Hey bookworms! I am just finishing up my vacation and I have some reviews for you since I managed to crush a couple books while I was away. I will also have a post coming soon about my vacation and everything I did. But for now, here is my latest review. This one was called High School Queens by Zachary Ryan.
Synopsis: They all thought they did a masterful job of keeping their secrets close to their chest. These stupid fools thought they were the high court of this kingdom, but they had no clue who was really pulling the strings. You might wonder to yourself, who would be that heartless to make them backstab their friends, expose other’s secrets, and lose their morals? You don’t need to know who I am, but you better remember my name, The Marked Queen.
Danielle, Andrew, Delilah, Aman, and Jasmine all are now faced with a mysterious villain whose one goal is to ruin each of their lives. They must protect their secrets at all cost, or they’ll be the next victim on Marked Day. They know what’s at stake, and they’ll stop at nothing to continue being: the rich spoiled girl, the normal teenager, the girl who isn’t banging the principal, the straight vlogger, and the girl who isn’t her dad’s punching bag. What happens when The Marked Queen changes up the game just in time for prom? Will each of our favorite puppets survive? Or are they willing to backstab each other just to keep up their personas? The only thing lost at this prom wasn’t going to be their virginity.
So, I have never read a book that was this dramatic before. BUT, I absolutely loved it. I was skeptical when I started it but quickly fell into the dramatic high school atmosphere of what the popular kids must feel like. They were so savage to each other with insults and backstabbing, it was very intense.
I have never seen Gossip Girl but based on what I have heard about the show, I feel like this book is very similar and may have drawn some inspiration from it.
All of the characters were very easy to follow and I enjoyed learning about each of their stories. There was LGBTQ+ inclusion in this book which was a plus for me as I believe it was represented well in how it was spoken about and reacted to.
Every chapter would end with the marked queen talking to you and I really liked this because it would leave it as a question of what devious thing was going to happen next. She speaks with spite and disdain for the characters as if she is above them all and it makes sense when you find out who she is.
I honestly want to read the next book in this series. It has its hooks in me and I can’t get enough of it. This might just be my sassy side coming out for this one because I am not like any of the characters in real life but I guess I like the drama in a setting where I am not a part of it. This must be why reality TV is becoming something I like to watch.
Overall, I would recommend this one to anyone who wants a dramatic, fast-paced book about some teens just trying to get to prom. If you have any sass at all, you will like this book.
Book Rating: 4.5/5
You can buy this book on Amazon and Book Depository or find it on Goodreads.
Disclaimer: This book was sent to us in physical format by the author to read and give an honest review.
Is anyone taking part in the Harry Potter Magical Readathon? Here is my video showing the books I chose to read for my OWLS! Let me know in the comments if you are participating.
