Following the storyline of a high school student Nancy Luo and her three friends and previous frenemy (Jamie Ruan), this story covers the struggles of Chinese culture. Set up in a series of flashbacks and confessions, it illustrates how behind all structured societies there is always a scandal or in this case scandals. The story is set in a New York esteemed private school Richard Sinclair Preparatory School, a school meant entirely for grooming the finest families kids into carrying forward the family name in high regards. But what happens when an anonymous person “The Proctor” starts revealing the ugly truths about what is really going on at the school?
Definitely would recommend this book to early teens that love a good mystery. Covering the surfaces of suicide, drug abuse, and teacher student relationships, this book could be a little bit triggering to certain audiences. However, this book definitely is an intense book to read, always leaving each chapter with an extreme hook leading you to wonder what’s going to happen next. What I truly love about this book is it gives you a clear understanding of how competitive the Chinese academic culture is. It becomes clear to the reader off the bat that the author has experienced some of these academic challenges. The jealousy of others exceeding her, parental pressure, and the need to always be on top are all conveyed beautifully through the character of Nancy. This also makes this book really relatable to the reader who may be struggling with a few of the same highschool challenges. Overall though, I believe this book to be a true work of art that consistently becomes more captivating as you read on.
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