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amchica's review against another edition
2.0
This seemed like it was going to be a very interesting read at first. But the book's "secret" was fairly obvious from the beginning. There wasn't a single character who didn't behave in exactly the way I would have expected them to. Bland and forgettable. The only thing that saves it is that DiSclafani clearly has a talent with words. But without a compelling story and characters, it's not quite enough.
julieb118's review against another edition
3.0
By far, one of the strangest books I've ever read. I was intrigued by the reviews - seemed people either gave it 5 stars or 1, and commented that they couldn't put it down or absolutely hated it. I probably fall in the middle, but find this to be a book with a MAJOR identity crisis. It is described as a coming of age and period book, but it couldn't be further from what I view as a coming of age book - it was dark and weird. It also was not a period piece - nothing in it really made you feel like you were "in" the period in which it takes place, or understand the lives of people during that time. The sex scenes were WAY too graphic for the type of book it seemed like it was trying to be. Like I said - major identity crisis.
dsbressette's review against another edition
4.0
Excellent writing....it kept me turning the pages to find out why Thea was sent to the riding camp...recommend
meghan111's review against another edition
3.0
Critical reviews of this book point out that the main character doesn't learn from her mistakes. Thea has been sent away from her home in Florida to an equestrian girls' boarding school in the North Carolina mountains. It's the 1930s, mid-Depression, and she is 15 years old. It's pretty obvious that she has done something forbidden and disgraceful - and it's also pretty obvious that means sex.
I enjoyed the descriptions and plot featuring the school and the other students. Thea's character is strongly equated with freedom - the freedom she feels while riding especially - and also recklessness.
I enjoyed the descriptions and plot featuring the school and the other students. Thea's character is strongly equated with freedom - the freedom she feels while riding especially - and also recklessness.
jordynkw's review
adventurous
reflective
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.75
Content Warnings
Graphic: Adult/minor relationship, Animal cruelty, Incest, Sexual content, Blood, and Injury/Injury detail
bmg20's review against another edition
1.0
A copy of The Yonahlossee Riding Camp for Girls was provided to me by Riverhead/Penguin Group (USA) for review purposes.
The authors childhood fondness for horseback riding sets the scene of this story about teenage angst, boarding school drama and a family scandal that changes a girl forever. Thea Atwell has lived with her family on their Florida farm since she was born but after a recent scandal her parents have sent her to The Yonahlossee Riding Camp for Girls. The back story slowly unfurls as her time at camp passes.
Going in to this novel I had already seen many rave reviews for it and that it was also on several Summer Reading Lists. It's quoted as being 'lush, sexy and evocative'. Entertainment Weekly says '...the lovely descriptions of riding and adolescence have a spellbinding effect.' Kirkus Reviews called it "an unusually accomplished and nuanced coming-of-age drama." Suffice it to say I went into this with extremely high expectations. My overall opinion? This is one terribly dull book that is not helped by the attempts to shock and disgust by the author.
100+ pages in and it's brought to our attention that 2 months have passed but you could have fooled me considering nothing of consequence had actually occurred. (But honestly, nothing of consequence EVER seems to happen. The entire book.) The majority of those 100+ introductory pages felt like a whole bunch of inconsequential filler. It's also extremely disjointed and lacks a much needed flow. There's a dance, then they have riding lessons, and now it's bath time. It's never a full day though so it's difficult to grasp exactly how much time has even passed.
'I knew what it was like, to love horses. But I also knew what it was like to love humans. I knew what it was like to want, to desire so intensely you were willing to throw everything else into its fire.'
Lines like that if read without context would make me think this was a fascinating book about a headstrong and passionate girl. But the rest of the lines spoke of a girl that wasn't raised around anyone but family and had terrible trouble adapting with suddenly being shipped off to camp. Thea is a terribly awkward girl that seems extraordinarily confused with life in general and her purpose in it. It was not a joyful story to read about.
The writing was at times extremely well done but as a whole ended up being excessively descriptive and made the story feel long and drawn out. This was an extremely lackluster and disjointed story that only managed to keep me interested enough to find out the 'scandal' that caused her to be sent to camp in the first place. The shock factor was there, however, it lacked any significance and essentially ended up being overly superfluous and just left a bad taste in my mouth.
The authors childhood fondness for horseback riding sets the scene of this story about teenage angst, boarding school drama and a family scandal that changes a girl forever. Thea Atwell has lived with her family on their Florida farm since she was born but after a recent scandal her parents have sent her to The Yonahlossee Riding Camp for Girls. The back story slowly unfurls as her time at camp passes.
Going in to this novel I had already seen many rave reviews for it and that it was also on several Summer Reading Lists. It's quoted as being 'lush, sexy and evocative'. Entertainment Weekly says '...the lovely descriptions of riding and adolescence have a spellbinding effect.' Kirkus Reviews called it "an unusually accomplished and nuanced coming-of-age drama." Suffice it to say I went into this with extremely high expectations. My overall opinion? This is one terribly dull book that is not helped by the attempts to shock and disgust by the author.
100+ pages in and it's brought to our attention that 2 months have passed but you could have fooled me considering nothing of consequence had actually occurred. (But honestly, nothing of consequence EVER seems to happen. The entire book.) The majority of those 100+ introductory pages felt like a whole bunch of inconsequential filler. It's also extremely disjointed and lacks a much needed flow. There's a dance, then they have riding lessons, and now it's bath time. It's never a full day though so it's difficult to grasp exactly how much time has even passed.
'I knew what it was like, to love horses. But I also knew what it was like to love humans. I knew what it was like to want, to desire so intensely you were willing to throw everything else into its fire.'
Lines like that if read without context would make me think this was a fascinating book about a headstrong and passionate girl. But the rest of the lines spoke of a girl that wasn't raised around anyone but family and had terrible trouble adapting with suddenly being shipped off to camp. Thea is a terribly awkward girl that seems extraordinarily confused with life in general and her purpose in it. It was not a joyful story to read about.
The writing was at times extremely well done but as a whole ended up being excessively descriptive and made the story feel long and drawn out. This was an extremely lackluster and disjointed story that only managed to keep me interested enough to find out the 'scandal' that caused her to be sent to camp in the first place. The shock factor was there, however, it lacked any significance and essentially ended up being overly superfluous and just left a bad taste in my mouth.
jennystout21's review against another edition
3.0
3.5 stars. Pretty good; gets a little repetitive near the end.
sarahbethbrown's review against another edition
3.0
I have thirty pages or so left in this book. I guess i should finish it, but I went on vacation and totally forgot I didn't finish it, so I really think I've had enough.
It's pretty good, and entirely predictable. ALTHOUGH. perhaps those last 30 pages show some surprising growth. I will read them and report back, I guess, though I sorta like finishing where I did.
It's pretty good, and entirely predictable. ALTHOUGH. perhaps those last 30 pages show some surprising growth. I will read them and report back, I guess, though I sorta like finishing where I did.