Book review - No smart kids allowed (TW: gore)

My favourite genres happen to be romance, horror, thrillers and crime fiction. No smart kids allowed is a horror, authored by Jakayla Toney and on wattpad, goes with the handle "Ms_horrendous".

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Synopsis

Smart kids never get to remain smart in Johnson City Middle School and are extremely looked out for because they're seen as disrespectful, know-it-all, rebellious kids.

It's a new school year and Cosima Niehaus, a 12 year old 7th grader, enrolls into the school. She walks into her class labelled Mrs Riker: 7th grade and soon afterwards, the teacher walks in and acknowledges the presence of an unfamiliar face.

When a boy calls her four-eyes because she uses glasses, the teacher slaps him hard across the face with a long wooden ruler. That's absurd because hitting is no longer allowed in public schools.

However, the teacher's topic of the importance of summer vacations and why it's important to take long breaks from school throws her off guard. She goes on to share the plan she has in motion of getting the students a three weeks break the month after (October)........ like wow.

Walking down the hallway to her science class, she's met with the sight of a boy struggling to pick up his books all over the floor with students and teachers yelling "smarty pants, reading is for retards!" all around him.

A range of other activities take place with a girl, flashing her a paper which read, run while you can! And not to mention the two music teachers in a janitor's closet who clearly stated that the first day at the school was simply a warning.

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When she eventually gets home and tells her mum how weird the school and teachers were which, ordinarily meant she would withdraw her, the mum concurs with the school, saying it was the perfect place for discipline.

And so Cosima finds herself back there the day after which began with a twisted version of the story about the boy who cried wolf and highlight of the day.......... a death atonement for Dexter, the boy called smarty pants who was said to never follow the rules.

Right in the school gym. In the presence of all students who were literally screaming out their voices in cheer happiness. And the best part..... having lunch in the cafeteria right after viewing such spectacle. Ironically.

Bolting out of the class the instant the bell rang, she walks to the front door to see five other students looking confused. Ignoring them, she walks out only to see the compound as empty as a ghost town; no bus or being. And when she attempts to walk herself home, finds herself back at the front door whenever she sets foot off the school ground.

A teacher finally appears to clear the air. The students wouldn't be let back in the society until they become proper kids, behave themselves and follow The rules,

No asking questions. Just do as we say.
Never deny a teacher's request.
No usage of devices.
Never state your opinions. It doesn't matter.
Never tell us no...

And the punishment;

Liars: tongue grated.
Speaking your mind/talking back to a teacher: mouths sewed.
Caught with cellphone: acid poured into the ears...

I didn't list everything though and if you think they're bluffing, you're in for a shocker.

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The book dives into sinister surprises, horrific events and unexpected discoveries with Cosima and the other five students weaving their way smartly to make it out of the hell called school.

Each dark turn, twist and turn left me wanting and scrolling for more. If I'm being honest, this is the book that made me fall in love with horror. It's quite enthralling that I didn't hesitate to go for a second read, few months after reading it the first time and again after a while. And yet again, lol.

Not the "happily ever after" but the perfect ending.

Suspense, creepy, gore, fear, confinement and smartness........ checked ✅ and I'll gladly give it a rating of 4.8/5.

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Img 1 - The circular frame is a screenshot from wattpad and the image was designed by me using canva.

Img 2 - A screenshot from my wattpad elibrary.

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