As I Descended by Robin Talley (Website, Twitter, Facebook, Goodreads)Published by HarperCollins on September 6th 2016
Genres: Death & Dying, Horror, LGBT, Social Themes, Young Adult Fiction
Pages: 384
Format: eARC
Maria Lyon and Lily Boiten are their school’s ultimate power couple—even if no one knows it but them.
Only one thing stands between them and their perfect future: campus superstar Delilah Dufrey.
Golden child Delilah is a legend at the exclusive Acheron Academy, and the presumptive winner of the distinguished Cawdor Kingsley Prize. She runs the school, and if she chose, she could blow up Maria and Lily’s whole world with a pointed look, or a carefully placed word.
But what Delilah doesn’t know is that Lily and Maria are willing to do anything—absolutely anything—to make their dreams come true. And the first step is unseating Delilah for the Kingsley Prize. The full scholarship, awarded to Maria, will lock in her attendance at Stanford―and four more years in a shared dorm room with Lily.
Maria and Lily will stop at nothing to ensure their victory—including harnessing the dark power long rumored to be present on the former plantation that houses their school.
But when feuds turn to fatalities, and madness begins to blur the distinction between what’s real and what is imagined, the girls must decide where they draw the line.
From acclaimed author Robin Talley comes a Shakespeare-inspired story of revenge and redemption, where fair is foul, and foul is fair.
I went into this book somewhat blind… only knowing really that it was by Robin Talley and I had to read it. This was so much different than what I was expecting!
The setting of this book is Archeron Academy… a boarding school that is itself a character of this story and honestly I don’t think Talley could have made it any creepier.
The story itself revolves around Maria and Lily and their goals and aspirations… and what they will do to make them happen. I find myself struggling to come up with words because this is one of those books that you want to go in without any kind of spoilers in order to experience it to the fullest, so I’m trying not to give anything away. Just know that the story starts in a haunted school with a Ouija board and a group of friends that mean the world to each other. From there, I never could have predicted where this story went or what was going to happen next.
I’m sorry… but that’s really all I can say about the story and plot!
What I will say is that the plot and pacing were wonderfully done and I thoroughly enjoyed what Talley has created in this story.
If you’re looking for something a little creepy, something that will have you turning pages wondering what the heck is going to happen next, if you’re into Shakespeare and MacBeth and boarding schools with LGBTQ characters, then this is the book for you.
Thank you to the publisher for the early copy in exchange for my honest thoughts.
Tour Schedule:
Giveaway:
3 Finished Copies of AS I DESCENDED (US Only)
