3.75 Escape Theory has two things that I cannot usually resist: a mystery and a boarding school. The novel itself is like a fruit salad. There are some sour moments and some sweet ones. Escape Theory has its issues and I will talk about them and get them out of the way before I talk about the good things.The pacing is way too slow. Things happen very slowly and a lot of events and “clues” end up going nowhere. The administration (the token adults) are portrayed in a very menacing manner but it goes nowhere and I am left wondering if there was something I missed. Like many other YA novels out there, there is a strong othering, a creation of a binary between the adults and the teenagers. An “us versus them” mentality with the “them” being completely absorbed into the “system” which is what the rebellious characters are either fighting against and embracing wholly. The denouement of the story is a bit of a letdown and challenges the suspension of disbelief when it shouldn’t as this is a realistic novel and I expected more…realism. I’m talking about the conversation between Reed and Devon at the end. Realistically, a teenager, no matter how bright and intelligent, will never be given the kind of power it is hinted that Devon gets. The whole thing is very ambiguous so I don’t know if there is going to be a sequel or what but I was thrown out of the narrative by it. Reed is an interesting character but we don’t get to delve into the facets of his being because there are so many other characters that in the end, do not really matter.The romance is also a bit…forced. Grant does not get the development necessary to evolve into a character whose actions would have substance and lasting effect. And his reform at the end? Totally not believable.You may be wondering, did she even like the book? And I did, honest, I did. Because what Froley does magnificently is create a character who, without even being present, occupies so much space. And I’m talking about a fictional character, mind, whom the reader only sees in flashbacks or shared memories. Hutch is real and I felt his loss acutely. This surprised me because I usually do not feel grief for characters I have spent the entire book with let alone someone I have only met through other people. His absence gnaws at you and the realization that he will never exist in the pages of the book except as a memory is heartbreaking. That takes talent, you guys. It makes you want to know what happened to him. Why it happened to him. So while I wasn’t too enamored with the book in its entirety, I loved Hutch and I loved who Devon was when she was with him.So would I recommend this to you? Well, the mystery is a bit flimsy, the pace lags and Devon is not very inspiring but Hutch? Read it for Hutch. He’s one of those characters who lingers with you. I’m still sad for him, damnit.
