Title: To Best the Boys
Series: Standalone
Author’s Name: Mary Weber
Publisher: Thomas Nelson
Genre: YA Fantasy
Page Count: 333 Pages
ISBN: 0718080963 (ISBN13: 9780718080969)
Author or Book Website: http://www.maryweber.com/
Link to Amazon purchase page: To Best The Boys
Link to Goodreads: To Best The Boys
Release Date: N/A
How I Got the Book: Review Copy
Summary of the Book:
The task is simple: don a disguise. Survive the Labyrinth. Best the boys.
In a thrilling new fantasy from the bestselling author of the Storm Siren Trilogy, one girl makes a stand against society and enters a world made exclusively for boys.
Every year for the past fifty-four years, the residents of Pinsbury Port have received a mysterious letter inviting all eligible-aged boys to compete for an esteemed scholarship to the all-male Stemwick University. The poorer residents look to see if their names are on the list. The wealthier look to see how likely their sons are to survive. And Rhen Tellur opens it to see if she can derive which substances the ink and parchment are created from, using her father’s microscope.
In the province of Caldon, where women train in wifely duties and men pursue collegiate education, sixteen-year-old Rhen Tellur wants nothing more than to become a scientist. As the poor of her seaside town fall prey to a deadly disease, she and her father work desperately to find a cure. But when her mum succumbs to it as well? Rhen decides to take the future into her own hands—through the annual all-male scholarship competition.
With her cousin, Seleni, by her side, the girls don disguises and enter Mr. Holm’s labyrinth, to best the boys and claim the scholarship prize. Except not everyone is ready for a girl who doesn’t know her place. And not everyone survives the deadly maze.
Welcome to the Labyrinth.
My Personal Review: I received a copy of this book for a fair and honest review. This is a really compelling tale. I love science and took all the classes I could so I understand what she is wanting to accomplish in do what she and her cousin set out to do. I had to think about all the books that contain mazes and labyrinths. I did not like how the society is sent up that only males could go to school and females were taught to be wives. It is a search for a better life. It is well written and the description of the places is done wonderfully. Making the book much more enjoyable to read.
My Rating of the Book: 4 Stars
From the Book Reviewer's Desk 