Havoc at Prescott High (The Havoc Boys, #1) (2024)

I waffled between giving this one 2 or 3 stars. The first half was really cringeworthy, but then the second half improved, so I really thought I'd end up giving it 3 stars. And then the heroine did something which made me want to throw my Kindle across the room, so 2 stars it is!

PLOT SUMMARY

17-year-old Bernadette Blackbird (beautiful, blonde hair with pink tips, BREASTS THAT ARE A G-CUP(?!?!)) lives with her mother, younger sister, and abusive stepfather who drove her older sister to commit suicide after he raped her. She spent the whole of sophom*ore year being horribly tortured by the 'HAVOC boys' - Hael (yeah what a stupid name), Aaron (her ex-boyfriend), Victor, Oscar, and Callum because her ex-best friend Kali asked them to. They do things for people in return for favours. She decides to make a deal with them to get revenge on Kali, her stepfather, and a bunch of other people. In return they ask her to be a 'HAVOC girl, essentially their girl. This involves a marriage of convenience with Victor so he can get his inheritance.

REASONS I WANTED TO KILL MY KINDLE

❌ This level of bullying is a HARD PASS for me. Hard f*cking pass. The boys arranged for her to be beaten almost to death, left her naked on the side of a road at night, and locked her in a closet for a week with nothing but water and a bucket. You don't get to see this happen in real time, because Stunich cleverly set the story a year after the actual bullying took place, but this kind of bullying is still wayyy beyond what I can handle in a romance. I suspect a lot of readers will find it easy to ignore the bullying because it's only told via flashbacks and glossed over, so it's easy to pretend it didn't happen. But it most certainly did happen and I'm sorry, THEY ARRANGED FOR HER TO BE BEATEN HALF TO DEATH!! This is even worse than what happened in Filthy Rich Boys or The Secret Girl. I was in disbelief.

❌ Leading on from my previous point: they genuinely treated her so badly that Bernadette's slavish lust for them (Victor especially) makes her look, as is typical with Stunich's heroines, really f*cking stupid. But wait for it. I was just on the edge of beginning to like Bernadette, her dumb 'traitorous body' notwithstanding, when she demonstrated she had lost whatever brain cell she once possessed. Wait for it... wait for it... She realises she should thank the guys because they could have treated her even more badly than they did! They could have raped or killed her!!!! This is genuinely the point where I came closest to abandoning the story, and it was a real shame because it was just when the story was getting good. Yes, Bernadette genuinely thinks to herself, IN ALL SERIOUSNESS, that never mind the fact they had her beaten or locked in a cupboard like an animal. It's all good, AND SHE SHOULD BE THE ONE THANKING THEM, because they didn't rape or kill her!! There was a moment in the book where she could have gotten a really awesome revenge on them, and if she had done that, I would have (I swear to God) given this book four f*cking stars and sung its praises to the rafters. The revenge would have been really REALLY good, absolutely perfect, and I would have respected the hell out of her. But instead, Bernadette, like the moron she is, ruins her one perfect chance at revenge against them because she's grateful to them for not killing her. F*cking hell.

❌ In this respect, she is - dare I say it - even worse a heroine than Marnye. Marnye at least acknowledges the necessity of getting revenge on the boys, even if her revenge is pathetic and half-hearted. But Bernadette doesn't ONCE think about getting revenge. NOT ONCE. She falls all over herself to screw them instead. Who cares that they tore her prom dress off her and told her to run through a forest naked at night away from them? Not Bernadette, that's for sure!

❌ So much suspension of disbelief, my dudes. So much. As usual, these 17-year-old boys (Stunich still calls them 'men', FFS) and girl are covered from head to toe in tattoos, screwing teachers, and pulling guns in front of hundreds of witnesses with impunity. Sure. Also, 17-year-old Aaron seems to be living with his little sister and cousin all by themselves, and it's like... the state does exist, you know! I know people fall though the cracks sometimes, but social services is a thing, and Stunich just likes to pretend that adults don't exist without even explaining to us readers where they've gone. Also, in more suspension of disbelief issues, Bernadette accepts the fact that Victor wants her to marry him WAY too easily. She basically didn't even question it, or experience a single bit of emotional angst over marrying a guy when ages 17, also the same guy who tortured her for a bloody year!!

❌ The OW drama. Don't get me started on the OW drama. It's my absolute LEAST FAVOURITE kind, featuring an ex-girlfriend of Hael who falls pregnant and is trying to convince him he's the father. So he keeps going to meet her or whatever. Icky as hell.

❌ Stunich is great at 'plot muppets.' Meet today's plot muppet, Heather, who is supposed to be Bernadette's only reason for living but whom we don't even meet until 32% in. Heather is a paper-thin little character whom Bernadette spends as little time as possible with and pawns off onto mysterious 'friends' and 'after-school programs' as often as possible so she can hang out with Victor, despite claiming that her only goal in life is to keep Heather away from the stepdad.

❌ Also, I realised this before, (like when she thought tiramisu cost like $20) but Stunich is really f*cking bad with money. So, Bernadette and her family are poor as dirt, like barely able to eat and clothe themselves, right? But she has the ability to spend OVER A THOUSAND DOLLARS on a piece of body art, because screw eating! Who needs that? Stunich genuinely couldn't decide whether she wanted her characters to be poor or rich. They all go to a crap school (we're constantly told about the metal detectors and K9 units) but can spend over $20,000 on a wedding?!?!?!?!?!?!?! And can wear designer clothes?

❌ Sometimes, Stunich's writing is honestly just bad. Like this. You know how we were told ad nauseam that Marnye has 'rose gold hair'? Well, if you took a shot in this book every time we're told Bernadette's hair is blonde with pink tips, you'd be in a f*cking coma. JUST ONCE, I want to see Stunich a) give a heroine a normal bloody hair colour and b) mention a heroine's hair without also mentioning whatever unique feature it has!! Also, in many places the book is just overwritten. She tries to make it so deep and dark and dramatic that the effect is ruined. Like, Bernadette keeps falling into 'Victor's ebon eyes filled with the screams of dying men' or whatever, or Callum's voice is 'full of death and nightmares and pain', and also the characters keep saying really overdramatic teenagerish things to each other that just makes me want to slap them. Sorry, not sorry.

❌ The boy's motivations for bullying her, like I said, was because Kali asked them to. This was an extremely weak justification, especially because Bernadette's bloody ex-boyfriend Aaron was part of the bullying. Also, the first half was so cringey I basically pulled a muscle from eyerolling so hard. The way the HAVOC boys works is, you say the word 'havoc' and they'll hear it. Um... no. What if you're in the loo or something, and you say it? Will they hear you then? What if you say havoc in a totally different context? Does it still apply?

THINGS, TO MY SURPRISE, WHICH WORKED

✔️ Did someone tell Stunich how much I bitched about those really stupid smells she kept giving her heroes? I really hope so, because this time, she managed to restrain herself in the scent department. I'm so proud of her. The boys smelled of mostly normal things like cigarettes, coconut, and musk, and she even dropped in an explanation of why exactly Hael smells like coconut. WIN.

✔️ There are some pretty hot sex scenes - I'm thinking especially of the one Victor films between Hael and Bernadette.

✔️ From 65% onwards, the book became a bit less cringey and more plot-driven. Shame about the first half.

Also shame about Bernadette's final thing with 'OMG the boys could've been worse to me than they already were, they love me really' because without it, I'd have given this thing 3 stars. But it was there, so...

[Blog] - [Bookstagram]

4.5

If you're looking for something realistic, you may want to look elsewhere, but damn, Havoc is entertaining! I couldn't put it down! 😍

I need more!! January can't come soon enough!

So wrong, but oh so right

The thing was so gosh damn compelling it wouldn’t be right to rate it a 3

Did I think I would enjoy it No
Did I want to enjoy it No
Did I put it down in the last 24 hours No

I got to give to to Stunich, she can write this type of harem most excellently. But then she does have copious amounts of practice at it.
There’s no one can write this level of gritty Alpha males, she’s got it down to an art. In fact it’s the heroines who are the ones in need a little more work. I find them dull and a little samey. Pink hair or Rose Gold hair... that’s the only thing to define them. Its all about the men. They are the interesting characters worth reading on for.

I read the blurb and expected it to be very like I Was Born Ruined, which I did not get on well with. But ya know FOMO set in and I had to at least try it. I could always put it down if it went wrong!

But that moment of “I can’t deal anymore” never came. The bullying was not straightforward. HAVOC is a gang and Bernadette hires them to get back at the list of people who have wronged her. Even though most of Bernadette’s bullying came from HAVOC themselves, it turns out they were hired by someone else to do it. So ya know that kinda makes it ok on some messed up level.
Even they didn't understand why she was giving herself over to the source of her pain.

"The Havoc Boys are more than just bullies; they're a full-fledged gang. Once upon a time, they took me down. This time, I'm sending them on a mission of my own. I just hope this transaction doesn't leave me broken and bleeding like it did last time."

The bullying takes place in a past tense recalling. Being past tense makes it a little easier to stomach. We also get little flashbacks of how the Havoc guys have helped her before they were hired to bully her. AW there's hope for the wee black hearted monsters darlings yet.

Think of this as a soft core Born Ruined, which takes place in a school the total opposite of Ruthless Boys. It’s a school boy gang and they are pretty hardcore. Drugs, guns, tattoos etc etc. Very MC but without the older members is why I think I can take this and found it pretty addicting.

The sex scenes were hot as usual and paced nicely. Not too many and not too few

I can't wait for more Callum and Oscar - they are my early favourites.

Hael - red Mohawk, red Camero
Oscar - Glasses and ipad permanently attached to his arm
Victor - Leader and all round asshole
Aaron - ex boyfriend
Callum - (sorry no spoilers)

Bernadette - the busty blonde

I can't help it this will always be every Bernadette to me

So in light that this is a story... and you don’t go after an author for a story. Let’s sit down and have a calm chat about this book

But I 100% hate HATE bully romance. I hate what it stands for and how to turns people who torture someone into a love interest. This was NOT enemies to lovers it was teen gang violence turn vengeance story. the morals of the story you win if you bring guns to a teen Halloween party. You win if you are a gang and you tell the school “say the word HAVOC and we will do WHATEVER you want for a price. And then you beat up a girl, you strip her of her prom dress forcibly leave her stranded, lock her in a closet for 1 week, burn her closest and dearest possessions including baby photos of her and her older sister who killed herself because the step father kept raping her, that she still has to live with because she is protecting the younger sister, yep. Good one. But the gang are the good guys because they “could have raped you and they didn’t... so you know
.... they deserve love interest status “ bully her endlessly, go to herself and chase her out into the woods and make her run in the dark bare foot in the rain until dawn.... and now those people are your love interests when that same person who got bullied (the MC) Bernadette “says havoc” and the price is “ life with us forever, be a HAVOC girl,.... what!!??🤬🤬🤬🤬🤬🤬

Having sex without birth control because the girl is too stupid to make it a priority the the guy openly says I don’t fu*k with condoms then later on making her take the morning after pill as a viable birth control twice in one week and continuing to have sex without birth control ..... and Then in the same book one of the “love interests” says “you only forget (to put on a condom) with girls you like” which is a TERRIBLE TERRIBLE thing to put out there for the young teen girls who will read this book. ...

. It’s teen gang war. It’s suppose to mimic middle American teen gang violence and the sh*t that goes down with that. All the characters are 17 and making AWFUL TERRIBLE decisions about their lives. But it was truely awful reading it.

Bully romance is NOT BDSM! It’s not cool, it’s not sexy.

It’s not. And I don’t care who I have to fight to stand by that statement.

I am definitely hooked on this series! It’s dark, gritty, sexy, and down right bad ass!!! Lol! Seriously, it’s not for the faint of heart... and you must going in with an open mind. “HAVOC “ pushed my limits, and then pushed them some more! This was my first read from this author... but it won’t be my last!

This first instalment introduces us to a gang called HAVOC... In the past they tortured a girl named Bernadette, but she needs their help to exact revenge on the people that have seriously hurt her in her life.The price she has to pay for their help is very steep. They want her to become a “HAVOC GIRL.. what that entails is shocking!!! It’s a price she’s willing to pay. Eventually though, will they go too far??? Will Bernadette regret what she started? The cliffhanger at the end has me biting my nails, and I need to start reading the second book immediately! I can’t wait to see what’s going to happen. I am also terrified to see where this is going to go!!!

I am hoping to learn more about each of the guys in the gang. They totally intrigued me. I love how we were given a small glimpse into who they were deep inside. Some really surprised me!! I can’t wait to learn even more!!!

i liked it. f*cking sue me :):):):):):):):)):):):):)::)

***

h. ael = the manwhor*
a. aron = the sappy ex love of her life & good guy
v. ictor = the leader
o. scar = always on his ipad. and wear glasses
c. allum = dances. kinda irrelevant

i could live with their gang name switched to smth less cheesy, like lint or kohl

im in class rn so be prepared, this review’s gon’ be the most half assed essay out there

anywhoo the plot is that this tacky ass gang filled with tattooed 17 yos (ik) called havoc rules the school yada yada yada. anyone could say ‘havoc’ to them and theyll do whatever they want (dirty work usually) for a price. this girl, B-something asked them one day, kinda gave em a list of names of people for them to torture and the price is she gotta be theirs, which she did and ended up being the havoc girl (ik). this was so bizarre coz it’s kind of not a bully romance but at the same time its one on another level. as in they brutally tortured her 2 years prior bcs the heroine’s ex bff asked them to & the things they did was v extra and mean. but i mean they didnt treat her sh*tty on present day. so does that count as a bully romance? it prolly does, just not for me

for the most part i enjoyed this, specifically the first half. those parts were more focused on vic & the main girl’s relationship more than the others (did i mention its marriage of convenience trope between em). the book started focusing on the other boys later on after first half (half assed attempt if i do say so myself. literally just one scene that ended up with some outta nowhere kisses / making out. v unnecessary, like gimme more vic-b non sexual scene, just all arguing). i usually dislike favorites in a RH, but i liked vic most and i wouldnt mind if she only ends up with him outta the bunch. their chem was fire. next place goes to oscar who was plenty hot too coz hes indifferent toward her. and. ✨glasses✨

by 60-80% i started losing interest and ended up not finishing it but in the sea of dnfs, i’ll still count this as a success read. for the most part

overall, like den of vipers, i would never rec this to anyone. (and for DOV lovers, i dont think u would like this either). it was so all over the place and ofc trashy (given. duh), but i wasnt bored. right moment right time, or just victor channing? beats me. i dont have the energy to continue tho, bcs 4 thick pages more ab these losers? no thanq

2.5 stars, I think.

Such a weird book... with an extreme tattoo fetish, since it keeps getting mentioned every other sentence what part of a body they are on.

I gave it some thought: if book 2 comes out in Kindle Unlimited I think I will give it a shot because I'm hoping to see more of one of the characters.

Dios mío del amor hermoso.

What the actual f#ck did I just read? This has to be the hottest pile of garbage I’ve read this year.

I’m used to RH where you have to force your suspension of disbelief, but in this case, you have to actually assassinate the poor thing in order to read this monstrosity.

This book is about 17 year old high school students, who live in the bad side of town, go to a dangerous school and are poor. But at the same time, they are covered in tattoos, constantly chain-smoking and consuming drugs and booze, and riding expensive cars.

Make it make sense.

Sure, I guess I could ignore their age (🙄) and the fact that Stunich doesn’t seem to make up her mind about wether her protagonists are poor or rich. But oh my god, she used her book to throw propaganda of her views and beliefs at us readers in the most insane and bizarre way.

Her pro-smoking speeches were crazy. There were several of them and it only got worse as the story progressed. I don’t care if Stunich or anyone else loves to smoke but saying it’s remotely healthy is just crazy.

But she also used her outlet to voice her opinions on random sh*t, such as VSCO girls, global warming and other irrelevant topics to the plot. It was ridiculous. No one cares, Karen.

The dialogues made no f*cking sense. I’m serious, it’s like they tried to be obnoxious and mysterious for the sake of sounding interesting, but everything was so stifled and unreal, it was frustrating and pulled me out of the story.

These underage idiots just kept on having unprotected sex throughout the story. Afterwards, the protagonist would just freak out a little bit, take a morning-after pill and then do exactly the same. Over and over. She took 4-5 pills during the story. But the side effects (cramps, profuse bleeding) were never mentioned. She was always ready for her men. And she dismissed the idea of getting any kind of birth control because “she didn’t care.”

Stunich went as far as to having one of her underage “men” telling the girl that a man only forgets to use a condom when he loves the girl. Like that sh*t was romantic or something. So yes, this was another of the author’s opinions she wanted to hammer us with. Unprotected sex is hot and not that big of a deal when you’re only 17 🤷🏻‍♀️ the morning-after pill will solve all your problems, kids. Side effects? We don’t know her. STDs? What’s that?

I have no problem reading dark romance. I love bully romance, but it has to be done right. It has to make sense. And sadly in Havoc, things didn’t add up. The fact that they had spent the year before torturing her added nothing to the story. And the bullsh*t about the boys caring about her in secret only made things worse.

The last nail in the coffin for me was reading the protagonist thinking she should thank them because they hadn’t raped or killed her. “It could’ve been worse.”

Sure thing, Jane. They only ordered people to beat the crap out of you. They only kidnapped you, took your clothes and threw you out in the middle of nowhere at night. They only kept you locked in a closet with a bucket and water for a week. They are practically saints because they didn’t rape you. The bar was literally so low with these dipsh*ts that it was buried 6 feet underground.

Should I torture myself with the next book? God, I’m a masoch*st.

Wowowow wowwww.

Heavens, above.

If I didn’t f*ckING HATE this book.
Yes, I hated it.

But slap me sideways if I also didn’t

Wow guys. Wtf has this world come to?

Stunich has done it, yet again.

So it’s a RH bully romance meets high school musical meets Riverdale meets quick- someone insert a story or plot about violence with hot brothers- Four Brothers.

You get me? Right?

Let’s discuss the characters:
Bernadette- what a name. She’s super sh*tty and scrappy and I f*cking hate her but you know what I respect her.
Vic- oh, f*ck
Callum: underrated. I want to see more of him.
Hael: pretty boy.
Aaron: you’ve got a lot of ground to make up for buddy.

OSCAR GETS HIS OWN CATEGORY:
He’s not a character.
He’s Batman without the mask, cape, hideous car, and butler.
Is anyone else picturing Oscar as a Christian Grey meets Tuxedo Mask from the Sailor Moon series meets the Joker?
Because hello, Oscar.

I’m in love.

With this book. With these characters. With this sh*tty plot. I need more more more.

Havoc

There, I said it. Are they mine now? Move over Bernie.

I think I actually lost some neurons.
Here's the thing about the author, and thus, this book: I've read the two academy series and this one, and intrinsically, they are sisters. Not twins, but sisters. It always runs on the same lines: asshole boys who think they're adults doing some f*cked up sh*t, hating some girl who hates the MC because she has no personality whatsoever, some bully situation, a Male MC who is the leader and so the most mysterious dark guy of them all. Checked, checked, checked. I've checked all these boxes and even when they're all the same, there is a particular way in which this take on the same-ish story is the worst so far: the characters are the worst of the story's versions.
There was this moment in which this girl was like yeah I should thank them for not raping me. I know they did my life hell but like, they didn't murder me. I kinda like them.
And girl, what are you talking about. And yeah, I understand her life is filled with rapists assholes but there is a point in which you are tired of her and her choices.
The biggest differences with these guys is that they are truly, honest to God, gangsters. These seventeen horny year olds. And you know what? Super cringe. Every time someone did something gangster related on a whim of rage, I lost something deep within me. And honestly? They're supposed to be the big bad wolves but in the two months they were with the MC as a client they proved they ain't sh*t.
So peace out I guess.

4.5 Revengeful Stars

What in the HAVOC-boys did I read? And the cliffy? Yup. I need to read book 2!

Bernadette is tired of living life scared (she’s been amused and tortured long enough), and she wants to seek revenge on the people that have made her life miserable. these people were at some point “close” to her or at least was someone that should’ve protected her, and they’ve all betrayed her in different ways So she has to find and hire the HAVOC boys.

HAVOC stands for Hael. Aaron. Victor. Oscar. Callum.

And who are these boys? They’re boys that get hired by people to do different things. They previously bullied her two years before during her sophom*ore year-
Yeah, they were “hired” to do it. Now, she needs them and she’ll do whatever is needed to get them on her side. What do they want? They want her to become HAVOC girl. Plus, she’ll need to marry Victor so he can get his inheritance.

She’ll do it, all in the name of seeking revenge 👀😈.

What I liked:
—the tension😅. Oh LAWD. The tension is so so SOOO good. This is my first by C. M. Stunich, so I was surprised by how good the tension is. I felt all the damn flutters during these “tense” scene. I mean. Jeeezus. Just one look causes the tension to become stifling 👀 and I was here for it all💁🏻‍♀️. We weren’t “told” there’s tension… we were SHOWN👀 and oh gosh… were we ever 😅🔥. These scenes might seem “innocent” but if the butterflies I was feeling was any indication at how good the tension is, then they’re definitely NOT innocent 😉. The trying on wedding dresses scene and the dancing scene prove this 👀.

—the steamy stuff🔥. Yeah. I have to include this up here because, well, they were 🥵. Look what these pages did to me 🤰🏻. Even my kindle got pregnant 🤷🏻‍♀️. And it didn’t necessarily have to include complete home runs either- just a kiss was enough to get the job done 💦. From the first scene where Victor loses control, to the dinner table scene, to the car scene, to the office scene, to the kisses in front of people scenes, to the “she’s mine” scene (that led to the “Im sorry I’m not going to be gentle to you” and the “it’s too much” and the longest scene ever scene), to the locker room scene, I don’t know how my kindle and me survived 🥵💦🔥😅.

—the protectiveness. Sure, the boys bullied her years before, but they’ll do whatever they need to do that Bernie’s safe

—the JPness. Seems like a conundrum, but it’s in here. The jp scene led to one of the 🔥🔥🔥 scenes in the book (and it was never-ending). Sigh. It had one of those “you hate that you love this” scenes 💁🏻‍♀️👀. And well, she really does 💅

—the list Bernie makes. I can’t wait to see them all get their comeuppance. There are seven people on this list, and we have a ways to go

—the fighting scenes. I appreciate them when they seem realistic, as in, the MCs do have blood in them. I can see this being such a good movie. Plus, Bernie can kick bu++

—the RH factor. Sharing is caring? Lol we’ll see. I still need to see how this will work out

—bullying done in flashback mode. I appreciated that we don’t see it live, but I’m also gonna add this down below

What I didn’t like:
—the bullying done was pretty harsh, so I’m wondering why and if Bernie will get back at the HAVOC boys😑. I mean. One of the scenes had me teary eyed- and it was in FLASHBACK mode😬! Maybe we’ll see what becomes of this in the subsequent books, but I couldn’t 5 star this book knowing that these boys made one of the toughest years Bernie ever had even worse. She lost her sister because of her p€d0 stepfather and her “best friend” hired the boys to ruin her😒. On top of other stuff going on… so, I guess the only way to get answers is to keep reading 🤷🏻‍♀️

—how quickly Bernie caves to them smexxually. I get it. She has to because that’s the price for getting their help, but I wouldn’t have minded some resistance 😅😬 (I love those types of scenes)

Overall, I really enjoyed it

⚠️safety squad⚠️
-no cheating
-there’s a sharing scene (I mean. This is an RH)
-bullying (flashbacks of two/three years before)
-no virgins (h has had a few partners and the Hs are manwhor*s)
-drug use
-violence/bloodshed
-owd: there are girls that continue to bully or threaten the h. OW1 runs a finger down H2’s chest. The h slaps her hand away and the OW gets scared of her 💅. OW2 claims to be pregnant by H2
-OM- the h’s ex is on her list so we see the consequences of what doing wrong brings. Two of the Hs get into a tiff over the h and a third isn’t happy 😬
-child neglect/abuse mentioned
-the h’s stepfather r@ped h’s older sister (who’s now dead) and abused the h many times. He tries r@ping her but never got to
-there’s mention of p€d0philes and what they like
-Cliffy

Let me just start by saying , this is without question the dumbest book C.M Stunich has published, nothing can save this sh*t, nothing.
It actually pains me to say that because this, folks is the author who gave us Groupie, where did she go. Can the real C.M Stunich please stand up, I think she got lost in the high school bully genre and needs a life preserver.
Let's touch on the grandiose dedication to those who create 'original content', my eyes could not have rolled further back in my damn head. Embarrassingly for her this work is as unoriginal as a thin and crispy Hawaiian Pizza. The characters could have been plucked from any one of a hundred current high school bully books, she's slapped on the OTT tatts thrown in an Acronym a few one dimensional bad guys and called it dark.
Hilariously for someone so anti real life bullying she has zero problems dragging real life into her work.
Come on I can't believe I haven't read one review that questioned the f*ck out of her petty use of Callie Rose...sorry that was Kali Rose Kennedy as the former best friend and bitch of the story.
Then, and I'll be honest I nearly spat my drink C.M takes the shade to a whole new level by using Savage Royals as an insult.
I think C.M needs to step away from the high school crap and get back to what she's epic at writing great characters without the dumb stuff.
I'm giving it one star purely because of the dedication it took to remind us almost every single page that these characters have tattoos..so many tattoos, the best most bad ass tattoos.

DNF at 44%

It was just all around dumb.

“Get lost, Bernadette,” Vic says, leaning back on the steps, his expression the most difficult one to read. Hael looks like he wants to bend me over the hood of his car; Oscar looks like he wants to do my f*cking taxes; Callum has a much darker, scarier expression on his face. But it’s Aaron who looks like he might want to kill me.”

Este libro es muy controversial. Tiene determinados sucesos muy cuestionables, los cuales voy a detallar más adelante. En resumidas cuentas, el libro no es malo. Me entretuvo lo suficiente. La protagonista es una tarada, y Victor es insufrible. Pero el resto de los chicos me gustan mucho: Cal es el amor de mi vida (parte de la culpa la tiene Tiberias Calore porque hizo que ame a todos los Cal del mundo), Aaron me parece un bebé, Hale es *chef's kiss* y Oscar me llama mucho la atención porque es muy misterioso, y literalmente no sabemos nada de él. Voy a leer el siguiente libro porque está centrado en Aaron y porque quiero ver cómo sigue, pero si la autora no se puso las pilas con la continuación, no sé si voy a leer el tercer libro. No estoy tan investida en la historia, tbh.

Odio que todos tengan 17/18 en el libro. Es una banda de 5 chabones que hacen lo que se les canta el orto porque tienen el poder suficiente para salir impune ante cualquier situación. Todo el mundo les tiene miedo, los admiran y los adoran. ¿Qué le costaba a la autora hacer de cuenta que tenían, no sé, 25 años y hacer toda la situación un poquito más realista? Además de que constantemente se reitera que todos son pobres (incluida la protagonista), pero después resulta que todos están cubiertos de pies a cabeza en tatuajes... ¿o sea que tienen plata para tatuarse, pero no para comer, o para comprarse un par de zapatillas? Jsjsj coherencia a marzo.

Okay, vamos a hablar con precisión de determinadas situaciones que suceden en este libro, que son... inquietantes. Primero y principal, odio las historias donde el protagonista masculino le hace bullying a la protagonista, y ésta se enamora de todas formas de él. Like ¿? why. Pero este libro llevó mi odio por ese tipo de historias a un nuevo nivel, porque acá son 5 chabones contra una mina, y le hacen cosas impensables: la encierran una semana en un armario con sólo agua, la dejan tirada a un lado de la calle en ropa interior y sola, le quemaron todas sus cosas personales y la atormentaron durante medio año, hasta el punto donde tenía miedo de ir al colegio. Y, sin embargo, después de todo esto, ¿ella se encariña? ¿Por qué? Entiendo que la autora decidió contar todo el bullying que le hicieron a través de flashbacks, para que nosotros como lectores no lo tuviéramos tan presentes, pero es a thousand kinds of wrong, y no puedo pasarlo por alto. Cabe destacar que estos bellos onvres nunca tuvieron ni el decoro de disculparse (Aaron fue el único que le pidió perdón, pero la verdad que no cambia nada lol todos son a piece of sh*t).

And don't even get me f*cking started en el hecho de que la mina literalmente dice "hicieron mi vida un infierno, pero podría haber sido peor”. No. No puedo ni empezar a expresar que tan perturbador y equivocado es ese tipo de razonamiento.

Después tenemos la primera vez de Vic y Bernie. La autora arranca el libro con una nota estableciendo que todas las escenas sexuales de Bernie son consentidas, pero la primera vez que mantiene relaciones sexuales con Victor es, en mi opinión, bastante controversial. El chabón tiene a la mina contra la pared; por alguna razón que no recuerdo (pero no me sorprende porque se la pasa todo el libro enojado por cualquier cosa; dios, es infumable) está enojado y decide darla vuelta a Bernie (teniéndola él de espaldas), le baja los pantalones, se baja los pantalones y se la mete (¡¡sin f*cking preservativo!!)... sin nunca preguntarle a ella si quería o si estaba de acuerdo. Y encima después le acaba adentro (¿?¿?) DE NUEVO sin preguntarle si tenía algún problema con ello. No sé, por ahí yo soy una mina muy extraña o algo, pero eso no me parece muy consensuado que digamos.

A pesar de todas las cosas horribles que mencioné, fui capaz de disfrutar el libro porque la historia es bastante atrapante. Oscar es un loco de mierda, pero al mismo tiempo me encanta jajaja y estoy muy emocionada por saber más sobre la historia de Bernie y Aaron, al igual que el pasado de los chicos. Y me haría muy feliz que Victor se muriera en algunos de los siguientes libros, aunque lo veo poco factible.

Me sorprendió lo mucho que disfruté del audiolibro. Amo cuando los diálogos de los personajes femeninos los narra una mujer, y los de los personajes masculinos los narra un hombre, y el hombre de este audiolibro hizo un trabajo fenomenal. So props to you, buddy.

Le rezo a quien sea que le tenga que rezar para que Chaos at Prescott High tenga mucho naked-Aaron, co*cky-Hale, broody-Oscar, sexy-Cal; y poco dickhe*d-Victor.

3 de 5 estrellas.

My review of Chaos at Prescott High ⭐⭐⭐.5
My review of Mayhem at Prescott High ⭐⭐⭐
My review of Anarchy at Prescott High ⭐

Plan to lose some IQ points.

This is a DNF for me. For my own sanity, I had to. I almost gave myself a migraine from the amount of times I rolled my eyes thinking “good lord this is stupid”. It was over the top drama (and I do mean over the top), with similar one-dimensional characters. There was no variety, or even depth to them. I kept getting knock off vibes for The Boys of Brayshaw series. Almost like this author saw that books success and though “oooh I want to make a book like that one but with more badder characters” and I say it like that on purpose based on the pure stupidity of this book. I have to wonder who left these 5 star reviews? I’m guessing upper middle class soccer moms who want to pretend they are taking a walk on the wild side? If so I hate to inform them that if the girl was actually a bada$$ she would have already slit their throats in their sleep for what they put put her through her sophom*ore year, she definitely wouldn’t wait until she is one of them to show she is tough. Moving on, 5 guys in a gang wouldn’t make themselves everyone’s mindless b*tch for the price of a favor... Long story short is just no credibility, and what little story there is reads like a ripoff of a better writer.

Second time read and review.

Ugh, my love for this book continues to grow. There's just something about this group of people that either can torment me or make me fall in love. Other than that, the drama and romance just takes you one an epic and crazy ride. One, I would gladly take over and over again. It's just that easy to devour and ugh, I'm so happy that I dove back into this book because I seriously need to know what is going to happen in the next one. Never read it before and I'm so giddy to do so.

Don't ruin it for me people. Please.
___________________________
OMG! This book was so freaking good. I devoured the heck out of it and then I saw that it had a second book.. which was apparently supposed to be published last month? Yet, I see nothing on KU? #confusedAF

Havoc at Prescott High is most definitely an RH book. Yes, I know that I mentioned how I needed a break from it for some odd reason because I was in a weird funk when it came to reading those bad boys. However, I can never stick to my guns about that and I dove into a freaking RH book (or two).

Lord, oh lord, I loved this thing. All the characters were amazing. The guys - Hael, Aaron, Victor Oscar, and Callum were adorable. Even if they did torment our girl, Bernie, in the beginning/past flashbacks, I knew that they still cared for her. I mean, they are known for doing some crazy bat sh*t things to people when someone mentions 'havoc' and yet.. they didn't do anything physically to her.

So, it didn't take long for sparks and chemistry to fly between everyone. At all of them, I love Vic. He's the real bad ass leader and I'm pretty she he fell in love with her first out of the group. Even though I get that her and Aaron dated for a little bit. Then there's Hael and Callum, who are just plain adorable. I can see the attraction there and I just want to see more of it.

Unfortunately, Oscar has a bit more work for me to like him. Maybe we will see something new in the next book? Although I have a feeling that it's going to be Aaron's book next. Maybe? Who knows - I just want more from them all.

SPOILERS HERE - Turf wars between rival high school students

There's sex, drugs, bullying, vengeance, and the beginnings of redemption of the HAVOC guys in the eyes of Bernadette. She's had a tough life and things are getting more deadly as she gets in deeper with HAVOC.

The story is dark and kinda gritty. They try to keep her out of some of the violence but not all.

Somehow they are bad to save people they care about and limit damage to some, while still staying on top. That they are challenged for their roles at the top creates chaos.

They are all 17, have all been through some of the worst things you can imagine and stick together. Finding out that will be worth it.

Now, there is also some talk about Bernie being HAVOC'S girl. This is supposed to be a RH and it's looking like several guys...well really all but 1...are into her. One wants to marry her, one loves her, one likes the way they feel together, and one is so smooth he is teaching her to dance ballet-esqe. One ignores or hates and does not trust her when he isn't planning his best friends wedding. They are all hot and I can see our FMC falling for all if them eventually. Guess we gotta wait and see.

I love this FMC. She is kinda neurotic, sure. But she does things to find her place with them and is confused by why she's even there. Especially since they won't spill on how she became their victim at one point. I can see the light at the end of the tunnel in final book though already on my crazy head...so yes I will read the rest of these books.

Gotta say with all this stuff going on and with real families acting like that to their kids, the kids are already adults.

⭐️⭐️

I can’t. I just f*cking can’t. The writing style has potential but the plot just brings it all down for me. It’s too cringe and unrealistic. I tried really hard to get into this book, but I just find myself grimacing the longer I read it. Ugh, and the “ink” thing. Jesus. It apparently was hard for the author to stop repeating herself with the word “ink.” Idek anymore. I’m just too tired to give a full review.

Incredible. Had me at page 1

This book has everything and steamy sex scenes. Whoa!! It's not like all the rest bully books in the sense that you don't have to go through all of it which I loved. Very refreshing and uniquely done. I'm just so so sad that I have to wait for book #2. 😩😥 I highly recommend this book. Highly highly highly!! You won't regret it.

the heroine's cup size is G.....like A B C D E F G......not triple D (this is very important, they had a whole convo about her EXACT breast size) BUT G.

Y'all.........am I stupid. I didn't even know a cup that size existed😂😭

I enjoyed this one a lot I don’t read much bully romance but decided to give this one a try.
Very cleverly the actual bullying is set in the past that gives you an almost disconnect from it all making it easier to separate it somewhat from the story and connect to the characters in the now.
I might have struggled if it was in real-time as Yes the bullying was brutal very hardcore at times and the explanations for it also quite flimsy but I’m sure that will be elaborated on further there’s definitely more to the story not being told on the whys and whatnots front that’s for sure.
The bullying itself is told in a series of flashbacks from Bernadette’s POV and this book is also sole POV though I believe we do get the boys perspective’s in the next one.

These young adults are all 17 but seem so much older and this is definitely very over the top and graphic and doesn’t pull its punches so suspend your disbelief slightly.
Kinda anything goes here and H.A.V.O.C. Rule Prescott High with a tough hand not taking any disrespect they are the kings of their domain and they now have their very own havoc girl in the form of Bernie.

Bernie makes a deal with her past tormentors to get revenge on the people who have wronged her and also to protect her younger sister.
This girl has some serious baggage and it’s not really all from the time havoc made her life hell.
She actually hates the havoc boys initially but is equally drawn to them as well.

Havoc consists of Victor whose the leader, Hael the confident man-slu*t, Callum scarred and quiet with hidden depths, Oscar the sorter of the group and he also seems to dislike Bernie and Aaron Bernie's ex-boyfriend and prior rock turned bad who she feels the most betrayed by.

This is reverse-harem but we are only slightly eased into the idea here it’s baby steps really.
Bernie is still building bonds and Victor is being all sorts of possessive especially in regards to her and Hael. This ended on a cliffhanger and I’m definitely planning to continue with this series.

This was plenty over the top and you do need to take it in the spirit it was intended.
But as a fiction story, it was so gripping and I was hyper-focused on what was occurring.
My first book by this author and I found her writing style easy to comprehend and get lost in.
I definitely recommend this it was great.

Reviewed By Beckie Bookworm
https://www.facebook.com/beckiebookworm/
www.beckiebookworm.com

I know a lot of people liked this book (and here I am wondering why ???). The writing is bad, the theme could be interesting but it's too much ... I don't know how to explain it, I like strong characters but I also like classy female characters and I felt that everything about the female character in this book was trashy .. It is a personal preference i guess.

Rating: 2 Stars.
Steam: 5 out of 10.
Triggers: Violence, strong violence scenes
Love Triangle: I guess
Cheating: I guess too
HEA: Yes

This book felt more of a tell than a show for me and it honestly annoyed me to the point I put it down after only a few chapters and had to take a break. These character were supposed to be so badass and run the school, the heroine was supposedly in a bad situation, poor, and needed the Havoc boys to save her sister. Yet we barely saw any of that and in the end being told over and over again how she was in such a bad situation just felt unrealistic.

On top of that the book was really all over the place. Dramas constantly popping up and every time there was a new drama I swear it was even more ridiculous than the last. These were high school students but they definitely did not act like it. I like mature high school students, I actually much prefer when there isn't the usual YA immature drama. But with this book it was somehow a mix of these really mature situations yet the characters were acting like dumb kids at times and it just didn't work for me.

Overall, I can definitely see why a lot of people do and will like this book but it just didn't work for me. I actually thought this was a duet from when I saw it being recommended but now knowing it's five books I don't think I can make it through four more books just to see how the story will end for these characters.

Worth waiting for!

So before I get to my review...I couldn't help but notice there's quite a few negative reviews for HAVOC. Nothing wrong with that - we all must rate how we see fit. But I did want to address a couple of the things that were stated the most.

1. HAVOC was too unrealistic. Okay. Yes, the characters are 17-18 years old. Yes, it's a little outside the realms of possibility that they're doing the things they're doing at that age. You know what else is unrealistic? Harry Potter, Outlander and Beauty And The Beast. It's fiction, folks. The author can create whatever kind of world she wants to. Let's just not forget that it IS fiction, not a biography.

2. So sick of "tatoos" and "ink" being mentioned. Yes, okay - it was overused a little. But some of the reviews made it out like it was mentioned in every sentence...it's definitely not.

3. There's too much sex. (Umm...that's a problem???) 😂 I believe there were 6 scenes. (Don't quote me, might've been 7, but pretty sure it was 6.) Personally, I would've liked to have seen more, but that's just me. 😉

4. It's too violent. Yes, it's a dark book. It's pretty violent and bloody. If you don't like dark books, please don't read this.

Okay, hopefully that addresses some of those negative reviews! Here's mine 😁

CM Stunich is an automatic one-click author for me. I love her writing style. I love how she gets inside the heads of her characters and brings them to life. I love how dark, gritty and real she gets about life, relationships and feelings.

Havoc is, as I mentioned, very dark. (Just how I like it!) It's well written, jam packed with action, and drags you, kicking and screaming, into its pages...keeping you there until the end, where you have to claw your way back into the real world.

I waited a year to start the series (until it was completed), and it was worth it. Diving straight into Chaos.

Welcome to the dark side 🖤

Damn you Stunich! *shakes fist in the air*
I’ve definitely come to terms with my Stunich addiction. I’m Jessica and I’m a Stunich Addict. I know it’s bad for me, but it’s just so good.

All I can say is these characters are all such a hot mess, and I just don’t care I’m all up in the mess with them.

I couldn't put it down, even though I had work to do. Oops.

This book was so bad, i actually laughed. I need to read the next one though - it was like a train wreck i couldn’t look away from. This author took the “poor, angsty tattooed teen who hates anything designer/money” stereotype and freaking RAN with it. It was a ridiculous story that i am invested in purely to see what other weird crap she/he can come up with.

This is the moment where i absolutely lost it, i was laughing so hard. The heroine goes to a nice cafe and randomly starts sh*tting on VSCO girls:

“I focus on my coffee and let my eyes wander the crowd, taking in the designer labels, the fancy diamond tennis bracelets, and the think-their-sh*t-don't stink VSCO girls with their stupid ass Save the Turtles metal water bottles, hair scrunchies, and vacuous facial expressions. If you don't know what a VSCO girl is, Google it. Maybe you'll be as disturbed as I am, having to look at them with their fair-trade coffees.”

I’m not a teenager anymore, and some of the new trends like VSCO girls are new to me, but this could 100% be written by a grumpy old man who hates kids for no reason. I think if you took this book and replaced the heroine with an 80 year old senile old man (maybe an ex-biker?) it would still make total sense.

Cliffhanger ending. 3 stars

Possible Triggers: Rape, bullying, PTSD, suicide, unprotected sex, teenage pregnancy, child molestation, & child p*rnography. *Not an inclusive list. & none of these topics are handled properly*

The bullying was done 2 years before this story in this book. Flashbacks do occur.
Rape occurs & is captured on film.
Child p*rnography is ongoing.

Suggestion: If these topics are discussed in books authors should handle them responsibly & provide resources/help.
Ex suicide hotline for the countries the book is being made available in etc. (AU/US websites/hotlines etc)

⚠️ Author unreliable. Release dates are a suggestion to this author. She’s a serial procrastinator. The author has been known to abandon past series. Ex The Seven Mates of Zara Wolf. If a complete series is nonnegotiable waiting until series completion may be a good idea.

This book intense. The twist and turns keep you wanting more. Can’t wait for book 2.

Book: Havoc at Prescott High
Author: C.M. Stunich
Recommend: Yes
Spice: 🌶️ 🌶️ 🌶️
Age recommendation: 18-30+ Years

My feelings:

I noticed there was a lot of mixed reviews for this series. It seemed to be a love hate style of reviews. So of course I was interested and got the first book with audio.

Im in love. Oh sugar…. H (Hael) A (Aaron) V (Victor) O (Oscar) C (Callum) 5 boys or should I say 5 hotties. Hot dam…..
Now I know there was a lot of people saying its a high school 17 year old dark Reverse Harem etc etc and was hard to read. But if you grew up in the slums in a hard high school you would see this isn’t as far from the truth as life can get.

I grew up similar to the people in this book so for me this was totally believable. In fact it made me wish I could go back and be poly like the main MC is! Hot dam I missed out on some fun.

Lets talks MC’s.

Hael is hot as sin. Fully tattooed, talks French, grease monkey with a total soft spot for Bernie. I feel totally for Hael the second he hit the pages. It seems like he doesn’t mind showing his soft side.

“You are not a f*ck doll,” Vic says, but he doesn't move his attention from Hael's face. “But this isn't about you. This is about me. I'm a jealous, possessive asshole, and I wanted to kill Hael for f*cking you in his car. He's my best friend, Bernadette. There's a problem here.”

Aaron is like a domesticated snake, will totally hang out with you, but if you don’t feed him on time he will bite your hand off. I love it. He was so soft and caring to Bernie when they were younger, but after that time apart he hardened himself to the world and came out ready to strike. Tattooed all mover, already has Bernies name on him. Yummy!

“When you’ve been lied to by everyone around you, when you have nothing else, you realize the one currency you can carry is truth. So a single word does have meaning. A promise does hold importance. And a pact is worth carrying to the grave.”

Victor….. now here we have the complicated, possessive, jealous leader who doesn’t wanna share, but also cannot say no to Bernie cause he is so in love with her that he will do anything she says even if it kills him. I Love how he is with Bernie. This push and pull. But total submission to her without realising it. The fact he started HAVOC to be able to protect Bernie is just swoon worthy.

“Before I get a chance to delve too far into the darkness of my thoughts, Vic is grabbing me and putting his arms around me, hugging me so close that I can smell the musk and amber scent of him, even through the sharp copper smell of blood.”

Oscar…. Now dude, this is this one who needs to get the f*ck outta his head and stop being a dick. He is the one who we will all end up loving in the end. The one who will hold all the cards to his heart until we wanna kill him, then show them and make all out panties melt off. I predict this.
Plus the dude wears glasses and tattooed and piecing from head to toe. He is the walking and talking version of my sole mate.

”This time, I'm not kissing the prince to become the princess, I'm tonguing the villain to guarantee the destruction of others.”

Callum….. I don’t get this one yet. The quite one maybe? The one who will end up burning the brightest? Not sure yet. I don’t hate him or love him yet. I think we shall seeing book 2.

“Bernadette!” he shouts, and I turn just in time to see Danny Ensbrook lift a revolver up and point it at my face. His finger clenches on the trigger, and my heart stops in my chest. Callum’s bat hits him hard in the side of the neck, knocking him over and sending the shot wide. Danny stumbles, falling hard to the ground, the nails from the bat raking through the side of his throat. And then there’s blood, so much f*cking blood.”

Bernie, now here is s strong women. I say women cause she might be 17n but she has lived though more then a grown women can bear and is still standing. What she is also planning yo go through just to get her vengeance is even more scary. Ovaries of steal.
I feel like she is gonna be a lose fire cracker, the one to bring a knife to the party and use it without blinking.

”Confucius says dig two graves before embarking on a journey of revenge. But what if that revenge is the only thing keeping you alive? And what if the people you're seeking revenge on deserve it? If Batman had just killed the Joker from the get-go, how many more people would still be alive? Sometimes the bad guys have to die, so if I have to dig two graves, so be it. Better than digging three.’

Now I loved this book. I really really did. Its hot, spicy chapters, and totally worthy of some reading time:)