By M.B. Dharshni (25S03O)
Raffles Reads is a collaboration between Raffles Press and Times Reads which aims to promote a reading culture among Singaporean students.
Rating: 3.5/5
High Realms, an elite boarding school, stands as a bastion of privilege where the wealthy and influential reign supreme. It has nurtured the brightest minds and moulded future politicians and leaders.
Rose has beaten thousands to win the coveted Millenium Scholarship, giving her a chance to enter this exclusive elite world. She dreams of an idyllic boarding school where misfits could become leaders and fairytale-like memories would be made.
But appearances can be deceiving.
And everyone, even the most majestic of institutions, have dark secrets hidden beneath the surface. In a compelling narrative entwined with themes of revenge, guilt and love, this novel presents an ultimate test of loyalty, daring readers to confront a haunting question that even we hesitate to answer:
How far would you go to protect your friends?
The Four is not your ordinary boarding school story. Reading classic boarding school tales such as Malory Towers and Treibizon High was a cherished part of my childhood, and I was expecting this novel to evoke some of that nostalgia.
Indeed, the preppy and idyllic appearance of High Realms closely resembled the wholesome school environments I had been in awe of as a child. However, Keel takes a different approach to the coming-of-age genre. She delves into the darker, raw and unfiltered struggles of adolescents who are cruelly compelled to mature beyond their years.
We see the world of High Realms through the eyes of four scholarship students: Lloyd, an immensely gifted and talented artist orphaned since birth; Sami, a sensitive and earnest boy; Rose, our narrator, the daughter of a taxi driver still grieving the loss of her mother; and Marta, who beguiled me the most.
Marta is exceptionally bright and gifted, yet bedraggled and erratic. I found myself struggling to comprehend her character; each outburst and revelation offering me only fragmented glimpses into her mind.
“Marta: who loved books and poems and Physics and school and loving and being loved. Persecuted, but full of empathy. Victimised but never a victim”
In the realm of elites, these four ordinary scholars endure severe mistreatment, to put it mildly. They face ostracism, bullying, and even worse treatment at the hands of the Senior Patrol, the student governing body wielding an unhealthy level of authority over all students.
The horrors that they witness and the atrocities they have to endure are beyond cruel, and almost suffocating to even read about. In a world of power imbalances and entrenched classism, a night out in the forest together becomes the catalyst for a series of events that quickly escalate into a conflict between them and the school.
I remember that moment because it was the start of Sami’s anger.
I remember it because it catalysed our silent, unshakeable complicity.
But most of all, I remember it because it was the quiet expiration of denial: the true end of our innocence, which High Realms, with its relentless and alluring power, had already begun to erode.
Caught in an intricate web of secrets, and stuck in a world “whose understanding of good and evil was entirely and terrifyingly its own”, the Four have no choice but to make their own—regardless of how morally grey it may be.
The mounting suspense builds to a crescendo as secrets are revealed and traitors are exposed whilst the story unfolds. The palpable tension becomes almost suffocating, sure to leave you breathless and teetering on the edge of your seat. Allies aren’t always trustworthy, and the enemy might not be who it seems.
However, as a book that was also marketed as a “coming-of-age” story, I do feel that it didn’t quite capture the essence of youth. For instance, the various romantic relationships between these teenage characters often felt forced and rather illogical.
The Four is certainly a character-driven story, but I do wish some of the characters had their motivations and background fleshed out more clearly. Keel has brought to life these multifaceted and complex characters, yet I felt as though there was so much unexplored potential in their character development (with the exception of Marta).
While there were some plot decisions I didn’t enjoy, Keel’s intensely gripping and emotionally resonant writing spoke to my heart and gave me much to reflect on.
If you’re an avid dark academia fan, with a penchant for themes of loyalty and revenge, this is the book for you! But be warned, for it deals with heavy themes and is dark academia.
But if you are in for the challenge, strap in for the emotional rollercoaster of a lifetime.
Secrets are unravelled. Injustice is brought to light. The raging sea crashes against the shore, and the ground trembles.
Brick by brick, the castle comes crashing down.
And there are four who stand at the crux of it all, watching as it falls.
