Author: Jenny Colgan & Jane Beaton

Year of Publication: 18th September 2008

PLOT: 3.8/5

CHARACTERS: 3/5

WRITING: 3/5

CLIMAX: 2/5

ENTERTAINMENT: 2/5

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Plot:

It has to do with love life. Maggie and Stan have been dating for years; their relationship is secure, cosy, and about as thrilling as soggy toast. Can they maintain their relationship? particularly when Maggie meets David McDonald, her rival at the boys boarding school up the hill. Maggie doesn’t have a crush on him yet, but every other girl in the school does.

It is about student lives. two females. same format. Simone Kardashian is determined to make her parents proud after winning a scholarship. Being so far from her house and her pals has Fliss Prosser in a rage. Simone makes a valiant effort to blend in, while Fliss makes a valiant effort to leave.

It has to do with personal life. Veronica Deveral is skilled at running a school. Her job is fundamentally one of discipline and routine. Yet, Veronica is hiding something that could end her career.

The first volume of Jenny Colgan’s beautiful new four-part series, which is set at a charming seaside boarding school in England.

Maggie stepped to the window and swung it open, breathing in the delicious sea air. Why had she never before resided by the ocean? Why didn’t she constantly gaze out at the distant white hulls of trawlers instead of the housing estates?

As the new academic year gets underway at the little boarding school by the sea, Cornwall is experiencing magnificent sunshine. The newest instructor at Downey House, Maggie, is eager to leave her mark. She is thrilled about her new teaching position, but will it compromise her relationship with Stan, her dependable and stable boyfriend?

Simone is both thrilled and anxious as she prepares to represent her family and earn a scholarship to a famous boarding school. She must quickly make friends after being made to share a room with the glitzy, wealthy girls of Downey House.

Fliss is enraged.

She despises being sent away from her family and has never wanted to attend boarding school. Simone makes a valiant effort to blend in, while Fliss makes a valiant effort to leave.

Friendships will grow and lives will be profoundly altered over the course of a year. In the Little School by the Sea, there is never a dull moment.

What I liked about/didn’t like about the book?

The only aspect of the novel that I found appealing was that it was told from the viewpoints of the headmistress, two of the kids, and a new instructor. After everyone left for summer break, the book’s one academic year of coverage came to an end.

I had the impression that I was there with the kids thanks to the author’s wonderful descriptions of the campus and its surroundings. Each of the characters has just the right amount of flaws to make them feel realistic without being unlikable.

The frequency with which practically every character in this novel made reference to Simone’s weight was one thing I truly didn’t appreciate. Even Simone’s teacher Maggie is preoccupied with her weight and believes that she would look stunning if she lost it. We’re supposed to help other women up, not pull them down, guys. I believe there are more relevant issues than her weight because she is a little child who is afraid and alone without any friends. The stealing problem also greatly irritated me; despite the lack of any evidence, Simone was suspected of stealing by everyone simply because she was from a less affluent home. Even Maggie believed she had accomplished it, but she was unable to speak. She was quite aware of how lonely she was, but she did nothing. The emphasis on her weight greatly detracted from the tale in my opinion.

Who should read this?

Read at your own risk.

I was let down by how things turned out. The book also contains coarse language and discussions of intimate matters. In addition to the awkward language, this book crammed far too many tales into it.

Extremely dissatisfied with this book. Normally, I adore Jenny Colgan’s books, but not so much with this one. It lacked the same writing style as other works where I was hooked right away.

Final Verdict

Regrettably, I was not a fan of this one.

This book has a lot of boarding school drama and fat shaming. This was quite unsettling. This series won’t be continued by me.