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Redemption Prep
Twin Peaks
meets Riverdale in this twisty atmospheric mystery from the critically acclaimed author of A Lite Too Bright, Samuel Miller, about the search for a missing girl at an elite prep school.
Everyone knows Emma. Neesha’s her best friend, Aiden’s her basketball star boyfriend, and Evan’s her shadow, following Emma’s every move.
Emma stands out, which is hard to do at Redemption Prep, a school where every student has been handpicked to attend its remote campus in the forest of Utah. So when she goes missing in plain sight during mass, everyone notices.
And everyone becomes a suspect, especially at a school with so many rules: Don’t skip mass. Don’t break curfew. Don’t go into the woods.
Emma’s disappearance ignites an investigation, and Neesha, Aiden, and Evan all want to find her—for different reasons. But they each have their own secrets to hide, and not everyone wants Emma to be found.
As the search continues, the students start to realize that they’re not the only ones trying to hide something. Redemption Prep has secrets, too—secrets bigger than any of the students could have imagined, and Emma could be the key to finding out the truth . . . if anyone can find her.
Everyone knows Emma. Neesha’s her best friend, Aiden’s her basketball star boyfriend, and Evan’s her shadow, following Emma’s every move.
Emma stands out, which is hard to do at Redemption Prep, a school where every student has been handpicked to attend its remote campus in the forest of Utah. So when she goes missing in plain sight during mass, everyone notices.
And everyone becomes a suspect, especially at a school with so many rules: Don’t skip mass. Don’t break curfew. Don’t go into the woods.
Emma’s disappearance ignites an investigation, and Neesha, Aiden, and Evan all want to find her—for different reasons. But they each have their own secrets to hide, and not everyone wants Emma to be found.
As the search continues, the students start to realize that they’re not the only ones trying to hide something. Redemption Prep has secrets, too—secrets bigger than any of the students could have imagined, and Emma could be the key to finding out the truth . . . if anyone can find her.
416 pages, Hardcover
First published April 14, 2020
80 people are currently reading
4751 people want to read
About the author
Samuel Miller
3 books174 followersSamuel Miller was born and raised in Vermillion, South Dakota, and now resides in Los Angeles, where, in addition to writing, he directs music videos and coaches Little League Baseball. He began writing his first novel while on tour in a fifteen-passenger van with the rock band Paradise Fears. A Lite Too Bright is his debut novel. Currently he attends graduate school at the University of Southern California. He credits his existence entirely to two spectacular parents, three brothers, one sister, and the best and sweetest puppy dog on the whole planet, Addison.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 202 reviews
October 15, 2019
Many thanks to EdelweissPlus and the publisher for providing me with a DRC of this title for review purposes. All opinions are my own.
Alright, let's just get this out of the way. I was SO HYPED for this book that I requested it TWICE and couldn't wait to start it. The premise (a girl goes missing at a boarding school and everyone has a different motive for what could have happened to her) had me at the words "missing at boarding school." I am a sucker for mystery/thriller type books, and this did NOT deliver. Don't read this if you are looking for a mystery. Don't read this if you are looking for a thriller. Don't read this if you are looking for a dystopian/sci-fi read. Don't read this if you are looking for a book that makes any sense at all.
In short, don't read this.
I very rarely give 1 star reviews. It's just not my thing, but this fell so flat on so many levels, I couldn't let it go. The story line has HUGE holes and the ending is unexpected because it doesn't make sense. At all. It is abrupt, kind of a cliff-hanger, but also in a way that makes your head hurt and you wonder what you just spent hours reading. The characters are underdeveloped. As a reader, you don't really care about any of them, and you really don't find any redeeming qualities. The "villains" are not fleshed out, there is no real backstory to them, and it all makes for an unresolved and disappointing mess.
Alright, let's just get this out of the way. I was SO HYPED for this book that I requested it TWICE and couldn't wait to start it. The premise (a girl goes missing at a boarding school and everyone has a different motive for what could have happened to her) had me at the words "missing at boarding school." I am a sucker for mystery/thriller type books, and this did NOT deliver. Don't read this if you are looking for a mystery. Don't read this if you are looking for a thriller. Don't read this if you are looking for a dystopian/sci-fi read. Don't read this if you are looking for a book that makes any sense at all.
In short, don't read this.
I very rarely give 1 star reviews. It's just not my thing, but this fell so flat on so many levels, I couldn't let it go. The story line has HUGE holes and the ending is unexpected because it doesn't make sense. At all. It is abrupt, kind of a cliff-hanger, but also in a way that makes your head hurt and you wonder what you just spent hours reading. The characters are underdeveloped. As a reader, you don't really care about any of them, and you really don't find any redeeming qualities. The "villains" are not fleshed out, there is no real backstory to them, and it all makes for an unresolved and disappointing mess.
November 13, 2020
2 out of 10
Guys, imagine something very dull and somehow lacking any rhythm so that you can't go with the flow you always stumble or trip over smth in random places. A few times you start to enjoy what you do but the anticlimactic and unsatisfying continuation screws it. That is what reading this book is.
All characters exсect but Evan are two-dimensional. I even thought that, in the end, it all will turn out to be a virtual simulation or smth like that where the only real person is Evan. They are also unlikable and illogical. They can save and betray at the same time and the same people.
But! At first, I thought that a good editor can make the author's idea perfect (okay, just better), but the final changed my mind, 'cause is such a fucked fuck.
I also didn't get why
The story has a very open ending so I guess it's a series. If not then AHAHAHAHAHAHA (hysterical)
Want to read
November 23, 2020according to epicreads, one of the must-read books of 2020.
i'm seeing that low rating and am inclined to think it's a must-read because of how sh!tty it is.
i'm seeing that low rating and am inclined to think it's a must-read because of how sh!tty it is.
August 10, 2019
One of the awesome things about being a book blogger and reviewer is that you get the chance to read and review books that won't be released till months later. That is like Redemption Prep which won't be released till April next year. The downside of this can be if they end on a cliffhanger but luckily Redemption Prep wasn't like that. In Redemption Prep, we meet a school where the students are all high achievers and children that in the real world had achieved greatness at such a young age. These are the children that are considered to be geniuses and prodigies. During their weekly church sessions, one of the students Emma goes missing and the school is in an uproar as strange things have started occurring now that Emma has disappeared. Has she gone home like the school wanted the students to think or is something more sinister going on? We learn that the majority of students have been taking a drug called Apex which Emma and Neesha created. This drug gives them the ability to succeed and now with Emma gone, the drug supply is running low and Neesha is worried Emma's disappearance is due to their drug distribution. Enter Evan - he was Emma's stalker in a way, but when we get down to the bare bones - I felt for Evan as he really cared about Emma and just wanted to be his friend but he was ostracised for being a weirdo. One of the things that drew me to read this book was the tagline Riverdale meets Twin Peaks and I have to say this is more Twin Peaks than Riverdale, though the school could resemble a bit like Edgar Evernever's Farm as the students discover the nasty truth behind Redemption Prep and what they hoped to use the students for. Can Evan and his new friends save the rest of the students from being guinea pigs for the school's teachers? Find out in this new release coming in 2020 - Redemption Prep by Samuel Miller.
April 28, 2020
Did not enjoy. Read the first few chapters then skipped to the end. Still understood what happened. Wouldn’t recommend to anyone.
April 28, 2020
"It makes you the most extreme version of yourself. And some people's most extreme versions don't work out very well"
*1.5 Stars*
*ARC received from Katherine Tegen Books*
This book sounded interesting, but ended up being a miss.
SUMMARY
Redemption Prep, located deep in Utah, recruits uniquely talented students from all over to expand upon their gifts. When Emmalynn (Emma) Donahue goes missing one night, everyone takes notice. Most students believe she ran away, but three disconnected teens believe that there is something more sinister at play within the walls of Redemption Prep.
REVIEW
This book started out rough, and it was a struggle to push through to the final pages.
We follow three POVs, each with unique voices and their own secrets.
Evan - The Stalker: Evan has been watching Emma for months, and after stealing her diary, believes she never would have run away.
Aiden - The Addict Boyfriend: Aiden is a star basketball player, in line to receive a shot at the NBA. But his Apex addiction and the disappearance of his girlfriend are leading him to ruin
Neesha - The Genius Best Friend: Neesha has been working on her drug, Apex, to win the yearly science competition. After Emma's advises her to use the student population as a test pool, the two start selling the drug.
We mainly follow Evan, who is quite clearly a stalker, even if he doesn't believe so himself. Due to his high IQ and lack of social skills, Evan's POV is a struggle. He talks in his own code, which you have to learn, and also rambles for paragraphs and goes off topic. I found myself having the reread paragraphs in order to fully grasp what was going through his mind. The one positive to his character is that he is actively looking for Emma, so he is where the real "mystery" is.
Aiden was really whiny. He is a rich kid who never understood that everything he worked for had actually just been handed to him. His POV just flat out annoyed me. Out of every character, he did grow the most, so that was a plus. I liked the representation of him being addicted to Apex and the toll it took on him not only while taking it, but also while going through periods of withdrawal and rationing.
Neesha was cool, but once again, she didn't hold my attention as a POV. She was the most coherent POV, but was boring at times. She was very self-centered and I found it difficult to empathise with her.
On a brighter note, Zaza was my favourite character :)
The only part of this book that I really enjoyed was learning about Apex. This novel takes place in 1995, which is prior to the creation of Adderall. As you read the book you find out that Apex is basically Adderall, and Neesha has created it. This was a fun twist on a modern scientific discovery.
Finally, the plot was just crazy and jumbled. The truth behind the creation of Redemption Prep and the "sinister underbelly" were lack luster. While it wasn't completely predictable, it left me more confused than intrigued. The "villain" felt too stiff and stereotypical, so I wasn't impressed by the reveal. Follow that up with an open-ending, and I was an unsatisfied reader.
Samuel Miller has potential, but this book was a real miss for me.
*1.5 Stars*
*ARC received from Katherine Tegen Books*
This book sounded interesting, but ended up being a miss.
SUMMARY
Redemption Prep, located deep in Utah, recruits uniquely talented students from all over to expand upon their gifts. When Emmalynn (Emma) Donahue goes missing one night, everyone takes notice. Most students believe she ran away, but three disconnected teens believe that there is something more sinister at play within the walls of Redemption Prep.
REVIEW
This book started out rough, and it was a struggle to push through to the final pages.
We follow three POVs, each with unique voices and their own secrets.
Evan - The Stalker: Evan has been watching Emma for months, and after stealing her diary, believes she never would have run away.
Aiden - The Addict Boyfriend: Aiden is a star basketball player, in line to receive a shot at the NBA. But his Apex addiction and the disappearance of his girlfriend are leading him to ruin
Neesha - The Genius Best Friend: Neesha has been working on her drug, Apex, to win the yearly science competition. After Emma's advises her to use the student population as a test pool, the two start selling the drug.
We mainly follow Evan, who is quite clearly a stalker, even if he doesn't believe so himself. Due to his high IQ and lack of social skills, Evan's POV is a struggle. He talks in his own code, which you have to learn, and also rambles for paragraphs and goes off topic. I found myself having the reread paragraphs in order to fully grasp what was going through his mind. The one positive to his character is that he is actively looking for Emma, so he is where the real "mystery" is.
Aiden was really whiny. He is a rich kid who never understood that everything he worked for had actually just been handed to him. His POV just flat out annoyed me. Out of every character, he did grow the most, so that was a plus. I liked the representation of him being addicted to Apex and the toll it took on him not only while taking it, but also while going through periods of withdrawal and rationing.
Neesha was cool, but once again, she didn't hold my attention as a POV. She was the most coherent POV, but was boring at times. She was very self-centered and I found it difficult to empathise with her.
On a brighter note, Zaza was my favourite character :)
The only part of this book that I really enjoyed was learning about Apex. This novel takes place in 1995, which is prior to the creation of Adderall. As you read the book you find out that Apex is basically Adderall, and Neesha has created it. This was a fun twist on a modern scientific discovery.
Finally, the plot was just crazy and jumbled. The truth behind the creation of Redemption Prep and the "sinister underbelly" were lack luster. While it wasn't completely predictable, it left me more confused than intrigued. The "villain" felt too stiff and stereotypical, so I wasn't impressed by the reveal. Follow that up with an open-ending, and I was an unsatisfied reader.
Samuel Miller has potential, but this book was a real miss for me.
April 30, 2020
First of all: I finished this book in awe, got ready to add it on goodreads and find praise from like-minded people and reeled back when I saw the rating. Did we not read the same book? It's the only explanation I can fathom because I really, really liked this one!
I absolutely LOVED A Lite Too Bright, and when I heard that Samuel Miller was publishing another book (and a dark academia one no less!!) I was so excited, pre-ordered the book immediately and screamed when the package arrived. I started it yesterday, finished it this morning and DAMN I loved it.
Premise: An elite prep school in the middle of nowhere. No applications--all students are invited by the school, tuitions are paid in full. And all students are gifted in some way. But early on it becomes clear that not everything in this school is what it seems; why are there so many maintenance workers, and why are some students behaving strangely? When Emma, one of the most popular students of the school, disappears without a trace, a group of students start digging deeper into the school itself, uncovering secrets that endanger them all.
I love Samuel Miller's writing. The sentences flow so effortlessly, and ever so often there's a sentence that just makes me go ugghhh. His words paint such vivid pictures, I could feel the atmosphere of Redemption Prep, see the buildings and the characters in front of me, until you could have convinced me that it's a real place (I actually wondered, in the beginning, if this book is based on a real story!). I also really liked how interviews and testimonies from and with the characters are woven into the narrative--it gives the book an almost "true-crime-podcast" feeling, and, again, gave me the feeling of the whole story having actually happened.
The plot is so good!! What starts off as a simple prep school story very rapidly becomes more and more sinister, until you're reading with wide eyes as you realize what is actually going on. There are so many twists and turns, as more and more curtains are drawn back and the true story emerges. At the same time, I didn't feel lost once. The build-up is fantastic, and I especially loved the elements of foreshadowing that only reveal themselves in retrospect.
Another thing I really liked are the character developments. Almost all characters are almost one-dimensional in the beginning, with their minds set on fixed goals. Over the course of the story, they really reflect and develop, but really believably. LOVED it.
It makes me so sad to see that this book apparently isn't for everyone! But if you are looking for a multi-layered mystery set in a creepy, "stranger-things-style" prep school, with interesting characters and a plot-twisty story, I would definitely recommend picking up this book!
I absolutely LOVED A Lite Too Bright, and when I heard that Samuel Miller was publishing another book (and a dark academia one no less!!) I was so excited, pre-ordered the book immediately and screamed when the package arrived. I started it yesterday, finished it this morning and DAMN I loved it.
Premise: An elite prep school in the middle of nowhere. No applications--all students are invited by the school, tuitions are paid in full. And all students are gifted in some way. But early on it becomes clear that not everything in this school is what it seems; why are there so many maintenance workers, and why are some students behaving strangely? When Emma, one of the most popular students of the school, disappears without a trace, a group of students start digging deeper into the school itself, uncovering secrets that endanger them all.
I love Samuel Miller's writing. The sentences flow so effortlessly, and ever so often there's a sentence that just makes me go ugghhh. His words paint such vivid pictures, I could feel the atmosphere of Redemption Prep, see the buildings and the characters in front of me, until you could have convinced me that it's a real place (I actually wondered, in the beginning, if this book is based on a real story!). I also really liked how interviews and testimonies from and with the characters are woven into the narrative--it gives the book an almost "true-crime-podcast" feeling, and, again, gave me the feeling of the whole story having actually happened.
The plot is so good!! What starts off as a simple prep school story very rapidly becomes more and more sinister, until you're reading with wide eyes as you realize what is actually going on. There are so many twists and turns, as more and more curtains are drawn back and the true story emerges. At the same time, I didn't feel lost once. The build-up is fantastic, and I especially loved the elements of foreshadowing that only reveal themselves in retrospect.
Another thing I really liked are the character developments. Almost all characters are almost one-dimensional in the beginning, with their minds set on fixed goals. Over the course of the story, they really reflect and develop, but really believably. LOVED it.
It makes me so sad to see that this book apparently isn't for everyone! But if you are looking for a multi-layered mystery set in a creepy, "stranger-things-style" prep school, with interesting characters and a plot-twisty story, I would definitely recommend picking up this book!
May 18, 2020
Okay, that was not at all what I thought it would be. I was thinking it would be a fun mystery with a supernatural element and what I got was a confusing plot with a weird twist that didn't make sense and an unsatisfying end.
The beginning was a little bit confusing and having so many points of view didn't help. It took me a minute to get the characters straight and figure out what their motives were. Then when I was getting into the mystery, weird things were happening that I didn't think were explained well. The twist wasn't expected, but that's because I don't think it fits the story and seemed like a random thing to throw in. We got the explanation all at once and it was too much information to understand. One of the characters didn't have a satisfying ending for me and the others were just kind of meh.
I wish this had gone a different direction and explained things better. Disappointing read.
The beginning was a little bit confusing and having so many points of view didn't help. It took me a minute to get the characters straight and figure out what their motives were. Then when I was getting into the mystery, weird things were happening that I didn't think were explained well. The twist wasn't expected, but that's because I don't think it fits the story and seemed like a random thing to throw in. We got the explanation all at once and it was too much information to understand. One of the characters didn't have a satisfying ending for me and the others were just kind of meh.
I wish this had gone a different direction and explained things better. Disappointing read.
April 5, 2020
DNF @8%
It's a no from me.
I know I didn't get very far into this book, but there wasn't anything I liked it even remotely interested me enough to keep going. Which is a travesty because boarding school books are always a draw for me. I did not like the writing - it was stilted and repetitive. The characters all seem very flat (but I didn't see much past their introduction so I cant say much for growth). I never like religious tones in my stories so that disappointed me too. I did go to the bad and try to read the last few chapters to see if it was worth it for me and I had to skim that too. This was basically a miss on every level and I couldn't be more frustrated.
I received a copy of the book from the publisher in exchange for an honest review.
It's a no from me.
I know I didn't get very far into this book, but there wasn't anything I liked it even remotely interested me enough to keep going. Which is a travesty because boarding school books are always a draw for me. I did not like the writing - it was stilted and repetitive. The characters all seem very flat (but I didn't see much past their introduction so I cant say much for growth). I never like religious tones in my stories so that disappointed me too. I did go to the bad and try to read the last few chapters to see if it was worth it for me and I had to skim that too. This was basically a miss on every level and I couldn't be more frustrated.
I received a copy of the book from the publisher in exchange for an honest review.
April 1, 2024
➸ Trigger warnings for .
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April 29, 2020
I enjoyed 90% of the book
and then the ending totally ruined it for me
You know when you watched the new Indiana Jones for the first time and screamed, "SERIOUSLY?!?!?! ALIENS!!!????!?!? WTF?!?!?!?!!?!"
It was like that.
and then the ending totally ruined it for me
You know when you watched the new Indiana Jones for the first time and screamed, "SERIOUSLY?!?!?! ALIENS!!!????!?!? WTF?!?!?!?!!?!"
It was like that.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
April 1, 2020
still mad about how completely stupid the plot twist was
May 20, 2020
that ending....i HAVE to laugh
August 19, 2023
jestem bardzo pozytywnie zaskoczona
June 12, 2024
Pozytywnie mnie zaskoczyła, dobra na zastój czytelniczy. Ciekawe wątki, szybko się czyta.
December 29, 2020
Um... I'm not completely sure what I just read. Granted, it is two in the morning as I'm finishing this, but even still.
Alright. Let's just start with the characters:
Evan is creepy. Like, just flat out creepy. He made me uncomfortable. He is stalking a girl and it just constantly gets played off. It's not okay. But they all act like it's okay. Emma calls him out a little bit, but then just accepts it once everyone says it's fine. But it's not fine!!! Stalking someone is not okay!!! That whole plot line was a mess. Especially when they described his bedroom as being full of notes on her. That's weird and creepy and I don't like Evan.
Then there was Aiden. I didn't completely dislike him, but he was pretty self absorbed. And the basketball plot line felt so pointless. Like, why did there need to be a scout at the game? A scout at a game that Aiden barely played in? And so much pressure was built on that moment and I just don't understand. It could have just not happened and I don't think we'd miss anything.
Then there was Neesha. Who sold drugs she made in the school just because she can, doesn't mean she should. But she does. And it's odd...
So yeah. None of the characters really did it for me. The plot was so confusing and felt long. Like, I think it could have been 100 pages shorter and we would have the same story. But cut out all the basketball stuff. It's not important.
Alright. Let's just start with the characters:
Evan is creepy. Like, just flat out creepy. He made me uncomfortable. He is stalking a girl and it just constantly gets played off. It's not okay. But they all act like it's okay. Emma calls him out a little bit, but then just accepts it once everyone says it's fine. But it's not fine!!! Stalking someone is not okay!!! That whole plot line was a mess. Especially when they described his bedroom as being full of notes on her. That's weird and creepy and I don't like Evan.
Then there was Aiden. I didn't completely dislike him, but he was pretty self absorbed. And the basketball plot line felt so pointless. Like, why did there need to be a scout at the game? A scout at a game that Aiden barely played in? And so much pressure was built on that moment and I just don't understand. It could have just not happened and I don't think we'd miss anything.
Then there was Neesha. Who sold drugs she made in the school just because she can, doesn't mean she should. But she does. And it's odd...
So yeah. None of the characters really did it for me. The plot was so confusing and felt long. Like, I think it could have been 100 pages shorter and we would have the same story. But cut out all the basketball stuff. It's not important.
March 7, 2022
Bardziej 2.5★.
Co to miało być za zakończenie? Kosmici? Starożytna rasa?
I do tego "hej niech ten jeden dzieciak uratuje wszystkich, poświęci się żeby mogli uciec, a oni niech nawet przez sekundę o nim nie pomyślą!" No myślałam że pierdolne.
Ale prawda jest taka, że czytało się szybko, a styl przyjemny
Co to miało być za zakończenie? Kosmici? Starożytna rasa?
I do tego "hej niech ten jeden dzieciak uratuje wszystkich, poświęci się żeby mogli uciec, a oni niech nawet przez sekundę o nim nie pomyślą!" No myślałam że pierdolne.
Ale prawda jest taka, że czytało się szybko, a styl przyjemny
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
March 6, 2020
Disclosure: I received a free advance copy of this book through the Epic Reads Insiders program
The book is an incredibly quick read, but that's all it has going for it.
Some things in the book aren't ever totally explained. Certain things that feel like they should be wrapped up with the mystery are left out of the final explanation, and some details are disjointed and feel unnecessary. The ending to the mystery is unsatisfying and comes out of left field, and leaves you confused. Also, the characters, especially Dr Richardson, don't act like real people, breaking any suspension of disbelief I had left.
A full version of this review (and many others) is available on my website, noramcintyre.com
The book is an incredibly quick read, but that's all it has going for it.
Some things in the book aren't ever totally explained. Certain things that feel like they should be wrapped up with the mystery are left out of the final explanation, and some details are disjointed and feel unnecessary. The ending to the mystery is unsatisfying and comes out of left field, and leaves you confused. Also, the characters, especially Dr Richardson, don't act like real people, breaking any suspension of disbelief I had left.
A full version of this review (and many others) is available on my website, noramcintyre.com
March 31, 2020
Disclaimer: I was provided a free advanced copy of this book through epicreads.
I don’t read a lot of mysteries. It’s not really a genre I go out of my way to read. But I do enjoy it, and when a concept interests me I will definitely read it.
When I read the blurb for Redemption Prep I was kind of excited, a mystery about a secluded school in the mountains where things are all a bit suspicious and then a girl goes missing sounded really fun to me.
But this did not live up to my expectations.
It took me 200 pages to get into this book. Usually I’ll quit reading a book if I’m not invested by about 100 pages, but because I had an arc, I wanted to finish it. It just really dragged, going on so long without revealing anything new. I think you could have cut at least 50 pages out of first half and changed nothing.
My biggest complaint was the characters. When I think about other YA mystery books I’ve enjoyed, such as All Eyes On Us, Sadie, or White Rabbit, the thing that I remember about those books, and really liked, was the characters. Redemption Prep does not have characters I enjoyed.
The three main characters, Aiden, Neesha, and Evan were not likable or even particularly interesting. Aiden was just the worst, he was selfish and annoying and I couldn’t even begin to care about him. Neesha was the closest to likable, but she wasn’t interesting enough for me to care about her. Evan was the most interesting, but he was too creepy and annoying to be likable.
There were a few side characters as well, but being honest the only one I remember was Emma, who I don’t think had any flaws and was very unexciting. I finished this book like two days ago and I’ve already forgotten the rest of the characters.
The other major problem with the characters is that they don’t seem to follow any kind of logic. The characters just do whatever fits the plot best regardless of whether it’s in character or not. Which results in the characters making choices that don’t fit their personalities at all.
I was mainly on board with the story, until the last few pages. I won’t spoil it, but there is a completely out of left field twist. This story point might have worked if it had been slowly discovered by the main characters. Instead it was monologued by the villain at the very last minute, leaving me feeling like it came out of absolutely nowhere.
And then, the book just ends. I was so shocked because I thought there would be at least another chapter, but no, it just ends. It felt incomplete to me.
I was really confused about whether this book wanted to be a fun adventure or a dark mystery. The tone was all over the place. It had the potential to be a really fun, exciting story, but I ended up being bored for half of it and annoyed by all the characters.
I wanted to like this, but I just couldn’t.
I don’t read a lot of mysteries. It’s not really a genre I go out of my way to read. But I do enjoy it, and when a concept interests me I will definitely read it.
When I read the blurb for Redemption Prep I was kind of excited, a mystery about a secluded school in the mountains where things are all a bit suspicious and then a girl goes missing sounded really fun to me.
But this did not live up to my expectations.
It took me 200 pages to get into this book. Usually I’ll quit reading a book if I’m not invested by about 100 pages, but because I had an arc, I wanted to finish it. It just really dragged, going on so long without revealing anything new. I think you could have cut at least 50 pages out of first half and changed nothing.
My biggest complaint was the characters. When I think about other YA mystery books I’ve enjoyed, such as All Eyes On Us, Sadie, or White Rabbit, the thing that I remember about those books, and really liked, was the characters. Redemption Prep does not have characters I enjoyed.
The three main characters, Aiden, Neesha, and Evan were not likable or even particularly interesting. Aiden was just the worst, he was selfish and annoying and I couldn’t even begin to care about him. Neesha was the closest to likable, but she wasn’t interesting enough for me to care about her. Evan was the most interesting, but he was too creepy and annoying to be likable.
There were a few side characters as well, but being honest the only one I remember was Emma, who I don’t think had any flaws and was very unexciting. I finished this book like two days ago and I’ve already forgotten the rest of the characters.
The other major problem with the characters is that they don’t seem to follow any kind of logic. The characters just do whatever fits the plot best regardless of whether it’s in character or not. Which results in the characters making choices that don’t fit their personalities at all.
I was mainly on board with the story, until the last few pages. I won’t spoil it, but there is a completely out of left field twist. This story point might have worked if it had been slowly discovered by the main characters. Instead it was monologued by the villain at the very last minute, leaving me feeling like it came out of absolutely nowhere.
And then, the book just ends. I was so shocked because I thought there would be at least another chapter, but no, it just ends. It felt incomplete to me.
I was really confused about whether this book wanted to be a fun adventure or a dark mystery. The tone was all over the place. It had the potential to be a really fun, exciting story, but I ended up being bored for half of it and annoyed by all the characters.
I wanted to like this, but I just couldn’t.
June 18, 2020
1.75 Stars.
It took me ages to read this book, because try as I might I couldn't bring myself to actually care: neither about the story, nor about the writing, and even less about the characters. The pacing felt super slow, thus I found myself putting this novel aside over and over again. In the last couple of chapters at least that turned around -- finally some speed and excitement, something happened -- only took 300 pages or so. I thought the ending might make up for the poor beginning, only for this same exact ending to then be totally over-the-top, non-sensical, frenzied and irrational. I didn't like the explanation we were given for everything that happened, not at all! I expected more.
Also, whoever proof-read this novel did a rather mediocre job! So many mistakes, typos, doubles ...
It took me ages to read this book, because try as I might I couldn't bring myself to actually care: neither about the story, nor about the writing, and even less about the characters. The pacing felt super slow, thus I found myself putting this novel aside over and over again. In the last couple of chapters at least that turned around -- finally some speed and excitement, something happened -- only took 300 pages or so. I thought the ending might make up for the poor beginning, only for this same exact ending to then be totally over-the-top, non-sensical, frenzied and irrational. I didn't like the explanation we were given for everything that happened, not at all! I expected more.
Also, whoever proof-read this novel did a rather mediocre job! So many mistakes, typos, doubles ...
May 16, 2020
I hate writing negative reviews because I know how much work authors put into their novels but I'd like to say this book was...flat. The beginning was kind of a straight road with no strong emotional grips. The only reason I ploughed through was because I wanted know what happened to emma, but after I did, everything that came after didn't make sense.
July 28, 2019
Boarding school: Check
Missing student: Check
Cult vibes: Check
Foggy mountain forests: Check
90s culture: CHECK
Missing student: Check
Cult vibes: Check
Foggy mountain forests: Check
90s culture: CHECK
April 22, 2020
Did not know how this book was going to end, but by the time it did, I already wanted book 2. This book really feels like riverdale met Twin Peaks.
December 5, 2021
Emma is one of those lucky ones chosen to attend Redemption Prep, a full tuition scholarship at a school set in a remote campus in a forest. Emma is successful at Redemption at first, she has a BFF & roommate Neesha, & Aiden, her boyfriend, is a basketball star. She also has a hidden audience, Evan, who watches her every move, but Evan notices that Emma is not the same person she was. Then Emma disappears & everyone & everything is thrown into chaos.
This has gotten some wide-ranging reviews, but it caught my interest enough in the first few chapters to finish it. Most of the book is quite good, tension is built up as revelations about the school, its staff, & the pupils are slowly revealed, but the conclusion throws it all away for me. After finishing the book, I was left thinking "Really?!". I would have said it was a solid 3.5 star right up until the end, & I have to drop it to an average 3.
This has gotten some wide-ranging reviews, but it caught my interest enough in the first few chapters to finish it. Most of the book is quite good, tension is built up as revelations about the school, its staff, & the pupils are slowly revealed, but the conclusion throws it all away for me. After finishing the book, I was left thinking "Really?!". I would have said it was a solid 3.5 star right up until the end, & I have to drop it to an average 3.
July 7, 2020
This was...weird, but there was something that compelled me to finish, right? It's filled with a lot of unlikable characters, and the one character I was sort of feeling some sort of empathy for ended up being horrible too. I kept replaying the ending too, because I felt like I missed something.
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June 3, 2020
The ending was so poor that my inclination is to give this book one star, but it did give me some moments of suspense and intrigue, so I have to appreciate that. However, there were a lot of things that didn't get tied up. Why was the school so Christian? What was the connection to Princeton? And what the heck is the deal with the aliens? It was...not great.
February 6, 2021
I hated this ending and I had a hard time getting through this book. I’m sad I didn’t like it because I love Sam and he’s a great human being, but this wasn’t my style. If you like sci-fi thrillers this may be up your alley!
June 18, 2021
My first mystery read! I loved the different point of views it kept me on edge. I just wish we new more what happened towards the end. I loved the pace of the book though! I just felt something was missing that's why I gave it a 3/5.
June 28, 2020
This book is a ride. It’s like a darker, creepier Looking for Alaska. I enjoyed the mystery and loved the writing and would say it’s definitely a good spooky read.
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