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Scout's Honor
Prudence Perry is a third-generation Ladybird Scout who must battle literal (and figurative) monsters and the weight of her legacy in this YA paranormal.
Sixteen-year-old Prudence Perry is a legacy Ladybird Scout, born to a family of hunters sworn to protect humans from mulligrubs―interdimensional parasites who feast on human emotions like sadness and anger. Masquerading as a prim and proper ladies' social organization, the Ladybirds brew poisons masked as teas and use knitting needles as daggers, at least until they graduate to axes and swords.
Three years ago, Prue’s best friend was killed during a hunt, so she kissed the Scouts goodbye, preferring the company of her punkish friends lovingly dubbed the Criminal Element much to her mother and Tía Lo’s disappointment. However, unable to move on from her guilt and trauma, Prue devises a risky plan to infiltrate the Ladybirds in order to swipe the Tea of Forgetting, a restricted tincture laced with a powerful amnesia spell.
But old monster-slaying habits die hard and Prue finds herself falling back into the fold, growing close with the junior scouts that she trains to fight the creatures she can’t face. When her town is hit with a mysterious wave of demons, Prue knows it’s time to confront the most powerful monster of all: her past.
Sixteen-year-old Prudence Perry is a legacy Ladybird Scout, born to a family of hunters sworn to protect humans from mulligrubs―interdimensional parasites who feast on human emotions like sadness and anger. Masquerading as a prim and proper ladies' social organization, the Ladybirds brew poisons masked as teas and use knitting needles as daggers, at least until they graduate to axes and swords.
Three years ago, Prue’s best friend was killed during a hunt, so she kissed the Scouts goodbye, preferring the company of her punkish friends lovingly dubbed the Criminal Element much to her mother and Tía Lo’s disappointment. However, unable to move on from her guilt and trauma, Prue devises a risky plan to infiltrate the Ladybirds in order to swipe the Tea of Forgetting, a restricted tincture laced with a powerful amnesia spell.
But old monster-slaying habits die hard and Prue finds herself falling back into the fold, growing close with the junior scouts that she trains to fight the creatures she can’t face. When her town is hit with a mysterious wave of demons, Prue knows it’s time to confront the most powerful monster of all: her past.
416 pages, Hardcover
First published April 5, 2022
39 people are currently reading
5110 people want to read
About the author
Lily Anderson
11 books827 followersLily Anderson is the author of THE ONLY THING WORSE THAN ME IS YOU, NOT NOW NOT EVER, and UNDEAD GIRL GANG. A former school librarian, she is deeply devoted to Shakespeare, fairy tales, and podcasts. Somewhere in Northern California, she is having strong opinions on musical theater. Find her online at www.mslilyanderson.com
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 280 reviews
April 9, 2022
3.75 Stars. This was a fun and pretty entertaining read. When I saw this book, and read the blurb, I knew there was no way I could pass it up. I was a Girl Scout as a kid, and not a very good scout since I never made it out of Brownies, and I spent half the time being jealous of the Boy Scouts since there got to learn to make fire and get cool pocket knives to play with. So it wasn’t actually the scout thing drawing me in, but when you put “perfect for fans of Buffy the Vampire Slayer”, in your book blurb, well you are basically promising to feed me human catnip. In the end, I don’t know if I really would compare this to Buffy but maybe a little more for fans of Astrid & Lilly Save the World. It has a bit of the same campy feel while also being a little more serious and creepy at times, but overall still entertaining.
While I read a lot of LGBTQ+ books, I want to mention that I would not put that tag on this one. There is a mention of one, very side, character being a lesbian, but other than that there was no other sexuality talk except for some girls and boys pairing-up, like the main character who has a sweet boyfriend. There was some kissing but no sex scenes. This is YA and besides some monster killing violence, and some discussion of death and PTSD, I think this would be an appropriate book for libraries and a wide range of ages.
I really liked the premise of the book. While I have read or seen some things similar, the premise fleshed out as a whole, felt different enough to easily grab my attention. I also liked how important the scouts were, and how great it seemed, yet the main character was really struggling and showing us a different side. I enjoyed the interesting monsters “grubs” and how they were different enough then the common vampires, demons, or ghosts that we are used to people hunting in books. The whole thing was quite fun and clever.
While I enjoyed the book, I wasn’t really blown away. While there were a few funny lines, it felt like the story was missing some more humor or some good snarky comments. I also felt like the pace was a little too up and down for me. At times the story seemed to drag a little, or at least slowed down too much, other times the author purposely fast-forwarded things, which was smart, but I didn’t always like her choices. I found myself wishing some scenes that were longer were shorter and vice-versa. And finally, I thought some of the fighting ‘grub’ scenes were a little clunky. While some worked better than others, I could not always picture the fighting scenes I’m sure the way the author wanted to convey them and I sort of more made them up in my head as I read along.
TLDR: A fun and campy YA read. The whole premise is smart, well done, and just different enough that it works even for readers that read a lot of monster hunting books. The main character and most of the side characters are quite likeable which added to my enjoyment of the book. I did have a few issues with pace and how certain scenes felt a little clunky. I needed better visuals during the fight scenes, and maybe a tad more overall excitement, and then this book might have gone from being enjoyable to an actual favorite of the year. I had a lot of fun with this read but it was just missing some little bits that stopped it from being great.
A copy was given to me for a review.
While I read a lot of LGBTQ+ books, I want to mention that I would not put that tag on this one. There is a mention of one, very side, character being a lesbian, but other than that there was no other sexuality talk except for some girls and boys pairing-up, like the main character who has a sweet boyfriend. There was some kissing but no sex scenes. This is YA and besides some monster killing violence, and some discussion of death and PTSD, I think this would be an appropriate book for libraries and a wide range of ages.
I really liked the premise of the book. While I have read or seen some things similar, the premise fleshed out as a whole, felt different enough to easily grab my attention. I also liked how important the scouts were, and how great it seemed, yet the main character was really struggling and showing us a different side. I enjoyed the interesting monsters “grubs” and how they were different enough then the common vampires, demons, or ghosts that we are used to people hunting in books. The whole thing was quite fun and clever.
While I enjoyed the book, I wasn’t really blown away. While there were a few funny lines, it felt like the story was missing some more humor or some good snarky comments. I also felt like the pace was a little too up and down for me. At times the story seemed to drag a little, or at least slowed down too much, other times the author purposely fast-forwarded things, which was smart, but I didn’t always like her choices. I found myself wishing some scenes that were longer were shorter and vice-versa. And finally, I thought some of the fighting ‘grub’ scenes were a little clunky. While some worked better than others, I could not always picture the fighting scenes I’m sure the way the author wanted to convey them and I sort of more made them up in my head as I read along.
TLDR: A fun and campy YA read. The whole premise is smart, well done, and just different enough that it works even for readers that read a lot of monster hunting books. The main character and most of the side characters are quite likeable which added to my enjoyment of the book. I did have a few issues with pace and how certain scenes felt a little clunky. I needed better visuals during the fight scenes, and maybe a tad more overall excitement, and then this book might have gone from being enjoyable to an actual favorite of the year. I had a lot of fun with this read but it was just missing some little bits that stopped it from being great.
A copy was given to me for a review.
August 4, 2022
I was instantly drawn in by this cover and the premise sounded fun. I was a huge Buffy fan and this book promised the same type of entertainment. I thought the book had a lot of potential, but I didn’t think it reached the level of greatness it could have. I found it very slow to start and I struggled with the only character that really grew was Prudence (who was a fun character) but all the other characters could have done with a bit more depth. It really bugged me that Prudence’s mother and aunt kept ignoring her PTSD and bullying her towards a destiny she didn’t want. That being said I loved her circle of babybirds, I just didn’t like the road taken to get there. Prudence used to be a Ladybird Scout - a group of girls like Girl Scouts but instead of selling cookies they kill mulligrubs that are invisible to the naked eye and eat people’s emotions. Prudence quit after a hunt turned deadly for her friend, bu her mother forces her into helping to train some new scouts for the summer because they are short scouts.
Want to read
August 5, 2021Not me positively LOSING MY SHIT upon realizing we're being blessed with another paranormal YA story from the incredible author who gave us Undead Girl Gang 🆘🆘🆘
(also this cover is the most precious)
(also this cover is the most precious)
dnf
February 18, 20232023 Printz Honor
I want to care, but I don't. I also can't comprehend why Printz awards the books it does anymore.
I want to care, but I don't. I also can't comprehend why Printz awards the books it does anymore.
January 1, 2023
4.2
TW PTSD, mentioned brutal arm loss, consumption of a living being
This was surprisingly cute for a book about demon slaying! This has a nice friend group vibe and a cute aesthetic up against the more tyrannical.
The mental health rep was better than expected, and I really enjoyed that aspect of it. The arc here with the PTSD and both moving forward and not "getting over" the trauma itself was great.
I thought the amount of action in this was great, balanced well with the more mundane and with the exposition that had to be peppered in. The combo of danger/action and growing friendship bonds was also wonderfully done!
This book was cheesy or just unbelievable at times, but it definitely hit the mark of what it set out to do!
TW PTSD, mentioned brutal arm loss, consumption of a living being
This was surprisingly cute for a book about demon slaying! This has a nice friend group vibe and a cute aesthetic up against the more tyrannical.
The mental health rep was better than expected, and I really enjoyed that aspect of it. The arc here with the PTSD and both moving forward and not "getting over" the trauma itself was great.
I thought the amount of action in this was great, balanced well with the more mundane and with the exposition that had to be peppered in. The combo of danger/action and growing friendship bonds was also wonderfully done!
This book was cheesy or just unbelievable at times, but it definitely hit the mark of what it set out to do!
April 16, 2022
An overall fun and original story! I think the idea that powerful emotions summon certain types of interdimensional monsters to be very interesting and this storyline has a lot of promise if Anderson decides to continue on with this series. I'm interested to see where the characters will go in their lives, especially Prudence. Prudence is the only character to go through any development which is kind of disappointing since other characters had a lot of promise.
Prudence is said to have been diagnosed with PTSD but shows little to no symptoms (which is good I guess because she's maybe recovering?) and is only referenced when Prudence is being bullied by other scouts for quitting after a traumatic event. This bullying over a mental illness is never unpacked, so we're just left with the impression that it's acceptable to do so and there is little to no repercussion for it. Not the best message to send.
It features a diverse cast of characters race and body-type wise, but is lacking in LGBTQ+ rep despite being shelved as LGBT. The only thing I can think of is that a minor side-character is briefly mentioned as being queer... but it's only alluded to once and plays zero part in the story. That being said, if you were hoping to find some LGBTQ+ content in this book you'll be sorely disappointed.
((Also Anderson had this weird obsession with spit? Like she would describe the character's spit when it really wasn't needed and had nothing to do with the story. I may already find saliva gross, but I really think the detail with which Anderson talks about saliva to be wholly unnecessary.))
Prudence is said to have been diagnosed with PTSD but shows little to no symptoms (which is good I guess because she's maybe recovering?) and is only referenced when Prudence is being bullied by other scouts for quitting after a traumatic event. This bullying over a mental illness is never unpacked, so we're just left with the impression that it's acceptable to do so and there is little to no repercussion for it. Not the best message to send.
It features a diverse cast of characters race and body-type wise, but is lacking in LGBTQ+ rep despite being shelved as LGBT. The only thing I can think of is that a minor side-character is briefly mentioned as being queer... but it's only alluded to once and plays zero part in the story. That being said, if you were hoping to find some LGBTQ+ content in this book you'll be sorely disappointed.
((Also Anderson had this weird obsession with spit? Like she would describe the character's spit when it really wasn't needed and had nothing to do with the story. I may already find saliva gross, but I really think the detail with which Anderson talks about saliva to be wholly unnecessary.))
September 5, 2022
Buffy the Vampire Slayer and Stranger Things work as great comparison points to this novel. It makes me wish it wasn't a stand alone.
December 18, 2022
Well, I'm always going to be here for a Lily book, especially one with that cover and synopsis, so I don't know why it took me so long to get to this one.
I love love loved Prue. She's loving and learning and soft. The babybirds are adorable (don't tell Sasha) and I absolute enjoyed reading this group figure things out. The boys are just as fun and when they're all together, it's loads of fun.
Plot wise, it is a bit slow going, but I appreciated getting a fully fleshed out set up, especially when it comes to the Ladybirds. The friendship and sisterhood is at the forefront of this story and it was great to see ladies supporting each other instead of competing. And sure, I would have loved just a bit more at the end, but the last chapter is as close to perfect as you could get.
Overall, this was a fun story with great imagery and I think it might be making my top ten of 2022.
**Huge thanks to the publisher for providing the arc free of charge**
I love love loved Prue. She's loving and learning and soft. The babybirds are adorable (don't tell Sasha) and I absolute enjoyed reading this group figure things out. The boys are just as fun and when they're all together, it's loads of fun.
Plot wise, it is a bit slow going, but I appreciated getting a fully fleshed out set up, especially when it comes to the Ladybirds. The friendship and sisterhood is at the forefront of this story and it was great to see ladies supporting each other instead of competing. And sure, I would have loved just a bit more at the end, but the last chapter is as close to perfect as you could get.
Overall, this was a fun story with great imagery and I think it might be making my top ten of 2022.
**Huge thanks to the publisher for providing the arc free of charge**
July 29, 2022
I had so much fun with this story. It just hit all the right beats that I needed.
In Scout's Honor, we follow Prudence, a legacy scout in a secret society that keeps our world safe from inter-dimensional beings that are brought into existence via powerful human emotions. Only girls with the ability to See these monsters can be part of the Ladybirds, and they're trained from a very young age to patrol and fight and keep everyone safe. Prudence, a legacy scout, is suffering from PTSD and anxiety after a horrific run-in with a nasty monster that ended with the death of her best friend and her entire scout circle being hurt and maimed.
When it comes down to it, Scout's Honor was good fun, and I can see why it was pushed as being for fans of Buffy the Vampire Slayer. What I enjoyed the most about it, however, was the character work with Prudence, especially. Her anxiety, her PTSD, the way she wants to run from the Ladybird life but can't really escape it, I felt for her the entire time. She felt like a very real person, and not a single thing she did in the entire story ever frustrated me.
The other Scouts in this story, the parents, the boys on the periphery - every character had some sort of solid basis that helped me differentiate them all and have a good idea of what they were like. Some were much more well developed than others, but it was decent character work for such a large cast of secondary and tertiary characters.
The plot itself was straightforward, but I enjoyed it and that's the theme of this review, honestly. I don't think this book really breaks the mold in any way, but it was fun and, mostly importantly for me, IT DIDN'T HAVE ALL THE YA TROPES THAT DRIVE ME INSANE. There was a healthy romantic relationship with good communication! Parents were involved and part of the story! Some bullying was involved, but it made sense in terms of the overall world set up by the Ladybird Society! Nobody made super stupid decisions just because the plot needed them to, the plot stood up on its own!
I'm so happy I found this book, it was such a delight. And that COVER! So good. I hope it finds more success among teens, I truly enjoyed myself.
In Scout's Honor, we follow Prudence, a legacy scout in a secret society that keeps our world safe from inter-dimensional beings that are brought into existence via powerful human emotions. Only girls with the ability to See these monsters can be part of the Ladybirds, and they're trained from a very young age to patrol and fight and keep everyone safe. Prudence, a legacy scout, is suffering from PTSD and anxiety after a horrific run-in with a nasty monster that ended with the death of her best friend and her entire scout circle being hurt and maimed.
When it comes down to it, Scout's Honor was good fun, and I can see why it was pushed as being for fans of Buffy the Vampire Slayer. What I enjoyed the most about it, however, was the character work with Prudence, especially. Her anxiety, her PTSD, the way she wants to run from the Ladybird life but can't really escape it, I felt for her the entire time. She felt like a very real person, and not a single thing she did in the entire story ever frustrated me.
The other Scouts in this story, the parents, the boys on the periphery - every character had some sort of solid basis that helped me differentiate them all and have a good idea of what they were like. Some were much more well developed than others, but it was decent character work for such a large cast of secondary and tertiary characters.
The plot itself was straightforward, but I enjoyed it and that's the theme of this review, honestly. I don't think this book really breaks the mold in any way, but it was fun and, mostly importantly for me, IT DIDN'T HAVE ALL THE YA TROPES THAT DRIVE ME INSANE. There was a healthy romantic relationship with good communication! Parents were involved and part of the story! Some bullying was involved, but it made sense in terms of the overall world set up by the Ladybird Society! Nobody made super stupid decisions just because the plot needed them to, the plot stood up on its own!
I'm so happy I found this book, it was such a delight. And that COVER! So good. I hope it finds more success among teens, I truly enjoyed myself.
April 21, 2022
Want to see more bookish things from me? Check out my Youtube channel: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCfer...
*I received a copy of this book from the publisher in exchange for my honest review*
Prudence Perry is a Ladybird Scout, taking after her mother. The Ladybirds are a secret society who fight mulligrubs, intergalactic parasites who are created from and feed off human emotions. If fed enough, they turn carnivorous and feed off the humans themselves. After an attack that ends in the death of her best friend, Prudence quit the Ladybirds and was diagnosed with PTSD and anxiety. When she is asked by her mother to train three new recruits of the Ladybirds, Prudence reluctantly agrees.
I was initially drawn to this book because I was a girl scout as a child, so I thought the concept of this book sounded really fun! The idea of different monster grubs feeding on different human emotions was an interesting concept, and I was intrigued to see how it was going to play out in the end. Unfortunately, I just found this book to be very average in my opinion and a bit sloppily executed. There wasn't anything about it that made it jump out to me, I didn't love it, but I also didn't hate it. I did enjoy how different each mulligrub was, and learning more about how each one came into existence. I like how this explored family obligations and parental expectations as well. I also liked getting to know that "babybirds" and their unique personalities. They were super supportive of one another, and I really enjoyed their growing friendships with one another. I really disliked Prudence's mother, as well as her Aunt, they made me so angry on multiple occasions with the way they treated Prudence, especially in regard to her trauma. They actively went against what her therapist suggested and basically tried to reinforce the idea that everything was in Prudence's head, all while belittling and embarrassing her any chance they got.
Will say that I adore this cover though.
*I received a copy of this book from the publisher in exchange for my honest review*
Prudence Perry is a Ladybird Scout, taking after her mother. The Ladybirds are a secret society who fight mulligrubs, intergalactic parasites who are created from and feed off human emotions. If fed enough, they turn carnivorous and feed off the humans themselves. After an attack that ends in the death of her best friend, Prudence quit the Ladybirds and was diagnosed with PTSD and anxiety. When she is asked by her mother to train three new recruits of the Ladybirds, Prudence reluctantly agrees.
I was initially drawn to this book because I was a girl scout as a child, so I thought the concept of this book sounded really fun! The idea of different monster grubs feeding on different human emotions was an interesting concept, and I was intrigued to see how it was going to play out in the end. Unfortunately, I just found this book to be very average in my opinion and a bit sloppily executed. There wasn't anything about it that made it jump out to me, I didn't love it, but I also didn't hate it. I did enjoy how different each mulligrub was, and learning more about how each one came into existence. I like how this explored family obligations and parental expectations as well. I also liked getting to know that "babybirds" and their unique personalities. They were super supportive of one another, and I really enjoyed their growing friendships with one another. I really disliked Prudence's mother, as well as her Aunt, they made me so angry on multiple occasions with the way they treated Prudence, especially in regard to her trauma. They actively went against what her therapist suggested and basically tried to reinforce the idea that everything was in Prudence's head, all while belittling and embarrassing her any chance they got.
Will say that I adore this cover though.
June 5, 2022
THIS BOOK IS NOT QUEER
THIS BOOK IS NOT QUEER
THIS BOOK IS NOT QUEER
Calling this book LGBTQIA is like saying Allies deserve a letter and a flag.
Okay so since I got that out let's get into why I hated this book so much. There isn't a single likeable character the way trauma is kind of just breezed over in this thing like our main character has PTSD and everybody just tells her to get over it and literally by the end she just kind of gets over it it was garbage none of the characters again are likeable like I can't even single character in this entire book that I even remotely cared about. The ladybirds which is like a Girl scout type of group is a cult it's even brought up at one point that it's a cult and it's like no it's a sisterhood no it's a cold this book was so toxic and by the end it was just like okay everything's fine I guess. The creatures were pretty cool I will say that but the way that they come into our world is through emotion and for some reason all of it supposed to be kept a secret when all of the problems would be solved with telling normal people about these emotional monsters so the normal everyday people can you know get therapy and not keep bringing the monsters into the universe I don't know this book was nothing but plot holes and I just really did not enjoy it in the least of it it's a very misleading cover and again IT IS NOT QUEER.
THIS BOOK IS NOT QUEER
THIS BOOK IS NOT QUEER
Calling this book LGBTQIA is like saying Allies deserve a letter and a flag.
Okay so since I got that out let's get into why I hated this book so much. There isn't a single likeable character the way trauma is kind of just breezed over in this thing like our main character has PTSD and everybody just tells her to get over it and literally by the end she just kind of gets over it it was garbage none of the characters again are likeable like I can't even single character in this entire book that I even remotely cared about. The ladybirds which is like a Girl scout type of group is a cult it's even brought up at one point that it's a cult and it's like no it's a sisterhood no it's a cold this book was so toxic and by the end it was just like okay everything's fine I guess. The creatures were pretty cool I will say that but the way that they come into our world is through emotion and for some reason all of it supposed to be kept a secret when all of the problems would be solved with telling normal people about these emotional monsters so the normal everyday people can you know get therapy and not keep bringing the monsters into the universe I don't know this book was nothing but plot holes and I just really did not enjoy it in the least of it it's a very misleading cover and again IT IS NOT QUEER.
August 3, 2023
I have to put this book down. I’m almost 50% through and nothing has happened. Reasoning: I’m not sure what the crux of the story is. The concept is great. I love the idea of badass Girl Scouts fighting grubs (monsters) but, unfortunately the story isn’t going anywhere. If it is, it shouldn’t take over 50% of the book to start.
:("
:("
February 25, 2025
I picked it because I wanted a book pronto and this was available, I didn’t think I’d like it this much! Creative new type of story setting with some dispersed pearls of unexpectedly on point social commentary.
February 22, 2023
I did not have a great time with this one. Its a great but simple concept: killer girl scouts fight inter-dimensional monsters and its a secret society. Amazing.
However, it is really not that fun bc we get bogged down by too many elements for a YA novel to really deal with in a standalone novel. Not only do we have a large cast of characters that have varying degrees of importance we have just way too many storylines. We have the whole secret society, the lore about the monsters, the non-sighted characters vs. the sighted ones, the ethics of indoctronating these really and truly children into this secret society where they can die, the mother/daughter relationship, the familial relationship, the main and secondary antogonist, then the actual training and day to day monotany of being a lady bird scout (but the non-fighting point).
What saved this novel from being a 2 for me was the mother daughter relationship and how the trauma/ptsd was handled in this book as well as a really great final fight scene and resolution. That whole section of the book was handled very well and improved my experience of the story significantly.
However, it is really not that fun bc we get bogged down by too many elements for a YA novel to really deal with in a standalone novel. Not only do we have a large cast of characters that have varying degrees of importance we have just way too many storylines. We have the whole secret society, the lore about the monsters, the non-sighted characters vs. the sighted ones, the ethics of indoctronating these really and truly children into this secret society where they can die, the mother/daughter relationship, the familial relationship, the main and secondary antogonist, then the actual training and day to day monotany of being a lady bird scout (but the non-fighting point).
What saved this novel from being a 2 for me was the mother daughter relationship and how the trauma/ptsd was handled in this book as well as a really great final fight scene and resolution. That whole section of the book was handled very well and improved my experience of the story significantly.
May 11, 2022
2.5
“Don’t hump the grubs,” Sasha says. “Noted.”
The betrayal of knowing that my mother will always, always choose what is best for the scouts over what is best for me. The only decent adult in this book was her father. Sad.
The last scene in the cemetery was the only part of the book I loved. Majority of this book was not really interesting. The plot felt like it wasn't moving for more than 60% of this book. I expected this to be a lot more action packed but it wasn't. A lot of the jokes fell flat for me and it felt like nothing was happening while I reading until the end. It was a huge let down for me. This was a great idea for a book but it was missing a lot of action, danger and risks. There weren't any high stakes at all.
“Don’t hump the grubs,” Sasha says. “Noted.”
The betrayal of knowing that my mother will always, always choose what is best for the scouts over what is best for me. The only decent adult in this book was her father. Sad.
The last scene in the cemetery was the only part of the book I loved. Majority of this book was not really interesting. The plot felt like it wasn't moving for more than 60% of this book. I expected this to be a lot more action packed but it wasn't. A lot of the jokes fell flat for me and it felt like nothing was happening while I reading until the end. It was a huge let down for me. This was a great idea for a book but it was missing a lot of action, danger and risks. There weren't any high stakes at all.
October 25, 2021
This is a really fun concept that was perhaps a tiny bit clunky in execution but honestly if the premise sounds cool to you I would recommend checking out the book (when it's out).
April 13, 2022
Thank you to Netgalley and Macmillan Audio for an ALC of this book.
Prudence is a legacy Ladybird Scout, but it's not all just teaparties and pink uniforms. The Ladybirds are actually a secret society hunting interdimensional parasites that feed on human emotion-and sometimes just humans. After witnessing the death of her best friend, Prudence left the Ladybirds, but she is forced to train new recruits by her mother, and discovers secrets about her old group that she will have to expose.
This was pure fun! I seriously love the premise and really enjoyed Prudence and her friends and family. The narration is so good! Frankie Corzo is one of my all time favorite audiobook narrators and I was not disappointed this time!
I think this struck a good balance between fun and kooky and weird, but also dealing with some serious topics. It battles some interesting themes surrounding familial expectations and secrecy, as well as dealing with Prudence's PTSD. I enjoyed this one a lot!
Content Warnings
Graphic: Gore, Violence, Death, and Child death
Moderate: Panic attacks/disorders and Bullying
Prudence is a legacy Ladybird Scout, but it's not all just teaparties and pink uniforms. The Ladybirds are actually a secret society hunting interdimensional parasites that feed on human emotion-and sometimes just humans. After witnessing the death of her best friend, Prudence left the Ladybirds, but she is forced to train new recruits by her mother, and discovers secrets about her old group that she will have to expose.
This was pure fun! I seriously love the premise and really enjoyed Prudence and her friends and family. The narration is so good! Frankie Corzo is one of my all time favorite audiobook narrators and I was not disappointed this time!
I think this struck a good balance between fun and kooky and weird, but also dealing with some serious topics. It battles some interesting themes surrounding familial expectations and secrecy, as well as dealing with Prudence's PTSD. I enjoyed this one a lot!
Content Warnings
Graphic: Gore, Violence, Death, and Child death
Moderate: Panic attacks/disorders and Bullying
February 25, 2022
4 Stars
Note: I was provided with an ARC by the publisher through Netgalley in exchange for an honest review. All opinions here are my own.
Was this book perfectly executed? No. Was it campy and fun? Yes, absolutely. It's not a serious book, but it's a fun book. And it touches on a lot that similar books don't address--like the PTSD and/or other trauma and anxiety disorders that would result from, you know, fighting monsters as a young child. Monster-fighting kids are all in good fun, but these kids also likely have a lot of baggage. I really loved the critical eye this book cast on family legacy and/or parental expectation that is too high or too inflexible--all while offering a great cast of characters who grow together, have fun together, and are just great friends for each other. That's nice and refreshing.
I like it. It wasn't perfect, but I liked it. My full review will be available at Gateway Reviews on April 15, 2022.
Note: I was provided with an ARC by the publisher through Netgalley in exchange for an honest review. All opinions here are my own.
Was this book perfectly executed? No. Was it campy and fun? Yes, absolutely. It's not a serious book, but it's a fun book. And it touches on a lot that similar books don't address--like the PTSD and/or other trauma and anxiety disorders that would result from, you know, fighting monsters as a young child. Monster-fighting kids are all in good fun, but these kids also likely have a lot of baggage. I really loved the critical eye this book cast on family legacy and/or parental expectation that is too high or too inflexible--all while offering a great cast of characters who grow together, have fun together, and are just great friends for each other. That's nice and refreshing.
I like it. It wasn't perfect, but I liked it. My full review will be available at Gateway Reviews on April 15, 2022.
April 12, 2022
This is set in a world with interdimensional parasites that feast on human emotions. There are only a few people (young girls mostly) with the sight who can vanquish them under the guise of "Ladybirds scouts" who pretend to be Girlscouts, essentially. Prudence, our MC, experienced a deeply traumatic event where she and her best friend were attacked by one of these parasites while training, which ended in her best friend dying. And this is where we start the book; a year or so out from the trauma, with Prudence refusing to be involved with the Ladybirds anymore, much to the very verbal disappointment of her mother.
I was a bit torn with this book because I loved the idea of it so much, but was disappointed in the execution. Buffy the Vampire Slayer with the acknowledgment of PTSD is basically what I dream of anytime I rewatch the series, but this wasn't quite what I was hoping for in regard to that. I liked the characters but overall it was missing something that made me love it. I was hoping for a book that had more focus on what Buffy messed up on, which was putting too much responsibility on little girls and not explicitly talking about why it's wrong. The end didn't really address this, or the fact that the mom was basically abusive to Prudence when dealing with PTSD, even against her therapist's wishes. I love that therapy and PTSD are mentioned, and I love that Prudence chooses to remove herself from the scouts. Buuuuut that's pretty much all I enjoyed re: Buffy with PTSD. Prudence's mom is a really horrible character that basically never gets acknowledged. She forces Prudence to go back into the scouts regardless of her feelings on it and regardless of what Prudence's THERAPIST has to say on the matter. I was just really disappointed that the mom's actions are never addressed as more than what Prudence is experiencing and how it's further traumatizing her, and it's never settled at the end of the book, essentially.
What I did like was the world-building, the suspense, and the plot in general. This was a pretty unique idea and I enjoyed how it was executed, even though I do wish there was more detail in the fight scenes with the parasites and a bit more in general to those aspects of the world and story. I also thought the added relationship of Prudence and Kyle was just fluff that wasn't necessary and was very cheesy. ("The way his blue eyes sparkle just for me, I'm overwhelmed with remembrances"....not even sure what this means.)
2/5 stars rounded up for a unique idea and for some characters who I loved (SASHA).
I was a bit torn with this book because I loved the idea of it so much, but was disappointed in the execution. Buffy the Vampire Slayer with the acknowledgment of PTSD is basically what I dream of anytime I rewatch the series, but this wasn't quite what I was hoping for in regard to that. I liked the characters but overall it was missing something that made me love it. I was hoping for a book that had more focus on what Buffy messed up on, which was putting too much responsibility on little girls and not explicitly talking about why it's wrong. The end didn't really address this, or the fact that the mom was basically abusive to Prudence when dealing with PTSD, even against her therapist's wishes. I love that therapy and PTSD are mentioned, and I love that Prudence chooses to remove herself from the scouts. Buuuuut that's pretty much all I enjoyed re: Buffy with PTSD. Prudence's mom is a really horrible character that basically never gets acknowledged. She forces Prudence to go back into the scouts regardless of her feelings on it and regardless of what Prudence's THERAPIST has to say on the matter. I was just really disappointed that the mom's actions are never addressed as more than what Prudence is experiencing and how it's further traumatizing her, and it's never settled at the end of the book, essentially.
What I did like was the world-building, the suspense, and the plot in general. This was a pretty unique idea and I enjoyed how it was executed, even though I do wish there was more detail in the fight scenes with the parasites and a bit more in general to those aspects of the world and story. I also thought the added relationship of Prudence and Kyle was just fluff that wasn't necessary and was very cheesy. ("The way his blue eyes sparkle just for me, I'm overwhelmed with remembrances"....not even sure what this means.)
2/5 stars rounded up for a unique idea and for some characters who I loved (SASHA).
July 21, 2022
I loved the bonding between these young ladies and the fact that is was such a cool take on fighting not necessarily supernatural creatures but parasites. Prudence has quit the Ladybirds, a parasite fighting “Girl Scout” esque group shortly after her friend Molly died in combat. Sadly, her mom has decided that Prudence will be the one in charge of getting her prima (cousin) Avianna in tip top shape to follow in the footsteps of the legacies. Prudence thinks Paz (her older sister) would be a better fit but she’s in college and Pru has two more years left before high school graduation. The diversity amongst the cast was also awesome, centered around a plus sized (I believe Prudence is but I have to double check the descriptions one more time) Puerto Rican descendant. It’s got adventure, friendship, discussions on anxiety & PTSD as well as solidifying that you don’t have to be cold hearted (you can be a soft, girly fighter) and still get the job done.
June 26, 2022
C/W:
Scout's Honor combined so many things I love -- plot arcs that focus on female friendship, snippy banter, supernatural elements in everyday life, and a coming-of-age story. Anderson's writing sucked me in from the very first page. Prue has a distinct voice as a character and made for a great lens into the world of the Ladybirds. This was a really enjoyable read that brought a fresh twist to supernatural tropes I loved when I was a teen.
Scout's Honor combined so many things I love -- plot arcs that focus on female friendship, snippy banter, supernatural elements in everyday life, and a coming-of-age story. Anderson's writing sucked me in from the very first page. Prue has a distinct voice as a character and made for a great lens into the world of the Ladybirds. This was a really enjoyable read that brought a fresh twist to supernatural tropes I loved when I was a teen.
April 9, 2022
Thanks to Netgalley and Macmillan audio for the ARC of this!
This was super fun, and I loved the messages that the book is sending about friendship, what it means to be a girl, and kicking monster butt. This was perfect for fans of the author’s other book Undead Girl Gang, or of Babysitter’s Coven and Buffy the Vampire Slayer (especially if you loved the Scoobies). I was not expecting the ending at all, but I think it was perfect. Do not listen to whoever is shelving this as a graphic novel, it is not.
This was super fun, and I loved the messages that the book is sending about friendship, what it means to be a girl, and kicking monster butt. This was perfect for fans of the author’s other book Undead Girl Gang, or of Babysitter’s Coven and Buffy the Vampire Slayer (especially if you loved the Scoobies). I was not expecting the ending at all, but I think it was perfect. Do not listen to whoever is shelving this as a graphic novel, it is not.
June 28, 2023
Such a fun read while also tackling some heavy topics. Probably the most unique incorporation of anxiety and PTSD I've ever read. I loved everything about this book.
June 20, 2022
Actual rating: 3.5 stars
September 12, 2022
This was a fun ride. I talk about this book in this wrap up.
May 1, 2023
4.5ish, I loved this one! I loved the characters, writing, dialogue, relationships, secret society, and commentary on emotional regulation. Lily Anderson did not disappoint with this one.
This is very much a character driven story, which I liked because all the characters felt fleshed out to me. There’s some good character development here. The climax happens pretty late in the book and the resolution was very short, which are things that usually bother me, but it worked for this particular book.
I’m not a Buffy fan so couldn’t tell you how similar this is or if there are references, but I really enjoyed it regardless!
This is very much a character driven story, which I liked because all the characters felt fleshed out to me. There’s some good character development here. The climax happens pretty late in the book and the resolution was very short, which are things that usually bother me, but it worked for this particular book.
I’m not a Buffy fan so couldn’t tell you how similar this is or if there are references, but I really enjoyed it regardless!
February 1, 2022
I really loved this book and couldn’t put it down once I started reading it. 16 yr old Prudence Perry is a third generation Ladybird Scout who mission is to protect humans from mulligrubs which are interdimensional parasites that manifest and feed on human emotions like sadness and anger and the society masquerades as a prim and proper ladies organization all white gloves and tea drinking. Prudence quit the ladybirds 3 years ago when her best friend was killed during a hunt if front of her and the rest of her troop and she has had PTSD and Anxiety ever since and just can’t stomach going back in the field. Unable to deal with seeing the mulligrubs anymore she is trying to get her hands on some Tea of Forgetting which will make her forget she can see any of grubs anymore and forgot about all she learned about them too. She just wants a normal life with her boyfriend Kyle and her group of friends nicknamed the Criminal Element but when she is coerced into training her cousin and Kyles little sister Kelsey she finds herself falling back into old habits. She realizes that how the girls are trained isn’t great and the competition that fostered even within a group with the national leaderboard where you register points for every kill you do the bigger the more points and if you stay on top you can get a scholarship to college. Prue also realizes that her trauma isn’t going to go away if she forgets about the grubs that it will still be there she just won’t be able to see what you she should be fighting. This was so great and so reminiscent of Buffy and the whole chosen one ideology especially with it only being the girls that are the ones pressured to fight the grubs if a boy manifests with the sight in the legacy families they don’t have any obligation to do anything with that talent.
Thanks to Macmillan Children’s Group and Netgalley for the complimentary copy of this book in e-book form. All opinions in this review are my own.
Thanks to Macmillan Children’s Group and Netgalley for the complimentary copy of this book in e-book form. All opinions in this review are my own.
December 20, 2021
Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for an egalley.
This is the exact type of camp and horror that I love.
If the concept doesn't appeal to you, then you probably won't enjoy it, but if the idea of a secret monster slaying Girl Scout sound even a little bit like fun, you're gonna love this.
Prudence quit being a Ladybird Scout years ago when she lost a friend in the field and now wants to leave Scouting forever by using the Tea of Forgetting to purge her memories, but she must be a Dame to buy it from the Ladybird Merch store. Enter tutoring: to be a Dame all Prue has to do is enter the world she left behind and train three new Scouts.
Saying anything else would be spoilers.
I loved pretty much everything about this book, The monsters--mulligrubs--are super gross and terrible. Prue is a fantastic character, and I loved, loved, loved how she was naming and recognizing all the ways the Scouts and her formers friends were toxic and wondering if/how she could change that. The novel does a wonderful job of actually addressing mental illness in a fantasy world like this with on the page panic attacks and deftly handling Prue's PTSD.
Plus, there's Anderson trademark humor punctured throughout that made everything so much better.
A fantastic weird perfect for fan of Buffy, Stranger Things, comedy horror, and mental health.
This is the exact type of camp and horror that I love.
If the concept doesn't appeal to you, then you probably won't enjoy it, but if the idea of a secret monster slaying Girl Scout sound even a little bit like fun, you're gonna love this.
Prudence quit being a Ladybird Scout years ago when she lost a friend in the field and now wants to leave Scouting forever by using the Tea of Forgetting to purge her memories, but she must be a Dame to buy it from the Ladybird Merch store. Enter tutoring: to be a Dame all Prue has to do is enter the world she left behind and train three new Scouts.
Saying anything else would be spoilers.
I loved pretty much everything about this book, The monsters--mulligrubs--are super gross and terrible. Prue is a fantastic character, and I loved, loved, loved how she was naming and recognizing all the ways the Scouts and her formers friends were toxic and wondering if/how she could change that. The novel does a wonderful job of actually addressing mental illness in a fantasy world like this with on the page panic attacks and deftly handling Prue's PTSD.
Plus, there's Anderson trademark humor punctured throughout that made everything so much better.
A fantastic weird perfect for fan of Buffy, Stranger Things, comedy horror, and mental health.
April 20, 2022
I really wish they had books like this when I was growing up. It is a fun fantasy YA about a group of girls who are basically slayers. There are these grubs that are basically energy suckers and this group of girls drinks a special tea that gives them the gift of sight for these grubs and they find them and kill them. The story and the world-building were very enjoyable, I enjoyed being swept away into this world.
But we all know Fat Girls in Fiction so I have to touch on the fat representation, This is the second Lily Anderson book I have read with fat representation and I love how she does it. It is there both on the cover and in the story. You know the main character lives in a bigger body, but it is never anything in the story she has to overcome. She just gets to be a kick-ass fat girl saving the world. She had love. She had problems, but none of them have anything to do with her size.
If I had stories like this growing up it would have meant so much to me. Representation gives you permission to see yourself in stories that you would never have allowed yourself to be in. That is why I love this book and will recommend it to others.
But we all know Fat Girls in Fiction so I have to touch on the fat representation, This is the second Lily Anderson book I have read with fat representation and I love how she does it. It is there both on the cover and in the story. You know the main character lives in a bigger body, but it is never anything in the story she has to overcome. She just gets to be a kick-ass fat girl saving the world. She had love. She had problems, but none of them have anything to do with her size.
If I had stories like this growing up it would have meant so much to me. Representation gives you permission to see yourself in stories that you would never have allowed yourself to be in. That is why I love this book and will recommend it to others.
April 3, 2022
This is a fantastic read with an ending that left me extremely satisfied and bumped my rating up a star. The characters are amazing-incredibly well drawn, and imperfectly teenagery in a super realistic way. With mystery, romance, and monster slaying gore, it's a great choice for summer, and I'll definitely be booktalking it to our teens. Could possibly pair it with Squad by Maggie Tokuda-Hall for a graphic novel/regular novel book club read. I'd recommend this to readers who like stuff like Buffy the Vampire Slayer, Stranger Things, or Lumberjanes, but it's also completely its own wonderful story.
Content warnings for
I received an eARC from NetGalley and the publisher for review.
Content warnings for
I received an eARC from NetGalley and the publisher for review.
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