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3.34 AVERAGE
3.34 AVERAGE
Thank you to Netgalley and St. Martin's Press for a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
(actual rating: 2.5/5)
This book had the potential to be really good, but I get the feeling that the narrative attempting to be told was ultimately lost between all of the perspectives that were used to tell it.
'All Girls' shows the aftermath of a sexual assault allegation at a Northeastern preparatory school, as told through the thoughts and experiences of nine different girls. The administration at the school desperately wants to brush the situation under the rug, but the girls and others rise up to tell their story, refusing to be silenced.
I think that part of the reason I didn't enjoy this as much as I was hoping to may have been because I was expecting too much. While there were some 'mystery' elements to this story, it's far more focused on how the girls learn to grow into themselves amidst all the happenings of the school.
Of course, that being said, I would have enjoyed it if the story and the girls' growth were told in a more meaningful way. The biggest problem I had with this book was all the perspectives that it used to tell the story. At one point, it gets to be entirely too much, and you start losing interest. I think that if this book were written with fewer perspectives, it would have made things easier to follow, but also easier to care for the characters and what they are each going through.
I also felt a bit disappointed by the pacing of the novel. It was slow and somewhat hard to get into, as far as the plot went. There was a fair amount of buildup but it never seemed to really go anywhere, if that makes sense. It was all quite lukewarm for me.
One of the best parts, however, was probably the cast of the audio production. They definitely kept things interesting enough for me to go through with the entire book.
Overall, while I think that some extremely important points were made about what it's like to grow up as a young woman with the 'system', it had a lot of potential and could have been executed in a far more impactful way. I would recommend this book to those who like coming-of-age arcs in the form of boarding school novels, but this didn't exactly make the cut for me.
(actual rating: 2.5/5)
This book had the potential to be really good, but I get the feeling that the narrative attempting to be told was ultimately lost between all of the perspectives that were used to tell it.
'All Girls' shows the aftermath of a sexual assault allegation at a Northeastern preparatory school, as told through the thoughts and experiences of nine different girls. The administration at the school desperately wants to brush the situation under the rug, but the girls and others rise up to tell their story, refusing to be silenced.
I think that part of the reason I didn't enjoy this as much as I was hoping to may have been because I was expecting too much. While there were some 'mystery' elements to this story, it's far more focused on how the girls learn to grow into themselves amidst all the happenings of the school.
Of course, that being said, I would have enjoyed it if the story and the girls' growth were told in a more meaningful way. The biggest problem I had with this book was all the perspectives that it used to tell the story. At one point, it gets to be entirely too much, and you start losing interest. I think that if this book were written with fewer perspectives, it would have made things easier to follow, but also easier to care for the characters and what they are each going through.
I also felt a bit disappointed by the pacing of the novel. It was slow and somewhat hard to get into, as far as the plot went. There was a fair amount of buildup but it never seemed to really go anywhere, if that makes sense. It was all quite lukewarm for me.
One of the best parts, however, was probably the cast of the audio production. They definitely kept things interesting enough for me to go through with the entire book.
Overall, while I think that some extremely important points were made about what it's like to grow up as a young woman with the 'system', it had a lot of potential and could have been executed in a far more impactful way. I would recommend this book to those who like coming-of-age arcs in the form of boarding school novels, but this didn't exactly make the cut for me.
emotional
hopeful
reflective
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Thank you, NetGalley and John Murray Press for the eARC in exchange for an honest opinion.
From reading the synopsis of this I was looking forward to this but in all honesty, I got confused between all of the characters except Lauren.
This small cast of characters didn't feel small to me and it got to a point where I felt they weren't fully developed. This book wasn't for me but it wasn't badly written.
From reading the synopsis of this I was looking forward to this but in all honesty, I got confused between all of the characters except Lauren.
This small cast of characters didn't feel small to me and it got to a point where I felt they weren't fully developed. This book wasn't for me but it wasn't badly written.
emotional
informative
mysterious
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
2.5 stars. I wanted to love this since I have spent quite a few years teaching in all-girls institutions (including an almost-stint at the one Layden based her adaptations from.) She certainly grasps the adolescent mind but the changing narratives didn't work for me. There was not enough closure with some of the story arcs; the last chapter felt disjointed, unfinished, haphazard.
Thank you to the author, John Murray Press and NetGalley for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.
This engrossing story of goings-on at a prestigious girl's boarding school has so many threads and undercurrents, that it becomes a rich tapestry the further you get into it. Yes, its biggest strength - the amazingly well-written POVs of girls of different ages and backgrounds - is also its weakness. You get invested, and then the perspective changes. While it would be wonderful to find out more about what happens to the individual characters behind the POVs, the whole is a very well-done, atmospheric exploration of what it means to be a girl today, Not just revealing what girls want, but what society wants/expects from them, and at the same time the often rigid strictures placed upon them that will hinder them getting anywhere. This was a pleasant surprise from a debut author, and I look forward to reading more from her.
This engrossing story of goings-on at a prestigious girl's boarding school has so many threads and undercurrents, that it becomes a rich tapestry the further you get into it. Yes, its biggest strength - the amazingly well-written POVs of girls of different ages and backgrounds - is also its weakness. You get invested, and then the perspective changes. While it would be wonderful to find out more about what happens to the individual characters behind the POVs, the whole is a very well-done, atmospheric exploration of what it means to be a girl today, Not just revealing what girls want, but what society wants/expects from them, and at the same time the often rigid strictures placed upon them that will hinder them getting anywhere. This was a pleasant surprise from a debut author, and I look forward to reading more from her.
I liked this book but there were simply too many characters. It was hard to keep track of them all and I wish the book spent more time with some of the characters.
emotional
reflective
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Split focus, raised and immediately dropped troubling plot points
reflective
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
challenging
reflective
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated