Starting a new book is always a bit of an adventure for me since I am never sure about what it is I am going to find. After having read THE SCHOOL RUN, by Ali Lowe, I can say, unequivocally, everything about this story was a surprise. The competition for a place at the prestigious St. Ignatius School is fierce. Much hinges on a one-day event, Gala Day, where 11-year-old boys compete athletically and are then interviewed. However, for three mothers, the competition began long before Gala Day. For them, admission to the school takes on a life of its own. Even though two of the women are best friends, they would throw their friendship to the wind if it meant getting their son into the school. The third is a newcomer and therefore, in their opinion, she and her son are not a threat to their boys, until they are. Superbly created, the three protagonists will stop at nothing (and I mean nothing) to get their sons a place at St. Ignatius. How they seem on the surface and how they present themselves to the world doesn't even begin to reflect or reveal who they really are and what they are capable of. They are much more complex than most helicopter mothers, so much so that they will shock readers. Their secrets have secrets and their lives are intertwined in unimaginable ways. The author has crafted a mesmerizing story. Just when readers think we truly know and understand the characters we are given reason to think again. Engrossing and unpredictable, I found THE SCHOOL RUN to be an excellent story. Highly recommended.