Tradition is a powerful young adult novel about privilege, rape culture, and how institutions can protect perpetrators rather than victims. Fullbrook Academy is an elite American boarding school full of traditions, including secret parties in the woods and archaic traditions about how male students treat female ones. Jules is in her senior year at Fullbrook and wants to get out and go to a good college. Her friend Javi wants the school to move past its attempts to brand itself as 'gay friendly' and for students to actually accept if he kissed a boy in public. New scholarship student Jamie is there to play hockey and have a second chance at his senior year. When these students decide to take a stand against the toxic traditions at Fullbrook, they find out what they are really up against.

This is a young adult book that touches on a lot of issues as well as having a main focus on sexual assault and consent. It depicts these as part of the difficulties and frustrations of being a teenager, particularly through Jules who often feels trapped by things she cannot change or improve. This element helps to remove some of the sense that a lot of big issues have been thrown at the narrative to go alongside the focus on rape culture. The class issues that run through the narrative and the subplot looking at the school's treatment of sexuality are probably the best handled of these other issues as they are given time to be explored. The protagonists are interesting and flawed, with a classic YA character who has a past secret they have run away from.

Tradition looks at difficult subject material in a way that exposes how power, wealth, and tradition have a big role in sexual assault. It is another important young adult book—it feels like a much later successor in the genre that Laurie Halse Anderson's Speak is part of—that tries to raise awareness of a lot of issues. It didn't quite come together as a book for me, but it is still an engaging read.

I have to admit that I took a chance on this book. The main theme appealed to me: an 'old-boy' type institution where a girl tries to question all of the highly questionable, chauvinistic opinions of the boys who go there. Something bad happens to the girl, Jules, but I really think that the fallout from the act committed against her is far too glossed over and rushed. This is the point at which I realised just how much this book was aimed at the teen market and not at me (I should have realised before I started). However, I STILL think that it should have been more explicit - the act and what happened afterwards to the girl. How can our children learn what is acceptable and what is not until we tell them EXACTLY what is NOT acceptable? I really feel that far too much attention was paid to the main male protagonist, Jamie, especially after the attack, but I can see why. He also showed the opposite side of the story to the privilege of the other students. This could have been a whole separate book though, I feel.
I'm not so sure that Kiely wrote the female characters very well. The other females all seemed rather vacuous and 'thin'. Whilst some girls are like this, I still feel that in this day and age, there would have been more girls who would have felt they should come down firmly on Jules' side. That is perhaps naive of me, and this is far more true to life. This would raise some very interesting discussion points with young people though, I'm sure.

This tale is set in the prestigious world of Fulbrook Academy. This school turns out the men (and sometimes women!) who are the movers and shakers of this world. Most of the pupils have a sense of entitlement. They are the elite and the world dances to their tune -or at least to the tune of their parents' money!

The story is told from two perspectives. Jules Devereux has gone through the school. She is now a Senior and for this last year she just wants to keep her head down & get into a good college. She wants to separate herself from the toxic traditions of the place; traditions that treat girls like trophies. Jamie Baxter has just arrived. He is on a sports scholarship for his ice hockey. This place is totally alien to him- a country farm boy. Given a pass into the 'in-crowd' by virtue of his athletic prowess it doesn't take him long to realise that their values are as far removed from his as their respective parents' bank balances!

Jules & Bax form an unlikely alliance. They may not be able to change things but they can make sure that people are forced to acknowledge that these things are actually happening!

The author brings the reader into this world and makes them take a hard look at it. As someone who has worked in boarding schools I was quite horrified at the way the staff seemed to behave! They seemed to have no concern for their pupils welfare. I found the two main characters interesting. All in all it was a good read, dealing with subjects that tend to have been swept under the carpet. Recent events have brought them to the fore with the #metoo campaign and not before time!

A coming of age story that isn’t afraid to show the darker side of school life and the struggles of teenagers to deal with it. Thought provoking

This book was fascinating. The author really captured the world of elite-boarding schools perfectly; particularly how sexist they are. This novel deals with very difficult topics like consent, rape and toxic masculinity and it really makes reading some of it difficult as well, which I see as a bonus as it remind us how important these things are. Overall a brilliantly written book.

This was an easy read, clearly showed gender divides and issues and would recommend for teenage readers.

Powerful- will frightfully resonate with its readers.

Brendan Kiely takes you on a journey. The reader steps into the shoes of two teenagers tackling their college years at Fullbrook, a prestigious haven for the privileged. He's a new scholarship kid. She is the daughter of Fullbrook's first female student. He wants to belong but feels out of his depth. She's given up with that, sworn off dating and false friendships and is all for reclaiming herself for herself. She can't wait to get out.

This is a book that forces you to step up and listen. Quite like a piece of controversial art, you just have to give it the attention it's due. A book that means something. We never want to know everything, no one likes feeling uncomfortable. We hide away from the truth, we don't ask the harder questions. It's easier to deny the truth than it is to confront it. We never get too close- not until it's too late and the damage has been done. I'm thinking of an incident, and I'm sure you are as well. Rules are there for a reason, we laugh when they're broken: innocent rebellion. But there's always more to it. Always. But hey, “Don’t worry... They’re not really going to do anything about it. They never do.”

No one ever does. Traditions are difficult to destroy, they're seeped in history, sentimentality and patriarchy.

A tough battle. You have to stand your ground. Never give up. You have to work harder to gain respect, to earn it. You'll have to prove yourself. It's even harder if you're female, the respect from others doesn't come naturally. Kiely gets that: toxic masculinity, the persistent rape culture. This is just what is needed in the wake of the sexual harassment claims. Traditions, the old way of doing things, the easy manner of minding your own business, of compliance, sweeping crimes under the rug, looking past the elephants in the room, justifying sexist remarks... And on it goes. "Burn out the old. Bring in the new."

Make this your next read!

I received this book through NetGalley.

This book should be on the list for all students to read as it describes so clearly the divide between the two sexes and how easily Rape can occur. I loved the book for the clarity of emotions that ran rife through the school and the exceptional character descriptions. The taboos were all attacked here in a clear manner.

3.5 stars
I was really excited to read this - I love boarding school books, make it a dark book in an elite school and I'm happier, plus it promised a look at rape culture, toxic masculinity and entitled privilege, written by a male author. All this added up to something unmissable. So why 3.5 stars?
There were things I really liked. The school was brilliantly drawn, that faint air of menace mingled with arrogance and, for the girls at least, a sense of desperately needing to fit in no matter what. The failed friendship between Jules and Gillian and Shriya also rang true, Jules' sense of betrayal and palpable hurt was really well drawn. I liked both main male characters, the outsider James, worrying that he's messed up his future, hating the monster within, and Javi, also an outside in many ways who finds himself violated by toxic masculinity and entitlement.
Things I wasn't so keen on? I would have liked more time to get to know and spend with Aileen, damaged ex party-girl WHO, I think, would have made a more interesting heroine than Jules. We never really get to know Jules and therein lies the problem. We know James's back story by the end of the book, but we never get to the heart of her anger, her emotional estrangement from her mother, her decision to split up with Ethan, the subsequent falling out with her friends. Was she always pushing against the status quo or is that new? If so why? There were too many questions and she never really felt real to me.
Likewise the incident at the heart of the book. It's flagged at the start, we know it's going to happen. But I didn't get the building sense of fear I expected, or the shock and horror. The incident itself is obscure, hazy, because things often are in real life, but the impact is therefore lessened. The aftermath works well, the growing sense of disillusionment as power comes into play and money talks but the ending felt abrupt and unresolved.
Tradition was an interesting and timely read and I read it fast, my interest held the whole time, but it didn't quite tip over into a great read, which is a shame because all the ingredients were there.

I really wanted to like this book but for me it just did not deliver. The characters were not properly developed and the ending didn’t really sit well with me. The premise was good but I didn’t really engage with it.

This book appealed to me because it was for 'fans of Cruel Intentions'.  I didnt really get the link, but I thoroughly enjoyed the book.

We follow the story of small time activist Jules Devereux and small town boy James Baxter who has made mistakes in the past and has a second chance to redeem himself at Fullbrook. An exclusive school. Jame is a top ice hockey goalie, and all round good guy. 

Jules is promoting womens health, trying to normalise tampax and focus on being her best self. She becomes friends with James and along with Javi and 'the viking' they become a foursome of outsiders. 

The book focuses on social groups and what is acceptable. One guy proudly displays his conquests yet for the ladies they are considered to be sluts if they sleep around. One night at a party Jules is taken advantage of, and despite saying No it takes an interruption for her to be saved. When she finally comes forward she is made to feel like the bad guy, and it points to being male and having money is what gets you ahead in the world. 

The book tackles some topics that are often avoided, sexual abuse, homosexuality and the power of money. 

This ones a nice change from the usual, I like that it doesnt shy away from how privilege gets you ahead in life and can save you no matter what.

** spoiler alert ** I really dislike giving bad reviews,because sometimes,there is a perfectly good book that you just didn't get on with.
I think this was one of those times. There was nothing glaringly wrong with the book... I just struggled to remember anything about who,where and what every time I picked it up.

A modern view of an age old issue. Well written with believable characters. A thought provoking book containing many viewpoints of the same story. A great read.

I wasn't really sure how to rate this novel because I feel that the subject matter is really important and should definitely be dealt with in literature, but I also thought that "Tradition" didn't necessarily do it justice.

The two main characters aren't really all that well-developed. Jules, especially, feels rather underdeveloped because her initial motivation is never really made clear. There apparently was a shift in her attitude before senior year but the novel never explained why or what her attitude was before which made it harder to understand they way she acts and feels at the start of the novel.

James's backstory is better developed but the novel never really does anything with it. There is an extremely traumatic event in his past but it is never really dealt with and it's basically just used to set him up in opposition to the other boys and to get him in position for the plot to kick off.

Some side characters just drop out of the plot without any resolution and Javi's side-plot feels kind of tacked on.

The storyline itself was really interesting and, in my opinion, had a lot of potential, but I think that the novel would have had even more of a gut-punch if the characters had been more developed.

Jules is a student wanting to just get through her final year at school while Jamie is now at the same school for his wanting a chance at a sporting career.



Fullbrook academy though holds a dark swcret, one night at an alcohol fuelled party, events change lives as Jules withdraws from everything around her after a boy takes advantage of her.



The lives of these students is realistic of not more privileged however the dark world of rape and the culture surrounding it is uncovered as the assault comes to light. Hopefully it will encourage anyone in a situation of being raped or assaulted in any way to come forward and see it can be something you can grow from and become yourself again as Jules does, she doesn't let it break her. The characters felt like typical teenagers and the story believable, though I did struggle to get into the book, but the main plot did keep me invested in it and the writing was more action packed the deeper into the novel I got.



Many thanks to the publishers for allowing me to review this book for them!

Campus novels will never fail to pique my interest. But when I see an elite campus-set novel that provides an insight to the rape culture perpetuated there, I am doubly sold!

This split-perspective tale follows two outsiders to the exclusive Fullbrook Acadamy. Jules Devereux is the girl who is going somewhere. She has climbed to the pinnacle of the social hierarchy but, now a senior, is divorcing herself from her role there, and the expectations placed upon the females who attend this isolated, male-dominated world. Staying silent was her insurance to success but she must now decide what is more important.

Jamie Baxter is the campus new kid. His excellence in hockey sees him instantly installed with the powerful senior males who rule. However he never quite stops feeling like the outsider, especially when their locker-room banter and the everyday sexism that peppers their conversations continues to rankle him. Jamie must make his own decision too, about whether his silence is a worthy price to pay for comfort.

This novel made no secret about the issues it was confronting. It made for an often tense and an ever uncomfortable reading experience. From the title onwards, this was a novel that probed at every area of the elite boarding school world it was investigating. It discoursed on a variety of topics - such as consent, rape culture, and toxic masculinity - and provided some excellent points of discussion. A misogynistic way of thinking was the norm here and many sexist traditions were deemed acceptable. Kiely did an excellent job at making the reader consistently disturbed by this, and fighting against the silence such thoughts and actions were previously met with.

Throughout my reading I was constantly guessing at the direction this novel would take. I feared a happily-ever-after scenario and, for much of the last third, I felt this would be delivered. Thankfully, this novel did not continue on to deliver a prettily packaged parcel. The issues here are prevalent in many real-world establishments and I think it would have been unjust of this novel to 'cure' the notions perpetuated there in just over 300 pages. Instead, this was a stand against it. It provided both an insight to the lives of the next generation elite, went some way towards making the individuals aware of the sexism and misogyny they were promoting, and ended with a calling out of this behaviour. It delivered a strong political statement but was also aware it was but one of many needed to deliver an end to this way of thinking

Tradition. Hard to shake off. Something that has stood the test of time. Sometimes traditions uphold behaviours that are toxic. So, what do you do if you find yourself part of that culture?
That is the question tackled in this contemporary novel.
Kiely presents us with a dual person narrative - one male and one female - and this gives us the opportunity to explore some of the questions circulating so widely.
Both Jules and James come from very different backgrounds, and for different reasons they find themselves increasingly concerned by the ramifications of upholding Fullbrook traditions. I enjoyed this element of the novel, and felt the character of James Baxter was the one who experienced more development.
The details are spilled gradually, and events build to a gripping finale. Ultimately, however, there’s no indication that things will change and while realistic it was a pretty depressing message to give.
Thanks to NetGalley for granting me access to read this prior to publication. I’ve already pre-ordered my copy as this is a book that I’ll encourage all my students to pick up.

I know this is an ARC but the book was unreadable for me. There were too many spelling errors and it gave me a headache trying to figure out what word was supposed to be where.

I did end up finishing it and I have to say that the story in itself was very good. Rape culture is something that is very much alive right now and I do enjoy reading books about it.

An interesting book written with duel male and female first-person perspectives which makes the book work very well and adds to the story. This story tackles toxic masculinity and rape culture with great writing and interesting characters. I would highly recommend for anyone looking for a good contemporary book that looks at these issues.