Weber, Mary. To Best the Boys. Nashville, TN: Thomas Nelson Publishing, 2019.
Book Description (from BookLook Bloggers)
To Best the Boys is a new fantasy novel from the bestselling author of the Storm Siren trilogy, Mary Weber.
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 Review
Mary Weber has written an enjoyable young adult fantasy novel which champions the knowledge of girls. In many ways Rhen is smarter than most of the boys her age in spite of her learning challenges – probably dyslexia. There are characters in To Best the Boys that you will love and characters who will make you angry. Rhen comes to terms with many things over the course of the story – she definitely grows. She learns more about herself in relationship to her family, her friends, and the type of person she wants to spend the rest of her life with.
The book is a compelling read – I had a hard time putting the book down. The story is well-written and the plot keeps moving. There are some great instances of fore-shadowing as well as some plot surprises which are always enjoyable. There is also mystery and intrigue as well as a tiny bit of romance which may give the book a wider appeal.++–+
Mary Weber closes To Best the Boys with a letter to the reader about some of the characters in the story. The book also includes a recipe for Labyrinth Cake and some discussion questions.
Potential Areas of Concern – the presences of mythical and undead creatures such as ghouls and sirens. During medieval times there was a strong belief in these characters and their presence seems consistent with the fantasy world created by Mary Weber. The book also contains language that reminds me of “British swearing” as my children call it – words used as cuss words but aren’t necessarily so in American English. Another trait that is often evident in fiction set in the Medieval Period. Because of these concerns the book would receive a high school only restriction if place in my K-12 Christian School library. I recommend Christian school librarians pre-read the book before placing it in their school libraries to make sure it fits with the school’s vision for the library.
While the book is from a Christian publisher – there is no mention of Christianity or the church in the book. I think this title could have just as easily been published by a secular publisher.
I received a complimentary e-copy of To Best the Boys through BookLook Bloggers, HarperCollins Christian Publishing.
To Best the Boys
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