Montello High: School of Gangsters

by Shiela May Familaran, sielalstreim

High school is a time to be carefree and happy. Ngunit matutuklasan ni Summer Leondale na hindi ito ang kaso sa Montello High, a school where nothing seems to be normal at kung saan lahat ay puno ng tensiyon at aksiyon.

Try as she may to stay away from trouble, Summer always finds herself caught in the middle of two rival gangs: Black Government and Dark Monarch. Bukod sa mga misteryong unti-unti niyang nadidiskubre at mga death threats na natatanggap niya, Summer has to deal with her ridiculously good-looking schoolmates Tyler, Jin, and Van, who keep on giving her mixed signals.

Isang malaking hamon ang makatagal sa isang school katulad ng Montello High. Kailangan maging maingat ni Summer because the enemy is much closer than she thinks.

Genres: Romance, Mystery, Love, Young Adult, Enemies To Lovers, Ebooks

Mass Market Paperback

Published September 9, 2023

About the author

Known as Sielalstreim in wattpad

Reviews

[See Ya · Rating 4 out of 5]

Saw in the bookstand, promo of Summit media na may libreng lumang magazine. First, wala masyadong interest. Pero sayang ang promo.

Yun pala masyado ko 'tong nahusgahan.

Because it's BEAUTIFUL. Guys, hindi 'to OA pero promise isa 'to sa mga best books I've ever read as in super, based on my standards. Hindi siya perfect—oo, may mga grammar problems and typos. Isisisi ko yan sa editor and publisher. Magaling kasi ang author.
Why?

1.) Summer Leondale. A strong, impulsive, mysterious, brave and annoying character I learned to love through the pages.

2.) Speaking of pages masyadong pampa-page-turner ang librong ito kasi solid ang curiosity feeling every paragraph.

3.) Ang gangsters. Not the cliche, porket-cute-and-medyo-bad-boy-gangster-na-agad type. REAL gangsters. Sa una nga nagbuntong-hininga ako kasi gangsters na naman. Pero...naaawp!

4.) Van Freniere. HAKAHSHSISNDDHJD. Basahin niyo para makarelate ka.

5.) The flow of the story. Hindi basta isusulpot ang background story nito or niyan agad-agad like most of the pop fictions. It waits for the right time and the right timing.

6.) The characters. Icompare mo sa pagka-solid ng characters sa Harry Potter. Ganun 'to kaperfectly visualized.

7.) Incidents. Very unpredictable.

8.) Plot. Ang fresh nang story na 'to para sa'kin.

9.) Wise words, quotable sentences and dialogues.

10.) The FEEEEEELS.

Well, WARNING: wag mong susukuan ang grammar probs tulad ng mga 'was' and past-tense words na hindi naman dapat nakapast-tense, ang ugali ni Summer, and etc sa umpisa. Don't give up on the flaws of this book until page 200. Because starting from that page, the real story and everything nice is really close to its start.
Saka you will learn to love Summer Leondale, understand and be considerate of the grammar (konti lang naman siya guys. Kung tutuusin medyo deep and intelligent words din ang ginagamit most of the time), and some flaws because the story itself is REWARDING.

Recommended. Trust me. You will love this book. :)

[Josephine L. · Rating 5 out of 5]

5 out of 5 stars!!!
THIS BOOK IS JUST SO AMAZING!

Okay. This story is amazing and the author, herself. I admire the author so much like how I admire Summer's attitude. I remember declining all the gangster-stories on my friends' book recommendations list for I am not really a fan of those. But I got so curious about this book. It's like everyone is really waiting for this book to be published. And I was like, wow. This book deserves a try.

And I am really glad that I did.

When I saw the book in the bookstore, I immediately grabbed it. I started reading it after two days, and as I read the first chapters I really can't stop myself from reading this amazing book! I really can't put it down. And when I finished it, I want more.

And another thing I love about this story is its unpredictability. Usually, I already know(by guessing) a story's twist after reading a few chapters but Montello High is really different! I felt like I'm reading Hunger Games. This book brought out all my emotions. Definitely a must-read!

I really admire Summer Leondale and Van Freniere. Jin, Zach, Jamie and Mirden, too. Actually, almost all the protagonists. But my favorite is, Tyler Del Valle. Who wouldn't remember this young boy who showed us his great heroism? He made me cry so bad. I remember Gavroche from Les Misérables through him. Thank you, Tyler, for protecting Summer.

Hand down to Ms. Shiela May Familaran for this great story. Thank you for making me laugh, love, cry, confused, curious, angry and scared. You are wonderful.

Montello High, see you at the movie theater soon! You are my one of my ultimate favorite books ever.

[M. · Rating 5 out of 5]

WILL EDIT THIS REVIEW IF I HAVE THE BOOK!

5 FREAKING STARS FOR THE EVERYTHING! NO WORDS CAN EXPRESS HOW MUCH I LOVE THIS STORY. <3

[Chenley Cabaluna · Rating 5 out of 5]

Yung Wattpad version lang ang nabasa ko. Hindi ko pa nababasa yung naging book. I'll be totally honest pero prejudiced ko lahat ng gawa sa wattpad noon. Lalo na 'to. Sabi ko, ano ba yan, may gangster na naman sa title! Hahahaha. Alam kong hindi ako ang audience ng mga story sa wattpad so wala akong karapatan maki-chorva dun pero I was totally wrong! Ahahaha! Ang daming magaling na author & writer dun. Hindi lahat ng nasa wattpad eh landian lang okay. May mga hidden treasures. Ahaha. Isa na ito dun. Ang ganda nito. Para akong nanunuod ng series sa HBO or nanunuod ng anime. Alam ko kung maganda or hindi dahil I've read a lot of books before this.

Alam kong maganda ang isang gawa kapag hindi ko siya maibaba. Kapag hindi ko siya mahintong basahin. Kapag alam mo yun, inuna mo na siya kesa sa physiologic needs mo HAHAHAHA. Isa ito sa mga nakasira ng sistema ko for a while and kept me awake till the break of the dawn. Hihi.

[Rhea · Rating 5 out of 5]

IT'S 5/5 'COZ I'VE GONE GAGA OVER THIS PIECE!

I love the dark and mysterious personally of Van-uuhhhm, right! I actually love everything about Giovanni Freniere. He may not be the perfect prince charming but for me he's one of those perfect protagonists I love to have in my book collections.

Summer, on the other hand portrays a badass chic character. She’s in between the row of bravery and stupidity. I'm super duper like her attitude.

Another character I would not forget is Detective Penber-the Sherlock Holmes of the story. He’s like the chess master tryin’ to control every game. And yeah, making the story of Van and Summer really thrilling.

Everything about this piece is amazing from the plot, character and the way Siel wrote it. Also, the lines-the lines that made the story even more interesting. Ahamazing indeed just like the author herself. A Filipino fiction treasure.

[Kim · Rating 4 out of 5]

I was not able to read this book on wattpad but when I saw the physical copy of this book, I decided to give it a try. First, the cover really got my attention. I like how the outside looks like.

When I got into the reading process, I was very amazed with how the sequence of events went. Very unpredictable and thrilling. Every sentence is worth reading.

The only flaw that I found in this book is the romantic parts. It doesnt have much spark. It couldve been written better in a short yet sweet form. Unfortunately, the romance parts were not as good as the parts where there are actions and exciting exchange of witty comebacks.

This book is really worth it for just 250 pesos. Definitely recommended for everyone to read. Best for teens who are looking for an action-packed story.

:)

[Kristine · Rating 4 out of 5]

I GOT HOOKED! This is so addictive to the nth level! Kudos for the author (Y)

I couldn't put this down from the moment I've read the first chapter! This is really how I love the book, I got seriously pissed when someone or something always interrupted me in reading MHSG. I love the pacing, development of the story, emotional chapters etc. Hopefully this one must be turned into a good movie adaptation.

Well, Summer is an irritating annoyingly bitch ("confident woman") but I can't hate her because that is what makes her unique.

As for the other characters mainly the guys, Jin, Tyler, Makki and Van I will really miss you!

[Leslie Ann · Rating 5 out of 5]

One thing implanted in my mind after reading this amazing story is that the eight hours straight of reading it was definitely worth it! Reading this story from chapter one till the end gave me a never ending thrill. Para ka kasing nasa loob ng Labyrinth trying to figure things out...with full of questions and unexpected answers from the thrilling twist and turns of events because of the characters unpredictable move and thoughts in the story.

Im always lost with words whenever I attempt to describe this story with just one word. Amazing? Superb? Great? Hindi ko alam. It feels like no words are enough to express well a reader's multiple feelings towards this story.

[Ica · Rating 5 out of 5]

Discovered this book in it's early/starting stage. And I got hooked immediately! I was never one to wait paitently for updates specially if the book only has like 2-3 chapters and I know that there's still more to come, but Montello was one of the excemptions!

[Pandayan Bookshop]

Mabuhay po! Nag start na po tayo magdeliver sa lahat ng branches ng Pandayan Bookshop :). Salamat po!

[E N Z O · Rating 2 out of 5]

2 STARS

RTC

[shaikyutipatootie · Rating 5 out of 5]

8/10

I reread it because I remember that it’s good (first read when I was 11 or 12). I’d like to give credits to the author for updating it, since Wattpad used to be cringe because of the humor and style difference from 2010’s to 2020’s. The writing and dialogues definitely had gone better. The remaining 2 points was because it wasn’t a good romance book, but it’s definitely a good thriller/action story, and the plot was a 10/10. It was unpredictable.

The characters are written well and have a strong sense of identity, you'll really recognize them even without a name. The gangsters aren't the cliche type you see in books — Montello High students are surely twisted and bad. Although honestly, the story didn't get the gangsters to show much of their badboy/rebellious sides (besides beating each other up sometimes). I didn't see the gangster factor honestly besides kay Jin, Van, Zach, Brent, and some of the female students since they actually did something.
Van - no doubt a bad boy and a gangster
Jin - did a lot of risky things
Zach - invite fights
Brent - threaten Summer
Girls - beat Summer up twice
Makki and Ethan did participate in gang fights like twice or thrice in the whole book, but if you're that's it. I wouldn't call them gangsters just cause they're in a group.

Personally, I think Van need to grovel first after all the harshness he gave to Summer (although Summer was immature and hardheaded too, but her little violence towards him was justifiable, Van isn’t), and that saving her life multiple times don’t excuse him from being harsh and disrespectful on her in the past.

The epilogue was a little bad, it really wasn’t enough that the author ended it with an open ended date (the book 2 explained that it was only a little celebration and kainan with friends at the Freniere Mansion, that’s disappointing) after the senior’s graduation. The graduation scene of the seniors (Zach’s speech carried) was good, but after that, it could’ve been a private date somewhere with Van finally saying what Summer had been asking him for (she asked in the epilogue “When are you gonna say those words” while they’re in the car on the way to eat at the Freniere mansion and Van explained how he doesn’t have to because words can’t express it then he kissed her. LIKE? MAKE AN EFFORT TO EXPRESS YOUR LOVE WITH WORDS? He already kissed her, and now he can’t say “I love you” when his love is asking for it? Summer was convinced that they don’t need to say I love yous because they act on it, yes, but she wants clarity still) — an apology to start and then “I love you” or “Be my girlfriend” something to complete the story.

A romantic ending would’ve been perfect after 50 chapters of action and thrill with a side of spark between Van and Summer. The book was almost perfect.

The special chapters literally ruined the story. THEY DON’T HAVE A LABEL YET! Summer even hated that. She literally fought him because he’s always gone and because it’s been a year after their first no-i-love-you confession (the confession was only them begging the enemies to stop hurting the other because of how they feel) and yet they’re still unofficial (very serious situationship, could’ve been official since Van suggested that they marry in the end (instead of GF and BF first) (though I find that cute that Van offered her marriage instead of just a relationship and he kinds complained cause Summer rejected that idea since they're still young)).

[Kapayapaan · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5 ⭐️

MHSG will always have a soft spot in my heart—ultimately one of the best things Wattpad has offered. Fell in love with it in 2012 and still in love with it more than a decade after. That said, I have read this book far too many times already and subjectively, I would give it 5 ⭐️ due to the mere fact that it was released at the time when Wattpad was mostly dominated by subpar series that has managed to gain popularity. Not only that, it was one of my safe space when I was young. I hold this story—this book, close to my heart.

Objectively, I give it 3.5 ⭐️ now that I am older.

Pop Fiction, knowing that this monstrosity of a story appeals to the reader as it is, didn't cut any parts. For its first printing in 2014, the version was not even properly proofread with multiple grammatical errors and typos which is, I'm sure, product of ate Shiela doing it on her own without a copyreader's help. The one published was similar to what's in Wattpad, word for word. For the second printing in 2023, the grammatical error and typos were fewee yet none of the unnecessary scenes (scenes that doesn't affect the main plot) were removed. This caused the book to be too long and dragging. Not an issue for a fan like me but this could be less appealing to new readers. To have a book be published this way is a bit questionable on the editor's part. My unbiased judgment is that, the book is too long and it could be improved by removing some words or rephrasing some sentence/paragraphs.

Additionally, one of the reason why it is long is due to Summer, the main protagonist's, very detailed and repetitive description about her encounter with the other characters, her surroundings, and her feelings. Many times, Summer would make her feelings already clear and then repeat these sentiments over and over. Not only that, Summer always make it a point to describe the physical appearance of the characters she's interacting with, especially with her love interest, Van Freniere. I lost count the number of times Summer has commented how handsome and hot Van is.

The beginning of Summer's "connection" with other characters were also not built up. The interest they gave her in the beginning of the story is a bit sudden instantaneous. Example being: Jin's instant crush, Tyler's instant admiration on their first meeting, and Van's instant possesiveness just after seeing/learning (about) THE baddas Summer.

Other than that, the characters who grew on me when I was young, grew on me once more by the latter part of the first half of the book. They are all nuanced and serve their purpose to the story while also adding to the book's appeal. My favorites (in order from most fave): Sebastian, Ethan, Tyler/Van, Summer, and Henrietta remains the loveliest part of the book for me. They are as complex, as unhinged, and as compelling as I remember.

This is highly recommened for millenials who feels nostalgic about Wattpad's 2010s era; for fans of anime, manga, and manhwa; and for readers who liked the niche high school mafia genre.

[Eugene Alexander Miguel · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is really one of my favorite OG wattpad na super gusto ko. I’ve read this book several times in my lifetime and decided to purchased a boxed set copy recently on Pop fiction and re-read it again and it was so worth it.

This book is really perfection. I really love it how the author captivates my emotion and interests by the characters she created like Henrietta Arturia, Trinity Domingo, Maximus Brown.. sila talaga mga bias ko.

+ the way she describe the settings, Freniere mansion, black roses, Arturia Christmas ball, dark fairytale it is!


The first two to three chapters of this book was dull pero after non, hooked na ako. The Elixir of Life, Maximus Brown as a Christmas ball date, Summer in Arturia university, Autumn holding a gun super memorable talaga neto sakin and it still give me the same feels nung binabasa to ng 16 years old self ko.

This is one of the books na AYOKO magkaroon ng movie adaptation or live action since it might not exceed our expectations, or if ever meron man, it would be anime.

Random thoughts lang din, Natatakot ako basahin yung Snow White is a Gangster since I remember nabasa ko na din sya before pero di masyadong tumatak gaya ng Montello High.. Idk kung matatapatan ba neto ang expectations ko especially Henrietta is one of my fave characters since then.

Pero yun, thank you Sielalstreim for making my past and present self happy thru your writing! Mabuhay ka!

[belle · Rating 3 out of 5]

I have to say, this book is just okay, which makes sense considering it was written back in 2013 (if I’m not mistaken). Honestly, I probably would have loved it when I was a 14-year-old girl who spent all her free time devouring Wattpad stories.

I didn’t go into it expecting something amazing, especially knowing when it was written, but I did have high hopes for the main character—Summer Leondale. She’s supposed to be this cool, badass girl, and while she certainly had the potential to be that, I feel like it wasn’t fully realized. At times, I could relate to her, but more often than not, she was just so frustrating. I really wanted to see the ‘cool’ girl everyone keeps talking about, but instead, she came off as more cringe-worthy than anything else.

And then there’s Tyler. I seriously can’t stand it when authors give a character a traumatic backstory, make them suffer emotionally throughout the entire book, only to kill them off in the end. It feels like unnecessary emotional manipulation, and it’s a personal pet peeve of mine.

Many of the characters in this book are pretty insensitive, but I understand that this might be a reflection of the time it was written. While I didn’t love the book, I didn’t hate it either. It’s just not my cup of tea.

That said, I’m still planning to read the next book, so here’s hoping it’s better!

[aliquor · Rating 5 out of 5]

If there was anything I learned from Summer Leondale, it would be to trust my instincts and guts. And my guts says to write a review so I'm gonna do it right now.

At first, I was like "Is this some cliché novel?" because I wasn't a fan of 'gangsters stories'. But the thing is, I couldn't put it away.

I mean yeah sure, Summer's words hurt sometimes, especially when she was shooing her friends. Summer's personality is bitchy, annoying sometimes but she has this fiery aura that I love. I would love to have a friend like her.

There are stories that are supposed to touch your heart. Stories which you know you will miss to the point that just knowing it will come to an end your heart just—aches. And this story is one of those. I learned a lot, thank you so much!

Summer, you said that you hope that
somehow, someone out there will
remember you. Someone knows you. Some who completely know your story, how it began, and how it ended. And you said that you hope that that person will keep you. You hope that
person will find a place in their hearts to
keep your memories. You don't need to hope anymore Summer, you took me in already, and I'm sure as hell that your story found a special place in my heart to keep your memories.

Im hurting, I don't want to let you go...

[Ivy Zabat · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is one of my most favorite novels that I discovered in Wattpad. I was already hooked on the first chapter, even when I read it for the second time.

One thing I really loved about the author's way of writing is she never tells the readers what to feel. Summer Leondale, the brave protagonist, already has the power to voice out her feelings through words. Humans have the ability to recall, and by that, the author used that to tug the heartstrings of her readers. She successfully captured the right emotions for a particular part of the story. I remember the part when Tyler died. God, the words that Summer used; the part where she recalled all their memories; her regrets - they all came flashing back and it made me cry so much. It hurt. And her plot twists. She knew when to drop the bomb, and I just cannot help but ask for more till I reached the end.

One thing I did not really like was the fact that Summer Leondale is too stupid. She acts before she thinks. I cannot count how many times I want to tie her up and lock her in a cage and drop her to the ocean.

[sheine · Rating 5 out of 5]

AAAAAAAAAHHHH it’s so nostalgic reading this again after 6? years!

This is one of the books that made me love reading when I first discovered Wattpad and even though at first I couldn’t remember the story, I knew that when I was younger, this book was my favorite… and reading this again, I must say it’s really such a great book!

I love Van, Summer, Jin, Makki, and everyone from the story! I am so happy I have this book for years now and finally decided to read it again.

I love the concept of the book, the gangster trope, the mafia themes, the enemies to lovers… AHHHH I feel like a kid reading this again. It makes my inner child so happy, lol.

Definitely a 5-star read! I got to read it in just one day, knowing that the book was 500+ pages. It’s a page turner and a book you’ll definitely get hooked. Love love love it!

[silvermist · Rating 5 out of 5]

I've read this when I was in high school and I'm a 3rd year college student now. I've re-read this a couple times and I will never get tired of reading it again. What I love about the author is that her writing will always be SUPERB (I'm not exaggerating since it's true). This story was published on year 2012 ( if I'm not mistaken) and the writing isn't "jejemon", you know typical writing style before and it's one of the reasons why I love it. I came to the point where I argued with many disrespectful readers just to defend the story and the author. My, it's really a shame that I can't explain how much I love the story and how big is my adoration for ate Siel. The author inspires me so much, so are her female characters. This is one of the best stories and it is my comfort story when I'm bored, sad, etc. I'm very thankful for the author for making this masterpiece.

[kimimaginary · Rating 5 out of 5]

I love that this was not some cringe-worthy romance book, but the amount of secondhand embarrassment I got for Summer was insufferable lol, and I also like that it wasn't focused that much on the love story and how the characters had something going on their own yet correlated with each other, which made the plot very interesting.

Overall, this is just the perfect book for me and my personality; even my fingers couldn't count how many times I have already read it! Hence, this Montello High was five stars for me. The only problem I had with this book was that there was no second book about Summer and Giovanni. Highly recommended book!

[Lindie · Rating 3 out of 5]

Remember this book from High School Days, still on progress at that time. Me and my classmates we're all waiting for chapter update because we're all hooked. I want to read the Physical Book since didn't have the chance to buy one. So yeah, hoping for the book to be reprinted. :)

[Maria Goo · Rating 2 out of 5]

Read the Wattpad version.
Fairly entertaining but the writing tone for the narration and character dialogues are inconsistent.
Gets cringy and overdramatic at times, most especially at the last parts.
Not a fan of the last part of the story.

[jey⋆.˚ · Rating 5 out of 5]

At first I thought this book was just another "gangster" kinda stories with some cliché plots. BOY I WAS WRONG, I LOVE THE WHOLE CONCEPT OF THIS STORY AND OH MY DON'T EVEN GET ME STARTED WITH GIOVANNI FRENIERE.

[Colleen Tac-On · Rating 5 out of 5]

Nice Story

[Rea Rubrico · Rating 5 out of 5]

The best wattpad book I have read. Not your typical gangster/mafia story. And the words were just awesome just like the author ❤

[Sui · Rating 4 out of 5]

A must read for those who admire villains, mafias and Superwoman wannabes. Really enjoyed the spinning of tough events inside Montello High.

I'm so ready for Book TWO.

[☽｡⋆ Shells (jlreads_) · Rating 5 out of 5]

The one of the best action book

[Johnreyz'Kie Honzkie · Rating 5 out of 5]

🙄

[Aramae Laborte · Rating 5 out of 5]

Very nice😀

[Jackie Yao · Rating 4 out of 5]

iwant to read this