To Best the Boys

Name: To Best the Boys
Author: Mary Weber

by Mary Weber

Young Adult Fiction

The task is simple: Don a disguise. Survive the labyrinth . . . Best the boys. Every year for the past fifty-four years, the residents of Pinsbury Port have received a mysterious letter inviting all eligible-aged boys to compete for an esteemed scholarship to the all-male Stemwick University. The poorer residents look to see if their names are on the list. The wealthier look to see how likely their sons are to survive. And Rhen Tellur opens it to see if she can derive which substances the ink and parchment are created from, using her father’s microscope. In the province of Caldon, where women train in wifely duties and men pursue collegiate education, sixteen-year-old Rhen Tellur wants nothing more than to become a scientist. As the poor of her seaside town fall prey to a deadly disease, she and her father work desperately to find a cure. But when her mum succumbs to it as well? Rhen decides to take the future into her own hands—through the annual all-male scholarship competition. With her cousin, Seleni, by her side, the girls don disguises and enter Mr. Holm’s labyrinth, to best the boys and claim the scholarship prize. Except not everyone is ready for a girl who doesn’t know her place. And not everyone survives the deadly maze. Welcome to the labyrinth. Praise for To Best the Boys: “Atmospheric, romantic, inspiring.” —KRISTEN CICCARELLI, internationally bestselling author of The Last Namsara "Smart, determined, and ready to take on the world: Rhen Tellur is an outstanding heroine with every reason to win a competition historically intended for boys." —Jodi Meadows, New York Times bestselling author of The Incarnate Trilogy and coauthor of My Lady Jane A “Hunger Games/Handmaid’s Tale mash-up.” —BN Teen Blog

Echoes

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Echoes summary

Readers drawn to Mary Weber's *To Best the Boys* often find themselves captivated by compelling narratives of intelligent, determined young women challenging deeply entrenched societal norms and facing formidable obstacles that demand both courage and ingenuity. This fascination with defiance against oppressive systems resonates strongly with a readership that equally cherishes stories like James Dashner's *The Maze Runner*. The shared appeal lies in the exploration of restrictive, often hostile environments where survival is not merely a matter of physical prowess, but a testament to a protagonist's wit, adaptability, and capacity for collective action. In *To Best the Boys*, Rhen Tellur, a young woman yearning for a scientific future in a world that relegates women to domestic roles, finds herself thrust into an all-male scholarship competition—a dangerous labyrinth designed to test not just intellect, but resilience. This mirrors the core of youthful resilience found in *The Maze Runner*, where Thomas and his fellow Gladers must navigate an equally perilous, man-made maze, grappling with the existential threat and questioning the very nature of their confinement. Both narratives tap into the instinct to question authority and forge a distinct identity amidst systems designed to control and define individuals. Rhen’s clandestine transformation and entry into the labyrinth, alongside her cousin Seleni, underscores a fervent interest in narratives that expose the tension between individual agency and imposed structures. The meticulous scientific approach Rhen takes in analyzing the ink and parchment of her invitation, driven by a desire to understand and manipulate her environment, is a parallel to the analytical and problem-solving mindset required by the protagonists of *The Maze Runner*. Both sets of characters are forced to deconstruct the rules of their respective arenas, seeking loopholes and exploiting weaknesses to carve out their own paths to survival and freedom. The act of disguise in *To Best the Boys* is a powerful metaphor for shedding imposed identities and reclaiming selfhood, a theme that echoes the search for truth and autonomy in *The Maze Runner* as the characters uncover the horrifying reality behind their imprisonment. The common thread is a deep-seated human desire to understand, to question, and ultimately, to break free from the confines of any system that seeks to limit potential, making *To Best the Boys* a natural and compelling companion read for those who have been moved by the trials and triumphs of characters in similarly high-stakes, character-defining journeys. The suspense inherent in both the deadly maze and the perilous scholarship competition, where not everyone is guaranteed to survive, further cements this connection, highlighting a shared appreciation for stories that push characters to their absolute limits and examine what it truly means to persist against overwhelming odds.