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lambkm's review against another edition
funny
lighthearted
relaxing
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
bookworm_ohsea's review
2.0
Super disappointing to see so much body shaming of teenage girls in this book. Colgan described the bodies of adolescents experiencing food insecurity as “gloopy” - and that was only the start of the fatphobic, classist garbage language that sometimes went on for pages at a time, and the gross jokes about grown men gawking at (and wanting to do more to) teenage girls were an added ick factor. I didn’t look for content warnings for this one because usually Colgan’s works are light and fluffy, which is what I wanted right now. I’m also super irked that I started to care about some of the characters and still want to read the second book in the series despite the how many times I rolled my eyes or fully burst out with frustrated exclamations. Someone tell me the writing gets better!
Content Warnings
Graphic: Body shaming, Bullying, and Fatphobia
k1berry's review against another edition
lighthearted
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Loveable characters? Yes
4.0
kati_reads_books's review
I couldn’t handle the constant body shaming in this book. Talks of wanting to lose weight so people would like them and needing to make sure they wore the right clothes so they wouldn’t “look like a slut”. This isn’t the 1970s. It was too much.
becky_m8's review against another edition
hopeful
reflective
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
carpentd's review
lighthearted
relaxing
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.5
thebashfulbookworm's review
4.0
Welcome to the School by the Sea by Jenny Colgan was previously published using a pen name, Jane Beaton. It is her first book in her Maggie Adair series. I really enjoyed this book set in a boarding school on the coast of Cornwall.
Maggie Adair is a schoolteacher, working in an inner-city school in Glasgow where she grew up. She’s increasingly frustrated with the school, and her boyfriend she’s had since they were both in school together. She decides that it might be her last chance to get out of there and she applies to an elite boarding school in Cornwall to be an English teacher for girls.
When she is accepted at the school, she’s eager for a change, but her family and her boyfriend are not so enthusiastic. She’s in charge of a bunch of girls who test her limits, but nothing as unruly as the children in her previous school.
We also see the school through the eyes of Fliss, Simone, and Alice all get up to some trouble as they navigate their first year at boarding school.
I enjoyed this sweet story about the boarding school and I liked that it was from the perspective of a new teacher, two of the students, and the headmistress. The book covered one school year and finished when everyone left for summer break. I can’t wait to read the next book and see what happens to these characters in their next year at the school
The author does a fabulous job of describing the school and the grounds and I felt like I was there with the students. The characters are interesting and realistic, each with enough flaws to make them feel real without making them unappealing.
I recommend this book to anyone who enjoys women's fiction. I received a complimentary copy of this book. The opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.
Maggie Adair is a schoolteacher, working in an inner-city school in Glasgow where she grew up. She’s increasingly frustrated with the school, and her boyfriend she’s had since they were both in school together. She decides that it might be her last chance to get out of there and she applies to an elite boarding school in Cornwall to be an English teacher for girls.
When she is accepted at the school, she’s eager for a change, but her family and her boyfriend are not so enthusiastic. She’s in charge of a bunch of girls who test her limits, but nothing as unruly as the children in her previous school.
We also see the school through the eyes of Fliss, Simone, and Alice all get up to some trouble as they navigate their first year at boarding school.
I enjoyed this sweet story about the boarding school and I liked that it was from the perspective of a new teacher, two of the students, and the headmistress. The book covered one school year and finished when everyone left for summer break. I can’t wait to read the next book and see what happens to these characters in their next year at the school
The author does a fabulous job of describing the school and the grounds and I felt like I was there with the students. The characters are interesting and realistic, each with enough flaws to make them feel real without making them unappealing.
I recommend this book to anyone who enjoys women's fiction. I received a complimentary copy of this book. The opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.