Mum spent a lot of time in my formative years gently reminding me that people don’t think about us nearly as much as we think they do, because they’re all busy worrying what people are thinking about them.

El is a super dramatic senior–and she’s got her reasons, with the whole potential Dark Goddess thing she has going on–and life is only getting weirder. She’s determined to get everyone out, which doesn’t make the least bit of sense and she’s absolutely going to do it in world ending style. Oh, and of course there’s Orion. What’s up with that relationship, am I right?

Overall, if you loved A Deadly Education (as I did), you’re probably going to love The Last Graduate. It turns the whole Scholomance craziness up to 11, gives us a dark chosen one that actually kind of works within the world building, and I really do love and care for the characters. And if the cliff hanger at the end of book 1 wasn’t enough… THERE’S AN EVEN WORSE ONE AND THE NEXT BOOK ISN’T EVEN OUT YET.

Anyways. Read it.

Overall, I love El’s growth in this one. She’s still damaged goods and doesn’t think that anyone can actually like her for her…

“Stop it!” she said. “I think that’s like the third time you’ve asked to be ditched. You’re like one of those puffer fish, the second anyone touches you a little wrong you go all bwoomp,” she illustrated with her hands, “trying to make them let go. We’ll let you know, how’s that?”

But man her friends really come through for her. The Aadhya (listening to audiobook… that’s not how I spelled that in my head) moment? The Orion relationship? Man, there’s so much growth in this book.

Plus the crazy worldbuilding. If anything, the Scholomance itself is a fascinating character. I love how they deal with a crazy school out to help them if it kills them trying. I love the commentary on class conflicts, especially realizing that there are good and bad people everywhere.

If I have one real negative for this book, it’s that I really have to know what happens NEXT! ‘Expected publication 2022.’ Oy.