What do you think?
Rate this book
The Exclusives
In 1996, Josephine Grey and Freya Seymour are best friends and on the brink of great success. Both are students at the elite private school Greenwood Hall and Josephine, the daughter of the advisor to the Prime Minister, is heading for everything she has ever worked Head Girl, Oxford, the demons of her mother finally abated once and for all. But in 2014, Josephine is hiding in Jordan — and has been for eighteen years since those catastrophic events in her last year at school. And then one day she is found. Freya, whom she has not seen since those fateful four months, insists on meeting to revisit their difficult past once and for all and finally lay to rest the events that have haunted their adult lives ever since. But Josephine can’t bear to — it only took one night for their whole lives, friendship, and even selves to unravel beyond comprehension. They have done truly terrible things to one another in the name of survival. She most of all. All she has ever wanted was to forget, but Freya is no longer willing to let her and now at last, Josephine is to meet her reckoning… The Exclusives is a gripping and emotional thriller that explores the power the past can have on our present and confronts how far we are willing to go when everything we prize is threatened.
378 pages, Paperback
First published December 3, 2015
21 people are currently reading
847 people want to read
About the author
Rebecca Thornton
9 books49 followersREBECCA THORNTON is a journalist and runs an online advertising business. Her work has been published in Prospect magazine, the Daily Mail, the Jewish News, and the Sunday People. She was acting editor of an arts and culture magazine based in Jordan, and she’s reported from Kosovo, London, and elsewhere in the Middle East. Rebecca is a graduate of the Faber Academy and The Exclusives is her first novel. She lives in London.
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 30 of 114 reviews
January 22, 2016
There's just something about boarding schools that capture my imagination. Not sure why, because I'm pretty sure I would have floundered in the kind of pressured, oppressive, close knit community Thornton relates in these pages. Yet it is precisely this atmosphere that makes the plotline work so well in this book. The two main characters, Josephine and Freya, are essentially trapped together. At first, as friends, this creates the tightest of relationships. Afterwards, it is one of the motivating factors in the degeneration of their friendship and personal morality.
But this is no schoolyard fall out. What the book is really about is the opposing ways people cope with trauma and tragedy. How such things can ruin lives in the biggest or most subtle ways. Thornton's brilliance is in the way she portrays these fissures in the very nature of the two girls without needing to reveal all the details until the end. The tension was so high in parts that it made me feel uncomfortable. If she hadn't hooked me so hard with Jo, especially, I might have put the book down. In both Freya and Jo, there are thoughts and actions which are understandable; if Thornton had depicted one way as right or wrong, it would never have been such a good story. Instead, she presents the two characters without judgement, save the nature of the consequences that come from their actions. Whatever else comes from the reader.
As a first novel, this is one hell of an accomplishment. Not only for plot, but in the layered characterisation. Impressive.
Many thanks to Rebecca Thornton, Bonnier Publishing, and Netgalley for this copy in exchange for an honest review.
February 7, 2017
Were the narrative better organised & delivered, The Exclusives would be a cynosure of stars. I am going to write a long review comparing Greenwood Hall with the American Marin High School in The Most Dangerous Place on Earth, which of course will discuss the ending & be intended for readers who have finished The Exclusives. Briefly, both schools are intellectual, moral & spiritual deserts where both the staff & students are utterly obsessed with materialistic values. Even after more than a half century I can still recall my total fixation on admission to the right uni (Harvard rejected me BTW). For Josephine Grey & her BFs, it's Oxford. (The practice interviews are called 'mocks' - strangely appropriate given the absurdly silly questions, such as "What do you know about Eisenhower?" & "What do you think about Mad Cow Disease?" - my current answers would be "Wasn't he the bugger who fucked us up over Suez?" & "As a respecter of animal rights, I should think the cows are entitled to their at bat" but then I'm a bit past having to seek university entrance. But as a story of estrangement between BFs, The Exclusives is utterly heart-wrenching. If you've ever wanted to be reconciled with an old friend - who's not buying - you'll find you want to strangle Josephine for her treatment of Freya. As Josephine is the narrator, you will also want to strangle her (& the author) for her inept determination to conceal the cause of their estrangement in both the contemporary & back stories. (When we finallty get there, we discover that it's not something that would keep real friends on the outs for a fortnight, much less 16 years.) As this book deserves to be treated as a work of grown-up literature, where intelligent criticism requires a discussion of the ending, I'll be posting a full-scale effort on my blog as soon as I can, with suggestions for how it could be much better artistically. But as a school story of estrangement & betrayal, The Exclusives is @ the very top level, alongside Simon Raven's Fielding Grey (interesting that both main characters share the same surname - coincidence?) & Megan Abbott's Dare Me.
January 5, 2016
I have a bit of a thing for stories set in schools that hold a hint of mystery and a past/present vibe so when I read the blurb for “The Exclusives” the terrific cover having caught my eye I thought AHA. Looks like one for me.
And it was – I loved this – for many reasons, not least of which is the brilliant characterisation, with the girls being portrayed evoking many emotional responses, from deep sympathy to intense dislike. Sign of a good read, that.
Freya is trying to contact Jo – way back when they were the closest of friends – until they were ripped apart by actions and consequences. What those actions were remains obscure for much of the novel, but it is clear that something went very wrong between these two girls which has reverberated down the years.
Rebecca Thornton constructs her plot carefully and compellingly – starting with a night out gone wrong and following on from there, we see snapshots of events unfolding back at their exclusive school and now see Jo in the present willing to go to extreme lengths to avoid coming face to face with Freya again. Atmospherically speaking it is haunting and often very sad, themes of parental and peer pressure run through the narrative, not only that but the pressure we often put on ourselves at a vulnerable age.
The writing style is terrifically engaging and as I mentioned earlier, the author has a great eye for building a character you can love or hate – I went from one extreme to another on both our main protagonists Freya and Jo, also frankly on the external cast, all of whom are perfectly drawn.
It is not actually difficult to work out what happened initially on that first night when the cracks in their friendship started, probably on purpose so you could feel the full horror of what happened next. It is thought provoking, intense at times as you watch how each girl reacts both to the situation and to each other. In the present day it is obvious that Jo is damaged, but one of the things I loved most about this one is the subtle shades of grey that Ms Thornton weaves into the overall storyline, a real feeling for human nature and the things we will do to keep that which we feel we need.
An impressive debut for sure and one that certainly comes highly recommended from me, especially if you like this type of past/present focus and have a thing for enduring characters. This one will stay with you.
And it was – I loved this – for many reasons, not least of which is the brilliant characterisation, with the girls being portrayed evoking many emotional responses, from deep sympathy to intense dislike. Sign of a good read, that.
Freya is trying to contact Jo – way back when they were the closest of friends – until they were ripped apart by actions and consequences. What those actions were remains obscure for much of the novel, but it is clear that something went very wrong between these two girls which has reverberated down the years.
Rebecca Thornton constructs her plot carefully and compellingly – starting with a night out gone wrong and following on from there, we see snapshots of events unfolding back at their exclusive school and now see Jo in the present willing to go to extreme lengths to avoid coming face to face with Freya again. Atmospherically speaking it is haunting and often very sad, themes of parental and peer pressure run through the narrative, not only that but the pressure we often put on ourselves at a vulnerable age.
The writing style is terrifically engaging and as I mentioned earlier, the author has a great eye for building a character you can love or hate – I went from one extreme to another on both our main protagonists Freya and Jo, also frankly on the external cast, all of whom are perfectly drawn.
It is not actually difficult to work out what happened initially on that first night when the cracks in their friendship started, probably on purpose so you could feel the full horror of what happened next. It is thought provoking, intense at times as you watch how each girl reacts both to the situation and to each other. In the present day it is obvious that Jo is damaged, but one of the things I loved most about this one is the subtle shades of grey that Ms Thornton weaves into the overall storyline, a real feeling for human nature and the things we will do to keep that which we feel we need.
An impressive debut for sure and one that certainly comes highly recommended from me, especially if you like this type of past/present focus and have a thing for enduring characters. This one will stay with you.
December 26, 2016
This book won't be for everyone, and neither will the characters.
The story is told over two different timelines; one in 1996 where Josephine and Freya experienced something horrible "that night", and one in 2014 as Josephine is haunted by her past. The author doesn't actually reveal what happened to the girls to destroy their friendship until the last 10% of the book which for me killed the suspense a little. You can't exactly predict what happened to them, but what did happen is probably one of many things a reader will consider for a moment or two before moving on.
The characters are pretty ugly towards each other and it's easy to lose empathy for them. There's nothing worse than a main character who treats her friends like dirt and justifies it. That said, Josephine's mother is a paranoid schizophrenic and Josephine herself spends a lot of time wondering if she is like her. This makes for a perspective that I've never actually read before. A lot of Young Adult (this is not YA btw) novels have characters simply go "crazy" or start experiencing hallucinations but this book tackles a real mental illness and I thought that was quite well done.
That said, the main character is a little one-note. She doesn't want to talk about "that night" with the friend, Freya, who she went through it with, in fear of becoming crazy or jeopardizing her academic future. In 1996 she denies it. In 2014 she denies it. Her voice and perspective don't change over 18 years and I think this might bother some readers, like it did me. Josephine never develops, she just comes to realizations and makes big leaps in thought that have little logical support behind them.
The boarding school thing is what attracted me to this book, like many others I'm sure. Throw in a dark plot and you've got me. I absolutely hated the school though. The headmistress put her school's reputation above the students and that annoyed the crap out of me because I know it probable happens in the real world. I usually also like but I just didn't care. I kind of have a thing for people successfully sabotaging other people so I enjoyed the boarding school drama at least. This was also a British boarding school so a lot of the terminology like "exeat" was lost on me but hey.
So not for everyone, but a quickish read that was still enjoyable, and a solid debut for Rebecca Thornton.
The story is told over two different timelines; one in 1996 where Josephine and Freya experienced something horrible "that night", and one in 2014 as Josephine is haunted by her past. The author doesn't actually reveal what happened to the girls to destroy their friendship until the last 10% of the book which for me killed the suspense a little. You can't exactly predict what happened to them, but what did happen is probably one of many things a reader will consider for a moment or two before moving on.
The characters are pretty ugly towards each other and it's easy to lose empathy for them. There's nothing worse than a main character who treats her friends like dirt and justifies it. That said, Josephine's mother is a paranoid schizophrenic and Josephine herself spends a lot of time wondering if she is like her. This makes for a perspective that I've never actually read before. A lot of Young Adult (this is not YA btw) novels have characters simply go "crazy" or start experiencing hallucinations but this book tackles a real mental illness and I thought that was quite well done.
That said, the main character is a little one-note. She doesn't want to talk about "that night" with the friend, Freya, who she went through it with, in fear of becoming crazy or jeopardizing her academic future. In 1996 she denies it. In 2014 she denies it. Her voice and perspective don't change over 18 years and I think this might bother some readers, like it did me. Josephine never develops, she just comes to realizations and makes big leaps in thought that have little logical support behind them.
The boarding school thing is what attracted me to this book, like many others I'm sure. Throw in a dark plot and you've got me. I absolutely hated the school though. The headmistress put her school's reputation above the students and that annoyed the crap out of me because I know it probable happens in the real world. I usually also like but I just didn't care. I kind of have a thing for people successfully sabotaging other people so I enjoyed the boarding school drama at least. This was also a British boarding school so a lot of the terminology like "exeat" was lost on me but hey.
So not for everyone, but a quickish read that was still enjoyable, and a solid debut for Rebecca Thornton.
June 7, 2016
Two timescales, 1996 and up to date. Beginning at an expensive boarding school with best friends Freya and Josephine, until something happens one evening. Freya wanted to discuss it but Josephine didn't - end of friendship. The trouble is that sometimes the longer you have to wait for the reveal, the less of an impact it is, which is what happens with this story. It was all a bit tiresome and I thought that some of the events at school were implausible. Neither of the girls were particularly likeable. I liked the cover and the blurb was interesting as was the insight into an all girl boarding school - the petty jealousies and minutiae of life in a closed off environment. I liked the idea for this book and know that lots of people will love it. I was given this ARC by the publisher and Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.
May 23, 2016
Rebecca Thornton's brilliantly-drawn debut throws a spotlight on female friendship - and all the complexities it embodies. The story follows Josephine and Freya, who were best friends at boarding school until a sinister secret ended their friendship. The story dips between past and present day, providing a deep insight into two girls who will do whatever it takes to navigate the choppy waters of an elite boarding school. The messy, bitchy, desperate, cliquey lives of teenage girls is particularly well-executed and I found myself empathising with all the characters, even those I didn't particularly like. Thornton's rich writing style is very visual, and she teases the reader just enough before dropping the final bombshell. I raced through the book with a growing sense of dread - and, boy, the ending doesn't disappoint. A fantastic debut. I can't wait to see what Thornton does next.
April 9, 2019
This book really did manage to capture me at first, and I thought it was very interesting and engaging. What I didn't like so much was the way the author kept things hidden from the reader (it felt clumsy and obvious at times) and I didn't like the big reveal at the end.
But I did enjoy reading the story and how it switched between the past and the present. The chapters were short, and every time I finished one I wanted to read just one more. I finished most of the book in one sitting. I enjoy reading books about boarding schools and female friendships, and I think the author managed to make it all feel 'real' very successfully. While Josephine often did things I thought were a bit stupid, I always understood her motivation and got why she did things.
But there were some big things revealed near the end that I wasn't a big fan of, I won't get into spoiler territory, but it felt a bit predictable and weak.
But I did enjoy reading the story and how it switched between the past and the present. The chapters were short, and every time I finished one I wanted to read just one more. I finished most of the book in one sitting. I enjoy reading books about boarding schools and female friendships, and I think the author managed to make it all feel 'real' very successfully. While Josephine often did things I thought were a bit stupid, I always understood her motivation and got why she did things.
But there were some big things revealed near the end that I wasn't a big fan of, I won't get into spoiler territory, but it felt a bit predictable and weak.
July 20, 2020
OK, I really didn't know what to expect from this book. I have preconceptions that it was going to be a bit of a boring and cliché thriller just based on the front cover. But this again is another example of why you should never judge a book by its cover!
My boyfriend actually picked this off my shelves as my next read and when he read me the blurb I knew I had this book all wrong. I read about 70% of it in one day as it actually had me hooked.
A real insight into friendships, relationships, mental wellbeing, secrets and closure that had me gripped from almost the beginning. The realistic drama and events of it all really brought this narrative to life 💕
My boyfriend actually picked this off my shelves as my next read and when he read me the blurb I knew I had this book all wrong. I read about 70% of it in one day as it actually had me hooked.
A real insight into friendships, relationships, mental wellbeing, secrets and closure that had me gripped from almost the beginning. The realistic drama and events of it all really brought this narrative to life 💕
September 26, 2017
(3.5) i enjoyed this but the messy narrative certainly diminished the experience. still, a solid debut and i thought the cover was absolutely gorgeous.
December 20, 2015
I don’t know about you but ever since reading Enid Blyton’s stories of boarding school I’ve been a teeny weeny bit jealous of anyone who got to go to one, so when Midas PR asked me if I wanted a copy of The Exclusives to read, whose very setting is an exclusive girl’s boarding school, I couldn’t resist. Better still, the summary indicates that are secrets in the past that are impacting on the present for at least one of the pupils.
I was quickly absorbed, we first meet Josephine Grey in 2014, daughter of the Prime Minister’s advisor when she receives an email from Freya Seymor, her former best friend at Wendell’s. Back in 1996 the two girls were studying their A levels, hoping to go to Oxford but it is clear from Josephine’s reaction to Freya’s email that something went badly wrong.
This is an engaging story although sadly devoid of midnight feasts and jolly japes the atmosphere is far more competitive and with rivalries bubbling beneath the surface the japes are anything but and the consequences far-reaching. The whole story is told from Josephine’s point of view, a girl who has a mentally ill mother and a father who is being busy and important. Freya is really her only friend and so when the friendship suddenly breaks down she has scant support to help her through.
In the present Josephine is an archaeologist but she doesn’t want to go digging around in her own past and she doesn’t want Freya raking it all up either. As her personal life, such as it is, begins to fall apart, Freya’s dogged determination to meet up with Josephine to discuss the past causes panic. It is obvious from the beginning that she feels guilty about something but what could possibly have such a long-lasting reaction?
The storytelling is engaging and I had some sympathy for both girls, although there did come a point when I wondered how much longer the author could expect me to wait for the secret to be revealed as my patience reached its limits. It is always nice to read a book where the characters appear to be authentic, funnily enough I was more convinced by the pupil’s behaviour than some, but by no means all, of the adults. As much as I hate to admit it, lots of girls together can be a force to be reckoned with and I could easily imagine that in the enclosed environment of boarding school the element of claiming the prize whatever the cost can soon spiral out of control. Interestingly it appeared that the Head teacher shared this personality trait with her pupils, but for her it was to ensure Wendell’s kept the top slot in the Times list!
I enjoyed this story about friendship, how bonds are made, how they can be broken and what happens afterwards,
enormously. I’m full of admiration for the publisher’s twenty7 choice of debut novels, the two I have read feel fresh and innovative, I can’t recommend this book if you like xxx as t haven’t read a book quite like this one. The setting combined with the secrets, yes there is more than one, cause a powder-keg of tension and I could only wonder what the result would be when the whole thing went up – I wasn’t disappointed.
The Exclusives is published today in eBook format, the paperback will follow in April 2016.
I was quickly absorbed, we first meet Josephine Grey in 2014, daughter of the Prime Minister’s advisor when she receives an email from Freya Seymor, her former best friend at Wendell’s. Back in 1996 the two girls were studying their A levels, hoping to go to Oxford but it is clear from Josephine’s reaction to Freya’s email that something went badly wrong.
This is an engaging story although sadly devoid of midnight feasts and jolly japes the atmosphere is far more competitive and with rivalries bubbling beneath the surface the japes are anything but and the consequences far-reaching. The whole story is told from Josephine’s point of view, a girl who has a mentally ill mother and a father who is being busy and important. Freya is really her only friend and so when the friendship suddenly breaks down she has scant support to help her through.
In the present Josephine is an archaeologist but she doesn’t want to go digging around in her own past and she doesn’t want Freya raking it all up either. As her personal life, such as it is, begins to fall apart, Freya’s dogged determination to meet up with Josephine to discuss the past causes panic. It is obvious from the beginning that she feels guilty about something but what could possibly have such a long-lasting reaction?
The storytelling is engaging and I had some sympathy for both girls, although there did come a point when I wondered how much longer the author could expect me to wait for the secret to be revealed as my patience reached its limits. It is always nice to read a book where the characters appear to be authentic, funnily enough I was more convinced by the pupil’s behaviour than some, but by no means all, of the adults. As much as I hate to admit it, lots of girls together can be a force to be reckoned with and I could easily imagine that in the enclosed environment of boarding school the element of claiming the prize whatever the cost can soon spiral out of control. Interestingly it appeared that the Head teacher shared this personality trait with her pupils, but for her it was to ensure Wendell’s kept the top slot in the Times list!
I enjoyed this story about friendship, how bonds are made, how they can be broken and what happens afterwards,
enormously. I’m full of admiration for the publisher’s twenty7 choice of debut novels, the two I have read feel fresh and innovative, I can’t recommend this book if you like xxx as t haven’t read a book quite like this one. The setting combined with the secrets, yes there is more than one, cause a powder-keg of tension and I could only wonder what the result would be when the whole thing went up – I wasn’t disappointed.
The Exclusives is published today in eBook format, the paperback will follow in April 2016.
June 20, 2016
Any time a book touts boarding school best friends who are estranged after something dark happened, my interest in piqued and it's a fairly sure bet, I'll give it a read. So when The Exclusives came across my general book perusal, I checked it out. Alas, not available in the US yet. So of course my next stop was a UK outlet to buy it. I got it into my hot little hands and now that I've read it, it was totally worth it. Funnily enough, I felt this was a 3 star book somewhere in the middle but by book's end, I was firmly in the 4 star feels.
Josephine and Freya kept me turning the pages and while I did think something lacked in the 1996 thread, I was still engaged and eager to find out what happened next. I do admit to breaking off in the middle to locate the chapter of the fateful night where everything diverged for the two girls and then when I went back, I felt things were less meandering. I did wish the secret were bigger but by the final pages of the book, I felt that the secret had so damaged both, it was huge enough. I also wished there'd been more about how Freya got to the point at which we see her in the present. Actually, I'd have liked to see more of both women in a year in the past that wasn't 1996 (maybe their 10 year out mark).
All in all, this was a good look in at a female friendship as touted in the blurbs and it was well rendered how two so close could tear themselves & one another apart. It's not as deep as The Secret History to be sure but it does have more depth than Mean Girls. I'll be on the lookout for future works by Thornton. Definitely recommended.
Josephine and Freya kept me turning the pages and while I did think something lacked in the 1996 thread, I was still engaged and eager to find out what happened next. I do admit to breaking off in the middle to locate the chapter of the fateful night where everything diverged for the two girls and then when I went back, I felt things were less meandering. I did wish the secret were bigger but by the final pages of the book, I felt that the secret had so damaged both, it was huge enough. I also wished there'd been more about how Freya got to the point at which we see her in the present. Actually, I'd have liked to see more of both women in a year in the past that wasn't 1996 (maybe their 10 year out mark).
All in all, this was a good look in at a female friendship as touted in the blurbs and it was well rendered how two so close could tear themselves & one another apart. It's not as deep as The Secret History to be sure but it does have more depth than Mean Girls. I'll be on the lookout for future works by Thornton. Definitely recommended.
did-not-finish
February 25, 2017Very simple but quite gripping suspense novel - felt like it needed an edit, and I didn't think it was worth taking the time to read the whole thing, but I was interested enough to skim-read it until I found out What Happened That Night All Those Years Ago. The payoff wasn't worth it, tbh. Had the (actually quite nice and comforting) feel of a kids' book, though it isn't one.
January 7, 2017
I could not wait to have this book done! The only reason I kept reading was to find out the big mystery that they hinted at every second page throughout the whole book.
April 21, 2020
I do like a good campus novel. I also love a good story about failing friendship. Enter Josephine and Freya. Best friends whose relationship falls apart after a sneaky night out. Freya wants to talk about what happened but Josephine just wants to forget it. When best friends want such different things, can their relationship really last?
Rebecca Thornton really has it the nail on the head with The Exclusives. She shows the pressure that is placed upon young people who have a desire to succeed at any cost. She shows the malicious dynamics between a group of young people. Furthermore, it shows how hormones combined with social situations can and will be overwhelming in an oestrogen filled environment.
The story is told over two time periods – 1996 and 2014. This gives us just enough distance for the secrets to fester enough to become sinister. However, Thornton really does leave you hanging on and on and on and on. Personally, I prefer to be drip fed information, even if it is red herrings throughout the narrative. I prefer a quicker speed. Saying that, this doesn’t hinder the pace of the novel and having it told over the two time frames makes you eager to get back to one of the other of them. I really didn’t want to put the book down. I needed to know what had happened.
Thornton’s The Exclusives really is a satisfying read. You don’t have any loose ends dangling and you aren’t left wondering about the characters. It really, really is a good story.
The Exclusives by Rebecca Thornton is available now.
Rebecca Thornton really has it the nail on the head with The Exclusives. She shows the pressure that is placed upon young people who have a desire to succeed at any cost. She shows the malicious dynamics between a group of young people. Furthermore, it shows how hormones combined with social situations can and will be overwhelming in an oestrogen filled environment.
The story is told over two time periods – 1996 and 2014. This gives us just enough distance for the secrets to fester enough to become sinister. However, Thornton really does leave you hanging on and on and on and on. Personally, I prefer to be drip fed information, even if it is red herrings throughout the narrative. I prefer a quicker speed. Saying that, this doesn’t hinder the pace of the novel and having it told over the two time frames makes you eager to get back to one of the other of them. I really didn’t want to put the book down. I needed to know what had happened.
Thornton’s The Exclusives really is a satisfying read. You don’t have any loose ends dangling and you aren’t left wondering about the characters. It really, really is a good story.
The Exclusives by Rebecca Thornton is available now.
April 2, 2023
Started well, but it went flat at the end. We'll written though
February 2, 2020
I loved this book, perhaps partly because it was a world I recognized, of all girls' schools with strong academic reputations and a constant attention to the Good Schools Guide, and because almost at the same time historically, my son attended a similar boys' school with a happy Oxford result. The heroine Josephine is a wonderful character, affected by her environment and with a very dysfunctional middle to upper class family background in a world where such things have to be denied. Her friend Freya also seemed authentic, well friend and then estranged enemy maybe. Again close friendships are a major part of this type of girls' school and your life is finished when they go wrong but the person is still there, day and night. And Verity made me want to give her a bit of sorting out. It alternated between the last year at the school and 18 years later, but the suspense worked all the way through, and in the end I had a rather longer breakfast than I should have done because I really had to finish it. A first offering from a Box of Stories. I am impressed.
April 7, 2016
3.5*
The story opens in 2014 with Josephine who is an archaeologist working in Jordan. When she gets an unexpected email from Freya Seymour insisting on a meeting she’s thrown into a panic. It’s obvious from then on that something dreadful happened between them. Josephine and Freya were best friends throughout their school days at Greenwood Hall. Josephine was head girl, Freya a prefect and they both had their sights set on Oxford. That is, until a celebratory night out turned ugly, the consequences of which changed both their lives irrevocably. The events of that night are unclear and remain so for much of the narrative.
The chapters alternate between 2014 and 1996, both time periods told from Josephine’s point of view and in the present tense, which was a little confusing at times if I didn’t take note of the chapter heading. Personally, I would have preferred the schooldays storyline coming from a third person omniscient narrator, giving more understanding of, and depth to, the characters and so enabling me to experience the story through other eyes, rather than solely from Josephine’s perspective.
Josephine in 1996 is single-minded and focused, determined that nothing is going to get in the way of her goals, including listening to and helping her best friend who is obviously suffering. The fear of ending up like her mother affects Josephine’s attitude and personality immensely, as does the fact her father works closely with the Prime Minister, making her dread any hint of scandal.
Eighteen years later Josephine is tormented by memories and mood swings, after years of trying to bury the actions and disloyalty of the past. It’s brought to the fore again by Freya’s need to say the things Josephine refused to hear all those years ago. The plot is slow and steady with the alternating timeline. Both girls are damaged, and not only from the repercussions of that fateful night in Josephine’s case.
It’s a fascinating insight into an all girls environment, with the dynamics and interactions. I like the fact this story shows the darker side of boarding school life and the lengths pupils will go to achieve their aims. It’s interesting as well, to see how different people react to certain situations and how it impacts on them. And although I couldn’t warm, or relate, to the characters, I did feel some sympathy for Freya and her feelings of betrayal. The trauma suffered by the two girls was easy to guess, as was Freya’s part in it, but the storyline shows how the past can shape the present and hold sway.
This review is based on a free copy from the author/publisher. This does not affect my opinion or the content of my review.
The story opens in 2014 with Josephine who is an archaeologist working in Jordan. When she gets an unexpected email from Freya Seymour insisting on a meeting she’s thrown into a panic. It’s obvious from then on that something dreadful happened between them. Josephine and Freya were best friends throughout their school days at Greenwood Hall. Josephine was head girl, Freya a prefect and they both had their sights set on Oxford. That is, until a celebratory night out turned ugly, the consequences of which changed both their lives irrevocably. The events of that night are unclear and remain so for much of the narrative.
The chapters alternate between 2014 and 1996, both time periods told from Josephine’s point of view and in the present tense, which was a little confusing at times if I didn’t take note of the chapter heading. Personally, I would have preferred the schooldays storyline coming from a third person omniscient narrator, giving more understanding of, and depth to, the characters and so enabling me to experience the story through other eyes, rather than solely from Josephine’s perspective.
Josephine in 1996 is single-minded and focused, determined that nothing is going to get in the way of her goals, including listening to and helping her best friend who is obviously suffering. The fear of ending up like her mother affects Josephine’s attitude and personality immensely, as does the fact her father works closely with the Prime Minister, making her dread any hint of scandal.
Eighteen years later Josephine is tormented by memories and mood swings, after years of trying to bury the actions and disloyalty of the past. It’s brought to the fore again by Freya’s need to say the things Josephine refused to hear all those years ago. The plot is slow and steady with the alternating timeline. Both girls are damaged, and not only from the repercussions of that fateful night in Josephine’s case.
It’s a fascinating insight into an all girls environment, with the dynamics and interactions. I like the fact this story shows the darker side of boarding school life and the lengths pupils will go to achieve their aims. It’s interesting as well, to see how different people react to certain situations and how it impacts on them. And although I couldn’t warm, or relate, to the characters, I did feel some sympathy for Freya and her feelings of betrayal. The trauma suffered by the two girls was easy to guess, as was Freya’s part in it, but the storyline shows how the past can shape the present and hold sway.
This review is based on a free copy from the author/publisher. This does not affect my opinion or the content of my review.
December 27, 2016
Josephine wants to forget about her past and when Freya, her former best friend, contacts her and wants to meet she panics. In 1996 they were both promising students at a boarding school. They were excellent students with a lot of potential and Oxford was where they wanted to go next. One night changed everything. Suddenly Freya and Josephine were no longer best friends and things went very wrong between them with devastating consequences. The past still influences the present and will never go away again...
The Exclusives is a gripping story about two girls who seem to have it all. Things aren't always as they seem though. Josephine and Freya are both young and they make mistakes. I read some of the scenes with tears in my eyes. There are plenty of secrets and misunderstandings and there's a snowball effect that can't be stopped. This story kept me on the edge of my seat and I read it in one sitting. I couldn't wait to find out what would happen next. The ending is amazing, fitting and surprising at the same time. Of course I had my suspicions, but there were some very interesting twists and turns.
Rebecca Thornton is great at creating tension. Part of the story is set in 2014 and part in 1996. I couldn't read through the chapters fast enough to find out how each part of the story would continue. This has been done this in such a brilliant way that I even forgot to breathe from time to time. I loved Josephine's voice. She has her flaws, but I also liked her a lot. She's a main character that will stay with me for a very long time. I love Rebecca Thornton's vivid writing style. She has a great way of describing settings and situations which made me feel the huge variety of emotions in the story very well. It was easy to sympathize with the main characters and the situation. I absolutely loved this fantastic book and highly recommend it.
The Exclusives is a gripping story about two girls who seem to have it all. Things aren't always as they seem though. Josephine and Freya are both young and they make mistakes. I read some of the scenes with tears in my eyes. There are plenty of secrets and misunderstandings and there's a snowball effect that can't be stopped. This story kept me on the edge of my seat and I read it in one sitting. I couldn't wait to find out what would happen next. The ending is amazing, fitting and surprising at the same time. Of course I had my suspicions, but there were some very interesting twists and turns.
Rebecca Thornton is great at creating tension. Part of the story is set in 2014 and part in 1996. I couldn't read through the chapters fast enough to find out how each part of the story would continue. This has been done this in such a brilliant way that I even forgot to breathe from time to time. I loved Josephine's voice. She has her flaws, but I also liked her a lot. She's a main character that will stay with me for a very long time. I love Rebecca Thornton's vivid writing style. She has a great way of describing settings and situations which made me feel the huge variety of emotions in the story very well. It was easy to sympathize with the main characters and the situation. I absolutely loved this fantastic book and highly recommend it.
December 17, 2015
Best friends Josephine and Freya rule the roost at their exclusive boarding school where excelling academically means everything. They are the girls with whom everybody wants to be friends, but they keep their distance, a clique of two that can’t be penetrated by outside forces. Jo and Freya share everything – until one night- after which things are never the same between them again. Eighteen years on, after years of no contact, Freya gets in touch. She wants to talk to Josephine. Josephine, however, is determined to avoid her old friend by whatever means possible. The last thing she wants to do is revisit the past – no matter how insistent Freya might be on her doing just that.
The Exclusives is an absorbing debut from Rebecca Thornton with a slowly unfolding mystery that will keep you guessing throughout. Thornton explores the theme of mental illness via Josephine and her mother, and to that effect I was hoping for a bigger twist than this tale turns out to be. However, the story of Jo and Freya and how their live spiral out of control after one fateful night is as dark as it is compelling, and I remained invested in the story throughout.
If you love books about boarding schools and toxic friendships, then check out The Exclusives – it may just be the book you’ve been waiting for.
http://daisychainbookreviews.blogspot...
-----
Initial thoughts:
There was less going on with this story than I originally thought, but it's an absorbing read nonetheless. Read it if you like books about boarding schools and toxic friendships!
The Exclusives is an absorbing debut from Rebecca Thornton with a slowly unfolding mystery that will keep you guessing throughout. Thornton explores the theme of mental illness via Josephine and her mother, and to that effect I was hoping for a bigger twist than this tale turns out to be. However, the story of Jo and Freya and how their live spiral out of control after one fateful night is as dark as it is compelling, and I remained invested in the story throughout.
If you love books about boarding schools and toxic friendships, then check out The Exclusives – it may just be the book you’ve been waiting for.
http://daisychainbookreviews.blogspot...
-----
Initial thoughts:
There was less going on with this story than I originally thought, but it's an absorbing read nonetheless. Read it if you like books about boarding schools and toxic friendships!
February 20, 2018
This did not turn out to be what I thought it would be about at all.
That is fine, and the writing is ok - the pacing sagged a little with the unnecessary back and forth between past and present, but the book is short enough that it's tolerable.
I just don't really agree with the characters' reactions when the full story comes out.
Thanks, but no thanks.
That is fine, and the writing is ok - the pacing sagged a little with the unnecessary back and forth between past and present, but the book is short enough that it's tolerable.
I just don't really agree with the characters' reactions when the full story comes out.
Thanks, but no thanks.
May 20, 2021
In this story the main protagonist is an archeologist who is trying to 'move on' from an incident which occurred in her past at her English Boarding school and which centred around her best friend whom she lost touch with despite them being very close for many years. The story itself was fair, and I enjoyed the story going back and forth between past and present for each chapter. But the attempt at building further suspense by keeping the reader in the dark for so long about what had happened on the fateful night in question became tedious and by the time I actually found out the truth I had practically lost interest. Don't get me wrong, the 'incident' (avoiding spoilers here) was sad and traumatic but they way it was protrayed, the main character's reactions to it and the fallout were confusing at best. The characters were all very one dimensional as well, particularly the 'adults' in the 1996 part of the story.
I've always been put off by stories placed in boarding school settings for some reason, and this book just continued to cement that perception for me.
I've always been put off by stories placed in boarding school settings for some reason, and this book just continued to cement that perception for me.
June 6, 2016
The Exclusives by Rebecca Thornton is a dual narrative novel set in an elite all-girl boarding school with the main character Josephine Grey reflecting on the events from her perspective as an archaeologist, 18 years later.
Josephine and her best friend Freya have an irreparable falling out in 1994 and the novel leads the reader through the unravelling of the friendship towards the ultimate 'reveal'.
The dialogue between the teenage girls and the '90s setting are convincingly written. Both characters are extremely relatable, although it's hard not to judge Josephine and the choices she makes, but I think that's the point.
There's definitely a 'mean girls' element to The Exclusives and readers of YA, NA and those who enjoy dissecting friendships and their demise will enjoy it.
* Copy courtesy of Allen & Unwin *
Josephine and her best friend Freya have an irreparable falling out in 1994 and the novel leads the reader through the unravelling of the friendship towards the ultimate 'reveal'.
The dialogue between the teenage girls and the '90s setting are convincingly written. Both characters are extremely relatable, although it's hard not to judge Josephine and the choices she makes, but I think that's the point.
There's definitely a 'mean girls' element to The Exclusives and readers of YA, NA and those who enjoy dissecting friendships and their demise will enjoy it.
* Copy courtesy of Allen & Unwin *
April 20, 2016
What I loved most about this book was the emotional depth of the two friends, which was both unique and universal in its portrayal. The writing is so tightly controlled, providing a wonderful thematic parallel with the main character; how she grapples with her life's events as they unfold and she finally allows herself to reconcile between what she felt she should have and the life she actually ends up having. A beautifully conveyed ending that might well leave a tear in your eye. It certainly did mine.
January 4, 2017
I found Josephine quite a flat character who was difficult to empathise with, so I didn't get as invested as I should have. It's possible she's a character you're not supposed to like but neither did I really understand her that much. Was also annoyed by the 'reveal' of that night being put off so long. I get that's it's for the suspense but when it is told it's so close to the end that J and Freya don't get to process it together much. And after all that suspense the ending was a bit limp and, oh ok, they might be friends again? Hmm. I think maybe boarding school angst is not hugely for me.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
March 18, 2020
This was decent. The story was interesting - 2 different timelines. A woman is working on a dig in the middle east when an old school friend contacts her. In flashbacks we learn about her time being head girl at an exclusive boarding school. We also learn that something happened "that night" and the whole book keeps referencing this. At the end it is anti-climatic and it felt like too much time was wasted on "that night" which was pretty predictable.
May 2, 2023
I felt this book was drawn out with a disappointing ending. However, there were moments that I couldn’t put it down and was deeply committed to the story. Strange read, but I would recommend giving it a go.
December 15, 2015
They said "Liane Moriarty meets the Heathers" and that's exactly what it is.
Gripping, sensational read.
Gripping, sensational read.
January 11, 2019
Started out really well and I enjoyed the chapters alternating between pat and present. But the ending was so disappointing!!!!!
January 15, 2022
TRIGGER WARNING: Sexual abuse, rape, and attempted suicide.
My review will not contain direct discussions of these triggers but please be aware of them before researching or reading the book.
I got this book from a local charity shop of mine and tbh it languished on the shelf for months (nearly a year in fact) and after reading it I am incredibly disappointed in myself that I left it unread for that long...
I thoroughly enjoyed The Exclusives, particularly the plot and the way the story was presented to us. Alternate chapters had alternate years, we were in 1996 for one then 2014 next then back to 1996, which usually bugs the life out of me, but on this occasion lent itself incredibly well to the story. It meant that we could begin to put pieces of the puzzle together ourselves, whilst never quite having enough information to reach the conclusion.
The switch between the two years also meant that the author could really ramp up the intrigue. And that they did! At no point could I put this book down unless I was absolutely forced to by work constraints or ya know, the need for sleep and food. I was addicted and drawn into every single page.
However, there were a couple of things that disappointed me with earlier plot lines that seemed to have been forgotten about and the big reveal at the end wasn't what had been alluded to throughout the whole story.
But, the general high quality of writing in this book and the characters (more to come on them in a second!) definitely made this book an enjoyable read (if that's the right word to use...)
It was hard for me to decide between the plot or the characters as my favourite part of this book, because I absolutely was obsessed with every character in this story! We had the book from Josephine's POV, and I don't think I could have asked for a better lead character. Closely followed by Freya, her Dad, Freya's Dad, the teachers at their school and even Jeremy all had their key role to play and OH BOY did they! I couldn't find fault with a character in this story they were woven together perfectly.
On the whole, I really enjoyed my read of The Exclusives by Rebecca Thornton and I would definitely recommend it to others. My only major criticism is the lack of trigger warnings given the events that take place within this book. If you do pick this one up please be aware of the themes involved. I'll pop them again below.
TRIGGER WARNING: Sexual abuse, rape, and attempted suicide are all discussed within this story. Please proceed at your own risk.
My review will not contain direct discussions of these triggers but please be aware of them before researching or reading the book.
I got this book from a local charity shop of mine and tbh it languished on the shelf for months (nearly a year in fact) and after reading it I am incredibly disappointed in myself that I left it unread for that long...
I thoroughly enjoyed The Exclusives, particularly the plot and the way the story was presented to us. Alternate chapters had alternate years, we were in 1996 for one then 2014 next then back to 1996, which usually bugs the life out of me, but on this occasion lent itself incredibly well to the story. It meant that we could begin to put pieces of the puzzle together ourselves, whilst never quite having enough information to reach the conclusion.
The switch between the two years also meant that the author could really ramp up the intrigue. And that they did! At no point could I put this book down unless I was absolutely forced to by work constraints or ya know, the need for sleep and food. I was addicted and drawn into every single page.
However, there were a couple of things that disappointed me with earlier plot lines that seemed to have been forgotten about and the big reveal at the end wasn't what had been alluded to throughout the whole story.
But, the general high quality of writing in this book and the characters (more to come on them in a second!) definitely made this book an enjoyable read (if that's the right word to use...)
It was hard for me to decide between the plot or the characters as my favourite part of this book, because I absolutely was obsessed with every character in this story! We had the book from Josephine's POV, and I don't think I could have asked for a better lead character. Closely followed by Freya, her Dad, Freya's Dad, the teachers at their school and even Jeremy all had their key role to play and OH BOY did they! I couldn't find fault with a character in this story they were woven together perfectly.
On the whole, I really enjoyed my read of The Exclusives by Rebecca Thornton and I would definitely recommend it to others. My only major criticism is the lack of trigger warnings given the events that take place within this book. If you do pick this one up please be aware of the themes involved. I'll pop them again below.
TRIGGER WARNING: Sexual abuse, rape, and attempted suicide are all discussed within this story. Please proceed at your own risk.
February 18, 2024
So first up, I’d never even heard of this author before and the only thing that drew me to the book was the amazing alluring book cover, it called to me. I then read the blurb and thought yeah it could be interesting let’s give it a go.
Well let me tell you, this was a story that I was so not expecting, it was an interesting one that’s for sure. I don’t mean that in a bad way, more in a, this book isn’t going to be everyone’s cup of tea, in fact some readers might even find it difficult and disturbing given some of the events/topics that were covered in this story. This is no ordinary boarding school sort of story, put it that way.
Anyway, for me, I quite enjoyed the story, I did think it went on a bit too long in places and was drawn out in parts but for the most part it was captivating and entertaining. I also thought it was pretty well written with some very unique interesting characters, some who I liked and some who I did not like straight off the back.
I also really liked how it was a dual timeline story, in that part of the story was in the past in 1996 and then the other part of the story was in 2014, and both parts came together at the end.
Well let me tell you, this was a story that I was so not expecting, it was an interesting one that’s for sure. I don’t mean that in a bad way, more in a, this book isn’t going to be everyone’s cup of tea, in fact some readers might even find it difficult and disturbing given some of the events/topics that were covered in this story. This is no ordinary boarding school sort of story, put it that way.
Anyway, for me, I quite enjoyed the story, I did think it went on a bit too long in places and was drawn out in parts but for the most part it was captivating and entertaining. I also thought it was pretty well written with some very unique interesting characters, some who I liked and some who I did not like straight off the back.
I also really liked how it was a dual timeline story, in that part of the story was in the past in 1996 and then the other part of the story was in 2014, and both parts came together at the end.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 114 reviews