An Education in Ruin

by Alexis Bass

Overview

From Alexis Bass, the acclaimed author of Happily and Madly, comes this lush and sophisticated tale of scandal, greed, love, and revenge, An Education in Ruin.

The Mahoney brothers are the golden boys of Rutherford Institute.

Collins Pruitt is going to ruin them.

Theo Mahoney is well-connected and popular. He’s charming and beloved. But he’s hiding something.

Jasper Mahoney is lauded for his intellect and athleticism. He’s studious and focused. But he isn’t as impenetrable as he seems.

Collins will earn their trust—and then she’ll destroy them. But the closer she gets, the more she questions the reason she was sent to Rutherford in the first place…and if it’s possible to ruin the Mahoneys without also destroying herself.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781250195951
Publisher:	Tom Doherty Associates
Publication date:	07/07/2020
Pages:	384
Sales rank:	680,287
Product dimensions:	5.60(w) x 8.30(h) x 1.50(d)
Age Range:	13 - 18 Years

About the Author

ALEXIS BASS grew up in Washington, went to college in Arizona, and spent her early twenties in Seattle. She currently lives in Northern California with her husband and a gorgeous and rambunctious golden retriever, Dylan McKay. She loves good fashion and good TV as much as a good book, and is a huge advocate of long beach vacations.

Alexis is the author of Happily and Madly, Love & Other Theories, and What's Broken Between Us.

Editorial Reviews

08/28/2020

Gr 9 Up—Collins Pruitt is lucky. Her father, mega-rich investor Jacob Pruitt, was able to get her into the prestigious Rutherford Academy. Collins's dad thinks she wants to attend Rutherford for the honor and the challenge of completing their rigorous academic program, but Collins has a different plan. Collins is actually at Rutherford at the behest of her Aunt Rosie in order to bring down Theo and Jasper Mahoney, the sons of the woman her father is having an affair with. As Collins inserts herself in Theo and Jasper's social circle, full of gossip and backhanded compliments, she begins to get close to Jasper—tall, brooding, annoyingly talented Jasper—which threatens to derail her entire plan. The narrative delves right into the story, which may throw off some readers who may be left struggling to keep up with what is actually going on; the fact that the story is told with interspersing flash-forwards to the end of the school year when Collins' plan comes to fruition may also lead to some confusion. Collins is an unreliable narrator, which in itself is not a problem, but she is not cunning or likable enough to root for or understand why she's entangled in Aunt Rosie's revenge plot, especially since Rosie is only mentioned in flashbacks. Collins also does not explain her actions, which may cause some readers to lose interest quickly. Race and ethnicity aren't explicitly discussed, though the characters seem homogenous and one Japanese American character has almost no dialogue. VERDICT Fans of E. Lockhart and Mindy McGinnis—or of boarding school fiction—might enjoy this, but will have to be willing to get past an unexciting narrator. —Tyler Hixson, Brooklyn Public Library

School Library Journal

2020-05-16
A boarding school student on a mission infiltrates the in crowd.

Collins Pruitt has relocated from Wisconsin to enter the Rutherford Institute, an elite California boarding school, as a third-year student. She has more on her mind than calculus and college applications, though. Collins’ beloved aunt, Rosie, has compelled Collins to attend Rutherford and gather intelligence on Jasper and Theo Mahoney, upperclassmen brothers and golden boys whose mother is in a secret relationship with Collins’ wealthy and influential investor father in order to get the Mahoneys out of crippling debt. Soon, Collins finds herself in over her head, not just with Theo’s fast-moving and thrill-seeking group of friends, but with Jasper, for whom she’s quickly developing real romantic feelings—even as he is wrestling with potentially life-ruining secrets of his own. Bass creates a vivid, evocative environment in both Rutherford and the coastal town surrounding it. However, the book is heavily front-loaded and wraps up abruptly, and it seems far-fetched that Collins would uproot her mostly happy existence on hearsay from her aunt without fact-checking with her father, with whom she’s supposedly very close. Whiteness is situated as the default for main characters; diversity in peripheral characters is signaled through names.

Well-written suspense overwhelmed by a flimsy premise. (Thriller. 12-18)

Kirkus Reviews

“With gorgeous writing and secrets that keep you turning pages until the heartfelt end, this deeply immersive tale asks how far we’ll go to protect those we love—and what happens when we’re wrong. I devoured this masterfully plotted and beautifully executed story.” —Lori Goldstein, author of Sources Say and Screen Queens

“It's hard not to fall for Bass's glittering cast and all the secrets they keep at Rutherford Academy. The romantic tensions and hidden motives of these golden, blessed boarding schoolers will have you turning the pages fast.” —Amy Zhang

“Part Gossip Girl, part Riverdale, with a healthy sprinkle of teen noir, Alexis Bass’s AN EDUCATION IN RUIN is a juicy, scandalous, romantic delight, with twisty family secrets, wealthy prep school setting, and a protagonist whose mission to destroy the Mahoney brothers brings her face to face not only with her own family’s lies but also the desires of her heart. I couldn’t turn the pages fast enough.” —Joy Preble, author of Dreaming Anastasia and Children's and Teen Programming Director at Brazos Bookstore, Houston

From the Publisher