To Best the Boys

by Mary Weber

Book Overview

The task is simple: Don a disguise. Survive the labyrinth . . . Best the boys.

Every year for the past fifty-four years, the residents of Pinsbury Port have received a mysterious letter inviting all eligible-aged boys to compete for an esteemed scholarship to the all-male Stemwick University. The poorer residents look to see if their names are on the list. The wealthier look to see how likely their sons are to survive. And Rhen Tellur opens it to see if she can derive which substances the ink and parchment are created from, using her father's microscope.

In the province of Caldon, where women train in wifely duties and men pursue collegiate education, sixteen-year-old Rhen Tellur wants nothing more than to become a scientist. As the poor of her seaside town fall prey to a deadly disease, she and her father work desperately to find a cure. But when her mum succumbs to it as well? Rhen decides to take the future into her own hands--through the annual all-male scholarship competition.

With her cousin, Seleni, by her side, the girls don disguises and enter Mr. Holm's labyrinth, to best the boys and claim the scholarship prize. Except not everyone is ready for a girl who doesn't know her place. And not everyone survives the deadly maze.

Welcome to the labyrinth.

Praise for To Best the Boys:

"Atmospheric, romantic, inspiring." --KRISTEN CICCARELLI, internationally bestselling author of The Last Namsara

"Smart, determined, and ready to take on the world: Rhen Tellur is an outstanding heroine with every reason to win a competition historically intended for boys." --Jodi Meadows, New York Times bestselling author of The Incarnate Trilogy and coauthor of My Lady Jane

A "Hunger Games/Handmaid's Tale mash-up." --BN Teen Blog

• Format: Hardcover
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0718080963
• ISBN13: 9780718080969
• Release Date: March 2019
• Publisher: Thomas Nelson
• Length: 336 Pages
• Weight: 0.99 lbs.
• Dimensions: 1.2" x 5.8" x 8.4"
• Age Range: 14 to 17 years
• Grade Range: Grades 9 to 12

Customer Reviews

Overall, nice

Overall, I really enjoyed this story and I'd recommend it to everyone interested in picking this book up. There were just a few things that I didn't like/wish were different: One, she spent hardly any time in the maze. When I read the back of the book, it made it seem like she was going to be in the maze for pretty much the whole book, but that didn't really happen. It was over halfway before she even got inside. I don't think it was boring that she didn't go into the maze right away, I just wasn't expecting it. I felt like I was always waiting for the other shoe to drop. Two, I wish there was a bit more satisfaction in defeating the boys. I was really hoping that the boys who doubted her would get what was coming to them (and one did, to an extent) but I wish the author had taken it farther. Now, there were plenty of things I LOVED about this book; One, her best friend wasn't the stereotypical loud obnoxious funny girl that the author dumps all the personality into and leaves none for the main character. I thought both the girls were well balanced. I also liked that the best friend was a true ride-or-die and didn't even hesitate to follow her friend into the maze. Two, I liked how the main character dealt with dead bodies as a job. I thought it was cool that she wasn't grossed out by dirty things and she wasn't afraid to get her hands dirty. Three, I thought her romance was sweet. (No, there's no smut. It's all wholesome.) Four, I liked the plot twist at the end. I genuinely didn't see it coming, and I guess so many ending accurately. It was nice feeling surprised for once.