Reviews

The Betrayals by Bridget Collins

sapphicmacbeth's review against another edition

3.0

overall an extremely mixed experience. this is not a true 3-star (i liked it, it was fine, neutral but overall pleasant) but an angry mash of 4.5 and 2 star content. CLAIRE IS ANNOYING

fox_thorne's review against another edition

5.0

This is actually one of the only books in...a while, that made cry, like, out-loud cry and sob and sit there drenched in my own tears in the middle of the night. I don't know if it sounds really enticing but this really is a masterpiece. And keep in mind The Song of Achilles didn't squeeze a drop out of me, so it's kind of an exploit.

rhonaea's review against another edition

5.0

Bridget Collins has produced a compelling and absorbing work in The Betrayals. I was completely drawn in to the world of the ‘grand jeu’, beguiled by Leo, Magister Ludi and the Rat, as they battle their own demons and navigate the dark world of the Party. Set in a Hogwartsian school in an undefined time period (likely 30s/40s),the three protagonists are completing the national iconic ‘grand jeu’. This is a blend of music, mathematics, philosophy and poetry - it is never fully explained but the mystic of that, in itself, is alluring. The wider context is that of an oppressive Party-regime and Leo, the transgressing Minister of Culture, is banished to his former school Montverre to follow the ‘grand jeu’ cohort. The links the Hesse’s The Glass Bead Game are recognised by the author. I haven’t read that so for me it echoes 1984, and Joanne Harris’s St Oswald’s series. Collins’ writing just gets better and better and I am excited to see her next work. There’s a bit of me thinks the author must be having a good laugh watching everyone trying to analyse her work. There are loads of themes for reading groups to discuss, but I think it’ll split the jury!

rororollinginthedeep's review against another edition

emotional mysterious tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.5

laurenrebeccanewson's review against another edition

mysterious slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix

4.0

nathandre's review against another edition

emotional mysterious sad tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.0

laurafrances's review against another edition

adventurous challenging dark emotional mysterious sad slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? No
• Loveable characters? No
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.0

kindle_and_crossstitch's review against another edition

3.0

*Audiobook version*

Didn’t capture me as much as The Binding, which I thought was brilliant. Similar concept in that it’s written about a world which is slightly different to ours. Collins writes beautifully, but I found myself getting lost in this. Perhaps the audiobook just needed a single narrator (no fault of the individual actors at all who were great, but keeping track of the accents and characters was distracting).

larade's review against another edition

challenging emotional mysterious reflective sad tense slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.25

ditten's review against another edition

What in the everloving fuck is the grand jeu??? A weird kind of chess? An escape room? A military potato strategy?

Nah, I'm out. Good luck to rat girl and bully boy and professor lady with the potato game.