Balls. I mean, just... I can't even begin to know where to start. I already loved Joanne Harris. I've actually been rereading Five Quarters of the Orange in the middle of reading the last handful of Wheel of Time novels, just to break things up a bit.
But, bloody hell, this thing has such an intricate and twisted plot! Not only is she touching on class difference, she also shows how easily young minds can be shaped and influenced. Add in the back story, which the reader essentially gets in alternating chapters where our mystery villain tells us about their time at St. Oswald's, an expensive grammar school where class lines are defined and do not budge.
I actually had to go back and immediately read the last few chapters just to make sure I understood what I was reading. It seemed so obvious, who the mystery mole was at the school, but honestly, I completely missed it.
I've read a few reviews of the book and critics seem to think that the entire plot was predictable... And maybe I can agree on the aspect that was centered around the need for vengeance and the desire of our villain to topple the institution. However, the actual identity of said villain? That one took me by major surprise. And perhaps I am not perceptive, but I'd like to think I am.
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