I have to admit that I took a chance on this book. The main theme appealed to me: an 'old-boy' type institution where a girl tries to question all of the highly questionable, chauvinistic opinions of the boys who go there. Something bad happens to the girl, Jules, but I really think that the fallout from the act committed against her is far too glossed over and rushed. This is the point at which I realised just how much this book was aimed at the teen market and not at me (I should have realised before I started). However, I STILL think that it should have been more explicit - the act and what happened afterwards to the girl. How can our children learn what is acceptable and what is not until we tell them EXACTLY what is NOT acceptable? I really feel that far too much attention was paid to the main male protagonist, Jamie, especially after the attack, but I can see why. He also showed the opposite side of the story to the privilege of the other students. This could have been a whole separate book though, I feel. 
I'm not so sure that Kiely wrote the female characters very well. The other females all seemed rather vacuous and 'thin'. Whilst some girls are like this, I still feel that in this day and age, there would have been more girls who would have felt they should come down firmly on Jules' side. That is perhaps naive of me, and this is far more true to life. This would raise some very interesting discussion points with young people though, I'm sure.

This tale is set in the prestigious world of Fulbrook Academy. This school turns out the men (and sometimes women!) who are the movers and shakers of this world. Most of the pupils have a sense of entitlement. They are the elite and the world dances to their tune -or at least to the tune of their parents' money! 

The story is told from two perspectives. Jules Devereux has gone through the school. She is now a Senior and for this last year she just wants to keep her head down & get into a good college. She wants to separate herself from the toxic traditions of the place; traditions that treat girls like trophies. Jamie Baxter has just arrived. He is on a sports scholarship for his ice hockey. This place is totally alien to him- a country farm boy. Given a pass into the 'in-crowd' by virtue of his athletic prowess it doesn't take him long to realise that their values are as far removed from his as their respective parents' bank balances!

Jules & Bax form an unlikely alliance. They may not be able to change things but they can make sure that people are forced to acknowledge that these things are actually happening!

The author brings the reader into this world and makes them take a hard look at it. As someone who has worked in boarding schools I was quite horrified at the way the staff seemed to behave! They seemed to have no concern for their pupils welfare. I found the two main characters interesting. All in all it was a good read, dealing with subjects that tend to have been swept under the carpet. Recent events have brought them to the fore with the #metoo campaign and not before time!

When I first read its synopsis, I expected Tradition to be like The Exact Opposite of Okay at lightest, or I Stop Somewhere at darkest. It's not. It doesn't have the humour that carried Laura Steven's book or the soulful reflection woven through T.E. Carter's writing, and I don't know if I'm reading too much into it, but I found Tradition a lot harder to grasp. Even so, this book does a fine job taking on the muddied waters of consent and rape culture, diving right into the thick of the action at the sheltered, elitist Fullbrook Academy.

Let's get it out of the way: Fullbrook is pretty damn awful. It's somehow simultaneously better and worse than I expected it to be. Better, because there's less overt bigotry than there could be, and worse, because all that sentiment is pushed into latent bias that manifests as an implicit but absolutely systemic prejudice. If Kiely's goal with Fullbrook was to create a fictional environment more toxic than Chernobyl, he's succeeded. Save the few main characters with whom we're supposed to sympathise, everyone is a catty cog in the wheel.

That lack of nuance makes it rather hard to tell apart the many characters whose personalities offer no departures from the spoiled trust fund baby. It also becomes harder to connect with the story when characters are so two-dimensionally good or bad. There are exceptions, such as Shriya, one of the "bad" students who receives a little development, but they're few and far between. Sometimes, the powerful social message behind Tradition even ends up distorted behind the grisly machinations of entitled private school kids. While the unacceptable nature of Fullbrook's entitled attitude is an important plot point, there's an extent to which it dominates the plot more than it ideally would.

The protagonists are, if not fully convincing leads, somewhat more thoughtfully developed than their cardboard peers, Jamie more so than Jules. It's easy to see where Jamie is coming from. His backstory, simplistic as it may be, fills in the gaps enough to make him feel like a realistic person formed by realistic circumstances in the real world. His inner monologue sounds a bit too articulate for a guy who supposedly can't do academics at all, but I suppose it wouldn't be very interesting to read if Kiely lowered his chapters to the fictional character's writing skill. Still, it feels off whenever a narrator whose personality is largely built on his lack of book intelligence starts spouting off metaphors that sound like they came right out of a creative writing class.

Jamie's voice doesn't sound much different from Jules's. If it weren't for their different storylines, I'd have a hard time telling who was talking. Jules, the uncompromising, brazen activist, is an awkward character. She's excessive, and I find it hard to empathise with her. I appreciate her for trying, but at the same time I can see why people are hesitant to support her. 

Yes, she's in an extremely toxic environment, and yes, people have been awful to her. That's written well. What's written less well is that these things haven't shaped her so much as they've made her into the stereotype of a radical feminist: When she's asked to put away the tampon that she's set on her desk, Jules calls for a campaign to normalise tampons by setting them out on desks in class (seriously) and recruits her buddies Jamie and Aileen to help. After a while people basically ignore them, and Jules is annoyed that people aren't reacting. 

Call me crazy, but I don't know what she's trying to get out of this campaign. Tampons look pretty normalised to me if nobody's commenting on them, and a school like Fullbrook is never going to turn into a progressive paradise, especially not overnight. I get Jules's frustration--it's hard not to--but her methods of activism don't seem particularly effective or perceptive. 

In addition, Jules's characterisation is largely limited to her activism. There are two other traits I can remember reading about her--she wants to get out of Fullbrook and go to university, and she likes photography. Is there anything else about her, and are these two traits developed beyond the cursory? Not really.

The writing can be confusing at times, with jarring scenes like the flashforward at the start of the novel. Much like Tradition as a whole, the scene is compelling when taken in isolation, but doesn't stand up to scrutiny as one component of an extended narrative. For the most part, Tradition gets the central message and the plot/character details directly related to it right. Where it trips up is everywhere else.

A coming of age story that isn’t afraid to show the darker side of school life and the struggles of teenagers to deal with it. Thought provoking

This book was fascinating. The author really captured the world of elite-boarding schools perfectly; particularly how sexist they are. This novel deals with very difficult topics like consent, rape and toxic masculinity and it really makes reading some of it difficult as well, which I see as a bonus as it remind us how important these things are. Overall a brilliantly written book.

This was an easy read, clearly showed gender divides and issues and would recommend for teenage readers.

Powerful- will frightfully resonate with its readers.

Brendan Kiely takes you on a journey. The reader steps into the shoes of two teenagers tackling their college years at Fullbrook, a prestigious haven for the privileged. He's a new scholarship kid. She is the daughter of Fullbrook's first female student. He wants to belong but feels out of his depth. She's given up with that, sworn off dating and false friendships and is all for reclaiming herself for herself. She can't wait to get out.

This is a book that forces you to step up and listen. Quite like a piece of controversial art, you just have to give it the attention it's due. A book that means something. We never want to know everything, no one likes feeling uncomfortable. We hide away from the truth, we don't ask the harder questions. It's easier to deny the truth than it is to confront it. We never get too close- not until it's too late and the damage has been done. I'm thinking of an incident, and I'm sure you are as well. Rules are there for a reason, we laugh when they're broken: innocent rebellion. But there's always more to it. Always. But hey, “Don’t worry... They’re not really going to do anything about it. They never do.” 

No one ever does. Traditions are difficult to destroy, they're seeped in history, sentimentality and patriarchy.

A tough battle. You have to stand your ground. Never give up. You have to work harder to gain respect, to earn it. You'll have to prove yourself. It's even harder if you're female, the respect from others doesn't come naturally. Kiely gets that: toxic masculinity, the persistent rape culture. This is just what is needed in the wake of the sexual harassment claims. Traditions, the old way of doing things, the easy manner of minding your own business, of compliance, sweeping crimes under the rug, looking past the elephants in the room, justifying sexist remarks... And on it goes. "Burn out the old. Bring in the new." 

Make this your next read!

I received this book through NetGalley.

This book should be on the list for all students to read as it describes so clearly the divide between the two sexes and how easily Rape can occur. I loved the book for the clarity of emotions that ran rife through the school and the exceptional character descriptions. The taboos were all attacked here in a clear manner.

3.5 stars
I was really excited to read this - I love boarding school books, make it a dark book in an elite school and I'm happier, plus it promised a look at rape culture, toxic masculinity and entitled privilege, written by a male author. All this added up to something unmissable. So why 3.5 stars?
There were things I really liked. The school was brilliantly drawn, that faint air of menace mingled with arrogance and, for the girls at least, a sense of desperately needing to fit in no matter what. The failed friendship between Jules and Gillian and Shriya also rang true, Jules' sense of betrayal and palpable hurt was really well drawn. I liked both main male characters, the outsider James, worrying that he's messed up his future, hating the monster within, and Javi, also an outside in many ways who finds himself violated by toxic masculinity and entitlement. 
Things I wasn't so keen on? I would have liked more time to get to know and spend with Aileen, damaged ex party-girl WHO, I think, would have made a more interesting heroine than Jules. We never really get to know Jules and therein lies the problem. We know James's back story by the end of the book, but we never get to the heart of her anger, her emotional estrangement from her mother, her decision to split up with Ethan, the subsequent falling out with her friends. Was she always pushing against the status quo or is that new? If so why? There were too many questions and she never really felt real to me. 
Likewise the incident at the heart of the book. It's flagged at the start, we know it's going to happen. But I didn't get the building sense of fear I expected, or the shock and horror. The incident itself is obscure, hazy, because things often are in real life, but the impact is therefore lessened. The aftermath works well, the growing sense of disillusionment as power comes into play and money talks but the ending felt abrupt and unresolved. 
Tradition was an interesting and timely read and I read it fast, my interest held the whole time, but it didn't quite tip over into a great read, which is a shame because all the ingredients were there.

I really wanted to like this book but for me it just did not deliver. The characters were not properly developed and the ending didn’t really sit well with me. The premise was good but I didn’t really engage with it.

This is seriously the kind of book that I can imagine future students studying in schools; it deals with relevant issues unflinchingly, and in a totally refreshing way, and I really think that it’s a book that everyone should read.

Most of the feminist books I’ve read have always been in a girl’s POV; we only hear the girls’ thoughts and feelings on rape culture and harassment, whereas in <i>Tradition</I>, the story is told through both Jules and Jamie’s perspective. 

Jules is a <i>difficult</I> girl. She’s the girl asking questions and demanding answers; she’s the girl handing out leaflets to first year girls about their sexual health and trying to normalise tampons. The students say she’s crazy, and the teachers say she complains too much, but she never backs down and gives in. She’s a total icon, and you’re gonna love her.

Jamie is the new kid at Fullbrook, having left his old school after being involved in a almost-fatal accident. He already feels like an outsider, the poor kid in a school where the students’ parents arrive in helicopters, and like he doesn’t deserve a second chance - and these feelings are only amplified when he can’t join in with the sexist changing room ‘banter’. He grows closer with Jules, and they work together to expose the school and the sexist traditions they hold dear.

Whilst Jamie wasn’t my favourite character in this book, I did absolutely love seeing his thoughts on the male dominance at Fullbrook, and I loved seeing him finding his voice and standing up for what is right, even when he didn’t have to, when it didn’t directly effect him.

The ending also totally worked for me, even though I know some people won’t be crazy about it because there isn’t really a whole lot of closure. The boys don’t suddenly see the light and apologise to every girl they’ve ever put down; they don’t get kicked out for their crimes. But there is change, however small. Jules and Jamie bring hope to some of the girls at Fullbrook; they take small steps into the right direction. 

*I received a free copy in exchange for an honest review*

This book appealed to me because it was for 'fans of Cruel Intentions'.  I didnt really get the link, but I thoroughly enjoyed the book. 

We follow the story of small time activist Jules Devereux and small town boy James Baxter who has made mistakes in the past and has a second chance to redeem himself at Fullbrook. An exclusive school. Jame is a top ice hockey goalie, and all round good guy. 

Jules is promoting womens health, trying to normalise tampax and focus on being her best self. She becomes friends with James and along with Javi and 'the viking' they become a foursome of outsiders. 

The book focuses on social groups and what is acceptable. One guy proudly displays his conquests yet for the ladies they are considered to be sluts if they sleep around. One night at a party Jules is taken advantage of, and despite saying No it takes an interruption for her to be saved. When she finally comes forward she is made to feel like the bad guy, and it points to being male and having money is what gets you ahead in the world. 

The book tackles some topics that are often avoided, sexual abuse, homosexuality and the power of money. 

This ones a nice change from the usual, I like that it doesnt shy away from how privilege gets you ahead in life and can save you no matter what.

Tradition is set in a private American high school. From this description I expected hazing, a patriarchal administration that knew exactly what it was doing in covering up male behaviour, and large amounts of unpleasant behaviour. It wasn't that. As in real life, there were a number of messy incidents which were not well explored and rather glossed over - "something happened...I don't want to talk about it..." scenes which I don't think really explain well what rape culture is and how to deal with it. The administration was enragingly inept, like something out of the seventies, and only vaguely involved towards the end, which doesn't give a great deal of closure (are we sure "set it all on fire and get kicked out" is the right message?). A powerful parent was alluded to and again, not really explained. Much of the book doesn't get to grips with the character development properly at all. This is a real shame because it felt like there was a lot of potential here which could have particularly appealed to male readers. The setting is claustrophobic and tense, which is very well done, but for me it just didn't really go anywhere.

** spoiler alert ** I really dislike giving bad reviews,because sometimes,there is a perfectly good book that you just didn't get on with.
I think this was one of those times. There was nothing glaringly wrong with the book... I just struggled to remember anything about who,where and what every time I picked it up.

A modern view of an age old issue. Well written with believable characters. A thought provoking book containing many viewpoints of the same story. A great read.

I wasn't really sure how to rate this novel because I feel that the subject matter is really important and should definitely be dealt with in literature, but I also thought that "Tradition" didn't necessarily do it justice.

The two main characters aren't really all that well-developed. Jules, especially, feels rather underdeveloped because her initial motivation is never really made clear. There apparently was a shift in her attitude before senior year but the novel never explained why or what her attitude was before which made it harder to understand they way she acts and feels at the start of the novel. 

James's backstory is better developed but the novel never really does anything with it. There is an extremely traumatic event in his past but it is never really dealt with and it's basically just used to set him up in opposition to the other boys and to get him in position for the plot to kick off. 

Some side characters just drop out of the plot without any resolution and Javi's side-plot feels kind of tacked on. 

The storyline itself was really interesting and, in my opinion, had a lot of potential, but I think that the novel would have had even more of a gut-punch if the characters had been more developed.

Jules is a student wanting to just get through her final year at school while Jamie is now at the same school for his wanting a chance at a sporting career.



Fullbrook academy though holds a dark swcret, one night at an alcohol fuelled party, events change lives as Jules withdraws from everything around her after a boy takes advantage of her.



The lives of these students is realistic of not more privileged however the dark world of rape and the culture surrounding it is uncovered as the assault comes to light. Hopefully it will encourage anyone in a situation of being raped or assaulted in any way to come forward and see it can be something you can grow from and become yourself again as Jules does, she doesn't let it break her. The characters felt like typical teenagers and the story believable, though I did struggle to get into the book, but the main plot did keep me invested in it and the writing was more action packed the deeper into the novel I got.



Many thanks to the publishers for allowing me to review this book for them!

Campus novels will never fail to pique my interest. But when I see an elite campus-set novel that provides an insight to the rape culture perpetuated there, I am doubly sold!

This split-perspective tale follows two outsiders to the exclusive Fullbrook Acadamy. Jules Devereux is the girl who is going somewhere. She has climbed to the pinnacle of the social hierarchy but, now a senior, is divorcing herself from her role there, and the expectations placed upon the females who attend this isolated, male-dominated world. Staying silent was her insurance to success but she must now decide what is more important.

Jamie Baxter is the campus new kid. His excellence in hockey sees him instantly installed with the powerful senior males who rule. However he never quite stops feeling like the outsider, especially when their locker-room banter and the everyday sexism that peppers their conversations continues to rankle him. Jamie must make his own decision too, about whether his silence is a worthy price to pay for comfort.

This novel made no secret about the issues it was confronting. It made for an often tense and an ever uncomfortable reading experience. From the title onwards, this was a novel that probed at every area of the elite boarding school world it was investigating. It discoursed on a variety of topics - such as consent, rape culture, and toxic masculinity - and provided some excellent points of discussion. A misogynistic way of thinking was the norm here and many sexist traditions were deemed acceptable. Kiely did an excellent job at making the reader consistently disturbed by this, and fighting against the silence such thoughts and actions were previously met with.

Throughout my reading I was constantly guessing at the direction this novel would take. I feared a happily-ever-after scenario and, for much of the last third, I felt this would be delivered. Thankfully, this novel did not continue on to deliver a prettily packaged parcel. The issues here are prevalent in many real-world establishments and I think it would have been unjust of this novel to 'cure' the notions perpetuated there in just over 300 pages. Instead, this was a stand against it. It provided both an insight to the lives of the next generation elite, went some way towards making the individuals aware of the sexism and misogyny they were promoting, and ended with a calling out of this behaviour. It delivered a strong political statement but was also aware it was but one of many needed to deliver an end to this way of thinking

Tradition. Hard to shake off. Something that has stood the test of time. Sometimes traditions uphold behaviours that are toxic. So, what do you do if you find yourself part of that culture?
That is the question tackled in this contemporary novel. 
Kiely presents us with a dual person narrative - one male and one female - and this gives us the opportunity to explore some of the questions circulating so widely.
Both Jules and James come from very different backgrounds, and for different reasons they find themselves increasingly concerned by the ramifications of upholding Fullbrook traditions. I enjoyed this element of the novel, and felt the character of James Baxter was the one who experienced more development.
The details are spilled gradually, and events build to a gripping finale. Ultimately, however, there’s no indication that things will change and while realistic it was a pretty depressing message to give.
Thanks to NetGalley for granting me access to read this prior to publication. I’ve already pre-ordered my copy as this is a book that I’ll encourage all my students to pick up.

I know this is an ARC but the book was unreadable for me. There were too many spelling errors and it gave me a headache trying to figure out what word was supposed to be where.

I did end up finishing it and I have to say that the story in itself was very good. Rape culture is something that is very much alive right now and I do enjoy reading books about it.