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johannarose's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
funny
lighthearted
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Moderate: Bullying, Emotional abuse, Grief, Gaslighting, and Injury/Injury detail
divine529's review against another edition
adventurous
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
I had an absolutely fantastic time with this book.
This follows our main protagonist Emmy who is living alone with her mother in the U.S. when one day she gets shipped off to a prestigious boarding school in the UK where she discovers a secret society that may have ties to her father who she hasn't seen since she was three and things go from there.
Even though this spans an entire school year, this had a very autumnal vibe to it with the boarding school and the forest and secret societies and everything it's just perfect for this time of year. The plot was engaging and I really liked the balance between school work, fun and the mystery plot, it was all very well done. Emmy was a delight and I adored both Lola and Jack as well as Barlowe. They were all absolutely fantastic characters and the dynamics were great. It makes me want to go to Wellsworth and join them all in the action (football/soccer included).
This was an absolute delight and I can't wait to pick up the next installment!
This follows our main protagonist Emmy who is living alone with her mother in the U.S. when one day she gets shipped off to a prestigious boarding school in the UK where she discovers a secret society that may have ties to her father who she hasn't seen since she was three and things go from there.
Even though this spans an entire school year, this had a very autumnal vibe to it with the boarding school and the forest and secret societies and everything it's just perfect for this time of year. The plot was engaging and I really liked the balance between school work, fun and the mystery plot, it was all very well done. Emmy was a delight and I adored both Lola and Jack as well as Barlowe. They were all absolutely fantastic characters and the dynamics were great. It makes me want to go to Wellsworth and join them all in the action (football/soccer included).
This was an absolute delight and I can't wait to pick up the next installment!
Graphic: Bullying and Abandonment
Moderate: Emotional abuse, Violence, Fire/Fire injury, and Injury/Injury detail
Minor: Misogyny, Medical content, Grief, Car accident, and Death of parent
genny's review against another edition
adventurous
mysterious
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.75
Just what I needed to get me out of my reading slump: a middle-grade mystery with endearing characters in a gloomy-yet-cozy boarding school setting. It did remind me of Harry Potter, but maybe that's my own bias showing, as English boarding schools always remind of Harry Potter. 😅
Emmy is a protagonist you'll root for from the very beginning; there were times I wanted to just hug her. Jack and Lola are great foils to her character. I wish we were given time to linger over their more mundane school days so we could feel even more immersed in the setting. I did love all of the talk about architecture! As for the mystery, it was intriguing enough with a suitably thrilling climax, though some of the twists were easy to guess. This is a middle-grade, though, so I'm not docking points for that. I think this would be a nice starting point for young readers interested in the genre!
Emmy is a protagonist you'll root for from the very beginning; there were times I wanted to just hug her. Jack and Lola are great foils to her character. I wish we were given time to linger over their more mundane school days so we could feel even more immersed in the setting. I did love all of the talk about architecture! As for the mystery, it was intriguing enough with a suitably thrilling climax, though some of the twists were easy to guess. This is a middle-grade, though, so I'm not docking points for that. I think this would be a nice starting point for young readers interested in the genre!
Graphic: Bullying
Moderate: Violence and Abandonment
Minor: Blood, Death of parent, and Injury/Injury detail
kaylaphaneuf's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
emotional
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.5
Minor: Bullying, Blood, Death of parent, Abandonment, and Injury/Injury detail
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