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The School for Dangerous Girls
Girl, Interrupted . . . as written by V. C. Andrews.
Angela's parents think she's on the road to ruin because she's dating a "bad boy." After her behavior gets too much for them, they ship her off to Hidden Oak. Isolated and isolating, Hidden Oak promises to rehabilitate "dangerous girls." But as Angela gets drawn in further and further, she discovers that recovery is only on the agenda for the "better" girls. The other girls -- designated as "the purple thread" -- will instead be manipulated to become more and more dangerous . . . and more and more reliant on Hidden Oak's care.
Angela's parents think she's on the road to ruin because she's dating a "bad boy." After her behavior gets too much for them, they ship her off to Hidden Oak. Isolated and isolating, Hidden Oak promises to rehabilitate "dangerous girls." But as Angela gets drawn in further and further, she discovers that recovery is only on the agenda for the "better" girls. The other girls -- designated as "the purple thread" -- will instead be manipulated to become more and more dangerous . . . and more and more reliant on Hidden Oak's care.
341 pages, Hardcover
First published March 1, 2009
49 people are currently reading
1962 people want to read
About the author
Eliot Schrefer
43 books1,642 followersELIOT SCHREFER is a New York Times-bestselling author, and has twice been a finalist for the National Book Award. In naming him an Editor’s Choice, the New York Times has called his work “dazzling… big-hearted.” He is also the author of two novels for adults and four other novels for children and young adults. His books have been named to the NPR “best of the year” list, the ALA best fiction list for young adults, and the Chicago Public Library’s “Best of the Best.” His work has also been selected to the Amelia Bloomer List, recognizing best feminist books for young readers, and he has been a finalist for the Walden Award and won the Green Earth Book Award and Sigurd Olson Nature Writing Award. He lives in New York City, where he reviews books for USAToday.
Also: I love marshmallows and early twentieth century fiction. And apes.
Also: I love marshmallows and early twentieth century fiction. And apes.
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January 24, 2019
2.5 stars, rounded up just to make myself feel better about giving so many two-stars lately. as though that's my fault.
Girl, Interrupted . . . as written by V. C. Andrews.
that's what they told me this would be. which is a fantastic hook, if only it were true. it's not untrue, it is just a very surface-comparison. and this book is all surface. it presents itself as being composed of all good things:
boarding school novel?? yes, please
girls gone wild?? yes, please
and yet, once you start looking under the hood, the parts are all plasticky and corroded.
it starts out great - we have a hardcore last-chance boarding school for bad girls whose parents are at their wit's end and have shipped them off to hidden oaks - a school with a reputation for reforming even the worst troublemakers into refined young ladies. it's a spectrum of troubled girls - criminals, self-harmers, girls with eating disorders and the sexually promiscuous, or those who may have attractions their parents find unseemly. the only unifying trait is that these girls are here, involuntarily, for a minimum of eighteen months.
the freshman orientation process begins with a stripping of distractions - the new girls are isolated from the outside world by taking their cell phones and all of their possessions, monitoring what correspondence they get to see coming from the outside, limiting their ability to contact the outside world, and forbidding them from discussing their pasts, including the reason they were sent away. the normal restrictions apply - they are made to wear uniforms, forbidden make-up, hair dye, contact lenses, there are cameras in all of the rooms, and they are required to attend therapy sessions and classes both academic and etiquette-based. but hidden oaks goes even further, taking the girls who are on meds off of them, except in life-threatening cases. this is the first hint that we are in crazytown.
"Most of you have been informed that you're chemically depressed. For a minority of you, this might actually be the case. The rest of you have been misdiagnosed. What you are is negatively minded, which is not the same as chemical depression. You are dishonest with your most basic self. Once we refocus your mind, these depressive symptoms should subside.
We will not accept self-pathologizing as an excuse for bad behavior. If you get an F on an essay because it isn't finished, do not claim you have attention deficit disorder. You got an F because you didn't work long enough or hard enough. Due to chronic overuse, we will not be prescribing any attention-focusing medications. None."
the girls are further isolated by the staff's practice of putting them through a series of prisoner's dilemma-style psychological exercises, pitting them against each other, where they are secretly monitored for their individual capacity for socialization, and which naturally results in exclusion and feelings of betrayal and victimization through the ranks, which is pretty much what you don't want to be setting loose into an environment of delinquents. the girls are also punished with solitary confinement, or being locked in the walk-in freezer for infractions, and sometimes girls who have misbehaved just … vanish.
the girls who make it through this orientation period are allowed to join the greater population of the school as "gold threads." those who are deemed unfit are known as "purple threads," and their situation is pretty similar to what Lord of the Flies devolved into, with fewer bonfires.
i was still on board at this point. it was unrealistic as hell, but it was funrealistic, where you're meeting all the bad girls and getting the lay of the land, enjoying the "us vs. them" dynamic, and wondering what fresh hells will emerge from this horrific situation. i liked the characters, and their skirting of the rules, meeting late at night in a treehouse to share their pasts and form the "coven," which should have been a cool girlgang sisterhood situation.
but there were little things that nagged at me - at first, just the lack of details. angela's boyfriend trevor, who is pretty much responsible for her getting sent to hidden oaks is a cipher, to the extent that for a long time, i didn't believe he really existed. (he does.) for all this being a story about girls who have had shady pasts, we don't really get much of angela's past at all. we get the incident that got her sent here, but as far as her relationship with trevor, with her family, we basically just get an outline. we learn that her cousin is also somewhere at the school, but even that fact will only come back when it is needed to drive the plot, and the nature of her relationship with her cousin just isn't there.
like i said, this book is all surface, all superficial. and then it goes off the rails into the kind of unreality that is insulting, and no longer fun.
because as much fun as the purple thread girls' completely unsupervised domain of violent bullying and unwashed freedom is in theory, even the most accommodating reader in terms of "suspension of disbelief" and grains of salt-having can't possibly accept this. crazytown. this school would have been shut down in like a year. and i know this is just a silly YA book, but it's worth noting that even in a silly YA book, this could have been addressed instead of just assuming the reader will accept this as "it's just a book, don't be so critical." because while it's harder to explain the whys and hows, it can be done, and it would have been a much stronger book that acknowledged the likely consequences instead of assuming the audience wouldn't ask these very basic questions. and angela's falling for the ONLY guy in the book in her age range is lame. we don't need a romance subplot here, and it feels tacked on and unimaginative and that this is what happens when boys write books about girls. and good lord, the staff here. it's all so black-and-white, good-and-evil. soooooo much unmitigated evil, you can practically hear the mustaches twirling. and mr. derrian - he's a good guy but he's been keeping his mouth shut because tenure?? and really, what did the thing that happened when hidden oaks was a boys' school really have to do with anything, even leaving aside the silliness and convenience of having a box of evidence just happen to be sitting in an otherwise empty attic? it contributed nothing to the story of angela and the girls except and and WORST OF ALL, the ending - and THAT, my friends, is what dropped this from a 3 to a 2.5.
and to whomever ripped out pages 75-76 and pages 223-224 in my library copy of this book, I HOPE YOU'RE REAL PROUD OF YOURSELF!
come to my blog!
Girl, Interrupted . . . as written by V. C. Andrews.
that's what they told me this would be. which is a fantastic hook, if only it were true. it's not untrue, it is just a very surface-comparison. and this book is all surface. it presents itself as being composed of all good things:
boarding school novel?? yes, please
girls gone wild?? yes, please
and yet, once you start looking under the hood, the parts are all plasticky and corroded.
it starts out great - we have a hardcore last-chance boarding school for bad girls whose parents are at their wit's end and have shipped them off to hidden oaks - a school with a reputation for reforming even the worst troublemakers into refined young ladies. it's a spectrum of troubled girls - criminals, self-harmers, girls with eating disorders and the sexually promiscuous, or those who may have attractions their parents find unseemly. the only unifying trait is that these girls are here, involuntarily, for a minimum of eighteen months.
the freshman orientation process begins with a stripping of distractions - the new girls are isolated from the outside world by taking their cell phones and all of their possessions, monitoring what correspondence they get to see coming from the outside, limiting their ability to contact the outside world, and forbidding them from discussing their pasts, including the reason they were sent away. the normal restrictions apply - they are made to wear uniforms, forbidden make-up, hair dye, contact lenses, there are cameras in all of the rooms, and they are required to attend therapy sessions and classes both academic and etiquette-based. but hidden oaks goes even further, taking the girls who are on meds off of them, except in life-threatening cases. this is the first hint that we are in crazytown.
"Most of you have been informed that you're chemically depressed. For a minority of you, this might actually be the case. The rest of you have been misdiagnosed. What you are is negatively minded, which is not the same as chemical depression. You are dishonest with your most basic self. Once we refocus your mind, these depressive symptoms should subside.
We will not accept self-pathologizing as an excuse for bad behavior. If you get an F on an essay because it isn't finished, do not claim you have attention deficit disorder. You got an F because you didn't work long enough or hard enough. Due to chronic overuse, we will not be prescribing any attention-focusing medications. None."
the girls are further isolated by the staff's practice of putting them through a series of prisoner's dilemma-style psychological exercises, pitting them against each other, where they are secretly monitored for their individual capacity for socialization, and which naturally results in exclusion and feelings of betrayal and victimization through the ranks, which is pretty much what you don't want to be setting loose into an environment of delinquents. the girls are also punished with solitary confinement, or being locked in the walk-in freezer for infractions, and sometimes girls who have misbehaved just … vanish.
the girls who make it through this orientation period are allowed to join the greater population of the school as "gold threads." those who are deemed unfit are known as "purple threads," and their situation is pretty similar to what Lord of the Flies devolved into, with fewer bonfires.
i was still on board at this point. it was unrealistic as hell, but it was funrealistic, where you're meeting all the bad girls and getting the lay of the land, enjoying the "us vs. them" dynamic, and wondering what fresh hells will emerge from this horrific situation. i liked the characters, and their skirting of the rules, meeting late at night in a treehouse to share their pasts and form the "coven," which should have been a cool girlgang sisterhood situation.
but there were little things that nagged at me - at first, just the lack of details. angela's boyfriend trevor, who is pretty much responsible for her getting sent to hidden oaks is a cipher, to the extent that for a long time, i didn't believe he really existed. (he does.) for all this being a story about girls who have had shady pasts, we don't really get much of angela's past at all. we get the incident that got her sent here, but as far as her relationship with trevor, with her family, we basically just get an outline. we learn that her cousin is also somewhere at the school, but even that fact will only come back when it is needed to drive the plot, and the nature of her relationship with her cousin just isn't there.
like i said, this book is all surface, all superficial. and then it goes off the rails into the kind of unreality that is insulting, and no longer fun.
because as much fun as the purple thread girls' completely unsupervised domain of violent bullying and unwashed freedom is in theory, even the most accommodating reader in terms of "suspension of disbelief" and grains of salt-having can't possibly accept this. crazytown. this school would have been shut down in like a year. and i know this is just a silly YA book, but it's worth noting that even in a silly YA book, this could have been addressed instead of just assuming the reader will accept this as "it's just a book, don't be so critical." because while it's harder to explain the whys and hows, it can be done, and it would have been a much stronger book that acknowledged the likely consequences instead of assuming the audience wouldn't ask these very basic questions. and angela's falling for the ONLY guy in the book in her age range is lame. we don't need a romance subplot here, and it feels tacked on and unimaginative and that this is what happens when boys write books about girls. and good lord, the staff here. it's all so black-and-white, good-and-evil. soooooo much unmitigated evil, you can practically hear the mustaches twirling. and mr. derrian - he's a good guy but he's been keeping his mouth shut because tenure?? and really, what did the thing that happened when hidden oaks was a boys' school really have to do with anything, even leaving aside the silliness and convenience of having a box of evidence just happen to be sitting in an otherwise empty attic? it contributed nothing to the story of angela and the girls except and and WORST OF ALL, the ending - and THAT, my friends, is what dropped this from a 3 to a 2.5.
and to whomever ripped out pages 75-76 and pages 223-224 in my library copy of this book, I HOPE YOU'RE REAL PROUD OF YOURSELF!
come to my blog!
January 7, 2014
So here's what I love about Schrefer's books*: These characters are black, white, Hispanic, Jewish, fat, thin, average, meek, criminals, complicated. Sometimes they're sympathetic; sometimes they're not; they aren't always meant to be sympathetic. They're mostly straight, and they'd rather have more boys around, but the book doesn't end with the narrator riding off into the sunset with a boy. The girls rely on themselves.
This should not be exceptional. But it is, because the trend in YA fiction is towards straight, white girls with thin or average bodies -- unless sexuality, race, or weight is a major theme of the book -- who ultimately end up with a sweet, smart, save-the-day boy. So I loved this for not only breaking with the trend but for doing it casually -- the characters' races and body types and gender identity and financial status (etc., etc.) influence them, but each of those is just one facet.
Plot-wise, I did want more. I wanted to know what happened when gold-thread students graduated (or purple-thread students, for that matter); I wanted to know what happened to the school in the end; I wanted to know more about the mystery surrounding Heath. I suppose I wanted the breeding group to be more nefarious. I wanted to learn more about the girls who were in the gold thread. It's probably a three-and-a-half-star book for me, if that were possible here. But for what it is, shoot, I'm sold.
*Bearing in mind that I've only read two of them so far.
This should not be exceptional. But it is, because the trend in YA fiction is towards straight, white girls with thin or average bodies -- unless sexuality, race, or weight is a major theme of the book -- who ultimately end up with a sweet, smart, save-the-day boy. So I loved this for not only breaking with the trend but for doing it casually -- the characters' races and body types and gender identity and financial status (etc., etc.) influence them, but each of those is just one facet.
Plot-wise, I did want more. I wanted to know what happened when gold-thread students graduated (or purple-thread students, for that matter); I wanted to know what happened to the school in the end; I wanted to know more about the mystery surrounding Heath. I suppose I wanted the breeding group to be more nefarious. I wanted to learn more about the girls who were in the gold thread. It's probably a three-and-a-half-star book for me, if that were possible here. But for what it is, shoot, I'm sold.
*Bearing in mind that I've only read two of them so far.
January 6, 2009
Reviewed by Jaglvr for TeensReadToo.com
I must state at the beginning that I try to avoid reading other reviews of a book before I am able to give them a proper reading myself. However, with THE SCHOOL FOR DANGEROUS GIRLS, I glanced at some reviews posted on Amazon. Having read the mixed reviews, I went into this book with a bit of hesitancy. However, I am pleased to say that I totally disagree with the majority of the reviews that I found. From early on in the book, I was drawn into the intrigue that Angela Cardenas encounters upon her arrival at Hidden Oak.
Angela is sent packing to Hidden Oak after her parents blame her for the unfortunate death of her grandfather. All her life, Angela has been considered unruly and headstrong. Her parents had sent her to live with her grandfather in Texas when he fell ill because they didn't want to deal with her any longer. But when her grandfather dies, she is sent to Hidden Oak. Hidden Oak is a last resort for many girls that are classified as "dangerous."
Upon arrival, Angela, along with the other new students, is sent to the mansion. They are to spend a month there under watchful eyes and locked doors. As the month winds down, some girls are removed and sent elsewhere. Angela and those that remain question the methods of the school and where the other girls have gone.
Finally, Angela is sent off as well. It turns out that to be sent off is a good thing as those girls are the "gold thread," able to be rehabilitated. The girls that remain are considered the "purple thread" girls and are not to be mentioned ever again.
It doesn't take long for Angela to create waves in the main school. She searches for her cousin, Pilar, who had been sent to the school previously. She disagrees with the horrible punishments that the staff dishes out. And she questions what has become of her friends that remained at the mansion.
With the aid of a roommate that should not have been sent to Hidden Oak in the first place, and the son of one of the professors, Angela sets out to discover the truth of the purple thread girls and to let the outside world know what happens behind the doors of Hidden Oak.
Mr. Schrefer writes a compelling and page-turning novel. The story is dark and mysterious, and had me up late one night trying to finish it. The world Angela is thrust into makes the reader question if the methods of the school are encouraging rehabilitation in any of the students, or creating worse girls for society.
For any fan of Gothic, dark, gripping action, THE SCHOOL FOR DANGEROUS GIRLS should not be missed.
I must state at the beginning that I try to avoid reading other reviews of a book before I am able to give them a proper reading myself. However, with THE SCHOOL FOR DANGEROUS GIRLS, I glanced at some reviews posted on Amazon. Having read the mixed reviews, I went into this book with a bit of hesitancy. However, I am pleased to say that I totally disagree with the majority of the reviews that I found. From early on in the book, I was drawn into the intrigue that Angela Cardenas encounters upon her arrival at Hidden Oak.
Angela is sent packing to Hidden Oak after her parents blame her for the unfortunate death of her grandfather. All her life, Angela has been considered unruly and headstrong. Her parents had sent her to live with her grandfather in Texas when he fell ill because they didn't want to deal with her any longer. But when her grandfather dies, she is sent to Hidden Oak. Hidden Oak is a last resort for many girls that are classified as "dangerous."
Upon arrival, Angela, along with the other new students, is sent to the mansion. They are to spend a month there under watchful eyes and locked doors. As the month winds down, some girls are removed and sent elsewhere. Angela and those that remain question the methods of the school and where the other girls have gone.
Finally, Angela is sent off as well. It turns out that to be sent off is a good thing as those girls are the "gold thread," able to be rehabilitated. The girls that remain are considered the "purple thread" girls and are not to be mentioned ever again.
It doesn't take long for Angela to create waves in the main school. She searches for her cousin, Pilar, who had been sent to the school previously. She disagrees with the horrible punishments that the staff dishes out. And she questions what has become of her friends that remained at the mansion.
With the aid of a roommate that should not have been sent to Hidden Oak in the first place, and the son of one of the professors, Angela sets out to discover the truth of the purple thread girls and to let the outside world know what happens behind the doors of Hidden Oak.
Mr. Schrefer writes a compelling and page-turning novel. The story is dark and mysterious, and had me up late one night trying to finish it. The world Angela is thrust into makes the reader question if the methods of the school are encouraging rehabilitation in any of the students, or creating worse girls for society.
For any fan of Gothic, dark, gripping action, THE SCHOOL FOR DANGEROUS GIRLS should not be missed.
October 31, 2008
Hidden oak is a reform school for dangerous girls. But even if it was founded with good intentions, its methods are questionable, as Angela Cardenas discovers within hours of arriving at the isolated campus. The school is structured like a jail, intended to keep the “dangerous” girls in and intruders out. Physical punishment and strange psychological exercises are commonplace. No one really knows what’s going on, but it soon becomes apparent that there is no escape from Hidden Oak. And even if some of the girls have been deemed capable of getting better, the others’ situations have been manipulated so these girls seem even more dangerous than ever, especially to outside eyes. It’s an endless cycle that feeds itself; it’s a dangerous incarcerating institution—and some girls are inmates for life.
Although The School for Dangerous Girls was based on an intriguing concept, the execution and development of the story were unsatisfactory. Angela’s character is hardly developed, so it was difficult to get any sense of who she was as a person, even from her memories and actions. The only sympathy I could muster for her was linked to the innate wrongness of the school and not because of Angela’s reactions to her situation. Many of the characters weren’t consistent either; they seemed to change for no apparent reason. The most promising aspect of this novel could’ve been the plot, as the ideas behind it were quite interesting; unfortunately, while some of it was credible, the rest of it was either impossible to believe or just didn’t make sense. I think I could’ve overlooked the poor plot execution and character development had there been a strong overarching theme or message, but this story was lacking in this area as well. I felt kind of removed from the story as I read it, and this The School for Dangerous Girls gave me the impression of a wacky psychological experiment gone wrong, and not just because of the story’s topic. Whatever purpose Schrefer was trying to accomplish through this story was lost on me.
I do not recommend The School for Dangerous Girls unless you want to extract some enjoyment from its small amount of plot value. If this subject sounds interesting to you, I instead suggest The Summoning by Kelley Armstrong.
reposted from http://thebookmuncher.blogspot.com
Although The School for Dangerous Girls was based on an intriguing concept, the execution and development of the story were unsatisfactory. Angela’s character is hardly developed, so it was difficult to get any sense of who she was as a person, even from her memories and actions. The only sympathy I could muster for her was linked to the innate wrongness of the school and not because of Angela’s reactions to her situation. Many of the characters weren’t consistent either; they seemed to change for no apparent reason. The most promising aspect of this novel could’ve been the plot, as the ideas behind it were quite interesting; unfortunately, while some of it was credible, the rest of it was either impossible to believe or just didn’t make sense. I think I could’ve overlooked the poor plot execution and character development had there been a strong overarching theme or message, but this story was lacking in this area as well. I felt kind of removed from the story as I read it, and this The School for Dangerous Girls gave me the impression of a wacky psychological experiment gone wrong, and not just because of the story’s topic. Whatever purpose Schrefer was trying to accomplish through this story was lost on me.
I do not recommend The School for Dangerous Girls unless you want to extract some enjoyment from its small amount of plot value. If this subject sounds interesting to you, I instead suggest The Summoning by Kelley Armstrong.
reposted from http://thebookmuncher.blogspot.com
August 5, 2010
http://scholarberry.blogspot.com/
"She blamed me. And now, I was going to get punished."
Angela Cardenas isn't your typical teenager who just get in some troubles in her life. Her whole life basically defines trouble.
The School for Dangerous Girls by Eliot Schrefer is about Hidden Oak Academy for Dangerous Girls. Schrefer gives the glimpses of events that lead Angela to be enrolled in Hidden Oak.
All the Hidden Oak Academy girls did something bad enough for their parents/guardians to give consent to Hidden Oak's staff to do, well, anything to discipline them.
There's Dr. Zsilinska, Angela's counselor who just listens and talk in a circle. There's Juin, who has been to Hidden Oak and know all these things before.
There's Hidden Oak; the school that imprison its girls within.
In Hidden Oak's orientation, the counselors would make the girls fight among themselves to show their true colors. Then they judge whether each girl belongs to the Golden or the Purple thread.
The less dangerous you are--say, probably an emotional breakdown that made your parents think you're crazy--the more likely you'll be in Golden thread.
Angela was probably one of the most innocent, isn't she? But her motto in her whole life has been to stay as dangerous as possible. This book is about survival of the fittest in Hidden Oak; the hell of teenage crimes, and the teenager's solution to societal expectations.
What I love about this book: It was really about survival. The mystery in the beginning definitely build up the story and made you just want to read further and further. It was set in a good pace, and although it was a middle grade book (not too easy, not too hard--vocab wise) it was still thrilling. I love it.
What I dislike: The ending wasn't..exactly proper. I was hoping for...more about the Hidden Oak's fate at the end (you'll know what I mean when you read the book--since I'm not gonna spoil it for you...). I wouldn't mind reading another 50-100 pages about the ending, because it was just such an interesting book.
http://scholarberry.blogspot.com/
"She blamed me. And now, I was going to get punished."
Angela Cardenas isn't your typical teenager who just get in some troubles in her life. Her whole life basically defines trouble.
The School for Dangerous Girls by Eliot Schrefer is about Hidden Oak Academy for Dangerous Girls. Schrefer gives the glimpses of events that lead Angela to be enrolled in Hidden Oak.
All the Hidden Oak Academy girls did something bad enough for their parents/guardians to give consent to Hidden Oak's staff to do, well, anything to discipline them.
There's Dr. Zsilinska, Angela's counselor who just listens and talk in a circle. There's Juin, who has been to Hidden Oak and know all these things before.
There's Hidden Oak; the school that imprison its girls within.
In Hidden Oak's orientation, the counselors would make the girls fight among themselves to show their true colors. Then they judge whether each girl belongs to the Golden or the Purple thread.
The less dangerous you are--say, probably an emotional breakdown that made your parents think you're crazy--the more likely you'll be in Golden thread.
Angela was probably one of the most innocent, isn't she? But her motto in her whole life has been to stay as dangerous as possible. This book is about survival of the fittest in Hidden Oak; the hell of teenage crimes, and the teenager's solution to societal expectations.
What I love about this book: It was really about survival. The mystery in the beginning definitely build up the story and made you just want to read further and further. It was set in a good pace, and although it was a middle grade book (not too easy, not too hard--vocab wise) it was still thrilling. I love it.
What I dislike: The ending wasn't..exactly proper. I was hoping for...more about the Hidden Oak's fate at the end (you'll know what I mean when you read the book--since I'm not gonna spoil it for you...). I wouldn't mind reading another 50-100 pages about the ending, because it was just such an interesting book.
http://scholarberry.blogspot.com/
February 21, 2009
I signed up for a book giveaway on a whim, not expecting to win, but I did. This book is not one that I would ordinarily pick up. Having said that when I started reading it, I thought it was interesting. The story is told from the point of view of 15 year old Angela who has finally burned all of her bridges with her parents and is being sent to the Hidden Oaks school for dangerous girls. In terms of dangerousness, Angela is foolish and impulsive, but dangerous? It depends on where you're sitting (and I'm sitting as someone who prosecuted juveniles for 2 years). Angela read more as a rich girl who had caused more problems than her snooty parents were willing to deal with rather than a juvenile delinquent. For a while I thought the book was a really interesting character study of a young girl who is navigating this new system and is faced with choices that put her impulsiveness and poor judgment to the test. But the ending totally spoiled that image. Up until the point when Angela transferred to the purple thread, I probably would have given this book 3 to 4 stars, but from that point on I lost a connection with the story. I'm not one who can't believe that a young person is able to correctly evaluate people and their surroundings. But the authot has set Angela up in such a way that you don't see her as a realiable narrator. Once Angela transfers to the purple thread you find that some of her beliefs were accurate, some of the teachers were evil and Angela essentially saves the day. It was a neat bow tie ending and I was expecting something less complete less "and everybody lived happily ever after".
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
August 18, 2009
The book started out good. Unfortunately, it didn't wrap up very well. It was hard to understand the motivation for the adults bad behavior. The majority of the teachers were simply evil ~ I'm talking Professor Snape evil. Professor Umbridge evil. With no explaination as to why. That took away from the realism of the story.
Even more baffling was the behavior of Mr.Darrien ~ the one "good" teacher. He appeared to be sympathetic to the girls, but explained he was reluctant to rock the boat with the administration because he needed his job to pay for his son's college tuition. Yet, in the end Mr.Darrien managed to show he was a bad father as well as a creepy man.
Angela had a lot of self-reflection for an impulsive 15 year old. I liked her, but expect a teenager to be slightly less mature. Anyhow, this was an interesting, quick read. But nothing I will remember for long or want in my permanent collection.
Even more baffling was the behavior of Mr.Darrien ~ the one "good" teacher. He appeared to be sympathetic to the girls, but explained he was reluctant to rock the boat with the administration because he needed his job to pay for his son's college tuition. Yet, in the end Mr.Darrien managed to show he was a bad father as well as a creepy man.
Angela had a lot of self-reflection for an impulsive 15 year old. I liked her, but expect a teenager to be slightly less mature. Anyhow, this was an interesting, quick read. But nothing I will remember for long or want in my permanent collection.
February 9, 2009
ugh. while the stories of the girls themselves were intriguing, the whole "bad girls, evil teachers, absent parents" thing has been done to death, and better, many times. Who can believe the school can get way with such violent treatment of underage girls- that no parent ever comes to visit- that once released, no one has ever tried to have the school closed? And why are all these tales set in remote area in the dead of winter?
July 6, 2010
Not great but wanted to finish. Disappointed.
April 3, 2023
Оценката ми е ниска, заради образа на главната героиня. Никъде в развитието на историята не я видях да поема инициатива, да е водеща, да е лидер (а много точно и ясно е наречена с тази дума), и толкова специална, че "лошите" момичета винаги я обгрижват и я включват в тайните си кроежи. Тя следваше през цялото време. Опитът на авторката да покаже някакви топли приятелски чувства към нейната съквартирантка пак беше насила, казваше, а не показваше взаимоотношенията им. Не усетих тази непринуденост и близост, която уж трябваше да изпитват една към друга. А това е главно, защото в текста не им се обърна достатъчно внимание. Както и описанието на другите момичета - почти липсващо, в началото, когато се предполага читателят да се запознае с тях и характерите им, те са описани като група момичета и с изреждане на имената им, откъдето и човек се обърква в последствие каква им е ролята на тези.
March 5, 2012
Are you a fan of boarding school novels ? How about reform schools , can you stomach their teachings and ways of punishment ? If so , then this is the book for you. I loved it too bits as I have always been a fan of these type of novels. The School for Dangerous Girls is known as Hidden Oaks - it is a reform school for girls who have been considered a danger to society. In this novel we meet the main character Angela, who has been sent to Hidden Oaks as her parents believe that she may have killed her grandfather and they don't know what else to do with her. For the first month, the girls are put in a mansion where they must all attend classes etc and then one by one they are weeded out - to either the purple thread or the gold thread. The gold thread is the one where you want to be, these are the girls who Hidden Oaks believe can be broken and shaped into fine girls very easily whereas the purple thread are the no-hopers , whilst the gold live in luxury we discover that life for the purple thread is horrible and almost barbaric. When Angela discovers this , with the help of a few girls in the gold thread and Harrison- Mr Derrian's son , Angela will try to save the purple thread girls and get them to safety. Can Angela save those she cares about and when tragedy strikes close to her at the Hidden Oaks - is this the last straw for Angela ?
A fast paced novel that keeps you entertained and thrilled as we discover the truth behind Hidden Oaks.
A fast paced novel that keeps you entertained and thrilled as we discover the truth behind Hidden Oaks.
August 7, 2010
I wanted it to be a little more dangerous than it was, but with the culminating scenes of fear, destruction, and rage targeted at the Hidden Oaks staff, it becomes worth it in the end as Angela, the reluctant hero, takes a stance.
All of the girls are there for an 'education' in how to turn their lives around since they're bad girls, yet, Schrefer doesn't get nitty-gritty with their lives, just hints around what they might have done and hides behind what could be happening in the mysterious academy, but doesn't spell it out. Too much work for me to connect the dots and make it up as I read along. I just wanted it to be entertainment.
All of the girls are there for an 'education' in how to turn their lives around since they're bad girls, yet, Schrefer doesn't get nitty-gritty with their lives, just hints around what they might have done and hides behind what could be happening in the mysterious academy, but doesn't spell it out. Too much work for me to connect the dots and make it up as I read along. I just wanted it to be entertainment.
July 11, 2009
Deep in the wooded mountains of Colorado, completely isolated from the rest of the world in winter, lies the Hidden Oak boarding school for girls. Hidden Oak is made up of the remains of an exclusive boarding school that experienced a tragedy and had to close down, and now its buildings are dilapidated, cold, and forbidding. This comfortless place is the last chance for some of the country's most dangerous girls. The girls who end up at Hidden Oak are facing jail as their only alternative. Angela Cardenas, who has been accused of everything from forging checks to possibly murdering her Grandfather, is shipped off to Hidden Oak with barely a glance from her parents, who seem to have written her off completely. She is even more disturbed when she arrives at the school and discovers that it's not just any boarding school.
The girls at Hidden Oak are kept completely isolated, with all correspondence in and out of the school monitored (and censored) by the staff. The entire school is under video surveillance, and girls who break the rules often mysteriously disappear, sometimes reappearing with scrapes and bruises but just as often never coming back again. Questions about the school are forbidden, speaking about the past is forbidden, and contact with anyone outside of the school is expressly forbidden. Which is a problem for Angela, who believes that the conditions at Hidden Oak toe the line on torture. She is determined to let the world know and bring the school down. The only problem is whether or not society will believe a girl who was so bad that she had to be sent there in the first place.
The School for Dangerous Girls is a fast-paced thriller with a real sense of peril and desperation. Angela feels like society has abandoned her, that no one will notice or care if she disappears, and her sense of desperate hopelessness is one that I found myself sharing. It's also got a great sense of empowerment, showing that sometimes being dangerous is the only thing that can save you.
The girls at Hidden Oak are kept completely isolated, with all correspondence in and out of the school monitored (and censored) by the staff. The entire school is under video surveillance, and girls who break the rules often mysteriously disappear, sometimes reappearing with scrapes and bruises but just as often never coming back again. Questions about the school are forbidden, speaking about the past is forbidden, and contact with anyone outside of the school is expressly forbidden. Which is a problem for Angela, who believes that the conditions at Hidden Oak toe the line on torture. She is determined to let the world know and bring the school down. The only problem is whether or not society will believe a girl who was so bad that she had to be sent there in the first place.
The School for Dangerous Girls is a fast-paced thriller with a real sense of peril and desperation. Angela feels like society has abandoned her, that no one will notice or care if she disappears, and her sense of desperate hopelessness is one that I found myself sharing. It's also got a great sense of empowerment, showing that sometimes being dangerous is the only thing that can save you.
February 4, 2009
I have to say, my expectations of this book were very low originally. After reading several negative reviews toward this book, I was quite skeptical that I would enjoy it. Oddly enough I did.
The School for Dangerous Girls had sudden twists and unpredictability that left me quite pleased. Hints were dropped along the way but there was no way that I had seen them coming.
The overall effect of the book was nicely done. You empathize with some characters from the start, hated others, and thought to yourself, they each have a unique personality that separates them. One reason for such would have to be the different past each girl had to be sent to the school; widely creative and somewhat realistic to an extent. The faculty members included, as much as I despise them, I had to admit they were well done.
However I have to agree with others about the negative aspects of this book. Angela truly didn’t really develop as a character in a way. Sure she did a few kind gestures but it wasn’t enough. There was also Harrison, a teacher’s son who works odd jobs within the school. He threw off the natural flow of the book at points and when he was first introduced to the reader, I had this strange sense that this was a dirty guy’s fantasy. A school filled with girls who haven’t seen a man for months, and he’s single, horny and available. It was as if he picking at the weak.
The ending was also quite abrupt to me. Even though it was an epilogue, I got no sense of completion from it. There were a lot of open ended questions left.
Overall: A nicely done tale from the male perspective. I’m looking forward to his next YA release.
The School for Dangerous Girls had sudden twists and unpredictability that left me quite pleased. Hints were dropped along the way but there was no way that I had seen them coming.
The overall effect of the book was nicely done. You empathize with some characters from the start, hated others, and thought to yourself, they each have a unique personality that separates them. One reason for such would have to be the different past each girl had to be sent to the school; widely creative and somewhat realistic to an extent. The faculty members included, as much as I despise them, I had to admit they were well done.
However I have to agree with others about the negative aspects of this book. Angela truly didn’t really develop as a character in a way. Sure she did a few kind gestures but it wasn’t enough. There was also Harrison, a teacher’s son who works odd jobs within the school. He threw off the natural flow of the book at points and when he was first introduced to the reader, I had this strange sense that this was a dirty guy’s fantasy. A school filled with girls who haven’t seen a man for months, and he’s single, horny and available. It was as if he picking at the weak.
The ending was also quite abrupt to me. Even though it was an epilogue, I got no sense of completion from it. There were a lot of open ended questions left.
Overall: A nicely done tale from the male perspective. I’m looking forward to his next YA release.
February 22, 2010
The book is about angela cardenas a girl about my age(17) her parents sent her to a very serious school because her parents think that she killed her grandpa. when angela gets there she first met a girl name carmen. and they become friends. While the time went by, angela was sent to the gold thread too and when she went to her biology class she sees carmen and then she apologized for what happen the night that she got cought. then since the gold thread have more benefits than the purple thread she is allow to use computers but the office always check them.out of everything that has happened to angela theres one time where her mom comes and visit her. this one time is when angela went to be part of the purple thread again but this time was a different place where she went. this place was the old gym and they had all the really really bad girls i there. at the end of the book everyone ran away and everyone goes to whatever place they want to go.
I really really like this book, because I think that its all about teenagers, you know. I think the theme for this is trust. The book talks about how angela's mom didn't trust her when she said that she didn't killed her granpa. So her parents sent her to Hidden Oak with out letting Angela explain what really happened. The book its very interesting i really like it. i really recomend this book.
I really really like this book, because I think that its all about teenagers, you know. I think the theme for this is trust. The book talks about how angela's mom didn't trust her when she said that she didn't killed her granpa. So her parents sent her to Hidden Oak with out letting Angela explain what really happened. The book its very interesting i really like it. i really recomend this book.
Read
June 20, 2009When I first heard of this book and saw it making the rounds through the book blogs, I seriously thought it was yet another Twilight ripoff, with your cast of supernatural girls at school or something. Wow, was I wrong. The School for Dangerous Girls is unlike anything you've ever read and probably ever will read. It's set in an entirely new and unique place, despite the fact that it is at first glance, a teen boarding school, but it's so so much more. Even more astounding than all this is that it is a male who wrote this, came up with this amazing, downright spooky and somehow surrealistic world of teen girls. The plot held no predictability and was simply fantastic. You could never imagine where it would go next. It's emotionally charged, powerful, and extremely raw, and the only thing you really knew (...mostly) is that the main character lives, since she's the narrator (but even so, who knows, she could have been a ghost or zombie or something, I suppose). It's all about the primal instinct of survival. While the title is slightly pathetic and could definitely have been better, this is one book I would very strongly recommend you read if you're looking for a thriller that will haunt your thoughts for days after reading.
Rating: 5/5
Rating: 5/5
March 4, 2018
Schrefer, Eliot The School for Dangerous Girls, 352 p. Scholastic, January 2009. Language: R (90+ swears, no "f"); Violence: PG-13; Sexual Content: PG.
Angela refuses to let anyone tell her what to do. Fed up with her out-of-control behavior, her parents ship her off to a boarding for last-chance girls, whose next stop is probably prison. After a harsh and dangerous first month, Angela finds herself among the rest of the girls in the main school building, but her cousin Pilar, who preceded her to the school, is missing, as are several of the girls who attended orientation with her. Angela cannot enjoy the new freedoms she is given, instead she must find out what happened to the others. She finally finds the other and finds herself within, right inside a nightmarish existence.
Another book about how reform schools for behavior-challenged kids are evil and that the kids themselves are actually the good guys. As a parent I have to roll my eyes at this one. The action is quite interesting, and kids who do pick it up, especially the dangerous ones, will probably love it. But the plot holes are huge and the swear count is high. Leave this one to the public libraries.
NO. Cindy: Library-Teacher.
Angela refuses to let anyone tell her what to do. Fed up with her out-of-control behavior, her parents ship her off to a boarding for last-chance girls, whose next stop is probably prison. After a harsh and dangerous first month, Angela finds herself among the rest of the girls in the main school building, but her cousin Pilar, who preceded her to the school, is missing, as are several of the girls who attended orientation with her. Angela cannot enjoy the new freedoms she is given, instead she must find out what happened to the others. She finally finds the other and finds herself within, right inside a nightmarish existence.
Another book about how reform schools for behavior-challenged kids are evil and that the kids themselves are actually the good guys. As a parent I have to roll my eyes at this one. The action is quite interesting, and kids who do pick it up, especially the dangerous ones, will probably love it. But the plot holes are huge and the swear count is high. Leave this one to the public libraries.
NO. Cindy: Library-Teacher.
April 9, 2010
This book is about how a girl named Angela who gets sent to a boarding school for dangerous girls called Heath Academy. There she learns the true meaning of discipline. The girls are being watched 24/7 it's a dog eat dog world in the school. No one is safe, as Angela and her friends do everything they can to escape and show the world what Heath Academy realy is they face challegs of survival, boys, and frindship.
I think ths is a text-to-text connection to a story I read called The Boot Camp For The Terribly Twisted Teens, the girl named Taylor was sent there and the teachers did whtever they watned o the students much like the students at eath did. People were punished in the wos way possible at Heath the worst punihment you could get was being a purple thread girl where the teachers aren't your enemies the girls are. No one was safe i ether one of those places.
I give the story 5 stas. I give it 5 stars because i didn't want to stop reading it. I as on the edge of my set waiting for what would happen next. It was just so riveting and so compelling it's just awsome Eliot Schrfer is an awsome author.
I think ths is a text-to-text connection to a story I read called The Boot Camp For The Terribly Twisted Teens, the girl named Taylor was sent there and the teachers did whtever they watned o the students much like the students at eath did. People were punished in the wos way possible at Heath the worst punihment you could get was being a purple thread girl where the teachers aren't your enemies the girls are. No one was safe i ether one of those places.
I give the story 5 stas. I give it 5 stars because i didn't want to stop reading it. I as on the edge of my set waiting for what would happen next. It was just so riveting and so compelling it's just awsome Eliot Schrfer is an awsome author.
March 21, 2010
I enjoyed reading this book and thought the writing was decent, but I was disappointed in the conclusion. I was expecting some sort of explanation as to why the people who ran the school were so terrible. What was their motivation? What did they get out of acting that way? Truthfully, I was expecting some kind of supernatural outcome, as such stories often turn out to have, so it was kind of a relief that it wasn't, but still I didn't find the ending very satisfying.
March 27, 2014
I absolutely LOVED this book! It is very different from most of the YA that I have read... dark, gritty, and fiercely intense. Most of the story is set at Hidden Oak, a boarding school that is really a last resort for girls considered to be unmanageable. Many of these girls are there less for their own actions and more because of their parents' prejudices or inability to care. These are girls that have had less than stellar lives and now are on paths of self-destruction through drugs, alcohol, promiscuity, etc.
Angela Cardenas has been the "bad girl" for most of her life. Her parents were frustrated and tired of dealing with her, so when her grandfather became sick, her parents sent her to live with him. After his untimely death, her parents become convinced that she is in some way responsible so they send her off to Hidden Oak. This is a place that embodies all of the stereotypical darkness of a delinquent facility. It is a lockdown facility and the rules are strictly enforced. "Gold thread" girls are those that the powers that be have decided can be rehabilitated. The "purple thread" girls mysteriously disappear and it is an unspoken rule that they never be mentioned again. What happens to those girls leads Angela onto a path of discovery and a deep-seated desire to escape this dangerous place.
This is a remarkably intense and compelling read. It is dark and full of mystery and intrigue and twists and turns that will keep you turning the pages. It is also an emotionally deep story that drove me to tears more than once. This is a story about decisions, choices, and survival. It is a book that makes you question whether the ends really do justify the means.
The characters in this book were the driving force. I liked the fact that the cast was multiracial, multicultural, and all with their own stories and complications. There were many that were evil to the core, and many others with whom you completely empathize. Regardless of your feelings for a particular character, they invoke emotion.
Things to love about The School for Dangerous Girls...
--No sunsets. This isn't typical YA with the boy and the girl riding off into the sunset. Yes, there is some romance, but it is not a central theme to the novel.
--The variety. These girls are of all races, colors, creeds, and sexuality. They are of all body types. They are real.
Things I wanted more or less of...
--More ending. I almost felt like the ending was a bit anti-climatic. I wanted to know about more about what happened to Hidden Oak and the girls.
--More understanding. Some of these teachers were just plain cruel and I would have liked to know more about why that was.
Some quotastic goodness...
--She blamed me. And now, I was going to be punished (Loc. 58).
--Pay attention. Because I can destroy you (Loc. 125-126).
--You may never discuss your past with your schoolmates. Every girl here has dark stories that she would love to share late at night when the lights are down, but you may not, under any circumstances (Loc. 126-128).
--You could never undo a dangerous girl. You could only ask her to be dangerous for the right reasons (Loc. 4294-4295).
My recommendation: Gripping and intense, I highly recommend this book!
Angela Cardenas has been the "bad girl" for most of her life. Her parents were frustrated and tired of dealing with her, so when her grandfather became sick, her parents sent her to live with him. After his untimely death, her parents become convinced that she is in some way responsible so they send her off to Hidden Oak. This is a place that embodies all of the stereotypical darkness of a delinquent facility. It is a lockdown facility and the rules are strictly enforced. "Gold thread" girls are those that the powers that be have decided can be rehabilitated. The "purple thread" girls mysteriously disappear and it is an unspoken rule that they never be mentioned again. What happens to those girls leads Angela onto a path of discovery and a deep-seated desire to escape this dangerous place.
This is a remarkably intense and compelling read. It is dark and full of mystery and intrigue and twists and turns that will keep you turning the pages. It is also an emotionally deep story that drove me to tears more than once. This is a story about decisions, choices, and survival. It is a book that makes you question whether the ends really do justify the means.
The characters in this book were the driving force. I liked the fact that the cast was multiracial, multicultural, and all with their own stories and complications. There were many that were evil to the core, and many others with whom you completely empathize. Regardless of your feelings for a particular character, they invoke emotion.
Things to love about The School for Dangerous Girls...
--No sunsets. This isn't typical YA with the boy and the girl riding off into the sunset. Yes, there is some romance, but it is not a central theme to the novel.
--The variety. These girls are of all races, colors, creeds, and sexuality. They are of all body types. They are real.
Things I wanted more or less of...
--More ending. I almost felt like the ending was a bit anti-climatic. I wanted to know about more about what happened to Hidden Oak and the girls.
--More understanding. Some of these teachers were just plain cruel and I would have liked to know more about why that was.
Some quotastic goodness...
--She blamed me. And now, I was going to be punished (Loc. 58).
--Pay attention. Because I can destroy you (Loc. 125-126).
--You may never discuss your past with your schoolmates. Every girl here has dark stories that she would love to share late at night when the lights are down, but you may not, under any circumstances (Loc. 126-128).
--You could never undo a dangerous girl. You could only ask her to be dangerous for the right reasons (Loc. 4294-4295).
My recommendation: Gripping and intense, I highly recommend this book!
August 17, 2012
That's it?! Holy potatoes with cheese and bacon! And I thought there would be a little kissing scene. I guess it wouldn't fit anywhere. But, ehh, ehh? Boo, disappointed--just a tad. *_* XD
Anyways. This book is pretty awesome. There is a school called Hidden Oak for "dangerous" girls. Those girls get sent there by their parents because their parents can't handle them anymore and pretty much a last resort for them. But inside Hidden Oak is so much more than fixing the girls. Oh ho--it's way more than that.
The book forces you into the story at the beginning and then smoothes the wrinkles away and you're like "Whoa, okay. This is mind-blowing-crazy!" The beginning pretty much sets up the atmosphere of things at Hidden Oak. This school is just crazy with most craziest staff people ever. And it might have been creepy, but it wasn't. It was brutal what these girls that came here had to do.
Angela, our main character, is head-strong and snaky. (Don't forget the snakiness) She is total bad girl and her come-backs just made me root for her until the end. I felt she grew and learned to understand more in the end, but maybe that's just me. There were also the other girls that, yes, can be b****y but some were nice and, anyways, everyone's human and these are "dangerous" girls you are dealing with, after all.
I really loved how Schrefer just wrapped around the very definition of "bad" or "dangerous" to these girls and made an awesome book with a backbone and so many turns and twists that just kept me being "Holy!!! Holy!!! Holy!!!! Holy!!!!"
Holy indeed.
Anyways. This book is pretty awesome. There is a school called Hidden Oak for "dangerous" girls. Those girls get sent there by their parents because their parents can't handle them anymore and pretty much a last resort for them. But inside Hidden Oak is so much more than fixing the girls. Oh ho--it's way more than that.
The book forces you into the story at the beginning and then smoothes the wrinkles away and you're like "Whoa, okay. This is mind-blowing-crazy!" The beginning pretty much sets up the atmosphere of things at Hidden Oak. This school is just crazy with most craziest staff people ever. And it might have been creepy, but it wasn't. It was brutal what these girls that came here had to do.
Angela, our main character, is head-strong and snaky. (Don't forget the snakiness) She is total bad girl and her come-backs just made me root for her until the end. I felt she grew and learned to understand more in the end, but maybe that's just me. There were also the other girls that, yes, can be b****y but some were nice and, anyways, everyone's human and these are "dangerous" girls you are dealing with, after all.
I really loved how Schrefer just wrapped around the very definition of "bad" or "dangerous" to these girls and made an awesome book with a backbone and so many turns and twists that just kept me being "Holy!!! Holy!!! Holy!!!! Holy!!!!"
Holy indeed.
"You could never undo a dangerous girl. You could only ask her to be dangerous for the right reasons."-The School for Dangerous Girls
February 2, 2013
I picked this one up entirely because of the cover. It's not like my expectations were high, exactly, but with a title and typeface and cover picture like that, it would have gone completely against my interests not to at least have a look.
I'm pleased to report that it actually exceeded my expectations by a significant degree. Definitely guilty-pleasure fare, but decently written, well-paced, and downright compelling in places. The only bits that really jolted me out of the story were the eye-rollingly thudding "If only I had known what they had in store for me" or "I should have known things were going too well" that landed like clockwork throughout the first half of the story. I'd encourage the author to trust in his skills for atmosphere-building and scene-setting; they're well above par and do the job far better than clunky foreshadowing.
Ultimately, the book's biggest weakness is thematic cohesion. We get a few peeks at what look like the major ideas behind the story, but somehow they never quite gel in a satisfying manner, and instead end up feeling tacked-on at the end. Still, I'll take one half-formed attempt at a meaningful story over any number of perfectly-executed-bland-formula novels, any day. Especially ones like this, that don't forget to have fun along the way.
I'm pleased to report that it actually exceeded my expectations by a significant degree. Definitely guilty-pleasure fare, but decently written, well-paced, and downright compelling in places. The only bits that really jolted me out of the story were the eye-rollingly thudding "If only I had known what they had in store for me" or "I should have known things were going too well" that landed like clockwork throughout the first half of the story. I'd encourage the author to trust in his skills for atmosphere-building and scene-setting; they're well above par and do the job far better than clunky foreshadowing.
Ultimately, the book's biggest weakness is thematic cohesion. We get a few peeks at what look like the major ideas behind the story, but somehow they never quite gel in a satisfying manner, and instead end up feeling tacked-on at the end. Still, I'll take one half-formed attempt at a meaningful story over any number of perfectly-executed-bland-formula novels, any day. Especially ones like this, that don't forget to have fun along the way.
February 18, 2015
I'm as much of a sucker for the old boarding school trope as anyone but I'm not sure this book entirely pulled it off. It wasn't a bad read, for the most part the story carried along at a nice pace and it did get you invested in a couple of the characters. So it's a fast and tolerable read, something good to clean your brain after a tough one.
But... None of it was really believable. And on top of not being believable, I turned the last page and basically thought "So what?" There was no point to any of it. Things got bad but not THAT bad, the story hit the peak which wasn't THAT exciting, and the ending happened and I didn't feel THAT enthusiastic about any of it.
It just...happened.
So while I wouldn't say it warrants all these one star reviews, I don't think anything over a three is close to accurate.
But... None of it was really believable. And on top of not being believable, I turned the last page and basically thought "So what?" There was no point to any of it. Things got bad but not THAT bad, the story hit the peak which wasn't THAT exciting, and the ending happened and I didn't feel THAT enthusiastic about any of it.
It just...happened.
So while I wouldn't say it warrants all these one star reviews, I don't think anything over a three is close to accurate.
February 27, 2009
This was a slow moving book, but that didn't take away from the impact. Girls who's parent's have given up on them are sent to Hidden Oaks. There, the school plays mind games and uses "unorthodox" punishments to break the girls' down. If they become manageable, they're given the semblance of more freedom. If they rebel, they are sent to live like animals, with minimal supervision, hygiene, food and the ever-present danger of attack by other "dangerous girls." Angela's parents have given up. But has Angela?
January 14, 2009
A young girl gets sent to a boarding reform school when her parents feel she is out of control. Because the school is a last resort for girls who have pushed beyond the boundaries, no one believes the few tales of abuse and dangerous neglect any of the girls manage to send. Too many of the characters were cardboard figures to really give much depth to this story, but the fast pace does keep the pages turning for the most part.
November 5, 2018
The beginning of this book was interesting because it is the baddest girls who could end up in jail if not for this school. I never really got a feel for any of the characters, even Angela, the girl the book focuses on. The characters aren’t developed enough and their backstories have a lot of holes in them. Sometimes, this can be mysterious and interesting. This is not the case with this book. Angela’s story about how she ended up at the school is incredibly vague. Somehow her grandpa died of a stroke and I think that seeing her boyfriend Trevor (who doesn’t even seem to like her) and Angela in bed together freaked him out and her parents blame her for his death (even though he already had multiple strokes.) Angela and all these girls are locked in their rooms each night by the teachers. It seems more like some crazy psychological experiment gone wrong than an actual school for reforming girls. They lock them in freezers, turn the girls against each other, give them solitary confinement in a sketchy basement. This school has been opened for years and girls have aged out and left but somehow they are still open?? Did no one see their bruises? Or how people have died!!??When Angela somehow gets invited to the Golden threads (the good girls) she figures out that the purple threads are locked beneath them and someone keeps banging on the pipe in her room (this is never explained as to who it was.) Angela’s cousin was mentioned a few times but only to progress the plot since they both attend the same school now. Her cousin dies due I anaphylactic shock while she and the other purple threads are locked downstairs without aide until the following day. Angela’s mother comes to see her and knows that the cousin died. She did ask Angela if she wanted to leave and Angela said yes but then she gets sabotaged by the staff and one teacher’s pet who light the room Angela is in on fire to make her stay so she doesn’t tell. But there have been other students that have been traumatized from this school too??! So, she stays and goes back down to the purple threads and stage their break out. Several times throughout the book, I thought that someone had a connection to Angela and was really her secret mother or something because of the way the psychologist and headmaster believed in her goodness and wanted her “better.” There’s also some weird unnecessary romance thing between Angela and Harrison (teacher’s 18 year old son who sleeps with everyone.) The plot sucks and a lot of the things that drive the plot are left unexplained. Overall, I would not recommend this book to anyone.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
March 29, 2023
This book had a stunning premise that sort of fell flat (and maybe lost its way) in the execution.
With all the mysterious practices the girls are put through in their first month at Hidden Oak, it felt like we were building up to something deliciously scandalous in the main school...and then that just didn't happen.
The revelations were underwhelming. It felt like every scene, every idea, every relationship could've been taken a step further to make it truly interesting, but this book just skirts the idea and plays it safe. Maybe I'm too used to dark academia novels?
I did like that Angela was relatable despite being a "dangerous girl." I would like to know what was going on with all the overt sizeism...
With all the mysterious practices the girls are put through in their first month at Hidden Oak, it felt like we were building up to something deliciously scandalous in the main school...and then that just didn't happen.
The revelations were underwhelming. It felt like every scene, every idea, every relationship could've been taken a step further to make it truly interesting, but this book just skirts the idea and plays it safe. Maybe I'm too used to dark academia novels?
I did like that Angela was relatable despite being a "dangerous girl." I would like to know what was going on with all the overt sizeism...
October 29, 2025
I just don’t particularly like the MC and that’s enough for me to quit these days.
I don’t understand being a clingy girlfriend. I don’t understand giving a strange boy money that was my grandfathers. 16 year old me was smarter than that. I don’t understand becoming romantically interested in the first and only boy I see in an all girls school.
The tipping point? Of all things.. Angela guilts Carmen into waiting for her to go to breakfast. The girl that she’s already screwed over once. Makes her wait at the shower for her. How needy is this person? Can she not take 3 steps on her own? Carmen expresses a desire to leave multiple times and Angela just doesn’t care.
It’s a stupid reason to quit a book but I do what I want.
I don’t understand being a clingy girlfriend. I don’t understand giving a strange boy money that was my grandfathers. 16 year old me was smarter than that. I don’t understand becoming romantically interested in the first and only boy I see in an all girls school.
The tipping point? Of all things.. Angela guilts Carmen into waiting for her to go to breakfast. The girl that she’s already screwed over once. Makes her wait at the shower for her. How needy is this person? Can she not take 3 steps on her own? Carmen expresses a desire to leave multiple times and Angela just doesn’t care.
It’s a stupid reason to quit a book but I do what I want.
December 19, 2017
I read the book The School for Dangerous Girls by Eliot Schrefer. It was a good book but i think that it could have some romance in it though. The book is about these girls who are criminals or who get in trouble with the law their parents, send them to an all girls boarding school that shapes girls back in to shape and not into criminals. The girls have zero freedom they have no phones, no meds, nothing that they had before. I do recommend this book because it is good & it is also funny at times as well.
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March 12, 2024Recently there has been an outpouring of stories of young people who have experienced schools just like this. When I read this as a young teen I thought it was a gothic horror story. Now I know it's anything but a story. I remember in the afterward Schrefer noted that this story was brought to him as something for him to write. I hope that whoever experienced the events that inspired this has found some peace and that all victims of the troubled teen industry and these "reform" shools know that we care about what's happened to you.
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