Review: Havoc

Havoc by Rebecca Wait
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

A fun story revolving around chaos at a girl's boarding school.

Call me crazy, but I have such a soft spot for boarding school stories. I don't know what it is - maybe the comradery, or the idea of an extended sleepover. I feel like the bonds are always tighter, and there's something about living at school that is such a foreign concept to me that I love reading about it.

So this story was another enjoyable read, particularly with the chaos at this school. It's falling apart and in serious danger of closure - particularly when the girls start developing a twitching sickness.

That's not going to work for our protagonist, Ida, who is fleeing from shameful circumstances and merciless bullying. She needs the school to stay open, since it's now her refuge.

The story here alternates between the views of Ida and Eleanor, one of the teachers. This gives us a more rounded view of what's happening at the school, and multiple seats from which to view the chaos.

I enjoyed how unhinged things were, so it was easy to travel along at a cracking pace. There's also the mystery of what is really happening to these girls, and it does add an emotional element that gives the story a bit of heart.

This was a really fun reading experience, and I'd happily read more tales of this school, though it all wrapped up neatly so I don't see that happening. The characters were great and well-suited to this tale, and I would easily recommend this for people looking for a little chaos in their reading life.

With thanks to NetGalley for an ARC

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