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Teacher's Pet
Reduced to a wretched existence by her parents' creditors, Ramona Charnley is miserable in her job at a second-rate girl's school until justice--with the destruction of life--becomes inevitable
277 pages, Hardcover
First published May 1, 1987
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Displaying 1 - 2 of 2 reviews
November 19, 2021
What an odd book. I've been able to find very little about this online, except a few passing mentions.
This was in the horror section of my local secondhand bookstore, but I wouldn't describe this as a horror at all. A dark thriller maybe, a dark psychological study perhaps. The blurb also doesn't expand much on it, either, and it makes it out to be a completely different novel.
In case anyone else ever comes across this book, I'll explain it here-
Ramona Charnley is a teacher at a boarding school, Malham House. Given she lacks a teaching degree or license, she is stuck teaching the youngest students. Even so, she's mercilessly mocked by the older students, who call her The Moaner. It's never expressly said why she's mocked so badly, except that she dresses fairly dowdy, wears thick glasses and seems shy.
There are two new students at the school. Popular, attractive, but fairly dumb Rosalind, and quiet, intelligent and bookish Sara. Despite being two years younger, Sara is in the same grade as Rosalind, thanks to her intellect.
Ramona, it turns out, was born into an incredibly wealthy family. She was always a little backwards, even in her household, and her only love was her puppy, Hector, and her much older, much more wealthy great aunt, also named Ramona. A series of unfortunate events happen in quick succession: Hector was killed by tractor, and the elder Ramona dies with her fortune going to her husband. A servant's baby dies in a similar tractor accident, and Ramona's father dies. The family is quickly plunged into financial despair, as there was no will and Ramona's father had enormous bills. Ramona and her mother are turned out and forced to live in poverty, and her mother eventually succumbs to dementia and dies in her bed.
Hence why Ramona is working at this boarding school.
Over time, Ramona and Sara bond over their bookish nature. Their friendship remains a secret, though, as both know Sara will be relentlessly bullied if found out. Even so, Ramona joins Sara on her regularly visits to her aunt, Jennifer, and Ramona even joins them for Christmas and Easter.
Throughout all of this, Ramona finds herself subject to Rosalind's awful bullying. Her bed is soaked with water, and she becomes known as the Bedwetter or Urinator. Yellow paint is spilled throughout her bedroom, ruining everything. Pages of her books are torn out, and finally, while bathing, she is covered in purple ink and her skin is stained for months. The staff at the school don't do anything because they're useless, need the wealthy students parents funding, and there's never any proof that Rosalind is to blame.
So Ramona plots.
The novel finishes suddenly- way too suddenly. Everything is midaction, and there could so easily be more to go on. It actually feels like there's a chapter missing. An escape, a scene, a follow up, even a flash forward. But... it just ends. Abruptly.
If the novel had had more to it, I'd have given this a 4/5. It was very well written, and despite the blurb and cover suggesting a horror, Teaching Mrs Tingle type feel, it sits pretty well into deep thriller.
This was in the horror section of my local secondhand bookstore, but I wouldn't describe this as a horror at all. A dark thriller maybe, a dark psychological study perhaps. The blurb also doesn't expand much on it, either, and it makes it out to be a completely different novel.
In case anyone else ever comes across this book, I'll explain it here-
Ramona Charnley is a teacher at a boarding school, Malham House. Given she lacks a teaching degree or license, she is stuck teaching the youngest students. Even so, she's mercilessly mocked by the older students, who call her The Moaner. It's never expressly said why she's mocked so badly, except that she dresses fairly dowdy, wears thick glasses and seems shy.
There are two new students at the school. Popular, attractive, but fairly dumb Rosalind, and quiet, intelligent and bookish Sara. Despite being two years younger, Sara is in the same grade as Rosalind, thanks to her intellect.
Ramona, it turns out, was born into an incredibly wealthy family. She was always a little backwards, even in her household, and her only love was her puppy, Hector, and her much older, much more wealthy great aunt, also named Ramona. A series of unfortunate events happen in quick succession: Hector was killed by tractor, and the elder Ramona dies with her fortune going to her husband. A servant's baby dies in a similar tractor accident, and Ramona's father dies. The family is quickly plunged into financial despair, as there was no will and Ramona's father had enormous bills. Ramona and her mother are turned out and forced to live in poverty, and her mother eventually succumbs to dementia and dies in her bed.
Hence why Ramona is working at this boarding school.
Over time, Ramona and Sara bond over their bookish nature. Their friendship remains a secret, though, as both know Sara will be relentlessly bullied if found out. Even so, Ramona joins Sara on her regularly visits to her aunt, Jennifer, and Ramona even joins them for Christmas and Easter.
Throughout all of this, Ramona finds herself subject to Rosalind's awful bullying. Her bed is soaked with water, and she becomes known as the Bedwetter or Urinator. Yellow paint is spilled throughout her bedroom, ruining everything. Pages of her books are torn out, and finally, while bathing, she is covered in purple ink and her skin is stained for months. The staff at the school don't do anything because they're useless, need the wealthy students parents funding, and there's never any proof that Rosalind is to blame.
So Ramona plots.
The novel finishes suddenly- way too suddenly. Everything is midaction, and there could so easily be more to go on. It actually feels like there's a chapter missing. An escape, a scene, a follow up, even a flash forward. But... it just ends. Abruptly.
If the novel had had more to it, I'd have given this a 4/5. It was very well written, and despite the blurb and cover suggesting a horror, Teaching Mrs Tingle type feel, it sits pretty well into deep thriller.
June 13, 2016
Loved this book. I didn't know what to expect but was pleasantly surprised by the twists and turns. Great depth in the main character. Highly recommend.
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