I thought this was a truly nasty book, and I simply don’t understand all the positive reviews. Comparing it to Donna Tartt’s The Secret History is an insult to Tartt, who writes with insight, nuance and subtlety. None of those are in evidence here. Gratuitous, graphic violence and sexual abuse merely for the sake of it, with no depth or understanding of motivation except the banal one of privilege and entitlement. Everyone in this book is horrible. You have to search hard for any redeeming features in any of them. Four scholarship pupils are sent to an elite prestigious boarding school in order to raise the academic standards. Inevitably they are bullied by the established pupils with no quarter given and this bullying starts right at the start. There’s no build-up of tension, no measured setting of scenes and characterisation, just straight in with shocking scenes for voyeuristic pleasure. One brutal episode after another. It all beggars belief. The staff are mostly absent and just as nasty as the pupils. Just what is the point of this book? I skimmed most of it as I found reading it degrading – but I needed to struggle through in order to review for NetGalley. It’s not even well written, being both bland and uninteresting from a stylistic point of view. And yet many readers have enjoyed it, and I’m going against the grain here. So be it.

The Four by Ellie Keel is a gripping, engrossing foray into dark academia, though with all the misery inside one would be hard pressed to say they enjoyed it.

The titular ’Four’ are four students awards full scholarships to complete their A Levels at the prestigious High Realms boarding school. They are singled out amongst their peers and despite facing cruelty and derision from the seniors, they hold their own. However, one disastrous accident changes the direction of their lives forever…

This book had me gripped. There was something about the prose that didn’t quite connect with me, and yet I knew I would continue until the bitter end to find out the outcome for all the characters.

The novel is told from an adult Rose’s perspective, though we are fully immersed in the story as it is happening back in 2000. Rose seems to lack depth, as though someone else is telling the story. I didn’t feel connected to Rose as the narrator or protagonist at all. Sami and Lloyd seem to express more emotion.

I felt the characters were naive, facing experiences far beyond their capabilities for their age. I have no experience of boarding school but I sincerely hope they aren’t like High Realms. Cold teaching staff, bullying, violence and sexual assault are tolerated with an almost blase attitude.

I believe we needed to see more of Marta’s intelligence and character at the start of the novel. We have barely gotten to know her before things change; there is not enough evidence of the Four’s close relationship for me to believe they would go to such risks to protect her, or to remember her in later years.

Despite that, this is an addictive read that kept me turning the pages until the end. A slow start gave way to an intensely dark story, where you read on feverishly trying to find a speck of hope for these young people. One character faced so much misery that it did feel like it was edging on parody; I just can’t believe that so much could happen to one person in such a short space of time. I don’t *want* to believe it.

The richly descriptive narrative allowed me to imagine High Realms in all its sinister glory, picturing Rose and the others faced with this other wordly labyrinthine school.

Although I think the central relationship between the Four could have been fleshed out more, I did enjoy the subtle connection growing between Rose and Sylvia. It was unexpected and yet they seemed to work well together. I was happy to see the inclusion of LGBQTIA relationships in this novel, along with the fluidity of sexuality and seeing young people discover who they are.

I think it may be better aimed at a younger audience, perhaps those just transitioning from YA to more adult books, despite the dark themes.

A raw and powerful story of loyalty and revenge, testing the lengths we will go to protect those we love.

Four scholarship students are accepted into an exclusive boarding school but it will take more than their ace test results to be accepted in the hostile world of High Realms. The four are united together as outsiders as they face aggression from both staff and pupils. What starts as a friendship based on strength in numbers soon forges into fierce loyalty as a dark secret binds them together.   

I was gripped from the first page. The writing is so compelling that I felt absorbed in the vicious world of High Realms. Secrets and scheming are sown in the beginning so it is high stakes from the off.  Themes of tragedy and grief are woven throughout making for an evocative read. I felt tied to each of the four and rooted for them all. I’d highly recommend if you’re in the mood for dark academia threaded tightly with emotional thriller and domestic drama.

Not completely sure where I come down on this one. Slow to get going, it feels engaging once we experience somewhat of a tragedy in High Realms. From there, we sit in quite a bit of mystery. We're never quite sure who's trustworthy and whether our main characters are safe.

This read as more character driven than plot, focusing on the dynamics between the different groups. Supposed misfits and popular kids but all with more layered things going on. The middle section all worked for me but I found it dragging again towards these end. By the time I was 50 or so pages off finishing it, I didn't feel strongly driven to find out where we end up.

That said, the overall atmosphere of tension and fear is what will stay with me. I can imagine it becoming a good tv series.

The story of The Four is narrated by Rose, one of four teenagers who gain a scholarship to the sixth form of the elite boarding school HIgh Realms in 1999. Most of the pupils at the school have been there for years and are at best scathing of the scholarship pupils. Bullying and power struggles dominate the environment both among pupils and teachers. Marta, Sami, Rose and Lloyd (the four) form strong bonds amongst themselves in this context. When one of the four is involved in the accidental injury of another pupil the other three do all they can to support her. This is a shocking and uncomfortable book to read but very well written. All four pupils (and many of the others) have issues and/or secrets in their past and present which impact on their behaviour and the decisions they make. I found the voices of the characters and the setting very convincing although there were some aspects of the plot which I found stretched credulity somewhat. I would read future books by Ellie Keel. Thanks to the publisher for a complimentary ARC of this title via Net Galley.

Dark academia isn’t the genre I normally read but I thought I would give this a try.

Four millennium scholars, Rose, Lloyd, Marta, and Sami have started at the prestigious High Realms school. They soon discover that High Realms has its own rules, and there are some older students who are just plain nasty to them and really insufferable and horrible characters. Genevieve and Marta haven’t been getting on, and when Genevieve falls and is seriously injured, all fingers point to Marta, who is in hiding.

Told from the point of view of Rose, this book should come with a trigger warning. There is mention of self harm, abuse, bullying to name a few and it’s definitely dark and grim reading at times.

I tried my best to keep reading this book but I just got fed up with it and unfortunately DNF. The pace feels so slow, i got almost halfway through and there hadn’t been much progress at all. Apart from the four scholarship students, most of the other students and staff are horrible and it made me not care about what had happened. It’s also pretty bleak and generally depressing.

Unfortunately this book really wasn’t for me but from the reviews it looks like many others have enjoyed it.

Thanks Netgalley for the ARC.

Marta, Rose, Sami and Lloyd. The Four. Four children chosen on the scholarship programme for a very exclusive, privileged, private boarding school. Their back ground aside they would never fit in with the wealthy and elite who had been there since childhood with friendships and allegiances already formed.

High Realms is the school in question and from day one it is clear school bully Genevieve will stop at nothing to remind The Four who they are and where they come from especially Marta. The bullying is non stop. The events happen more frequently until a nasty accident puts in place a serious chain of events. The Four will never be the same again.

I did enjoy most aspects of this and would give it a 3.5. The story is told from the point of view of Rose and events seems to happen over a long period but then you realise it was a short time. Also I found some parts a bit much to believe, the hiding, the police not following them. As much as children experiment there was a lot of sex for such young adults. Overall I found that I felt I was constantly waiting for something.

I struggled to get into this book. It seemed a slow paced start and the subject matter didn't make it an easy read..
The four students of the title were likeable but the school they were at and the bullying and dark and violent activities that occurred were unsettling and this influenced my enjoyment.

The Four will not be a book for everyone. In fact, I didn’t think it was for me at first. It is a very slow burn and at times incredibly difficult to read. If you can think of a dark theme, it is in this story. So many parts made me feel very uncomfortable.

The Four are the scholarship students starting at The Hugh Realms. They are the outsiders, not rich, not from a family with stature. They had to work hard to get a place here, and will have to work hard to stay. The other kids are not kind to them at all. It isn’t long before a tragic incident occurs between the 2 groups and things will never be the same again.

This an adult novel, but at times it does feel a little YA to me. These kids are 16 and have had hard lives already. Sometimes it is easy to forget that they are kids, and at times they act older than they are. The teachers in this school are despicable, they have no control over these out of control teens.

Full of dark secrets and lies, these kids will grow up very fast in this environment.

Thanks to Harper Collins for my copy of this book to read. I am glad that I stuck with it in the end.

A very dark psychological drama about four scholarship students who get a place at an elite boarding school. The book describes horrendous bullying and a chaotic environment which is often uncomfortable and horrific. Not an easy or enjoyable read.

Thanks to NetGalley, the author and the publisher for the opportunity to read and review an advance copy.

My review is pending.
I couldn’t get this to download but I have ordered the book so waiting on the delivery I’m so excited to get started !

The Four follows a group of 4 scholarship students admitted to a boarding school on scholarships for their A-Levels. This is incredibly difficult for them as they do not know the rules, are note part of the groups, and are obviously poor compared to the other students who bully them atrociously. I found the book very difficult to read, I can not believe that the students were allowed to get away with their behaviour towards the 4 students.

Of the 4 students it was hard to feel any empathy for them as I felt they were all horrid. We follow them as they try to fit in, after an accident Marta goes into hiding with the other 3 (Lloyd, Sami and Rose) helping her.

One of my favourite books of all time is The Secret History by Donna Tartt, so when I heard about The Four, billed as “A dark academia suspense debut perfect for fans of The Secret History”, I jumped at the chance to review this. If, however, the publisher had been upfront about the content warnings for this book, I would have steered well clear. For clarity, here is a (non-exhaustive) list:

Gratuitous and graphic scenes of sexual violence/assault/rape; suicide; torture; physical violence; self-harm; bullying; mental illness; controlling and abusive behaviours, including neglect from the teaching/support staff; and drink/drug misuse.

To compare this title to The Secret History is a massive disservice to Tartt’s classic. To release it without any warnings regarding its graphic and, in places, horrific content is a massive oversight and disrespects the reader.

Avoid.

I received an e-ARC from the publisher, HQ, through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

Four outstanding students accept scholarships to High Realms, an elite and privileged boarding school. However their families and backgrounds seem to mark them out as victims in a school where bullying and violence are the norm. A fast read, this book reads more like YA than I was expecting and some of the subject matter would definitely need trigger warnings as it is at times very dark and disturbing. With a cast of what I found to be wholly unlikeable characters I personally didn’t warm to this novel although I believe it will appeal to many readers. I will be interested to see what this author does next. Many thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC of this book in return for an honest review.

3.5*

I really wanted to love this with all of the dark academia comparisons being made but I just couldn’t fully get into this one.

I felt that it was a very slow starter with perhaps too many subplots and it also felt quite far fetched and unbelievable at several points.

However, the last 30-40% or so when it started to pick up pace, The Four became a much more interesting and enjoyable read.

Not my favourite but worth a read all the same!

The Four was the kind of book that roots itself within your brain and refuses to leave. It was a tragic Dark Academia tale full of secrets, lies and anger.

This was Dark Academia at its finest. It peeks behind the glossy curtain of power and privilege in an extreme setting, exploiting the seedy undercurrent of abuse and exploitation. In particular, it hones in on unpicking the legacy upon which this institution thrives. By choosing to focus on the four scholarship students, Keel instantly examines the prevalent imbalance of power. We focus on class, but threads of race and gender are also keenly felt. This book is also not afraid to get dark in its exploration of the abuse of power – delving into sensitive topics with a nuance and emotional core that hit home for me. It does not feel sensational or purely for shock value, rather the explosive consequences of actions that have been building throughout. At times, it is a very tough read and the trigger warnings are there for a reason.

Rose serves as our primary protagonist, tying together the story threads. We see most actions through her eyes, though there is plenty to pick up from smaller details and context in the background. At the centre of it all is the ferociously intelligent, passionate and loyal Marta. She is somewhat of an enigma but clearly loves her friends and values the family built within this pressure cooker. This focus on characterisation is exactly what adds another layer of pathos to the eventual tragedy. It feels inevitable in its destruction, even as Keel takes your breath away. The writing is executed perfectly, keeping a balance that I adored.

The Four was character focused and introspective mystery that also looks at the fundamental failings of an institution only concerned about protecting itself. In short, it was dark, intense and incredible.

I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.


The Four by Ellie Keel tells the story of 4 students Marta, Rose, Sami, and Lloyd who beat thousands of 16 year olds to full time scholarship at prestigious boarding school High Realms, a school which needs to change its image due to previous Events.

The Four by Ellie Keel is a dark-academia novel which examines, class, friendships, mental health and how people become institutionalised, with their surroundings to make life easier.

While the story does focus on the 4 students who have won the scholarship, Marta, Rose, Sami, and Lloyd it also focuses on a number of staff and students who were already at the school.

Having said that, the main character of the novel was Rose the Daughter of a Taxi Driver who recently lost her mother to cancer and it is her perspective that The Four is told through, getting to know her thoughts and feelings.

While Rose seems to give a balanced perspective of the story, having the one narrator means you miss some of the events as they happen. Though you do gain in the level of mystery and suspense that the writer Ellie Keel brings to the story.

One thing I must say about the Four being a dark-academia novel which gives its setting and a lot of the plot line of the story, Ellie Keel definitely brings out the dark in the novel as it goes into deep with bullying, mental health, including self harm, suicide, rape and its after effects on individuals.

While the writer deals with these through the eyes of Rose the narrator of the story with tact and sensitivity from my perspective, just a heads up they are the main part of the story and may have an effect on some readers.

Having said that, none of the actions and emotions are played for shock value in an over the top way only to explain the plot or move the story along.

All this makes The Four by Ellie Keel a fascinating mystery thriller and dark-academia novel, set in an English Boarding school.

This was not the book I was expecting,, it was much darker. I enjoy a dark academia read and for the first third of the book this book unveiled as anticipated. It is turn of the century in a prestigious UK boarding school. Four scholarship students begin the first term and bond quickly as they are very different from the other students who have been there for years. They don't come from monied and connected backgrounds and settling in is mired with bullying, threats and getting used to this new world. They are bright and ambitious and the friendship develops until a serious of events happen and the book switches, delving into much darker depts.

I did like this one but I will admit I didn't realise it was a school setting before reading and reading about 16 and 17 year olds isn't my usual fare. I would suggest this is more of a mature Ya book exploring mental health, resilience , friendship and maturing. I did find some elements of the book a bit of a stretch but the quality of the writing kept me reading.



3 stars for me but for a younger reader maybe this is a strong read.

I was incredibly excited about reading The Four, however unfortunately for me I just couldn't connect with the book or the characters, I felt in places it was incredibly far fetched and I often just wanted to shake some sense into the characters for their actions.

I haven't read a thriller in a long time and I was sat at the edge of my seat for most of this book, which I absolutely burned through. I loved how big reveals surrounding important events were disclosed in a very calculated manner, which kept them suspenseful, but at the same time they were not held back so long to make the reader feel impatient and eventually disengaged. One thing I also found very unique in Keel's writing style is how some facts surrounding events are dropped without fanfare and without any prior hints, which makes them really hard to preempt or second guess, whereas others, perhaps surrounding the more poignant and traumatic experiences, are slowly eased upon the reader as the information is delivered slowly in hints and snippets, which makes them less jarring and demonstrates that Keel is not including them with the sole purpose to create shock factor, which I really appreciated. However, I found that the flip side is that this technique doesn't work so well around emotional attachment to characters. For example, I found Marta's fate quite predictable due to the impossible situation that she is ultimately propelled towards and the inevitability of it all took away some of the emotional charge of the resolution scene, which I felt was a missed opportunity, especially considering how much the author had invested in the detail and depth of feelings between the four friends.
I also found the overuse of very big words slightly ostentatious, but I appreciate that this is down to personal bias and that at times this style actually worked well in the backdrop of the academic setting.
The characters in this book are really interesting though I found it challenging to not completely like anyone. Normally I would struggle with a book where characters are written this way, but I felt this works well here, perhaps due to their age and the lack of self awareness and personality definition that this brings.
In terms of atmosphere, it doesn't get much better than a really posh old residential public school and I loved how this book explores class divide and the extreme consequences of feeding hatred into this dialogue, presented through events perpetuated by young people who might not yet have developed the inhibition and consequential thinking which comes with age, in the name of spite, loyalty, friendship and revenge.