Heather’s Bookshelf: The Villains of Everest University
Author: Violet R. Hyde
Released: 01/03/25
Genre: YA Thriller
“His dad is running his life even from the grave. But Logan is like lightning. His electricity follows its own path. No one can predict it and chaos is his weapon of choice.”
“The Villains of Everest University” follows four college students along their freshman year at Everest University in Bryson City, NC, USA. Each of the students is pursuing self betterment…and they also happen to be consistently committing crimes.
Logan Armstead is an artist and owns the whole tortured soul part, lurking in the dark corner of the local coffee shop. He’s tormented by his father’s suspicious death, his mother’s unfortunate mental status after an unclear fall and dealing with now having to run the illegal arms trafficking operation that he left behind. He wants out and when Aubrey sits at the table next to him, he thinks he may have found it. But Aubrey has her own secrets, and is being followed by a bounty hunter.
Aubrey’s roommate, Jade, is primarily attending school with the intent of growing her underground gambling ring while also getting close to the guy she’s been catfishing, Cain. And Cain…well, he steals cars. Quite the crew, right? Is there any possible way they could get out of freshman year unscathed?
Trigger Warning: violence, murder, adult language, reference to drug use, reference to grand theft auto, kidnapping, assault
Overall, I enjoyed this story. Told through multiple POVs, it’s fast paced and a fun read. The first part of the story is told through an intermingling of current events and flashbacks as well as threads of text messaging. The author also breaks the fourth wall from time to time with bits of comic relief. I enjoyed all these different forms of story telling. However, there was a good portion of the story written in varying tenses and done in more of a “telling” than a “showing” format which was a bit distracting and disconnecting. The four main characters were each well-developed between the flashbacks and their decision-making. Their crimes also added to their interest and depth. Logan’s character was especially intriguing with his development throughout the tale and his parent’s backgrounds. The Christianity thread felt super forced and out of place, but the rest of the story clicked into place. Aubrey and Jade’s differences in motivations and crimes also provided a nice juxtaposition and Cain’s character added a rebellious streak. The ending felt complete and satisfying with a clear possibility of future tales including these characters.
I received a copy of this story in exchange of a fair and honest review.
OVERALL REVIEW:
A YA thriller about 4 freshman in college with complicated criminal and personal lives. The structure of the storytelling was a bit distracting, but the characters and their backgrounds shined through.
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