The juxtaposition between the two different years of college also shows hints of positive and negative character development through for each character. However, I think having points of time in each year would have broadened the scope and provided a much richer and suspenseful story.

One of my main problems with the story is the branding and expectations. When we are told in the book’s description that the events build to a murder, readers either hope for a slow burn or a quick murder and deceitful coverup. Hoping this book was similar to other stories, I expected the murder to occur quickly with a suspenseful chain of events. Unfortunately, the chain of events occurred slowly and painstakingly. To be honest, none of the actions occurring in this story justified the murder. When I read a book for a suspenseful, chilling murder, I want it to be justified. I want to be satisfied that the character received its just desserts. I believe this book broke every expectation, as if it was a parody or satire of books like it. Sadly, this disappointed me, rather than excitingly surprising me. Also, the description describes Malin as a seductive protagonist. I’d describe her as a needy antagonist. She is only out for her own good. She self-describes herself as selfish. I often enjoy an unlikeable main character. One of those characters in which we love to hate them. Nope, I flat out just hated her. I did not really enjoy any of these characters in any circumstance.

To continue, I think the archetypal “tight-knit circle” of friends was not fleshed out enough. I think the exciting aspect of creating a seductive, secretive circle is ambitious, but not many of the characters felt like real people. When I read, I hope that the characters feel real. We bond with them or relate to them. Even if we do not like them, we understand their motives and morals. They feel all too stereotypical, but in the sense that there is no substance behind most of the characters.

Malin, Ruby, and John are the most fleshed out characters. Ruby is the most likeable out of the group, but she is still ridiculously unrealistic. Her diary entries describe every secret she is hiding, which surely would have been well-hidden if she was meaning to hide the secrets. John is the bullying, cheating boyfriend. We have Max, who is the pining, aloof, shy guy, who is a perfectly nice character, but we know nothing about the poor guy. I would have loved to have him be more of a focus. Gemma is the ‘slutty’ character, who had not a single, original thought. So many characters who fall into her archetype are written in much more depth by other authors. Last but not least, Khaled is hardly in the story at all. He’s a prince. He does drugs. That’s it. He flirts with every character.

Now, let’s move on to the things I do like about this story.

I will say that I like that Malin breaks the mold of her character’s archetype. She is described as the shy, less attractive friend who stays in the shadows of the more glamorous friends. She obsesses over the other characters in the group. She ‘doesn’t belong’. However, Malin stands out and becomes her own foil. I like that. 

Also, I love the setting. I love the way the buildings, the landscape, the soccer stadium, the dining halls, and more are described. There is a very realistic way that the author describes this college. It brought me back to the semester I spent at an in-person college, where I lived in a dorm. It also brought me back to the horrors of college and some of the reasons I left and continued my degree online. Cambria Brockman described the lovely, rose-tinted view of a prestigious New England university, but she also examined the dark, evil sides of young adults away for the first time. I haven’t felt so uncomfortable reading about college for a long time. Additionally, I also felt that her characters were very realistic in their dialogue and actions. Although I did not feel each character was developed enough, the descriptions of them felt plausible.

I also really liked that Brockman included a power balance dynamic. Malin and her professor’s TA engage in an illicit relationship. I felt this was portrayed very well and responsibly. The negatives were examined as well as the positives were. I do not always feel that way about these dynamics.
An aspect of the book that I feel a bit mixed about is the red herring style. On a case by case basis, I enjoy red herrings. If they’re done in a certain way. However, I think they should be minimal at best. This book breaks many molds, as I’ve mentioned before. There are constant red herrings, leading us to believe one thing will occur, but the book subverts our assumptions at every turn.

If you enjoy slow burn suspense novels, I’m sure you’d love this. I believe that most of my disappointment of this book was just misplaced expectations and a poor book description. I would really like to read more by this author. I still do recommend this book, but I think I would recommend going into it without any presumptions. I think this was a very ambitious book for a debut author, and I cannot wait to see where she goes from here.

I received a complimentary reader’s edition from the publisher in exchange for reading and reviewing purposes. Thank you to Ballentine Books at Random House.

"The Island"

"The Island"
Written by M.A. Bennett
Review written by Diana Iozzia

After reading "S.T.A.G.S." by M.A. Bennett, I was thoroughly excited to read her newest release, "The Island". This book is branded as a mix of a boarding school mystery and "Lord of The Flies". I was intrigued by both counterparts, because one of my favorite genres is dark academia, and I also enjoy readings survival stories. 

Link is our eccentric, self-branded nerd. We learn about him, his hobbies, his interests, and many of his dislikes. I am not a fan of link. I understand the author consulted her teen children and then wrote a perspective based on these thoughts and ideas, but the character feels very manufactured, as in he's an alien or a robot, only spouting out references to video games and current pop culture icons. These references date the book in an uncomfortable way. 

After growing tired of his bullies, Link wants an escape from the school where he doesn't fit in. His parents are flabbergasted, surprised how horribly he was treated, even though from the absolute start, they knew he was terribly bullied. His parents make a deal, that if he can spend two weeks at a summer camp, they will let him withdraw from the school and find one he likes more. He gets on a plane, with the only characters we've known from his school so far. Suspiciously only these characters. His bullies, the girls he likes. The plane crashes on a strange island, but none of the characters can remember the crash. 

We have a large portion of the book where Link establishes power over the group, by first teaching them to hunt, cook, and make shelters. He starts to manipulate those around him, threatening that if they do not obey, they will not eat. 

We eventually find out the major point of the crash, the whole explanation why the story has taken place. It is one of the worst reveals I have read in a book. I understand that this book is for teens and young adults, but as a twenty-two year old, I don't think I'm reading too far out of my age group. My younger brother is eighteen, and he never acted in any way that these teens do. I personally rarely encountered these types of teens. So, I do understand the ending, that this might appeal to teens, but I was exasperatedly unimpressed. 

I do not recommend this book, but I highly recommend "S.T.A.G.S", the first book by this author.

"If We Were Villains"

“If We Were Villains”

Written by M.L. Rio

Review written by Diana Iozzia

 

To write a review of a newly favorite book is a daunting task. To read a book and decide that it is a new favorite is equally as daunting. How do you push hundreds of other books to the side, in favor of this? Will this always be your favorite, or will something new be published and usurp the throne?

I read “If We Were Villains” during a very stormy and cold October week. I did not know much about this book, before I had borrowed it from the library and dug in. I had recorded it down while shopping, because I knew I had to read it. Sadly, I did not realize how much I would have liked it, or I would have bought it then on the spot.

As you begin reading “If We Were Villains”, you start reading through our narrator, Oliver’s perspective. Oliver is a meek, mild, and quiet young man. He is a student at a prestigious arts college, trying to keep up with the rigorous academia he and his fellow students have to endure. We see him as a man as well, released from prison for a crime he might not have committed. Knowing this allows us to feel suspense until the very moment of the murder.

This book draws very similar comparisons to books in this genre. Book reader communities as of late have created the genre name “dark academia”. The dark academia genre mainly incorporates darker, thriller-like stories, taking place at boarding schools and colleges. Similar titles among this genre are “Dead Poet’s Society”, “S.T.A.G.S.”, “A Secret History”, “Black Chalk”, “Long Black Veil”, and more. This genre is a personal favorite of mine.

The narratives in this book are half-prose, half-poetry. The narrative also takes place over five acts. The characters study art and drama program, which surrounds the work of William Shakespeare. The influence of the Shakespearean tragedy and drama heavily affects the themes, the narrative, and the characters of the story. When I first looked at the description of the book, I was sold on the idea of these characters at a drama school beginning to act more like their characters onstage. This was what I expected, but I received more than just that. The students take place in many plays and scenes from William Shakespeare. They participate in a cut-throat production of “The Tragedy of Julius Caesar”, “A Midsummer’s Night Dream”, “Macbeth”, “King Lear”, and “Romeo and Juliet”. Watching the characters as they prepare for each performance, as they complete each performance, is like reading a play, but imagining it flawlessly in your mind. It’s absolutely incredible to read through this story, if you are a fan of theatre.

To continue, I also found myself enjoying every scene. Like a fantastically well-written book, there are no scenes that seem superfluous. There are no scenes where the only point is a character making breakfast. We have characters in seemingly minor scenes, but the conversations and motives are mysterious and secretive, like a Shakespearean play. I have to admit, if you’re not familiar with the plays, it may help to do a refresh before beginning this book. The symbolism of the Shakespeare, reflected in the characters’ actions is well-implemented and may not be appreciated in the same light, if you do not know much about the plays.

This is not a spoiler-free review. Please do not continue on, if you fear any spoiled plot points.

To begin, we are launched back into time, as Oliver navigates through a tough regime of practicing, strict teachers, and an intriguing friend group. I began reading, not liking Oliver as a character. Something struck me as his character being similar to Nick Caraway’s from “The Great Gatsby”. Oliver seemed conceited and judgmental, as he watched from the sidelines. I believe I misinterpreted this. I quickly stopped disliking Oliver. I was right in thinking he is not the center of attention, but this does not make him an unlikeable character.

To continue, the book has an intensity that is absolutely gripping and draws you in, like quicksand. The characters are well-developed, but they fall into a stereotype which feels natural. I understand these stereotypes, because our characters begin to act like their fictional counterparts. The characters are:

Oliver, the quiet observer

Wren, the quiet, mousy but mysterious character

Richard, the cruel, boisterous bully

James, the sensitive, caring anti-hero

Alexander, the flirty, fun friend, with a drug problem

Filippa, the sweet, caring, mothering friend

Meredith, the seductress

An early surprise is that in conversation with the police officer who arrested Oliver years ago, we read “he” in reference to the murder victim, indicating that Oliver could have killed either Richard, James, or Alexander. Early on, I predicted that James and Richard, two cutthroat rivals, would be involved in the murder. I also correctly predicted that James, the anti-hero, would kill Richard. Out of secret (but not subtle) love for James, Oliver would take responsibility for the crime. James has an accidental violent streak at first, but we seem to watch him build towards a more aggressive but protective hero. The rivalry between James and Richard kick-starts, as James is cast as Macbeth, a surprise.

To be honest, one of my favorite scenes is the Halloween performance of Macbeth. Without a shred of doubt, my mind was transported to this lake, with wooden logs as seats, as our characters perform some of the most vital scenes of the play. It’s intense and uncomfortable, as we start to worry more and more when the murder will occur. Act One eerily culminates in a game of chicken, in which Richard and James fight, Richard holding’s James’s head under the water for too long.

In Act Two, we see Filippa picking up Oliver from prison, after his release. She informs him that Alexander and Meredith are doing well, eliminating Alexander from our list of possible murder victims. This does not dismiss him as a possible murderer, however.

We launch back into the past, to read of the horrific lead-up to “Julius Caesar”. We are absolutely on the edge of our seats, as we see the rivalry between Richard and the other characters continue. Richard seems more abusive towards Meredith, his girlfriend. Richard injures Oliver and James, as they practice the assassination scene from “Julius Caesar”. The play performance of this is absolutely incredible, the reader fearing that there will be an accident on stage, killing Caesar, not just figuratively.

During a cast party to celebrate the finished run of “JC”, the characters get wildly out of hand. Meredith and James become drunk and too flirty. Richard and Wren, who are cousins, had fought. James and Richard begin to argue. Alexander is nowhere to be found. Filippa is all over the place, like always. Act Two concludes with our characters, watching Richard, lethally injured, floating in the lake. His neck appears to be broken, and his face was smashed in.

Act Three has us wonder if Richard can be saved. Alexander convinces the rest of them to let Richard die. They arrange their stories for the police investigation, that they had all come to the lakeside, and found him floating. I was quite surprised that the book did not take a turn, where the characters buried the body and tried to hide the evidence. The characters’ reaction does not often occur in thrillers.

It appears very clear that James has killed Richard, but our narrator, Oliver is not sure. He is secretly in love with James, and there might be some love requited. However, Oliver is grasping at straws to believe that James is innocent. I absolutely love James, so it hurts me as a reader to imagine that this poor young man could have killed Richard. Like most Shakespearean plays, it does beg the question: is justice served, if the murdered was quite evil? Often, William Shakespeare poses this question. Tybalt, in “Romeo and Juliet”, is ruthless and driven by rivalry, but does that excuse Romeo for killing him? We do not want to empathize, when we suspect James, but we can’t help it. Tell me, would you kill someone who could very likely kill the person you love? I don’t know that I wouldn’t.

We continue reading to see Richard’s memorial. For a moment or two, I was suspicious that Wren could have killed Richard. We receive little red herrings, like her dry eyes, her “tragic” laugh. I soon shook that thought out of my mind, because it wouldn’t make sense for her to kill her cousin, even if he was a terrible bully. Later in act three, we also see some foreshadowing or red herrings for Wren. There is significant mention of “Hamlet”, with a dead sparrow reference. Wren / sparrow / bird. Birds are foreboding messengers of death; this is a red herring done correctly. Her last name is also Stirling, which is close to the bird breed, Starling.

I have to mention that the way the characters are portrayed. As I mentioned, we have our stereotypes. Alexander is gay and a drug addict. However, he is not over the top in any sense. He seems very natural and realistic. If he didn’t speak about seeing the character, Colin, you wouldn’t think he’d be gay at all. This is refreshing, because all too often, we have gay characters that are outrageous and offensively stereotypical. To continue, Filippa is a kind, mothering character. We see her carefully take care of Wren and soothe her as she mourns her cousin.

Act Three concludes as we see the characters perform in the Christmas ball, a fantastic set of scenes. The performance is “Romeo and Juliet”, but it is performed in the audience as well. During the major scene of the ball at the Capulet house, where Romeo and Juliet meet for the first time, characters dance with audience members and interact on the ballroom floor. I imagine this scene in my mind, and it looks incredible. This entire book would be executed phenomenally, in film form. I would even encourage a dark mini-series.

Act Four begins. We really see the insanity inside James now. He accidentally breaks Oliver’s nose, during a failed combat scene for the killing scene in “King Lear”.  Alexander overdoses, from the stress of the murder and his cocaine addiction. Oliver’s jealousy and equal love for James is completely consuming him.

Act Five shows James absolutely insane. This is a true Shakespearean hero turned villain. He fights with characters, practically drags Wren to bed with him. Oliver discovers a rusted, bloodied boat hook under James’s mattress. Oliver realizes that this weapon could be the weapon that was used for killing Richard. Out of devotion to James and fear for James’s livelihood, Oliver admits to the crime.

Sadly, we find out from Filippa years later, that James had killed himself six years prior to Oliver’s release. However, his body was never found…

Conclusion

As I mentioned earlier, this has become my new favorite book. This book is utterly incredible. I have never read anything that I have liked as much. I can understand why readers of this book can be a bit divided. Like “The Tragedy of Julius Caesar”, we readers question our own morals. Would we kill out of protection and fear? Would we protect those who we love? How do we protect them? We start sympathizing with the villains in this book, based on our own moral codes. I think that is one of the most fear-inducing elements of this story.