BOOK REVIEW - Tradition - Brendan Kiely

in #bookreview ā€¢ 6 years ago

halloooo! Long time no review * face palm *
This review is really overdue...I just saw on Goodreads that I finished this book end of SeptemberšŸ˜± It has been a bit of a struggle this month to focus. My brain is just like...sleeeeeep, I need more sleep if you want me to work! Lol, come on brain, I give you lots of coffee!šŸ¤·šŸ¼ā€ā™€ļøšŸ™ˆ Am I right?

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Tradition

~ Brendan Kiely

Tradition is a YA contemporary "drama" in a private school setting.
This is a story about friendships forged, itā€™s a story about bringing to light the bigger issues that nobody wants to face and standing up for what is right even if it is unpopular. It is also a story that takes a look at the darker side of tradition.

ā­ļøā­ļøā­ļø out of 5 stars

All in all I enjoyed this book. I feel like the whole story is designed to make you think, it touches on the deeper issues of society but based in a private school/campus setting. With the subject being of a more serious nature than I would normally prefer to read when it comes to contemporaries, I did find it a bit hard to get throughā€¦this is more personal preference than anything else though. (Yeah I enjoy the more fluffy romantic comedy typesā€¦feel good contemporaries for me all the wayā€¦when it comes to fantasyā€¦yeah by any means shower me with thrilling action, drama, heartbreak and everything bone crunching and heart wrenchingā€¦but I prefer my contemporaries like a good sunny dayā€¦passing thunderstorms and rain fall allowed as long as the clouds make way for the sun rays again šŸ˜‚)


[Source: https://giphy.com/gifs/pride-and-prejudice-u4IZuwx0KTxW8/links ]

ā†‘ā†‘This is the feeling I seek while reading contemporaries šŸ˜

Synopsis:

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Review:

First of all, I really love the idea of the whole private school setting, and this one started out totally reminding me of Gossip Girl, with the elite running the show. One big difference is that Fullbrook is a campus school.(I actually ended up watching a few episodes of Gossip Girl again šŸ˜‚ Just call me the 31yr old teenageršŸ™ˆ)


[Source: https://giphy.com/gifs/gossip-girl-hBDgQQFWrVMuk/links ]

Introducing the setting. Letā€™s get some facts out about Fullbrook:
  • A very elite private school
  • Tradition is a big part of school lifeā€¦Some traditions you can be proud of while others need to be squelched. Like the disgusting traditions that violate girlsā€¦from humiliating initiations to senior send-offs.
  • The rich get away with almost everything
  • Boys have the upper hand
  • Concealed discrimination
  • The authority figures would rather turn a blind eye than aknowlege the truth
  • And as quoted from the bookā€¦ā€œFullbrookā€™s unspoken motto: This is how to grow upā€”eat shit and learn how to smile.ā€


[Source: https://giphy.com/gifs/leighton-meester-gossip-girl-blair-waldorf-ckrkpM10FX1VS ]

We also have an interesting range of charactersā€¦
Meet the main players: (The book is written from the dual perspectives of Jules and James)

All of them at some stage and at some level had there POWER removed and I think this was in a way what secured their friendships in the end.

#QUOTE:

ā€œEverything that had once felt so alive now suddenly felt so dead. That was what I wanted the world to knowā€¦."
"....everywhere I went, I walked as a person with something missing.
I wanted it back.ā€

Even though this story wasn't a total hit with me (I didn't really relate to the characters), I do believe that the issues raised are important, discrimination of any sort is not right and it is not fair, but unfortunately it still happens all to oftenā€¦the only way to initiate change is to bring to light the problems that we face in society. Nothing can be doneā€¦no transformation can happenā€¦before the issues are acknowledged AS an actual issue. I sure hope Iā€™m making some sense

"They can only not care if they continue to pretend they donā€™t know. So we can make them know. All of them. Make it impossible to pretend.ā€ (Quote from the book)
Sexual assault is not something to be swept under the rugā€¦or claimed as an unfortunate event caused by intoxication, rape culture is not okay. It has devastating consequences, even more so if others act like it doesnā€™t matter or the person isnā€™t even believed.

#QUOTE:

ā€œI was slipping away, or breaking away, like a crumbling glacier cracking from the continent and drifting out to sea.ā€

Some minor things that bothered me a little bit:

In the interest of being honest without breaking down the writer or book(A difficult feat, because I wouldnā€™t want to dissuade anyone from reading this book) I love dual perspective, I really enjoy the different perspectives, but I have to admit that the p.o.vā€™s didnā€™t always feel consistent. However it was not to such a degree that it discredited the characterā€¦the main essence and concerns stayed the same.

It also felt like the author has a whole lot to say and maybe by splitting the issues into two books, he couldā€™ve covered more ground or focused more solely on one issue, but it did all fit into the whole ā€œfight tradition, equal rights for allā€ mantra.

The book left the following with me:

1)Our reaction to somebody elseā€™s news/story/experience/feelings can have a profound effect on them sometimes even just as much as the experience they went through. (Good or bad)

2)Sometimes being there for someone is the most important thing you can do. Showing up for someone can be a brave and important step.

3)Don't stop fighting...change doesn't just happen by taking a stand once...it takes multiple people standing up against the issues we face multiple times.

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A great big thanks to Penguin Random House South Africa for sending me this review copy!

Much love!
Please leave me a little comment with what you thought of this review and any changes I can makešŸ˜Š Also let me know if you've read this book and what you thought?

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I like your important Point 2. Standing by someone regardless of the consequences. It got me in trouble sometimes, but everyone has their own truth! Blessings!

Have not got to smell the pages of a fresh book in some time @esli.kloppers thanks for you review.

Thank you so much Joan!

Hi esli.kloppers,

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Thank you so much @curie !!! This means a whole lot to me šŸ˜Š

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Hi @esli.kloppers, Well even though I haven't read the book, I think it's more about middle-class problems and boy stuff.

And it also plays a bit with the stereotypes of the time, the classics of the school and their discriminations.

It reads well from your review, could you put it on a list to download in pdf? or just get it in physical?

thank you for sharing, greetings

peace and love

I'm really interested in the dual perspective in writing. What author do you think does this best?

I was reading this kind of books when I was at the university. I loved books that were difficult to read and you had to think about every single sentence :D Today, I like to read romances that are completely easy and you just enjoy reading them. No thinking, no social or any other issues, just nice story along your cup of coffee :)

Even though it's not my kind of book I have enjoyed your review. I think your view was objective and even though you didn't enjoy the book completely you reviewed it like a pro ;)

I like that certain social issues are highlighted in the book. It is important that the youngsters learn about them and try to avoid them.

Thank you for sharing and have a nice day!

Thank you, thank you! It means the world to me that you enjoyed this reviewšŸ˜… It keeps me going!!! It takes a lot of effort for me to review a book (especially one I didn't LOVE) and your compliment has made my day!!

YES, an easy read and coffee for the win!!! šŸ˜‚

Have a great day!!!

This books has great messages , it looks like it will be an interesting one. Well, i am sure you could have given it a 5star rating if you were able to relate to the characters. Being able to relate to characters in a story does give more life to the story and makes it more realistic.

I haven't read the book before but I seriously wouldn't mind reading it. It looks like a good one.

Nice review!

Thank you so much! Yes, there is something really special about relating to the characters! Let me know if you ever read this book, I would love to hear your thoughts!

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