Will West has spent his life trying not to stand out. His parents have drummed it into him that he should live by the rules they have taught him. He must keep below the radar, not draw attention to himself and the rules must be followed – at all times.
Not knowing much more than this means you are a little unsure what’s going on initially. The opening of the novel starts with dramatic chases, mysterious alien-like characters and some seriously odd stuff. I couldn’t help but be sucked in, and found myself desperate to find out what Will would do.
Will ends up in a special place, a school that you have to be invited to. There’s all manner of odd things going on, and watching Will trying to work out who to trust and what’s going on makes for a thrilling read. When he uncovers a secretive plot involving a number of students in the school he has to rely on his own judgement.
The supernatural features heavily, and this did make me less convinced in places. We’re asked to accept a lot, without really being prepared for it or given a satisfactory explanation.
On the whole, this is an exciting idea and involves some great characters. I’m curious to see where Frost takes this next.