The Scandalous Sisterhood of Prickwillow Place

by Julie Berry

There's a murderer on the loose—but that doesn't stop the girls of St. Etheldreda's from attempting to hide the death of their headmistress in this rollicking farce.
The students of St. Etheldreda's School for Girls face a bothersome dilemma. Their irascible headmistress, Mrs. Plackett, and her surly brother, Mr. Godding, have been most inconveniently poisoned at Sunday dinner. Now the school will almost certainly be closed and the girls sent home—unless these seven very proper young ladies can hide the murders and convince their neighbors that nothing is wrong.

Julie Berry's The Scandalous Sisterhood of Prickwillow Place is a smart, hilarious Victorian romp, full of outrageous plot twists, mistaken identities, and mysterious happenings.

Genres: Mystery, Historical Fiction, Middle Grade, Young Adult, Fiction, Historical, Audiobook

368 pages, Kindle Edition

First published January 1, 2014

Reviews

[Miranda Reads · Rating 4 out of 5]

Recommended by -- Ivonne Rovira -- thank you so much!!

“Each of us could be under a cloud of suspicion for the rest of our lives."

When the headmistress of St. Etheldreda (and her brother) drop dead during dinner, the girls look at each other in shock. They never particularly liked Mrs. Plackett but to be confronted so boldly with death rattles them.

But soon they realize they have a very important decision to make - should they report the death and risk all being separated? Or...or should they conceal the murder and run the school on their own?

"Kitty found herself in a moment of peril, and like all great women, she let the moment of crisis infuse her with strength she hadn't known she possessed."

And so begins their saga. First, they need to bury the bodies and then they can get everything sorted...only guests begin arriving for a surprise birthday party.

So, first they need to move the bodies, then they can bury the bodies...only Dr Snelling has arrived to take a look at Mrs. Plackett's liver disease.

Okay...SO FIRST they need to find an impersonator for Mrs. Plackett, then they can move and bury the...oh gosh. Who knew that concealing a murder would be so gosh dang hard.

As the lies pile up, and suspicion grows...the girls soon start to wonder how much longer can they keep up the ruse?

This one ended up being really, really good. I swear, my jaw dropped at the sheer audacity of some of their plans and yet they were carried out so thoroughly thanks to all of the girls' special skills. Smooth Kitty's planning combined with Dour Elinor's knowledge, and Stout Alice's acting - truly, it was a group effort.

I loved all of the characters - Smooth Kitty, Stout Alice, Dour Elinor, Disgraceful Mary Jane, Pocked Louise, Dear Roberta and Dull Martha - they were so endearing and fun to watch throughout the story.

Smooth Kitty was probably my favorite - I love her clever plans and sneaky actions...though Disgraceful Mary Jane was a close second.

Dear Roberta began to gasp. “A murder. Oh dear. I think I shall faint.” She fluttered her hand before her face.
“Not now, Roberta, there’s a dear,” interjected Mary Jane. “Why bother swooning when there are no young men about to see you do it?”

Disgraceful Mary Jane was such a hilarious character throughout - I was always itching to see what hijinks she'd get herself into.

Stout Alice truly was the MVP of this book - her impressions of Mrs. Plackett kept the rest of the ruse going when no one else can.

All in all, this was a wonderful book about female friendship, clever plans...and how to cover up a body and take over a school at the same time.

[Giselle · Rating 4 out of 5]

Super cute! The plot is more-or-less a game of clue, but more MG-like, with a large cast of funny, resourceful, and charismatic young girls.

Much like its cover, The Scandalous Sisterhood of Prickwillow Place is intriguing and fun with a touch of humour. We begin by being introduced to the girls with the help of some illustrations and a quick look into why they were sent to St. Etheldreda's School for Girls. I had the ARC so the illustrations were sadly missing, but the cover accomplished the same and it was fun to have a visual to go with all these great personalities. Then shortly after, we have the death of the headmistress and her brother, leaving the girls to solve a mystery while trying to hide the events from the townsfolk - which proves to be quite the challenge in such a small town full of nosy neighbours and visitors.

While the plot is not especially hard to predict, the characters are what makes this entertaining. The girls range from tween to early teen, giving us an MG novel that is still a great read for adults. Plus, the novel is set in a time where kids that age seemed much older, married much younger, and had to be a lot more independent at a young age. So while they're very young, they're intelligent and capable, free of the usual angst and dramatics you might have expected otherwise. And do they ever have personality! I loved how quirky every girl is. They all bring something to this story: some with know-how that end up being very useful, others with rational thinking and social abilities to deal with the many dilemmas encountered. In addition, most of them have a sense of humour that proves to be the perfect touch to keep this novel from getting even a hint of a dark tone. The vibe is kept light-hearted and overall amusing throughout. Even adding in a sprinkle of romance now and again. The downside to having 7 girls as main characters, however, is that you're unlikely to find yourself connecting with them on a personal level - just keeping track of everyone can be a challenge - but it's not meant to be a deep, emotionally charged story at all so this doesn't become a major issue.

Another thing I really enjoyed was the historical setting which is built to perfection. The atmosphere Julie creates is excellent; the descriptions of the girls, the dialogue, and especially the dynamics of the town truly breathes historical life into this novel.

An adventure full of character and charm, The Scandalous Sisterhood of Prickwillow Place is as much about the mystery itself as it is about the friendship between these young girls. Nothing forms a tighter bond than covering up a murder together!


--
An advance copy was provided by the publisher for review.

For more of my reviews, visit my blog at Xpresso Reads

[monica kim · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 but rounded up - a cute and cozy time! i loved the girls and honestly would have loved a series. would have been great to have some diversity in this story though tbh, it’s v white and straight.

[Jessica · Rating 5 out of 5]

An absolutely delightful Victorian farce in which a group of Victorian schoolgirls attempt to conceal the death of their awful schoolmistress and live in a sisterly utopia . . . and must therefore deal with the nosy neighbors, angry creditors, hopeful suitors, and suspected murderers who descend on them. Laugh-out-loud funny as well as tender, it made me wish my nickname was Smooth Kitty!

[✦BookishlyRichie✦ · Rating 4 out of 5]

Dark, witty, ominous, twisted, and absolutely hilarious!

This was most definitely giving me Agatha Christie meets Arsenic and Old Lace vibes and I loved every moment of it. I do have to say that this was tad slow and there were romantic bits that didn't feel necessary to me, but what made up for that was that this was an amazingly entertaining read. I fell in love all 7 of these viciously twisted girls and was sad that this came to an end. This is also a murder mystery and I thought that part of the book was executed magnificently. I did not see any of that coming. If you've been meaning to pick this up, please do so and I'd highly recommend reading both the audio book and the physical copy at the same time like I did. It made the reading experience 10x better. Jayne Entwistle was the perfect narrator for this book. :) - Richard

[Danielle The Book Huntress · Rating 5 out of 5]

Second Read Completed on 5/29/2024

I had such fond memories of this book, that I really wanted to experience it again. And....my library did not disappoint me. They had the audiobook! So here are my new impressions this time around.

The audiobook humor reads a little bit drier than it did when I was reading the physical book. Maybe that's because I imagined the voices of the character more over the top? And since my brain can invent multiple voices, while there's a limit to how many voices an audiobook narrator (yes, there are exceptions-narrators that seem to have an endless well of unique voices) can use. In this case, I felt that the audiobook narrator read most of the voices in a very dry manner that wasn't 100% fitting to all the characters. I have to be honest and admit that did affect my reading experience somewhat. Not to the extent that I still didn't love it though.

I am a sucker for British humor--sarcasm, tongue-in-cheek, dry wit, and when a very sincere/uptight character is paired with an over-the-top character. This book is just sparkling with those elements. I loved the ways that the six girls interact, the sisterhood they are named as in the title, although they are unrelated. I love how while this is a lighter-hearted mystery, it does have a dark undertone. Murders are taking place, and they are heinous. There's also a sweet dose of romance thrown in.

I would absolutely love to see this as a Netflix short series. I wish that Julie Berry would write more books about the Scandalous Sisterhood.

I still loved this so much I can't really give it less than five stars.


****************************************
I loved this book. It was delightful, from beginning to end. I was searching for how to classify it, and in the afterward, Ms. Berry mentioned the term, British Farce. And that's what this is. I am all for Girl Power, and this book is very much about girl power and the bond between girls/women. Not only is this a sisterhood bonding story, it's also a bit like Oceans Eleven, one of those caper-type stories where you have a disparate group of individuals who are thrown together under a common bond. I'd call these girls the Scandalous Seven. You have Dear Roberta, Dull Martha, Pocked Louise, Dour Elinor, Stout Alice, Disgraceful Mary Jane and their de facto leader, Smooth Kitty. Each girl brings a different characteristic to the book, and I loved each and every one of them. I just wanted to give them all a hug (even Elinor, whose obsession was death was a little bit disturbing at times).

Such a dark subject, a double murder at a quiet ladies school. However, Berry handles it with a deft touch. Instead of spending too much time dwelling on the horror of the girls' predicament, the reader is focused on how these girls react to it and take measures to prevent their sisterhood from ending prematurely. I like the way they work together, and despite the typical occasional squabbles among young women, they look out for each other and validate each other.

I loved the humor. It was mostly subtle, but sometimes laugh out loud. It reminds me very much of British comedy with some British mystery thrown in.

There is a nice dose of romance, because, well they are young women, and romance is often a factor. However, the youngest, Pocked Louise, could give a fig for boys. She's our resident sleuth, and a very smart sleuth she is and she thinks boys are foul. The other ladies, all seem to find guys who prick their fancy. Even Smooth Kitty, who thinks she's got everything all figured out. It thought it was so funny how big a flirt Disgraceful Mary Jane was, and a very unrepentant one at that!

I have been quite stingy with five star ratings lately, but I can't talk myself out of giving one for this book. I am very thankful to Olga Godim for bringing "The Scandalous Sisterhood of Prickwillow Place" to my attention. It was scandalously good!

[Monica · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was such a fun little adventure! I have my buddy Ivonne to thank for this obscure recommendation.

The story follows seven precocious school girls after they witness the untimely (and suspicious) deaths of their headmistress and her brother whilst enjoying Sunday dinner. In a Pippy Longstockingesque stroke of brilliance, one of the girls recognizes the opportunities that this situation presents, but only if they can convince everyone in the town that their headmistress is still alive.

There’s so much to love here that I don’t even know where to start.

I know that not everyone loves gallows humor as much as I do, but it’s done with such a light hand that I can’t see it posing a problem for the folks who are normally turned off by it.

It was refreshing to read about a “team” of people who weren’t at each other’s throats the majority of the time (I’m talking about you, EVERY MARVEL MOVIE). These girls genuinely loved and appreciated each other, and the external threats they faced only strengthened their bonds.

And talk about a battle cry for feminism! We’re introduced to a detective, a seductress, a scientist, an actress, a morbid, death-obsessed weirdo (my personal favorite), etc.

If you’re looking for a light, funny, entertaining read, you should check this one out.

[Ksenia]

Dear Julie Berry: Thank you for writing this book. Thank you for writing such a fun and sassy story about girl friendship and mystery. Thank you for making all the girls actual friends, despite their differences. And thank you for writing such a romp of a tale! I loved every word of this book.

[Melki · Rating 3 out of 5]

The seven attendees of a decrepit girl's school are stunned when the school's headmistress, AND her awful brother croak at the dinner table, obvious victims of some poisoned veal. Rather than involve the police, and risk being split up and sent home to unwelcoming relatives, the girls decide to bury the bodies in the garden, and continue to keep calm and carry on.

And, yet . . . the mystery remains . . . just who did kill those dreadful people, and why?

This was a disappointment. I honestly expected to love this one even more than Berry's Wishes and Wellingtons trilogy, but twas not to be. In fact, it didn't take long at all for me to reach the point where I was only reading to find out whodunnit. The entire first half of the book deals with little more than the girls' attempting to keep a multitude of visitors from discovering their little ruse. This was a slow-moving, repetitive slog. The tale does pick up toward the last third, and there's a satisfying ending, so, bravo there.

The other thing that annoyed the heck out of me was the unflattering adjectives at the beginning of each girl’s name - Stout Alice, Pocked Louise, Dull Martha - which describes either their appearance, or personality. As the names were assigned to them by others, one would assume that as the girls gained confidence and independence, they would be eager to rid themselves of these horrid monikers, but, no, the names continue to the end of the book.

It all combined to make this one an unpleasant, unhappy reading experience. You can just call me Grumpy Melki, I guess.

[Robin Stevens · Rating 5 out of 5]

Deliciously dark and brilliantly farcical, I do love seeing nice girls get mixed up in murder!

[Darka · Rating 4 out of 5]

ой, ну мені сподобалося, але складно повірити, що це та сама Джулія Беррі, що написала непереконливу і відверто нудну "Лагідну війну". подумати тільки, через "Лагідну війну" я збиралася не читати і цю книжку, це була б прикра помилка!

якщо коротко про сюжет, то він наступний: недільний обід у школі святої Етельдреди закінчується смертю директорки школи та її брата. вихованки школи з різних причин не хочуть покидати навчальний заклад, тож вирішують сховати трупи, відшукати вбивцю і лишитися жити найкраще життя своїм сестринством.

авторка стібеться і бешкетує, змішуючи старосвітський детектив, театральний фарс з перевдяганням, школу юних леді, побут маленького містечка вікторіанських часів. здавалося б, вона з самого початку робить героїнь (їх аж семеро) зумисно картонним, наліплюючи на них ярлики: Люба, Безсоромна, Нетямуща, Дебелеа, Метикувата, Ряба, Понура, але потім сама цим грається. я б не радила читати цю книжку у піджаку, чесне слово.

ледь не забула дописати (забула, просто відредагувала відгук), що мене роздратувало використання в перекладі форми "Шерлок Холмс". я була впевнена, що вже просто непристойно знову повертатися до цього, і всі нормальні люди запам'ятали, що він Голмс, але, схоже, я грішила оптимізмом. так само бракувало фемінітивів, це сприкрює.

[Ivonne Rovira · Rating 5 out of 5]

There is no greater accolade one can give a novel than to say that it kept you up to the wee hours of the morning, devouring the thrilling storyline. Cliché? Of course, but in this case too true. (I’m pretty sleep deprived as I write this.)

When the irascible and cold headmistress of St. Etheldreda’s School for Girls literally drops dead at Sunday dinner along with her dissolute, sponging brother, the finishing school’s seven pupils dive into action to both preserve their school — and to investigate who wanted widowed Constance Plackett and her brother Aldous Godding dead. Each of the girls — Smooth Kitty Heaton, Stout Alice Brooks, Dear Roberta Pratley, Dull Martha Boyle, Dour Elinor Siever, Disgraceful Mary Jane Marshall and Pocked Louise Dudley — and even their intrepid Spaniel pup, mischievously also named Aldous — play a part in solving the mystery, relying on their various talents and proclivities. Equal parts farce and thriller, The Scandalous Sisterhood of Prickwillow Place will make readers relish every page. Author Julie Berry expertly captures the exact tone of voice of a Victorian “horrid novel” (what we’d call a Gothic novel nowadays) while portraying seven girls who, despite everything, are willing to risk it all to stay together as a family. The many twists and turns make this novel the best sort of roller coaster ride. Highly, highly recommended.

And for those of you lucky enough to enjoy The Scandalous Sisterhood of Prickwillow Place as an audiobook, Jayne Entwistle’s narration positively lifts this book to new heights. I just wish I could give it six stars!

[Kaethe · Rating 5 out of 5]

Shades of Annie's Adventures and The Mysterious Howling

Ridiculous and fun. A group of boarders at a Victorian finishing school conspire to hide the bodies when their headmistress and her brother drop dead suddenly. It's a romp. They solve the mystery and all the girls who are old enough meet proper beaux, and everyone who is still alive in the end lives happily ever after.

There are a few moments when the silly plot and the seriousness of death rub uncomfortably against each other, but mostly it's just a hoot.

Recommended by the Offspring and me.

Library copy

***

I enjoyed it even more this second time.

***

Even better the third time. Fun fact: I mentioned to the kid that I had read this again "not too long ago." That's was 5 years back. Time is fake.

[AH · Rating 4 out of 5]

Initial Thoughts: The girls at The St. Etheldreda's School for Girls find themselves in the unlikely position of being on their own after the poisoning of their headmistress and her brother. The story is both charming and amusing and written in the style of the historical period. The girls work together to solve the murders and while I kept thinking of Scooby Doo in my head, they did work out the details rather nicely. I found myself chuckling at some of the situations.

The Review:
The Scandalous Sisterhood of Prickwillow Place is both a charming and humorous book about seven young girls who reside at St. Etheldreda's School for Young Ladies.

If you love historical novels with a touch of humor and silly situations, The Scandalous Sisterhood of Prickwillow Place is definitely a worthwhile read. Written in the style of books from the turn of the 19th century, The Scandalous Sisterhood of Prickwillow Place follows these seven girls as they work to keep the school open following their headmistress' unfortunate death.

During a Sunday dinner (at which the girls were to serve the meat, but not eat any of it), the headmistress Mrs. Plackett and her brother suddenly die at the dinner table. The girls are shocked at first, however they quickly figure out that if they call the authorities, they will be disbanded and sent either home or to another school. The girls hatch a plan where one of the girls Alice would masquerade as Mrs. Plackett and each girl takes on a responsibility to keep the school running. The girls take care of the bodies, burying them outside the school. Meanwhile, life continues (as well as social engagements booked by Mrs. Plackett prior to her demise). Some hilarious situations arise.

The girls quickly realize that the killer is still out there and that Alice may be in danger, especially if the killer thinks Mrs. Plackett is still alive. The girl work together to figure out who is the murderer. At this point, I was reminded a little of Scooby Doo, but I like Scooby Doo, so all's good.

The Scandalous Sisterhood of Prickwillow Place was an entertaining book to read. Those girls were brilliant! Highly recommended.


Thank you to NetGalley and Macmillan Children's Publishing Group for a review copy of this book.

[Samm | Sassenach the Book Wizard · Rating 5 out of 5]

Okay why was this so funny and cute and dark?

I just loved this concept. Your head lady at your finishing school drops dead over dinner and you don't want to be slip up from the girls at your Finishing School because you love them so you cover up the murder while also investigating it and suddenly you have visitors at your place every hour and then someone dresses up as dead head lady. There wasn't really any huge laugh out loud moments but the overall tone and the characters were just so fun!

[Yuliia Kravchenko · Rating 5 out of 5]

Насправді десь 4,5 ⭐

Книга мені дуже сподобалась!
Але мушу зізнатись, що любов з цієїю історією в мене трапилась не одразу, перші сторінок 100 я ледве читала, закочуючи очі чи не на кожній сторінці. А потім вдалося відпустити всі свої упередження і насолоджуватись читанням.

Після 200 сторінки історія почала набирати обертів, була інтрига, стало дуже цікаво. І варто віддати належне гумору (чорному 🙈), що присутній у книзі. Жарти тут місцями справді чудові 😁

[Aleshanee · Rating 5 out of 5]

"Eine skurrile Krimi-Komödie mit viel schwarzem Humor"

Genauso ist es, denn diese Geschichte hat so viel Witz und einen so bezwingenden Charme, dass man gar nicht mehr zum Lesen aufhören kann. Zu Beginn bekommt man schon die Hauptdarstellerinnen auf eine sehr eigentümliche Weise vorgestellt:

Roberta "Liebenswert" Pratley
Mary Jane "Ungeniert" Marshall
Martha "Einfältig" Boyle
Alice "Robust" Brooks
Kitty "Schlau" Heaton
Louise "Pockennarbig" Dudley
Elinor "Düster" Siever

Diese Beinamen behalten sie auch während der Geschichte bei, was anfangs etwas gewöhnungsbedürftig war, aber dadurch konnte ich die Mädels auch von Anfang an sehr gut auseinander halten. Durch eine gewitzte Vorstellung mit ein paar Sätzen über die Familien der Mädchen erfährt man auch, warum sie sich diesen Spitznamen verdient haben.

Alle sieben gehen auf das St. Etheldra Mädcheninternat in dem kleinen, englischen Städtchen Ely im Jahr 1890. Ohne großes Vorgeplänkel stehen sie dem Tod ihrer Schulleiterin und deren Bruder gegenüber, doch statt dass sie die Polizei benachrichtigen, beschließen sie kurzerhand, die Leichen verschwinden zu lassen. Schließlich könnten sie dann tun und lassen was sie wollen und hätten endlich ihre Freiheit und wären keinen gesellschaftlichen Zwängen unterworfen.
Aber schon im nächsten Moment klingelt es an der Haustür und von da an kommen den Mädels unentwegt Schwierigkeiten in den Weg, die ihren Plan jederzeit auffliegen lassen könnten.
Außerdem kämpfen sie noch mit dem Verdacht, dass eine von ihnen für den Tod der beiden Erwachsenen verantwortlich sein könnte - oder noch schlimmer: der Mörder draußen frei herumläuft.

Unglaublich erfrischend geschrieben und dem Stil des 19. Jahrhunderts angepasst. Julie Berry schreibt aus der auktorialen Perspektive, lässt aber zwischendurch auch mal die Gedanken des ein oder anderen Mädchens einfließen.

Die Mädchen sind (schätze ich) zwischen 12 und 16 Jahre alt und es ist ein wahres Vergnügen sie dabei zu beobachten, wie sie mit Verstand und einer großen Portion Glück versuchen, den widrigen Umständen auszuweichen. Sämtliche Steine werden ihnen dabei in den Weg geworfen und sie kommen kaum zur Ruhe, um einmal zu verschnaufen.
Dabei kommen auch ihre vielseitigen Ambitionen zum Tragen und so müssen sie sich im Nachweisen von Giften, Vortäuschen falscher Tatsachen und Ermitteln kriminalistischer Spuren beweisen, dass ihnen auf eine höchst reizende, und mit schwarzem Humor getränkte Weise gelingt.

Zum Schluss muss ich das Cover noch erwähnen, denn nur deshalb bin ich auf diese fantastische Geschichte aufmerksam geworden. Es strahlt genau das aus, was man im Buch erwarten darf: eine Bande zu allem entschlossener junger Damen, die in ihrer Improvisationskunst zu allem bereit sind, um zusammen zu bleiben.

Fazit

Eine wunderbar unterhaltsame Geschichte über sieben Mädchen, die um jeden Preis ihrer Familie fernbleiben wollen, denn diese haben sie bei sich selbst gefunden. Mit viel Witz und Charme haben sie mein Herz erobert und ich bin sicher, dass sie das auch bei jedem anderen Leser schaffen werden. Ein Highlight für mich und ein absolutes Lesevergnügen!

© Aleshanee
Weltenwanderer

[Toralf Saffer · Rating 3 out of 5]

Mord im Mädchenpensionat

Beim sonntäglichen Mittagsmahl im ehrwürdigen Mädchenpensionat St. Etheldra segnen überraschend plötzlich die Direktorin Mrs. Plankett und ihr Bruder Aldous Godding das Zeitliche. Offensichtlich bekam ihnen das zuvor verzehrte Kalbsfleisch nicht. Die sieben Schülerin des Pensionats sind somit führungslos und es droht die Rückkehr in die ungeliebten Elternhäuser, was nicht zu ihrer favorisierten Option gehört. Also beschließen die jungen Damen, die Leichen im Garten zu verscharren und den Pensionatsalltag in die eigenen Hände zu nehmen. Doch das ist leichter gesagt als getan, denn Mrs. Plankett erhält viele Besuche und auch Mr. Godding scheint von einigen Zeitgenossen vermisst zu werden. Mit viel Improvisationstalent und dank der schauspielerischen Leistung einer Schülerin, gelingt es den Damen zunächst das Dahinscheiden der Beiden zu verheimlichen, aber offenbar ist auch die falsche Mrs. Plankett weiter das Ziel eines Mörders.
Die Geschichte spielt um 1890 in einem kleinen englischen Städtchen und zeigt gut die Rolle der Frau in der viktorianischen Ära und die Bigotterie der damaligen Gesellschaft, aber es ist auch eine Geschichte, die die Freundschaft in den Vordergrund stellt – nur zusammen gelingt es den Mädchen sich zu behaupten und den Fall letztendlich zu lösen. Der Weg dahin ist unterhaltsam, ein wenig skurril und witzig, auch die Spannung kommt nicht zu kurz. Perfekt für ein Jugendbuch.
Für mich als Leser außerhalb der jungen Zielgruppe war das Ganze ein wenig zu schräg und es hatte so seine Längen, wobei mich das Finale dann doch richtig gepackt hat. Summa Sumarum, leichte, seichte Krimikost mit einer Prise schwarzen Humor gewürzt.

[Olga Godim · Rating 4 out of 5]

This quaint novel tells a story of a British boarding school in the end of the 19th century. But saying that and only that would be a gross simplification. The story is also a murder mystery and a farce, a historical and a study in character interactions.
One day, seven teenage girls, the students of St. Etheldred’s School for Young Ladies, witness their schoolmistress and her brother keel dead during their weekly Sunday dinner. Why did they die simultaneously? Were they murdered? Why, how, and by whom? And most importantly: what is going to happen to the girls? For various reasons, none of them wants to go back home. To avoid such a fate, they concoct a convoluted scheme to conceal the unfortunate deaths and pretend that their schoolmistress is still alive. And they plan to investigate her suspicious demise.
Only inexperienced children, together with Julie Berry, their author, could ever come up with such an outrageous plan, and of course, everything goes awry. Unexpected visitors arrive on their doorstep, one after another, asking awkward questions and demanding to see their mistress. Money problems unfold. Robberies happen. Lies pile up. Obviously, covering up a double murder is not for wimps.
Still the girls persevere and almost pull it off. Despite their internal squabbles and petty rivalry—and what company of seven teenage girls could exist without those—they manage to work together fairly well. They wash clothes and bury corpses, solve murders and confront problems, always supporting each other along the way.
The plot gallops, with new complications arising hourly, according to the Murphy’s Law. Such a tale would be ridiculous without humor. Fortunately, there is plenty of it. Not hilarity but mild amusement accompanies almost every page.
The characterization is superb; every girl is different. Each has a distinctive personality and appearance, her own doubts and faults. The marvelous cover art and inside illustration by Iacopo Bruno contribute to the feeling that the girls are alive, a bunch from a local high school production rather than a genuine historical novel.
A delightful read, well thought of and well executed. Definitely recommended.

[Amy · Rating 5 out of 5]

So maybe this is more of a 4 star than a 5 star book...but I will be honest, I had so much FUN listening to it that I don't even care! This book seriously exceeded expectation!

When their headmistress and her odious brother are suddenly poisoned, the students of St. Etheldreda's School for Girls have a decision to make. Do they alert the police and return to their respective homes, or carry on as if nothing happened? They opt to bury the bodies. Unfortunately, hiding murder is not easy, especially when the murderer is still at large! But who on earth wanted Mrs. Plackett and her brother dead?

This really was a fun, farcical tale of murder, mayhem, and most inconvenient situations. A great part of the book's charm comes from the 7 main characters, the students of St. Etheldreda's School for Girls. Especially because I was listening to it on audio book, I was sensitive to how many of them there were and I was worried I wouldn't be able to keep track of them. However, the author does a wonderful job making each one distinctive and memorable by using an adjective with their name (i.e. Smooth Kitty, Stout Alice, Dour Eleanor, etc.) After the first chapter, I had no problem figuring them out.
I loved how the book threw all sorts of random packages and notes and weird, incidental moments into the first few chapters and then slowly unpacks each one to develop the story further. The murderer was somewhat obvious but it was still fun piecing together the clues of how everything comes together.
There is even a touch of romance!

I've overused this adjective but really...this book was just fun. I want more!

[Dear Feely · Rating 3 out of 5]

“The shopkeepers in their aprons, the tradesmen in their boots, and the housewives with their caps and babies were an invigorating sight. They proved the world was more than seven maidens, two corpses, and a puppy.”

The young ladies of St Etheldreda’s school for girls find themselves facing a perplexing problem when their headmistress and her odious brother drop dead at dinner one night. Their immediate reaction is that of most of us, I feel. They plan to bury them in the garden and carry on living together rather than go back to neglectful families and not a single biological sister to share their experiences.
It was a challenge, getting to know seven different girls of the same relative age, but the adjectives in front of their names help immensely throughout, as well as adding character to the book itself, and by the end I had a distinct knowledge of each of their personalities and temperaments. The writing didn’t miss a beat, which I’ve come to expect from Julie Berry, and while I guessed at the main plot twists (hence the 4 stars) it was incredibly entertaining and besides the first chapter, which I perused last week, I read it in one sitting! If you’re looking for a quick, fun younger YA read set at a boarding school and featuring a colorful found family cast and a tantalizing murder mystery, definitely check it out.

[Saleh MoonWalker · Rating 3 out of 5]

زمان داستان در دوران ویکتوریایی هستش که یه سری رفتار خاص از خانم ها مورد انتظار بود و خانواده های زیادی شرایط سختی رو تحمل می کردن تا دخترشان را به مدرسه های خارجی بفرستند.
خواندن کتاب ابتداش سخته چون داستان هفت دختر مختلفه و به خاطر سپردن اسم هاشون و شرایط زندگیشون کمی سخته اما با گذر زمان، شناختن شخصیت ها ساده شد و داستان با سرعت مناسبی پیش رفت. پلات اصلی راجع مرگ غیر منتظره ای در زمان شام در مدرسه هستش.
توصیفات زیبایی داشت و از ابتداش تا انتها افت چندانی نداشت و زیبا پیش میرفت. سرعت پیشرویش هم مناسب بود.

[✧ hayley (the sugar bowl) ✧ · Rating 4 out of 5]

➳ 4 ⋆ ˚｡⋆୨୧˚

i had a lot of fun with this. i enjoyed the victorian setting and the cast of girls was so enjoyable, it reminded me of murder most unladylike and i loved it

not quite a detective story since most of the book is spent trying to cover up the murder instead of solve it but still fun and hilarious✨


୧ ‧₊˚ 🍓 ⋅ ☆

[graceee · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.25 stars ✨

i adored this book!! for some reason, i didn’t start reading it very fast until around page 200, but once that mark hit, i finished it in one sitting!!

now if you’ll excuse me, i’m going to go wallow because i don’t have my own scandalous sisterhood. 🥹

[Susana · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 stars


Arc provided by Mcmillan's Children Publishing Group through Netgalley

Release Date: September 23 rd

A very important fact that readers should know before starting reading this book:
The story is told as a complete farce. I mean..literally speaking!
(somehow that little bit, escaped me completely while requesting this story. I blame it on the pretty cover.)

So, if like me, you're more used to only having "bits of it" thrown in once in awhile, you're due for a different reading
Also..a very important question...
Do you like farces?
_______

Conceptually speaking, this deserves a five star rating.
This is a witty, original,intelligent, and well developed story....
So why didn't I enjoyed reading it, more than I did?

While this has its bright moments, and moments of pure witticism, I couldn't get into its rhythm...or maybe that is the problem: Its lack of rhythm, especially regarding the story's first half.

The fact that the author decided to give us some basic character information of our leading seven main characters by simply associating some traits to them, and then later on, simply vocalize a constant (and boring!) stream of adjectives to their names, was for me the story's weakest point.
I get it. Just like a farce, the author decided to give us stereotyped characters:
The witty one, the kind one, the dull one, and so on and on...
But they're seven girls, and to be given phrases such as this, right at the beginning of the story, is pushing a DNF:

Pocked Louise opened her mouth to correct Dull Martha, but Smooth Kitty shook her head slightly. Pocked Louise, the youngest of the girls, was accustomed to her older schoolmates bossing her. She kept still.
Dear Roberta covered her face with her hands.

To say that I had a really hard time with phrases such as it, would be putting it mildly.

By the second half of story I did however became more accustomed to this peculiar format _or maybe I just started ignoring it _ so I could start and appreciating the writing a little more, without having to stop to figure out which character I was now reading about.

The problem with a farce _at least as far as I see this _ is that by given us these stereotyped nineteen century characters, all of the girls voices somewhat sounded the same.

Yes, their interests were all very varied, but feeling that if it weren't for the adjectives used to identify them, I wouldn't know how to proper differentiate them, was not a good feeling.

For instance, what were the chances that seven girls with apparently so different personalities would act so blasé in the face of not one, but two murders?

Yes, I remember that this is a farce, but I can't help feeling that the only thing it managed to do _in the beginning_, was to portray the girls somewhat as sociopaths.
_______

This was all during the infamous first part of the book.

Second half:
It got better...much better...

Although the situations couldn't be more confabulated, the girls' character started to leak through their simple given adjectives :

Poison is a woman’s weapon,” Pocked Louise told Dour Elinor.(..)
“You sound proud of it,” Elinor observed.
“Why shouldn’t I be?” Louise flipped through the pages of her notebook. “I don’t condone killing, but if killing happens anyway, then I think women go about it much more sensibly.
Leave it to men to be loud and violent and messy about the business.

So we have the smart young woman used to having her opinion discarded at home...
Then the one who is used to having her way about everything resorting to her charms...
Also, the girl who is too good for her own good..
The one that isn't all that smart...
The one who would like to go to university..
The one who rather enjoys different things..
And the one that always seemed lacking, when compared with thinner family members...

Despite different upbringings, and ages, there's one thing all of these girls have in common:
Neither of them wants to go home...so when their headmistress and brother drop dead at the dinner's table, there's only one solution for them all:
Bury the corps, and pretend as if nothing had happened.
O_O

Which is easier said that done, since the girls will have their work cut out for them, trying to deal with numerous shady characters that will start flocking to their school as if attracted to something...

Things you may expect reading this story:
People digging graves...
Carts of manure...
Breaking and entering...
Charming young gentleman..
Charming old ex-sailors..
Marriage proposals..
Poisoned people..and animals
(don't worry the animal doesn't die!)
A little bit of flirt...
Making out....nineteen century making out!! Hand kissing!
Elephants..
Darling nephews..

What happens here to redeem the story for its strange "characters characterization", is that this is a very complete farce in which apparently joking, the author manages to give us an in depth look at what it meant to be a girl in the nineteen century, and how the rest of society perceived her.

So, merit wise, this story is very well accomplished...
Do I intend to re-read it?
Ever?
In a near future I don't think so. Also this was so quirky and different, that unlike what happens with most books, I don't think I will be forgetting this one so soon.

But who knows, maybe in a couple of years I will be more adept to this type of storytelling.

I cannot say that it does not have its merits.
It just wasn't for me.

[Anastasia Terendii (livie's version) · Rating 1 out of 5]

ееее, а шо це взагалі таке було? ай'м конф'юзд, якшо чесно

історія розповідає нам про багато різних дівчаток, яких батьки відправили в школу для дівчат, в якій вони живуть з директоркою та її братом. і тут одного дня ці двоє дорослих помирають від якоїсь отрути за вечерею. дівчатка вирішують приховати ці дві смерті від решти дорослих, щоб батьки їх не відправили в інші школи

відразу скажу, що я нормально ставлюсь до міддл грейдних історій, але this one just wasn't it. перш за все, занадто багато майже однакових дівчаток, які майже нічим (крім прикметників перед їхніми іменами, які авторка повторює що-ра-зу, щоб ми ненароком не забули) не відрізняються. книжка написана від третьої особи, головної героїні тут, по суті, немає, так нас ще й буквально відразу кидають у вир подій, ніяк не пояснюючи, чим особлива кожна дівчинка. як взагалі їх відрізняти? я так і не зрозуміла, постійно плуталась, і імена мені не допомагали

не читала поки інші книжки авторки ("Лагідну війну" планую пізніше цього року), тому не знаю, чи вони схожі стилем написання і тд на цю, але це якась ну дуже дивна історія. можливо, якщо це б читала 10річна дитина, то вона б вірила написаному, але як доросла людина я взагалі не сприймала сюжет. ну типу, наприклад, дівчинка (недопідліток) перевдягається в директорку школи, і решта дорослих персонажів думає, що це дійсно стара жінка. це як взагалі? як мені це читати і сприймати адекватно?

буквально ледь не всі події в історії настільки ж нелогічні і нереалістичні. жарти мені теж не сподобались, хоча книжка і ніби намагається здаватись вікторіанським детективом, але їй це ніяк не вдається. загалом, це якась ну дуже тупа історія, яку я б нікому не порадила (ну хіба дітям до років так 10-12, але навіть для цього віку все одно є набагато кращі історії)

[Glory · Rating 4 out of 5]

Очередная утомительная и ничем не примечательная трапеза в школе для девочек имени Святой Этельдреды закончилась весьма странно.
Директриса вдруг ни с того ни с сего закашлялась, словно подавилась, и упала замертво. А следом точно тем же способом скончался и ее мерзкий (по мнению воспитанниц школы) братец, также присутствовавший за столом.

Какова вероятность, что два человека с интервалом в минуту могут так глупо умереть, подавившись, к примеру, кусочком мяса? "Отравление!" - решают девочки и не спешат звать на помощь.
Во-первых, в убийстве вполне могут обвинить одну из них.
А во-вторых, смерть директрисы означает возвращение домой, а домой не хочется никому. Каждую ждет либо злая мачеха, либо противные братья, либо не менее противная тетушка... В общем, уж лучше здесь, с теми, кто стал сестрами. Пусть ради этого и придется скрыть смерть директрисы и закопать пару трупов.

**********************

Мне очень понравился роман, хотя сомневаюсь, что он подходит для своей целевой аудитории.
Но так как мне не 10-12, то я жаловаться не буду))

Сюжет порой предсказуем, но героини получились такими яркими и разными, что только наблюдая за ними можно получить немало удовольствия.
Чего стоит хотя бы вступление, где автор в весьма насмешливой форме рассказывает, как каждая из учениц угодила в школу. И каждая из этих маленьких историй затем отражается в именах героинь. Точнее не в самих именах, а в прилагательных перед ними: Disgraceful Mary Jane, Dour Elinor, Smooth Kitty, Dull Martha, Dear Roberta, Pocked Louise, Stout Alice.
Поначалу это может немного напрягать, но потом только радует, особенно при некоторых обстоятельствах))

Сарказм, ирония, юмор (иногда весьма едкий), а главное - историческая атмосфера, коей пропитано каждое описание, каждый диалог... В общем, все, как я люблю: вкусно, весело и порой по-черному))

И да, меня дико прет с немецкой обложки =)

[Shazzer · Rating 5 out of 5]

When first asks to describe this week’s book, I said, “It’s a Victorian Don’t Tell Mom the Babysitter’s Dead murder mystery. For kids.” That seemed to do the trick. For those of you unfamiliar with that awesome ‘90’s guilty pleasure movie, the story goes like this: Kids are left with an irascible guardian while their parents are away. Guardian dies. Kids attempt to fool the world into thinking Guardian is still alive so they can be on their own. In Julie Berry’s The Scandalous Sisterhood of Prickwillow Place, seven boarding school girls, described as “Pocked”, “Stout”, “Dour”, “Dear”, “Disgraceful”, “Dull” and “Smooth” in turn, are unexpectedly left on their own with their headmistress and her brother drop dead over dinner one evening. The verdict is poison, but the girls have no idea who’s done the deed. Was it one of their own? Not wanting to be sent back home to less-than-ideal family situations, the girls conspire the hide their headmistress’s death from a very nosy township, while simultaneously trying to solve her murder. The result is sometimes spooky, often hilarious and always entertaining.

[First Second Books]

I thought this book was super-fun! Mysterious deaths, secret fortunes in doubloons, girls in disguise – what more can you want from a boarding school book?

[hương quỳnh · Rating 2 out of 5]

2.5 / 5
Meh 🙄😑😒