Moral Compass

by Danielle Steel

"Saint Ambrose Prep is a place where the wealthy send their children for the best possible education, with teachers and administrators from the Ivy League, and graduates who become future lawyers, politicians, filmmakers, and CEOs. Traditionally a boys-only school, Saint Ambrose has just enrolled one hundred and forty female students for the first time. Even though most of the kids on the campus have all the privilege in the world, some are struggling, wounded by their parents' bitter divorces, dealing with insecurity and loneliness. In such a heightened environment, even the smallest spark can become a raging fire. One day after the school's annual Halloween event, a student lies in the hospital, her system poisoned by dangerous levels of alcohol. Everyone in this sheltered community--parents, teachers, students, police, and the media--are left trying to figure out what actually happened. Only the handful of students who were there when she was attacked truly know the answers and they have vowed to keep one another's secrets. As details from the evening emerge, powerful families are forced to hire attorneys and less powerful families watch helplessly. Parents' marriages are jeopardized, and students' futures are impacted. No one at Saint Ambrose can escape the fallout of a life-altering event. In this compelling novel, Danielle Steel illuminates the dark side of one drunken night, with its tragic consequences, from every possible point of view. As the drama unfolds, the characters will reach a crossroads where they must choose between truth and lies, between what is easy and what is right, and find the moral compass they will need for the rest of their lives"--

Genres: Fiction, Romance, Audiobook, Adult Fiction, Mystery, Contemporary, Chick Lit

352 pages, Kindle Edition

First published January 7, 2020

About the author

Danielle Steel has been hailed as one of the world's bestselling authors, with almost a billion copies of her novels sold. Her many international bestsellers include All That Glitters, Royal, Daddy's Girls, The Wedding Dress, The Numbers Game, Moral Compass, Spy, and other highly acclaimed novels. She is also the author of His Bright Light, the story of her son Nick Traina's life and death; A Gift of Hope, a memoir of her work with the homeless; Expect a Miracle, a book of her favorite quotations for inspiration and comfort; Pure Joy, about the dogs she and her family have loved; and the children's books Pretty Minnie in Paris and Pretty Minnie in Hollywood.

Facebook.com/DanielleSteelOfficial
Instagram: @officialdaniellesteel

Reviews

[Suzy · Rating 4 out of 5]

4 stars! ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Danielle Steel does it again for me with a story that delves into some very serious subject matter - teenage drinking and rape.

An elite, all boys boarding school in Massachusetts begins enrolling female students for the first time. When a serious crime is committed against a female student after a group shares a bottle of tequila, all hell breaks loose and these kids find themselves in a world of trouble. So much trouble that even their rich parents can’t get them out of it.

The book takes us through the criminal investigation, the charges, court proceedings and makes you realize that the choices you make can have devastating consequences and impact the rest of your life.

Thank you to NetGalley, Random House - Ballantine and Danielle Steel for my advanced copy to read and review.

[Tim · Rating 2 out of 5]

Dashed aspirations combine a story of foolish youths with violence and parents with money. 4 of 10 stars

[Carrie · Rating 3 out of 5]

Anyone following my reviews my have noticed I had renewed my interest in Danielle Steel’s novels after not having picked them up for years and have been enjoying all the newer ones. Unfortunately, Moral Compass didn’t end up being a favorite of mine like so many other recent releases have been.

Moral Compass is set in an elite private school in Massachusetts that has for the first time expanded the student body to include females after being an all male school for years. Saint Ambrose Prep’s new school year will be welcoming in over a hundred new female students despite some having concerns with the change.

For a while things seem to be going well with the new changes at the school that is until Halloween comes around. One of the senior girls decided to sneak off with some of the boys to drink some alcohol one of the boys had. The night gets out of hand leading to rape and a cover up from those involved bringing in the police to investigate.

The thing I found with Moral Compass was the story was so large with trying to include students and teachers alike that it had the majority feel of the narrative telling the facts instead of showing us the story. It really felt as if getting close and personal to the characters and actual dialogue was really few and far between and with a story like this it made it hard to connect to those involved so in the end this one was just kind of meh to me.

I received an advance copy from the publisher via NetGalley.

For more reviews please visit https://carriesbookreviews.com/

[Krystal · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was a really difficult one for me to read emotionally, and as such it's difficult for me to rate.

Plot: An all-boys, elite boarding school has just agreed to take on the challenge of becoming co-ed, and has a handful of girls starting there for the first time. Things start out smoothly but then there's a Halloween party and next thing you know one of the new girls is waking up in hospital with a horrible hangover and signs of assault. Suddenly a lot of lives have changed.

The title of the story suggests the big theme: morality. Who is to blame, who isn't, what is the right thing to do? Who should be doing it? etc. A lot of questions are raised and I won't lie - this is gonna be pretty triggering if you've ever had something similar happen to you, or someone you're close to. Read with caution.

Things I felt reading this: Rage. Sorrow. Pity. Frustration. Understanding. Sick.

At the same time, it was blunted by how the story was written. It was very much told, meaning most of the feelings I had were less because of the writing and more because of my own feelings towards this kind of occurrence. I found it really strange that with all these people and conflicting POVs that there was very little feeling to the story. It was quite cold and direct, and no real attachment to the characters through the writing. Maybe that was intentional - the writer choosing not to take any kind of side - but it felt a lot like an opinion piece told through fictional characters. It's a relatively short book, coming in at just under 300 pages, and I wonder what sort of emotions could have been dragged out of me by taking the time to really explore the characters. There were a few expansions that I was desperate for - particularly in the case of Vivienne, Jamie and Chase - and then there were some that made little sense to me and seemed kind of inappropriate and cheap, considering the rest of the book.

The setup was also really abrupt for me. The incident occurred unbelievably fast, and I found it hard to swallow. It felt rushed and unrealistic. There was a lot of talk about alcohol poisoning which made me wonder what the hell they were really sharing around. (Remind me to have two sips of tequila next time I want to get blackout drunk.)

However I overlooked the sketchy setup because I knew this was a book about the consequences. The point was not how much alcohol had been consumed - the point was how much consumption of alcohol excuses one's actions. Along with a ton of other moral questions.

That's probably the big thing here: I felt like the story was written pretty bluntly, and was nothing special, but the questions it makes you ask yourself are quite intense. This is less about the way this story is told and more about the way this story makes you feel.

Personally, it made me feel terrible. Depressed, really.

If you're triggered easily I'd probably give it a miss, and if you're looking to connect with characters on a deeper level you'll probably be disappointed. But if you're interested in moral questions and right vs wrong in horrible situations, this will get the wheels turning upstairs. I can't say I enjoyed reading it, but it definitely made me think hard about what it was saying.

I'm definitely gonna need something fun after that emotional rollercoaster.

With thanks to Macmillan for my ARC.

[Suzzie · Rating 5 out of 5]

Moral Compass is one of the best Danielle Steel books I have read, and I have read a ridiculous amount of Danielle Steel books. It was so well written and the story was amazing. If you are picking up a Danielle Steel book for the first time, pick this one up (and then Blue because that was is so awesome also). This was a quick one-sitting read and was absolutely great!

[Alicia Balliett · Rating 1 out of 5]

If you want to read about a book where characters sound more concerned about the school and the rapist and not all about the victim then this is it!

Now before I continue, I understand that everyone can care/ worry about more than one thing. However, I find it a bit odd that when they bring up the school being in danger from press...they blame it on one student. The victim. "Why did she have to get herself raped?" No one said those exact words but I kept getting that vibe from the teachers and yes that includes the female ones too. I felt like they were blaming the victim for the schools possibility of getting bad news about them. Blaming her for the news vans and such crowding the outside of the school. Not the damn rapist. Nooo! They seemed to worry a bit more about him and his future. And here's a sentence to explain that...

"Some of them would never recover, especially whichever one had raped her..."

Like, who the hell cares if the rapist never recovers?? I mean...are we supposed to feel sorry for the rapist now?

OH!! and here's another one!

"thinking that the boy who had raped her was going to miss out on college forever."

ARE YOU SERIOUS??

Are we supposed to feel sorry for the rapist?!?!? serious question.

I'm going to stop here because this is just a rant.

I have notes on how the writing was bland, how we have way too many characters thrown at us at the beginning that I couldn't keep up with who was who. Zero personality, throwing a romance into this which made no sense and just....victim blaming. So much victim blaming.

[blair · Rating 1 out of 5]

I READ THIS BOOK SO YOU DONT HAVE TO. This is the worst book I have ever read.

First, let’s talk writing in general. This book is so poorly written that if you told me an eighth grader wrote it I’d believe it more than an accomplished author being responsible for it. Almost every sentence is written as though someone is trying to meet a word count that they’re under. I don’t know if Ms. Steel had nothing to say or thought her audience was too stupid to remember simple facts, but everything she wrote was written at least 10 times again. If you took out all the times she repeated herself I don’t know if this book could even hit 100 pages.

I grabbed one example of this where the author repeats the same idea three times in one paragraph. “She didn’t want to see him anymore, and now here they were together, facing a crisis. She had hoped to never lay eyes on him again. They only spoke to each other now when it was absolutely necessary, and couldn’t be handled by lawyers or in emails. She wanted as little contact as possible with him.” This made the book aggravating to read.

On top of this, the story is told lacking all feeling. If you ever need an example of why you should show and not tell it’s this book. Everything is laid out for you in the most blunt way possible. The beginning is a whirlwind of Ms. Steel introducing nearly every character in the book in just a few pages. It’s difficult to keep track of and not a compelling way to start a book. She also introduces us way too in depth to many faculty members that aren’t very relevant to the plot. She continues to check in on them throughout and they have nothing to add to the story. Similarly, the author introduces too many side plots involving the parents that don’t matter and take away from important moments in the book. She tells us WAY too much about them in the most inconvenient times. There’s a point where Viv’s parents are with her in the hospital after the rape and we keep getting information about their divorce which I can assure you were not at all interested in given the circumstances Viv is in. They also end the book on the completely wrong person’s story that we’ve only seen a couple moments of and barely care about. Ms. Steel also throws in a completely unnecessary and rises romance.

Let’s talk about the main plot of the book. The ‘incident’ happens SO QUICKLY that you could blink and miss it. The way it’s written seems very unrealistic and hectic. The main problem with the plot is that we know EXACTLY what happens and there’s enough evidence at the scene for us to know that it won’t be difficult for the police to figure it out (they tell us as much immediately). This leaves NO conflict or suspense in the book and, I hate to tell you, but Ms. Steel wrote absolutely no plot twist. Nothing surprised me. It was matter of fact and boring.

This books biggest problem (yeah I haven’t even gotten to the biggest problem yet) is that it’s disgusting and upsetting to read. I don’t even feel bad writing this review because I’m so disappointed in Danielle Steel for writing this. The book is called Moral Compass but it seems to be entirely lacking one. Firstly, a majority of the parents are despicable people. This would be fine if there weren’t points where they were excused for this. For example, there’s a part where a father (who has already tried to pay the victims family off so his son isn’t charged) slaps his son so hard he bleeds. One of the most moral characters in the book says he’s ‘not a bad guy.’ Come on.

The entire character of Tommy Yee is racist. He’s an absolutely stereotypical Chinese-American student and it’s disappointing.

There’s a moment where a teacher looks at a 17 year old and gets distracted by her legs, noting that he now understands why his students are so distracted in class. Not only do they not acknowledge that this is disgusting and disturbing, he tells this to a female teacher and she LAUGHS.

Most disappointing is how the author writes about the rape, the main conflict. There is an enormous amount of sympathy in this novel for the rapist which is upsetting. They make the boys almost immediately unlikable by having them not come forward. Almost every character comments how sad it is that his life is ruined. Almost every character also says that, yes, what happened to Viv was horrible and she didn’t deserve it BUT she shouldn’t have been drinking. They are many characters who write her off as a slut, and while these are obviously unlikeable characters, it’s still disturbing to read.

There are too many examples of these things for me to compile but here are two examples.

“Gwen nodded, thinking the boy who raped her was going to miss out on college forever. If he went to prison he might never go back to school, and none of the colleges the boys had planned to apply to would accept them after this... The rapist would have hard years ahead of him, in exchange for a night of insanity.”

“With juveniles she was always somewhat torn between the victims and the perpetrators, because the perpetrators were victims in a way too...”

“Rule number one for girls: don’t hang out with a bunch of drunken guys in an isolated place. That wasn’t very smart, and definitely not cool. But she didn’t deserve to get raped. And you don’t deserve whats happening to you now, since Rick raped her and you didn’t.”

Also this book could have been a great opportunity to discuss how boys, especially rich ones, often aren’t convicted after rape. Instead it writes this off as something that ‘used to happen but doesn’t anymore’

[Amanda - Mrs B's Book Reviews · Rating 3 out of 5]

*https://mrsbbookreviews.wordpress.com
‘By the time the ambulance got to the hospital, all six boys were in a deep, drunken sleep, and Vivienne was still unconscious. And this was only the beginning. Their Halloween had changed all of their lives forever.’

Danielle Steel delves into the world of elite private schools, entitlement, teen drinking and rape in her latest production. Moral Compass is a dramatic story that spotlights entitlement, change, risk, recklessness, choice, blame, justice and redemption. Danielle Steel has her finger on the pulse in this timely novel.

In heart of Massachusetts sits an elite private school that has recently seen a big change. While this prestigious school was once only open to male students, it has decided to be more embracing and it has opened its doors to female students. While the students learn to contend with a mixed sex education, they also deal with the pressures of status, entitlement, pressure to perform, family problems and loneliness. There are strict rules to follow at Saint Ambrose Prep, with little opportunity to experiment with drink, drugs, or sex. However, a fateful Halloween party provides a one off opportunity for a group of students to rebel and let their hair down. One drink turns into another and they invite one of the new female students to join the party. The small party gets out of control very quickly, and it leads to the hospitalisation of one from this group. Keen to protect themselves and their reputation, the party group keeps their lips sealed as to what happened that night. This incident has far reaching effects. It impacts the victim, the staff of Saint Ambrose, the students, parents, police, investigators and eventually the judge who has to preside over their final fate. The Saint Ambrose case throws up lies, truth, blame, moral questions and justice. It is problematic from start, for all involved. Can the truth be attained and a sense of what is right for the victims, as well as the perpetrators?

In the world of #metoo and the airing of such cases as the Central Park Five, Danielle Steel has approached her latest novel with timely relevance. The scenario she presents, of a teenage girl from an elite school left with severe alcohol poisoning who is raped, is a compelling case. I would even issue a trigger warning for this one. It is an upsetting incident, where a young woman is clearly taken advantage of in an opportune situation. What angered me most and also left me with a sense of sorrow was that no one wanted to take the blame, or show any sense of moral responsibility. The poor victim is left for dead, as the group does not want to get into trouble. Steel draws in the bystander effect with this case, which angered me.

With a setting based in a private elite school, it throws another layer to the story. The students have a host of issues to contend with, before the incident occurs. The pressure to perform, loneliness, expectation and privilege all circulate. When the parents become involved, this saddened and sickened me even more. Rather than care for the victim, they were concerned with protecting their child, family name and future. Buying their way out of this case became another issue to contend with, which enabled me to see why Steel labelled this novel ‘moral compass’. There are many questions of mortality and humanity to consider in this complex case.

As I have come to realise with Danielle Steel novels of late, the bones of this novel are there to make it a truly compelling read. However, the lack of depth and exploration of the characters (there are a fair few) made this book a substantial, but not a stellar read for me. There are plenty of interesting facts pertaining to the legalities of this case, which Steel seems to spill out, rather than intricately explore further in her novel. The dialogue could have been extended, along with the story threads, especially in regards to the reactions and feelings of the perpetrator and victim of the crime, it seems brushed over unfortunately.

The case unravels in a closed and believable fashion, all within just under three hundred pages flat. This is generally the formula we come to expect with a Danielle Steel book. Moral Compass is a novel that will make you consider your thoughts on morality, ethics, virtue, justice and restitution. Moral Compass is an issued based story, that will draw in contemporary fiction fans.

*Thanks extended to Pan Macmillan for providing a free copy of this book for review purposes.

[Anne · Rating 1 out of 5]

I have enjoyed many other books by this author and I find it really hard to believe that she is the one who wrote this one. I’ve only gotten through the first three chapters and I can’t read anymore… There is way too much narration and not enough dialogue and action to hold my interest. I very rarely get this low of a score and especially to such a well-known author who has written such good books in the past. Even though the storyline sounded intriguing, I am feeling very bored after just three chapters.

Thanks to NetGalley, the author and publisher for an advanced reading copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.

[Kelsie Maxwell · Rating 5 out of 5]

Moral Compass by Danielle Steel is compelling women’s fiction from one of America’s bestselling authors.

Saint Ambrose Prepatory School is among the best and most distinguished boarding schools in the country. The students are from some of the finest families and the staff and administration are top-notch. After more than a hundred and twenty years the school is welcoming it’s first female students. Some think it’s about time and will only move the school forward. Others think it’s a mistake and will be the end of the school’s impeccable history. Maybe both are right.

Following the school’s successful Halloween festivities a group of students have a private celebration. By morning Vivienne Walker has alcohol poisoning and has been attacked and left for dead. Some of the students are conflicted. Should they tell what they know? Others are guilty but determined to continue their lives as planned. The rich have the best of everything, including the lawyers they now need, while the less affluent must make due with much less. Unfortunately, money can’t buy a proper moral compass.

Moral Compass is a literary marvel. Danielle Steel has scored on all aspects. The cast of characters is varied, but each is fully-developed and completely believable. The subject matter is totally relevant to today’s social climate. The plot held my attention from start to finish. I was completely captivated and read it in one sitting. This is definitely a 5 out of 5 star read and I recommend it to everyone who enjoys compelling fiction.

My thanks to Random House Publishing Group – Ballantine and NetGalley for the opportunity to read an advance copy of this book. However, the opinions expressed in this review are 100% mine and mine alone.

[Kerry Kennedy · Rating 5 out of 5]

A gripping story of a tragic event

Danielle Steel writes the perfect book from plot to real life characters and is not aftraid to touch on such serious issues as rape and immoral behaviour
This book was in some ways upsetting to read that a young girl was raped one drunken night. The issues here are real and terrifying and the morality of very wealthy people can also be questioned. There is a small love story element with a non related couple that was sweet. Essentially however, this book is about a tragic event and how it morality can be questioned.
A good engaging book that I can highly recommend

[MicheleReader · Rating 3 out of 5]

Rated: 3.5 stars.

In Moral Compass the prolific Danielle Steel tackles the tough subject of rape, alcohol abuse and a cover-up by six seniors in an elite prep school which recently went co-ed. For most of us, there’s right and there’s wrong. Unfortunately for some, like several of the wealthy parents of the six boys, there’s a belief that money can help get you out of any jam. So much for following a moral compass. Steel’s latest is an interesting and timely story. A good, quick read.

[Marianne · Rating 3 out of 5]

This wasn’t my favorite by this author.

I get it exasperated by info dumps right off the bat and this had that in spades! This author can certainly write and creates excellent characters but the beginning of this book had me going back and forth trying to determine who’s who.

Eventually I got sorted and enjoyed this story. I don’t think that there are any real surprises here but that’s not the worst thing. It really was an emotional drama and showed the lengths that people will go to to get out of a jam.

Overall, it was both sad and interesting. Thanks to NetGalley, the author and Random House Publishing Group - Ballantine for a copy in exchange for a review.

[Carol Storm · Rating 3 out of 5]

Six upper class boys are accused of raping an upper class girl at an elite prep school in New England. The shocking thing about this story is that Danielle Steel does nothing with it. She doesn't capture the atmosphere of privilege and power at an elite school. She doesn't condemn the toxic masculinity of all-male schools and athletic teams. She doesn't reveal the resentments of the townies, or the faculty, towards the privileged kids. She doesn't probe the tensions between old line WASP students and Asians, Jews, and people of color as they compete for an ever-shrinking share of the pie.

All she does is make you care about these kids as individuals, without passing judgment on any of them. The victim is a stunningly beautiful blonde teenager, yet Danielle Steel never apologizes for her beauty or her privilege, or her interest in boys. The voice of the author is always calm and compassionate, even when -- especially when -- a literary author like Mary Gordon would be screaming denunciations and pounding the table like a Stalinist apparatchik at a show trial.

There are times when I think Danielle Steel must either be an idiot or the wisest woman who ever lived.

[etta · Rating 1 out of 5]

tw: rape

since i’m pretty sure danielle steel will never ever read this review i am just gonna go IN on this book.

moral compass was INSANELY bad. my friend and i chose this as our trashy read-together winter break book but it went past trashy into how-did-this-get-published territory (maybe it wasn’t? maybe it’s only an ebook? i don’t actually know).
first of all, it could’ve benefitted from SO much more editing. i literally think i could’ve done a better job than the copy editor of this book. or the regular editor tbh. and what do i know about editing! but honestly, i don’t know if any amount of editing could’ve saved this book. i’ve truly never read anything so... flat. this reads like a 4th grader’s creative writing assignment. (“taylor went to the living room. taylor said hello. taylor was concerned”). i don’t even know how to describe it. i couldn’t have imagined a book actually written like this before reading moral compass. imagine really bad exposition but for literally the whole book.
there’s also the question of content / plot. spoiler alert: it’s just as bad as the writing. the entire story is centred around a rape that takes place at a boarding school and the aftermath. it’s not handled very well. i can’t tell you how many times i read something like “vivienne didn’t deserve it but she should have known better than getting drunk around a bunch of boys at night.” the whole conflict too in this story was about how the lives of the boys who participated in the rape would be “ruined” if they were found out. it was also like, half about divorce? the whole first chapter was steel introducing literally every one of the 20 odd characters and giving their career background, where they had lived, and whether they were married or divorced? divorce was consistently brought up as a sub-theme for no reason i can understand. also, MULTIPLE times there were teachers at this boarding school talking about how attractive a student was?? what???

in conclusion, this was probably the worst book i’ve ever read! this has been my rant review!

[Kristi · Rating 4 out of 5]

Moral Compass by Danielle Steel

First Sentence:

It was the day after Labor Day, one of those perfect, golden September mornings in Massachusetts, as the students of Saint Ambrose Preparatory School began to arrive.

Saint Ambrose Prep is the place where the wealthy and elite send their children for a top-notch education. Traditionally an all-boys school, they’ve recently admitted in females which is a point of contention among much of the faculty. When one of the female students is sexually assaulted while inebriated, it becomes a social and legal issue that will divide friends and family before the truth is revealed.

Ms. Steel delves into a topic that has been all to common place in the media as of late. A topic that leaves many people divided and often leaves the victim in a place of blame and the very subject itself one of moral ambiguity. While I felt that what the character went through in relationship to an actual demoralizing and traumatic sexual assault was a bit diminished, I do understand that for the purpose of this book and its readers, it was necessary to minimize the details. With that being said, the characters were interesting and well-developed and the story flowed well.

Moral Compass is a chronicle for the times and brings awareness to the issue of underage drinking and sexual assault and will hopefully help eliminate the stigma and traumatic impact of sexual violence and assault regardless of whether the victim was drinking or not.

A big thank you to NetGalley and Random House Publishing Group – Ballantine for allowing me to read and review this title.

[Sherri Thacker · Rating 5 out of 5]

Moral Compass is Danielle Steel’s latest book out and I was lucky enough to get approved from NetGalley. No matter what DS puts out, I request it. This one has some very sensitive matter and was dealt with throughout the whole book. The poor boys made a terrible decision while at a prep school and their lives changed forever because of it. 5 stars for a well written book about something that no one wants to live through. I think I will be still thinking about this book in the days to come. Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for this early release for my honest review.

[Nicole · Rating 2 out of 5]

As another reviewer said, way too much narration and not enough dialogue or story. Also, can someone tell Danielle Steel that it is 2020 and same sex relationships do exist? There is a line in the first chapter about how as an all boys school, the school didn’t have to worry about romantic relationships. Really? It would be fine to say something like they didn’t have to worry about teen pregnancy or something like that, but “relationships”?

[Deepika · Rating 3 out of 5]

This the first Danielle Steel book I am reading and I must say I like her simplistic narrative. The story has a disturbing start, ending with some positives. A good afternoon read.

[Laura Wonderchick · Rating 3 out of 5]

Difficult subject matter of a school rape may keep some fans of DS reading this one. Very well written with a justified ending.

[Alex (Alex's Version) · Rating 1 out of 5]

Is it well written? It's a Danielle Steel book, Of course it's not well written and it's kinda offensive, However I think Danielle was trying to do something different, write something different, The beginning of the book is overwhelming, with an excessive introduction of numerous characters in a short span of pages, making it challenging to keep track of everyone. Furthermore, Steel delves too deeply into the lives of irrelevant faculty members and introduces unnecessary side plots involving the parents, which detract from the main storyline and disrupt the flow of the narrative.

was it compelling?
The storytelling in Moral Compass lacks emotional depth. Instead of showing the readers the events and allowing them to experience the story firsthand, Steel resorts to telling everything in a blunt and straightforward manner. This approach leaves little room for the readers to connect with the characters and their experiences.
One of the most glaring issues in Moral Compass is the unnecessary and forced romance that is thrown into the story. This addition feels out of place and does not contribute to the overall plot or character development.

The way the school and its faculty handle the aftermath of the rape is deeply troubling. Instead of focusing on the rapist and holding him accountable, there is a sense of blame placed on the victim. The teachers, including the female ones, seem more concerned about the potential negative press for the school rather than the trauma the victim has endured. This victim-blaming mentality is evident in lines such as "Some of them would never recover, especially whichever one had raped her..." and "thinking that the boy who had raped her was going to miss out on college forever." These statements imply a misplaced sympathy for the rapist and a lack of empathy for the victim.

The book's lack of a moral compass is evident in the portrayal of the parents. While it is acceptable to have flawed characters, the book often excuses their despicable behavior. For instance, a father who attempts to bribe the victim's family to protect his son from charges is later portrayed as "not a bad guy." This inconsistency undermines the moral message the book tries to convey.

Additionally, the character of Tommy Yee, a Chinese-American student, is portrayed in a stereotypical and racist manner. This portrayal is disappointing and perpetuates harmful stereotypes.

Lastly, there is a disturbing scene where a teacher objectifies a 17-year-old student and comments on her legs. The fact that this behavior is not condemned and is even laughed off by a female teacher is deeply troubling.

Moral Compass by Danielle Steel falls short in several aspects. The lack of focus on the victim, the telling instead of showing approach to storytelling, the overwhelming introduction of irrelevant characters and side plots, the unnecessary romance, the victim-blaming mentality, the excusing of despicable behavior by parents, the racist portrayal of a character, and the disturbing scene of objectification all contribute to a disappointing and upsetting reading experience. The book's title, Moral Compass, is ironic as it seems to lack a true moral compass in its storytelling and character development.
Was it worth reading/ listening to?
No, It's a mess.

[Vickie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Finally! A book by Danielle Steel that was not rampant with people falling into bed with each other! This book is suitable for young adults as well as adults to read. It has a good lesson to teach, that is, to take responsibility for your actions and that the rich cannot get away with crimes in spite of their names and money. There were multiple sub-plots with the parents of the young people involved in the criminal actions, but none of them was particularly interesting. I’m just glad that DS wrote a book that is almost a totally clean read. Warning: there is some strong and abusive language from at least one of the parents.

Disclaimer
Disclosure of Material Connection: I checked this book out from my local library. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions expressed are my own.

[Vonda · Rating 5 out of 5]

Where does your moral compass lie? This is a story of choices...right and wrong. Saving yourself or saving the wronged one and giving them their life back? This was an incredible read with a great life lesson. One of Ms Steel's best!

[Cayla · Rating 4 out of 5]

Thank you Net Galley for providing me this copy of Moral Compass by Danielle Steel! I havent read much by her before so this was a nice change. In this book she centers around an elite prep school in their first year of co-ed teaching and boarding. An event happens and everything goes wrong and changes the lives of the students. It definitely was an emotional ride with this one and kept me reading.

[Sandra B · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5 stars

[Caroline Masci · Rating 1 out of 5]

You know when you finish reading something and you’re like “That’s it? That was the end.” It’s kind of how I felt with this book. I felt enlightened because when I picked it up and read the title I was like “cool moral compass about something happening to a boarding school, this will be interesting”. As I kept reading I understood how the moral compass was impacting the kids that went to this school and ultimately, on the choices that they made which consequently impacted their lives.

This book centred around an exclusive male boarding school called St.Ambrose, where only the rich and famous sent their kids to. After some consideration, the board decides to make the school co-Ed. The book starts off welcoming the new students to the school and introduces you to a select few, which as you read on will become the group that this book centres around. A crime is perpetrated and the police investigate who committed it, and shines a light on the decisions people make, which send ricochets across not just the boys lives but that of their parents as well. It also highlights how one decision doesn’t affect the single person but friends and family around.

I felt confused because there was so so many characters in this book it was hard to get attached to one or a few, and characters that were introduced in the middle were given an ending but others who had been with the book for the whole time weren’t. Especially the victim of the crime! This books whole meaning was about the moral compass of making a decision and yet out of the five boys who made the decision to do what they did, we only find out how one of them ended up after the ordeal was over. This left me confused. For me this book centres around the morality of these boys and the crime the committed, so I don’t understand why there is focus on the police officers private life.

[Abby · Rating 1 out of 5]

This book was terrible for a lot of reasons but it wasn't unreadable. The first one or two chapters was literally just a list of names and descriptions and I didn't remember any of them the next times they came up. There was a focus on way too many characters, if it had only been 2-4 characters then the book would have been significantly better. Even if the perspectives would have been more separated the book would have been better but they were all line by line. There is a lot in this book that I don't think was researched at all. Police investigations, court sentencing and just the way that an average person speaks to begin with. There are so many thoughts in this book that are repeated over and over. Like I understand if that's how the character feels but show me don't tell me! Which is another issue with this book, everything is told instead of shown. The main event that happens in this book is completely smoothed over so quickly that its confusing that it happened in the first place. There are no details in this book its pretty much just generalizations of everything that happens. There are a lot of cliches in this book as well and some of them are slightly racist. The motivations for the characters made absolutely no sense to me. They were almost completely nonsensical. Plus there are side plots in this book that I honestly could not have cared less about. In fact the last 20 or so pages I skipped quite a bit because I didn't think it was relevant to the story itself. There are so many problems in the writing of this book that it honestly confuses me that she is such a popular writer. The ending was completely predictable because the last 100 pages the ending is alluded to through "opinions" of the characters. I did not feel an attachment to any of the characters. I just really don't understand how anyone could have loved this book.

[Melissa Angeles · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was my first Danielle Steel novel and I was very disappointed. Sounded like a high schooler wrote it. Too much like a bad after school tv special.

[Ashton Noel · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.5/5 stars

This felt like a lifetime movie. Its about an all male boarding school that decides to go co-ed. On Halloween night a girl is raped and the rest of the story follows the trial and the legalities of prosecuting those responsible. I actually really enjoyed this. It was a bit out of the Danielle Steel norm with all of the courtroom/detective drama and I found that I actually liked most of the characters in this story and cared about their story arc. We have our usual rich and entitled characters we often see in DS books, but it wasn't overbearing or overly repetitive. One of the better DS books I've read of late and one I can definitely recommend.

[Brenda · Rating 4 out of 5]

DS's last few books have been a home run for me; this one seems more of a triple ;) Moral Compass is very well written, interesting subject, good lessons, and a compelling story. But it lacked something for me. I'm not even exactly sure what? Having said that, I'd def recommend this book! I guess I can't expect every book to be a home run 😂