Killing November by Adriana Mather

Killing November

by Adriana Mather

From the #1 New York Times bestselling author of How to Hang a Witch comes a thriller set at a secretive boarding school where students are trained to carry on family legacies that have built--and toppled--empires.

November is as good as dead. She just doesn't know it yet.

At the Academy Absconditi, there's no electricity, no internet, and an archaic eye-for-an-eye punishment system. Classes range from knife throwing and poisons to the art of deception. And the students? Silver-spoon descendants of the world's most elite strategists--all training to become asassins, spies, and master imporsonators.

One is a virtuoso of accents--and never to be trusted. Another is a vicious fighter determined to exploit November's weaknesses. And then there's the boy with the mesmerizing eyes and a secret agenda. November doesn't know how an ordinary girl like her fits into the school's complicated legacy. But when a student is murdered, she'll need to separate her enemies from her allies before the crime gets pinned or her...or she becomes the killer's next victim.

Reviewed by whisperingchapters on

4 of 5 stars

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Before Killing November, I hadn't read anything by Adriana Mather, but now I'm looking forward to more!

This story gives a different and refreshing take to YA Mystery involving a school to train spies and assassins. I was intrigued from the start, mainly because there aren't many details concerning November nor the school she's attending. She doesn't even know anything about the school, her family, the politics surrounding the students, etc. Since November woke up at the school, with no recollection of how she get there, she's instantly wary of everyone and gets on the wrong foot with a lot of the students. I have to admit, the story dragged on a little bit and at times, I wanted to stop reading, but I'm glad I didn't. The plot and the characters are quite unique. I loved how the author introduced every character in the story from the beginning. True, I had no idea what their role would be, which is what made the story more interesting.

The majority of the book is spent learning everything about the school and the politics surrounding it, which is needed to understand a lot of what happens, especially the killings. November, along with the few friends she made, start investigating who could be killing and what is their motive. Once the pace of the book started picking up, I couldn't stop reading! Mather's writing style is so descriptive and simple that I felt like I was watching a movie in my head. I also loved the witty conversations, the humor, all the sass and sarcasm coming from November and Ash.

Overall, this was a surprisingly good YA Mystery! I loved the history that Mather added to the story. It kept things moving and super interesting with all the clues it would add to the story. I can't wait for the second book! While it didn't really end in a cliff-hanger, it did left an opening to find out more about what is going on with this academy, politics, history and the people involved with it.

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Reading updates

  • Started reading
  • 9 March, 2019: Finished reading
  • 9 March, 2019: Reviewed