Tradition explores some very serious and timely issues around rape culture and the different treatment afforded to girls in the education system in this specific context. In the current media storm around #MeToo and the repeated appearance of the girl-sent home-from-school-due-to-clothing story, this book forms part of the important conversations that we need to have about what we teach our children about their value and place in society.

The story is told in alternating viewpoints from two main protagonists, one male and one female, one new to the school and one all-too-familiar with its traditions. This dual perspective allows the author to layer explore different perspectives, but ultimately both main characters share the same values, they just have different experiences of male privilege and female oppression.

That Brendan Kiely takes the issues he is exploring seriously is not in any question, as he maintains a sombre, almost menacing tone throughout the story which steeps the reader in anxious tension from the first page.

This strength is also something of a flaw in the story however, as combined with the dark tone, the emotional tension of the two main characters starts high and builds quickly. Jules in particular is distraught, almost-frantic, over health flyers and tampon protests from our first introduction to her. This effectively emphasises the looming sexual threat that fills the corridors at Fullbrook Academy, and shows that the main characters are aware and affected by this traditional old-boys atmosphere. It also leaves the author nowhere to take the characters emotionally by the time the crisis event occurs.

Jamie, or Bax, is also tightly wound, but this can be attributed to the secret trauma in his recent past, but Jules seems traumatised before The Event (and evidently rightly so – the atmosphere is undoubtably toxic) and therefore during and after the turning point of the plot her reactions can only slightly escalate and the reader is almost desensitised to the dramatic tone by the finale, which I am certain is not the effect the author intended.

I did really like the character development and relationship building, especially those between Jules and Javi, Javi and Max, Bax and Aileen, Javi and Bax. I especially liked that friendships once formed had to be maintained and worked on. Likewise the ending felt realistic and proportionate, with no huge events but a small pebble of change that may eventually gather an avalanche.

Overall this is a serious and thought-provoking book, with little action but a lot of emotional weight.




Way up in the sky the man in the moon has something like sad eyes, as if his pale face gazes down with pity, as if he wishes something better for us, or maybe wishes we ourselves were the ones who were better. I’m sure I’m sober, not drunk, just going a little crazy to think like that, but I think it anyway, because I feel that way. Sad. Like this whole stupid paradise, this very good school, is nothing but a fancy promise, a broken one, a big lie. And worse, that I’m actually a part of it.

– Brendan Kiely, Tradition

Review by Steph Warren of Bookshine and Readbows blog

Fullbrook is an elite school that prides itself on its traditions. But some traditions are not only best left in the past but should never have existed in the first place. It's a place of learning, privilege, toxic masculinity and girls who are complicit in the bad behaviour. Anyone who dreams of speaking out is ostracised, its all about going along with tradition. So when a group of four students unite against the system, even in small ways, they become a target for the bile the traditions create. This novel has certainly come at the right time, in view of the current climate of people finally discussing date rape and the ongoing "me too" debate. Since its so current it would be easy for a writer to throw out a novel based around the stories we've heard, with an "inspiring" lead character who despite all that is against them beats the system. But no, Kiely has instead taken the harder route and penned an affecting novel that sensitively deals with a really tough subject without ever been graphic, or giving an unrealistic idea of how people really act and react in these situations. It's telling that the scenes that affected me the most were when the fourteen-year-old freshmen girls are gathered for a lesson by the senior girls that involves them practising oral sex with a banana. To get them ready... It really hits home that so-called toxic masculinity isn't reserved for the masculine, too often they are aided in their behaviour by girls. Something I really liked about this novel is that if you take out the mobile phones it could be set now or twenty years ago and shows how nothing ever changes. It left me feeling sad but also glad these books are been written. It wasn't discussed before at all but I feel sure that when she's old enough I'll be steering my daughter to books like this and my nephew too. So, after all that (if you got this far) did I enjoy this? Well yes, despite the subject matter it is actually an enjoyable read. The author has created a quartet of main characters that are easy to like and root for, and yes shed a tear for. I'd highly recommend this, especially for teenagers.

James Baxter (Bax) is on his last chance after an incident at school injures another pupil. Given a scholarship to Fullbrook, school of the rich and privileged, due to his skills on the ice as a hockey player, Bax is unsure if he will fit in. He meets Javi, Jules, and Aileen who are all on the outside too in their own ways. Jules was part of the popular crowd, dating one of the most eligible guys on campus but things went wrong, and when Jules is sexually assaulted at a party one night, things get a lot worse.

I found this to be a mixed bag for me. The topic of rich white young men getting away with sexual assault is a timely one and the story itself was sensitively handled. The characters of Javi and Bax were believable but I found the female characters, especially Jules, just hit the wrong note at times. That being said, I thought it was a good read and would probably read it again in the future.

Thanks to NetGalley and publishers, Penguin Random House UK Children's, for the opportunity to review an ARC.

Disappointing. The story never really got going and the characters were unlikable. Not a patch on 13 Reasons Why, and if you are looking at this hoping it will be similar my advice would be don't both, it is not even a poor imitation.

This is a young adult book, that feels very ‘of the moment’. Focusing on rape, gender bias, victim blaming, cover ups, and money buying whatever you want or need. Based at Fullbrook, a prestigious boarding school, the book flits between narrators, both at different points in the story when their narrative begins. This was interesting as was the fact the main ‘moment’ in the story was very shortly detailed initially, but this made it all the more realistic. Things happen quickly and in panic you don’t capture all the details. This was very cleverly done, as was the victim trying to come to terms with it and reliving it. A very poignant story

The title and the subject matter really drew me to this book, and I had high hopes for it.
The titular tradition is that of a prestigious prep school, where anything that might affect the reputation of the school, the staff or the elite pupils (particularly those that will donate to the school) will be swept under the carpet or covered up. Thrown into this school is a boy on a scholarship with a troubled past. Will he do what he needs to do to continue his education and be selected by an ice hockey team, or will he act as a catalyst for change and challenge the status quo and reveal the damaging traditions of the school?
Unfortunately I found the book to be quite laboured. It took a long time to get to the key issue of the book and the characters were never fully fleshed out for me to really care for them. I also didn't really care for the ending, which suggested to me that rich, male privilege will always stay on top and there is nothing anyone can do about this. For a book aimed at teenagers and young adults this did not sit well with me at all. I think that there are other books out there with a similar subject matter that not only pack a much more powerful emotional punch than this book, but also a sense of empowerment to the reader.

My thanks go to the publishers and net galley for the chance to read this book in return for an honest review.

First off, high praise to Brendan Kiely for tackling such a difficult issue with care. The story flows between dual narrators who are introduced at very different starting points, both socially and academically and this appealed to me. With this structure as a foundation though, I did find that I wanted to know more about Jules' background. There were numerous references here and there but nothing in detail and it would have been nice to know a little more about where she'd come from, her family life before Fullbrook and her final year there. Bax was more forthcoming in his thoughts and memories of home - his humility and frustrations (especially the anger issues courtesy of his family background) were well-depicted in the narrative.

The actual description of what happens is so brief and so rushed, it is very likely how shocking and confusing it is for many who go through it. Initially, I had to re-read the scene to fully appreciate what had happened and then the character has to relive it multiple times to try and get it straight in their head as well. Initially you think, wait, was that it? But on reflection, this was a very, very clever aspect of the book. It made it extremely relatable and showed how easy it is to get into that situation, actually come to terms with it and how incredibly difficult it is to then prove what happened.

However, I thought I would care more and realised with a heavy heart, that maybe my desensitisation through dramas and news headlines meant that it hadn't touched me as much as it should. The ways in which girls are automatically, or rather, 'traditionally' treated, coming second to boys, sports success, family money and establishment reputation in such educational institutions was threaded neatly through the chapters without hitting us over the head with the message. The scene with the headmaster I can imagine having played out so many times and you can feel the minimalising language, the skewed perspective, the gender imbalance all playing their part to sweep everything under the expensive rugs of the school corridors.

I don't agree with other reviewers exasperations that the ending is a happy one. Numerous lives have been diminished due to standing up for what was right. The memories of all the incidents which took place, not just to the main characters, but to the others as well would have impacted greatly on their futures and the truth being obscured in such a way means that attitudes won't be changing any time soon at the fictional Fullbrook.

It's an important story to get out there, especially in the age of easy access to online images and videos of pretty much anything you can imagine and I hope young guys read this as well as girls to appreciate that animal instinct is within us all, of course it is, but civilisation has moved on to a far higher level which can bring emotional happiness and partnership, not just that empty feeling of the morning after and 'on to the next one' without having spoken a word.

Writing about sensitive subjects is always a risk. Trying to tread the line between conveying the pain and gruesomeness accurately whilst not giving the readers emotional scars to haunt them for the foreseeable future.

In this book’s case it didn’t quite manage to find that balance for me. It was a bit too careful and plain. After I finished reading it, I spent a while trying to figure out how it left me feeling. That’s what I came up with - imagine that you get asked to go on a road trip with a friend. You’re really excited and fly out of the house, not even bothering to lock the door, ready for great adventures. However, instead of the adventures, you drive around your neighbourhood, with all sights and streets already well familiar to you. Familiarity can be nice at times, you think, but for some reason your friend who’s driving is making some very odd maneuvers and taking routes that make no sense to you. Overall it leaves you feeling a bit bored, disoriented and ever so slightly uncomfortable.

In short this book wasn’t for me, but I can absolutely see why there are so many others who would and did enjoy reading it.

I quite liked this- it was an interesting read, but I felt some of the themes were intended to whack the reader over the head and lacked some subtlety as a result. That said, this definitely tackles some tough issues facing young people in schools and is realistic in its depiction of what the Me Too movement might feel like for young women struggling in a co-ed environment where they are not adequately heard. I liked the persistent railing against tradition and the characters' willingness to stand up for what they believed in, despite the threat they face by doing so. There are some great female protagonists here- a definite winner for young women.

I admire the desire to tackle relevant YA topics, sending deeper messages of social acceptance, peer pressure, homosexuality, living with consequences, and teenage substance abuse, however I didn't feel it worked. It left the book unfocused.

The story is set in an exclusive high school, steeped in traditions. Apparently, decades ago, it was a boys only school and yet in today's modern age, it hadn't managed to keep up with any feminist changes. Their are two core characters. Jules, was once an IT girl dating the most popular guy in school and surrounded by a circle of IT girlfriends. She is now an outcast who is so principled it is painful. She has a best friend in Javi, who is very wealthy and gay and fighting his own battle for acceptance. James is new to the school, earning his place through a hockey scholarship. He is acutely aware he doesnt fit in and has a haunting past. And then Aileen is thrown into the mix, which felt so superfluous that I almost didn't mention her.
The author attempts to cover too much ground throwing in homosexuality, peer pressure, sexual harassment, bullying....basically every dramatic cliche that should make you take the book seriously. It made me roll my (very dry) eyes. And in case it wasn't clear, I found the female lead character completely annoying.

This is an important book about privilege and tradition and how that can translate into rape culture at an elite boarding school. It's about standing up and changing things.

Jules is a feminist. Right from the start of the book, she's standing up and trying to make the school a better place by handing out leaflets about women's health to the incoming freshmen students. Jamie is a little different. He's very much the big burly football player, coming into Fullbrook for a clean slate after bad things happened in his home town. It's hard at first to work out what his role in the story is, but I liked the way he changed over time and grew closer to Jules and the others.

The way that the school handles things. The way that Jules is shut down and silent at every time that she tries to stand up for what's right, shows how important it is to stand up for what's right in every way you can.

It's definitely a book that will stay with me for a long time, the iconic scenes that I'll remember long after I've forgotten many of the other books I've read this year. A must read for anyone who cares about feminist issues and activism.

The ugly side of tradition. I found this read both disturbing - in that such toxic relationships are prevalent in the lives of young people - and reassuring, in that the book offers strategies for how such toxic partnerships can be navigated, challenged and overcome.

This is not the book I hoped it would be. There are many male authors who write female characters well. I absolutely don't subscribe to the stay in your lane argument. In this case however, it holds some weight because aside from this not really being a man's story to tell, it's compounded by the author's shallow understanding of the subject matter. I think the book means well. The problem is that Jules is the sort of cardboard cut-out feminist character that a lot of men believe all feminists to be. Bax is an equally wooden and 2D 'woke' male character. This just doesn't do a good job of exploring rape culture and I think it's because the author picked the wrong characters to explore it through due to really understanding the situation himself. Aside from that the writing is somewhat uninspiring and the dialogue was flat. A cynic would think that the author was trying to hop onto the Jay Asher gravy train (which in itself shows a huge lack of understanding of the source material) but even so this book slips and falls on the tracks instead. Speak, All the Rage and Asking For It all explore the same subject matter with far more nuance, empathy and intelligence.

First of all, kudos to the author for tackling these issues - they’re big issues, huge ones, and books like this do important work in opening conversations. Admittedly, there are times when the book feels more issue driven than plot or character driven, almost like it’s ticking them off on a list, but still - it’s admirable.

Tradition is set in an elite private boarding school. The two main characters, Jules, a feminist teen determined to get through her last year at Fullbrook with as little interaction as possible with the privileged and entitled rich boys who rule the roost (one of whom was her boyfriend the year before) and Baxter, a public school kid on a sports scholarship who finds himself thrown into a hockey team with said rich boys. They and several other characters struggle with the social hierarchy and sexist traditions of the school, the relentless objectification of the female students and the arrogant and aggressive behaviour of the male students.

Where I struggled was the split narrative - some parts are told from Baxter’s POV, some from Jules’s. It’s often tough for a writer to successfully take on the POV of a narrator of a different gender. It’s got to be a big challenge for an adult male to write an adolescent female. And an adolescent female struggling with gender equality and the experience and aftermath of a sexual assault? Bold move, for sure, and maybe one that didn’t quite play out for me. Several of the characters felt a little two dimensional and idealised (the hero’s fatal flaw is that he is just too darn strong).

I don’t want this to sound snarky because the truth is I read this book rapidly and was eager to find out what happened. I think it’s a good concept and the author is doing excellent work in exploring the issues he raises. Maybe it just tries to do a little too much - but then isn’t that what adolescence is like?

A solid YA read with a strong moral compass.

I read this book just as I was finishing up the second season of 13 Reasons Why and they paired up very well together showing the infuriating ways in which privilege and tradition work.
Unfortunately I didn't fully connect with the characters in this though. Of course its a very important book, I just feel like there are better ones tackling the same issues.

I feel this is a good look at sexism within these boarding school settings and especially among the upper class. However it does feel very limited in its representation- again, it focuses on majority upper class students who can afford to go to this private school, and it doesn't feel like it focuses on anything beyond the basics of feminism/sexism and focuses on white feminism especially, although the looks at sexuality within feminism, albeit brief from what I can recall, was very well done.

*Thank you to the author and NetGalley for giving me a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review*

<b>4 stars</b>

<b>Trigger Warning: Sexual assault/rape and bullying.</b>

I'm always curious about books with plots concerning assault - particularly when they take place within the grounds of educational institutions, such as college and school. It interests me to see how the situation is dealt with, and how the people concerned are helped - If they ever are, and it's incredibly saddening to be confronted with the same endgame. Unfortunately, that's reality.

I really enjoyed both main characters, Jules and Jamie. (Even though I liked Jules, I don't know how I feel about Brendan creating her to be a confrontational 'feminist' whose every move is a statement and who likes to make people uncomfortable and cause controversy 24/7. This seems to be a common move for male authors... are they trying to prove something?) Jules was independent, strong-minded and had her sights sets on making a difference to the school system. This included a tampon normalization campaign and although she was so determined to start this campaign, it never developed into anything. It was just mentioned and that was the end of it, which was disappointing. This is my only negative about the book - it wasn't developed as well as I would have liked, (the story and the characters) especially when it concerned the most important issues, including the rape culture and masculine dominance.

Jamie supported Jules from day one in wanting the school to change. He could see the faults at Fullbrook and wanted to help in ending the "traditions." I did ship him with Jules because I thought they matched together well <spoiler>but he ends up with the friend that I can't even remember the name of and it made no sense to me but whatever.</spoiler>

All in all, it was an enjoyable read, even though it was lacking at some points.

I agreed to give an honest review in exchange for an advance copy from netgalley.

This review contains spoilers.
This was a well written book tackling hard issues.
Did I like it? No. Not at all.
Basically I'm fed up of stories without satisfactory endings in this topic. With all of the recent media attention, the me too campaign and the abundance of rich male priviledge overriding common decency; I was hoping for a tale of hope or at least justice.
But this story just seemed to reiterate that if you were male and rich you could get away with whatever you wanted.
The boys received no comeuppance, no public naming or shaming. The girl was forced to leave the school and the poor scholarship kid lost his place for trying to be decent.
No repercussions, no victory, just more "she was asking for, she was crazy, boys will be boys" rhetoric.
Their one 'victory' of setting the lawn on fire backfired and would be quickly forgotten as the crazy girl who cried rape and got expelled.
Yes that is what it's like in real life. We don't need it shoved down our throats in fiction too.
Jules seemed to be designed to piss us off from the start and garnered little sympathy throughout. I'm wondering if that was deliberate in order to make her lack of vindication more palatable.
What I got from this book, besides rage? Don't go to private schools, rich men are scum who are all in it together... And there's nothing you can do to change it.

Reading Tradition was...one hell of an emotional ride, all too relatable and intense. I don't know what I had expected - but it blew me away. The first half of this book was quick to make me love the main characters. The second half frightened me, but in a good way.

It touches upon heavy topics such as rape, consent, toxic masculinity...so much, much more. It was /intense/. I found myself reliving my high school years, bitter at how relatable Jules and her life at Fullbrook was. The school was full of privileged students who use an institution for a shield. She herself was privileged, but she was aware and active in attempting to break down walls. It was frustrating whenever girls turned on her, frustrating when she was made prey by the males. It was awful and real and raw, and it made me so angry. Which was great, because I love a book that makes me /feel/ things. The plot, definitely, made me feel things. So many things.

Jules and Jamie were both flawed and interesting. I liked them both and their narrative journey was just incredible. I think their character development, rough and rocky as they both were, flowed so well. They were both at very different starting lines and they way they wove into each other was great. Two people who want to change things, who are actively going out there and facing the world and the toxicity of privileged society - I really liked their drive and motivations. This made them more interesting.
However, I didn't understand the characters beneath their actions and the events that occurred in the story. What changed Jules' attitude before senior year? I liked the way she acted throughout, but what shaped her? The same goes with Jamie, as he had this traumatic backstory that I forgot half the way and felt could have been better explored.

Overall, the writing was pretty powerful. The way it didn't shy away from these heavy topics was brilliant, really strong, and I enjoyed it. It was difficult to get into, mostly because of its content - far too much a reminder of the hells of my secondary school life - but it was powerful. I wish the characters had been more fleshed out, but I absolutely loved the narrative and its messages.

The topics of sexual assault, rape culture and sexism are more in the spotlight than possibly ever before due to recent movements like MeToo and I think it is such an important thing to discuss in young adult novels especially. Tradition goes deep into the nature of an expensive ‘traditional’ private school and shows how toxic the atmosphere there can be for anyone who doesn’t adhere to the so called ‘traditions’ of that school. These traditions only really benefit a select few, and cause damage to many others, herein lies the problem.
The story follows two seniors at Fullbrook Academy, one is a female student who has been attending the school for years and the other is a new male student attending on a sports scholarship. It is fascinating to get both their perspectives as the story progresses as they are in very different positions at the beginning of the book. I liked this method a lot and felt like as a reader I got a really honest insight into the thoughts and feelings of these two young adults and seeing how their perceptions of each other changed as the novel moved along was really interesting. There is a lot in this book about toxic masculinity, the power of privilege and how in so many cases a man’s voice always seems to count for more than a woman’s especially if the young man in question comes from a rich and powerful family. Obviously this was not always pleasant to read about but it is such an incredibly necessary conversation that needs to be had. Despite these intense themes there is a lot that is quite hopeful and positive in Tradition. The importance of friendship is made very clear, and the importance of having people you trust standing by your side. The friendships in this novel give the darkness it portrays moments of positivity and hope that at some point things will start to change.
I did like this book a lot, however I do feel that despite understanding the motives and feelings of the characters I didn’t connect to them as much as I would have liked. I would have found the book even more affecting if I had felt like I knew these characters even better. There were a few peripheral characters that seemed a little one dimensional and stereotypical to me in some cases and again that took me out of the story a little. Despite this, overall I think Tradition is an important book about something frighteningly relevant and is definitely worth reading.