Listened for two hours and it went absolutely nowhere other than setting up a creepy setting. No plot movement for two hours. Nope. ( )

3.5* ( )

Gothic academia at its finest, this story of angsty teens in the 90s UK, moodily traipsing through the corridors of a decrepit mansion on a cliff by the sea, will scratch all your itches for an eerie and haunting tale. Inappropriate and taboo relationships take centerstage, stern nuns, invisible help, and plenty of mean girls are the supporting characters. Brains and beauties, the clash of the classes, all come together to tell a story of a mysterious disappearance and its consequences.

An advanced copy of this book was sent to me by the publisher. The opinions are my own. ( )

The ending almost redeemed this book for me, but not enough for me to give a 4 star review. My main issue: Victoria’s suicide. This is too melodramatic and doesn’t make sense. Why now? Why her decision to reveal all to this particular journalist? Moreover, I find it hard to believe that Louisa’s body was never found. Did they even try to search the grounds? On that note, would this really be such a gripping missing person story that the townsfolk would still be obsessed with it years later? Wouldn’t there be some way to trace what happened to Mr. Lavelle, at least?

Further, why did Helen speak like an adult? What was Helen’s purpose/deal, anyway? Her character didn’t make any sense.

What I liked about this story was the somewhat of a revelation/understanding that Louisa reaches about herself and others. The way that she was mistaken, deluded, so very young in her thoughts at the time.

This is a very pretty little novel. The language is pretty, the ideas are pretty, the characters are pretty—-I get where the author is/was going with this story, I really do—but it’s missing something. Substance, perhaps. Or maybe it’s just that teenage romance/characters are wearing on me lately. The subject doesn’t seem so compelling or real to me anymore. ( )

It's so weird that a book with so many things I like (gothic school mystery!) fell so flat for me. Creepy school scenes were great, but I never connected with the journalist character, never understood why Victoria decided to tell all her closely-guarded secrets, and was ultimately disappointed by the reveal. At the explanation of the mystery, I just felt like "Oh, that was it? But... surely... we all knew that was what had happened? Isn't this going somewhere?" and it was very disappointing.