#BookReview: The Castle School (for Troubled Girls) by Alyssa B. Sheinmel

Synopsis: When Moira Dreyfuss's parents announce that they're sending her to an all-girls boarding school deep in the Maine woods, Moira isn't fooled. She knows her parents are punishing her; she's been too much trouble since her best friend, Nathan, died―and for a while before that. At the Castle School, isolated from the rest of the world, Moira will be expected to pour her heart out to the odd headmaster, Dr. Prince. But she isn't interested in getting over Nathan's death or befriending her fellow students.

On her first night there, Moira hears distant music. On her second, she discovers the lock on her window is broken. On her third, she and her roommate venture outside...and learn that they're not so isolated after all. There's another, very different, Castle School nearby―this one filled with boys whose parents sent them away, too.

Moira is convinced that the Castle Schools and the doctors who run them are hiding something. But exploring the schools will force Moira to confront her overwhelming grief―and the real reasons her parents sent her away.



Goodreads | Amazon

Rating: 5 Stars
My Review:  I cannot express how much I loved this book! If I could give it more than 5 starts I would. I initially was drawn in by the adorable cover and the promise of a boarding school story which I typically love. This book exceeded every expectation I had. It has your typical boarding school drama/adventures, but also touches heavily on many mental issues. Our main character Moira is shipped off to the Castle School for Troubled Girls shortly after her best friend dies. She thinks it's because her mom is tired of dealing with her and because she got a tattoo. She's placed in the school that has an alternative approach to learning and healing with 11 other girls all with some sort of issue. Moira slowly learns that she has deeper issues and starts healing from them with the help of the appropriately named Dr. Prince. I loved how it not only went into Moira's issue but also shared the story of each of the 11 other girls as well. The author portrays each of the mental illness in a real way without making the issues seem like a bad thing, and managed to keep the book extremely entertaining while broaching such heavy subjects. 

Trigger warning: depression, addiction, self harm, eating disorders.

From School Library Journal

Gr 9 Up-When Moira, who is white and Jewish, gets a tattoo, it's the last straw. Her parents can no longer cope with her depression, skipping school, and crossing NYC at midnight to visit her best friend's grave. They send her to The Castle School in Maine, which enrolls 12 girls who cope with issues including cutting, kleptomania, and anorexia. Moira finds it strange, without technology or classes, and with regular therapy sessions with Dr. Prince. Is this a psychological experiment? Even so, Moira knows she deserves the punishment for how her friend Nathan died…doesn't she? Interstitial chapters explore the other girls' stories as well. Sheinmel delves deep into the complexities of Moira's mind: her obsessive friendship with Nathan, and her guilt, crushing grief, and failure to understand the motivations of those seeking to help. Through the year Moira starts thinking more about her life, as well as those of her diverse and unexpected new friends. The book's main message is: "Maybe there is…no right thing. Maybe there's only the effort of trying to get it right." All character development is complex and layered, and sensory details create a strong sense of the place that plays a significant role in Moira's growth. Hand this to readers who need to know there's no right way to grieve-or to move forward after grief. VERDICT This boarding school story offers a heartfelt exploration of grief, guilt, and recovery. The complex, distinct characters and strong sense of place will give it wide appeal.-Rebecca Moore, The Overlake Sch., Redmond, WAα(c) Copyright 2011. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.

Review

"An achingly beautiful exploration of grief and relationships, parents and children, the ways we hurt and the ways we heal. THE CASTLE SCHOOL masterfully displays Sheinmel's talent for building tension while crafting complex, flawed and fascinating characters. Moira's story and those of the students at the mysterious Castle Schools gripped me from the first page and held me fast long after I finished reading." - Gilly Segal, New York Times bestselling co-author of I'm Not Dying with You Tonight

"An effective exploration of mental illness, and it will share a coveted place on reading lists with Laurie Halse Anderson and Patricia McCormick." - The Bulletin of the Center for Children's Books

"Beneath the trappings of a fast-paced mystery, this novel holds a heartrending exploration of
adolescent grief... Memorable." - Booklist

"Mental health awareness wrapped in a captivating storyline. " - Kirkus Reviews

"Complex and layered... A heartfelt exploration of grief, guilt, and recovery." - School Library Journal

"Hooked me from page one. I couldn't stop reading until I had every single answer." - Francesca Zappia, author of Eliza and Her Monsters

"Sheinmel's introspective story skillfully illustrates the weight of grief, the difference between adaptive and nonadaptive reactions to trauma, and the healing power of radical acceptance." - Publishers Weekly

"In the long run the story seems to center back to Moira's growth through her pain from Nathan's death. One of those more poignant narratives that I got choked up while reading was the passage where Moira talks about how we can cry without actual tears." - Youth Services Book Review

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Posted in: 5 Stars, HeatherR, Review, SourceBooks Fire, Young Adult