Book list
From Booklist, Copyright © American Library Association. Used with permission.

When November wakes up at the Academy Absconditi, she knows her life has taken a turn for the bizarre. Unlike her more-or-less normal life, the academy is a world unto itself, in which students view each other with extreme distrust and take classes in things like deception, poisons, and weaponry. Everyone at school has ties to the Strategia, an underground world of rival families and elite spies that November has always thought of as a fairy tale, and they all seem to know more about November's past than she does. But when a student turns up dead, and November finds herself in the middle of a murder investigation, she'll have to learn fast how to survive and fight back in this world. Despite a few underdeveloped threads and characters, Mather (How to Hang a Witch , 2016) has built a dark, intriguing universe. Between the boarding-school setting, the lessons in espionage, and the murder mystery, there's plenty to grab readers, and with the door open for sequels, they're bound to stay on the hook.--Maggie Reagan Copyright 2010 Booklist

Kirkus
Copyright © Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.

Subterfuge is the name of the game at an elite and secretive prep school.Seventeen-year-old Italian-American November was born in August. Though she tragically lost her mother at age 6, she has an enviable life in small-town Connecticut, a strong relationship with her dad, and a mentor in her Aunt Jo. That is until, due to a family emergency, her father sends her away to a covert boarding school. Instead of mathematics and literature, students at the Academy Absconditi learn how to wield weapons both physical and psychological, and history is taught so they might manipulate the future. Guileless November quickly allies herself with her studious Egyptian roommate, Layla, and Layla's handsome brother, Ash. When a fellow student turns up dead, November must expose the truth, including her own connection to the victim and the influential Council of Families, while navigating a minefield of misinformation. The first-person narration is unreliable due to the protagonist's ignorance of the society in which she moves, while surreptitious behavior by the supporting characters forces the reader to be as wary as November ought to be. Revelations are well-paced, though astute readers are apt to pick up several of the dropped clues (but some are dropped and not resolved). Red herrings or possible threads that will be woven into future plots? Anything is possible in this world of cloaks and daggers.A strong beginning that will leave readers hungry for more. (Thriller. 14-18) Copyright Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.

School Library Journal
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Gr 7 Up-November Adley has lived a sheltered life, growing up in a quiet New England town with her widowed father. One day he abruptly informs her that she needs to leave her familiar home for an exclusive boarding school for her protection while he deals with threats against their family. Instead of a traditional boarding school, as discussed, she finds herself in an isolated castle. There is no electricity and no means of communicating with the outside world, and the students are the children of elite strategists who have been maneuvering and influencing the world for thousands of years. Curricula includes knife throwing, poison, and deception. Secrets abound, and November is vulnerable, traversing unknown alliances and unfamiliar traditions. Tensions escalate quickly, and a classmate is found murdered. November must determine whom she can trust and how to protect her family. While the premise is absurd and most plot points could easily be resolved by a few honest conversations, the mystery is compelling. November is smart and loyal and has some depth. The mystery and action take the focus, while romance adds a light touch to the intense plot. VERDICT An entertaining read that teens will eat up.-Amanda Foust, Douglas County Libraries, CO © Copyright 2019. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.