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Maggie Adair #2
Sääntöjä ja salaisuuksia
Maggie Adairin ensimmäinen vuosi opettajana Downey Housessa oli yllättäen menestys. Kihlauduttuaan pitkäaikaisen poikaystävänsä Stanin kanssa Maggien on nyt lakattava ajattelemasta lähistöllä sijaitsevan poikien sisäoppilaitoksen opettajaa Davidia. Mutta miten se oikein onnistuu?
Vaikka Maggie itse tekee parhaansa ollakseen ylittämättä rajoja, sääntöjä rikotaan kaikkialla hänen ympärillään. Koulun rehtorilla Veronica Deveralilla on synkkä salaisuus ja enemmän hävittävää kuin kenelläkään. Kuinka pitkään Veronican onnistuu pitää kulissit pystyssä?
Vaikka Maggie itse tekee parhaansa ollakseen ylittämättä rajoja, sääntöjä rikotaan kaikkialla hänen ympärillään. Koulun rehtorilla Veronica Deveralilla on synkkä salaisuus ja enemmän hävittävää kuin kenelläkään. Kuinka pitkään Veronican onnistuu pitää kulissit pystyssä?
8 pages, Audiobook
First published January 1, 2010
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 461 reviews
September 13, 2022
2.75 stars
I am usually a big fan of Jenny Colgan’s books, but I think that Rules at the School by the Sea, and this particular series, just don’t work for me.
This story is riddled with so much body-shaming, commentary about body size and weight, particularly in regards to young girls, that it was offensive and off-putting. I didn’t think it was even handled in a meaningful, or teachable way. The name-calling and verbal abuse and bullying amongst the girls made a good deal of the dialogue repugnant. Quite a few of the characters made idiotic choices and were remarkably unperceptive to their own lives and situations. I found their actions not only baffling, but also very frustrating.
There were a few relationships and elements of the plot that I really enjoyed and found charming, but far too much of the story was distasteful, so it impeded my enjoyment of the novel. It ends with a tragic cliff-hanger that was confounding, pointless, and ultimately unsatisfying. I will read other Jenny Colgan books and I know others enjoyed this story, but I think this series is a pass for me.
I am usually a big fan of Jenny Colgan’s books, but I think that Rules at the School by the Sea, and this particular series, just don’t work for me.
This story is riddled with so much body-shaming, commentary about body size and weight, particularly in regards to young girls, that it was offensive and off-putting. I didn’t think it was even handled in a meaningful, or teachable way. The name-calling and verbal abuse and bullying amongst the girls made a good deal of the dialogue repugnant. Quite a few of the characters made idiotic choices and were remarkably unperceptive to their own lives and situations. I found their actions not only baffling, but also very frustrating.
There were a few relationships and elements of the plot that I really enjoyed and found charming, but far too much of the story was distasteful, so it impeded my enjoyment of the novel. It ends with a tragic cliff-hanger that was confounding, pointless, and ultimately unsatisfying. I will read other Jenny Colgan books and I know others enjoyed this story, but I think this series is a pass for me.
November 22, 2016
I enjoyed this, and look forward to reading the rest of the series, but found the last bit of he book rather rushed. I wasn't going to say this, but I am and it's nit picking really but Veronica talks about coming from Sheffield, and I know the area of Darnall, also in the story they did mention the steel works which is quite right, however what is COMPLETELY wrong is the mention of the shipyard. I know it's just a story but really, Sheffield is no where near the sea, I should know I lived there for 38 years of my life, and the closest it comes to water is the River Don which runs through Sheffield. So there we have it, my grumble.
August 18, 2018
The second book in Jenny Colgan's adult school story series, and this is still absolutely charming. I did really struggle with the dieting storyline - it is not EVER OK to skip meals or starve yourself to get thinner, no matter what weight you are, because that is dangerous and hurts your body and also diets don't even work - but otherwise I'm a big fan of this book. (14+)
*Please note: this review is meant as a recommendation only. If you use it in any marketing material, online or anywhere on a published book without asking permission from me first, I will ask you to remove that use immediately. Thank you!*
*Please note: this review is meant as a recommendation only. If you use it in any marketing material, online or anywhere on a published book without asking permission from me first, I will ask you to remove that use immediately. Thank you!*
July 26, 2019
Rules is the sequel to Class and follows the same female leads and honestly... it is so much worse in my opinion.
I couldn't even fully read this book and had to skim some sections because I just found it to be so bad...
What really really irritated me was the focus again on the girls weights. But whilst Fliss's weight loss is viewed as concerning (and rightly so) and she is sent to get help, no-one bats an eyelid at Simone who is essentially starving herself away because Simone was larger in the first place. It horrifies me that all the characters applaud Simone for her weight loss when she clearly has issues with food, but because she is larger it is seen as a good thing and it is recognsied. For me it just feels like a really bad message to send in a chic-lit book.
And again we had to deal with the ongoing issue of Stan-Maggie-David which does not get resolved and doesn't move us any further forward. I hate cheating and I hate love triangles and this book gives us both. Maggie kisses David and Stan sleeps with another woman, but they both ignore the issues in their relationship and carry on with their decision to get married. Even though it's clear that Maggie doesn't want to move back to Scotland at no point do they sit down and actually have a discussion about this... It really really infuriated me.
This just felt tiring to me and again was a mixture of a bunch of different genres, none of which really came to the front. I love all of Jenny' Colgan's other books but this one... just not for me.
I couldn't even fully read this book and had to skim some sections because I just found it to be so bad...
What really really irritated me was the focus again on the girls weights. But whilst Fliss's weight loss is viewed as concerning (and rightly so) and she is sent to get help, no-one bats an eyelid at Simone who is essentially starving herself away because Simone was larger in the first place. It horrifies me that all the characters applaud Simone for her weight loss when she clearly has issues with food, but because she is larger it is seen as a good thing and it is recognsied. For me it just feels like a really bad message to send in a chic-lit book.
And again we had to deal with the ongoing issue of Stan-Maggie-David which does not get resolved and doesn't move us any further forward. I hate cheating and I hate love triangles and this book gives us both. Maggie kisses David and Stan sleeps with another woman, but they both ignore the issues in their relationship and carry on with their decision to get married. Even though it's clear that Maggie doesn't want to move back to Scotland at no point do they sit down and actually have a discussion about this... It really really infuriated me.
This just felt tiring to me and again was a mixture of a bunch of different genres, none of which really came to the front. I love all of Jenny' Colgan's other books but this one... just not for me.
February 23, 2022
I like the cosy boarding-school vibe of this trilogy. The plot itself is not as good as it could be, these stories really have potential, but I don't like the approach on eating disorders. It's such an important topic and the author writes about it a bit too light heartedly for my taste.
October 20, 2022
This 2nd book in the School by the Sea series by Jenny Colgan (originally published 2010; reissued 2022) is sweet and charming for the most part. However, the students' focus on dieting and fat-shaming feels very out of date, and really should have been revised for the 2022 edition. This element does in fact lead to an eating disorder, which at least shows that there's a dark side to the obsession with thinness, but overall, I wish the story had a better approach to body image and health.
Otherwise, it's an enjoyable read (and listen -- very good audiobook narration), although the ongoing love triangle wears thin. Still, I like the book and characters enough to want to continue the series!
Otherwise, it's an enjoyable read (and listen -- very good audiobook narration), although the ongoing love triangle wears thin. Still, I like the book and characters enough to want to continue the series!
January 14, 2021
I didn't expect Rules to be any better than the previous book but I was surprised by how much worse I thought the second book actually was. Where the first book still had the nostalgic boarding school feel, this one tried to cram in too many boarding school cliches into 250ish pages. Maggie and David's love story doesn't develop at all except for the one kiss but it is so obvious that whatever she wants with her life, she is not happy enough with Stan.
The direct fatshaming in this book is not as bad as in Class but the only reason for that is that the previously fatshamed girl develops an eating disorder and loses quite a bit of weight (for which she receives many many compliments). Unintentionally, her behaviour pushes another girl into a similar eating disorder but since she was already a slim person she starts looking like a corpse. Only then does the book end up mentioning that this behaviour is not healthy and that she needs to eat and not starve herself.
I do not understand how this book portrays two girls who both lose a large amount of weight by solely eating fruit and skipping meals and only mentions the phenomenon 'eating disorder' for one of them. Fliss might have been in more direct danger physically due to already being skinny but Simone has also been starving herself and she has also taught herself that this behaviour towards food is ok. This is so problematic! It is even commented on how she is so much healthier now?! Should Simone just be able to stop this? That would suggest that a 'temporary eating disorder' is some form of losing weight?! Health is important and sometimes that means losing a bit of weight but I feel like this plotline is giving off the wrong impression.
I honestly still hoped this book would give me similar vibes as Malory Towers or St Clare's but it did not live up to those series. There are too many cliches (midnight feasts, outings with the boys' school, etc) in too few pages. On top of that, I actually think many of the characters are quite unlikable. Simone is amazing, and Fliss is less horrible this book but Alice and Zelda are both brats and we don't really get to know any of the other students. Maggie just can't make up her mind and is stressed alle time, Miss Starling is meant to be mean and Miranda is the annoying girlfriend. I was surprised to realise I actually enjoyed Veronica's plotline with her son and his family the most! Will read the next book to see where that goes and to see whether it can at least improve a little. Fingers crossed!
The direct fatshaming in this book is not as bad as in Class but the only reason for that is that the previously fatshamed girl develops an eating disorder and loses quite a bit of weight (for which she receives many many compliments). Unintentionally, her behaviour pushes another girl into a similar eating disorder but since she was already a slim person she starts looking like a corpse. Only then does the book end up mentioning that this behaviour is not healthy and that she needs to eat and not starve herself.
I do not understand how this book portrays two girls who both lose a large amount of weight by solely eating fruit and skipping meals and only mentions the phenomenon 'eating disorder' for one of them. Fliss might have been in more direct danger physically due to already being skinny but Simone has also been starving herself and she has also taught herself that this behaviour towards food is ok. This is so problematic! It is even commented on how she is so much healthier now?! Should Simone just be able to stop this? That would suggest that a 'temporary eating disorder' is some form of losing weight?! Health is important and sometimes that means losing a bit of weight but I feel like this plotline is giving off the wrong impression.
I honestly still hoped this book would give me similar vibes as Malory Towers or St Clare's but it did not live up to those series. There are too many cliches (midnight feasts, outings with the boys' school, etc) in too few pages. On top of that, I actually think many of the characters are quite unlikable. Simone is amazing, and Fliss is less horrible this book but Alice and Zelda are both brats and we don't really get to know any of the other students. Maggie just can't make up her mind and is stressed alle time, Miss Starling is meant to be mean and Miranda is the annoying girlfriend. I was surprised to realise I actually enjoyed Veronica's plotline with her son and his family the most! Will read the next book to see where that goes and to see whether it can at least improve a little. Fingers crossed!
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
May 14, 2023
This is the second book in the series and Maggie continues to have second thoughts about marrying Stan, and David is still in the picture. I think and hope in book 3, that David will take over the first spot in Maggie’s heart. Love the new girl Zelda, and glad that Simone decided to lose weight.
October 7, 2024
Dit deel sluit naadloos aan aan het vorige deel , en heeft dezelfde hoofdrol speelsters / spelers . Makkelijk leesvoer zonder veel diepgang , waarschijnlijk geschreven voor een wat jonger lezerspubliek .
August 24, 2022
I really enjoy boarding school reads and this one fell in the cozy genre so it's a nice book to relax too.
There are LOTS of characters in this one. Not sure if that's the norm for this author but holy smokes, I had to turn the page back a few times at the beginning to try and keep track of people.
I did have one big challenge with this story and that is they way that Colgan approached the issue of being overweight. Several times the reference of 'fat' was used and then a horrible diet which could cause real eating disorders in people was 'showcased' as the way to lose weight. Ugh, I hope there are no teenagers reading this book and getting a really inappropriate and harmful message!
Other than that, the book was very charming and this series is a good one for those readers who enjoy cozy reads.
There are LOTS of characters in this one. Not sure if that's the norm for this author but holy smokes, I had to turn the page back a few times at the beginning to try and keep track of people.
I did have one big challenge with this story and that is they way that Colgan approached the issue of being overweight. Several times the reference of 'fat' was used and then a horrible diet which could cause real eating disorders in people was 'showcased' as the way to lose weight. Ugh, I hope there are no teenagers reading this book and getting a really inappropriate and harmful message!
Other than that, the book was very charming and this series is a good one for those readers who enjoy cozy reads.
September 1, 2022
Jenny Colgan is my go to, favorite feel good author. I've started listening to her books and find I am enjoying them even more.
Rules at the School by the Sea was first published in 2010 across the pond, but has just been released by Harper Collins Audio.
Maggie is our lead character. She survived her first year as a teacher at a British girl's boarding school and year two is just beginning. Colgan's lead characters are always someone you'd like to be friends with in real life. What's different about this series is that a core group of her young charges are also given a voice. In the first book, I questioned the inclusion of the young teen's plotline, but their experiences are relevant and just as engaging and I was happy to see they were back. And of course there are stumbling blocks on Maggie's path, both personal and professional. There was one large question left hanging at the end of the first book and I was quite eager to see if things played out the way I wanted them to. There's a varied group of supporting players that have their own stories as well.
I really appreciate the continuity provided to a series by using the same narrator every time. In this case it's Jilly Bond who does an absolutely fantastic job! She provides unique and distinctive voices for all of the characters. It's easy to suss out who is speaking. She captures the personalities of all the characters - young, old, male and female with her voice and I easily created vivid mental images of each one. She portrays the emotions of the characters as well. Her accents are easy to understand and quite pleasant to listen to. A great job bringing a wonderful story to life! You could certainly listen to this as a stand alone, but I enjoy starting at the beginning of a series. And this listener is eager to listen to the next book!
Rules at the School by the Sea was first published in 2010 across the pond, but has just been released by Harper Collins Audio.
Maggie is our lead character. She survived her first year as a teacher at a British girl's boarding school and year two is just beginning. Colgan's lead characters are always someone you'd like to be friends with in real life. What's different about this series is that a core group of her young charges are also given a voice. In the first book, I questioned the inclusion of the young teen's plotline, but their experiences are relevant and just as engaging and I was happy to see they were back. And of course there are stumbling blocks on Maggie's path, both personal and professional. There was one large question left hanging at the end of the first book and I was quite eager to see if things played out the way I wanted them to. There's a varied group of supporting players that have their own stories as well.
I really appreciate the continuity provided to a series by using the same narrator every time. In this case it's Jilly Bond who does an absolutely fantastic job! She provides unique and distinctive voices for all of the characters. It's easy to suss out who is speaking. She captures the personalities of all the characters - young, old, male and female with her voice and I easily created vivid mental images of each one. She portrays the emotions of the characters as well. Her accents are easy to understand and quite pleasant to listen to. A great job bringing a wonderful story to life! You could certainly listen to this as a stand alone, but I enjoy starting at the beginning of a series. And this listener is eager to listen to the next book!
August 2, 2020
I was hooked when I saw the blurb, like Malory Towers for grown-ups, and it really is.
Maggie Adair is a schoolteacher from Glasgow who swapped her rough inner city Glasgow comprehensive school for a position as English teacher at an exclusive girls' boarding school called Downey House in Cornwall.
I have to confess I binge-read all three books in a few days so my recollection of the events of individual books is a little hazy - this is the one with the American schoolgirl and Fliss' crush on her big sister's friend - but I know I loved them.
So if you wished that Enid Blyton had written books for adults then this lovely series could be the one for you.
Maggie Adair is a schoolteacher from Glasgow who swapped her rough inner city Glasgow comprehensive school for a position as English teacher at an exclusive girls' boarding school called Downey House in Cornwall.
I have to confess I binge-read all three books in a few days so my recollection of the events of individual books is a little hazy - this is the one with the American schoolgirl and Fliss' crush on her big sister's friend - but I know I loved them.
So if you wished that Enid Blyton had written books for adults then this lovely series could be the one for you.
September 19, 2025
Inte en av Jennys bästa böcker men de vill ändå läsa de kommande.
July 10, 2023
Loved this sequel by a favorite author. Scottish Maggie Adair continues her life as an English teacher at a girls boarding school in Cornwall by the sea.
June 10, 2023
so many cheesy elements but I can’t get enough!
November 19, 2024
Lekker luchtig boek. Vond deze leuker dan deel 1 :)
August 8, 2023
Jaaa, gelukkig mocht ik ook deel 2 in de Kostschool aan zee serie van Jenny Colgan lezen. Over deel 1 was ik niet lyrisch, toch was ik wel nieuwsgierig naar het vervolg van het verhaal. Gelukkig mocht ik ook deze lezen van @zininfeelgood en @lsamsterdam.
Ook deel 2 vind ik qua schrijfstijl niet super, met alle verschillende perspectieven zo kort op elkaar. Toch voelt het goed en lekker om het verhaal verder te lezen. Voor mij zit hem dat in de karakters, hun perikelen en daarbij ontwikkeling, samen met de setting van de school en het schooljaar. Dit en een goede cliffhanger aan het eind, zorgen ervoor dat deel 3 nu ook op mijn TBR staat 🥰
Ook deel 2 vind ik qua schrijfstijl niet super, met alle verschillende perspectieven zo kort op elkaar. Toch voelt het goed en lekker om het verhaal verder te lezen. Voor mij zit hem dat in de karakters, hun perikelen en daarbij ontwikkeling, samen met de setting van de school en het schooljaar. Dit en een goede cliffhanger aan het eind, zorgen ervoor dat deel 3 nu ook op mijn TBR staat 🥰
March 18, 2023
I have loved Jenny Colgan’s other series but this one falls flat for me. I was hopeful the story would pick up from the first school by the sea book, but the fat shaming of Simone continues and is increasingly problematic. The way in which Simone not eating versus Felicity not eating is written and talked about is appalling. Skipping meals IS NEVER OKAY. Fat shaming is not okay!!
December 23, 2023
Vier sterren, niet omdat het verhaal zo goed is (want dat is nogal voorspelbaar).
Vier sterren omdat het een heerlijk modern meisjesboek is in de geest van Pitty en De dolle tweeling.
Vier sterren omdat het een heerlijk modern meisjesboek is in de geest van Pitty en De dolle tweeling.
March 21, 2017
Growing up I loved Enid Blyton and obsessively dreamed that one day I too would head to Mallory Towers and bathe in the saltwater pool and see the famous castle-like school. That's why this series should be my own personal catnip; after all, I regularly reread all my Noel Streatfeilds, Lorna Hills and, prized full sets of Antonia Forrest and Chalet School. But I don't reread Enid Blyton. They were fun when I was 8, but they don't have enough depth of character to appeal to adult readers although they're perfect for their target audience! And I think that's where this series falls short for me- it's fine, it's entertaining, it's a boarding school book for grown ups and so yay! Auto buy. But it just doesn't have the depth that the best of the genre (Antonia Forrest) has.
The entwined storylines are done well, it's fun to see the girls growing a little, I love the head and her heartwarming subplot, in my head David looks like David Tennant (and as the author is a Dr Who fan I suspect he does in her head too) and that is no bad thing; but Maggie, the main character is really problematic for a couple of reasons. 1. I'm sure there really are families out there who want nothing more to drag people down but how much nicer would it be to see her family applauding her achievements and let the conflict not be imposed on her from outside and 2. for a love triangle to work all sides need to be equal and here they just aren't. Occasionally we are told Stan is sweet but he comes across as a controlling, cheating, violent slob and given that Maggie lives away from him I cannot understand how she can keep burying her doubts (which she does a lot) and thinks marrying him is a good idea - and only contemplates not going through with the wedding when David shows interest. I'd take the will they won't they nature of Maggie and David's relationship more seriously without Stan as an external plot device who makes little sense.
It's world poetry day today and I came across this on Twitter http://tristamateer.com/post/11627158... and it sums up my problem with any plot when women allow themselves to beheld back by unworthy men.
Having said all that romance, boarding schools, I'll buy the next, I'll probably buy the whole series but I hope Maggie sorts herself out long before we hit the Upper Sixth!
The entwined storylines are done well, it's fun to see the girls growing a little, I love the head and her heartwarming subplot, in my head David looks like David Tennant (and as the author is a Dr Who fan I suspect he does in her head too) and that is no bad thing; but Maggie, the main character is really problematic for a couple of reasons. 1. I'm sure there really are families out there who want nothing more to drag people down but how much nicer would it be to see her family applauding her achievements and let the conflict not be imposed on her from outside and 2. for a love triangle to work all sides need to be equal and here they just aren't. Occasionally we are told Stan is sweet but he comes across as a controlling, cheating, violent slob and given that Maggie lives away from him I cannot understand how she can keep burying her doubts (which she does a lot) and thinks marrying him is a good idea - and only contemplates not going through with the wedding when David shows interest. I'd take the will they won't they nature of Maggie and David's relationship more seriously without Stan as an external plot device who makes little sense.
It's world poetry day today and I came across this on Twitter http://tristamateer.com/post/11627158... and it sums up my problem with any plot when women allow themselves to beheld back by unworthy men.
Having said all that romance, boarding schools, I'll buy the next, I'll probably buy the whole series but I hope Maggie sorts herself out long before we hit the Upper Sixth!
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
October 30, 2025
I liked that this book was set at a boarding school. The bullying was displayed in a realistic way.
The starvation diet was concerning. I held my breath for this character, that they would discover the danger in this lifestyle. I felt this theme was well handled throughout. I loved that there was proper care taken once the adults realized what was going on. The view from other students’ perspectives about the dieting girl (looks sick or anorexic rather than the attractive thin she thought) felt realistic and helpful in pointing out the faulty thinking of needing to do the starvation diet.
NOTE: If you are on a starvation diet, please seek immediate help to get back to normal eating. Starvation diets are deadly.
The romance was not my favorite, but I did like the sweet scene at the train.
Content: bar, alcohol, crude sexual talk, expletives, profanity (French and English), Catholicism, suggestive material
The starvation diet was concerning. I held my breath for this character, that they would discover the danger in this lifestyle. I felt this theme was well handled throughout. I loved that there was proper care taken once the adults realized what was going on. The view from other students’ perspectives about the dieting girl (looks sick or anorexic rather than the attractive thin she thought) felt realistic and helpful in pointing out the faulty thinking of needing to do the starvation diet.
NOTE: If you are on a starvation diet, please seek immediate help to get back to normal eating. Starvation diets are deadly.
The romance was not my favorite, but I did like the sweet scene at the train.
Content: bar, alcohol, crude sexual talk, expletives, profanity (French and English), Catholicism, suggestive material
October 4, 2024
kuuntelin äänikirjana.
viihdyin tämänkin parissa. harmittaa vaan tosi paljon se läskivihan määrä tässä kirjassa sekä se kyinka nornalisoivaan sävyyn läskivihaa käsiteltiin, ihan kuin se kirjailijan mielestä olis ok. ymmärrän että laihdutuskulttuurin vaikutukset kirjan tapahtumavuosina ovat näyttäytyneet vahvasti läskivihana sekä laihuuden ja ”itsekurin” (=epäterveen rajottamisen ja syömättömyyden) ihannoimisena. mutta nämä oli kirjassa niin räikeästi esillä, eivätkä todellakaan enää nykypäivää. eikä näiden olisi koskaa pitänytkään olla ok. tämä valitettavasti vähän pilasi mun nautintoa muuten niin kivan tarinan, monipuolisten hahmojen ja sulavan tekstin parissa.
aiheet ovat toki todella tärkeitä. jos tapaa, jolla näitä teemoja kirjassa esiteltiin oltaisiin muutettu hiukan sensitiivisempään muotoon, tämä olisi ollut kokonaisuutena onnistuneempi.
viihdyin tämänkin parissa. harmittaa vaan tosi paljon se läskivihan määrä tässä kirjassa sekä se kyinka nornalisoivaan sävyyn läskivihaa käsiteltiin, ihan kuin se kirjailijan mielestä olis ok. ymmärrän että laihdutuskulttuurin vaikutukset kirjan tapahtumavuosina ovat näyttäytyneet vahvasti läskivihana sekä laihuuden ja ”itsekurin” (=epäterveen rajottamisen ja syömättömyyden) ihannoimisena. mutta nämä oli kirjassa niin räikeästi esillä, eivätkä todellakaan enää nykypäivää. eikä näiden olisi koskaa pitänytkään olla ok. tämä valitettavasti vähän pilasi mun nautintoa muuten niin kivan tarinan, monipuolisten hahmojen ja sulavan tekstin parissa.
aiheet ovat toki todella tärkeitä. jos tapaa, jolla näitä teemoja kirjassa esiteltiin oltaisiin muutettu hiukan sensitiivisempään muotoon, tämä olisi ollut kokonaisuutena onnistuneempi.
November 11, 2019
An enjoyable follow on from Class. Maggie Adair has returned to the School for a second year as English Teacher as have her form. This is a very stereotypical journey through boarding school life - there's romance, heartbreak, confusion (amazing how many people in books tend to get the wrong end of the stick and don't communicate) and eating disorders. If you can suspend believe though, you will have a thoroughly enjoyable time reading this book. Just go with it and enjoy the ride.
March 16, 2023
UGH. I strongly dislike reading books with characters that make stupid decisions and this book was FULL of them. I honestly didn’t really like anybody in this book. Which was super frustrating. I mean it’s good that they were human, which I suppose is good, just hard to read. Aaannd it came across a little “I’m dragging this out just because this is a series and not a standalone book.” However, I liked it enough to finish the series, which is why I can’t rate it below a 3 😅
July 30, 2024
I was so excited for this book but it was a bit disappointing. Only for the fact that I can’t stand Maggie, although I love the rest of the main characters!
I just HATE the cheating trope and they just all went and did just that? ALL OF THEM?
This fact really made the book a bit frustrating and hard to enjoy.
But I love the school and how real teenage lives are portrayed!
Definitely reading the next soon.
I just HATE the cheating trope and they just all went and did just that? ALL OF THEM?
This fact really made the book a bit frustrating and hard to enjoy.
But I love the school and how real teenage lives are portrayed!
Definitely reading the next soon.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
May 18, 2017
It was lovely to read the second book in this series it was an easy read and funny at times but had a serious note at times to. Great to hear more about Maggie as she goes into her second year working in the school she's due to get married to Stan but can she get someone else out of her head or not. A new pupil joins the school but it's hard for everyone to stick by the rules and how does the year go. Well written and hope they have more in the series coming out.
September 4, 2023
Second Book of the School by the Sea series written by Jenny Colgan. I am working my way through her various series. For such a prolific writer, she is interesting to me because of the English and Scottish characters, food, speech, etc. I always like boarding school stories. Same characters as the first book, "Welcome to the School by the Sea", but the next year of school. Easy read, but interesting.
January 9, 2023
Love the setting… boarding school in the English countryside by the sea. Very fun read.
May 14, 2023
I generally like Jenny Colgan’s books a lot but I confess to be not as enthused with this School by the Sea series. They’re ok but the “will they or won’t they” nonsense between Maggie and David wears thin after awhile. I hope she writes other books that are not part of this series soon.
March 27, 2024
It's cute, very light. I probably wouldn't continue, but it's a trilogy and so I have to keep reading, so I can have the satisfaction of the ending that I know is coming.
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