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danelleeb 's review for:
The Yonahlossee Riding Camp for Girls
by Anton DiSclafani
Thea Atwell, a 15-year-old girl, is sent away to the Yonahlossee Riding Camp for Girls after a devastating family tragedy (which is actually pretty obvious early on). Thea's fraternal twin, Sam, stays at home with their mother and father while Thea is sent away - farther away than she's ever been from everyone she knows.
DiSclafani sets the stage of this well-to-do family that lives in an idyllic setting (on 1,000 acres in Florida) seemingly untouched by the real world. It's the time of the Great Depression and the banks are failing and everyone seems to be losing everything, including the only relatives Thea and Sam have - Uncle George, Aunt Carrie, and Cousin Georgie. But not Thea's family. They are untouchable. Thea spends nearly all of her time with her horse or her brother. When Georgie visits they spend their time with him.
And then the terrible thing happens and she is sent away to a boarding school full of other rich southern girls located in the Blue Ridge Mountains.
Thea is forced to learn the intricacies of a social order - What is acceptable? What isn't? How does one act when they are around others? Thea's only respite, from everything, is the riding; the horses are the only thing that keep her mind off of her role in what got her sent to Yonahlossee in the first place. But then, after another indescretion she gets sent back home and has to deal with what she's been sent away from.
Meh. That's my overall feeling re: this book; kind of a let down, considering how much I was looking forward to reading it. (Also, it got some amazing blurbs from [a:Curtis Sittenfeld|6429|Curtis Sittenfeld|https://d.gr-assets.com/authors/1371752798p2/6429.jpg].
The story is told in a grown-up looking back sort of flashback way with the current story happening and flashbacks to the big tragedy. It makes it a bit awkward - like she's constantly interrupting herself. I found it hard to want to know more about Thea as it seems it couldn't be decided if she was a naive, unknowing girl or the calculated, smart, 'knowing' girl.
Also, there's this mysertious build-up to the obvious tragedy that is really unnecessary.
I just think there are better books out there that deal with the pecking order of groups of girls.
DiSclafani sets the stage of this well-to-do family that lives in an idyllic setting (on 1,000 acres in Florida) seemingly untouched by the real world. It's the time of the Great Depression and the banks are failing and everyone seems to be losing everything, including the only relatives Thea and Sam have - Uncle George, Aunt Carrie, and Cousin Georgie. But not Thea's family. They are untouchable. Thea spends nearly all of her time with her horse or her brother. When Georgie visits they spend their time with him.
And then the terrible thing happens
Spoiler
Thea has sex with Georgie in the barn and afterwards, Sam beats him nearly to death.Thea is forced to learn the intricacies of a social order - What is acceptable? What isn't? How does one act when they are around others? Thea's only respite, from everything, is the riding; the horses are the only thing that keep her mind off of her role in what got her sent to Yonahlossee in the first place. But then, after another indescretion
Spoiler
Thea has an affair with the married headmaster while his wife is out of town.Meh. That's my overall feeling re: this book; kind of a let down, considering how much I was looking forward to reading it. (Also, it got some amazing blurbs from [a:Curtis Sittenfeld|6429|Curtis Sittenfeld|https://d.gr-assets.com/authors/1371752798p2/6429.jpg].
The story is told in a grown-up looking back sort of flashback way with the current story happening and flashbacks to the big tragedy. It makes it a bit awkward - like she's constantly interrupting herself. I found it hard to want to know more about Thea as it seems it couldn't be decided if she was a naive, unknowing girl or the calculated, smart, 'knowing' girl.
Also, there's this mysertious build-up to the obvious tragedy that is really unnecessary.
I just think there are better books out there that deal with the pecking order of groups of girls.