Enjoyable Plot Line, Poorly Written Characters.
de la Cruz has written so many amazing characters throughout her kidlit novels. She writes diversity, and she writes personality. In THE HEADMASTER'S LIST, she tried so hard to write diversity, that she took it a little too far.
Tabby is a non-binary character. However, half of the book shines them as a villain, and the other half of the book forgets them altogether. They are even misgendered twice in the story.
Spencer is a woman of color. However, she is told by Hailey that she cheated with Ethan because of Spencer's "minority perks". Hailey is jealous, because as a blonde white woman she has had to work hard for the things Spencer was simply handed "on a silver platter". Ethan never broke up with her because he didn't want to "seem racist". It is an insult to people of color who do work hard for what they deserve.
The plot line of THE HEADMASTER'S LIST was enjoyable. There were two plot lines, one which I missed and the other that I knew was coming. It was a good story for a thriller. Had the characters not been written so insensitively, I might have enjoyed it more.
Tabby is a non-binary character. However, half of the book shines them as a villain, and the other half of the book forgets them altogether. They are even misgendered twice in the story.
Spencer is a woman of color. However, she is told by Hailey that she cheated with Ethan because of Spencer's "minority perks". Hailey is jealous, because as a blonde white woman she has had to work hard for the things Spencer was simply handed "on a silver platter". Ethan never broke up with her because he didn't want to "seem racist". It is an insult to people of color who do work hard for what they deserve.
The plot line of THE HEADMASTER'S LIST was enjoyable. There were two plot lines, one which I missed and the other that I knew was coming. It was a good story for a thriller. Had the characters not been written so insensitively, I might have enjoyed it more.