I read this book a few months ago when I received an ARC from Net Galley and gobbled it up in a few days. "The Castle School for Troubled Girls" was released yesterday, March 2nd, and I really think you all need to read it.
It was such an enjoyable interesting book; it wasn't a thriller nor was it truly Women's Fiction or YA... it's in its own genre.
Publisher's Summary
From New York Times bestselling author Alyssa Sheinmel comes the emotional story of a grieving teenager sent to a boarding school that is nothing like she expected.
When Moira Dreyfuss's parents announce that they're sending her to an all-girls boarding school deep in the Maine woods, Moira isn't fooled. She knows her parents are punishing her; she's been too much trouble since her best friend, Nathan, died—and for a while before that. At the Castle School, isolated from the rest of the world, Moira will be expected to pour her heart out to the odd headmaster, Dr. Prince. But she isn't interested in getting over Nathan's death or befriending her fellow students.
On her first night there, Moira hears distant music. On her second, she discovers the lock on her window is broken. On her third, she and her roommate venture outside...and learn that they're not so isolated after all. There's another, very different, Castle School nearby—this one filled with boys whose parents sent them away, too.
Moira is convinced that the Castle Schools and the doctors who run them are hiding something. But exploring the schools will force Moira to confront her overwhelming grief—and the real reasons her parents sent her away.
My Thoughts
At first, I really didn't get what Moira's issue was. She seemed to be overly dramatic about her friend and her parents (I know that sounds mean) but then as the book progressed, it became very obvious what her true issues were.
I also really hated her parents at the beginning but then their side became obvious too... however, I do think that compared to the other girls in the Castle School, Moira's problems were not as extensive and didn't require her to be at the school.
And that brings me to the Trouble School, the idea of the Troubled School was super interesting; it made me feel weird at first and I got bad vibes from Dr. Prince so I thought this book was going in a completely different direction. Even though this book wasn't a complete mystery/thriller, there was an edge of something sinister happening, as well as all the issues the "students" were at The Castle School for. *I would definitely put a trigger warning on this book if you have mental health and self-harm issues.*
That part of the book, the mystery about the second Castle School was the main plot of the book and really brought everything together; it brought Moira out of her comfort zone as well as showed us what her true issues were with Nathan's death and her parents.
On that note, I loved the companionship that the girls form, as well as the friendship that Moira forms with Dr. Prince's son. It really brought the story to life and I thought it was a really important part of the story.
The book was truly about Moira coming to terms with her friend's death as well as the story of other young girls who had similar problems, being sent away to deal.
It was an excellent book, with excellent writing. Even though the subject matter was touchy, it was an easy book to get lost in. I really loved it and highly recommend!
xoxo
B
Add your comment