Tag: boarding school

REVIEW: The Misfits: A Royal Conundrum by Lisa Yee

REVIEW: The Misfits: A Royal Conundrum by Lisa Yee

Posted on by Jaymie

[I received a free electronic review copy of this book from Netgalley and Random House Books for Young Readers in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.]

Summary

Olive is surprised when her parents’ latest business trip lands her at a boarding school called RASCH. Usually they treat her like she’s invisible. But her grandmother used to watch her, and now that she’s gone, they seem to have noticed that Olive has to go somewhere.

RASCH is more than it appears to outsiders, though. Olive discovers that it is secretly training kid operatives to help with secret missions. Olive and her new friends are going to track down a jewel thief called the Bling King.

But some bungled missions leave RASCH at risk of closure and Olive wondering if there’s any way to save a place that was starting to feel like home.

 

Review

I loved this journey for Olive! Reading how invisible she felt at home and at her original school was painful. I loved seeing her find her place – and her people –  at RASCH.

There’s something of a sub-genre of middle grade novels about kid spies – Gallagher Girls, Spy School, Charlie Thorne, Kid Normal, etc.. I really enjoy stories like this.  This one made me think strongly of Michael Buckley’s NERDS series from when my son was a kid. This has a similar vibe in both the gadgets and in the way the team comes together.

Dan Santat provides illustrations and cover art for the book. Final illustrations weren’t available in my review copy, but I don’t think you can go wrong with Dan Santat when it comes to art. I expect the illustrations will add a lot to this. Kids who enjoy mysteries and/or kid-spy stories will enjoy this series starter. Between the author, the illustrator, and the spy angle, this will be a staple for school classrooms and community libraries.

Rating: ♥♥♥½*

*♥♥♥½ = Good +

 

 

REVIEW: The Troubled Girls of Dragomir Academy by Anne Ursu

REVIEW: The Troubled Girls of Dragomir Academy by Anne Ursu

Posted on by Jaymie

[I received a free electronic review copy of this book from Netgalley and Walden Pond Press in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.]

Summary

Marya has grown up in the shadow of her two brothers – the younger brother who died and the older brother, Luka, destined to be a great sorcerer who protects their kingdom. But when Luka’s magical assessment doesn’t go as planned, and Marya is blamed for everything that went awry, she is taken to Dragomir Academy. While Marya’s not sure exactly what it means to go to a school for “troubled” girls, no one in her family seems inclined to try to stop it.

Once she’s there, Marya’s curiosity leads her to ask questions – and those questions only lead to more trouble.

Review

It’s hard to talk about this one because a lot of the punch and power comes from the whole. To talk about it with someone who hasn’t read it would ruin it for them.

In some ways, this went exactly where I expected it to go. But it went farther – almost to a bleak and disturbing place. Not disturbing like the content is bad, but disturbing like it holds a mirror up to things we might want to pretend don’t exist. If readers will let it, this book will force them to look unflinchingly at some things. And I encourage it. Take it in – see and hear what the story has to say. Sit with it and then ask yourself what you’re going to do with what you’ve seen.

I know this is written with middle grade readers in mind. But I’d love to hand this to a group of high school girls and talk with them about it. I think their take on the story, with a little distance from being Marya’s age, would be fascinating. It also would be interesting to talk about this with other adult women.

I highly recommend this one, especially for book groups because this begs to be discussed with other readers. (TW: Gaslighting)

Rating: ♥♥♥♥*

*♥♥♥♥ = Great! Might re-read.

REVIEW: Killing November by Adriana Mather

REVIEW: Killing November by Adriana Mather

Posted on by Jaymie

[I received an electronic review copy of this book from Netgalley and Knopf Books for Young Readers in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.]

Summary

When November’s dad says he needs to sort out a break in at her Aunt Jo’s, she understands. The three of them have always been close. And as a former CIA agent, it makes sense for him to help Jo with a security issue. So November doesn’t fuss too much about being shipped to a boarding school for a few weeks.

But Academy Absconiditi is nothing like November expected. The location of the school is secret, and it is camouflaged to keep it that way. There’s no electricity, no internet. The only normal class she has is history, but even then it’s a weird twist on the usual study of world wars.

November is more prepared for the weird school than she would have thought. She’s physically active, so she can handle the running, sparring and climbing. And she’s bright. She’s been encouraged to think outside the box, so she’s ready for deception and some of the school challenges. What she’s not ready for is the world of secrets and lies she discovers about her own life. She’s also not ready for the dead body.

Review

This was stunning! I sat in rapt attention from start to finish. There are so many secrets for November to discover. And none of the answers come quickly or easily because everyone thinks she already knows everything. And revealing her ignorance would be very dangerous. It was a brilliant Catch-22 from the author, and I was captivated by the whole thing.

I don’t know that we got to see the full extent of November’s skills or her ferocity in this book. In so much of it, she was clueless, but had to be cagey. If there’s a sequel (please, please, please), we might get a more complete picture of who she is and what she can do.

The mystery is excellent. November is surrounded by liars and schemers, political agendas, and secret grudges. It’s the perfect climate for a twisty mystery.

I can’t recommend this book highly enough. Mysterious secrets, characters with hidden agendas, and plenty of suspense will keep you turning pages until you hit the resolution. Fantastic!! (Language)

Rating: ♥♥♥♥½

BONUS REVIEW: The Deceivers by Kristen Simmons

BONUS REVIEW: The Deceivers by Kristen Simmons

Posted on by Jaymie

Summary

Brynn feels trapped in her life. She lives on the “wrong” side of town. Her mom’s boyfriend Pete is a drug dealer. He’s even pulled Brynn’s childhood best friend into his cut throat life. Her only chance to escape is to chunk her way through high school and save up enough money to break free. She’s resorted to hustles and cons to squirrel away money for college. But Pete finds her cash, accuses her of stealing from him, and Brynne is left feeling even more trapped than ever.

Vale Hall could be her ticket out. Brynne feels so fortunate to have lucked into a chance at the exclusive prep school. And it turns out she has just the right skills for Vale’s mission. The headmaster, Dr. David Odin, offers his charges free room and board, a first class education, and money for college. In exchange, the students are trained to dig up secrets that Dr. Odin can use.

But as desperately as Brynne wants her Vale life to deliver all it promises, her past isn’t ready to let her go. And when it crashes into her attempt at a new life, Brynne could end up losing everything.

Review

The set up for this with Brynne’s home life is grim. This is brilliant because it makes the reader sympathetic when Brynne starts using her scamming skills to help  out Dr. Odin on his plan. In fact, when Brynne gets into Vale, I felt like it was a reward for the reader – sure, there are questionable ethics involved, but at least she was out of her home situation. Her home life was stressful!

The book clicked for me when Brynne was auditioning for a spot at Vale. I had so many questions, I couldn’t read fast enough. I loved the way Brynne used her skills to read people. She’s got great instincts and intuition. If only she had the freedom to use her powers for good. The school was interesting, but the characters there were my favorite part of the story. I’d love more stories with these characters!

The book feels like a classic heist story, but with higher stakes. The author does a great job of twisting all of the pieces together. I loved the whole Vale journey for Brynne and the others. If you enjoy heist books, suspense, or boarding school stories, don’t miss this one!

Rating: ♥♥♥♥½

REVIEW: The Similars by Rebecca Hanover

REVIEW: The Similars by Rebecca Hanover

Posted on by Jaymie

Summary

Emma is back at Darkwood Academy for her junior year. And it’s going to be an unusual one. The biggest change is that her best friend Oliver won’t be with her. She’s still grieving the loss and medicating away the pain of finding him dead at the start of the summer.

The other big change is the arrival of the Similars, a group of six clones set to attend school alongside the kids whose DNA was used to create them. In a United States that forbids cloning, in a world still trying to decide how to treat clones, this group of six is big news.

One of the prominent families embroiled in the story tried to pay off the Similar of their daughter so she wouldn’t show up at Darkwood. No such luck. All six clones arrived on schedule.

Emma’s roommate and other best friend also has a Similar. Her family welcomed the girl into their home for the summer. They’re committed to changing the negative view people have of clones. And Emma agrees with them.

Until she sees that one of the six is a clone of Oliver named Levi. Levi is a punch in the chest, a twist of the knife, every time Emma sees him. As far as Emma is concerned, Levi shouldn’t even exist.

Review

That summary doesn’t even scratch the surface of what is going on in this story. This is suspense meets science fiction, and someone even described it as dystopian. There’s a LOT to this one. And I found it completely engrossing.

Emma is a great protagonist. She’s smart and confident. She knows her place at Darkwood, and she knows how things work there. Or at least she thinks she does. She has her mixed feelings about the Similars, especial Levi. She empathizes with them. They are distinct individuals with their own stories and feelings. And someone plunked them into a no-win scenario. But Emma also knows they are hiding things. Everyone seems to be  hiding things!  And Emma is determined to find the answers and uncover the secrets, especially when someone dear to her disappears.

I didn’t want to put this one down. It’s captivating. I still have questions, so I’ll have to wait until book two to see how things evolve from here. If you enjoy twisty, suspenseful stories, be sure to check this one out!

Rating: ♥♥♥♥

REVIEW: S.T.A.G.S. by M. A. Bennett

REVIEW: S.T.A.G.S. by M. A. Bennett

Posted on by Jaymie

Summary

Greer is a new student – a scholarship student – at St. Aidan the Great School, or STAGS boarding school. It’s not easy to be the one who sticks out at a new school. But Greer isn’t one to try to be something she’s not. So she keeps her head down and tries to stay out of trouble. At least she doesn’t stick out like Shafeen, the only minority student at STAGS, or Chanel whose money is too new for the blue bloods at STAGS.

Greer’s luck seems to be changing when she receives an invitation to a weekend of “huntin’, shootin’, and fishin’.” Sure, it seems weird that it’s just the Medievals – the prefects and popular kids – plus Greer, Shafeen and Chanel. And there are no adults besides the servants. And there was that one girl who told her not to go…. But it’s an invitation from Henry de Warlencourt! He’s so handsome. And he welcomes Greer so warmly. While she doesn’t know anything about hunting, shooting or fishing, she’s sure it’s just going to be a nice weekend away from school. What more would it be?

Review

This was a slow-building story with a punch. The author does a great job of telling you something is coming that is going to rock the reader’s world while also letting the story unfold in its own time. Sometimes authors try this and it’s obnoxious, and you just want them to stop dropping hints and get on with it. But the author made this work for this story. As Greer dropped hints of what was coming, it amped up the tension for me and kept me turning pages. I liked Greer. The film references she makes are entertaining and communicate some extra layers to the story.

It’s hard to say I “liked” the book exactly. I liked trying to figure out what was really going on. The last section, though, made the whole book click for me. It made me sit up and start reading faster in order to see the whole picture. It left me wide-eyed and saying “wow” in the end.

If you enjoy school stories that set up on-the-fringe students against some sort of popular clique/mean girls group, definitely put this on your reading list. I don’t think you will be disappointed.

Thanks to Netgalley and Delacorte Press for an electronic review copy in exchange for an honest review.

Rating: ♥♥♥♥

 

REVIEW: Going Geek by Charlotte Huang

Posted on by Jaymie

Summary

Skylar is about to start her senior year at her prestigious East Coast boarding school. But already things aren’t going like she planned. Her parents are having money troubles. So instead of interning at her mom’s movie production company over the summer break, Skylar had to work at their club – as a waitress. Then her school says there’s been a housing shake up and she loses her prime spot in the best dorm with all of her friends. Then when everyone finds out about how she really spent her summer, and that she kept it all secret from them, she loses what little normalcy she has left. This was not how her senior year was supposed to go!

Review

Books (and Hallmark Channel movies)  tend to work in one of two ways. Either things start out great, hit a major snag near the three-quarters point and then resolve or everything falls apart at the start and the character has to claw his or her way back. This book fits the second scenario. Bit by bit, Skylar loses everything that was important to her. She loses her identity. And you cringe as you read it because it is painful.

But things slowly start to change. Skylar gives her new situation a chance. She opens up to new people. She discovers some things about herself. And it’s an immensely satisfying journey! I really loved Skylar’s new community – and the person she becomes when she opens herself up to them. If the author decides to write a sequel, I would totally read it! (Some language)

Rating: ♥♥♥♥